News for February 29, 2008

Other Stuff:+

Abbas Says Terrorist Path is Impractical - "Now" Israel National News (February 28, 2008) - Mahmoud Abbas - Israel's partner in peace talks and the head of Fatah and the Palestinian Authority - enjoys a reputation as a "moderate," largely in light of his juxtaposition with the arch-terrorists of his rivals/allies in Hamas. However, he now says that terrorism and violence against Israel are actually the preferred approach, and certainly need not be ruled out in the future. "At present," Abbas told the Jordanian newspaper A-Doustour, "I am against an armed struggle against Israel because we can't do it, but in the coming stages, things may change." "I do not rule out a return to the way of armed struggle against Israel," he said in the Wednesday night interview. Seventeen Arabs, mostly terrorists, have been killed in six Israel Air Force counter-terrorism actions in Gaza since Wednesday morning. One of the dead was the son of a top Hamas official. Abbas took pride in the fact that he was the first terrorist in the struggle against Israel. "I had the honor of firing, in 1965, the first bullet of the 'resistance', he boasted. He added that it was his Fatah organization that taught Hizbullah and other terrorist organizations in the world how to run terrorist campaigns. Abbas, whose nom de guerre is Abu Mazen, said that he does not demand that Hamas - the terrorist movement that violently wrested control of Gaza from Fatah last year - recognize Israel at present. "I wanted to establish a unity government with Hamas that would negotiate with Israel," he said. "Syria's Bashar Assad supported me... I am not the only one who wants recognition of Israel; the Arab initiative, which is a matter of consensus in the Arab and Islamic worlds, also says this." Abbas was happy about rejecting the notion of Israel as a "Jewish state." He said that in the Annapolis Summit of last November, "they wanted us to agree to a summation saying that Israel is a Jewish state, and we objected strongly. The summit almost blew up because of this."
| Israel | Islam |

Europe's Power to Lead The Moscow Times (February 28, 2008) - At last month's World Economic Forum in Davos, the buzz was about Asia's growing power. One Asian analyst argued that by 2050, there will be three world powers: the United States, China and India. He did not mention Europe, but underestimating Europe's power is a mistake. Yes, Europe currently punches below its weight. It is fragmented, peaceful and normative in a world of hard power, but part of the world is not about military power. The use of force among advanced industrial democracies is virtually unthinkable. In their relations with each other, such countries are all from Venus, to paraphrase U.S. political commentator Robert Kagan, and here Europe's focus on law and institutions is an asset. A recent Pew poll found that many Europeans would like Europe to play a larger role in other parts of the world. To balance U.S. military power, however, would require a doubling or tripling of defense spending, and few Europeans are interested in such an increase. Nevertheless, a smart strategy for Europe will require greater investments in hard power. The picture for Europe, however, is not as bleak as pessimists assume. Power is the ability to get the outcomes one wants, and the resources that produce such behavior depend upon the context. In functional terms, power is distributed like a three-dimensional chess game. On the top board are military relations among states, with the United States the world's only superpower with global reach. Here the world is unipolar. On the middle board are economic relations, where the world is already multipolar. Here, Europe acts as a union, and other countries like Japan and China play big roles. The United States cannot reach a trade agreement or settle antitrust cases without the approval of the European Union. Or, to take another example, Europe was able to lead the drive to remove Paul Wolfowitz from the World Bank. The bottom chessboard includes transnational relations outside the control of governments -- everything from drugs to infectious diseases to climate change to terrorism. On this board, power is chaotically distributed among nonstate actors, and it makes no sense to call this world either unipolar or multipolar. Here, close civilian cooperation is important, for which Europe is well endowed. European countries' success in overcoming centuries of animosity, and the development of a large internal market, has given them a great deal of soft power. At the Cold War's end, East European countries did not try to form local alliances, as they did in the 1920s, but looked toward Brussels to secure their future. Similarly, countries like Turkey and Ukraine have adjusted their policies in response to their attraction to Europe. Recently, the U.S. National Intelligence Council published four widely different scenarios for the world in 2020: Davos World, in which economic globalization continues but with a more Asian face; Pax Americana, where the United States continues to dominate the global order; New Caliphate, where Islamic religious identity challenges the dominance of Western norms; and Cycle of Fear, in which nonstate forces create shocks to security that produce Orwellian societies. Like any exercise in futurology, such scenarios have their limits, but they help us ask which three or four major political factors will help shape the outcome. The third major determinant of which scenario will prevail will be U.S. power and how it is used. The United States will remain the most powerful country in 2020, but, paradoxically, the strongest state since the days of Rome will be unable to protect its citizens acting alone. U.S. military might is not adequate to deal with threats such as global pandemics, climate change, terrorism and international crime. These issues require cooperation in the provision of global public good and in the soft-power technique of attracting support. No part of the world shares more values or has a greater capacity to influence U.S. attitudes and power than Europe. This suggests that the fourth political determinant of the future will be the evolution of European policies and power. more...
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | NewWorldOrder | America |

Survey: Americans freely change, or drop, their religions USA Today (February 28, 2008) - A new map of faith in the USA shows a nation constantly shifting amid religious choices, unaware or unconcerned with doctrinal distinctions. Unbelief is on the rise. And immigration is introducing new faces in the pews, new cultural concerns, new forces in the public square. The U.S. Religious Landscape Survey, released Monday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, documents new peaks, deepening valleys and fast-running rivers of change in American religiosity. Based on interviews with 35,556 adults in the continental United States, it shows so much diversity and dynamism that a co-author sums it up simply. "Churn. Churn. Churn. The biggest news here is change," says Pew Forum research fellow Gregory Smith. "It's not that religion won't matter in the future, but that it will matter in new and less predictable ways," says co-author John Green, a political scientist and Pew Forum senior fellow. Key findings from the survey:

• Faith is fluid: 44% say they're no longer tied to the religious or secular upbringing of their childhood. They've changed religions or denominations, adopted a faith for the first time or abandoned any affiliation altogether.
• "Nothing" matters: 12.1% say their religious identity is "nothing in particular," outranking every denomination and tradition except Catholics (23.9%) and all groups of Baptists (17.2%).
• Protestants are fading: 51.3% call themselves Protestant, but roughly one-third of this group were "unable or unwilling" to describe their denomination.
• Immigrants sustain Catholic numbers: 46% of foreign-born U.S. adults are Catholics, compared with only 21% of native-born adults. Latinos are now 45% of all U.S. Catholics ages 18-29.

Like the Catholic Church, other public institutions will have to accommodate the impact of immigration. Already, more than 34 million of the nation's 225 million adults are foreign-born, and half of these are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census. "The Catholic Church may be a microcosm of what's going to happen to the country in the next 40 years," says Luis Lugo, director of the Pew Forum. The Pew survey was based on random telephone interviews conducted in English and Spanish, May 8 through Aug. 13. Another 1,050 interviews were added from an earlier 2007 Pew-sponsored survey of Muslims in the USA, which included interviews in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu. The margin of error is plus or minus 0.6 percentage points for the full sample, higher for subgroups. The findings are being presented in two segments. One looks at religious affiliation (here used to mean identity) and demographic characteristics. The other, to be released in late spring, delves into beliefs, behavior and political views. Today's report (online at www.Pewforum.org) sorts people into major groupings: Christian (78.4%); other religions (4.7%) including Jewish (1.7%) and Muslim (0.7%); and "unaffiliated" (16.1%), which includes atheist (1.6%), agnostic (2.4%) and "nothing in particular." Protestants also are subdivided into three groups: evangelical (26.3%) with shared strict ideas on salvation and common historic origins; mainline (18.1%), which share "a less exclusionary view of salvation and a strong emphasis on social reform"; and historically black churches (6.9%) with traditions "shaped by experiences of slavery and segregation." These overall findings are parsed to a fine degree by being broken down into nearly 250 faiths and traditions and examined by demographic characteristics. more...
| Apostasy | America |

This covers more than Christianity of course, but the fluid nature of belief evident is the whole point. Absolute Truth is not a common bond and this fits into the mold of the Babylonian system of mixing beliefs that the Bible says will lead to acceptance of the antichrist as God because he will have lying signs and wonders. Society today needs to see to believe, which I believe stems from the history of the mystery of iniquity at work today and being indoctrinated taught in our public schools today. The destruction of faith is the goal and it is working amazingly well.

