The US Dollar Crisis–A Pearl Harbor Without War

On November 13, Der Spiegel Online published a thought-provoking article, explaining the imminent danger of an “attack on the US economy.” This is a “MUST-READ” article for all who want to be aware of the problems awaiting this country. The magazine stated the following:

“The dollar crisis has politicians alarmed worldwide. The US currency has lost 24 percent of its value since the introduction of the euro, and now there is even a chance that China could abandon its policy of pegging its currency to the dollar — a problem the United States should take very seriously… The most important country in the world for the United States isn’t Great Britain, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Russia or Iraq. China holds that dubious distinction, because it is also the country the US can least do without. Without its willingness to buy an almost unlimited supply of US treasury bonds, there would be no American spending miracle. Without a spending miracle there would be no economic growth. In other words, without China the US superpower would lose a significant share of its economic clout…

“For the United States, a Chinese decision to abandon the dollar would be tantamount to Pearl Harbor without the war. It would represent a challenge to the world’s biggest economy by the world’s fastest growing economy. Millions of people would see their standard of living suffer as a result, and American self-confidence, already shaky, would crumble even further. The United States would suffer a serious blow on its very own turf, the economy…

“For years the US economy has suffered one dramatic setback after another… The United States, a once-proud exporting nation, became the world’s biggest importer. In only 15 years, from 1992 to 2007, the US balance of trade deficit has surged from $84 billion to $700 billion. Within a single generation, the world’s biggest lender has become its biggest borrower, a circumstance the United States has made no serious attempts to change.

“… an attack on the US economy is probably the most easily predictable event of the coming years. And if it happens, the attacker will even be able to justify its actions as self-defense.

“What is the difference between the US government in 1941 and the administration in Washington today? Perhaps there is none. A Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor was unimaginable, even though US intelligence had picked up clues that it could happen. Washington, at the time, was convinced that the Japanese wouldn’t dare stage an attack on a target 5,000 miles away, and that they wouldn’t succeed if they did. The crews on America’s ships were sleeping as the Japanese bombers approached Pearl Harbor.”

Georgia Prays for Rain

The Associated Press reported on November 12:

“As Georgia descends deeper into drought, Gov. Sonny Perdue has ordered water restrictions, launched a legal battle and asked President Bush for help. On Tuesday, the governor will call on a higher power. He will join lawmakers and ministers on the steps of the state Capitol to pray for rain.

“While public prayer vigils might raise eyebrows in other parts of the nation, they are mostly shrugged off in the Bible Belt, where turning to the heavens for help is common and sometimes even politically expedient. ‘Christianity has more of a place in the culture here than in some other region,’ said Ray Van Neste, a professor of Christian studies at Union University in Jackson, Tenn. ‘And it’s only natural, in a way, for the public to pray for rain.’

“Perdue won’t be the first governor to hold a call for public prayer during the epic drought gripping the Southeast. Alabama Gov. Bob Riley issued a proclamation declaring a week in July as ‘Days of Prayer for Rain’ to ‘humbly ask for His blessings and to hold us steady in times of difficulty.’…

“Political heavyweights outside the U.S. are known to occasionally plead to the heavens for rain. In May, Australian Prime Minister John Howard asked churchgoers to pray for rain in hopes of snapping a drought that has devastated crops and bankrupted farmers Down Under.

“In the U.S., public expressions of faith are often discouraged as a breach of the separation of church and state.

“Thomas Jefferson, for one, resisted calls for a federal day of prayer. But he was an exception. From George Washington, who declared ‘a day of prayer and thanksgiving,’ to Harry Truman, who established a National Day of Prayer, American politicians have not been shy about associating themselves with petitions to the Almighty.”

… and the Rain Came, But Might Not Have Helped Much …

On November 15, The Associated Press reported:

“A storm crashed through the Southeast and brought up to an inch of rain in parts of drought-stricken Georgia, but forecasters said the storm likely did little to ease the state’s historic drought. ‘The ground probably sucked it all up,’ said Vaughn Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. ‘The ground is so dry, I seriously doubt if any of the lakes rose any.’

“The Wednesday storm packed lashing rain and powerful gusts, injuring at least nine in Tennessee. The roof of a Baptist church in Tennessee’s Marion County was heavily damaged…

“More than a quarter of the Southeast is covered by an ‘exceptional’ drought — the National Weather Service’s worst drought category. With water levels low, many Georgia residents are under conservation orders — such as a ban on watering lawns.

“The rainfall came two days after Gov. Sonny Perdue led a prayer service on the steps of the state Capitol to beg the heavens for an end to the drought.”

America’s Obsession With Weapons

AFP reported on November 11:

“For the first time in 70 years, the US Supreme Court may decide next week whether to examine the question of the right to bear arms, something which is fiercely upheld by millions of Americans. The US capital of Washington, which is trying to stem a wave of violence in its seedier neighborhoods, has lodged a case with the nine Supreme Court judges seeking to maintain its three-decade ban on individuals carrying handguns… The case goes right to the heart of the American constitution, which in its second amendment declares that: ‘A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.’

“Washington, which is also home to the president and the government, has interpreted the amendment to mean that there is a collective right to bear arms for those who are part of a police force or a security force. But since 1976, it has banned residents from carrying handguns, although they are allowed to keep a rifle or hunting gun in their homes, providing it is locked and not loaded. For millions of Americans though, and especially the powerful gun lobby represented by the National Rifle Association, the second amendment guarantees the right of every American citizen to own any gun, with few limits…

“Washington officials… lodged a case with the Supreme Court in September insisting that it must rule on the extent of access to handguns, the weapon of choice in two-thirds of robberies and assaults.Handguns are also used in half of the 15,000 murders across the country every year, according to statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigations…”

Incredible Waste of Money

The Associated Press reported on November 13:

“The economic costs of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are estimated to total $1.6 trillion — roughly double the amount the White House has requested thus far, according to a new report by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee… The $1.6 trillion figure, for the period from 2002 to 2008, translates into a cost of $20,900 for a family of four, the report said. The Bush administration has requested $804 billion for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined, the report stated.

“For the Iraq war only, total economic costs were estimated at $1.3 trillion for the period from 2002 to 2008. That would cost a family of four $16,500, the report said. Future economic costs would be even greater. The report estimated that both wars would cost $3.5 trillion between 2003 and 2017. Under that scenario, it would cost a family of four $46,400, the report said.

“Oil prices have surged since the start of the war, from about $37 a barrel to well over $90 a barrel in recent weeks, the report said… Meanwhile, ‘the sum of interest paid on Iraq-related debt from 2003 to 2017 will total over $550 billion,’ the report said. The government has to make interest payments on the money it borrows to finance the national debt, which recently hit $9 trillion for the first time.”

Merkel’s Visit With Bush–“Nothing of Substance”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 12:

“There was lots to discuss during Chancellor Merkel’s visit to President Bush’s Texas ranch… But was anything of substance accomplished by Merkel’s visit to Crawford? German commentators take a closer look at what the talks mean for the Iran dispute.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘If Bush promises the German chancellor that he will stick to the diplomatic approach of isolating Iran, if the two of them agree on sanctions as the next stage of escalation and get their plan approved by the United Nations (Security Council), then all this means nothing less than the following: The president has chosen to go against Vice President Dick Cheney and instead go with the solution favored by the Europeans of cautious but persistent escalation. It would also mean that the US needs Europe’s influence, also to have enough pressure to bring to bear on Russia, which is playing a strange double game over Iran. This is the right strategy for this phase of the dispute…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘Merkel is a few steps ahead of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who only really started bringing his country back on to a US-friendly course last week (when he paid his first official visit to Washington). Bush is grateful to his two new friends because internationally there are not many governments that are so ready to cooperate with the current American administration, much less act in concert with the US. The US now needs Germany and France on its side, much more than in the past, when Germany was America’s junior partner. The US’s ill-considered warmongering and its bumbling diplomacy have weakened Washington in terms of international crisis management — and strengthened the Europeans… If the situation in Iran gets worse and Washington decides after all that it’s wise to respond to the mullahs’ nuclear ambitions with air attacks, then the French and Germans could quickly find themselves again in a situation like at the beginning of the Iraq war.'”

Germany–Still A Divided Country

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 9:

“Friday (November 9) marks the 18th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall… 18 years after the fall of the Wall, there is still no such thing as a truly unified Germany.

“Eastern Germans are less satisfied with and less optimistic about their situation than those living in the states that made up the former West Germany. They are also less convinced about the virtues of democracy than their western counterparts — with many believing that socialism is a good idea that just hasn’t been implemented well in the past.

“Indeed, the biggest differences in the survey come when eastern and western respondents are asked to share their views on life in the former East Germany. The communist state gets far higher marks from those living in the east than from those in the west. A full 92 percent of 35- to 50-year-old eastern Germans believe that one of the greatest attributes of the former East Germany was its social safety net… There is a silver lining in the report in that despite major divergences in views between the older eastern and western Germans, those differences appear to be shrinking with the younger generation in the east and west. Slowly, the country appears to be coming back together.”

Stoiber’s Battle in Brussels

The EUObserver wrote on November 11:

“An expert group charged with advising the European Commission on cutting the unnecessary laws coming out of Brussels has run into difficulty – even before its first official meeting later this month. The red tape-busting committee, led by the centre-right former Bavaria leader Edmund Stoiber, is meeting opposition within its target institution, the European Commission, for its extensive demands… Stoiber has asked for the group to have more powers as well as many more members than just the secretarial assistance the commission had intended… The whole issue has a separate element of political frisson because of German internal politics. The man Mr Stoiber is supposed to be helping out with his bureaucracy-cutting suggestions is industry commissioner Guenter Verheugen, a fellow German but a rival socialist… As yet it remains unclear who will be on the 15-strong committee, supposed to have its first meeting on 20 November. Die Welt notes that Mr Stoiber is already looking for support from Munich, Bavaria’s capital and has asked business consultant Roland Berger to be part of the group.”

Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Resigned

AFP wrote on November 13:

“Germany’s Vice-Chancellor Franz Muentefering, a key figure holding together the country’s fractious left-right government, has resigned for personal reasons, his ministry said Tuesday.His departure is likely to increase tensions in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s already unwieldy, two-year-old ‘grand coalition’ government with the Social Democrats (SPD)… Tensions within the coalition have mounted in recent weeks over reforms of Europe’s biggest economy. But officials from both parties have said they have no desire to call early elections before 2009 because neither could win a majority with their coalition partner of choice.

“Muentefering’s departure is… likely to lead to more clashes between the two parties, which are traditionally fierce rivals. The vice-chancellor, nicknamed the general for his loyal and stoic style, suffered a number of political defeats in recent weeks… He remains a popular figure, however, and won a standing ovation at an SPD congress in Hamburg last month… The party, however, has sunk to historic lows in the polls since the 2005 election, scoring about 30 percent — 10 points behind Merkel’s conservatives.”

“Spain’s King Puts Chavez in his Place”

AFP reported on November 12:

“Spain’s King Juan Carlos won praise back home on Sunday after telling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to ‘just shut up’ before storming out of an Ibero-American summit. Spain’s monarch was applauded by Spanish media for his angry reprimand Saturday of Chavez, after the Venezuelan leader described a former Spanish prime minister [Jose Maria Aznaras] a ‘fascist’ and launched into a wide-ranging tirade.

“‘The king has put Chavez in his place in the name of all Spaniards,’ the centrist El Mundo newspaper said, noting that it was ‘an act without precedence.’ It said the monarch’s rebuke was ‘something that should have been said to him (Chavez) a long time ago.’

“[Chavez’s] mentor, ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, hailed Chavez for his critique of European governments in a commentary published Sunday in Juventud Rebelde…

“Chavez earned the ire of the Spanish delegation upon his arrival on Friday… and on Saturday… [when] the Venezuelan leader [attacked Aznaras and then] carried on, attacking the United States (a favorite target of his), the Catholic Church in Venezuela and the pope. He also accused the United States and Europe of having approved of the failed coup against him in 2002… Chavez’s outburst and King Juan Carlos’ admonition to ‘shut up’ was replayed again and again late Saturday on Spanish television news programs to the delight of viewers.”

“Something Is Rotten in the State of Italy” — The “Whole Country Lacks Leadership”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 13:

“Italy is scrambling to deal with the aftermath of riots this weekend sparked by the accidental shooting of a football fan… The violence that spread across Italy was in reaction to the death of Gabriele Sandri, a 26-year-old DJ, who was killed after police officer Luigi Spaccatorella fired warning shots to stop a brawl among rival fans at a motorway rest stop. The policeman is now under investigation for manslaughter.

“Soccer authorities said on Monday…  they would suspend matches scheduled for next Sunday, and Italy’s Interior Ministry slapped a ban on large groups of violent fans traveling to certain games… However, according to Clarence Seedorf, a player with AC Milan, football is being made a scapegoat by the government for deeper problems in Italian society. ‘They cannot blame football every time,’ the Dutch player told Britain’s Sky Sports News. ‘The people are not happy. They are coming to the stadiums to express their feelings and their feelings are not positive. … The whole country lacks leadership.’…

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘The Italians are always caught up in a power struggle. Nothing in that country has a secure position — not the parties which are constantly splitting up and being refounded … not the institutions which pass from the clutches of one party to another, not the church which wants to control domestic politics.’…

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Italy likes to call itself the bel paese, the beautiful country…. But there is another side to Italy: the ugly side… The fact that this kind of rage can flare up so quickly across the whole country is an indication that there is something rotten in the state of Italy.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘What began as a brawl between football fans in Tuscany could lead to the fall of the already crisis-ridden Italian government. Giuliano Amato, Italy’s interior minister, has said he carries the political responsibility for the death of the fan, who was shot by a police officer. The fact that it was a tragic accident can minimize the guilt of the shooter. But that doesn’t absolve Amato from the fact that the security forces operate in a chaotic manner, and that the one stray bullet led to riots by thousands of thugs in several cities… If Amato resigns then Romano Prodi’s center-left government could break apart. Amato has been one of its few supporters. But the end of the government would only be the smaller problem, in comparison to the effect of unrestrained football fanaticism on Italian society.'”

British Conservatives in Disarray Over EU Treaty

The EUObserver reported on November 13:

“The question of Europe was once again riding high in British politics last night after a senior member of the opposition Conservatives indicated that the party would not accept parliamentary ratification of the new EU Reform Treaty. William Hague, the shadow Foreign Secretary, caused a political rumpus on Monday (12 November) by appearing to say that the conservative party – long known for its strongly eurosceptic streak – would press for a referendum on the treaty even if it has been ratified by British MPs…

“Mr Hague’s comment [has] broken open the [Conservatives’] uneasy stance on Europe. Under its new leader David Cameron, the party has tried to move away from being defined by its anti-Europe position. But it retains a core of members and supporters who are strongly in favour of changing Britain’s relations with Europe and who believe the Reform Treaty – introducing a long-term president of the EU and a foreign minister – goes too far. The party has been putting substantial pressure on prime minister Gordon Brown to hold a referendum on the treaty – particularly since the Labour government under Tony Blair had promised a poll on the now-shelved but similar EU constitution.

“Mr Brown has so far resisted the calls arguing Britain’s interests have been upheld in the Reform treaty… If all goes to plan, the EU treaty is to enter into force at the beginning of 2009 – but has to be ratified by all 27 member states first.”

“European Defense Absolute Priority”

The EUObserver wrote on November 13:

“France will next year push for a Europe of defence, proposing Brussels-based EU planning staff, exchanges between professional soldiers and a harmonization of military education – ideas which are likely to raise concern in the UK. In an interview with German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, French defence minister Hervé Morin said that Paris will put defence high on the agenda when it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008. Mr Morin described European defence as an ‘absolute priority’ which is at least as important for European integration as the EU’s common currency, the euro.

“‘With the common currency, we have created a strong symbol for Europe. But nothing can better express the European community of fate than common defence, a common sense of Europe’s threats and security interests,’ he said. ‘A kind of European conscience can grow over the question where, if need be, we want to defend our values with weapons,’ he stated. ‘This is why during the presidency of the European Council in the second half of 2008 we would like to press ahead with a Europe of defence.'”

“Apocalyptic Scenario” For Israel

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 8:

“Egyptian and Saudi Arabian intentions to begin or revive their nuclear programs in the face of Iran’s continued race toward nuclear power present an ‘apocalyptic scenario’ for Israel as well as for the rest of the world, Strategic Affairs Minister Avigdor Lieberman told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

“Lieberman’s remarks came a week after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced a decision to restart his country’s nuclear program. On Wednesday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced that his country had begun operating 3,000 centrifuges for the enrichment of uranium… Lieberman also said Pakistan was a major threat to Israel due to the political instability there and the fact that the country had ‘missiles, nuclear weapons and a proven capability.’ ‘We hope there will be stability and the [Pakistani] nuclear weapons won’t fall into radical hands,’ he said. ‘If the Taliban or [al-Qaida leader Osama] bin Laden get control [of Pakistan] they will have nuclear weapons for terror use and they don’t hide their opinions about Israel.’ … On Tuesday, Military Intelligence said Iran could produce a nuclear weapon by the end of 2009.”

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 15:

“Israel is preparing for the possibility of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, the Reuters news agency reported Thursday. According to the report, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has instructed his ministers to draft proposals on how to cope with a nuclear Iran. The report was later denied by a senior Prime Minister’s Office official, Israel Radio reported… Reuters reported that Israel was developing its defense systems to fend off a possible Iranian attack. It added that Israel was constructing a fleet of German-made submarines which could possibly carry nuclear missiles, sending a clear message that there would be retaliation for any Iranian attack.”

Historic Visit of Israel’s President in Turkey

AFP reported on November 12:

“Israel’s President Shimon Peres arrived in Ankara on Sunday, where he will become the first Israeli head of state to address a majority-Muslim country’s parliament, a report said… On Monday, he holds talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ali Babacan. A highlight of the trip is to occur when Peres addresses Turkish lawmakers in Hebrew on Monday.

“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is also expected in Ankara Monday, where he will similarly address the Turkish parliament and meet Peres and Gul on the sidelines of an economic forum gathering Turkish, Israeli and Palestinian business people. The three sides are expected to conclude a deal to establish a joint industrial zone in the West Bank, according to Turkey’s Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges, the forum’s founder.

“In an interview published Sunday by Turkey’s Sabah newspaper, Peres described his visit as ‘historic’ and said Ankara had a key role to play in establishing peace in the Middle East. Turkey is perhaps Israel’s most important strategic ally after the United States, and economic cooperation between the two took off after the signing of a key military cooperation accord in 1996.”

Turkey is a descendant of the Biblical Esau or Edom, twin-brother of Jacob or Israel. Both were sons of the Biblical Isaac. The relationship between Edom and Israel has been strained throughout their history, and the Bible shows that Edom or Turkey will turn against Israel in the near future.

Murder in Turkey

The Eastern Star News Agency reported on November 13:

“On January 19th, 2007, the Armenian journalist Hrant Dink was murdered outside the newspaper Agos’ office in Constantinople (Istanbul). A couple of days after the murder, the 17-year old Ogun Samas was arrested. The police treated the murderer like a national hero and posed proudly with him in front of cameras with a Turkish flag in their hands and boasted with taking pictures with the murderer.

“The murdered Hrant Dink’s son, Arat Dink, was convicted on the 12th of October 2007, together with the responsible publisher of the magazine Agos, Serkis Seropyan, to [a] one year conditional prison sentence for desecrating ‘turkishness’. The sentence was based on the same paragraph that Hrant Dink was sentenced for, paragraph 301 [of] the Turkish penal code… This is happening in a country that applies for membership in the European Union!”

The EU Warns Ethiopia

AFP wrote on November 12:

“Joint Ethiopia-Somali government forces on Monday descended into Mogadishu’s main market and scoured for weapons in a bid to stem an escalating insurgency. However, the European Union urged the warring sides to spare civilians in the latest clashes that have killed dozens of people and displaced at least 114,000 while others remain trapped in Mogadishu… Civilians have complained of indiscriminate shooting by Ethiopian forces, involved in their toughest crackdown against the insurgents. But the government says it is only targeting rebels.”

It is possible that Ethiopia is the last revival of the “king of the South,” as mentioned in Scripture. If so, we can expect increasing confrontation between Ethiopia and the EU–the modern revival of the Roman Empire, to be lead soon by a military leader–the “king of the North.”

Russian-Indian Ties

AFP wrote on November 12:

“Arms and energy were on the agenda Monday as Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin to buttress ties between the veteran allies… India was a key ally of the former Soviet Union in the Cold War era.

“New Delhi is expected to make a bid for an increased share of Russia’s oil and gas exports as Russia fights to retain its position as India’s top arms supplier amid Western competition… In a statement released ahead of the talks, the Russian presidential administration said the two sides would work on intensifying the country’s ‘strategic partnership’ on international relations, with a particular focus on the Middle East. The two sides aim to boost bilateral trade to 10 billion dollars (6.8 billion euros) a year by 2010 from four billion dollars in 2006, the Kremlin said.

“Trade between Russia and India has long been dominated by Indian military spending. Russia accounts for 70 percent of Indian military hardware while India currently accounts for 30 percent of Russian arms sales… ‘Russia is India’s most important partner in defence,’ Singh said… Business daily Vedomosti on Monday reported that Russian arms export agency Rosoboronexport could soon sign a contract for 450 million dollars to buy 80 Mi-17 helicopters… Interfax news agency, meanwhile, reported that the two would sign agreements for the joint development of the Ilyushin 214 military transport plane.”

AFP added on November 13:

“The leaders of veteran allies Russia and India agreed Monday to launch a joint unmanned mission to the moon during Kremlin talks on boosting military and trade ties… During the talks the Russian and Indian leaders also ‘paid particular attention to cooperation in nuclear energy and in military-technical cooperation,’ Putin said… Singh thanked the Russian president for assisting in efforts to lift international restrictions on nuclear cooperation with India.”

The Bible reveals that Russia and India, as well as countries such as China and Japan, will form a mighty military and economic power bloc, in competition to the EU.

15-Day State of Emergency in the Country of Georgia

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 9:

“Georgia’s parliament has rubber-stamped the state of emergency declared by President Mikhail Saakashvili on Wednesday. While German papers concede that the country does face interference from Moscow, they also decry the heavy-handed repression of peaceful protests that reflect real concerns among the population.

“Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili seemed to bow to international pressure Thursday by announcing snap presidential elections for Jan. 5. But with parliament voting in favor of the state of emergency on Friday and independent media still off the air, it is unlikely that the move will be enough to repair the damage done by the brutal repression of peaceful demonstrations on Wednesday…

“While many Georgians support Saakashvili’s attempts to take the former Soviet Republic into the European Union and NATO and to shake off Russian influence, the president is regarded as increasingly authoritarian… his move has been met with sharp criticism in the West. The United States has expressed its disappointment and NATO has warned that Georgia’s aspirations to join the alliance have been jeopardized… German commentators seem united in the opinion that while there is undoubtedly Russian interference in Georgia, this does not justify ditching democratic values such as the right to protest and freedom of speech.

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… The harsh tone coming from NATO and the European Union is the only correct reaction: If Georgia wants to be a part of the West, it has to respect its values and rules.’…

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… His style of government has become authoritarian, and the number of corruption cases and scandals has increased… With the brutal use of the police force and the declaration of a state of emergency, he seems to have adapted the role of autocrat.’…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘By striking down the peaceful demonstrations, Saakashvili has made Georgia’s path toward NATO more difficult than all the provocations from the Kremlin in the past few years could have achieved.'”

According to AFP of November 14, “Georgia will lift a state of emergency on Friday, a top official said Wednesday, but doubts remained about whether one of the country’s main television channels would be allowed back on the air.” It added on November 15 that the Georgian “Parliament has approved a decision to lift the state of emergency on Friday at 7:00 pm.”

Pakistan–End of Chaos in Sight?

On November 9, The Daily Telegraph published a strong  editorial regarding the situation in Pakistan and the failure of the West to stop its escalation. Pakistan’s reaction to the editorial was one of anger, fright and terror, and has only escalated the situation even more.

In the editorial, the paper wrote:

“Despite George W Bush’s rhetoric about freedom, the struggle against terrorism is provoking a reaction familiar from the Cold War and nowhere is that clearer than over Pakistan… General Pervez Musharraf… has failed to stamp out extremist groups and close the madrassas that inspire them. He has allowed the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan to fall into the hands of assorted jihadis. And he has sacked independent-minded judges for fear that the Supreme Court declare illegal his re-election as president last month.

“Yet, despite this combination of incompetence and brutality, America and Britain continue to back him as head of what has a strong claim to be the most dangerous country in the world… In short, the relationship between Gen Musharraf and the West is bankrupt. Valued as an ally after 9/11, he is now part of the problem. Under his dictatorship, Pakistan has become an increasingly ungovernable country in which moderate, secular forces have been sidelined to the advantage of the Islamists.”

AFP reported on November 11 about Pakistan’s reaction to the article:

“‘The Telegraph has withdrawn its correspondents in Pakistan after they were threatened with expulsion by the government,’ a two-paragraph article in the newspaper read… Britain’s foreign ministry earlier on Sunday said that the three journalists were on their way back to Britain, and said that the British high commissioner had complained to Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri about the journalists’ treatment.”
The International Herald Tribune wrote on November 11:

“In another signal that the general was strengthening his grip on power, the government announced Saturday that it had amended an army law so that civilians could be charged and prosecuted before military courts.”

On November 12, the Associated Press reported that “Foreign ministers from the Commonwealth of Britain and its former colonies said that Pakistan would be suspended from the organization unless the state of emergency was repealed and Musharraf stepped down as army chief by Nov. 22.”

