The Pope Does Not Apologize

The Associated Press reported on September 20, 2006:

“Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that he has ‘deep respect’ for Islam, but he did not offer an apology demanded by some Muslim leaders offended by the pontiff’s remarks in Germany last week. The pope acknowledged that his remarks were open to misinterpretation, but insisted he had not intended to endorse a negative view of Islam… At the University of Regensburg last week, Benedict cited the words of a Byzantine emperor who characterized some of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as ‘evil and inhuman,’ particularly ‘his command to spread by the sword the faith.’ ‘This quote unfortunately lent itself to be misunderstood,’ the pontiff said Wednesday. ‘In no way did I wish to make my own the words of the medieval emperor. I wished to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason go together.’… But not all in the Islamic world were satisfied by Benedict’s statement of regret. The grand sheik of Cairo’s Al-Azhar Mosque, the Sunni Arab world’s most powerful institution, demanded that Benedict apologize more clearly.”

Bild Online reported on September 21, 2006, that thousands of Palestinians demonstrated in Ramallah against Pope Benedict XVI’s comments about Islam. According to the paper, a spokesman of the radical Islamic “Freedom Party,” which organized the demonstration, said that Muslim troops would conquer and destroy Rome.

Did Pope Benedict XVI Mean It?

On September 19, The Asia Times published the following editorial by Spengler on the front page:

“Jihad injures reason, for it honors a god who suffers no constraints on his caprice, unlike the Judeo-Christian god, who is limited by love. That is the nub of Pope Benedict XVI’s September 12 address in Regensburg, Germany. It promises to be the Vatican’s most controversial utterance in living memory… it is a defining moment comparable to Winston Churchill’s ‘Iron Curtain’ speech at Fulton, Missouri, in 1946… To denounce jihad on theological grounds is a blow at the foundations of Islam, in effect a papal call for the conversion of the Muslims… The Regensburg address oversteps the bounds of dialogue and verges upon the missionary…

“Specifically, Benedict stated that jihad, the propagation of Islam by force, is irrational, because it is against the Reason of God. Citing a 14th-century Byzantine emperor to the effect that Mohammed’s ‘decree that the faith he preached should be spread with the sword’ as ‘evil and inhumane’ provoked headlines. But of greater weight is the pope’s observation that Allah is a god whose ‘absolute transcendence’ allows no constraint, to the point that Allah is free if he chooses to promote evil… To ask Islam to become moderate, to reform, to become a peaceful religion of personal conscience is the precise equivalent of asking Catholics to abolish Mass…

“Regarding Benedict XVI’s statement that the characterization of the Prophet Mohammed did not reflect his ‘personal opinion’: In 1938, at the peak of Stalin’s terror, a Muscovite called the KGB to report that his parrot had escaped. The KGB officer said, ‘Why are you calling us?’ The Muscovite averred, ‘I want to state for the record that I do not share the parrot’s political opinions.'”

Please make sure to watch our new StandingWatch program titled, “The Pope in Germany.”

Military Coup in Thailand

On September 20, The Associated Press reported:

“The army commander who seized Thailand’s government in a quick, bloodless coup pledged Wednesday to hold elections by October 2007, and received a ringing endorsement from the country’s revered king. Gen. Sondhi… also hinted that ousted Prime Minister Thaksin… may face prosecution… Australia called the coup a ‘great disappointment,’ while Japan urged the quick restoration of democracy. The European Union condemned the military takeover, while Washington expressed concern about it… King Bhumibol… appointed Sondhi as head of the council ‘in order to create peace in the country.’… Sondhi led a precision takeover overnight without firing a shot, sending soldiers and tanks to guard major intersections and surround government buildings while the popularly elected Thaksin, accused of corruption and undermining democratic institutions, was in New York attending the U.N. General Assembly…

“In launching Thailand’s first coup in 15 years, Sondhi said on nationwide television that the overthrow was needed ‘in order to resolve the conflict and bring back normalcy and harmony among people.’… State-run television also announced that the new leaders had dismissed the state audit commissioners and given additional powers to the auditor general… to investigative government corruption. Analysts said the move is expected to make it easier… to investigate allegations of corruption involving Thaksin and his ministers and could eventually lead to the confiscation of his assets. The British Foreign Office said Thaksin was to arrive Wednesday in London on a private visit.”