Romans 10:14-17
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

But how many in the world today trust the Bible? Faith isn't blind either. This website is my attempt to make the clarity of scripture obvious and to build the faith in what the Bible says through the testimony of fulfilled prophecy so that believing what the Bible says isn't based on blindness, but rather in seeing the Truth and being set free by it.

James 1:2-8
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

Please take the time to listen to this message by Dr. Charles Stanley: Surviving Our Present Culture - More In Touch Ministries audio

Dollar plunges to fresh record euro low Breitbart.com (February 27, 2008) - The dollar plunged to another record low against the European single currency on Wednesday as a stream of negative US data undermined the greenback, analysts said. In morning deals, the euro surged as high as 1.5088 dollars, after smashing through the 1.50 barrier for the first ever time in US trade on Tuesday. "The euro is trading above 1.50 against the dollar for the first time since the eurozone came into existence in January 1999," said Global Insight analyst Howard Archer. "This is primarily a consequence of the dollar being undermined by further weak US data heightening concerns over the US economy and reinforcing expectations of additional interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve."
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | America | Economic Crisis |

Part of Jerusalem Officially Labeled PA Territory Israel National News (February 27, 2008) - Israeli authorities have placed several signs near the Atarot area in northern Jerusalem recently warning travelers, “You are entering territory under the control of the Palestinian Authority. Israelis are absolutely forbidden to enter!” Approximately 25,000 residents of Jerusalem, some of them Israeli citizens, live in the areas now designated as PA territory. Jerusalem Forum chairman Aryeh King said Wednesday that approximately 1,200 dunams of property owned by Jews were located beyond the signs. The government violated laws regarding Jerusalem by putting up the signs, King said. The signs prove the government is acting to make its policy of splitting Jerusalem a reality, he said. King said he plans to lead a tour on Thursday in areas that fall within the municipal boundaries of Jerusalem but are in practice controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The tour will begin at the Kalandia checkpoint at 12 p.m. and end in the biblical village of Mitzpa.
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land |

Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Hits Islands South of Tokyo Bloomberg (February 27, 2008) - A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck a group of Japanese islands south of Tokyo at 4:54 p.m. local time, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. The quake hit near the island of Iwoto, formerly known as Iwo Jima, 1,005 kilometers (603 miles) south of Tokyo and was 14 kilometers deep, the USGS said. The magnitude was initially put at 6.6. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. There's no danger of a destructive tsunami from the quake, although small sea-level changes are possible, the Japan Meteorological Agency said on its Web site. Japan lies in a zone where the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine plates meet and is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. Earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more can cause considerable damage, depending on their depth.
| Earth Changes |

Alarmed rabbis: Prime minister dividing Jerusalem WorldNet Daily (February 26, 2008) - A group of hundreds of prominent Israeli rabbis this week urged a religious partner of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government to immediately bolt the Israeli leader's coalition amid rampant media reports Jerusalem is up for negotiations. The rabbis warned that if the Orthodox Shas party remains in Olmert's government, they will urge Jews against supporting Shas. If the party bolts, Olmert's coalition government could fall apart, precipitating new elections. "We are seriously considering issuing a statement signed by the hundreds of rabbis of the organization declaring it is absolutely forbidden for any observant Jew to vote for a party that lent its support to a government that negotiated the division of Jerusalem, a move that will place the entire population in Israel in mortal danger," Rabbi Avrohom Shmuel Lewin, director general of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, told WND. The Congress is a coalition of more than 350 Israeli rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis. Olmert repeatedly has insisted Israeli-Palestinian negotiations are not dealing with the status of Jerusalem, while Palestinian leaders, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abba, and many Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, stated in recent weeks negotiations are covering all core issues, including Jerusalem. The Israeli Shas party has stated it would bolt the prime minister's coalition if it becomes clear the Israeli government is negotiating the ceding of any part of Jerusalem. Shas' departure could collapse Olmert's government. Olmert must maintain a majority of the Knesset's 120 seats to continue ruling. He currently rules with a slight plurality. If Shas, with its 12 seats, bolts the government, Olmert would be forced to forge a new coalition or face new elections. Most analysts here believe if Shas does bolt, Olmert could only stay in power if he invites Arab parties to his government, a move that would be considered highly controversial. Shas denies Jerusalem is being discussed during weekly Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, which commenced after last November's U.S.-sponsored Annapolis summit. "Nobody is talking about Jerusalem. The moment Jerusalem is being discussed, Shas will leave the government – period," Shas Spokesman Roi Lachmanovitch told Israel National News. A Rabbinical Congress for Peace statement issued after an emergency meeting yesterday countered: "Every novice journalist and anyone listening to the news in Israel knows that giving up large chunks of Jerusalem has been on the negotiating table for quite some time and is in its advanced stages. Only the representatives of Shas are burying their heads in the ground and pretend they know of nothing." "They are lying to themselves and deceiving their electorate. The Shas ministers know that Olmert and Abbas have agreed not to make public any agreement on Jerusalem until after the final signature in order to keep Shas in the government," said the RCP statement. The statement was signed by scores of prominent rabbinic leaders here. Since the Annapolis summit, which aimed to create a Palestinian state before the end of the year, senior negotiating teams including Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Ahmed Qureia have been meeting weekly while Olmert and Abbas meet biweekly. Unlike previous Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in which both sides attended with about a dozen advisors each, Livni's and Quereai's teams are small, usually consisting at most of five people each. Media leaks from the current negotiations have been rare. Some momentum is highly expected before a visit Bush has scheduled to Israel in May, his second trip since Annapolis. Olmert's government has hinted a number of times it will divide Jerusalem and reportedly has halted all Jewish construction permits for eastern sections of the city. In December, Israeli Vice Premier Haim Ramon said the country "must" give up sections of Jerusalem for a future Palestinian state, even conceding the Palestinians can rename Jerusalem "to whatever they want." "We must come today and say, friends, the Jewish neighborhoods, including Har Homa, will remain under Israeli sovereignty, and the Arab neighborhoods will be the Palestinian capital, which they will call Jerusalem or whatever they want," said Ramon during an interview. Positions held by Ramon, a ranking member of Olmert's Kadima party, are largely considered to be reflective of Israeli government policy. Olmert himself recently questioned whether it was "really necessary" to retain Arab-majority eastern sections of Jerusalem. Israel recaptured eastern Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount – Judaism's holiest site – during the 1967 Six Day War. The Palestinians have claimed eastern Jerusalem as a future capital; the area has large Arab neighborhoods, a significant Jewish population and sites holy to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. About 231,000 Arabs live in Jerusalem, mostly in eastern neighborhoods, and many reside in illegally constructed complexes. The city has an estimated total population of 724,000. Ramon listed population statistics as the reason Olmert's government finds it necessary to split Jerusalem. But WND broke the story that according to Jerusalem municipal employees, during 10 years as mayor of Jerusalem, Olmert instructed city workers not to take action against hundreds of illicit Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of Jerusalem housing over 100,000 Arabs squatting in the city illegally. The workers and some former employees claim Olmert even instructed city officials to delete files documenting illegal Arab construction of housing units in eastern Jerusalem. Olmert was Jerusalem mayor from 1993 to 2003. As mayor, he made repeated public statements calling Jerusalem the "eternal and undivided capital" of Israel. Jerusalem municipal employees and former workers, though, paint a starkly contrasting picture of the prime minister. "He did nothing about rampant illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem while the government cracked down on illegal Jewish construction in the West Bank," said one municipal employee who worked under Olmert. She spoke on condition of anonymity, because she still works for the municipality. One former municipal worker during Olmert's mayoral tenure told WND he was moved in 1999 to a new government posting after he tried to highlight the illegal Arab construction in Jerusalem. He also spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his current job. Aryeh King, chairman of the Jerusalem Forum, which promotes Jewish construction in Jerusalem, told WND an investigation by his group found Olmert's city hall deleted files documenting hundreds of illegal Arab building projects throughout eastern sections of Jerusalem. He said he forwarded his findings to Israel's state comptroller for investigation. King also claims Olmert told senior municipal workers not to enforce a ban on illegal Arab buildings. "Ehud Olmert gave the order not to deal with the problem and not to put Israeli security forces to the duty of taking down the illegal Arab complexes," said King. "Senior municipal workers told me Olmert said not to bother with the illegal Arab homes, because eventually eastern Jerusalem would be given to the Palestinian Authority." King's report alleges Jerusalem municipal officials erased the files, which detail over 300 cases of Arab construction in eastern Jerusalem deemed illegal starting from 1999. The illegal buildings reportedly were constructed without permits and are still standing. According to law, they must be demolished. more...
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land |