On November 13, AFP stated “Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto called on President Pervez Musharraf to quit Tuesday in her most direct challenge yet to his rule, vowing never to serve under him in government…

“Holed up under house arrest with close aides in Lahore as more than 1,000 police manned barbed wire barricades outside, she urged the world to abandon the president… ‘It is over with Musharraf,’ she told AFP in an interview from inside the residence where she has been detained to stop her leading a mass procession against emergency rule… ‘General Musharraf must quit. He must quit as president and as chief of army staff. I call on the international community to stop backing him — to stop backing the man whose dictatorship threatens to engulf this nuclear-armed state in chaos.’…”

On November 15, AFP reported that “Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf has said that he will step down as army chief before December 1… Musharraf named former spy chief Ashfaq Kiyani as the heir apparent to the post of chief of army staff in October… [It was further announced that] Pakistan’s incoming caretaker government would take an oath on Friday morning after the current parliament dissolves at one minute before midnight.”

“Christian” Cult In Russia–What Insanity!!!

Reuters reported on November 15:

“At least 30 members of a Russian doomsday cult have barricaded themselves in a remote cave to await the end of the world and are threatening to commit suicide if police intervene, officials and media said on Thursday… The cult members, who include 29 adults and four children, are hidden inside a snow-covered hillside in the Penza region of central Russia…

“They are thought to have taken food and fuel supplies in with them… ‘They are simple Christians,’ a local priest, Father Georgy, told NTV television station. ‘They say: “The church is doing a bad job, the end of the world is coming soon and we are all saving ourselves.”‘

“Media reports said the cult members believed the world would end sometime in May next year. Police expected them to emerge when their supplies ran out.

“After decades of state-enforced atheism under Soviet rule, many Russians and other ex-Soviet nationals have come under the influence of homegrown and foreign sects. Many Russians have refused new passports and taxpayers’ personal identification numbers, saying the figures contained ‘satanic’ combinations of numbers. Izvestia newspaper said the leader of the cult, Pyotr Kuznetsov, had been detained by police. It said he was a 43-year-old who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that in the last few months he had been sleeping in a coffin.”

Unfortunately, such insane conduct and these kind of false doomsday predictions give TRUE Christianity a bad reputation. It is Satan’s way of convincing people to reject the truth, by pointing at such terrible examples as set by the cult in Russia.

Earthquake in Chile

AFP reported on November 14 that “A strong earthquake measuring 7.7 rocked arid northern Chile Wednesday, killing at least two people, injuring others, sparking panic and causing power outages… Meanwhile separate earthquakes also hit Argentina and Central America on Wednesday. An earthquake, which US geologists measured at magnitude 5.3, rocked Guatemala and neighboring El Salvador, with no reports of casualties.”

The news agency also reminded the readers on November 15 that “In August, southern Peru was struck by a powerful 8.0-magnitude earthquake that left 600 people dead and 300,000 homeless.”

The Associated Press added on November 15 that “Strong aftershocks [including one of magnitude 6.2 and another of magnitude 6.8] from a powerful earthquake hit northern Chile on Thursday as the government erected a working military hospital and promised hundreds of other portable dwellings for 15,000 left homeless by the quake… A 1939 quake in Chile killed 28,000 people and in 1960, a magnitude-9.5 quake — the strongest recorded in the 20th century — killed 5,700 people. On June 13, 2005, a magnitude-7.8 quake… in northern Chile killed 11 people and left thousands homeless.”

Cyclone Forces Bangladesh Evacuations

The Associated Press reported on November 15:

“Ten of thousands of coastal villagers took shelter inland Thursday as a cyclone rapidly approached Bangladesh’s southwestern shores, spawning cold drizzles, strong winds and high waves, a weather official said. Tropical cyclone Sidr was expected to make landfall late Thursday… The cyclone, which began brewing Tuesday in the Bay of Bengal, was producing winds up to 140 miles per hour, and may trigger tidal surges as high as 20 feet…”

What Killed the Dinosaurs?–It Was Not Evolution, For Sure!

LifeScience wrote on November 12:

“The Age of Dinosaurs ended roughly 65 million years ago with the K-T or Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction event, which killed off all dinosaurs save those that became birds, as well as roughly half of all species on the planet, including pterosaurs. The prime suspect in this ancient murder mystery is an asteroid or comet impact, which left a vast crater at Chicxulub on the coast of Mexico.

“Another leading culprit is a series of colossal volcanic eruptions that occurred between 63 million to 67 million years ago. These created the gigantic Deccan Traps lava beds in India, whose original extent may have covered as much as 580,000 square miles (1.5 million square kilometers), or more than twice the area of Texas…

“Both an impact from space and volcanic eruptions would have injected vast clouds of dust and other emissions into the sky, dramatically altering global climate and triggering die-offs.”

Cloned Human Embryos?

The Independent wrote on November 12:

“A technical breakthrough has enabled scientists to create for the first time dozens of cloned embryos from adult monkeys, raising the prospect of the same procedure being used to make cloned human embryos… It is the first time that scientists have been able to create viable cloned embryos from an adult primate – in this case a 10-year-old male rhesus macaque monkey…

“The monkey-cloning technique is the same basic procedure that resulted in Dolly the sheep. The nucleus of a healthy, unfertilised egg is removed and another nucleus from the mature skin cell of an adult animal is placed inside the egg. With careful timing and the use of electrical pulses, an embryo can be created which is a genetic clone of the skin tissue donor. It is possible to implant embryos created in this way into the womb to produce cloned animals. This so-called ‘reproductive cloning’ of humans is illegal in Britain and many other countries. However it has been applied to a range of animal species, including:

“Cow: Many domestic cattle have been successfully cloned. First attempt to clone an endangered species was Noah, a rare gaur ox, which was cloned in the US in 2001 but died 48 hours after birth.

“Mouse: Cumulina was a common brown house mouse, cloned from adult cells at the University of Hawaii in 1997. She survived to adulthood and produced two litters, before dying in May 2000.

“Horse: Called Prometea, the first cloned horse, born in Italy in May 2003.

“Cat: A kitten called CopyCat was born in 2002 in Texas, and gave birth to three kittens by a natural father in September 2006.

“Dog: Snuppy, born in South Korea. Doubts about its authenticity were dispelled by DNA tests. The group has also cloned two wolf cubs, called Snuwolf and Snuwolffy using the same procedure. Cloned Afghan hounds named Bona, Peace and Hope have also been born.”

Discussions at the White House Regarding the Temple Mount

IsraelNationalNews.com reported on November 7, 2007, about an interesting development, pertaining to the Temple Mount (please see, in this context, our Editorial and Q&A in this Update). The report stated the following:

“Israel’s Chief Rabbis and the Chief Rabbi of Haifa have been invited to the White House for pre-Annapolis talks to explain the Jewish connection to the Temple Mount… Despite the fact that many rabbis both visit and encourage other Jews to visit the Temple Mount in the manner permitted by Jewish law, the chief rabbinate says that Jews should not visit the Temple Mount. A large sign is affixed to the path leading to the Mount saying it is ‘forbidden for Jews to visit the Mount according to Jewish law.’ All three rabbis agree that the Temple Mount must remain under Jewish sovereignty.  However, the chief rabbis believe the mount should be closed to all since a special level of ritual purity must be obtained before ascending to the site of the Jewish Holy Temple. Rabbi Cohen believes the Temple Mount should be open to Jewish worship and a synagogue should be constructed there.

“Arutz-7’s Yedidya HaCohen reports that a secret meeting on the matter took place two weeks ago during one of the recent visits by U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Jerusalem. The meeting dealt with Jerusalem’s holy sites and was attended by Rabbi Cohen, as well as Muslim and Christian religious leaders. The meeting lasted over two hours. Muslim leaders aired their claim that ‘the Jews want to destroy the Al-Aksa Mosques’ and their oft-heard denial that there was ever a Jewish temple at the site. The chief Mufti has already declared that Jews should not be allowed to pray at the site. Recent [archeological] finds from the First Temple have not tempered Muslim denial of pre-Islamic history on the mount, as well as the Western Wall.

“Rabbi Cohen responded to those present: ‘It is forbidden to deny that the Jews had our Holy Temple at that site. It is forbidden to forget that King David purchased the Temple Mount, King Solomon built the Holy Temple and Ezra the Scribe rebuilt it as well [after it was destroyed –ed.]. All who come afterward must recognize the rights of those who came first. Although I do not propose the demolition of the mosques, the Muslims must remember that they are there due to us.’… In summation, Rabbi Cohen told Rice and the other religious leaders that he is completely opposed to any withdrawal from the Temple Mount and site of the Holy Temple.

“Rice reportedly responded: ‘Honorable rabbi, I understand you well. I am the daughter of a priest and the granddaughter of a priest, I learned the Bible and know what is written there.’…

“The meetings [at the white House], which will be attended by members of the Islamic Wakf and Christian leaders… According to [a] proposal [to be discussed at the meetings], the Jerusalem ‘Holy Basin’ – meaning the Old City and surrounding areas – would be administered by a joint committee and not remain under Israeli sovereignty… [T]he Western Wall and Temple Mount would remain under Israeli control, but the Americans are reportedly pushing to see the Temple Mount relinquished as well.”

King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia Meets With Pope, Prime Minister Prodi and Queen Elizabeth

AFP reported on November 6:

“Pope Benedict XVI raised the issue of Christians living in Saudi Arabia in a historic meeting Tuesday with King Abdullah, the first monarch of the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom to visit the Vatican… The Holy See does not have diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam’s holiest shrines in Mecca and Medina and applies a rigorous doctrine of Sunni Islam known as Wahhabism. The question of religious freedoms for the roughly one million Christians and other non-Muslims in Saudi Arabia remains an extremely sensitive one…

“The groundbreaking talks were not King Abdullah’s first contact with the head of the Roman Catholic Church, since he met Pope Benedict’s predecessor John Paul II in 1999 when he was crown prince to his half brother King Fahd. King Abdullah, 84, and the 80-year-old pontiff also exchanged ‘ideas on the Middle East and the need to find a fair solution to the conflicts afflicting the region, in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,’ the Vatican communique said…

“Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi met the Saudi king later, saying afterward that he hoped a planned Middle East peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, later this year would ‘yield solid expectations for an end, once and for all, to this conflict.’ He said the conference held out ‘strong expectations’ among Palestinians for a future sovereign state ‘with geographical continuity in peace and security with the state of Israel, which in turn would be recognised by all the countries of the region.’ Prodi also mentioned the upcoming election by the Lebanese parliament of a new president, saying that Italy and Saudi Arabia were in ‘constant close contact to facilitate dialogue and to exhort Lebanese political forces to reach a compromise in the primary interests of the people.’…

“King Abdullah, who ascended the throne two years ago, had arrived in Rome late Monday following a lavish three-day visit to London at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II. That visit, the first by a Saudi monarch in 20 years, sparked human rights protests… King Abdullah will travel on to Germany and Turkey before returning home.”

King Abdullah arrived in Germany on Wednesday, where he was received by Chancellor Angela Merkel with military honors. He will also meet with Germany’s President, Horst Koehler, but no press conference was planned, according to an article of USA today, dated November 7.

… And You Will Lose the Gates of Your Enemies…

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on November 2:

“For the second time in three years, a Senate panel has given the nod to a treaty that governs the oceans. Last time, alarmist concerns about the loss of US sovereignty kept the treaty from a floor vote. This time, the Senate must steer past those criticisms, or America will be left high and dry.

“The Law of the Sea Convention protects its members’ navigation rights to the oceans. It establishes limits for marine boundaries and rules for extracting resources and preserving the health of the seas. And it sets up a way to resolve disputes about these issues.

“The United States was the lead negotiator on this treaty, starting during the Nixon administration. President Reagan had some problems relating to deep-sea mining, but they were fixed in a second negotiation. It’s in force for more than 150 nations – for almost all NATO members, and for four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, including Russia and China, but not the US.

“Global warming has made US approval urgent. As the polar icecap melts, nations are steaming ahead to claim rights to Arctic sea lanes and oil and gas reserves. Staying outside the treaty leaves the US with little say in this region, especially off Alaska.

“The treaty has remarkably broad support in America: State Department and Pentagon chiefs from both parties; oil, gas, and fishing industries; and environmentalists. And yet, a few senators have the power to tangle this treaty in a kelp forest of myths:

“The US is giving up sovereignty. Actually, the US gains sovereignty as never before. The treaty extends the nation’s territorial waters from three miles to 12. It gains a marine ‘economic zone’ that goes out at least 200 miles. The US would have exclusive rights to explore, conserve, manage, and exploit resources in this mammoth zone, about equal in size to the continental US.

“The treaty also gives the US important new navigational rights. The key one allows warships and submarines to pass through straits and archipelagos.

“The treaty is UN overreach. True, the agreement was negotiated under UN auspices, but the signatories created it. The three bodies to deal with disputes and issues are not UN bodies. And the US has opted out of an international tribunal to settle military disputes; for general disputes it’s chosen arbitration.

“The treaty hinders US ability to fight terrorism. Critics say rules restricting boarding of foreign ships and seizing their goods would prevent the US from intercepting weapons of mass destruction. But the treaty provides an exception for ‘military activities,’ and international law amply allows for self-defense.

“The treaty restricts US intelligence by making subs surface in territorial waters. This provision is already binding law as part of a 1958 treaty. And does America really want Chinese subs lurking off its beaches?

“What’s going on is an attempt by a small, vocal group of think tanks to scare senators with the one-world-government specter. Let’s remember that the US has negotiated this treaty (twice!) with its own interests at heart; that order on the oceans is preferable to chaos; and that the US cannot complain about violations when it is not party to the treaty, neither can it influence it.

“This ship is leaving the harbor. The US must get on board now.”

But will it? Biblical prophecies may suggest otherwise. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

“One of the Worst Natural Disasters in the History” of Mexico…

AFP wrote on November 2:

“Rescuers on Friday worked on saving hundreds of thousands of people trapped by the worst floods on record in Mexico’s southern state of Tabasco… The disastrous floods affected more than one million residents, or about half Tabasco’s population.

“‘New Orleans was small compared to this,’ said state Governor Andres Granier, in reference to the disaster wrought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which killed about 1,000 people in the southern US city alone. Only one fatality was recorded so far in Tabasco, but the floods have caused widespread devastation. The oil-rich state the size of Belgium is 80 percent underwater, and 850 towns have been flooded, officials said…

“President Felipe Calderon urged Mexicans to donate aid to flood victims. ‘The situation is extraordinarily grave,’ he said in an address to the nation on Thursday, calling the flooding ‘one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the country.’…

“The floods began last week when a cold front brought heavy rain that caused the Grijalva, Carrizal and Puxcatan rivers to burst their banks. Soldiers and state authorities had placed more than 700,000 sand bags along the rivers to prevent flooding, but the water rose above the barriers. The floods worsened over the past three days as authorities drained water from two dams in the neighboring state of Chiapas to prevent them from exceeding their capacity. The water rose again Thursday in the state capital of Villahermosa, which was flooded Wednesday after the Grijalva River burst its banks.”

The Associated Press reported on November 5:

“Authorities worked early Monday to deliver badly needed food and water to thousands of residents stranded by devastating floods that have damaged the homes of up to 500,000 people. Since swollen rivers first broke their banks on Oct. 28, flood waters have isolated many Gulf coast communities. Thousands of residents who rescuers haven’t been able to reach have run out of food, water and are living with no electricity and no way to flee…”

AFP added on November 5:

“Anger and despair rose Monday as victims of southern Mexico’s disastrous floods, some perched on rooftops, complained of chaotic aid distribution and looting… Authorities estimate that about 20,000 people were trapped in their homes and had not received any aid… Health officials worried about health risks from open sewage and the spread of disease-carrying mosquitoes. Dengue, cholera and diarrhea outbreaks now are very real possibilities, they said. Several countries responded to President Felipe Calderon’s call for international solidarity, including Germany, which pledged 250,000 euros and the United States which announced aid totaling 350,000 dollars.”

Deadly Hurricane Noel Hits the Caribbean

AFP wrote on November 2:

“Hurricane Noel on Friday churned over the Atlantic Ocean on a northerly track to Canada after battering the Caribbean where it killed at least 116 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti… Before it even strengthened from a tropical storm to a hurricane, Noel went on a deadly rampage through the Dominican Republic and Haiti, which share the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Noel left in its wake floodwaters that hampered the rescue of people in the Dominican Republic, where at least 73 people were killed, with 27 more reported missing. Authorities used helicopters to deliver emergency supplies to areas cut off by floodwaters. Torrents of water smashed several bridges, while authorities reported that 664 homes were destroyed and a further 15,600 were damaged.

“In impoverished Haiti, officials on Friday said the death toll rose to 43, while 15 people were missing. A total of 4,850 houses were damaged and 1,075 completely destroyed, [but] many crops were lost to floods and mudslides. Cuba, was also hit hard, but reported no fatalities.”

Daniel 2:43: “… Just As Iron Does Not Mix With Clay…”

The Associated Press reported on November 1:

“A woman who was raped and beaten near a Gypsy camp allegedly by a Romanian died Thursday night, state radio reported. The latest attack blamed on a foreigner has prompted the government to give authorities the power to expel EU immigrants deemed dangerous. ‘Horror in Rome’ read the front-page headline Thursday in Il Messaggero, a daily newspaper in the city. ‘End of tolerance,’ began an accompanying editorial calling for a tough response…

“Although the free movement of EU citizens within the 27 member nations is a cornerstone of EU policy, countries still have the right to keep certain people out if they are deemed dangerous. Italy’s president signed a decree Thursday allowing the expulsion of European Union citizens ‘for reasons of public safety’ to fight ‘episodes of heavy violence and ferocious crime.’…

“A series of violent crimes in the capital has been blamed on Romanians in recent months… The attacks have shocked Rome, where street violence has long been unusual… ‘Today’s horror in Rome … is the consequence of yesterday’s excessive tolerance,’ said the editorial in Il Messaggero… “

The Associated Press reported on November 4:

“Opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi urged Italy to close its borders to Romanian workers and a conservative ally called Sunday for the expulsion of tens of thousands of immigrants amid public outrage over a wave of violent crimes blamed on foreigners. Pope Benedict XVI added his voice to the debate over the balance between citizen safety and treatment of foreigners, reminding authorities that immigrants have both obligations and rights. The pope weighed in as lawmakers prepared to debate the government’s response to recent crime, including fast-track expulsions of Romanians and other EU citizens deemed dangerous and bulldozing shantytowns housing immigrants…

“After Romania joined the EU earlier this year, Romanians poured into Italy in search of work as maids, nannies, waiters, janitors and bricklayers, and they now account for nearly 1 percent of the population in Italy… Italian authorities say statistics show foreigners commit a disproportionate number of crimes. Rome Mayor Walter Veltroni said 75 percent of arrests in the city in the last year involved Romanians. On a national level, less than 5 percent of Italy’s population in 2004 — before Romania joined the EU — was foreign, yet foreigners accounted for 26 percent of those convicted of crimes.”

The EUObserver added on November 5:

“Over the weekend, Romania protested against its nationals being singled out as the main target of expulsions… Romania’s president Traian Basescu said: ‘Improvised measures that induce fear and awaken hatred can be unjust and can have other effects than those hoped,’ according to AGI agency. But Franco Frattini, the EU commissioner in charge of security and justice, argues that Rome’s action was in line with the bloc’s rules on citizens living in other member states.

“‘What has to be done is simple. Go into a nomad camp in Rome for example, and ask them: “Can you tell me where you live?” If they say they do not know, take them and send them home to Romania. That is how the European directive works,’ he said, according to the UK daily Telegraph. He also urged the Italian authorities to pull down the camps to prevent Romanians from returning while suggesting that Bucharest ‘cannot say they will not take them back, because it is an obligation that is part of being a member state of the EU.'”

Frightening–US Allegedly Involved in Recent Attack on Syria

The Jerusalem Post published the following spectacular article, dated November 2:

“The September 6 raid over Syria was carried out by the US Air Force, the Al-Jazeera Web site reported Friday. The Web site quoted Israeli and Arab sources as saying that two strategic US jets armed with tactical nuclear weapons carried out an attack on a nuclear site under construction. The sources were quoted as saying that Israeli F-15 and F-16 jets provided cover for the US planes. The sources added that each US plane carried one tactical nuclear weapon and that the site was hit by one bomb and was totally destroyed.

“At the beginning of October, Israel’s military censor began to allow the local media to report on the raid without attributing their report to foreign sources. Nevertheless, details of the strike have remained clouded in mystery.

“On October 28, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the cabinet that he had apologized to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan if Israel violated Turkish airspace during a strike on an alleged nuclear facility in Syria last month.

“In a carefully worded statement that was given to reporters after the cabinet meeting, Olmert said: ‘In my conversation with the Turkish prime minister, I told him that if Israeli planes indeed penetrated Turkish airspace, then there was no intention thereby, either in advance or in any case, to – in any way – violate or undermine Turkish sovereignty, which we respect.’

“The New York Times reported on October 13 that Israeli planes struck at what US and Israeli intelligence believed was a partly constructed nuclear reactor in Syria on September 6, citing American and foreign officials who had seen the relevant intelligence reports. According to the report, Israel carried out the report to send a message that it would not tolerate even a nuclear program in its initial stages of construction in any neighboring state.”

2007– the Deadliest Year in Iraq for American Troops

AFP reported on November 6:

“Six American troops have been killed in bomb attacks in Iraq, the US military said on Tuesday, making 2007 the deadliest year for the American forces since the invasion… 851 US soldiers have died so far this year in Iraq, against 846 in 2004, the previous most lethal year for the American military since the US-led invasion of March 2003… The US military’s overall losses in Iraq since the invasion four years ago have now reached 3,856.”

Serious Problems With US Legal System

AFP wrote on October 31:

“Many US juvenile courts routinely shackle teens accused of minor crimes and deny them adequate access to a lawyer, a study released Wednesday has found. Most teens in the study did not get to meet with a lawyer before a hearing to determine whether they should be held in jail prior to trial. They also rarely got to adequately discuss their case with a lawyer prior to the trial date. Anywhere from 70 to 100 percent of the teens ended up pleading guilty, many at their first court appearance. ‘You have youth that are not guilty who are pleading guilty because they want to get it over with,’ said study co-author Cathryn Crawford…

“Juvenile convictions, while theoretically sealed, are also disclosed to schools and can impact access to financial aid for college. And there have also been reports that prospective employers have been able to access juvenile records, Crawford said. But perhaps the most serious impact is on how these teens feel about the system, she said… Researchers looked at the juvenile court system in a representative sample of 16 Illinois counties. They found the same systemic problems present in 15 other states examined in recent years.”

Dire Consequences of America’s Unfriendliness Towards Visitors

AFP wrote on November 1:

“The number of foreign visitors to the United States has plummeted since the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington because foreigners don’t feel welcome, tourism professionals said Thursday. ‘Since September 11, 2001, the United States has experienced a 17 percent decline in overseas travel, costing America 94 billion dollars in lost visitor spending, nearly 200,000 jobs and 16 billion dollars in lost tax revenue,’ the Discover America advocacy campaign said in a statement…

“‘Travelers around the world feel the US entry experience is among the world’s worst,’ [the statement said]… Last year, only 56 percent of Britons had a positive opinion of the United States compared with 83 percent in 2000… Thirty-nine percent of French people saw the United States in a positive light last year, compared with 62 percent in 2000…”

The Collapse of the U.S. Dollar?

Bloomberg reported on November 5 about the expected further downfall of the U.S. dollar, as follows:

“Even after the dollar lost 34 percent since 2001, the biggest investors and most accurate forecasters say it will weaken further as home sales fall and the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates. The dollar plummeted to its lowest ever last week against the euro, Canadian dollar, Chinese yuan and the cheapest in 26 years against the British pound… BNP Paribas chief currency strategist Hans-Guenter Redeker, the most accurate foreign-exchange forecaster last quarter in a Bloomberg survey, said the dollar may drop to $1.50 per euro by year-end… Jim Rogers, a former partner of investor George Soros, said last month he’s selling his house and all his possessions in the U.S. currency to buy China’s yuan. ‘The dollar is collapsing,” Rogers said last week in an interview…

“Wealthy clients at San Francisco-based Union Bank of California have doubled their deposits in foreign currencies to $60 million the past two months as a hedge against a decline, said Bradley Shairson, head of currency and derivatives at the bank. U.S. investors bought $198 billion in foreign securities this year through August, 72 percent more than in the same period last year, Treasury Department data show.”

Unapologetic Pilot of Hiroshima Bomb Died

AFP reported on November 1:

“The pilot of the plane that ushered in the age of atomic warfare with the first nuclear attack on the Japanese city of Hiroshima, died Thursday at the age of 92… Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr., whose B-29 bomber dubbed the Enola Gay dropped the 9,000-pound ‘Little Boy’ bomb on August 6, 1945, died at his home in the midwest city of Columbus, Ohio…

“Tibbets was more than just the pilot. He was instrumental in redesigning and testing the plane used to carry the massive bomb and organizing and training the men needed to deliver it.

“Tibbets never regretted the bombing that led to the end of World War II but at a horrific price: 140,000 dead immediately and 80,000 other Japanese succumbing in the aftermath, according to Hiroshima officials. ‘That’s what it took to end the war,’ he told the Columbus Dispatch in 2003. ‘I went out to stop the killing all over.’ Aware that not everyone agrees with his view of history, Tibbets asked his family to cremate him so his grave site would not be desecrated by detractors…

“President Harry Truman gave his approval to drop the bomb in the afternoon of August 5, 1945. Tibbets and his crew lifted off from a base on the Pacific island of Tinian at 2:45 am for an uneventful six and a half hour flight to Japan. They dropped the first atomic bomb ever used in combat at 9:15 plus 15 seconds (8:15 Hiroshima time) and returned to base at 2:58 pm. He didn’t tell the crew that the bomb they were going to drop was atomic until well into the flight.