The Associated Press added on September 21, 2006:

“Thailand’s new military rulers said Thursday that four top members of deposed Prime Minister Thaksin’s… administration had been detained. The regime also assumed the duties of parliament, which was dissolved when the government was ousted in a coup earlier this week, and banned meetings by all political parties… Other moves include barring the establishment of new parties and placing limitations on public meetings and restrictions on the media… Washington believes Thailand’s first coup in 15 years is ‘a step backward for democracy…’ The European Union demanded ‘that the military forces stand back and give way to the democratically elected political government.’ Other Western governments have issued similar statements.”

Hungarian Riots

In a very key area of Eastern Europe, unrest is brewing. As Hungary–a key center of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire–struggles to bring itself into line with European Union membership, an incriminating revelation has led to serious civil unrest. Bloomberg.com reported on September 20:

“Hungarian rioters clashed with police on the third consecutive night of violence in downtown Budapest, while demonstrations demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany continued… The riots, the worst since the end of communist rule, were sparked by a leaked tape in which Gyurcsany admitted the Socialist-led government misled the public about the need to cut spending before April general elections.”

These open demonstrations may not be the focus of news in the West, but they are another indication of the latent unrest that seethes below the surface of a Europe looking for leadership–strong, decisive, problem solving leadership! To place this current upheaval in perspective, consider these additional comments from the Bloomberg report:

“The past two days were the worst street violence in Hungary since the end of communism in 1989… Rioters invoked the memories [of] 1956, when Hungarians revolted against communist rule, fighting government and Soviet troops for weeks.”

The Associated Press added on September 21, 2006:

“Hungary’s main opposition party on Thursday postponed a weekend political rally amid fears of further street violence, saying state security officials had warned that the gathering could be hit by bomb attacks… and other ‘provocations’ from government and state security officials… fears of a bomb attack reflected the high level of political tensions that have gripped the country… The violence has shaken Hungary, held up as a model of progress following the collapse of communism in eastern Europe.”

It does not seem to take much these days to set an entire country on fire…

Shocking Victory of the Far Right in German State Elections

Der Spiegel reported on September 18:

“Germany’s far-right National Democratic Party [NPD], which wants to repatriate foreigners and believes Germany should stop atoning for the Holocaust, won seats in a state parliament on Sunday in the former communist east… The neo-Nazi NPD won 7.3 percent in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s home state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the Baltic Sea coast… The result means far-right parties are now represented in three of eastern Germany’s five state parliaments. The NPD entered the Saxony state parliament in 2004 and another far-right party, the German People’s Union (DVU), has seats in Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin. ‘The fight for Germany continues,’ NPD chairman Udo Voigt said…, noting that [the] far right has gained a foothold in a quarter of Germany’s 16 state parliaments.

“The German Jewish Council called for a renewed attempt to ban the NPD. A previous attempt by the government to have it outlawed failed in 2002 because some of the NPD members called to testify turned out to be government informants. Election analysts attributed the far-right gains in part to discontent with Merkel’s ‘grand coalition’ of conservative Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, perceived as having failed to implement meaningful economic reforms since it was formed in October 2005. The coalition has also been criticized for imposing tax hikes… The NPD has also exploited xenophobic attitudes in [the] east, where many blame immigrants for their economic problems. In addition, resistance to the far right isn’t as strong in eastern Germany as in the west because responsibility for the Holocaust wasn’t addressed as intensely there during the decades of communist rule.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 19:

“The unfortunate but not unexpected breakthrough of far-right extremists in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Sunday has rattled the Berlin’s political establishment. Voters gave six seats in the state legislature to the… NPD… But in its ‘brownest’ towns a full quarter to a third of voters supported the neo-Nazis. Oskar Niedermayer, political scientist at Berlin’s Free University, told the Financial Times it was a bad sign for Chancellor Angela Merkel. ‘Her popular image has collapsed in recent weeks,’ he said, ‘and that’s why, for instance, she failed… in Mecklenburg, her home state.’…