Quake warning as fault line 'under stress' icWales (February 26, 2008) - The fault line that spawned the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami has ruptured nearly 20 times this month, with three strong quakes in the last 24 hours alone. The activity shows the stress the seam is under and could be a warning of worse to come, scientists say. Kerry Sieh, a US professor who has studied the fault for more than 10 years, likened the seam to a length of rope in an imaginary tug of war between a group of men and an elephant. “One by one, two by two, the men are getting worn out and are letting go of the rope. That puts more stress on each of the remaining men,” he wrote. “Who knows which one will let go next, or whether they will let go all at once?”
| Earth Changes |

Kuwaiti Paper: Mega-Attack on Israel in March Israel National News (February 26, 2008) - The Kuwaiti daily Al-Watan quoted "top Western sources" Monday saying that, "according to reliable intelligence information, Hizbullah has begun planning a large-scale attack on Israel in retaliation for its [alleged] assassination of senior Hizbullah commander Imad Mughniyah." According to the report, translated by MEMRI, the attack is being planned in coordination with Syria and Iran, and is to take place before the Arab summit next month. It was also reported that there would be a simultaneous terrorist escalation by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other PA groups in Gaza.
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Foreclosures up 57 percent in the past year MSNBC (February 26, 2008) - The number of homes facing foreclosure jumped 57 percent in January compared to a year ago, with lenders increasingly forced to take possession of homes they couldn’t unload at auctions, a mortgage research firm said Monday. Nationwide, some 233,001 homes received at least one notice from lenders last month related to overdue payments, compared with 148,425 a year earlier, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc. Nearly half of the total involved first-time default notices. The worsening situation came despite ongoing efforts by lenders to help borrowers manage their payments by modifying loan terms, working out long-term repayment plans and other actions “You have more people going into default and a higher percentage of the properties going back to the banks,” said Rick Sharga, RealtyTrac’s vice president of marketing. The U.S. foreclosure rate last month was one filing for every 534 homes. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers area in Florida posted the highest foreclosure rate of any metro area in the nation, with one of every 86 homes in some stage of foreclosure, said RealtyTrac Inc. Stockton, Calif., was ranked second, with one of every 97 homes involved in a foreclosure filing, while the Riverside-San Bernardino metro area in Southern California had the third-highest foreclosure rate with filings for one of every 101 properties. January’s tally represented an 8 percent hike from December. RealtyTrac follows default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions. Lenders typically consider borrowers delinquent after they fall three months behind on mortgage payments. Attempts to help struggling home owners have fallen short. “The loan workout modification programs aren’t having a significant material effect on keeping properties from going back to the banks,” Sharga said. One dramatic trend last month was a 90 percent spike in the number of properties that were repossessed by banks, compared to January 2007. “It suggests that there’s little or no equity in a lot of these homes, because they’re not even being sold to investors at auctions, and it suggests a continuing weakness in a lot of markets in terms of real estate sales,” Sharga said. more...
| America | Economic Crisis |

Moneychangers Destroying America, and Christians Don't See It News With Views (February 26, 2008) - "And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables." John 2:13-15 (KJV) The moneychangers of Jesus' day were the equivalent of the international bankers of our day. With the consent and approbation of the Jewish leaders, these bankers set up shop in the Temple. Their purpose was to exchange whatever currency the Jewish worshipper brought with him or her into Jewish currency, which would then be used to purchase whatever sacrifice the worshipper required. Of course, the exchange rates benefited only the bankers and Jewish leaders (and Caesar, who collected a tax on the exchange, of course). For everyone else, the system was nothing more than legalized extortion. When Jesus saw what the bankers were doing, He was incensed. And throughout the Gospel narratives, this is the only occasion where Jesus is recorded as resorting to violence. He made a scourge (or whip) and drove the bankers out of the Temple by force and destroyed their tables, along with their records, receipts, etc. It is too bad that today's pastors and Christians do not share Jesus' disdain for the current generation of moneychangers, because it is the moneychangers who are in the process of destroying these United States of America--and our pastors and Christians either do not see it, or, if they do see it, do not seem to care. It is modern moneychangers who bully and bribe our spineless and greedy politicians (from both parties) into passing so-called "free trade" deals such as NAFTA, CAFTA, and the FTAA, which have all but destroyed America's manufacturing base and have put millions of American workers out of their jobs. It is the moneychangers who are the driving force behind the burgeoning North American Union, which sacrifices America's national sovereignty and independence. Over the weekend, Dr. Jerry Corsi reported that a new North American Army has been created, without the approval of Congress or any mention by the American media. In World Net Daily, Corsi reports, "In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis.

"The agreement, defined as a Civil Assistance Plan, was not submitted to Congress for approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of a wide range of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorist attacks.

"In Canada, the agreement paving the way for the militaries of the U.S. and Canada to cross each other's borders to fight domestic emergencies was not announced either by the Harper government or the Canadian military, prompting sharp protest."

Corsi further writes, "The military Civil Assistance Plan can be seen as a further incremental step being taken toward creating a North American armed forces available to be deployed in domestic North American emergency situations.

"The agreement was signed at U.S. Army North headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, by U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM, and by Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Dumais, commander of Canada Command."

For the most part, the American media is blind, mute, and dumb regarding any of the issues relating to the merger of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The only notable media personality to give this matter any significant attention is CNN's Lou Dobbs. Obviously, the same moneychangers who control Congress also largely control the mainstream media. The last three American Presidents, too, have been willing pawns in the hands of the moneychangers. Remember, it was Bill Clinton and Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole who collaborated to shove NAFTA down our throats. It was Bush 41 who first publicly promoted a "New World Order." But it has been George W. Bush who has done more to appease the globalist plans of the moneychangers than any President since Woodrow Wilson. G.W. Bush has used the rubric of "the war on terrorism" to dismantle not only the personal liberties of the American people (most notably with his Gestapo-like Patriot Act), but also the constitutional principles of national sovereignty and independence. For example, back in 2006, G.W. Bush eviscerated one of America's most sacred doctrines protecting liberty and independence: the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, which disallowed U.S. military troops from being used against U.S. citizens. (Of course, this did not stop Bill Clinton and Janet Reno from using U.S. troops against U.S. citizens at Waco, Texas. And thanks to G.W. Bush, the crime was permanently covered up.) The expunging of Posse Comitatus becomes even more jeopardous when one considers the current merger of U.S. and Canadian military forces. Dr. Corsi explains:

"In an exclusive interview with WND during Vigilant Shield 2008, Gen. Renuart affirmed USNORTHCOM would deploy U.S. troops on U.S. soil should the president declare a domestic emergency in which the Department of Defense ordered USNORTHCOM involvement.