“‘As the bomb left the airplane we took over manual control, made an extremely steep turn to try and put as much distance between us and the explosion as possible,’ he once said. ‘After we felt the explosion hit the airplane, that is the concussion waves, we knew the bomb had exploded so we took a turn around to look at it. The sight that greeted our eyes was quite beyond what we had expected. We saw this cloud of boiling dust and debris below us with its tremendous mushroom on top. Beneath that was hidden the ruins of the city of Hiroshima.'”

Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions

The Jerusalem Post wrote on November 2, 2007:

“Bahrain’s Crown Prince, Sheik Salman bin Isa al-Khalifa, said Friday that Iran is striving to acquire nuclear weaponry… Al Khalifa said that at the very least, Iran is attempting to gain the ability to produce nuclear weaponry. The statement would make Bahrain the first Arab nation in the Persian Gulf to claim that Iran is attempting to deceive world leaders in relation to its nuclear aspirations. Al Khalifa warned that the crisis could worsen and draw the region into military conflict. For this reason, he said, it must be resolved by diplomatic means…”

AFP wrote on November 7:

“Iran has reached a key target of 3,000 centrifuges for uranium enrichment, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday, vowing to ignore UN resolutions calling for a halt to Tehran’s sensitive nuclear work… The number is a key milestone because scientists say that in ideal conditions it is sufficient to produce enough enriched uranium in one year to make a single nuclear bomb…

“Although Washington insists it wants a diplomatic solution, it has never ruled out a military option, with President George W. Bush raising the prospect of ‘nuclear holocaust’ and ‘World War III’ if Iran acquires atomic weapons.

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday she would urge a diplomatic solution to the Iran crisis in talks with Bush this week and that any further sanctions should be agreed by Russia and China, both major energy and trade partners of Iran.”

Pakistan in Turmoil

One of America’s few allies is in turmoil, due to dictatorial and autocratic measures by Pakistan’s president. His move to arrest judges and lawyers deeply upsets the West–and has become another thorn in the flesh for the United States and the Bush Administration.

The Associated Press reported on November 5:

“Police fired tear gas and clubbed thousands of lawyers protesting President Gen. Pervez Musharraf’s decision to impose emergency rule, as Western allies threatened to review aid to the troubled Muslim nation. More than 1,500 people have been arrested in 48 hours, and authorities put a stranglehold on independent media. Musharraf, who took power in a 1999 coup and is also head of Pakistan’s army, suspended the constitution on Saturday ahead of a Supreme Court ruling on whether his recent re-election as president was legal. He ousted independent-minded judges and granted sweeping powers to authorities to crush dissent…”

AFP added on November 5:

“The White House said it was ‘deeply disturbed’ by the crisis, urging Musharraf, a key ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants, to call elections in January and to quit his military post… ‘We cannot support a path that does not put them back on the road to democracy,’ White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said… Perino confirmed that aid to the staunch ally in the US ‘war on terror’ was under review. A Pentagon spokesman said earlier that the United States had suspended annual defence talks with Pakistan because of the political situation…”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 5:

“Musharraf’s move puts the US in a difficult spot. Since the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Pakistan has been Washington’s closest regional ally in the war on terror, despite Musharraf’s apparent inability — or unwillingness — to root out al-Qaida and Taliban cells from the Afghanistan border region. The US has begun a review of future aid to Pakistan, calling into question a program that has sent $10 billion to the country in the last five years… Britain too has warned Pakistan that future aid may be at stake calling into question a $491 million (€339 million) aid program from 2005-2008. And the Netherlands on Monday became the first country to completely shut off aid to the South Asian country, suspending the remainder of €15 million ($22 million) yet to be paid this year. Holland had been planning to almost triple aid next year.”

The New York Times reported the following on November 5:

“President Bush has made spreading democracy a major foreign policy theme and his administration has quietly pushed General Musharraf for months to be more open to sharing power, going so far as to help broker talks between him and Benazir Bhutto, the leader of Pakistan’s largest opposition party.

“But Mr. Bush has said nothing in public about General Musharraf’s latest action. His silence contrasts sharply to his reaction to the crackdown on dissidents in Myanmar last month. In that case, Mr. Bush announced specific steps against Myanmar rulers. But Pakistan, officials argued, is a different case: it is a nuclear-armed nation that Mr. Bush had designated a ‘major non-NATO ally,’ even though its enthusiasm for counterterrorism has been episodic…

“For more than a year before Saturday’s declaration, American officials have seethed over Pakistan’s poor performance against Al Qaeda and the Taliban. General Musharraf’s effort to strike a deal with Islamic militant groups in the tribal areas failed. When he ordered troops back into the tribal areas in recent months, many were killed or kidnapped… Through it all, the United States has continued pumping money to the country… There is little question that General Musharraf has failed to develop broad domestic support for battling terrorists. His political party is divided, has not carried out promised reforms and would likely lose an election.

“A poll in September by Terror Free Tomorrow, a Washington-based nonprofit group, showed that Osama bin Laden was more popular in Pakistan than General Musharraf, with 46 percent of respondents giving him a ‘favorable’ rating against 38 percent for the president. Ms. Bhutto got a ‘favorable’ rating from 63 percent.”

Pakistan–The West Reaps What It Has Sowed

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 6:

“As Pakistan teeters on the verge of chaos, the West looks on nervously and prays that the country’s nuclear weapons don’t fall into the wrong hands. German commentators feel that the West — and the US in particular — share part of the blame for the mess. The world is holding its breath to see what will happen in nuclear-armed Pakistan now that President Gen. Pervez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency.

“Although the West had been hoping that Musharraf would continue with tentative steps towards democracy, it is nervous about condemning the military leader too strongly now, for fear he may be toppled: The thought of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of Islamist extremists is the stuff of Western politicians’ nightmares.

“The current crisis puts particularly the United States — Musharraf’s staunchest backer up until now — in a difficult position. Pakistan is an important American ally in the fight against terror, and the US felt a strongman like Musharraf was needed to guarantee stability in the country. But now the US has to be wary about being seen to be supporting a dictator who is against democracy — especially considering its vocal support for democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan. The US is now trying to put pressure on its ally to pull back from the brink…

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘Since (the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks), the fate of Musharraf has been fundamentally linked to the success of the West in Afghanistan. But the reverse is also true: If Pakistan becomes ungovernable, then Afghanistan is lost. What comes next? What should be done? The West does not want to lose Pakistan, for reasons connected both to its nuclear weapons as well as to the anti-terrorist operation. But who stands for the Pakistan of today, and who stands for the country of tomorrow? It seems unlikely that Musharraf will pretend in a few months’ time that nothing has happened and allow elections to take place — or to accept their result, which will probably not be in his favor. But the protests of the educated middle classes against the state of emergency should not be underestimated. Can the West betray those who stand for democracy?’…

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes:

“‘Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf has abandoned his democratic façade and has outed [sic] himself as a dictator. Is this really a surprise? If we are honest: no. No one seriously expected that Pakistan would develop into a true democracy under Musharraf. Unfortunately, it is very difficult for the current United States government to see things that way…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘… Musharraf has managed to slowly make enemies out of almost all major political forces in the country. This creates an almost impossible situation for the West. The West cannot rely exclusively on Musharraf in the medium and long term. But neither can the West drop him, because otherwise Pakistan — complete with its nuclear arsenal — would slide into the final abyss. Direct action is impossible, for a variety of reasons. So in the end, the only thing that remains is the hope — expressed often enough in the case of Pakistan, albeit in vain — that the country is able to summon up sufficient political self-healing to at least prevent the worst.'”

Former Pakistan’s President Bhutto Speaks Out

On November 7, The New York Times published an editorial of Benazir Bhutto, the prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and from 1993 to 1996, who is currently the leader of the Pakistan People’s Party. In the editorial, Bhutto wrote:

“The United States, Britain and much of the West have always said the right things about democracy in Pakistan and around the world. I recall the words of President Bush in his second inaugural address when he said: ‘All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.’

“The United States alone has given the Musharraf government more than $10 billion in aid since 2001. We do not know exactly where or how this money has been spent, but it is clear that it has not brought about the defeat of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, nor succeeded in capturing Osama bin Laden, nor has it broken the opium trade. It certainly has not succeeded in improving the quality of life of the children and families of Pakistan.

“The United States can promote democracy — which is the only way to truly contain extremism and terrorism — by telling General Musharraf that it does not accept martial law, and that it expects him to conduct free, fair, impartial and internationally monitored elections within 60 days under a reconstituted election commission. He should be given that choice: democracy or dictatorship with isolation… It is dangerous to stand up to a military dictatorship, but more dangerous not to. The moment has come for the Western democracies to show us in their actions, and not just in their rhetoric, which side they are on.”

… While the Chaos in Pakistan Continues…

AFP reported on November 7:

“Pakistani police rounded up about 400 supporters of ex-premier Benazir Bhutto in a crackdown hours after she called for mass protests against emergency rule, her party said Thursday. The move came as US President George W. Bush said he had telephoned President Pervez Musharraf to tell him bluntly that he must hold elections as scheduled and quit as army chief… Bhutto said she would hold a rally in Rawalpindi on Friday despite police threats of a crackdown, and called for a ‘long march’ on November 13 from Lahore to the capital if Musharraf does not repeal emergency rule…

“US deputy secretary of state John Negroponte told the US Congress continued engagement with Pakistan — an ‘indispensable ally in the war on terror’ — was the ‘only option.’ But in a sign of growing international pressure on Musharraf, President Bush told a press conference: ‘I just spoke to President Musharraf before I came here, and my message was very plain, very easy to understand. And that is: The United States wants you to have the elections as scheduled and take your uniform off.’ Britain and France also urged Musharraf to hold polls on time. But Pakistan rejected the ‘excessive’ global criticism.”

Little Reform in Turkey

The EUObserver wrote on November 1:

“Almost one year after the EU partially froze Turkey’s membership talks, little reform progress has been made by Ankara in key areas, with the European Commission in a fresh report urging Ankara ‘to renew the momentum of political reforms.’… The commission report also says restrictions in freedom of speech remain a ’cause of serious concern’… The EU executive highlights the notorious article 301 of Turkey’s recently adopted penal code, which criminalizes insults against ‘Turkishness’…

“Brussels concludes that ‘the Turkish legal system does not fully guarantee freedom of expression in line with European standards.’… Similarly, ‘no progress’ was seen in the area of protection of minorities and ensuring cultural diversity in line with EU principles, the commission says… Non-Muslim religious communities ‘continued to face problems such as restricted property rights’… The commission concludes that the ‘atmosphere’ in Turkey surrounding minorities and religious issues has ‘not been conducive to the full respect of fundamental rights and might de facto restrict their exercise.'”

… But Turkey May Give In to Europe…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 7:

“Turkey is planning to amend a heavily criticized law limiting freedom of expression, apparently in response to European Union pressure. Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Sahin said Tuesday that the government had almost finished preparatory work on reforming the penal code’s notorious Article 301, under which people can be prosecuted for ‘insulting Turkishness.’… Under the law, which has been a stumbling block in Turkey’s path to EU membership, those who denigrate Turkey or insult its institutions can be sentenced to up to three years in prison. The notorious law has been used in the past to prosecute intellectuals and journalists who have spoken out about the 1915 Armenian massacre…

“The announcement came just hours after the European Union presented its annual report on Turkey’s progress towards EU membership, in which it said Turkey must make ‘significant further efforts’ on freedom of expression. ‘It is not acceptable that writers, journalists, academics and other intellectuals … are prosecuted for simply expressing a critical but completely non-violent opinion,’ EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said. He made clear that the repeal of what he termed the ‘infamous Article 301’ was a top priority, recommending that the EU should not extend accession negotiations to the key policy area of justice and human rights until the article had been changed.”

… While the USA Gives In to Turkey

AFP reported on November 5:

“President George W. Bush, vying to avert a Turkish incursion into Iraq, Monday pledged to step up US military and intelligence cooperation to aid Turkey’s fight against Kurdish rebels. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed Bush’s commitments following crisis talks here between the two leaders, but said his country had no plans to withdraw some 100,000 troops massed on the border with Iraq…

“As Pakistan sinks deeper into political crisis, Bush would be loath to see any escalation in tensions between Turkey, another crucial anti-terror partner, and US allies in northern Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region…

“Some observers fear that US influence with Turkey has been undermined by a push in Congress to label the Ottoman Empire’s World War I massacre of ethnic Armenians as ‘genocide.’ But fierce pressure from both Turkey and the White House appears to have paid off for now, with its Democratic authors agreeing late last month to shelve a House debate on the resolution.”

Changes in Poland

AFP reported on November 5:

“Poland’s conservative prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski handed in his resignation to his twin, President Lech Kaczynski, on Monday, ending a surprise political double act on the European stage. Jaroslaw Kaczynski was forced to quit after the twins’ deeply Catholic and eurosceptic Law and Justice party lost an election on October 21. Lech Kaczynski is expected to name a bitter political rival, Donald Tusk, whose liberal Civic Platform won the election, as the new prime minister later this week, a presidential aide said…

“In September, after the government collapsed, the Kaczynskis gambled on the snap election as a way to cement their party’s hold on power. But voters swung solidly behind Civic Platform, which also promised to heal the rifts at home and spur Poland’s already healthy economy to tempt back some of the million-plus Poles who have emigrated to other EU member states in recent years. Among Tusk’s vote-winning pledges was one to withdraw the country’s 900-strong military contingent in Iraq…

“Observers still expect relations to be strained between Tusk and the president… Kaczynski, whose term runs until 2010, has already warned he will veto Tusk’s plans to introduce a single-rate ‘flat tax’. He has also slammed plans to ratify the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, which the conservatives argue goes against deeply Catholic Poland’s point of view, notably Poles’ antipathy to gay rights.”

The EUObserver added on November 7:

“Just days before being sworn in as Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk has outlined his cabinet’s priorities: to improve problematic relations with other EU countries; to adopt the euro in 2012-2013; as well as to re-examine the US plan to place an anti-missile shield in Poland… Mr Tusk said he was set to place Poland back in the European mainstream. In addition, special attention will be paid to Polish-German relations…

“Poland’s new pro-European course may come at a price for the country’s ties with Washington. Mr Tusk has indicated he will consult his EU counterparts before agreeing to the US plan to place an anti-missile shield in Poland. ‘If we decide, jointly in talks with our partners in the European Union and NATO partners, that this isn’t an unambiguous project, then we are definitely going to think it over’, he was cited as saying by AP. The statement was the first signal of a different approach compared to the one adopted by outgoing prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski as well as his twin brother, president Lech Kaczysnki…

“In addition, Poland’s prime minister elect has reiterated his plans to withdraw 900 Polish soldiers stationed in Iraq next year – a mission that he described as a burden to the country’s budget. Speaking about the euro, he has vowed to prepare his country for ‘as fast as possible’ decision on joining the euro, cautiously setting the target for 2012-2013.”

Reuben Is “Unstable as Water” and “Shall Not Excel” (Genesis 49:4)

Reuters reported on November 7 about a “warming up” between France and the USA–or more specifically, President Bush and President Sarkozy. We understand France to be descendants of Reuben, and the USA of Manasseh–both sons of ancient Jacob or Israel. However, it is hard to say whether this is good news for the USA–given the fact that Sarkozy’s reputation and credibility in France, and in Europe in general, has suffered tremendously after the French election, due in part to his divorce and his “bullying” conduct toward other leaders.

Reuters stated:

“The U.S. and French presidents forged a common front against Iran’s nuclear ambitions on Wednesday, signaling a further warming of once-chilly relations between Washington and Paris… Underscoring how times have changed, Sarkozy trumpeted strengthened ties with Bush in a speech earlier to a joint session of the U.S. Congress that was filled with effusive praise for American values.

“‘America can count on France in its battle on terror,’ Sarkozy said, pledging that his country would stand by the United States in the fight against nuclear proliferation in Iran and terrorism in Afghanistan. Bush, notably frosty toward Chirac, has been just as eager for a fresh start in relations badly strained by the Iraq war, and called Sarkozy a ‘a partner in peace.’… But mindful of Bush’s deep unpopularity in France, Sarkozy, a fellow conservative, must also show he will not flinch at disagreeing with him. Sarkozy was mocked as ‘Bush’s poodle’ by Socialists before coming into office in May…

“Taking a swipe at Chirac over Iraq, Bush told Sarkozy, ‘We had a difference of opinion with your great country over whether or not I should have used military force to enforce U.N. demands.’ Sarkozy sought to avoid any divisiveness and said only that France wanted a united, democratic and peaceful Iraq.”

Little Turkey Pressures Powerful America

The International Herald Tribune republished the following article by The Associated Press, dated October 30:

“The Turkish prime minister said Tuesday that intensified military action against separatist Kurdish rebels was unavoidable and pressed the United States to crack down on guerrilla bases in northern Iraq. Turkish helicopters, meanwhile, pounded rebel positions near the border with rockets for a second day, and Turkey brought in troops by the truckload in an operation against mountainside emplacements… Erdogan is to fly to Washington on Nov. 5 to meet with President George W. Bush for talks that could be decisive in whether Turkey carries out its threats of a major military incursion… “‘I will once again express Turkey’s determination and the sensitivity of the people on the issue of terrorism to President Bush,’ Erdogan said. ‘We will openly express that we expect urgent steps from the United States, which is our strategic partner and ally and has special responsibilities regarding Iraq.’

“The United States, Iraq and other countries have called on Turkey to refrain from a cross-border campaign, which could spread disorder in one of the few stable areas in Iraq. A Turkish incursion would also put the United States in an awkward position with key allies: Turkey, a NATO member, the Baghdad government and the self-governing Iraqi Kurds in Iraq’s north.”

Iraq Warns Turkey

AFP reported the following on October 29:

“Turkey has threatened a major cross-border assault on PKK bases in northern Iraq if Baghdad and Washington fail to make good on promises to crack down on the rebels there. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warned Monday that such a move could have ‘disastrous consequences’ and would be met with stiff Iraqi resistance. ‘They are talking about a large-scale military incursion which is getting people extremely, extremely nervous and worried,’ Zebari told the BBC in an interview.

“Describing the situation on the Turkish-Iraqi border as ‘dead serious,’ Zebari complained that Turkey ‘was not responsive’ when Iraqi officials flew to Ankara last week for talks. According to Turkish media reports, some 100,000 Turkish troops have been deployed along the border over the past week.”

Armenians Upset With U.S. Timidity

On October 30, 2007, the Eastern Star News Agency (ESNA) wrote the following:

“The director of the Assyrian centre of genocide studies… called on Turks to put pressure on their government to recognize the Ottoman mass killing of around 2 million Assyrians/Syriacs, Armenians and Greeks during World War I. ‘It is the duty of every individual Turk to lobby his government to recognize the crimes committed in the name of their nation and religion,’ Sabri Atman, Seyfo Centre director, said in a lecture on Sunday in London. Atman’s call came days after the US House of Representatives rejected a resolution to recognize the Armenian genocide.”

Serious Water Shortage for America and the World

The Associated Press reported on October 26:

“An epic drought in Georgia threatens the water supply for millions. Florida doesn’t have nearly enough water for its expected population boom. The Great Lakes are shrinking. Upstate New York’s reservoirs have dropped to record lows. And in the West, the Sierra Nevada snowpack is melting faster each year. Across America, the picture is critically clear – the nation’s freshwater supplies can no longer quench its thirst. The government projects that at least 36 states will face water shortages within five years because of a combination of rising temperatures, drought, population growth, urban sprawl, waste and excess…

“It’s not just America’s problem – it’s global. Australia is in the midst of a 30-year dry spell, and population growth in urban centers of sub-Saharan Africa is straining resources. Asia has 60 percent of the world’s population, but only about 30 percent of its freshwater.”

The article continued:

“Coastal states like Florida and California face a water crisis not only from increased demand, but also from rising temperatures that are causing glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. Higher temperatures mean more water lost to evaporation. And rising seas could push saltwater into underground sources of freshwater.

“Florida represents perhaps the nation’s greatest water irony. A hundred years ago, the state’s biggest problem was it had too much water. But decades of dikes, dams and water diversions have turned swamps into cities. Little land is left to store water during wet seasons, and so much of the landscape has been paved over that water can no longer penetrate the ground in some places to recharge aquifers. As a result, the state is forced to flush millions of gallons of excess into the ocean to prevent flooding. Also, the state dumps hundreds of billions of gallons a year of treated wastewater into the Atlantic through pipes – water that could otherwise be used for irrigation…

“Californians use nearly 23 trillion gallons of water a year, much of it coming from Sierra Nevada snowmelt. But climate change is producing less snowpack and causing it to melt prematurely, jeopardizing future supplies. Experts also say the Colorado River, which provides freshwater to seven Western states, will probably provide less water in coming years as global warming shrinks its flow.”

Steady Decline of the Dollar–American Economy in BIG Trouble

On October 30, The Associated Press reported the following:

“The dollar fell to a new record low against the euro and a 26-year low against the British pound Tuesday… the euro peaked at $1.4440, the latest in a string of all-time highs against the dollar, before settling at $1.4434… The pound rose to $2.0679 in late New York trading Tuesday — a level last seen in 1981, when Diana married Prince Charles and Margaret Thatcher was prime minister…

“The Canadian dollar hit a new 47-year high of $1.0510 Tuesday, according to Dow Jones’ Interbank foreign exchange rates, before settling at $1.0488… The euro and the Canadian dollar have been climbing steadily against the dollar, regularly touching new highs since August amid fears over the health of the U.S. economy — worries stoked by the subprime credit crisis and disappointing economic reports — and rising oil prices.

“Tuesday saw the release of more disheartening economic data, as the Conference Board reported that its Consumer Confidence Index fell to 95.6 — its lowest level since October 2005 — from a revised 99.5 in September. It is the index’s third consecutive monthly drop and signals consumers’ insecurities over the economy and their jobs…”

The Financial Times added on October 30:

“… experts [are] warning that the next few months will bring more bad news from consumers and the housing market… ‘The housing market, credit problems and high gasoline prices are casting a cloud over consumer confidence and the economy,’ said Lynn Franco at the Conference Board, a research organisation. According to the board, consumer confidence fell sharply in October and was now at its lowest level since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in October 2005. The October drop in the monthly consumer confidence index was bigger than expected…”

EU and USA At Odds Over Weak Dollar

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 1, 2007:

“Economic growth in the United States will, in the short term, slow down. That, at least, is the future seen in the US Federal Reserve’s crystal ball. The consequences of that forecast became clear on Wednesday: The central bank cut short-term lending rates by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.5 percent… In the same breath, the Fed also dropped the discount rate — which governs rates charged to banks borrowing from the Fed — by 0.25 percent to 5 percent…

“It didn’t take long for the results to make themselves felt. Anticipation of the Fed’s move had already driven the price of the euro up — and soon after the announcement, the euro reached a new record price of $1.45 before sliding back slightly. Oil prices likewise shot up, partially due to anticipation stemming from the interest rate cut that the US economy would continue to grow. And gold prices have likewise hit $800 per ounce, a price not seen since 1980.

“… inflation in Europe has recently increased dramatically… making an interest rate hike the logical conclusion. The euro, as a result, will likely continue to rise against the dollar… The stronger the euro, the more expensive European goods become. ‘The weak dollar is not a good thing,’ says Kay Mayland, head of Germany-based SMS Demag, which sells metal-working equipment the world over. Many other managers and investors from across the European continent are likewise becoming impatient. Should the euro climb to $1.50, analysts say, exporters will likely experience a drastic slowdown in sales.

“For Germany — Europe’s largest economy — the consequences could be horrendous. Much of the country’s economy, after all, is based on exports.”

Cristina Kirchner the New President of Argentina

AFP reported on October 29:

“Argentina’s First Lady Cristina Kirchner won praise and pledges of better ties from Latin American neighbors Monday after sweeping the polls to take over the presidency from her husband [on December 10]… A lawyer, senator and snappy dresser who is often compared to New York senator Hillary Clinton, Cristina Kirchner declared herself the winner… Observers say Kirchner faces big challenges, with high inflation, rising crime and low foreign investment all now threatening the economic recovery her husband oversaw in the wake of a 2001 collapse that led to a historic debt default and devaluation of the peso…

“The presidents of Chile, Venezuela and Brazil were the first to congratulate Kirchner on her win.

“Chile’s Michelle Bachelet, who was the first woman elected to the presidency in her country in January 2006, said: ‘It’s not a coincidence that these two neighboring countries, with similar characteristics, have elected women to direct their destinies.’ Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called it ‘a triumph for women of Latin America,’ and said he hoped to deepen ties he has nurtured with the Argentine first couple.

“US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington congratulated Kirchner on her victory, and the Argentine people on participating in free and fair elections. He added that US administration hoped to work with Kirchner on bilateral and regional issues. Brazil’s Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and France’s Nicolas Sarkozy each invited Kirchner to visit them.

“Aside from the Hillary Clinton comparison, Kirchner’s glamor and confidence — some say arrogance — have also earned her references to Argentina’s most iconic woman politician: Eva, or ‘Evita’ Peron, second wife to president Juan Peron. Peron’s third wife, Isabel, was Argentina’s first-ever female president — but unlike Kirchner, she was unelected. She was elevated from the vice-presidency on her husband’s death in 1974 and ousted in a coup two years later.”

European Imperialism

The Wall Street Journal wrote on October 31:

“Europe now writes the rules for global business across the board — unapologetically to the benefit of its own industry. American companies are learning they have little choice but to obey… [European] control over access to a consumer market of 500 million lets them try to force the rest of the world to play by its cumbersome rules. The result is a quiet but concerted war on non-European commerce, and especially on U.S. companies. Antitrust policy in Brussels is a battlefield, particularly for high-tech firms. [Judge] Mario Monti, the former EU competition czar who issued the ruling against Microsoft’s software ‘bundling,’ told an Italian newspaper last month that putting such U.S. giants in their place was ‘the true strength of a united Europe.’ …

“Since 1997, the EU has banned chicken meat rinsed in such antimicrobial treatments as chlorine. In Europe, poultry meat can be ‘washed’ only in potable water. The EU said the chemicals used in the U.S. were dangerous, then changed its mind two years ago when its own Food Safety Authority declared them harmless. But the ban remains in place… U.S. poultry farmers… are losing a significant market. U.S. chicken exports to Romania were $63 million in 2005, but they stopped cold when Bucharest joined the EU this year…

“Foreign cosmetic companies, for instance, are required to register all chemicals in their products by June 1, 2008. The deadline for their European rivals is at least three years away. At stake for U.S. makers is their $2 billion in annual exports to Europe. American companies are scrambling to meet this deadline even as they wait for Brussels to approve new alternatives to animal testing, which is banned for products sold in the EU starting in 2009.”

California’s Firestorm!

Monumental, unfathomable, unbelievable, unimaginable, evil, utter devastation–just some of the words being used in news reports to describe the raging wildfires that have swept throughout parts of Southern California.

On October 23, 2007, USAToday.com published the following: “…the largest wildfire evacuation in U.S. history, and the biggest forced movement of people ever in California. Hurricanes such as devastating Katrina in 2005 have prompted larger flights from coastal areas, but wildfires usually scorch remote areas far from major cities.”

The numbers of displaced people are staggering–as are the statistics used to describe this disaster. CNN.com (10/24/07) describes the magnitude:

“Earlier Wednesday, officials told residents of De Luz, near Camp Pendleton, and of the Fallbrook area near Riverside County, to join an estimated 950,000 people already seeking refuge from the fires in shelters, hotels and at friends’ homes…

“More than 20 fires have scorched 400,000-plus acres from the Mexican border to northern Los Angeles County and inland into the San Bernardino Mountains since the weekend.

“The blazes have killed one person [according to later reports, at least three persons have been killed] and injured at least 70 more. Thirty-four firefighters have been hurt, authorities said.”

Various reports estimate that around 350,000 homes have been evacuated, while the number of completely destroyed homes is estimated to be approaching 2,000. The financial losses that will accompany this disaster are expected to easily soar over the billion dollar mark.

Even those not directly affected by evacuation orders are suffering from the broader effects of these fires.

Air quality for much of Southern California has been degraded by the acrid smoke that is overlaying the area.

As well, the financial implications that will grow out of this disruptive catastrophe will only become fully apparent in the days and weeks ahead.

One bright spot has been the cooperative mood and the neighborly spirit of the hundreds of thousands of people who have all suffered together in this tragedy. This event is being compared to 9/11 and to Katrina. However, Americans face even greater national trials in the near future! More frightening anguish lies in store for our people if we don’t begin to individually and collectively turn to God! Please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America“–available at www.eternalgod.org.

Turkey Moves to War Footing

Turkey is one of the largest U.S. allies and a powerful member of Nato, but this nation is rallying to calls for retribution against Kurdish soldiers in north Iraq. Time.com reported on October 22, 2007: “Dozens of Turkish military trucks rumbled towards the Iraqi border as Turks across the country took to the streets to demand retaliation for an attack by Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) separatists based in north Iraq that killed 12 Turkish soldiers. It was the third large-scale attack in recent weeks. Eight Turkish soldiers are still missing after the incident. Sunday’s attack may well prove the last straw for Turkey’s hawkish military — NATO’s second largest army after the U.S. — which has been readying to cross the border into north Iraq in pursuit of the PKK for several months. Public outrage over a mounting death toll finally led Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to approve an incursion last week. Meanwhile, U.S. and Iraqi diplomats are trying frantically to come up with a non-military solution.”

The NYTimes.com (10/24/07) wrote about this additional development: “In unusual criticism, United States officials on Tuesday upbraided Kurdish leaders in northern Iraq for failing to curb the Kurdish guerrillas who operate unchecked in the autonomous region and use it as a safe haven for ambushes inside Turkey…

“Military operations continued near the Turkish border with Iraq. One Turkish newspaper reported that Turkish helicopters fired at targets near the border, while ground troops shelled several villages in northern Iraq.”

CNN.com (10/24/07) adds: “Turkish artillery units have shelled Kurdish separatist positions within northern Iraq, a Turkish government official said on Wednesday, amid continuing diplomatic efforts to avert a major cross-border incursion by Turkish military forces.”

As the United States faces an ever-widening conflict in the region, the threat of a Turkish invasion into northern Iraq looms as another potential to further weaken and erode U.S. influence.

Iran’s Nuclear Resolve

Following bellicose statements by both Vice President Dick Cheney and President George Bush concerning Iran’s nuclear ambition, an article in Reuters.com (10/23/07) reveals new diplomatic moves from Iran:

“Iran sees its nuclear talks with the EU as a way to improve diplomatic relations with Europe, the newly appointed Iranian chief nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, said on Tuesday.”

This overture to the EU also serves to sidestep the strong statements recently made by France’s Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner urging sanctions against Iran.

EU Uniting

The EUObserver wrote on October 19:

“The European Union has overnight agreed the precise text of its new ‘Lisbon Treaty’ to be formally signed off on 13 December in the Portuguese capital.

“At around 02:00 local time on Friday morning – following shorter-than-usual discussions – Portuguese prime minister Jose Socrates announced that a deal has been struck, describing it as ‘victory for Europe’.

“‘With this agreement we have managed to get out of stalemate…we will be ready to tackle the world’s challenges’, Mr Socrates said.

“European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso also branded the accord as ‘historic’, providing the EU with the ‘capacity to act’.

“The decision effectively ends a six-year long period of trying to internally reform… The new treaty will be formally signed by all European leaders in Lisbon on 13 December and subsequently go for ratification next year, with a view to coming into place by mid-2009, ahead of the next European elections.

“Among other things, the new treaty introduces an EU president, a post that can be held for up to five years, strengthens the post of its foreign policy chief and takes away national vetoes in areas such as terrorism. It also gives more power to the European Parliament.”

Anti-American EU Unification

On October 25, 2007, The American Thinker wrote the following:

“European Union leaders have reached agreement on a new treaty that many Europeans hope will transform the 27-nation bloc into a superpower capable of counter-balancing the United States in global affairs.

“The 250-plus page Reform Treaty, which EU leaders will formally sign in Lisbon on December 13, calls for a permanent EU president, a European foreign minister and a European Union diplomatic service. The agreement also calls for EU nations to surrender sovereignty in many areas to centralized decision-making; and it reduces national veto rights to allow more decisions to be made by majority voting instead of by unanimous consent…

“Only Ireland says it will submit the treaty to a popular vote. The other EU countries hope quietly to seek ratification in their parliaments, a far less risky way than direct democracy of getting the document approved. If the treaty is ratified by all 27 governments, it will take effect in January 2009…

“European elites are pushing the EU in a direction that should be deeply disconcerting to Americans concerned about international security and stability. The Reform Treaty will make Europe more centralized and far less democratic than it already is. In practice, this means that many foreign policy decisions that directly affect the United States, ranging from economics and trade to transatlantic cooperation on Islamic counter-terrorism, increasingly will be made by unelected anti-American bureaucrats in Brussels rather than by national governments.

“Europeans claim they are American allies, but increasingly their conduct says they are rivals. Americans should take another look and see if further European integration is really in the US interest. At the very least, Washington should send an unambiguous message to free-riding Europeans: future attempts at anti-American coalition building will be very costly. International security depends on it.”

Halloween–A Festival for the Devil

On the website of www.exsposingsatanism.org, the following is stated:

“… Halloween, All saints day, All hallows eve or All souls day is a festival. It was held to honor the Samhain the so called ‘lord of death’. It was a Druidical belief that on the eve of this festival Samhain, [the] lord of death, called together the wicked spirits that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals.

“It was a pagan belief that on one night of the year the souls of the dead return to their original homes, there to be entertained with food. If food and shelter were not provided, these evil spirits would cast spells and cause havoc toward those failing to fulfill their requests.

“Sacrifices were offered on this night to the dead spirits because it was thought they visited their earthly dwellings and former friends.

“There was a prevailing belief among all nations that… the souls of the wicked men were left to wonder in the space between the earth and the moon, or consigned to the unseen world. These wandering spirits were in the habit of haunting the living…But there were means by which ghosts might be exorcised.

“To exorcise these ghosts, that is to free yourself from their evil sway, you would have to set out food and provide shelter for them during the night. If they were satisfied with your offerings, they would leave you in peace. If not, they were believed to cast an evil spell on you.”

The article continued:

“The day [of All Saints’ Day] was officially authorized in 835 by Pope Gregory IV after it was moved to November 1 to coincide with Samhain. It began on the evening of October 31, which was called All Hallows Eve… Souls in purgatory appeared as witches and toads to persons who had wronged them. Halloween fires took on a new meaning and now were used to comfort souls in purgatory as people prayed while holding burning straw in the air.

“Even the idea of trick-or-treating by evil spirits took on an acceptable church flavor: costumed children went around on All Souls Day offering to fast for the departed souls in return for money or an offering…

“A pagan practice that was not eradicated upon the coming of Christianity was witchcraft. The word ‘witch’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon Wicca, or ‘wise one.’ Witches were thought to be possessors of magic… Black cats are the chief idol of the goddess of Wicca, Diana. In legend, she turns into a black cat to commit incest with her brother, Lucifer. Eventually the Druids themselves came to be regarded as witches. Witch hunting during Halloween became almost a national pastime in the colonial years of our nation. But that was yesterday. Halloween is regarded as the high ‘Sabbath’ for practicing witches today.

“Orange, black, and red, the devil’s colors, are the colors associated with Halloween. Black prefigures black magic and demonic influence. The black of night is when these forces of evil are busiest, using the cover of darkness for their sinister works.”

The article concluded:

“As you can see from all the above the real meaning of Halloween has been watered down. It is Satan’s objective to get all to worship him. God tells us to not have anything to do with this…  If you are a professing Christian, you have no reason to be part of this holy day of Satan. Don’t use the old cop out ‘well everybody does it’. No, everybody is not doing it. God will hold you responsible for what you do this Halloween. Will you go ahead and participate in it? Or will you pass along the word and let someone know what the real meaning is?”

Gore’s Film and the Nobel Peace Prize

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 13:

“The German government has come out in defense of former US Vice President Al Gore, who was named the 2007 Nobel Prize winner for his work on climate change education on Friday… German Environment Minister Sigmar Gabriel defended the use of the Oscar-winning climate change film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ in classrooms.

“Gabriel praised Gore’s film for presenting the dangers of climate change in an accessible way. Earlier this year, the Environment Ministry distributed 6,000 copies of the DVD of the documentary film to German schools.

“Last week, a British high court ruled that Gore’s film could only be screened in classrooms with a warning message that the documentary contains nine factual errors. Scientists have criticized a chart in the film that shows the correllation[sic] between carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere and global temperatures over the past 650,000 years. Gore’s conclusion that a higher concentration of CO2 will also trigger a rise in temperatures is incorrect, his critics maintain. At the end of the last ice ages, for example, temperature rises were not caused by increases in CO2 levels. In the film, Gore said the chart demonstrated an ‘exact fit’ showing that rising CO2 leads to rising temperatures. The judge said that while there may be general scientific agreement that there is a connection, ‘the two graphs do not establish what Mr. Gore asserts.’

“Nevertheless, the German government said it sees no reason to include any warning message when screening the documentary in classrooms. ‘A couple of errors in detail are no reason to disparage an entire film,’ an Environment Ministry source said. ‘We assume that teachers will encourage their students to view (the film) with a critical eye.'”

Der Stern Online stated in a commentary, dated October 12, that the decision to give the Nobel Prize to Gore was associated with criticism of President Bush’s policy on climate change and global warming, even though, according to AFP of October 13, “Nobel committee chairman Ole Danbolt Mjoes said the prize was not a slap at the Bush administration’s current policies. Instead, he said it was about encouraging all countries ‘to think again and to say what can they do to conquer global warming.'”

Der Stern Online disagrees, commenting that the prize to Gore was a challenge to action for the Bush Administration, while being careful not to appear anti-American.

AFP also reported that “Some in the shrinking community of global warming skeptics and those downplaying the issue, were dubious… ‘I think it cheapens the Nobel Prize,’ said William O’Keefe, chief executive officer of the conservative science-oriented think tank, the Marshall Institute. O’Keefe, a former oil industry executive and current consultant to fossil fuel firms, called Gore’s work ‘rife with errors.'”

Further Reactions to Gore’s Nobel Peace Prize — Pro and Con

On October 13, USA Today published the following reactions to the decision to give Al Gore the Nobel Peace Prize:

“Power Line (conservative): ‘When did the Nobel Peace Prize go off the tracks? Today’s award to Al Gore and the IPCC … fits in with a subset of cosmopolitan frauds, fakers, murderers, thieves, and no-accounts going back about twenty years.’

“The Left Coaster (liberal): ‘Capping a year of prizes, this prize is a true statement of Al’s impact on the world stage. … Congratulations, Al! And, please, please, please, run!’…

“The Democrats who are actively running for president have begun to offer Gore their congratulations, and to use the news to make some other points as well.

“Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign website: ‘His dedication and tireless work have been instrumental in raising international awareness about global warming.’

“Sen. Christopher Dodd, in a statement released by his campaign: ‘Al’s tireless efforts to increase awareness of the threats of global warming have provided a powerful voice telling the world that we need to act now. I share Al’s conviction that it will take bold leadership to turn back the clock on global warming.’

“John Edwards, in a statement posted at his campaign website: ‘The Nobel Peace Prize rewards three decades of vice president Gore’s prescient and compelling — and often lonely — advocacy for the future of the Earth. His leadership stands in stunning contrast to the failure of the current administration to pursue policies that would reduce the harm of global warming.’

“Sen. Barack Obama, in a statement issued by his campaign: ‘By having the courage to challenge the skeptics in Washington and lead on the climate crisis facing our planet, Al Gore has advanced the cause of peace and richly deserves this reward.’

“Gov. Bill Richardson, in a statement released by his campaign: ‘Vice President Gore’s efforts on global warming are awe-inspiring. However, solving this problem will take more than the heroic efforts of one man. It will require sacrifice from every American. It will require the resolve of the world. It also will require bold Presidential leadership. I am ready to provide it.’…

“Former president Carter said this morning that he hopes the Nobel prize does spur Gore to get into the 2008 presidential race…

“Bush and McCain react. The Associated Press writes that:

“White House spokesman Tony Fratto said of President Bush that, ‘of course he’s happy for vice president Gore. … He’s happy for the International Panel on Climate Change scientists who also shared the peace prize. Obviously it’s an important recognition. And we’re sure the vice president’s thrilled.’

“Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain said of Gore’s honor that ‘it’s well deserved. … I hope that the new Nobel Peace Prize winner will engage in serious activities with me and others’ to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through use of nuclear power and carbon credits for industry.”

The Sydney Morning Herald wrote on October 14:

“One of the world’s foremost meteorologists has called the theory that helped Al Gore share the Nobel Peace Prize ‘ridiculous’ and the product of ‘people who don’t understand how the atmosphere works’. Dr William Gray, a pioneer in the science of seasonal hurricane forecasts, told a packed lecture hall at the University of North Carolina that humans were not responsible for the warming of the earth. His comments came on the same day that the Nobel committee honoured Mr Gore for his work in support of the link between humans and global warming.

“‘We’re brainwashing our children,’ said Dr Gray, 78, a long-time professor at Colorado State University. ‘They’re going to the Gore movie [An Inconvenient Truth] and being fed all this. It’s ridiculous.’… Dr Gray, whose annual forecasts of the number of tropical storms and hurricanes are widely publicised, said a natural cycle of ocean water temperatures – related to the amount of salt in ocean water – was responsible for the global warming that he acknowledges has taken place. However, he said, that same cycle meant a period of cooling would begin soon and last for several years… Dr Gray also said those who had linked global warming to the increased number of hurricanes in recent years were in error. He cited statistics showing there were 101 hurricanes from 1900 to 1949, in a period of cooler global temperatures, compared to 83 from 1957 to 2006 when the earth warmed.”

Turkey and German Press “Respond” to US Genocide Resolution

AFP reported on October 11:

“Turkey on Thursday recalled its ambassador to Washington, deepening a diplomatic row over a vote in the US Congress to label the massacre of Armenians by the Ottoman Turks an act of genocide… The Bush administration said it would lobby the full Democratic-led House against taking the measure further… France, Canada and the European parliament are among those that have labelled the Armenian killings as genocide. French military planes are no longer allowed to fly over Turkish airspace.”

Der Spiegel Online discussed the reaction of the German press and their dubious stance on the matter, as well as the role which politics plays in “world affairs,” in an article dated October 11:

“Commentators writing in Germany’s main newspapers Friday expressed concern at the deteriorating relations between the two allies [USA and Turkey].

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The (congressional committee’s) decision could cause great damage, on two levels: on the one hand to fundamental realpolitik interests, but also to efforts to deal with the past in Turkey itself. … The United States and the West need Turkey as a reliable ally. The country has the second-largest army in NATO and is an important anchor of stability in an increasingly hostile and unstable region. … However, it is the timing which is fatal…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The timing for an uproar over history and etiquette could not be more inauspicious. American representatives appear little interested…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘From the Turkish viewpoint, yesterday’s resolution looks like a provocation. The reputation of the United States has long been at a low point. You have to go back a long way to find a similarly bad atmosphere — perhaps to 1974, when Washington and Ankara fell out over Cyprus. Since the US invasion of Iraq, the Kurdish PKK has operated from northern Iraq against targets in Turkey without being hindered by the US Army or its allied Kurdish militias. This is a catastrophic political failure on both sides. The United States — whether out of ignorance or calculation — has allowed its Kurdish allies in northern Iraq to play the PKK card…'”

Turkey Gives “Blank Check” for a New Iraq War

Der Spiegel Online reported on October 18:

“The Turkish parliament granted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday the right to order a military strike in neighboring Iraq. It’s potentially a blank check for a new Iraq war — but for now, the war drums are a way to underline Turkey’s demands… For the first time since the invasion of Cyprus in 1974, the parliament has authorized a government to send troops into a neighboring country… Bush himself emphasized in public on Wednesday that sending troops to Iraq would not be in Turkey’s best interest. But the truth is that nothing could be worse for American interests than a new battle front in the only stabilized part of Iraq.”

EU Leaders Gather for Lisbon Summit

On October 18, 2007, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“EU leaders are meeting in Lisbon for a two-day informal summit in the hope of working out their differences on the Reform Treaty which is to replace the failed European Constitution. But Poland, once again, is threatening to cause problems if its demands are not met… Besides discussing the treaty, the meeting will be a chance for Europe to coordinate on climate change policy. In December, a new round of haggling over how best to solve the world’s pollution problems begins in Bali, and Europe wants to show a united face.”

AFP added on October 18:

“EU leaders deem the reform treaty essential because the bloc’s rules have not had a serious update since 10 mostly former communist countries joined in May 2004, followed by Bulgaria and Romania in January this year.

“Like the constitution, the treaty includes plans for a European foreign policy supremo and a more permanent president to replace the current cumbersome and expensive rotating presidency system whereby member states takes the helm for six months in turn. It also cuts down the number of EU decisions which would require a unanimous vote from member states.

“If the leaders back the new text in Lisbon, then they should formally sign it in December, leaving a year for all member states to ratify it individually so that it can come into effect, as planned, on January 1, 2009.”

Germany Will Stay in Afghanistan

The Associated Press reported on October 11:

“Germany’s lower house of parliament on Friday overwhelmingly approved extending the deployment of 3,000 troops and six reconnaissance jets in Afghanistan for another year, despite mounting public skepticism about the mission. The vote in the 613-seat Bundestag — 454-79 with 48 abstentions — was the final step needed to extend the mission.”

Der Spiegel Online added on October 12:

“In total, the cost of the extended deployment for the next year is estimated at €487 million ($690 million). National opinion polls show increasing numbers of Germans oppose the mission in Afghanistan, particularly after recent kidnappings of Germans in the country.”

China Angry With the USA and Germany

Reuters reported on October 16:

“China expressed fury on Tuesday that the United States is to honor the Dalai Lama with an award… The Dalai Lama, who has lived in exile in India since staging a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, is to receive the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday after being hosted at the White House by President George W. Bush.

“China, which views the Dalai Lama as a separatist and a traitor, pulled out of a meeting this week at which world powers were to discuss Iran in protest at the U.S. plan to honor him. China has also cancelled an annual human rights dialogue with Germany to show [its]displeasure over German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s September meeting with the Dalai Lama…

“Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said that if the decision to honor the Dalai Lama was not reversed it would have an ‘extremely serious impact’ on bilateral relations.”

The Dalai Lama received, as planned, the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal on Wednesday, in a televised ceremony, with President Bush in attendance.

Germany Jumps Ahead–Action Plan for the Middle East

Reuters reported on October 15:

“Germany proposed on Monday what it called an ‘action plan’ for fostering Middle East peace with new steps to bolster the Palestinian economy, security forces and state institutions. Foreign Minister Frank Walter Steinmeier told counterparts meeting in Brussels there was no need to await the outcome of a U.S.-hosted conference on the Middle East next month and added he had already informed U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice of the proposal…

“He said the measures could include EU help for… special economic zones in the Palestinian territories, and targeted assistance for small- and medium-sized companies. The EU calls itself the largest aid donor to the Middle East. Steinmeier put total financial and humanitarian aid from the EU and its member states to the region at 800 million euros ($1.14 billion) for 2007 so far.”

The End of the American and British Empires?

Le Monde wrote in its October 2007 edition:

“The ‘American Century’ only began 60 years ago. But it seems already to be over, with the disaster of Iraq forcing some of the United States’ ruling elites to realise that its hegemony has been severely weakened. But nobody seems to know what to do next, or even how to behave… The disastrous outcome of the invasion and occupation of Iraq has caused a crisis in the power elite of the United States deeper than that resulting from defeat in Vietnam 30 years ago… Transnational opinion surveys show a consistent and nearly global pattern of defiance of US foreign policy as well as a more fundamental erosion in the attractiveness of the US: the narrative of the American dream has been submerged by images of a military leviathan disregarding world opinion and breaking the rules…

“The invasion and occupation of Iraq is not the sole cause of the trends sketched. Rather, the war significantly accentuated all of them at a moment when larger centrifugal forces were already at work: the erosion and collapse of the Washington Consensus and the gradual rise of new gravitational centres, notably in Asia, were established trends when President George Bush went to war. Now, as the shift in the world economy towards Asia matures, the US is stuck in a conflict that is absorbing its total energies. History is moving on and the world is slipping, slowly but inexorably, out of US hands.

“For the US power elite this is deeply unsettling. Since the mid-20th century US leaders have thought of themselves as having a unique historic responsibility to lead and govern the globe. Sitting on top of the world since the 1940s, they have assumed that, like Great Britain in the 19th century, they were destined to act as hegemon – a dominant state having the will and the means to establish and maintain international order: peace and an open and expanding liberal world economy…

“As early as 1940 US economic and political elites forecast a vast revolution in the balance of power: the US would ‘become the heir and residuary legatee and receiver for the economic and political assets of the British Empire – the sceptre passes to the United States.’… Great Britain’s long exit from empire may shed some light on the present moment. At the end of the 19th century few British leaders could begin to imagine an end to empire. When Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee was celebrated in 1897, Britain possessed a formal transoceanic empire that encompassed a quarter of the world’s territory and 300 million subalterns and subjects – twice that if China, a near colony of 430 million people, was included. The City of London was the centre of an even more far-flung informal trading and financial empire that bound the world…

“The war that broke out in 1914 bankrupted and exhausted its European protagonists. The long end of the British era had started. However, the empire not only survived the immediate crisis but hobbled on for decades, through the second world war, until its inglorious end at Suez in 1956…

“For the US power elite, being on top of the world has been a habit for 60 years… The institutional realist critics of the Bush administration have no alternative conceptual framework for international relations, based on something other than force, the balance of power or strategic predominance.”

Will the United States go the way of Great Britain and the British Commonwealth–one from incredible power and influence to one of more or less obscurity and paralysis–never to revive from their demise? To learn more about this, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.” Also, please watch our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Origins of America and Britain, Part 1.”

Iraq–No End In Sight!

The Associated Press wrote on October 13:

“The U.S. mission in Iraq is a ‘nightmare with no end in sight’ because of political misjudgments after the fall of Saddam Hussein that continue today, a former chief of U.S.-led forces said Friday.

“Retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who commanded coalition troops for a year beginning June 2003, cast a wide net of blame for both political and military shortcomings in Iraq that helped open the way for the insurgency — such as disbanding the Saddam-era military and failing to cement ties with tribal leaders and quickly establish civilian government after Saddam was toppled.

“He called current strategies — including the deployment of 30,000 additional forces earlier this year — a ‘desperate attempt’ to make up for years of misguided policies in Iraq… Sanchez… did criticize the State Department, the National Security Council, Congress and the senior military leadership during what appeared to be a broad indictment of White House policies and a lack of leadership to oppose them… ‘There is nothing going on today in Washington that would give us hope’ that things are going to change, he said.”

Torture and Murder in Iraq

The New York Times published the following article on October 15, which was re-published by Der Spiegel Online:

“Ten days ago The Times unearthed yet another round of secret Department of Justice memos countenancing torture… By any legal standards except those rubber-stamped by Alberto Gonzales, we are practicing torture, and we have known we are doing so ever since photographic proof emerged from Abu Ghraib more than three years ago.