"In May 2007, WND reported President Bush, on his own authority, signed National Security Presidential Directive 51, also known as Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, authorizing the president to declare a national emergency and take over all functions of federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, without necessarily obtaining the approval of Congress to do so."

Are readers getting this? George W. Bush, on his own signature, with no approval from Congress and no input from the American people, has seized unlimited power for the Presidency; he has dismantled the constitutional protections of the American people; he has ignored the courts; he has begun creating the merger of the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, including the merger of the U.S. and Canadian militaries; and he has refused to enforce U.S. immigration laws, thus facilitating a borderless North America. And all of this has been done at the behest of David Rockefeller and his cabal of moneychangers at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). more...
| NewWorldOrder | America |

While I agree with the facts of this article, I also see Bible prophecy being fulfilled and the ultimate end shows no ability to stop what is about to happen as a result of these plans. Indeed it will lead to the war on the saints prophesied to come and we will be powerless to stop it.

Revelation 13:7
And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Let's not fight trying to change what the Bible says we cannot, let us fight for the souls of mankind. The call for political inaction is not a popular one to hold for those who think we can change what is happening, but think about this from an eternal perspective. How much time would we waste trying to change what God foretold to happen while the Gospel goes unspoken in the process? Where should our focus be? How many Christians would be silenced with no effect when they could have spent their time reaching those in their area of influence with the message of eternal salvation? Given the futility of fighting the New World Order, I personally feel it a better mission to reach the hearts and minds with the Truth from God's Word while shining its light on current events so that faith in the Bible is not blind, but rather quite plain to see. We are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Matthew 10:16

So let us obey Christ's mission for us to get out of the world system as much as we can Revelation 18:1-5, read His Word, watch, pray and share the hope that is within us through the saving blood of Yeshua the Christ who died so that we could live. Be aware of what is going on not to affect change of this corrupted world, but change in the hearts of individuals through the light of Truth from God's Word and the unveiling of the wicked plans of the enemy. It's not pretty, but keep watching!

Why cash is no longer king Canada.com (February 25, 2008) - Inside a popular Canadian electronics store, a woman trying to pay for a DVD is being refused at the register. Her money is no good there. The snubbed customer is not a counterfeiter or a shoplifter barred from shopping in the store, she's simply a woman who wants to pay for a purchase with dollars and cents. Increasingly, cold hard cash is the victim of a digital economy that favours symbols of money -- plastic cards, electronic key fobs, and online payments -- over the real deal. Nowhere is this more evident than in the diminishing presence of automated teller machines, which in 2007 saw their biggest drop in the U.S. (nine per cent) since their debut in the 1970s. In Canada, the latest data point to a future similar to that of our American neighbours, as cash withdrawals steadily decline and shoppers prefer to pay with plastic. According to Moneris, Canada's largest processor of debit, credit and gift card transactions, one of the strongest aggressors "directly attacking cash" is technology that allows consumers to use plastic for small purchases. Examples include No Signature Required credit card programs, as well as "tap and go" key fobs. "In the past, you may have heard a heavy sigh from the person behind you in line if you pulled out your credit card for a transaction under $20," says Brian Green, senior vice-president of marketing at Moneris. "This removes the taboo of using a credit card in a small-ticket environment." The past few years have seen the cash-only lineup be supplanted by the no-cash lineup. Mr. Green says it's all part of merchants' plan to "train" Canadians to lessen their cash use. "A fast form of payment is beneficial to the quick-service operator because they can greatly increase their through-put and therefore their amount of revenue," explains Mr. Green. "And as plastic becomes more convenient, we're going to become more accustomed to using it and will draw on cash less often, which means fewer withdrawals at the ATM." After falling victim to debit-card fraud last summer, Derek Moscato swore off plastic and wrote in the Vancouver Province: "Better for that wad of hundreds to live in your pocket than the billfold of some high-tech gangster." Despite his resolve, however, his planned lifestyle change couldn't be sustained. "(Plastic) is just an easier, cleaner way to pay for things. "You're not fumbling around with bills and change and so forth," explains Mr. Moscato, a communications professional from B.C. "But I've learned there's a price to pay for that convenience." According to Canadian Interac data, the number of shared cash-dispensing transactions (money withdrawn from machines not associated with the user's bank) has plummeted, dropping from 375 million in 2001 to 285 million in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available. Tina Romano, public relations manager for Interac, says the decline is "likely the result of cardholders using their own banks' ABMs to avoid paying fees, as well as the fact that more Canadians are moving to electronic payments." Indeed, debit usage nationwide continues its dramatic rise. In 1998, 1.4 million Interac transactions were processed; in 2001, it was 2.2 million; and in 2006, 3.3 million Interac payments were made in Canada, making us among the highest users of debit in the world.
| NewWorldOrder | Technology |

It's not difficult to see in society today a trend away from cash. I'm sure you've seen the VISA commercials where everyone is dancing in sync around a store until some knucklehead with cash or a check tries to pay and puts a halt to the well-oiled purchasing machinery customers. Convenience is a step toward a cashless society and the fear of identity theft will be what leads to RFID technologies such as Somark's tattoo ink replacing cards. Keep watching!

'Earth worship' on the rise among evangelical youth OneNewsNow (February 25, 2008) - Janice Crouse, a senior fellow with Concerned Women for America, says it's disturbing that many young people in evangelical churches are experimenting with the Wiccan religion. Church leaders and Christian parents, she warns, must be ready to counter that growing interest among their youth. Crouse cites an article in Religion Journal which said youth pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention were worried about large numbers of evangelicals taking part in Wicca, a religion that involves nature worship, stresses moral autonomy, and includes remedies and spells -- beliefs that Crouse points out are distinctly different from orthodox Christianity, not to mention incompatible with the Bible. "... Wiccans believe in moral autonomy -- [that] 'nobody can tell me what to do.' And I think particularly with young people ... that's a very desirable thing; they don't want the church telling them that there are boundaries, [that] there are things that they can't do," she explains. "Another one is that they don't believe in having authorities beyond human constructs; that we as individuals have the responsibility to shape our own beliefs and there's no evil beyond that." Crouse, who directs Concerned Women for America's Beverly LaHaye Institute, says the interest in Wicca can be traced to recent books featuring witchcraft and similar topics. "Some people think this goes back to the books that were so popular up until recently, and so many of the games and television programs that feature witchcraft and magic and fairy tales that have a dimension to it that if you just pull out some kind of spell you can make anything happen," she says. "This has really become quite entrenched in many of the young people's groups and in evangelicals in particular." According to Crouse, "earth worship" -- as she describes Wicca -- appeals to people who do not want to be bound by any book of authority or have imposed on them any requirements to be "believers."
| Apostasy |

Big quake strikes off Indonesia: seismologists Breitbart.com (February 25, 2008) - A strong 6.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's Sumatra island early Tuesday, the US Geological Survey said, sparking a local tsunami alert. The quake, the second off Sumatra in 12 hours, struck at 1:06 am (1806 GMT) at a depth of 35 kilometres (22 miles), 164 kilometres southwest of Sumatra's Padang, the survey said. There were no initial reports of damage or injuries. On Monday afternoon a 7.2-magnitude quake struck off the west coast of Sumatra, briefly triggering a tsunami alert, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage. Last Wednesday, a strong 7.5-magnitude quake rocked Indonesia's Aceh province, at the tip of Sumatra, killing three people and seriously injuring 25 others on remote Simeulue island. The Indonesian archipelago sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where continental plates collide and cause frequent seismic and volcanic activity. Indonesia was the nation worst hit by the earthquake-triggered Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004, which killed some 168,000 people in Aceh.
| Earth Changes |