“… two women, both Armenian Christians, were gunned down in Baghdad by contractors underwritten by American taxpayers. On this matter, the White House has been silent. That incident followed the Sept. 16 massacre in Baghdad’s Nisour Square, where 17 Iraqis were killed by security forces from Blackwater USA, which had already been implicated in nearly 200 other shooting incidents since 2005. There has been no accountability…

“Our humanity has been compromised by those who use Gestapo tactics in our war. The longer we stand idly by while they do so, the more we resemble those ‘good Germans’ who professed ignorance of their own Gestapo. It’s up to us to wake up our somnambulant Congress to challenge administration policy every day. Let the war’s last supporters filibuster all night if they want to. There is nothing left to lose except whatever remains of our country’s good name.”

Billions of Dollars Pilfered in US Election Campaign?

CNN reported on October 15:

“A wide-open presidential race and a willingness by candidates, interest groups, unions and corporations to buy TV time will lead to historic spending for political and issue-advocacy advertising in the 2008 election cycle, an analysis shows. The cost to try to influence the 2008 election could exceed $3 billion… This is nearly twice as much than what was spent in 2004 when political and issue-advocacy television advertising rang in at $1.7 billion. In 2006, $2.3 billion was spent on political and issue-advocacy TV commercials.”

But will this waste of money do any good–or at least accomplish the goal of the candidates’ intentions? Hardly. The article continued:

“What television advertising challenges do candidates and interest groups face in the coming months? Chances are, just as what happened in 2006, voters will be numb after watching [hundreds] and hundreds of ads,’ said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report. ‘The sheer number of ads probably dilutes their importance. After a while, the ads just become lots of chatter and an ad will have to be really good to cut through the noise.'”

Russia and Iran vs. the West

AFP wrote on October 16:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday warned against military action against Iran and backed its right to nuclear energy, during the first visit to the country by a Kremlin chief since World War II…

“Along with the presidents of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan, Putin declared the states ‘would not allow their territory to be used by a third country to commit military action against one of the parties.’

“The United States has never ruled out military action against Tehran but Iran’s northern neighbour Azerbaijan, a US ally, has repeatedly insisted it would not allow the US military to launch an attack from its soil. The declaration also supported Iran’s right to nuclear energy, which the United States claims Tehran only wants as cover for [an] atomic weapons drive…

“Putin’s comments highlighted the differences between Russia and the West, which is seeking more unilateral and UN sanctions to punish Tehran for its nuclear defiance.”

False Signs and Lying Wonders…

The Daily Mail wrote on October 15 about a strange story. Even though it appears to be laughable at first sight, it is rather indicative of an interesting and frightful development, considering the Biblical prophecies about increasing occurrences of false miracles and signs in the future. The article reported about a photograph, allegedly picturing an appearance of the late Pope John Paul II, waving in the flames of a bonfire from beyond the grave.

“The image, said by believers to show the [Pope] with his right hand raised in blessing, was spotted during a ceremony in Poland to mark the second anniversary of his death. Details appeared on the Vatican News Service, a TV station in Rome which specialises in religious news broadcasts. Service director Jarek Cielecki, a Polish priest and close friend of John Paul II, travelled to Poland after hearing an onlooker had photographed the image. [He] said he was convinced the picture showed the former pontiff. ‘You can see the image of a person in the flames and I think it is the servant of God, Pope John Paul II,’ he said.

“The pictures were being broadcast continuously on Italian TV and also posted on religious websites, some of which crashed as thousands logged on to see for themselves the eerie figure formed by the flames. The bonfire was lit during a service at Beskid Zywiecki, close to John Paul’s birthplace at Katowice, southern Poland, on April 2 – the second anniversary of his death.

“Hundreds had attended the ceremony. Gregorz Lukasik, the Polish man who took the photographs, said: ‘It was only afterwards when I got home and looked at the pictures that I realised I had something. I showed them to my brother and sister and they, like me, were convinced the flames had formed the image of Pope John Paul II. I was so happy with the picture that I showed it to our local bishop who said that Pope John Paul had made many pilgrimages during his life and he was still making them in death.'”

And More Perversion–Grey Squirrels for Pancakes

The Daily Mail reported on October 16 about another development in Britain, which makes us wonder how far human cruelty and perversity can go. The article stated:

“A top restaurant is serving up free grey squirrel pancakes to hungry diners. Peking duck-style squirrel wraps are being offered to diners at The Famous Wild Boar Hotel… Lord Redesdale’s Red Squirrel Protection Partnership specialises in trapping and despatching greys to protect the reds.

“The partnership has killed 4,521 greys since January, and Lord Redesdale said: ‘The problem is that when we catch and despatch greys, there is nothing we can do with them…  Our reds are disappearing, and perhaps the more greys that are eaten, the better it is for the reds…’

“Carri Nicholson, manager of the Save Our Squirrels project based at Northumberland Wildlife Trust, said: ‘A number of places in Northumberland are thinking of having grey squirrel on the menu… The Americans have numerous recipes for grey squirrel, with the most popular being Brunswick Stew, which is casseroled squirrel.'”

Discrimination Against “Traditional” Marriages in California?

The Website of EQCA [Equity California] Legislative Center has posted the following press release, dated October 12, 2007:

“Six bills protecting and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Californians were signed on Friday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The governor put his signature on six of eight bills sponsored by Equality California this year, including two youth measures that provide important protections for students…”

The Website continues to state that the purpose of the bill, especially SB 777, was to prevent harassment of homosexuals, lesbians and others with “alternate lifestyles.”

WorldNetDaily alleged in an article, dated October 13, that SB 777, which will become effective on January 1, 2008, will have the following effects:

“‘Mom and Dad’ as well as ‘husband and wife’ have been banned from California schools under a bill signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who with his signature also ordered public schools to allow boys to use girls restrooms and locker rooms, and vice versa, if they choose…. The bills signed by Schwarzenegger include SB777, which bans anything in public schools that could be interpreted as negative toward homosexuality, bisexuality and other alternative lifestyle choices. There are no similar protections for students with traditional or conservative lifestyles and beliefs, however.”

U.S. Political Campaigns — What a Waste of Money!!!

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 9:

“The American presidential candidates are so busy drumming up campaign contributions and grabbing at opportunities to fly around on corporate jets that they have little time left for the people. Fundraising costs run into the millions…

“The road to the White House leads through the living rooms of Hollywood executives, Wall Street financiers, defense industry lobbyists, oil magnates and corporate strategists of every stripe and color. Indeed, groveling is practically a prerequisite for hitting the big time: the country’s highest office.

“In this early phase of the election campaign the candidates and their helpers are constantly busy organizing barbeques, fireside chats and candlelight dinners to collect both the money and the political wish lists of the wealthy. These major donors, known as ‘fat cats’ in the jargon of campaign managers, hold so much clout that they can sometimes make or break a candidate’s political career…

“Political fundraising is now the dominant campaign issue for the public. Who is raising the most money? Who is ahead of whom? What are the candidates’ fundraising strategies? It’s almost as if the Americans were gearing up to elect the chairman of a nonprofit organization, not a new president…

“Despite extensive legal documentation requirements, the identities of major campaign donors remain largely unknown… The history of campaign finance in the United States is one of endless scandals… So why is it that such a wealthy country seems incapable of introducing a clean, public campaign finance system untainted by the odor of corruption?”

Everyone should be able to see that such tactics are not pleasing to God. And so, this entire political system WILL be changed when Christ returns. No more collecting and spending millions of dollars for political “campaigns”–no more double talks, ignoring or even twisting the facts, suppressing the truth. GOD will APPOINT those who are CAPABLE of running a country. What a DIFFERENCE that will make!!!

Please make sure to read the Q&A in this Update, addressing the need for Christians to “come out of this world.”

U.S. Politics vs. the Truth

AFP reported on October 10 about a striking example of how “politics” is employed to suppress the truth:

“A bid by US lawmakers to label the Ottoman massacre of Armenians a ‘genocide’ will trigger Turkish reprisals and undermine Iraq, Afghanistan and Middle East peace, the administration warned Wednesday. President George W. Bush and his top lieutenants were unusually blunt in attacking what is a non-binding resolution in the House of Representatives, highlighting anxiety over the impact on a key diplomatic and military alliance. Bush said the resolution would do ‘great harm’ to ties with Turkey, a Muslim-majority member of NATO whose territory is a crucial transit point for US supplies bound for Iraq and Afghanistan.”

The article continued to describe “political” reactions to a long overdue condemnation:

“Rice said she sympathized with Armenians’ fate during World War I, when according to the Armenians, 1.5 million of their kinsmen died in systematic deportations and killings under the Ottoman Empire. ‘But the passage of this resolution at this time would, indeed, be very problematic for everything that we’re trying to do in the Middle East because we are very dependent on a good Turkish strategic ally for this,’ she said… Turkey has already warned that passage of the House resolution could force it to bar the United States from a key military base in its south.”

Non-Binding Resolution on Genocide Passed

In spite of such political pressure, as described in the previous section, the non-binding resolution was passed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday by a 27-21 vote. It will now go to the full House for a possible vote. The Bush Administration stated that they regretted the passing of the resolution. Turkey’s reaction was predictable, by adding even more propaganda to suppress well-established facts.

The Associated Press reported on October 11:

“Turkey swiftly condemned a House panel’s approval of a bill describing the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians as genocide, and newspapers blasted the measure on their front pages Thursday… ‘It is not possible to accept such an accusation of a crime which was never committed by the Turkish nation,’ the statement [of the Turkish government] said. Turkish newspapers also denounced the decision… The U.S. Embassy urged Americans in Turkey to be alert for violent repercussions…

“Historians estimate up to 1.5 million Armenians were killed by Ottoman Turks around the time of World War I, an event widely viewed by genocide scholars as the first genocide of the 20th century. Turkey, however, denies the deaths constituted genocide, saying that the toll has been inflated and that those killed were victims of civil war and unrest… After France voted last year to make it a crime to deny the killings were genocide, the Turkish government ended its military ties with that country.”

AFP added on October 10:

“According to the Armenians, 1.5 million of their kinsmen were killed from 1915 to 1923 under an Ottoman Empire campaign of deportation and murder that later encouraged Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s Holocaust against the Jews.

“… the resolution’s backers warned the issue could not be ignored as they drew parallels to the Holocaust and the present-day bloodshed in the Sudanese region of Darfur.’ We’ve been told the timing is bad,’ Democratic House member Gary Ackerman said in an emotional hearing that lasted nearly four hours. ‘But the timing was bad for the Armenian people in 1915.’ Republican Representative Christopher Smith said the resolution was not a slight on modern Turkey, adding: ‘Friends don’t let friends commit crimes against humanity.'”

The New York Times wrote on October 11:

“Backers of the resolution said Congressional action was overdue. ‘Despite President George Bush twisting arms and making deals, justice prevailed,’ said Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat of California and a sponsor of the resolution. ‘For if we hope to stop future genocides we need to admit to those horrific acts of the past.’

“The issue of the Armenian genocide, beginning in 1915, has perennially transfixed Congress and bedeviled presidents of both parties. Ronald Reagan was the only president publicly to call the killings genocide, but his successors have avoided the term.

“When the issue last arose, in 2000, a similar resolution also won approval by a House committee, but President Clinton then succeeded in persuading a Republican speaker, J. Dennis Hastert, to withdraw the measure before the full House could vote. That time, too, Turkey had warned of canceling arms deals and withdrawing support for American air forces then patrolling northern Iraq under the auspices of the United Nations…

“Representative Mike Pence, a conservative Republican from Indiana who has backed the resolution in the past, said Mr. Bush persuaded him to change his position and vote no. He described the decision as gut-wrenching, underscoring the emotions stirred in American politics by a 92-year-old question. ‘While this is still the right position,’ Mr. Pence said, referring to the use of the term genocide, ‘it is not the right time.'”

Is there ever a “right time” to suppress the truth???

Putin’s High-Risk Gamble

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 2:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin dropped a bombshell on Monday when he announced that he was running in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The move will effectively allow him to hold onto power even after he gives up the presidency next spring. Putin had vowed that he would abide by the constitution which forbids a third consecutive term in that office, but it had been clear that the 54-year-old was not ready to shuffle off quietly into the sunset of retirement just yet… Analysts are already predicting that Putin will now place one of his followers in the Kremlin who would then answer to him. This could well be the newly appointed Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov, who has no power base of his own and who as president could be expected to fall in with whatever plans Putin has for the power structures in Russia.

“Commentators in Germany are critical of Putin’s bid to cling on to power and voice concern that instead of bringing stability to Russia these moves could end up achieving the opposite.

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘This plan is in stark contrast to the hierarchy of powers envisaged by the Russian constitution… As prime minister Putin would presumably dismantle the architecture of the constitution… The deal that Putin seems to be striking with his closest followers is also highly risky for him. He is basing it on the assumption that all of those involved will stick to the agreement and that the presidential puppet, who will be chosen as Putin’s successor, will not suddenly decide that he would like to be number one himself. If the puppet comes to life, then the situation in Moscow might not just become unstable, it could become dangerous.’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘A society that is forced together by authoritarian centralism will inevitably develop countervailing forces again. Putin’s stability is only borrowed and, therefore, won’t last long.’…

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… This has little to do with true democracy… Does Putin really have everything under control? There are some doubts… Putin is setting up his experiment like a laboratory technician. But he cannot always control the results.'”

And More Rumors of Wars…

Reuters reported on October 3:

“Russia’s military space commander vowed to retaliate with an arms race if any country started putting weapon systems into orbit, he said in remarks published on Wednesday… ‘if any country will place a weapon in space, then our response will be the same,’ [he said]… Tensions between Russia and Washington have deepened over U.S. plans to rekindle the stalled ‘Star Wars’ program from the 1980s with a new generation of missile defense shields.”

Russian Politics vs. the Truth

AFP reported on October 10 that “Russia has no evidence that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday after talks in Moscow with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy. ‘We do not have information that Iran is trying to create a nuclear weapon. We operate on the principle that Iran does not have those plans,’ Putin said.”

The Russian denial of Iran’s intentions is, of course, not mere naivety, but motivated and driven by strong Russian economic interests in Iran.

Germany’s Dark Past

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 1:

“Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office [Bundeskriminalamt or BKA], the equivalent of the FBI in the US, has invited historians to research its origins after World War II when many of its leading members were recruited straight from the ranks of Hitler’s police and security apparatus… It’s already known that when the BKA was formed in 1951, almost all its 50 top officers had a Nazi past — in SS units active in German-occupied territories, in the Gestapo, in the secret military police or the Third Reich’s criminal police force (RKPA).

“For example, the man in charge of manhunts at the RKPA, Kurt Amend, took up the same position at the BKA. Historian and former BKA officer Dieter Schenk said Amend sealed the fate of ‘hundreds of thousands who were put in a concentration camp or brought before a special tribunal as a result of his intelligent policing methods.’ Amend’s Nazi past was never investigated.

“Another example is Bernhard Niggemeyer, a senior officer in the BKA, who had the rank of Sturmbannführer or Storm Unit Leader in the SS and was in charge of several military police units responsible for thousands of executions during the war. In some cases former Nazi investigators remained in the ranks of the BKA well into the 1960s.”

Some striking parallels exist between the political conditions in Germany in the aftermath of World War II and Afghanistan and Iraq following the invasion of the Allies–these similarities should not be overlooked…

German Politics vs. the Truth

Der Spiegel Online reported on October 10:

“Germany’s parliament votes this Friday on whether to extend Berlin’s participation in the military mission in Afghanistan. The country is on the brink of disaster, but German politicians have chosen to ignore Afghanistan’s real problems.”

The article continued:

“Welcome to Afghanistan in the sixth year following the Western intervention. Welcome to a country that ranks, sadly, in eighth place in the 2007 edition of the ‘Failed States Index’ compiled by the US magazine Foreign Policy — just behind Sudan, Iraq, Somalia and Zimbabwe…

“A troop withdrawal would be a ‘serious defeat for international law and the international community,’ warns Peter Struck, the floor leader of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), while German Chancellor Angela Merkel believes that her country’s commitment to the operation in Afghanistan is ‘the only way to demonstrate that we fight terrorists, and that we do so with great resolve.’…

“This Friday, Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, will vote on whether to extend two of the three German military mandates in Afghanistan, currently the Bundeswehr’s most dangerous mission. Twenty-one German soldiers have already lost their lives in Afghanistan, and last Friday three Germans were lucky to escape from a suicide attack with only minor injuries. The Bundestag will decide the fate of up to 3,500 soldiers and six Tornado reconnaissance aircraft operating in Afghanistan under the auspices of NATO’s ISAF force. Parliament’s approval of the mission is considered a done deal, with a broad majority in both the ruling grand coalition and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) likely to vote in favor of keeping the troops in Afghanistan…

“Relatively few members of parliament have traveled to Afghanistan in recent months to get a first-hand impression of the situation in the war-torn country, despite the fact that members of the German Bundestag are normally known for their love of travel. Apparently only very few of Germany’s elected representatives feel that Afghanistan is worth a visit… The news that reaches Berlin from Afghanistan these days is simply too horrific. Members of parliament who have visited the country describe a place on the verge of collapse. Instead of declining, the problems of poverty, corruption, violence and sheer hopelessness are on the rise. Government institutions are virtually nonexistent in many parts of the country, the police are corrupt and overworked and the military isn’t in much better shape. The effects of Western development aid go largely unnoticed by much of the population…

“There is an odd disparity between the reality in Afghanistan and the political debate in Germany. Seemingly oblivious to the information coming from the country, both the Bundestag and the political parties become embroiled in heated debates over technical details that are in fact irrelevant in Afghanistan… The important questions in the Afghanistan debate are also being ignored…

“The Germans are eager to distance themselves from the United States in public debates, insisting that, unlike the Americans, the Germans are mainly involved in civilian reconstruction assistance. But this is precisely where Germany has failed miserably…”

In spite of denials to the contrary, the invasion of the Allies in Afghanistan was as much a failure as the occupation of Iraq. This is not surprising for those who understand the Bible, as God clearly teaches us that man’s wars do NOT bring permanent and lasting positive results. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in WAR?”

New Treaty for Europe?

On October 2, BBC News reported:

“Legal experts from the 27 countries of the European Union have agreed on a draft reform treaty. The treaty is set to replace the defunct European constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters. Portugal, which holds the EU presidency until the end of the year, hopes to get agreement on the treaty at an EU summit in Lisbon later this month. Possible domestic opposition to the treaty in Poland and Britain mean they may present the biggest hurdles. The treaty aims to streamline the workings of the EU bloc, which has almost doubled its membership in the last few years.”

The Paralyzed UN — “The Whole Week Was a Mess”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 1 about the meeting of the UN General Assembly as a “meeting of clueless leaders.” The article stated:

“A description of the week’s events might sound something like this: they met, they ate good food. There were some brilliant speeches, but no resolutions were passed. Or, in the words of one German: ‘It was all about money and who could manage to get what. It was all about massaging each other’s egos.’ Swedish-born Mats Karlsson, vice-president of external and UN affairs at the World Bank, put it a little more diplomatically: ‘I am worried about the calibre of our global leadership.’…

“Ambassadors and foreign ministers — at least, those who were brave enough to abandon the cliches surrounding the whole event — said there is something wrong, seriously wrong, with the UN. ‘Our entire system of international policy is falling apart,’ said one participant, a veteran at the UN… There’s just no other way of saying it: The whole week was a mess.”

The UN will NOT play a dominant role in the future. Rather, Europe is destined to fulfill this responsibility–but devastating consequences will be the result. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.“

The Building of the Holy Temple

IsraelNationalNews.com reported on October 7:

“On Wednesday, the last day of the Sukkot [Feast of Tabernacles] festival, a 34-person delegation from West Papua presented a large amount of gold to be used in the building of the Holy Temple. The delegation, including representatives of the nation’s government, explained that they study the Bible regularly and recently came upon a verse in Zecharia (6:16) [the intended reference is Zechariah 6:15] reading ‘And the distant ones will come and build the Temple of G-d.’ They discussed the passage among themselves and decided that their faith obligates them to fulfill the verse. West Papua, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, is rich in gold mines, so the delegation thought it natural to donate gold for the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple will be built in the place where the First and Second Temples once stood – on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount…

“The Temple Institute was established twenty years ago, and deals with research and education about the Holy Temple. The institute has published dozens of books and has prepared more than 70 of the gold, silver and copper vessels needed for Temple service. Just two weeks ago, the institute completed a large ‘King David’s Lyre.’ Its craftsmen are working now on the golden headpiece worn by the high priest. Some of the vessels prepared by the institute for use in the Temple include the golden menorah (candelabra), the show-bread table, the golden altar, Levite musical instruments and priestly clothes. The vessels are on display at the institute’s headquarters on the Old City’s Misgav Ladach street.”

The Bible strongly indicates that a Temple will be built in Jerusalem, prior to the return of Jesus Christ. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

“Human Life Begins With Conception”

Reuters reported on October 11:

“Pope Benedict appealed to scientists on Thursday to stop using human embryos in stem cell research… The Vatican supports stem cell research so long as it does not harm embryos, which the Catholic Church argues are humans from the moment of conception.

“‘The destruction of human embryos, whether to acquire stem cells or for any other purpose, contradicts the purported intent of researchers, legislators and public health officials to promote human welfare,’ the Pontiff wrote in a letter to South Korea’s new ambassador to the Holy See. The Church supports research on adult cells and promising alternatives to embryonic research, such as the use of amniotic fluid protecting fetuses in the uterus.

“The Pope said such research methods ‘harmonize with the aforementioned intent (to promote human welfare) by respecting the life of the human being at every stage of his or her existence.’ South Korea announced plans earlier this year to remove some of the blocks to human embryonic stem cell research in place since a 2006 scandal involving forged data in stem cell studies.”

The Dangers of Tattoos and Piercing

Der Spiegel Online wrote on October 1:

“Self-enhancement — or self-mutilation — can be a hazardous pursuit. Those opting for tattoos and piercing can end up with allergic reactions or nasty infections, including hepatitis, while cosmetic surgery is also fraught with danger. The next stop can often be the doctor’s surgery or even the emergency room. And in Germany, where it is compulsory to have health insurance, it is the insurance companies that end up footing the bill for these damage-limitation exercises.”

France “Offers” Germany the Bomb…

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 17, 2007:

“Ever since Nicolas Sarkozy became French president, he has been bewildering the German government with one controversial idea after another. The latest shocker? The new man in Paris has offered German Chancellor Angela Merkel French nuclear weapons.

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy didn’t mention the bomb right away. Instead, he took a little detour by way of atomic energy: Whoever is serious about averting global warming should build more nuclear power plants, he told Chancellor Angela Merkel and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier during last week’s informal meeting in Meseberg palace, the German government’s guest residence north of Berlin. Then came the surprise offer.

“Seeing as they were discussing the benefits of all things atomic, the French president continued, he had another suggestion as well: Because the French nuclear umbrella protected France’s neighbors as well as La Grande Nation itself, perhaps the Germans would consider taking a political stake in the French atomic arsenal?

“Both the chancellor and her foreign minister were speechless. The idea of possessing nuclear weapons is taboo in Germany. Sarzoky’s predecessor Jacques Chirac cautiously brought up the issue 12 years ago, but he quickly realized it was pointless to pursue it. Steinmeier was the first to regain his composure, explaining that Germany did not seek to become a nuclear power, which is why the country had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1975. Merkel offered a friendly smile and backed up her foreign minister…”

Sarkozy Annoys Merkel

Press TV wrote on September 16:

“Four months after Sarkozy became president, a cool wind is blowing between Paris and Berlin as tensions appear in his relationship with Merkel. From a bruising European Union summit in June, through weeks of simmering discord over the independence of the European Central Bank to a patronizing remark on nuclear power last Monday, Sarkozy has repeatedly offended Merkel, observers in both capitals say. The German daily Rheinische Post spoke of a ‘deep crisis’ between the leaders of the two countries who regard themselves as the driving force of the EU…

“During a joint news conference on Monday, an impatient Merkel stood tensely as Sarkozy lectured her on the virtues of nuclear power, an energy source she favors but cannot foster because of a phase-out deal forced upon her by her coalition partners.

“Sarkozy is reported to have lost his temper with German Finance Minister Peer Steinbrueck in Brussels in July when he criticized France’s budget policy and to have waited in vain for Merkel to rebuke her minister. A guest editorial by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon in Le Figaro on Friday said the chancellor should learn from former chancellor Konrad Adenauer who said that when dealing with the French, one must salute their flag three times before getting down to business.”

Germans, Be Watchful!!! — “Legal Considerations Would No Longer Apply”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 17:

“Germany’s Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung [of the Christian Democratic Union, CDU] has sparked fury by saying he would order a hijacked passenger jet to be shot down if necessary — even though the country’s highest court ruled last year that such a move would be illegal… The court in 2006 overturned the Air Security Act which empowered the defence minister to order a plane to be shot down even if innocent people were on board. The court ruled that weighing ‘life against life’ was in breach of Germany’s constitution. The debate has raged in Germany ever since the September 11 terror attacks and security has moved back to the top of the agenda ever since the arrest two weeks ago of three Islamists suspected of plotting bomb attacks.

“Jung’s comments outraged the opposition and met with strong criticism from members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), which shares power with Merkel’s conservatives. SPD leader Kurt Beck said: ‘It’s simply inconceivable to take that course of action.’ Beck told reporters that if Jung ordered pilots to fire on an airliner, he would effectively be turning responsibility for the action over to them. ‘And after all we’ve taught people since the Nazi dictatorship … a German soldier would have to say No, this command isn’t compatible with the constitution.'”

“Germany’s organisation of army fighter pilots VBSK also rejected the idea. ‘I can only advise pilots not to obey the minister’s command in such a case,’ Thomas Wassmann, VBSK chairman, told the Leipziger Volkszeitung newspaper. He said Jung’s statement was akin to ‘calling on pilots to carry out an illegal order.’ Bernhard Gertz, chairman of the German Army Federation, a union representing the interests of military personnel, said pilots would make themselves liable to prosecution if they shot down a passenger jet that was being used as a missile.

“But a spokesman for the Defence Ministry defended Jung on Monday, saying it was conceivable that the GOVERNMENT COULD CALL OUT A STATE OF EMERGENCY IN WHICH LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS NO LONGER APPLIED — in that case, PILOTS WOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO DISOBEY THE COMMAND.”

This is extremely dangerous language! Legal considerations would no longer apply? Pilots would not be ALLOWED to DISOBEY an ILLEGAL order?

These kinds of developments in Germany are of great interest, as Germany is DESTINED to play a leading role in Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.” Also, make sure to view our latest StandingWatch program, “The Mystery of Revelation–Solved.”

Euro at All-Time High

The Wall Street Journal wrote on September 20:

“The euro hit a new all-time high against the dollar, trading above $1.40 for the first time since the common European currency was introduced. The 13-nation euro bought $1.4023 in early European trading, up from its previous high of $1.3987, hit in New York late Wednesday.”

Getting Hot in the Middle East

Haaretz.com reported on September 16:

“The target of an Israel Air Force raid 10 days ago in Syria was a nuclear installation that was constructed in the northeastern corner of the country, with North Korean assistance, according to foreign media reports. Yesterday, The Washington Post published an article saying the strike was aimed at a shipment that had arrived in Syria aboard a North Korean vessel three days earlier, and may have included equipment and materials related to nuclear technology…

“Meanwhile, the German weekly Der Spiegel reported yesterday that a German naval vessel patrolling the coast of Lebanon as part of the UNIFIL mission identified two F-15 fighters penetrating Syria’s airspace on its radar 10 days ago. A Western military source, quoted in the report, claimed that the aircraft were on their way to attack a Syrian arms shipment to Hezbollah, but were surprised at the speed with which Syrian air defenses became aware of their presence.”

“Tensions Sky-High on the Golan Heights”

The Age.com.au reported on September 15:

“In recent months Syria has renewed its old alliance with the Kremlin, which lapsed when the Cold War ended. Over the past year President Vladimir Putin’s Government has sold Damascus large quantities of the portable anti-tank weapons which Hezbollah’s outnumbered fighters used to humiliate Israel’s invading army in south Lebanon last year.

“Syrian President Bashar Assad’s autocratic regime has also bought new Russian anti-aircraft systems which could erode the Israeli air force’s long-prized ability to overfly and bomb its neighbours without encountering defences, as it did in Lebanon…

“While Russia views the eastern Mediterranean as part of a global chessboard, for both Syria and Israel the conflict is purely, intensely local. At its heart is control of the Golan Heights, 1250 square kilometres of mountain, farmland and scrubby uplands seized and colonised by Israel 40 years ago last June. Since then the focus of Syrian foreign policy has been to regain the Golan Heights and to return to their homes the descendants of the 50,000 to 80,000 Syrian civilians driven out in the fighting and whom Israel has since replaced with 16,000 of its own settlers…

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated this year that Israel will never return the Golan to Syria. Opinion polls suggest a clear majority of Israelis would not give up the Golan even [at] the price of peace… Amid renewed rumours of war, this summer Israeli tank brigades staged large-scale manoeuvres on the Golan Heights… Economically, the Golan is the source of about half Israel’s water resources, produces most of its wine grapes and has the country’s only ski resort. Cattle ranchers and hikers can roam in the upland plateau…”

For more information on prophesied events in the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.“

America Preparing for War With Iran?

The Sunday Telegraph reported on September 16:

“Senior American intelligence and defence officials believe that President George W Bush and his inner circle are taking steps to place America on the path to war with Iran, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt. Pentagon planners have developed a list of up to 2,000 bombing targets in Iran, amid growing fears among serving officers that diplomatic efforts to slow Iran’s nuclear weapons programme are doomed to fail… Now it has emerged that Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, who has been pushing for a diplomatic solution, is prepared to settle her differences with Vice-President Dick Cheney and sanction military action.

“In a chilling scenario of how war might come, a senior intelligence officer warned that public denunciation of Iranian meddling in Iraq – arming and training militants – would lead to cross border raids on Iranian training camps and bomb factories… Under the theory… US action would provoke a major Iranian response, perhaps in the form of moves to cut off Gulf oil supplies, providing a trigger for air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities and even its armed forces. Senior officials believe Mr Bush’s inner circle has decided he does not want to leave office without first ensuring that Iran is not capable of developing a nuclear weapon.”

Iran Ready To Strike Back

The Jerusalem Post wrote on September 17:

“Six hundred Iranian Shihab-3 missiles are pointed at targets throughout Israel, and will be launched if either Iran or Syria are attacked, an Iranian website affiliated with the regime reported on Monday… According to the report, dozens of locations throughout Iraq, which are being used by the US Army, have also been targeted. The Shihab missile has a range of 1,300 km, and can reach anywhere in Israel.

“On Sunday, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said that the nuclear Iranian crisis forces the world ‘to prepare for the worst,’ and said that in this case it ‘is war.'”

“America’s Standing as a World Power Severely Damaged”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 12:

“Gen. David Petraeus and Ryan Crocker told the US Congress this week that the ‘surge’ could come home — but the rest of America’s troops in Iraq need to stay there indefinitely. German commentators reacted coolly to the news… [and] were typically skeptical of US policy and the future for Iraq…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘… The various “reconciliation talks” between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds are dominated by partisan jockeying for position and no progress has been made on the real issues. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is criticized for his close ties to Tehran, has proven to be incompetent or even worse. … In parts of the country, especially in the south, there is fighting among various Shiite factions. Millions of Iraqis have fled abroad, while hundreds of thousands are caught up in ethic and religious cleansing, driven from their hometowns or the lands Saddam Hussein settled them on and seeking refuge somewhere. The economic results, especially those from oil production, have hardly improved. Billions of dollars in contracts that the American government has pumped into the country have run into the sand or — to be more precise — landed in the wrong pockets.

“‘Whether the representatives and senators in Washington are realistically evaluating these facts at all is another question altogether. In the discussion about Iraq in Washington … the only real question is when the withdrawal will begin and how quickly it will be carried out… On this issue there are only two things which are certain: Iraq’s future will not be rosy, and the standing of America as a world power is severely damaged after this deployment.’

“Austria’s Der Standard writes:

“‘One feels like one has gone back in time to before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003. After the US government’s recent PR campaign, the world is once again divided into believers and disbelievers when it comes to the US’s Iraq policy…'”

Chaos in Iraq Inevitable

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 15:

“President Bush and his Iraq team spent the week trying to change the nature of the debate over the war. But they failed to offer any new military or political strategy for extricating the United States from Iraq. And so countless hours of testimony by Gen. David H. Petraeus, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and an Oval Office speech by the president changed no minds… Americans are more bitterly divided than ever, politically and morally stalemated over our responsibility for creating and for resolving what can now only be called a quagmire. For chief among the president’s ever-shifting justifications for staying in Iraq is that it is far too dangerous to leave.

“Petraeus and Crocker did succeed in boxing in some moderates who want to end the war but are afraid to cut off funding. They did succeed in making us hope against our better judgment that military progress can yet produce stability. And they distracted the public from the underlying problem, which is that the United States has no power to compel an Iraqi cease-fire, let alone the necessary political reconciliation.

“To their credit, Petraeus and Crocker avoided offering promises, or even benchmarks for progress, which have so often disappointed in the past. They were wise enough to recognize the emptiness of each event that the war’s supporters have heralded as a turning point — the capture of Saddam Hussein nearly four years ago, the two national elections, the drafting of a constitution, the killing of Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab Zarqawi last year, the formation of a government and parliament, and most recently, the ‘surge.’ By contrast, Bush’s new rhetoric about a ‘return on success’ and defending an ‘ally’ that has requested U.S. help was twisted and misleading in the extreme.

“And while all this was going on in Washington this week, what was happening in Iraq? The civil war went on, as it always has, on Iraqi time and Iraqi terms. Sheik Abdul Sattar Rishawi, the tribal leader who became the key U.S. ally against Al Qaeda in Anbar province, was blown up with his bodyguards just 10 days after meeting with Bush. Hope that the dysfunctional parliament would agree to share oil revenue crumbled as a tentative agreement struck in February broke down, and lawmakers said no legislation could be passed any time soon. Similar gridlock was reported on legislation to re-integrate alienated former Baathists into the government. And sectarian slaughter continued, with an average of 10 corpses found dumped in Baghdad alone every day last week…”

Oil–the Prime Motive for the War With Iraq?

The Sunday Times wrote on September 16:

“America’s elder statesman of finance, Alan Greenspan, has shaken the White House by declaring that the prime motive for the war in Iraq was oil. In his long-awaited memoir… Greenspan, a Republican whose 18-year tenure as head of the US Federal Reserve was widely admired, will also deliver a stinging critique of President George W Bush’s economic policies.

“… it is his view on the motive for the 2003 Iraq invasion that is likely to provoke the most controversy. ‘I am saddened that it is politically inconvenient to acknowledge what everyone knows: the Iraq war is largely about oil,’ he says… Britain and America have always insisted the war had nothing to do with oil. Bush said the aim was to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and end Saddam’s support for terrorism.”

Subsequently, CNN reported on September 17 that Greenspan “clarified” that he did not want to imply that oil was the “motive” for the Bush Administration’s decision to go to war against Iraq.

The “Apocalyptic War”

The Daily Mail wrote on September 14, under the headline, “How the world was plunged into an apocalyptic war”:

“The total number of American servicemen and women killed in action already amounts to 3,826, with 168 British forces having been killed. And between 500,000 and 600,000 Iraqi men, women and children have died. What’s more, since Saddam fell, four million Iraqis have become refugees, either inside Iraq or beyond.

“Meanwhile this week, another two British soldiers have been killed by the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, bringing the total British losses since 2001 to 78… The truth is that despite Bush’s ‘war on terror’ and the American-led occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, Islamist terrorism has continued to seethe and bubble across the world – and sometimes explode, as in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005.

“This summer, an attack on Glasgow Airport mercifully failed because of the terrorists’ own incompetence. And German counter-terrorism police foiled a plot (meant to mark the sixth anniversary of 9/11) which was aimed at truckbombing Frankfurt Airport and the US air base at Ramstein…

“Bush and his vicepresident Dick Cheney are fundamentalist Christians, while Bush’s own political base lies in his fellow fundamentalists of the American ‘Bible belt’. And tragically for Britain, Tony Blair passionately shared Bush’s belief that world policy must be inspired by religious faith. The grim truth is that when George W. Bush declared ‘a global war on terror’, he was really announcing a jihad of his own – a struggle to convert the whole world to American-style capitalist democracy…

“‘We’ are the righteous, while our chosen enemy is ‘the Axis of Evil’ or ‘the Great Satan’ (take your pick) with whom no compromise is possible, and against whom any violence is permissible. Al Qaeda and its associated jihadists massacre the innocent to the cry of ‘Allah Akbar’ (‘God is Great’). Meanwhile, President Bush launches ‘shock and awe’ aerial onslaughts on Iraqi and Afghan villages and cities in the sure belief that Jesus Christ wants him to spread democracy around the world.

“Yet belief in the righteousness of the cause is only the vehicle for something deeper and even more alarming. And that something is sheer emotion… Such emotion is terrifyingly dangerous. The great German philosopher on war, Carl von Clausewitz, pointed out that the intensity of a conflict is determined by the importance of the political object at stake…

“Today, Iran has become the prime target of Bush’s ideological mission. He recently trumpeted: ‘We will confront this danger before it is too late. Either the forces of extremism succeed or the forces of freedom succeed. Either our enemies advance their interests in Iraq, or we advance our interests.’ In this inflamed rhetoric, echoing his rants in 2002 and 2003 about Saddam Hussein and his alleged development of weapons of mass destruction, we can hear the louder and louder beat of war drums.

“… war, no matter how passionate the belief in the righteousness of the cause, is inherently uncontrollable, its outcome quite unpredictable…”

No matter what America is trying to do in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and in other countries, it will not succeed. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.” You might also want to view our recent StandingWatch programs, “God Warns America!” and “America–Wake Up!”

Pope Refused to Meet With Condoleezza Rice

Press TV reported on September 20:

“Pope Benedict XVI has refused a recent request by the US Secretary of State to discuss the Middle East and Iraq, Vatican sources say… Italian daily Corriere della Sera says the evident snub ‘illustrates the divergence of views’ between the Vatican and the White House over the ‘initiatives of the Bush administration in the Middle East.’

“Sources cite at least two reasons for the Pope’s refusal to have a private meeting with Rice:

“First, it was Rice who just before the outbreak of Iraq war in March 2003 made it clear that the Bush administration was not interested in the views of the late Pope on the immorality of launching its planned military offensive. Secondly, the US has responded in a manner considered unacceptable at the Vatican to the protection of the rights of Iraqi Christians.”

Will Putin Make a Comeback–Without Ever Really Leaving?

AFP wrote on September 14:

“President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia’s 2008 presidential race is wide open, with at least five candidates — including his surprise new prime minister, Viktor Zubkov. He also did not rule out making a comeback in the following presidential campaign in 2012… Putin’s decision to pluck Zubkov from obscurity just ahead of December parliamentary elections has fuelled intrigue over who will win the Kremlin in the March presidential vote, when Putin is required by the constitution to leave office. Most observers believe that the race will be minutely controlled by Putin’s entourage to ensure that a loyal candidate wins…

“Under the constitution the president cannot have more than two consecutive terms, but can in theory return after a break… Some analysts believe that Zubkov is a straw man promoted purely because of his loyalty to Putin. One theory is that Putin is weakening the already pliant government to concentrate further power in the Kremlin and lay the groundwork for him to retain power behind the scenes.”

Russia’s Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov — And The Russian Military

TheAge.com.au stated on September 16:

“Russia’s Prime Minister has pledged to boost the country’s military might, amid growing signs that he could emerge as President Vladimir Putin’s successor next year…

“Keen to demonstrate his allegiance to his boss, Mr Zubkov told deputies that he would dedicate his attentions to advancing Mr Putin’s favourite projects — the restoration of Russia’s military might and the resurgence of Russia’s energy-fuelled economy. Since Mr Putin came to power in 2000, the Kremlin has poured large amounts of cash into Russia’s rusting military in what appears to be an attempt to regain the nation’s superpower status.

“On Thursday British and Norwegian jets intercepted Russian military aircraft after they breached NATO air space close to Britain and Finland. Finland’s Prime Minister, Matti Vanhanen, demanded an explanation from Moscow over the violation of Finnish air space, the latest in a spate of recent incursions…

“Last night, Mr Putin was scheduled to revel in a military display of a different sort, taking the salute in Red Square from troops participating in Moscow’s first military tattoo… The presidential regiment band and the central band of the Russian Army were to be bedecked in imperial uniforms not worn since the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.”

Inspection of Islamic Courses and Teachers in Austria?

Press TV reported on September 15:

“Austria’s controversial politician, Joerg Haider, has called for intensive inspection of Islamic courses in the country’s education system. The former head of the far-right Freedom Party and the hawkish governor of Carinthia told the reporters in a press conference that the government’s policy to converge with foreigners has not been successful yet and now the foreigners are to adapt themselves to the conditions in Austria.

“Haider has recently announced his plans to prohibit the construction of mosques in Carinthia and has emphasized that the contents of schoolbooks should be changed and the Islamic education in Austria ought to be brought under intensive inspection. He also stressed that the move should be initiated by inspecting the teachers of the Islamic courses.”

Tattoo Remorse

CNN reported on September 17:

“Laura Hathaway initially had no regrets after getting a tattoo on her lower back when she was 21. But now, 10 years later, she wants it gone… it doesn’t fit in with her current lifestyle as the mother of a 2-year-old boy who just started to talk…

“Dr. Scott Karempelis of Atlanta Dermatology Associates is performing a multitreatment laser procedure that will gradually erase Hathaway’s tattoo with little or no scarring. The process is painful, expensive and time-consuming… The American Academy of Dermatology reports tattoo regret is common in the United States. Among a group of 18- to 50-year-olds surveyed in 2004, 24 percent reported having a tattoo and 17 percent of those considered getting their tattoo removed…

“Hathaway expects to go through 10 sessions several weeks apart, each lasting less than a minute. She admits it’s a lot more painful than getting the original tattoo. ‘It’s prickly,’ describes Hathaway. ‘It feels like a bee is sitting on your back stinging time and time again. Afterwards, the pain does go away and you’re a little sore for a few hours.’ Patients with bigger tattoos are sometimes given the option to use a topical anesthetic, but Karempelis points out that it adds to the cost.

“Like other dermatologists, he charges by the square inch for the laser treatment. By the time Hathaway’s done, she expects to pay more than $2,200. There’s no guarantee that she won’t have a scar… Certain tattoo colors, such as green, yellow and purple, are harder to remove, Karempelis says.”

For a Biblical Discussion on Tattoos, please see our Q&A in Update #113, titled, “Does the Bible teach anything about the use of tattoos?”

Meteorite Hits the Earth–Causes Mysterious Illness

AFP reported on September 17:

“Villagers in southern Peru were struck by a mysterious illness after a meteorite made a fiery crash to Earth in their area, regional authorities said Monday. Around midday Saturday, villagers were startled by an explosion and a fireball that many were convinced was an airplane crashing near their remote village, located in the high Andes department of Puno in the Desaguadero region, near the border with Bolivia.
 
“Residents complained of headaches and vomiting brought on by a ‘strange odor,’ local health department official Jorge Lopez told Peruvian radio RPP. Seven policemen who went to check on the reports also became ill and had to be given oxygen before being hospitalized, Lopez said.

“Rescue teams and experts were dispatched to the scene, where the meteorite left a 100-foot-wide (30-meter-wide) and 20-foot-deep (six-meter-deep) crater, said local official Marco Limache.  ‘Boiling water started coming out of the crater and particles of rock and cinders were found nearby. Residents are very concerned,’ he said.”

This episode might perhaps remind us of much greater catastrophes to come, as described in Revelation 8:8, 10-11: “The second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea… Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch… A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.”

USA–The Fading Superpower

The Los Angeles Times wrote on September 9 about the United States of America as the “fading superpower.” The article explained:

“… all [U.S. politicians] seem convinced that the world works best with the United States at the helm, and that without American leadership, the world would soon become more dangerous and anarchic and less prosperous… But what if the Americans who hold these beliefs are not, in fact, clear-eyed observers of the world scene stripped of its anti-imperial mystifications? Instead, what if they are people who have fallen for the same self-delusion that the British ruling class entertained before World War I, which was that their empire was so essential to world stability and, at least when compared with the alternatives and with empires past, so just that its hegemony could and would weather all challenges?

“It is hardly farfetched to scan the historical record and conclude that self-love and imperialism go together, whether it was the British imperialist Cecil Rhodes insisting that British colonialism in Africa had been ‘philanthropy plus 5%’ or President Bush insisting that it was America’s special mission to spread democracy throughout the world. But what the historical record also shows is that imperial moments are, in fact, fleeting, and that hegemony has a shorter and shorter shelf life. The Roman Empire lasted more than 700 years (more than a millennium if you count the Byzantines); the British Empire lasted a little more than 300 years in India and less than a century in much of Africa. The economic challenges facing the U.S. at least suggest that America’s time as sole superpower could be shorter still…

“The war in Iraq has demonstrated the limits of even America’s vaunted military strength… None of this is to say that the U.S. will not continue to be one of the most important powers — only that its days of first dictating and then guaranteeing the rules are numbered in an era in which it has become a debtor nation. In any case, the post-World War II structures of international governance are crumbling…

“For the moment, the U.S. is the sole superpower. But instead of deluding ourselves that we will go on that way into the indeterminate future, an intelligently self-interested foreign policy would have us do everything in our power to shape, according to our most urgent priorities, the international rules that will govern relations between states after the American moment has passed — as it inevitably will… The real choice that confronts us is not between a second American century and anarchy but between a multipolar world in which we will play an important role and an anti-American century.”

U.S. Dollar at All-Time Low

AFP reported on September 12:

“The dollar sank to an all-time low against the euro Wednesday… The 13-nation euro rose as high as $1.3889 in afternoon European trading — breaking through its previous record of $1.3852, reached on July 24. That compared with the $1.3832 it bought in New York late Tuesday…
 
“The strong euro ‘is weighing on growth,’ French Budget Minister Eric Woerth said after a Cabinet meeting in Paris on Wednesday… the weaker dollar… diminishes the spending power of American tourists in Europe.

“The dollar, which has hovered within a few cents of its record low in recent weeks amid a crisis over U.S. mortgage lending, has come under new pressure since the U.S. Labor Department issued unexpectedly poor August jobs data Friday…

“The U.S. currency was lower against the Japanese yen, even as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced that he would resign, putting an end to his troubled year-old government. The dollar slid to 113.85 yen from 114.30 yen.”

USA Ready to Attack Iran?

FoxNews.com reported on September 11:

“Germany — a pivotal player among three European nations to rein in Iran’s nuclear program over the last two-and-a-half years through a mixture of diplomacy and sanctions supported by the United States — notified its allies last week that the government of Chancellor Angela Merkel refuses to support the imposition of any further sanctions against Iran that could be imposed by the U.N. Security Council… The Germans voiced concern about the damaging effects any further sanctions on Iran would have on the German economy…”

“Political and military officers, as well as weapons of mass destruction specialists at the State Department, are now advising Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that…  the administration must actively prepare for military intervention of some kind…

“Consequently, according to a well-placed Bush administration source, ‘everyone in town’ is now participating in a broad discussion about the costs and benefits of military action against Iran, with the likely timeframe for any such course of action being over the next eight to 10 months, after the presidential primaries have probably been decided, but well before the November 2008 elections.

“The discussions are now focused on two basic options: less invasive scenarios under which the U.S. might blockade Iranian imports of gasoline or exports of oil, actions generally thought to exact too high a cost on the Iranian people but not enough on the regime in Tehran; and full-scale aerial bombardment.

“On the latter course, active consideration is being given as to how long it would take to degrade Iranian air defenses before American air superiority could be established and U.S. fighter jets could then begin a systematic attack on Iran’s known nuclear targets. Most relevant parties have concluded such a comprehensive attack plan would require at least a week of sustained bombing runs, and would at best set the Iranian nuclear program back a number of years — but not destroy it forever.”

British Forces Move to Iran Border

The Independent reported on September 12:

“British forces have been sent from Basra to the volatile border with Iran amid warnings from the senior US commander in Iraq that Tehran is fomenting a ‘proxy war’. In signs of a fast-developing confrontation, the Iranians have threatened military action in response to attacks launched from Iraqi territory while the Pentagon has announced the building of a US base and fortified checkpoints at the frontier.

“The UK operation, in which up to 350 troops are involved, has come at the request of the Americans, who say that elements close to the Iranian regime have stepped up supplies of weapons to Shia militias in recent weeks in preparation for attacks inside Iraq…

“The operation is regarded as a high-risk strategy which could lead to clashes with Iranian-backed Shia militias or even Iranian forces and also leaves open the possibility of Iranian retaliation in the form of attacks against British forces at the Basra air base or inciting violence to draw them back into Basra city. Relations between the two countries are already fraught after the Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized a British naval party in the Gulf earlier this year…”

Iraq–None of American Options Are Good

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 11:

“Gen. David Petraeus delivered his hotly anticipated progress report on Iraq to Congress on Monday and provided President George W. Bush with sorely-needed backing by saying the troop surge in the country is bearing fruit… He said a rapid withdrawal of US troops from the country would produce ‘a number of dangerous results.’

“German media commentators writing on Tuesday — the sixth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks — say that despite some evidence of progress with the troop surge, the overall US policy in Iraq has failed, and there’s no hope for any true improvement until Bush leaves office…

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The bitter truth is that the US has only very few options, none of them good… Measured in terms of the original plan, the offensive has clearly failed: With additional troops and a changed military strategy, the Americans have managed to significantly reduce the number of attacks in Baghdad; but the expectation that this would pave the way for the big peace settlement among all important Iraqi players hasn’t been fulfilled. The government of national unity has collapsed, and central issues such as the distribution of oil profits remain unsolved. The fighting between Sunnis and Shiites, but also between rival Shiite groups, continues…’

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘The 9/11 attacks changed the world. But even a changed world finds its own normality. Osama bin Laden is still at large, apparently with a new beard, sending new video messages to mark the anniversary. Al-Qaida still carries out attacks, if not in the United States then in Europe and North Africa.

“‘From President Bush’s point of view, establishing a real democracy in Iraq — and letting the reformed nation serve as a beacon for the rest of the Arab world — is no longer a topic for discussion. The debate is now about how American soldiers might prevent a murderous civil war in the unhappy new nation, and whether they should go on fighting tribal militias and terrorists, or pull out and let the Iraqis fend for themselves…'”

“The US Will Lose the Iraq War Regardless What It Does”

On September 10, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with American military historian Gabriel Kolko. Kolko argues that the situation in Iraq is worse than ever and that the artificial nation, created after World War I, is breaking up. The “surge,” he says, is also failing. He was quoted, as follows:

“The civilian death toll last August was higher than in February. Geopolitically, as Bush senior feared after the first Gulf war in 1990-91, Iran is emerging more powerful than ever, increasingly dominant in the region. The many official Israeli warnings before the war that this would be the outcome of war against Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein from power have come true… The Bush Administration suffers from a fatal dilemma. Its Iraq adventure is getting steadily worse, the American people very likely will vote the Republicans out of office because of it, and the war is extremely expensive at a time that the economy is beginning to present it with a major problem. The president’s poll ratings are now the worst since 2001.