Holy land in escrow YNet News (February 25, 2008) - After years in which various Jewish associations have bought up scopes of land in east Jerusalem, with the declared intention of maintaining the city's Jewish nature – they now find themselves bidding against various Muslim and Christian associations wishing to get a hold of land in the city's east. As reported in Yedioth Ahronoth Monday, wealthy West Bank-based Palestinians, funded by Persian Gulf benefactors, have been attempting to buy as much land as possible in east Jerusalem, concentrating their efforts in the Old City, in order to push out the Jewish associations – doing exactly the same. Backed by private millionaires, Muslim foundations, Arab banks, the PLO's Orient House's Housing Division and even several affiliates linked to Hamas, these Arab associations offer twice, even three times, the property value compared to their Jewish counterparts. Many Arab associations offer mortgages in favorable rates to any Muslim buying property in Jerusalem. Arab associations, said the report, have bought 12 apartments in the Old City in the last four months alone, with four more apartments in the Muslim Quarter in escrow. These associations have also bid on property located in Jerusalem's Shoafat and Beit Hanina neighborhoods, on the Mount of Olives; and have recently purchased a five-acre stretch of land in south Jerusalem, with the intention of building a new Palestinian neighborhood. Palestinian sources claim Turkey has also become involved in the land venture, aiding Arab associations by denying the Jewish ones access to Ottoman land records – which may prove historical Jewish ownership of the land. The various Christian associations found in the mix have reportedly been concentrating their efforts in buying land near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Jerusalem's Christian Quarter. Right-wing activist Arieh King, funded by Jewish billionaire Irwin Moscovitch, has recently formed the Israel Land Foundation, in an attempt to stop Arab associations from acquiring any more land in Jerusalem, by outbidding them. "If the Jewish National Fund would have done its job and buy these lands for the Jewish people, my work would be redundant," said King, "but the Palestinian associations are pouring tens of millions of dollars on lands in east Jerusalem, while not even one of our efforts is government funded." more...
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land |

Most New Olim in Jerusalem From Western Countries YNet News (February 25, 2008) - Some 68% of the new immigrants who arrived in Jerusalem in the last four years came from western countries, data presented by the Immigration Absorption Ministry revealed on the evening of February 24. In recent years, the capital has become an attraction for olim [immigrants to Israel] from France and North America, who also had a significant effect on the real estate market in Jerusalem. In the last two years, about half of the apartments in upscale neighborhoods in the capital were purchased by French and North American immigrants. According to the ministry's statistics, most of these new olim [immigrants to Israel] define themselves as religious. Some 25% of the immigrants from France define themselves as haredim, 65% as religious and about 10% as observant or secular. Among those who emigrated from North America, 17% define themselves as haredim, 72% as religious, and 11% as secular. Miriam and Philippe Gondin made Aliyah [immigration to Israel] from France last July and settled in Jerusalem. The two have since managed to find employment, Philippe as a teacher in a school for children with special needs, and Miriam as coordinator for the French community in the city. In a conversation with Ynet, the couple said that they had decided to immigrate due to the rising anti-Semitism in France and the growing feeling that they no longer belonged in the country. "It was difficult at first, also in terms of the language, but we're not sorry, because thanks to the relatives who are here and our friends in the community, we have found our place…we only wish that our children become assimilated as well and turn into genuine Israelis," they said.
| Israel |

Abbas: Peace in 2008 or never The Jerusalem Post (February 25, 2008) - Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas urged the US on Monday to make good on its promise to work for a Middle East peace settlement by the end of the year, warning that there would not be any future chances. Abbas spoke following a closed door meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah in the Jordanian capital of Amman and warned that if the Bush administration didn't make good on its pledge to "make 2008 the year to broker peace, then there will never be any future chances to achieve this goal." The Palestinians and Israelis are negotiating a final peace settlement, which the Bush administration hopes would lead to the creation of an independent Palestinian state later this year. The US "must understand it is to play an active role, not just as a supervisor, by intervening directly to help make peace," Abbas told reporters. He also urged Israel "to stop escalating the situation in the Palestinian territories and stop all attacks in the Gaza Strip, including firing missiles there." For his part, Abdullah expressed dismay over the rapidly deteriorating living conditions in Gaza and called for end to the economic blockade imposed there, according to a royal palace statement. The king emphasized that Jordan refused any partial solution or unilateral actions on the Palestinian issue which would create "real obstacles to achieving tangible progress in the peace process," the statement said. Gaza's battered economy has nearly collapsed under the weight of the closure and basic services to 1.4 million Palestinians - such as water, sewerage, medical care and education - have been crippled. "Gaza is on the edge of an explosion," Sami Abu Zuhri, a spokesman for Hamas, warned Monday. A separate palace statement announced that Abdullah and his Palestinian-born wife Queen Rania will visit the United States later this month for meetings with President George W. Bush and other administration officials on Mideast peacemaking. The statement did not give a specific date for the meeting with Bush, but said the visit would start Feb. 28.
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | 1st Seal |

North American Army created without OK by Congress WorldNet Daily (February 24, 2008) - In a ceremony that received virtually no attention in the American media, the United States and Canada signed a military agreement Feb. 14 allowing the armed forces from one nation to support the armed forces of the other nation during a domestic civil emergency, even one that does not involve a cross-border crisis. The agreement, defined as a Civil Assistance Plan, was not submitted to Congress for approval, nor did Congress pass any law or treaty specifically authorizing this military agreement to combine the operations of the armed forces of the United States and Canada in the event of a wide range of domestic civil disturbances ranging from violent storms, to health epidemics, to civil riots or terrorist attacks. In Canada, the agreement paving the way for the militaries of the U.S. and Canada to cross each other's borders to fight domestic emergencies was not announced either by the Harper government or the Canadian military, prompting sharp protest. "It's kind of a trend when it comes to issues of Canada-U.S. relations and contentious issues like military integration," Stuart Trew, a researcher with the Council of Canadians told the Canwest News Service. "We see that this government is reluctant to disclose information to Canadians that is readily available on American and Mexican websites." The military Civil Assistance Plan can be seen as a further incremental step being taken toward creating a North American armed forces available to be deployed in domestic North American emergency situations. The agreement was signed at U.S. Army North headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, by U.S. Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, or USNORTHCOM, and by Canadian Air Force Lt. Gen. Marc Dumais, commander of Canada Command." This document is a unique, bilateral military plan to align our respective national military plans to respond quickly to the other nation's requests for military support of civil authorities," Renuart said in a statement published on the USNORTHCOM website. "In discussing the new bilateral Civil Assistance Plan established by USNORTHCOM and Canada Command, Renuart stressed, "Unity of effort during bilateral support for civil support operations such as floods, forest fires, hurricanes, earthquakes and effects of a terrorist attack, in order to save lives, prevent human suffering an mitigate damage to property, is of the highest importance, and we need to be able to have forces that are flexible and adaptive to support rapid decision-making in a collaborative environment." Lt. Gen. Dumais seconded Renuart's sentiments, stating, "The signing of this plan is an important symbol of the already strong working relationship between Canada Command and U.S. Northern Command." "Our commands were created by our respective governments to respond to the defense and security challenges of the twenty-first century," he stressed, "and we both realize that these and other challenges are best met through cooperation between friends." In May 2007, WND reported President Bush, on his own authority, signed National Security Presidential Directive 51, also known as Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, authorizing the president to declare a national emergency and take over all functions of federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, without necessarily obtaining the approval of Congress to do so. more...
| NewWorldOrder | America |

So what happens when "terrorists" become those claiming sole ownership to the Truth according to the Alliance of Civilizations backed by Europe and NATO? And what about the leadership who is given these emergency powers in the case of an emergency deemed necessary for implementation of this new agreement? These things can sound good on a surface level without looking into the future. The Bible allows us to accurately know the ultimate end and for those who love God, the end is not good. Keep watching!