“Only 33 percent of the American public approve of his leadership and 58 percent want to decrease the number of American troops immediately or quickly. Fifty-five percent want legislation to set a withdrawal deadline. In Afghanistan, as well, the war against the Taliban is going badly, and the Bush Administration’s dismal effort to use massive American military power to remake the world in a vague, inconsistent way is failing. The US has managed to increasingly alienate its former friends, who now fear its confusion and unpredictability. Above all, the American public is less ready than ever to tolerate Bush’s idiosyncrasies…

“The US is losing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the very same reasons it lost… its earlier conflicts. It has the manpower and firepower advantage, as always, but these are ultimately irrelevant in the medium- and long-run… Political conflicts are not solved by military interventions, and that they are often incapable of being resolved by political or peaceful means does not alter the fact that force is dysfunctional. This is truer today than ever with the spread of weapons technology. Washington refuses to heed this lesson of modern history…

“The Army, especially, does not have the manpower for a protracted war and if the US maintains its troop levels after spring 2008, it will face a crisis. It will have to break its pledge not to leave soldiers in Iraq longer than 15 months, accelerate the use of National Guard units, and the like — and it will lose the war regardless of what it does… The Iraqi army and police that are to replace the Americans is heavily infiltrated by Shiites loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr and others — estimates vary, but at least a quarter is wholly unreliable…

“There is utter confusion in Washington about how to end this morass. Goals are similar but the means to attain them are increasingly changing, confused, and as victory becomes more elusive so too does this administration look pathetic… In fact, it is disastrous.”

President Bush to Cut Troops in Iraq

AFP reported on September 12:

 “US President George W. Bush is to announce Thursday a cut of 30,000 soldiers from Iraq by next July and a top Iraqi official said another 30,000 may have gone by the end of 2008. Bush is expected to announce the cut in a televised address to the nation on the unpopular Iraq war…

“The US gradual withdrawal plan did little to appease the powerful Shiite movement led by fiery anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. His movement demanded a complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq… Iran, Iraq’s neighbor and a US foe, also dismissed Washington’s strategy…

“More than four years after the US-led invasion, Americans see an Iraq gripped by violence, sectarian strife and political corruption — far from the model of democracy in the Middle East that Bush had touted. Anger is also rising over the cost of the war, with more than 3,700 US soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis killed since March 2003 and half a trillion dollars spent.”

Europeans Down On America

On September 7, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“A new poll released Thursday by the German Marshall Fund of the United States shows that Europeans are down on America right now and not seeing light over the horizon. The poll is part of the report ‘Trans-Atlantic Trends 2007’ that surveys 12 European countries in an attempt to gauge feelings about relations between the US and Europe.

“When it comes to Europeans’ views of US President George W. Bush, his war in Iraq, and his foreign policies, 77 percent disapprove of him and his policies, while 17 percent voiced approval. This compares with American views, which show an approval rate of 32 percent and disapproval rate of 63 percent, according to an August survey released by the Gallup Poll…

“To the question of whether relations will improve after the 2008 election, 42 percent of Americans said yes, while only 35 percent of Europeans shared that faith. Almost half of Europeans and more than a third of Americans thought things would stay the same.

“Another poll, released by the BBC on Friday, finds that almost two thirds of the world would like the US-led coalition troops to leave Iraq…”

Stalin No Innocent Victim?–Of Course Not!

On August 31, the Israeli news agency, haaretz.com, wrote the following:

“Mischa Shauli sat at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., completely beside himself. It had been years since the first time he heard about the existence of a document said to prove that Stalin, not Hitler, bore the main responsibility for World War II, and for years he had searched for it with all his skills as a professional detective. Shauli’s last position was as Commander Shauli, Representative of the Israel Police in Russia. Previous to that he had been head of the police fraud investigation unit for the Southern District.

“A few years ago Shauli read ‘Icebreaker: Who Started the Second World War,’ by Bogdan Rozen. Rozen, who now lives in England, wrote it under the pseudonym of Viktor Suvorov. Shauli, impressed by the book, translated it into Hebrew and saw to its publication here.

“From out of the sea of details, a coherent thesis emerges: Stalin dragged Hitler into war to force Europe into chaos and facilitate a communist revolution on the continent. According to Shauli, there is evidence to back up this theory, including a speech by Stalin himself as well as a report obtained by the U.S. Consulate in Prague. The report has been mentioned here and there over the years, but it has never been published, because no one knows where it is today.

“Shauli, 59, believed that the definitive evidence was out there, hiding somewhere. He believed, and did not give up, repeatedly setting out to find it, going as far as Washington. No one is happier than he is today: The document is in his possession, and now the history of World War II may have to be rewritten: It was Stalin’s fault.”

The article continued to state that the authenticity of the document must still be verified. However, as “big” of a news item as this might be presented, it isn’t really “news” at all for many who have studied the history of World War II. It has been long known that BOTH STALIN AND HITLER prepared for war and an attack against each other. It was just a question of timing–who would first be ready to attack? Even though they entered into a “non-aggression pact,” both leaders felt that the treaty was not worth the paper it was written on.

We should also understand that the events leading to and occurring during World War II serve as a prelude to what we can expect to happen in the near future, at the time of the tenth and last resurrection of the ancient Roman Empire, which became known–due to its alliance with the Roman Catholic Church– as the “Holy Roman Empire.” We read in Daniel 11:40-43 that the final military leader of the future United States of Europe–called the “king of the north” or the “beast”–will invade many countries in the Middle East–as Hitler and Mussolini did in World War II. He will also occupy Jerusalem–something which Hitler and Mussolini WANTED to do, but were unable to. We also read, in Daniel 11:44, that “news from the east and the north shall trouble him; therefore he shall go out with great fury to destroy and annihilate many.”

That is exactly what Hitler did, when he received reports from Russia that Stalin was building a great army with the goal to attack Poland and ultimately Austria and Germany. These FACTS are well known by historians. The Bible says that something very similar will happen again regarding a United States of Europe and a Far Eastern power bloc under Russian and Chinese leadership. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Ex-German Chancellor Warns EU on Russia Summit

The EUObserver wrote on September 10:

“German ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has urged EU powers to stop backing Poland on trade and to counter US missile shield plans, or risk another unfriendly summit with Russia next month. Speaking to press at a book-launch in Moscow on Saturday (8 September), he described Poland’s outstanding veto on a new EU-Russia treaty as ‘narrow-minded nationalism’ and called the US missile scheme ‘politically dangerous.’… ‘It is Germany’s responsibility…to persuade the United States to abandon these plans,’ he added…

“Russian first deputy prime minister Dmitry Medvedev – also attending the book-launch – echoed the statement, saying it addresses ‘real worries’ that Germany is no longer a ‘bridge’ in east-west relations.

“Mr Schroeder led Germany from 1998 to 2005, becoming a personal friend of Russian president Vladimir Putin and later taking a job in the Kremlin’s giant energy corporation, Gazprom. At the last EU-Russia summit in May, current German chancellor Angela Merkel and the European Commission voiced solidarity with Poland and criticised Russia on human rights.

“The next summit, to be held in Mafra, Portugal on 26 October, comes amid other complications such as Moscow’s opposition to Kosovo independence, the Litvinenko spy row and aggressive posturing by the Russian air force… Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt hinted at deeper problems, saying ‘Everybody agrees that at the moment we don’t have a strategic relationship with Russia.'”

Putin Dismisses His Prime Minister and Government

AFP reported on September 12:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed his prime minister and government Wednesday, paving the way for the Kremlin leader to handpick a successor when he steps down next year. The resignation of Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and the entire cabinet came three months before parliamentary elections and less than six months ahead of a presidential poll to replace Putin… Not one big beast of Russian politics has thrown his hat in the ring for the March 2, 2008 election, making it difficult to predict who will head the world’s leading energy producer and nuclear-weapons superpower — a process that can resemble Soviet-era ‘Kremlinology’… For many, Kremlinology remains as murky as the days when the line-up of leaders at Red Square parades was scrutinised for clues to politburo policy.”

The Associated Press added on September 12:

“After dismissing Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov — triggering the government’s automatic dissolution — Putin explained the shakeup was required to ‘prepare the country’ for forthcoming elections… Putin is wildly popular among Russians, having brought stability and relative prosperity after the often chaotic presidency of his predecessor, Boris Yeltsin. As a result, whoever is nominated for the presidency by Putin is expected to win easily.”

Militant Islamic Group Claims Responsibility for Attempted Terror Attacks in Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 12:

“The German government is taking seriously claims by a militant Islamic group that it was behind a foiled terror plot. The Interior Ministry said Tuesday that an Internet announcement by the Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) that it had plotted to bomb US and Uzbek targets in Germany was being treated as genuine. Three men were arrested on Sept. 4 in Germany on suspicion of planning to attack US and other facilities.

“Now the authorities know that the specific targets were the US military air base at Ramstein and US and Uzbek consular facilities in Germany, and that the attacks were to have been carried out at the end of 2007. The aim of the planned bombings was to put pressure on Germany to close its air base at Termez, Uzbekistan, near the Afghan border. The base provides logistical support to the 3,000 German soldiers serving with NATO forces in… Afghanistan.

“The IJU message was published at around 5 p.m. C.E.T. on Tuesday on a Web site that has been used by the group before. German intelligence agents quickly translated the announcement, which was in Turkish… The IJU is listed as a terrorist organization by the US State Department and is described as an off-shoot of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. It is thought to have been behind the 2004 bombings directed at the US and Israeli embassies in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent. Uzbek militants have been establishing a presence in northern Pakistan in recent years.

“The three suspects arrested last week — Fritz Gelowicz and Daniel Schneider, both German converts to Islam, and Adem Yilmaz, a Turkish man living in Germany — are all thought to have trained in camps in Pakistan and to have formed an IJU cell in Germany.

“Anti-terror investigators had been monitoring the men for months after the CIA alerted the German authorities in autumn 2006 to a possible plot after intercepting emails between Pakistan and Germany. Hundreds of police officers were involved in one of the biggest surveillance operations in post-war German history.

“The authorities knew that the men were living in a rented vacation house in the village of Oberschledorn and had obtained 730 kilograms of 35-percent hydrogen peroxide, enough to make massive bombs. But when local village police stopped the suspects for a traffic violation, they became jittery. The authorities decided it was time to move in and arrest the three men…

“The fact that two of the terror suspects were German has raised fears of home-grown terrorism and led for calls for increased monitoring of converts to Islam. Deputy CDU floor leader Wolfgang Bosbach has even called for a register of all converts to Islam. He told the Bayerische Rundfunk radio station on Tuesday that this would make sense ‘as we know that some who convert become radicalized. That does not mean a general suspicion, just a defense against danger.’

“The chairman of the Central Council of Muslims, Ayyub Axel Köhler — a convert himself — warned against overreacting. ‘Where would the country drift towards if there were a converts register?’ he said, adding that Muslims were ‘reliable partners in word and deed in the fight against terrorism.'”

German Hypocrisy and Short-Sightedness

A recent example of hypocrisy and short-sightedness in German politics and the German media serves to illustrate what the utterance of “politically incorrect” opinions can do to prominent celebrities in a “free” country. However, the German people are getting sick and tired of such occurrences, and it stands to reason that they will soon show their frustrations in different ways.

On September 10, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“Eva Herman, a prominent talk show host and author, has been courting controversy over the last year by saying women should stay at home and bear children. Now she has been FIRED by the country’s premier TV network” over comments she made regarding the Third Reich.

This is what Herman said:

“‘It was a gruesome time with a totally crazy and highly dangerous leader who led the Germans into ruin as we all know. But there was at the time also something good, and that is the values, that is the children, that is the families, that is a togetherness — it was all abolished [in the 1960’s], there was nothing left.'”

Der Spiegel Online mentioned that “Herman told Bild newspaper… that she couldn’t understand what the fuss was about. ‘I expressly distanced myself from the “Third Reich” at several points. One has to put my statement into its overall context. This isn’t about Hitler’s values, but about basic human values… Those who know me and read the book know that I fundamentally reject far-left and far-right parties.'”

Herman’s stance against right-winged parties and Hitler in general is very well known in Germany. However, just to suggest that anything good might have happened during the Hitler era was already too much to accept for the German press and German politicians. In addition, feminists attacked Herman, and so did Jewish leaders and representatives who were also board members of the TV station which fired Herman.

What a foolish and short-sighted reaction–even from an historical perspective. If EVERYTHING had been bad, then Hitler would have not been elected by the Germans. And so we will see that another charismatic political and military leader will emerge in Europe–and people will actually WORSHIP him. However, he will arise because of the power of Satan (Revelation 13:4; 2 Corinthians 11:14)! Satan is transforming himself into an “angel of light”–thereby DECEIVING the masses (Revelation 12:9).

Britain’s Coming Credit Crisis

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 7:

“Could any country be more exposed to the current credit crunch than the U.S.? You bet, and that place is Britain. Unlike most of its European neighbors, Britain shares many of America’s financial traits–and problems. Access to cheap credit has fueled a decade of unprecedented growth, with home prices tripling over the past decade, a faster rise than in the U.S. Consumer spending has skyrocketed, now making up roughly two-thirds of the country’s total outlays. And the overall economy in Britain is more dependent on financial services than it is in the States.

“Add it all up, and ‘Britain is likely to suffer more severely than the U.S.’ if the current market turmoil continues, says Danny Gabay, director of Fathom Financial Consulting in London. How severely? Gabay and many other economists think annual growth in Britain could drop to about half the 3% or so it has clocked in recent years.

“Roughly half of Britain’s growth in the last 18 months has come from financial and business services–everything from accounting and legal advice to real estate. Together these sectors bring in 30% of Britain’s national income, far more than in the U.S., says Peter Spencer, an economics professor at the University of York. If a fall-off in financial services were to put the brakes on leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions, and offerings of credit derivatives, thousands of jobs could be lost, primarily at banks, brokerages, and other financial outfits, the Centre for Economics & Business Research Ltd. estimates.

“… British consumers owe $2.7 trillion on credit cards, mortgages, and other consumer loans–or more than the country’s entire economic output. Household debt as a percentage of gross disposable income is 166%, compared with 127% in the U.S. So it’s hardly surprising that in the past year, British banks have had to write off $18 billion in bad debts, mostly consumer borrowing. Such write-offs could be just the beginning if housing prices start to fall. Despite little growth in incomes, consumer spending has remained strong as Britons have borrowed against the rising value of their homes… With the average home now costing $370,000–roughly 11 times the average salary–housing is less affordable than at any time in the past 15 years… Foreclosures and personal bankruptcies are up by 30% in the first half of 2007, compared with the same period last year. Says Jamie Dannhauser, an economist at Lombard Street Research in London: ‘The pain is only going to get worse.'”

Britain in Moral Decline

The Daily Mail wrote on September 8:

“Four out of five Britons think the nation is in moral decline, according to a poll published yesterday… The findings from the survey, which was carried out for the BBC, highlight growing worries over social breakdown and rising levels of crime… Most of those questioned thought the retreat of religious belief was a factor in moral decline… This week Church of England leaders expressed alarm over the moral direction of the Government, complaining that proposed equality laws will suppress religious belief and stop Christians from expressing their views.”

Ethiopia Celebrates Third Millennium

AFP reported on September 12:

“Ethiopia entered the third millennium seven years after the rest of the world Wednesday, amid lavish celebrations, religious fervor and messages of hope from the troubled country’s leaders. As the giant countdown board in central Addis Ababa flashed the year 2000 at midnight (2100 GMT), thousands of faithful from all over Ethiopia — which follows a unique, slightly modified Julian calendar — gathered in churches… Several heads of state also attended the ceremony, including Sudan’s Omar al-Beshir, Rwanda’s Paul Kagame and Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki…

“Ethiopia is the ONLY AFRICAN NATION NEVER TO HAVE BEEN COLONISED and is fiercely nationalistic, but the celebrations could not completely conceal the country’s divisions. Ethiopia was one of the first Christian kingdoms in history but around half of its current population of 81 million is Muslim and the millennium buzz was lost on many.”

Der Spiegel Online added on September 12:

“According to their unique Coptic calendar, which lags seven years behind the more common Gregorian calendar, Wednesday marks the first day of 2000… Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said… ‘A thousand years from now, when Ethiopians gather to welcome the fourth millennium… [they] will say that the eve of the third millennium was the beginning of the end of the dark ages in Ethiopia.'”

Christian Confusion Galore!!!

Zenit wrote on September 9:

“Going to Sunday Mass is not just a rule to follow, but rather an ‘inner necessity,’ [said] Benedict XVI… during the Mass he celebrated at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, on the last day of his three-day apostolic trip to Austria… The [Pope’s] homily centered on the mantra of the early Christian martyrs of Abitene: ‘Without Sunday we cannot live.’… Sunday, said the Pontiff, also calls to mind the day of the dawning of creation. He said: ‘Therefore Sunday is also the Church’s weekly feast of creation — the feast of thanksgiving and joy over God’s creation.’

In what way, may we ask, does Sunday picture a feast of creation? God made man and created the SABBATH for man (Mark 2:27). The Sabbath is to be kept from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. And we are commanded in the Ten Commandments to keep the SABBATH holy–no word about Sunday!

The Denver Journal, Vol. 10, August 2007 edition, only added to the confusion, when it reported, with approval, about the new book by Pope Benedict XVI, formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger, as follows:

“In this context, Ratzinger interacts in detail with Jacob Neusner’s excellent little work, A Rabbi Talks with Jesus. Neusner has hit the nail on the head. Jesus’ program is more than a reformation or restoration of Judaism; it involves the recurring claim that all meaningful rituals and Laws of the Hebrew Scriptures are fulfilled in him. Christ is the true Sabbath offering eternal rest. Jesus’ community of disciples forms the new Israel and his true family. One obeys the Law by following Jesus, free from the responsibility to literally perform the 613 commandments of Torah. Neusner correctly recognizes that only one who is God has the right to make such claims of people, but he cannot accept Jesus’ deity. Ratzinger insists on it.”

This is incredible! Jesus became the “true Sabbath”–therefore, the Fourth Commandment does not need to be obeyed anymore??? What kind of a rationale is that? And WHERE does the Bible say that Jesus became the “true Sabbath?” Nowhere! Rather, we are told that Jesus is the LORD of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28). Therefore, the Sabbath–not Sunday–is His day and MUST be kept today by His true followers. The allegation that we don’t need to keep anymore the “613 commandments of the Torah”–the LAW or the five books of Moses–is ludicrous. It would reject ALL of the Ten Commandments, as they are all found among the “613 commandments of the Torah” (compare Genesis 20; Deuteronomy 5). So, are we being taught now that NONE of the Ten Commandments are to be kept today? Are we now free to kill, steal, commit adultery, dishonor our parents, or lust after other people or things?

For a TRUE understanding of God’s requirements for us today, please read our free booklets, “And Lawlessness Will Abound,” and “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

A Core Europe Without Britain?

The Telegraph reported on September 4:

“British withdrawal from the EU is coming into sharper focus, with all the grave consequences that will ensue for the Atlantic order and the cause of market liberalism. For this we can thank those who recklessly – or mischievously – chose to revive the European Constitution after rejection by the French and Dutch people… Gordon Brown’s plan to slip it through Parliament is becoming untenable in the face of a backbench revolt by Labour MPs, a united Tory opposition, and likely calls for a vote by the Liberal Democrats… It is unlikely that British voters can be cajoled into endorsing this Putsch, once debate is joined…

“Hopes that the French people will rescue us a second time are fading. Mr Sarkozy has a crushing majority in parliament, and is better able to duck a referendum than Mr Brown… Holland remains eerily silent, watching us… British withdrawal – so obviously forced upon us – would [send] tremors through Holland, Denmark, and Sweden, among the oldest democracies in Europe as it happens, and the richest. It would traumatise Ireland, and dismay Finland… Where all this might end is anybody’s guess, but it is a fair assumption that Mr Sarkozy will quickly press for a core-Europe… What we take for granted as the permanent post-War order is more fragile than it looks.”

Vanishing Britain

On August 28, Townhall.com published the following article:

“Perhaps there will not always be an England. An exodus unprecedented in modern times, coupled with a record influx of foreigners, is threatening to erode the character of the land of William Shakespeare and overpowering monarchs, a land that served as the cradle for much of American thought, law and culture… Between June 2005 and June 2006 nearly 200,000 British citizens chose to leave the country for a new life elsewhere. During the same period, at least 574,000 immigrants came to Britain. This number does not include the people who broke the law to get there, or the thousands unknown to the government…

“Britons give many reasons for leaving, but their stories share one commonality: life in Britain has become unbearable for them. They fear lawlessness and the threat of more terrorism from a growing Muslim population and the loss of a sense of Britishness, exacerbated by the growing refusal of public schools to teach the history and culture of the nation to the next generation…

“Abraham Lincoln said no nation can exist half slave and half free. Neither can a nation be sustained if it allows conditions that result in mass emigration, while importing huge numbers of foreigners who come from backgrounds that do not practice assimilation or tolerance of other beliefs. When one factors in the high number of abortions (one in five pregnancies are aborted in England and Wales), the high birth rates of immigrants (15 times those of white Britons), it doesn’t take a population expert to predict that the days of the England we have known may be numbered.

“The problem for Britain and the United States isn’t just the change in demographics. It is the reluctance of both countries to inculcate the beliefs, history and, yes, religious ideals, which made our nations so successful that others wanted to come and be a part of them. The difference between many of the current immigrants and those of the past is that the previous ones wanted to become fully American or fully British. The current ones, in too many cases, would destroy what makes our countries unique. And the ‘leaders’ of Britain and America refuse to stop it.”

The Most Powerful Woman in the World

The Associated Press reported on August 31:

“Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel tops Forbes magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most powerful women for the second year in a row, while Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice slipped to fourth from second last year. Merkel ‘continued to impress the world with her cool leadership at two back-to-back summits,’ Forbes said.

“The magazine cited her work getting leaders at the Group of Eight summit to agree to goals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and persuading European Union leaders to get moving on a treaty to replace their failed constitution. China’s vice premier Wu Yi was No. 2, and Ho Ching of Singapore, chief executive of Temasek Holdings, was third ahead of Rice.

“Several other female heads of state or government made the list, including Britain’s Queen Elizabeth at No. 23, New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark at No. 38, Finland’s President Tarja Halonen at No. 50 and Philippines president Gloria Arroyo at No. 51. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton was No. 25 and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was No. 26, while first lady Laura Bush was 60th.”

Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “The Most Powerful Woman.”

Coming–Complete Isolation of the USA?

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 31:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday proposed the idea of basing a nation’s carbon emissions allowance on population size. German commentators on Friday say it’s another step on the path towards isolating the USA. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel may be the most powerful woman in the world according to Forbes magazine, but getting the world to agree on how to combat climate change has so far eluded even her. On Thursday, though, she made yet another proposal aimed at bringing developing nations like China and India on board: carbon dioxide emissions based on population size…

“Center-left paper Süddeutsche Zeitung on Friday writes: ‘Whether global climate protection continues — and whether a new treaty replaces and improves upon the Kyoto Protocol — depends largely on solving the problem of fairness. The greenhouse effect cannot be stopped without large developing nations, just as it cannot be stopped without the USA… It looks as though Merkel wants to continue following her G-8 strategy: that of isolating the US until it comes around. An American releases 20 times as much greenhouse gases as an Indian does — and the consequences are clear: Merkel’s proposal will not be well received. But America’s scepticism could soon result in its complete isolation.'”

The Creation of Human-Animal Embryos

The Guardian wrote on September 2:

“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… Under existing laws, the embryos must be destroyed after 14 days… 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.”

AFP added on September 5:

“Britain’s fertility regulator decided in principle Wednesday to allow scientists to create human-animal hybrid embryos for research purposes. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) gave the go-ahead to controversial plans to create ‘cytoplasmic’ embryos, which merge human cells with eggs from animals such as cattle.”

How deceptive the scientific approach is toward this incredible ethic violation, can be seen from the following statement, quoted in the AFP article: “The resulting embryos are therefore mostly human, with a small animal component.” But at the same time, it is being admitted that “The research involves transferring nuclei containing DNA from human cells to animal eggs that have had nearly all their genetic information removed.” So, however one wants to slice it, HUMAN CELLS are supposed to be transferred to an ANIMAL EGG. No sugarcoated language can deny the fact that what is being “envisioned” here is THE CREATION of a human-animal mixture. The long and the short of it is this: Scientists want to play God–again! HOW LONG is God going to allow such conduct to continue? Let us all pray that it won’t be TOO MUCH LONGER!!!

U.S. Blitzkrieg Against Iran?

WorldNetDaily reported on September 2:

“The Pentagon has formulated a ‘three-day blitz’ plan to annihilate Iran’s military that targets 1,200 sites, including Tehran’s nuclear facilities, in order to render its military incapable of conducting offensive, defensive or retaliatory missions… President Bush increased his rhetoric against Iran’s nuclear program last week, saying Tehran had put the Mideast ‘under the shadow of a nuclear holocaust’ and indicated action would be [taken] against the program ‘before it is too late.’… Revelation of a plan for a three-day blitz to destroy Iran’s fighting ability indicates the administration leans toward the use of rapid, overwhelming force if the military option is used.”

Times-On-Line added on September 2:

“One Washington source said the ‘temperature was rising’ inside the administration… Bush is committed for now to the diplomatic route but thinks Iran is moving towards acquiring a nuclear weapon. According to one well placed source, Washington believes it would be prudent to use rapid, overwhelming force, should military action become necessary… Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, irritated the Bush administration last week by vowing to fill a ‘power vacuum’ in Iraq… Bush noted that the number of attacks on US bases and troops by Iranian-supplied munitions had increased in recent months…”

Austria’s Right-Wing Parties Unite Against Mosques

On September 1, 2007, “New Europe–The European Weekly,” reported the following:

“On August 27, Austria’s feuding right-wing parties, the Freedom Party and the Alliance for Austria’s Future (BZ), united to fight the construction of mosques in the country. Freedom Party leader Heinz-Christian Strache stressed his support for amendments to Austria’s constitution to that effect that were proposed by his arch-nemesis Joerg Haider on the weekend before last. Haider, governor of the province Carinthia and former leader of the BZ, a breakaway party from the Freedom Party, called for a ban on the construction of mosques and minarets, dpa reported. He was against a ‘clash of cultures’ or ‘radical-Islamic tendencies like in Cologne or Vienna’ in his province, Haider was quoted as saying on August 26. Haider called for a countrywide ban in order to protect Austria’s prevailing western culture, it was reported. He also demanded religious groups to be obliged to use German language in services and sermons.

“Going one step further, Strache demanded ‘measures against the Islamisation of Austria,’ including a ban on headscarves in schools, universities and the public service, the deportation of radical preachers and an annual ‘Islamisation report.’ The controversial remarks are expected to trigger another outcry by representatives of Muslim organisations in Austria, who stress the freedom of religion enshrined in the country’s constitution.”

Turkey Refuses to Recognize Assyrian Genocide–Exerts Pressure on Europeans

Eastern Star News Agency reported on August 31:

“Many people are today aware of the genocide the Assyrian people suffered during WWI at the hands of the Turks and… the Kurds. Many also know that this genocide, called Seyfo by Assyrians, is an incredibly controversial issue among Turks, who refuse to this… day to accept any accusations of genocide in spite of the conclusions made by independent scholars who have studied the issue.

“This Turkish-Assyrian issue caused many headlines in the Swedish media in the last two weeks. It started during a speech of the leader of the social democratic party, Mona Sahlin, in Stockholm on… August [12], 2007. When informed that Mona Sahlin was to hold a speech in town, an Assyrian group prepared a leaflet with the message ‘Recognize the genocide against the Assyrians.’ Also present during the speech of the social democratic leader was a Turkish group from the local area. Chaos ensued. The Turkish group started making threats and demanding that the leaflet of the Assyrian group be taken down. Feeling the pressure and the threats of the Turkish group, the social democratic representatives started demanding from the Assyrians to take down the leaflet. The Assyrians took down the leaflet reluctantly.

“The following day the uproar started in the Swedish media. The debate evolved around whether Swedish society should submit to threats made by Turks or other groups who do not respect the freedom of speech. Many influential persons expressed solidarity with the Assyrians and called for the Seyfo genocide to be recognized. The social democratic party was shaken by the event and the harsh criticism against it for not standing up for the freedom of speech. Several newspapers also criticized the party for not officially recognizing the genocide on Assyrians because of Turkish threats and diplomatic pressure.”

Iraq: Britain vs. USA — and Iran Rejoices

On September 4, 2007, Der Spiegel Online reported the following:

“Monday was a day of symbols in Iraq. Just as British forces were making their withdrawal from Basra in the south, US President George W. Bush made a surprise visit to Anbar province west of Baghdad…  Commentators writing in Germany’s main newspapers Tuesday had little positive to say about either the American or the British strategy.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

“‘The majority of Americans lost faith a long time ago that their GIs could use armed force to impose peace in the torn-apart country, especially since Iraq’s overwhelmingly Shiite government does more or less nothing to bring about the drastically needed reconciliation with the Sunnis and the Kurds…’

“The conservative Die Welt, in a piece headlined ‘Brown Versus Bush,’ laments the British decision to withdraw its troops from Basra:

“‘Britain could have waited another 10 days (until Petraeus officially hands over his Iraq report to Bush) before withdrawing to their base at the Basra airport. Instead, Brown chose to follow his own British way in order to boost his own popularity at the cost of trans-Atlantic relations… By acting on his own in Iraq, Gordon Brown re-focused the Iraq debate on withdrawal, when perseverance is actually called for.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:

“‘The end of the physical presence of British troops in Shiite Basra has great symbolism, which makes Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s justification for the withdrawal look like nothing more than an embarrassing rhetorical contortion. The withdrawal may have been planned and organized. But it does not look much like a success story, happening as it did during the night while a curfew prevailed. That makes the supposed withdrawal seem more like a retreat, if not an actual DEFEAT.”

“‘Such a verdict would more accurately reflect the situation in southern Iraq, the mood in the United Kingdom and the debate of the past months, which ended up this weekend in a BITTER BRITISH-AMERICAN RECKONING. London has failed, and completely — this is the verdict that Brown now has to hear, from the British opposition and from the ranks of his American ally. The assessment is partially justified, but it is also partially wrong: Washington is certainly more “responsible” for the situation in Iraq than London.’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘Even when the British were right in the center of (Basra), they couldn’t prevent the open struggle between the Shiite militias for control of the oil-rich province. The British have handed over the city to an Iraqi administration and security forces that have long become an instrument of the militia. They are now waiting in the wings to fill the vacuum. With all of these Shiite militias, Iran’s influence is growing in the region. It remains to be seen how big a mistake it was not to include Tehran in the search for a political solution in Iraq…

“‘TEHRAN WILL CERTAINLY BE DELIGHTED TO ACCEPT THE GIFT OF BASRA. But whether the mullahs will become a force for order or chaos in future, depends on the US attitude to Iran. The British diversionary tactics of recent days have been BIZARRE, with the former commander of British forces in Iraq Mike Jackson describing Washington’s Iraq policy as “intellectually bankrupt” — as if Tony Blair were dragged into the Iraq War against his will.'”

Germany Under Terror Attack

BBC News reported on September 5:

“Three men have been arrested in Germany on suspicion of planning a ‘massive’ terrorist attack on US facilities in the country, officials have said. Federal prosecutor Monika Harms said the three had trained at camps in Pakistan and procured some 700kg (1,500lbs) of chemicals for explosives. She said the accused had sought to target facilities visited by Americans, such as nightclubs, pubs or airports. Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said the men had posed ‘an imminent threat’…

“The suspects, aged 22, 28 and 29, were alleged to be members of the German cell of a group she named as Islamic Jihad Union. Two of the men were German nationals who had converted to Islam, while the third was a Turkish man. Ms Harms said the al-Qaeda-linked group had set up the cell last year… Joerg Ziercke, the head of Germany’s federal crime office, said the men had a ‘profound hatred of US citizens’. They had been under surveillance for six months, but the authorities decided to act when it became clear the men were planning to move their huge stores of hydrogen peroxide…

“Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble called the men ‘very dangerous terrorists’. ‘They obviously planned these attacks on the orders of an international network,’ he said. Mr Schaeuble said one man was linked to a mosque in the southern city of Neu-Ulm that authorities had suspected for years was an extremist base.

“… there have been growing concerns that Islamist militants are operating in the country. Six years ago, the northern city of Hamburg was thrust into the spotlight after it emerged a cell had used it as a base for planning the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US. Last summer, two identical suitcase bombs were planted on two commuter trains in the German cities of Dortmund and Koblenz but they failed to explode.”

Der Spiegel Online added on September 5:

“It would have been an inferno. The explosive material the men had would have sufficed to make bombs with a higher explosive power that those used in the attacks in Madrid and London… It is still not clear which targets the group actually wanted to attack in Germany. In wiretapped conversations, the men spoke again and again about possible targets. Frankfurt airport and other airports were discussed, as was the US airbase at Ramstein and other possible locations such as a nightclub.”

US Attorney General Gonzales Resigns

AFP wrote on August 27:

“US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said he would resign Monday, after a scandal-tainted tenure marred by critics’ claims he was incompetent, hid the truth and may be guilty of perjury. Gonzales, an architect of contentious US ‘war on terror’ legal tactics, was also at the center of a row with Democrats over firings of federal prosecutors, and had lost the confidence of many top Republicans.

“He was the latest confidant to leave President George W. Bush’s inner circle, two weeks after political guru Karl Rove named his own departure date and 17 months before the US leader himself exits the White House. ‘Al Gonzales is a man of integrity, decency and principle, and I have reluctantly accepted his resignation,’ Bush said in Waco, Texas after Gonzales’s sudden announcement… Democrats vowed to press on with congressional probes into the conduct of the Justice Department and the White House… Critics say Gonzales, a former White House counsel, signed off on ‘torture’ methods to interrogate ‘war on terror’ prisoners and say programs he backed like a warrantless wiretapping scheme infringed the US constitution. He also argued that terror suspects held at the US base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba had no rights under the Geneva Convention.”

Extra 50 Billion Dollars for Iraq?

AFP wrote on August 29:

“US President George W. Bush plans to ask Congress for an extra 50 billion dollars for Iraq… The request would seek to pay for the current troop ‘surge’ strategy and is a sign that Bush anticipates prevailing in a showdown with the Democratic-controlled Congress which has been pushing for troop withdrawal, the Washington Post said. If approved, the bid would bring US spending on the Iraq war to MORE THAN THREE BILLION DOLLARS PER WEEK… The 50 billion dollars would be in addition to the 460 billion dollars in the fiscal 2008 defense budget and 147 billion dollars in a pending supplemental bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Britons Die in U.S. “Friendly Fire”

AFP wrote on August 24:

“Three British NATO troops were killed in an apparent ‘friendly fire’ incident in Afghanistan when US jets dropped a bomb on them during fighting with the Taliban… The deaths are likely to spark anger in Britain, where a coroner ruled earlier this year that a British soldier was unlawfully [“criminally”] killed by US pilots in Iraq and criticised the Pentagon for failing to provide information… Britain has more than 6,000 troops in Afghanistan, a figure which will increase to over 7,700 this year. They are mostly deployed in the south. A total of 73 British troops have been killed in Afghanistan since 2001.”

Afghanistan Almost Exclusive World’s Supplier of Opium

AFP reported on August 27:

“Afghanistan’s opium production [used to make heroin] has doubled in two years, reaching a new high in 2007, with the country almost the exclusive supplier of the world’s deadliest drug [accounting for 93 percent of the global opiates market]… Production [is] estimated to have jumped 34 percent this year over last with the number of heroin labs also increasing… The southern province of Helmand [has] meanwhile become the world’s biggest source of illicit drugs, surpassing the output of entire countries. This [is the case] despite a multi-million-dollar effort led by Britain and the United States to cut the opium trade which finances the growing Taliban insurgency that has killed thousands of people, including scores of Western soldiers… The amount of Afghan land used for growing opium [is] now larger than the combined total used to grow coca — the raw ingredient for cocaine — in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia…”

Bird Flu in Germany

The Associated Press reported on August 26:

“Tests have found that birds at a poultry farm in southern Germany died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, and some 160,000 birds were being slaughtered as a precaution… The virus was detected in ducklings at the farm near Erlangen, in northern Bavaria… More than 400 birds had died over a short period of time at the farm… Several cases of the virus have surfaced among wild birds in Germany this year. Last month, it was detected in a domestic goose in the east of the country. The H5N1 virus has killed more than 190 people worldwide…”

China Angers Germany

Times On Line reported on August 27:

“China has hacked into the computers of Angela Merkel’s Chancellery and three other German ministries in an extraordinary economic espionage operation… The claims, made in a detailed investigation by Der Spiegel magazine, were denied strenuously by the Chinese authorities yesterday, but there was no mistaking German anger.”

Merkel Meets With China’s and Japan’s Leaders

Deutsche Welle reported on August 29:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of a visit to Japan. The two leaders discussed global warming and economic issues, which the Chancellor and a German delegation travelling with her will also take up with business leaders. Japan takes over the presidency of the Group of Eight industrialised countries from Germany next year. Earlier, Merkel spent three days in China where she highlighted human rights, freedom of the press and the protection of intellectual property rights.”

China’s and Japan’s Defense Ministers Meet

AFP wrote on August 29:

“China’s defence minister was due in Japan Wednesday in the first such visit in more than nine years as the Asian giants work to repair their rocky relations. Defence affairs have been a key impediment in relations between the two countries, with Japan repeatedly joining the United States in voicing concern about China’s rapidly growing military budget… The two defence ministers may also discuss launching a hotline between the two nations amid Japan’s concerns over China’s military build-up, Japanese media said. China had said it will boost military spending by 17.8 percent this year and in January became only the third nation to shoot down an object in space.”

Confused Christianity–Passport to Heaven?

Zenit reported on August 26:

“Heaven is an equal-opportunity destination, but to gain entry one needs a ‘passport’ stamped with virtues such as humility, mercy and truth, [said Pope] Benedict XVI… in a reflection he gave on the “narrow gate’…  [The pope] said that the message of Christ is that everybody has an equal chance of entering through the narrow gate, ‘but it is “narrow” because it is demanding, it requires commitment, self-denial and mortification of one’s own egoism.’ Christ invites all to heaven, he said, ‘but with one and the same condition: that of making the effort to follow him and imitate him, taking up one’s cross, as he did, and dedicating one’s life to the service of our brothers.’ Benedict XVI makes the point that ‘we will not be judged on the basis of presumed privileges, but by our works.’ ‘True friendship with Christ,’ he added, ‘is expressed by one’s way of life: it is expressed by goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love of justice and truth, sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation.'”

Nowhere in the Bible do we read that humans go to heaven when they die. Rather, the saints are to inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). Converted Christians will be resurrected from their sleep of death at the time of Christ’s return (1 Thessalonians 4:16)–to rule on the earth (Revelation 5:10). For more information, please read our free booklet, “Do We Have an Immortal Soul?”

More Confusion in Orthodox Christianity

The German magazine, Der Stern, wrote on August 28 about Sunday papers. The following comments exemplify the utter confusion of many Germans and Europeans, as well as Americans, for that matter, about the Biblical command to keep the weekly SABBATH holy–not SUNDAY.  The article stated:

“You shall read on the seventh day… Turmoil on holy Sunday… active competition is big on the seventh day…”

Sunday is neither holy–in the eyes of God–nor is it the seventh day. Sunday is the FIRST day of the week–a day that God never sanctified or declared holy. The Sabbath–the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset–is the seventh day, and God made IT holy (compare Genesis 2:2-3; Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5:12-15).

It is remarkable, however, that in Germany and other European countries, the CALENDAR was changed, following the lead of the Catholic Church. Calendars in the USA clearly identify Sunday correctly as the FIRST day of the week–not as the seventh day! This is NOT the case in Germany and other European countries, where SUNDAY is falsely designated as the SEVENTH day of the week, and Monday as the first day. Can you see the subtle–and not so subtle–deception?

This development was prophesied thousands of years ago. In Daniel 7:25, a religious power is mentioned, which shall “intend to change times and law”–that is, the LAW regarding which TIMES God has set aside as HOLY. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

No More Mosques in Carinthia, Austria?

On August 27, Reuters reported that “Austrian right-wing firebrand Joerg Haider said on Monday he plans to change building laws to prevent mosques and minarets being erected in his home province of Carinthia. Haider, Carinthia’s governor, said he would ask its parliament to amend the building code to… require towns and villages to consider ‘religious and cultural tradition’ when dealing with construction requests.

“‘We don’t want a clash of cultures and we don’t want institutions which are alien to our culture being erected in Western Europe,’ Haider said in a statement. ‘Muslims have of course the right to practise their religion, but I oppose erecting mosques and minarets as centres to advertise the power of Islam,’ he said.”

The article continued:

“Muslims in Europe are meeting increasing resistance to plans for mosques that befit Islam’s status as the continent’s second religion after Christianity, with petitions in London, protests in Cologne, a court case in Marseille and violence in Berlin. However, while all those places have significant Muslim minorities, Haider’s Carinthia has the second lowest share of Muslim citizens of all Austrian provinces — 11,000 out of a population of around 400,000.”

Britain an Embarrassment for the Entire EU?

The Telegraph reported on August 27, about Britain’s pending approval of the EU Treaty:

“Gordon Brown’s chances of ending a Labour revolt over the new EU reform treaty have been snuffed out after leading Euro-MPs made clear they would give no further concessions to Britain…  The Prime Minister is facing a mounting rebellion by his own backbenchers who are demanding a referendum on the treaty unless Mr Brown can extract fresh amendments at the eleventh hour. But representatives of the European Parliament who are directly involved in the last stage of negotiations insisted that Britain had already caused the EU enough problems by winning a series of ‘unacceptable’ opt-outs…

“Enrique Baron Crespo, a Spanish socialist and former president of the parliament, made clear Britain had already exhausted its goodwill. He said Britain’s opt-outs had ‘led to a situation close to humiliation and embarrassment for the entire EU’. Criticism also came from German MEP Elmar Brok, a close ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said: ‘The European parliament is worried about the exact extent, definition and consequences of the opt-outs.'”

The paper also mentioned that “More than 60,000 people have signed a Daily Telegraph petition calling for the people to be given a say.”

Is Israel Going to Abandon Control Over the Temple Mount?

WorldNetDaily wrote on August 28:

“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… Israeli and Palestinian diplomatic sources said U.S.-brokered biweekly meetings between Olmert and Abbas are being utilized to draft the outline of a permanent status deal, ultimately yielding a Palestinian state, scheduled to be aired in public at the November summit…”

The article also said that “Currently under Israeli control, Jews and Christians are barred from praying on the Mount.”

“Middle East Turmoil Could Cause World War”

Reuters reported on August 27:

“Upheaval in the Middle East and Islamic civilization could cause another world war, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations was quoted as saying in an Austrian newspaper… Zalmay Khalilzad told the daily Die Presse the Middle East was now so disordered that it had the potential to inflame the world as Europe did during the first half of the 20th century…

“Khalilzad was also quoted as saying Iraq would need foreign forces for security for a long time to come… Asked whether that could be 10-20 years, he said: ‘Yes, indeed, it could last that long. What form the help takes will depend a lot on the Iraqis. Up to now there is no accord between Iraq and the United States about a longer military presence.’ Khalilzad said the chaos in Iraq since U.S.-led forces overthrew Saddam Hussein in 2003 was not unavoidable but arose from mistakes in the initial period of occupation.”

Outspoken Sarkozy

ynetnews.com reported on August 27:

“In his first major foreign policy speech, [the] French president says [a] diplomatic push by [the] world’s powers to rein in Tehran’s nuclear program is [the] only alternative to [the] ‘Iranian bomb or bombing of Iran’…

“Sarkozy said a nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and that major powers should continue their policy of incrementally increasing sanctions against Tehran while being open to talks if Iran suspended nuclear activities. ‘This initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape an alternative that I say is catastrophic: the Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran,’ he said, adding that it was the worst crisis currently facing the world… Sarkozy criticized Russia for its dealings on the international stage. ‘Russia is imposing its return on the world scene by using its assets, notably oil and gas, with a certain brutality,’ he said…

“Sarkozy had warm words for the United States, saying friendship between the two countries was important. But he said he felt free to disagree with American policies, highlighting what he called a lack of leadership on the environment… Breaking with the policy of his predecessor Jacques Chirac, Sarkozy said he was prepared to hold high-level talks with Syria… But he stuck to his predecessor’s stance in demanding that a timeline be drawn up for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq.”

The Times added on August 28:

“President Sarkozy called Iran’s nuclear ambition the world’s most dangerous problem yesterday and raised the possibility that the country could be bombed if it persisted in building an atomic weapon… He did not say who would carry out such an attack, which has been suggested by policy experts in Israel and the US… President Sarkozy, the most pro-American French leader for decades, condemned the US invasion of Iraq…”

EU Greater World Rule–Under France?

The EUObserver wrote on August 28:

“As France prepares to assume the EU’s driving seat in July next year, president Nicolas Sarkozy has indicated he wants to turn the 27-nation bloc into a decisive player in the global arena – something he says would result in a fairer and more harmonious world order… ‘The European Union alone has accumulated, during the long process of building the community, the practical experience of a shared sovereignty that corresponds well to the demands of our times’, Mr Sarkozy told his audience of 180 diplomats, stressing the EU bloc has at its disposal a broad palette of instruments, ranging from military force to humanitarian and financial means. While outlining new ideas, Mr Sarkozy urged the 27-nation club to boost its common security strategy – namely to improve its conduct of joint military operations, to rationalize its arms procurement as well as boost countries’ contributions to Europe’s defence budget…”

German Reactions to Sarkozy’s Remarks–“Rambo in the Elysée”

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 28 on German reactions to Sarkozy’s first major policy speech. The magazine stated:

“In an editorial entitled ‘Rambo in the Elysée,’ the business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘The more poorly he speaks about certain things, the more seriously he takes himself. The speech that the head of state formulated yesterday was simply a manifold claim for French leadership, both in Europe and across the globe. The EU should formulate a security strategy under French leadership and one that will also reform NATO. Under Sarkozy’s personal leadership, the UN Security Council should find solutions in September for the crisis areas of Africa… The troublesome reality of France’s mid-sized power when it comes to foreign policy will catch up with this president, too.’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘The aim is clear: With the help of a strong EU, which will be led decisively by France, Paris wants to assert itself as a player on the global stage. One can interpret his attempt to extend the European Union toward Africa as an answer to Germany’s increased influence following its reunification and EU expansion. The desire to secure a place for Germany on the Security Council belongs to the realm of rhetoric. It will stir the Germans up, but in the end it won’t lead to anything…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes:

“The only thing that is clear is that France will embroil itself in many international conflicts under his leadership. To what end is unclear, unless of course it is just about gratifying Sarkozy’s craving for recognition. With refreshing clarity, the president has distanced himself from Russia and China. At the same time, he is trying to dispel the impression, which he brought about himself, that France’s foreign policy will be closer to that of the United States.”

Wildfires in Greece

AFP reported on August 25 about “the worst wildfires to hit Greece in a decade… More than 800 firefighters, along with about 400 soldiers, were supported by 11 planes and seven helicopters,” including in an area near Corinth. The article explained that “Greece has been battling multiple forest fires since June, fanned by three heatwaves, the latest this week, and months of drought.”

Der Spiegel wrote on August 27:

“Fires burn for the fourth day across Greece in the worst blazes the country has ever seen. At least 60 have died and help has arrived from across Europe. The authorities suspect that many of the fires have been set on purpose… Hundreds of villages have been completely destroyed all across the country and thousands of people are now homeless… ‘The destruction is of Biblical proportions,’ firefighter Nicholas Orphanos… told reporters according to Reuters. ‘There are villages we want to go to and we cannot because the roads are blocked. In 30 years, I have never seen such destruction.'”

The magazine continued:

“Karamanlis’ government has been accused of being unprepared for the intensity of this year’s fire season… judging by Monday’s headlines, his career at the head of Greece’s government may be over. Headlines were scathing, reading ‘Incompetent! Grief for the Dead, Rage for the Absence of the State,’ and ‘Shame for the Collapse of the State!'”

EU Standing Intervention Force?

The EUObserver reported about additional potential consequences from Greece’s wild fires. On August 28, the following was stated:

“The European Commission is considering new ways of how to boost EU emergency assistance to member states in crisis, prompted by the raging fires in Greece… The EU executive’s spokeswoman said several commission directorates are currently seeking ways to boost the bloc’s ability to react in similar situations as it seems the existing system ‘may not be enough to react as quickly as one wishes to.’

“Brussels is contemplating setting up some sort of ‘standing intervention force’ for different types of crises. The idea is to speed up joint actions so disasters can be tackled within hours of breaking out. She added that the new concept could be unveiled as early as this autumn and it would be worked out according to several scenarios on how to best coordinate the emergency teams from different countries.”

Turkey’s New President

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 29 about German reactions to the Turkish parliamentary election of their new president:

“Abdullah Gül’s election to the Turkish presidency is controversial in Turkey, mostly due to his roots in political Islam… The country’s military, which sees itself as the guardian of the Turkish secularism…, has repeatedly warned that it would not tolerate any moves away from secularism. Even the fact that [Gül’s] wife wears a headscarf — a symbol of Islam banned in public buildings in Turkey — is seen as a strike against him. But Gül, who until Tuesday was Turkey’s foreign minister, has also helped Turkey make major strides toward the European Union and the West. He is well respected in EU capitals and the government of [Prime Minister] Erdogan has ushered through a number of reforms aimed at preparing the country to become a member of the EU. So what, exactly, is to be made of his election? German commentators on Wednesday take a closer look.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung is enthusiastic about Gül’s victory: ‘There is no separation of church and state in Turkey. On the contrary: The country has reinvented the concept of secularism — the state has total control over religion. All mosques and imams are beholden to the Office of Religious Affairs — an office that even dictates the Friday sermon…’

“The financial daily Handelsblatt likewise sees Gül’s election in a positive light: ‘Gül’s election is an important step on the path towards emancipation from the military’s grasp. And that is an important step towards Europe…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The fact that the military is armed and ready to defend the foundations of secularism may be comforting for people who fear that their freedom to have the lifestyle they choose is under threat. But it is ominous for anyone who sees a greater evil in an authoritarian, military republic.'”

Concerns Over Turkey’s New Government

Not everyone shares the optimism expressed in the previous article. Deutsche Welle had this to say, on August 29:

“Abdullah Gül was elected Turkey’s next president on Tuesday. But calls by Prime Minister Erdogan for Gül’s critics to give up their citizenship have the media wondering what direction Turkey will take… Erdogan was commenting on an article by the prominent columnist Bekir Coskun from Turkey’s largest daily Hürriyet. Coskun had written that Gül’s presidency would mean the end of the secular state in Turkey — a fear shared by the country’s secular elite.”

The press report continued to point out:

“… according to Yüksel Isik from the Progressive Journalists Association, the prime minister’s statement showed that press freedom was still a major challenge in Turkey. ‘The prime minister is taking an exclusionary stance against a prominent journalist, Bekir Coskun, as if he is “the other”,’ Isik said. ‘If local governors follow the prime minister’s behavior and try to pressure journalists in local regions, this would mean the total terrorization of Turkey by this government.’

“In a separate move, the mass circulation Hürriyet fired columnist Emin Cölasan last week, who is known for his highly critical articles on the AKP-led government. According to Isik, these events showed that the problem of press freedom was more serious than it appeared. ‘Many of our journalist colleagues have been fired without any just cause, only for their criticism of governmental policies,’ Isik said… For Turkey’s journalists, the big question now is whether the Islamist-rooted AKP will use its majority power to continue criticizing the press or to open itself up to different views.”