Foreign Ministry: Peace talks on the right track The Jerusalem Post (February 24, 2008) - Israeli and Palestinian negotiators have agreed to set up three committees to deal with civil affairs issues: water and the environment; legal matters; and economic subjects. The move came as Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni held another round of talks Sunday with the head of the Palestinian final status negotiating team, former Palestinian Authority prime minister Ahmed Qurei. The regular negotiating teams were joined by 20 experts - 10 from each side - who will make up the core of the three new committees. Foreign Ministry spokesman Arye Mekel hailed the move as an indication that the negotiations were on the right track. "It's definitely a sign of progress," Mekel told The Jerusalem Post. "An indication that the negotiations are moving forward." The idea is that the new panels will meet regularly, in parallel with the main negotiating teams, which will stick to the core issues of borders, refugees and Jerusalem. The Israeli representatives on the new committees include the directors-general of a number of ministries who met with Livni last week to draw up the government's position on a variety of the technical issues. The Palestinian experts include five former PA ministers. Up till now it has been difficult to assess the state of the final status talks, which were launched in the wake of November's Annapolis gathering, as both sides observed a policy of discretion fearing any publicity could damage the chances of success. Both parties seem to have backtracked over recent weeks from the initial goal of clinching a peace agreement this year, before the next US administration takes over. Both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayad spoke publicly of a declaration of principles as being a more realistic prospect for 2008 than a fully-fledged peace deal. Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that what was decided on Sunday was that when experts are needed they will be brought in by the parties.
| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | 1st Seal |

Food shortages loom as wheat crop shrinks and prices rise Times Online (February 24, 2008) - THE world is only ten weeks away from running out of wheat supplies after stocks fell to their lowest levels for 50 years. The crisis has pushed prices to an all-time high and could lead to further hikes in the price of bread, beer, biscuits and other basic foods. It could also exacerbate serious food shortages in developing countries especially in Africa. The crisis comes after two successive years of disastrous wheat harvests, which saw production fall from 624m to 600m tonnes, according to the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). Experts blame climate change as heatwaves caused a slump in harvests last year in eastern Europe, Canada, Morocco and Australia, all big wheat producers. Booming populations and a switch to a meat-rich diet in the developing world also mean that about 110m tons of the world’s annual wheat crop is being diverted to feed livestock. Short term pressures have compounded the problem. Speculative buying by investors gambling on further price rises has further pushed up prices. Though shortages are often blamed on the use of land for biofuel crops, the main biofuel cereal crop is maize, not wheat. Farmers have brought millions of acres of fallow land into production and the FAO predicts that the shortages could be eliminated within 12 months.
| 3rd Seal |

The Fuzzy-Wuzzy World of Charismatic Morality Charisma Magazine (February 22, 2008) - Christian leaders who flippantly divorce without adequate explanation are confusing young believers and mocking biblical standards. In an era when evangelical ministers are endorsing pro-abortion candidates and an Episcopal bishop is marrying his gay lover, I guess it is no surprise that our own charismatic church leaders are sending out confusing signals about morality these days. It seems that in 2008, up is down, right is wrong and biblical absolutes are up for grabs. This is especially true when it comes to marriage, an institution that once was considered sacred by all Christians. Nowadays, many preachers and even famous evangelical authors have created a new trend: Throwaway wedding vows. Christian divorce today is cheap, easy and not that much more expensive than a facelift. And some of our superstar preachers have figured out a way to use Bible verses to support their moral failures. Take Paula White, for example. The high-powered preacher announced last August that her marriage to Randy White was over, with no clear explanation why, and she continued on her whirlwind ministry circuit without skipping a beat. The Whites said adultery was not the reason for their breakup, although Randy said the whole mess was his fault. We were all left scratching our heads. Paula teaches people all over the nation how to live “a life by design,” which is also the official name of her trademark success seminars. But I am left questioning what kind of design she’s promoting—especially when she joined the staff of San Antonio pastor Rick Hawkins, who divorced his wife last year. By partnering with him in ministry, Paula is legitimizing his questionable choices. When a local news reporter in Tampa, Fla., asked Paula about how she reconciles her faith with her decision to divorce, she quoted a verse from Ecclesiastes and implied that, just as there is “a time for everything under heaven,” her divorce was just an unfortunate moment in her spiritual journey. She also glibly suggested that one day she and Randy might get back together since they are good friends. Huh? What kind of talk is this, and what garbled message does it send to immature believers who don’t know yet how to discern God’s will for themselves? Many of them will take Paula’s confusing words as license to do whatever they feel like doing. If there is a time for divorce, then there might as well be a time for binge drinking, a time for a porn movie or a time to steal from an employer. Morality gets morphed into an ooey-gooey concept that you shape for yourself. I wish that Paula had said this: “Divorce is not God’s will. It destroys families. If anyone out there is thinking about divorce, please don’t choose that path until you have tried every avenue for restoration.” But she didn’t sound a clear trumpet. She gave us mishmash. more...
| Apostasy |

Electronic tattoo display runs on blood Physorg.com (February 21, 2008) - Jim Mielke's wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin. The basis of the 2x4-inch "Digital Tattoo Interface" is a Bluetooth device made of thin, flexible silicon and silicone. It´s inserted through a small incision as a tightly rolled tube, and then it unfurls beneath the skin to align between skin and muscle. Through the same incision, two small tubes on the device are attached to an artery and a vein to allow the blood to flow to a coin-sized blood fuel cell that converts glucose and oxygen to electricity. After blood flows in from the artery to the fuel cell, it flows out again through the vein. On both the top and bottom surfaces of the display is a matching matrix of field-producing pixels. The top surface also enables touch-screen control through the skin. Instead of ink, the display uses tiny microscopic spheres, somewhat similar to tattoo ink. A field-sensitive material in the spheres changes their color from clear to black, aligned with the matrix fields. The tattoo display communicates wirelessly to other Bluetooth devices - both in the outside world and within the same body. Although the device is always on (as long as your blood´s flowing), the display can be turned off and on by pushing a small dot on the skin. When the phone rings, for example, an individual turns the display on, and "the tattoo comes to life as a digital video of the caller," Mielke explains. When the call ends, the tattoo disappears. Could such an invasive device have harmful biological effects? Actually, the device could offer health benefits. That´s because it also continually monitors for many blood disorders, alerting the person of a health problem. The tattoo display is still just a concept, with no word on plans for commercialization.
| Technology |

6.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Nevada Fox News (February 21, 2008) - A strong earthquake shook rural northeastern Nevada Thursday, damaging a town's historic district but sparing residents from any serious injuries. The magnitude of the quake, initially estimated at 6.3, was later revised to 6.0 by the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo. The quake, which struck at 6:16 a.m., was centered in a sparsely populated area 11 miles southeast of Wells near the Nevada-Utah line. It was felt across much of the West, from northern Idaho and Utah to Southern California, officials said. At least five less severe aftershocks were reported. "Definitely a lot of people felt this, and if they were sleeping, they were awoken," said USGS geophysicist Carrieann Bedwell. The most serious damage was reported in Wells' largely unoccupied historic district, Elko County Undersheriff Rocky Gonzalez said. Brick facades tumbled off several buildings, signs fell and windows broke, and some vehicles parked on the street were damaged by falling debris, KELK Radio in Elko reported. Dan Burns, spokesman with the Nevada Division of Emergency Management, said transportation and safety personnel were inspecting roads, bridges and dams in the area for structural damage. Burns said at least two buildings in historic area had partially collapsed, and two main water lines had ruptured. A Flying J Truck Stop was evacuated because of a propane leak, Gonzalez said, but no fires broke out. The leak was contained by midmorning. more...
| America | Earth Changes |

Damascus Seizes on Mughniyeh Killing for Lebanon Comeback DEBKAfile (February 18, 2008) - Syria is not waiting for its official investigation to wind up and expose the party responsible for killing Hizballah commander and Tehran’s terror tactician in Damascus on Feb. 13 - any more than Hizballah, when its leaders accuse Israel. Tehran, Syria and Hizballah have all threatened revenge against Israel within or outside its borders. However, Bashar Assad’s strategists are not losing a moment to cash in on the abundant conspiracy theories surrounding the death, to plant one of its own: Mughniyeh, they say, was killed in their capital by their Lebanese enemies. Therefore, it is feared in Washington and Jerusalem that, while plotting revenge on Israel, Hizballah, backed by the Syrian commando units, will launch attacks on Lebanese national intelligence and Druze targets in Beirut and Mt. Lebanon – they point a finger at Druze leader Walid Jumblatt. Their immediate goal would be to overthrow the pro-Western, anti-Syrian government headed by Fouad Siniora and stir up a new civil war. The door would then re-open for Syria to make a comeback to the troubled country and move troops in for the first time since they were thrown out in 2005, in contravention of UN Security Council resolutions. Syria’s machinations give substance to Director of US National Intelligence Mike McConnell’s assertion to Fox TV Sunday, Feb. 17, that, while Hizballah is blaming Israel, “…there's some evidence that it may have been internal Hezbollah. It may have been Syria. We don't know yet, and we're trying to sort that out.” “It is a serious threat, and it's primarily against Israel,” said the US intelligence director. “But …let me just mention about Mughniyeh… (He was) responsible for more deaths of Americans and Israelis than any other terrorist with the exception of Osama bin Laden. So this man over time had lots of enemies. Remember, he's a Shia, and oftentimes his targets could be Sunni as well as against Israel.” Last week, the FBI placed counter-terror squads on alert in the US against attacks on synagogues and other potential Jewish targets. In July 2007, McConnell referred to Hezbollah sleeper cells in the United States waiting for orders to spring into action. Our sources report they are part of the trans-continental network which Mughniyeh himself established on behalf of Hizballah and Tehran. Meanwhile, in Beirut, DEBKAfile’s Middle East sources report sporadic clashes already erupting in Beirut in the last few days between pro-government and pro-Hizballah adherents. Sunday, Feb. 17, unidentified gunmen shot up a Lebanese army unit near the Sabra district in south Beirut, killing one person and injuring others. Barricades and manned positions have gone up ominously in the Lebanese capital and no-go zones set up between flashpoint districts. Syrian sources promise the results of their finished inquiry will cause an earthquake in the Arab world and Middle East when they are published Saturday, Feb. 22. Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah has scheduled another of his broadcast speeches for the same day - this one to mark the anniversary of his predecessor Abbas Musawi’s death in 1992, which was also attributed to Israel. The two events are feared by US and Israeli officials to have been coordinated on the same day to flash the signal for the Syrian-Hizballah plan to start unfolding. DEBKAfile outlines the case Syria has begun putting together to incriminate its Lebanese enemies:

1. A large Mossad spy-cum-terror ring was allegedly uncovered in Damascus and Beirut. Its mission was to keep tabs on Syrian commanders, Hizballah heads and Palestinian leaders before liquidating them.
2. The ring comprised Lebanese members as well as collaborators from a key Arab intelligence body, possibly Saudi or Jordanian. DEBKAfile sources report that Damascus, increasingly isolated in the mainstream Arab world over Lebanon and its ties with Tehran, has no qualms about confronting Saudi Arabia and Jordan and accusing their intelligence agencies of being in league with Israel to destroy the “Arab resistance movement.” Saudi Arabia has indicated that its chair will be empty at the forthcoming Arab League summit in Damascus at the end of March.
3. Syria claims to have found evidence that two Lebanese intelligence agencies are involved in the Mossad ring. One is the research branch of the Lebanese General Security Service, whose director, Capt. Wissam Eid, was murdered in a car bomb attack in Beirut on Jan. 25. Capt. Eid was deeply involved in gathering evidence for the Hariri assassination case and uncovering The Syrian leadership’s criminal involvement. Our intelligence sources note that success by a Syrian undercover team in immobilizing this service would not only deprive the Fouad government of its primary security shield, but also bring the investigation into the three-year old assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister to a halt – just when the international tribunal is preparing to start work in the Netherlands. The second clandestine Lebanese agency which Syria stigmatizes as part of the Mossad network is the Druze leader Walid Jumblatt’s private intelligence service. Syria claims to have exposed the personal involvement of its director, Hisham Nasser e-Din. This charge would justify the targeting of the Druze leader and his domain on Mt. Lebanon. Jumblatt, whose father was assassinated on orders of Bashar Assad’s father, is marked as the Syrian president’s most implacable Lebanese foe.
4. The Syrian investigators are seeking to prove that Mughniyeh was killed while walking on foot from the house where he was staying in Damascus to the Mitsubishi SUV and that the vehicle was in fact rigged as a bomb car which detonated on his approach. They further claim that more explosive devices were planted along his path in case the first one missed its mark. This is important to support the Syrian case, because they claim to have tracked down the vehicle’s Lebanese owner and fixed the time when he entered Syria.
5. They say the explosive was laced with 3,000 steel nails, which killed the targeted Hizballah commander and pockmarked surrounding buildings.

| Iran | Israel | Islam |

Syria, Iran foresee large clash with Israel Haaretz (February 17, 2008) - Syrian and Iranian officials believe there will be a serious military confrontation with Israel in the near future, according to Al-Akhbar, a Lebanese daily affiliated with Hezbollah. Hezbollah's response to the assassination of Imad Mughniyah, the organization's operations chief, will force Israel to make a "difficult decision," the newspaper stated in an editorial. Hezbollah blames Israel for Mughniyah's assassination in Damascus last week. Ibrahim al-Amin, Al-Akhbar's editor, said in a televised interview that Hezbollah does not intend to accept Mughniyah's assassination quietly. Hezbollah's response "will force Israel to make a big decision," he said. However, he insisted that Hezbollah was not interested in a war with Israel. Meanwhile, the defense establishment is bracing for a response from Hezbollah. It is concerned the group may use an explosives-laden unmanned aerial vehicle to attack a civilian or military target in northern or central Israel. The Israel Air Force is on alert for this. To date, Hezbollah has dispatched five Iranian-made drones against Israel, three of them during the Second Lebanon War in August 2006. Two were shot down by the air force, and one crashed. The drones were loaded with dozens of kilograms of high-grade explosives and apparently had been intended to crash in the heavily populated Dan region. The IDF also has bolstered its forces along the northern border, anticipating Hezbollah may launch a massive rocket attack on the area. However, the army has no specific information about the group's intentions in this regard. Meanwhile, the Lebanese media announced that Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah has appointed a successor to Mughniyah, but his identity has not been revealed. Israeli sources said Mughniyah's successor is one of three persons: Ibrahim Akil, who is in charge of southern Lebanon; Fuad Sukur, a senior militia figure; or Talal Hamiyah, who was Mughniyah's deputy. Meanwhile, the Lebanese media said none of these men are being considered. The Lebanese daily Al-Safir reported yesterday that Hezbollah has gone on high alert in southern Lebanon and evacuated all of its local headquarters, fearing Israeli air strikes. According to the report, the organization has mobilized 50,000 militiamen. Meanwhile, in Syria, the investigation into Mughniyah's assassination continues. "The investigation is being carried out with complete secrecy because of Mughniyah's sensitive location before the ambush," Al-Akhbar reported yesterday. Mughniyah had emerged from a meeting shortly before he was killed. He was killed near the offices of the chief of Syrian intelligence, Asif Shuwekat, who is President Bashar Assad's brother-in-law. Several Palestinians were arrested for suspected involvement in the killing, the newspaper reported.
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Isaiah 17:9
In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

Could Israel's big decision end up being a pre-emptive attack on the plotters in Damascus that results in its destruction? And given Syria's defense agreement with Iran, could we see Iran and friends (Russia, Turkey, Libya, etc.) come to Israel with "hooks in their jaws?" I don't believe the time is right just yet because Israel is not dwelling in safety as rockets continue to rain down. However, it is this very kind of building conflict that I believe will ultimately lead to Bible prophecy once again being fulfilled 100%. Keep watching!

Behind The Veil In Washington DC -- The Rise Of Angelic Rule Raiders News Network (January 20, 2008) - On January 20, 2001, President George W. Bush during his inaugural address twice referred to an angel that "rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm." His reference was credited to Virginia statesman John Page who wrote to Thomas Jefferson after the Declaration of Independence was signed, saying, ``We know the race is not to the swift nor the battle to the strong. Do you not think an angel rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm?'' Five weeks later, on Wednesday, February 28, Congressman Major R. Owens of New York stood before the House of Representatives and prayed to the "Angel in the Whirlwind." He asked the spiritual force to guide the future and fate of the United States (1). At the beginning of his second term, when Bush was being sworn in to office, he offered equally cryptic commentary, saying, "For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire...." Bush followed that statement, saying, "By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well - a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world." The phrase, "a fire in the minds of men," is from Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s nineteenth century book, The Possessed (The Devils) a novel set in pre-revolutionary Russia where civil resistance is seen championed by nihilist Sergei Nechaev who tries to ignite a revolution of such destructive power that society will be completely destroyed. The fact that a United States president would quote this phrase in an official speech of record was astonishing to many analysts, given that The Possessed is about violent government crackdown on dissent that sparks civil unrest and revolution marked by public violence (2). To the occult elite and a handful of historians and scholars, however, the inaugural addresses by the president were not the first or last time a line-by-line analysis of his public references would uncover coded language that seemed designed to convey secret messages to select members of his global audience. Biblical scholar Bruce Lincoln’s examination of a speech delivered to the nation on October 7, 2001, announcing the U.S. attack on Afghanistan (3) produced redundant references from Apocalyptic books of the Bible concerning the End Times. He concluded that the word craft was a strategy "of double coding" to secretly appeal to people who saw Bush as a devout Christian standing up to the enemies of God in an unfolding event in the Middle East, which they believed was foretold in the books of Revelation, Isaiah, et al. Lincoln concluded that Bush was mirroring the dualistic conflict Osama bin Laden had used in speeches to pit his worldview against the West as a struggle between good vs evil and thus to appeal to religious sentiments and traditions. U.S. officials were clearly uncomfortable with anything that allowed bin Laden to be cast in a sympathetic light through propaganda and the transmission of coded messages, therefore according to Lincoln, Bush joined Osama in constructing public perception of "a Manichaean struggle, where Sons of Light confront Sons of Darkness, and all must enlist on one side or another, without possibility of neutrality, hesitation, or middle ground" (4). In his book, American Dynasty, Kevin Phillips agrees with this assessment, pointing out the ever-present references in the president’s speeches to words such as "evil" and "evil ones" (5). At the top of Phillip’s list is reference again to the use of the metaphysical phrase "whirlwind," which Phillips interprets as "a medium for the voice of God in the Books of Job and Ezekiel." From an esoteric point of view, Phillips is either unaware of or unwilling to discuss the deeper contemporary meaning of this language and its importance to secret societies. But such phrasing in the president’s public speeches assuredly did not go unnoticed by the appropriate members of his audience. Lincoln comes closest to acknowledging this when he writes: "Enlisting the specialized reading/listening and hermeneutical skills they cultivate, he encouraged them to probe beneath the surface of his text. There, sotto voce ["under voice"], he told them he understands and sympathizes with their views, even if requirements of his office constrain him from giving full-throated voice…" (6). Of course Bush was not the first president to use the language of the divine to cast himself as "defender of the faith" in order to win support for public policy. Who can forget Ronald Reagan’s view of the Soviet Union as the "Evil Empire" and his feeling that war in the Middle East might draw "Gog" into nuclear war and fulfill biblical prophecy. In his 1984 debate with Walter Mondale, Reagan admitted, "No one knows whether those prophecies mean that Armageddon is a thousand years away or the day after tomorrow." Yet few would argue that with George W. Bush the language of godlike appointment went disturbingly deeper. Even members of his own Methodist denomination saw a change in him after he took office. He seemed to them to have become a man on a mission; somebody who believed he was "chosen" by God to carry out a "master plan." And until the 2006 mid term elections unseated Republican control of congress and effectively stopped the juggernaut of his administration’s changes to domestic and foreign policy, the presidency of George W. was believably on a path toward an Apocalyptic vision led by dictums of the Angel in the Whirlwind. Whether the president fully understood the ramifications of his words and actions, he and others around him had: 1) acknowledged; 2) prayed to; and 3) welcomed supernatural agents to guide and influence the future machine of national sovereignty in a way oddly familiar to Dostoyevsky’s novel. Though we allow that the president might have been unaware of parts of his abstruse actions because he was not the author of his speeches in the conventional sense and members of his staff with input from unnamed guides crafted most of these words, Bush nevertheless delivered these speeches after reviewing them, contemplating them, practicing them and making personal margin notes. More importantly, "he spoke in his official capacity as head of state, representing the state and beyond that the nation," notes Lincoln. So whether Bush was aware of his actions or was puppeted by dominionist allegiances that he and his father had nurtured (or at a deeper level spoke for fraternal societies), occultists in and behind government knew exactly what they were doing. Their choice of words and actions—from the president’s speeches to the council he received from members of an elite, top secret cell of spiritual authorities in Washington (whom I will leave unnamed for the time being)—reveal subtle but informing truths: words were placed in the president’s mouth to be spoken in mystic harmony of a sacred craft, an otherworldly discourse, which the men behind the president, the ‘voices behind the voice,’ believed would launch the ‘Kingdom of God on Earth’ with Washington as its seat if these words were uttered at the right moment in history and from ‘chosen men of God.’ Thus parts of my synopsis require knowledge of the supernatural and belief in prophecy. I contend that between the years 2001-2006 the nation became so disposed in following and not challenging unprecedented changes to longstanding U.S. policies including the Christian rules for just war, that the powerful force known to the Illuminati as the "Moriah Conquering Wind," a.k.a. "the Angel in the Whirlwind" accepted the administration’s invitation and enthroned itself in the nation’s capital. Immediately after, it cast it’s eyes on the ancient home of the Bab-Ili where the coveted ‘Gate of the Illi’ had opened once before. Why was George W. Bush hell-bent on taking the U.S. into Iraq/Babylon, the home of the ‘Etemenenanki’ (House of the Foundation of Heaven and Earth, the ‘Tower of Babel’) even though Iraq was not connected to 9/11? It is argued that he went there for oil or strategic placement of a military base for what some in the war college see as the inevitable Armageddon between the U.S., Iran, Israel, Russia, China and other nations. But according to the British press (7), Bush let his real reasons slip out during a meeting with Palestinian leaders in June 2003 when he admitted that he had committed the United States to enter Babylon because, "God told me to invade Iraq." Why would a voice from God instruct the leader of the world’s most powerful nation to begin what has become, at least on the surface, a debacle? One disturbing possibility is that the president was delusional. On the other hand if God did tell Bush to invade Iraq, given other ‘signs of the times,’ we tune our ears to the prophets who foretold a time when Babylon would be invaded and destroyed—a time when the Almighty would command a ‘ruler’ to ‘open the gates’ in Babylon so that the dead offspring of Nephilim (Gibbowr) who ‘writhe beneath the waters’ could reincarnate and fulfill His wrath on earth (8). As we shall see later, the spirits mentioned by Isaiah are the descendants of fallen angels who went into Hell "in full battle dress" (9) in anticipation of the day leading to Armageddon, when man by free moral agency, military sciences, and global circumstances would beckon the sons of the Watchers to arise for the Final Conflict. more...
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See also Part 2: Demonology 101: When Governments Invite Dark Dominion and Part 3: Something Whirlwind This Way Comes