“The CDU and the center-left Social Democrats (SPD) are clinging to power ‘by their fingernails,’ writes the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung… If the two parties keep up this ‘ignorant’ thinking, the paper writes, ‘they’ll learn the lesson of (Mecklenburg) and Berlin’ even more clearly at the next election in 2008. ‘The nation always has alternatives.’…

“But it was the leftist daily Die Tageszeitung that studied what neo-Nazis did right in this election while the major parties stood by. The extreme German right isn’t just anti-immigrant; it’s also pro-family and part of the fabric of daily life in towns which larger parties have abandoned… The paper suggests that large parties don’t even try to get out the vote in these regions because they’re afraid to admit they’ve lost touch… Sunday may indeed have been a ‘devastating day,’… writes the paper: ‘But the NPD thinks in years.'”

A powerful charismatic leader will soon arise in Germany to restore confidence, job security and prosperity to the Germans. But in the end, this will not be good news for either the Germans or the rest of the world.

Iran’s Double-Tongued Assertions

On September 20, BBC News reported that Iran’s President, “Ahmedinajad… defended [during a speech at the UN General Assembly on September 19] Iran’s nuclear programme, which he again said was peaceful… He said his country’s nuclear activities were ‘transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes’ of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Mr Ahmadinejad has said Tehran will not yield to international pressure to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.”

However, his assertions are disputed by the IAEA. In a report, dated August 31, 2006, the IAEA reached the following conclusions:

“Although Iran has provided the Agency with some information concerning product assays at PFEP [Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant], Iran continues to decline Agency access to certain operating records at PFEP. Iran has not addressed the long outstanding verification issues or provided the necessary transparency to remove uncertainties associated with some of its activities… the Agency remains unable to make further progress in its efforts to verify the correctness and completeness of Iran’s declarations with a view to confirming the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme.”

In addition, WorldNetDaily reported on September 21:

“While most of the reporting and analysis of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s speech at the U.N. focused on what he had to say about the West and specifically the U.S., his chilling closing remarks were lost on most listeners–and apparently all reporters. The last two paragraphs of his remarks revealed his steadfast and driving conviction… that a messianic figure, known as the ‘Mahdi’ to Muslims, is poised to reveal himself after an apocalyptic holocaust on Earth that leaves most of the world’s population dead. ‘I emphatically declare that today’s world, more than ever before, longs for just and righteous people with love for all humanity; and above all longs for the perfect righteous human being and the real savior who has been promised to all peoples and who will establish justice, peace and brotherhood on the planet,’ Ahmadinejad said. ‘Oh, Almighty God, all men and women are your creatures and you have ordained their guidance and salvation. Bestow upon humanity that thirsts for justice, the perfect human being promised to all by you, and make us [to be counted] among his followers and among those who strive for his return and his cause.’

“With Iran on the verge of producing nuclear weapons and already in possession of sophisticated medium-range missiles, mystical pre-occupation with the coming of a Shiite Islamic messiah is of particular concern because of Iran’s potential for triggering the kind of global conflagration Ahmadinejad envisions will set the stage for the end of the world. Ahmadinejad is on record as stating he believes he is to have a personal role in ushering in the age of the Mahdi. In a Nov. 16, 2005, speech in Tehran, he said he sees his main mission in life as to ‘pave the path for the glorious reappearance of Imam Mahdi, may Allah hasten his reappearance.'”

American Hiroshima Coming?

On September 16, Canada Free Press published the following frightening article:

“Urgent news [has been received] from Abu Dawood, one of the newly appointed commanders of the al Qaeda forces in Afghanistan: Final preparations have been made for the American Hiroshima, a major attack on the U.S. Muslims living in the United States should leave the country without further warning. The attack will be commandeered by Adnan el Shukrijumah (‘Jaffer Tayyer’ or ‘Jafer the Pilot’), a naturalized American citizen, who was raised in Brooklyn and educated in southern Florida. The al Qaeda operatives who will launch this attack are awaiting final orders. They remain in place in cities throughout the country. Many are masquerading as Christians and have adopted Christian names… The announcements from Abu Dawood were obtained by Hamid Mir, the only journalist to interview Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Taliban leader Mullah Omar in the wake of 9/11.”

This information was collaborated in an article by WorldNetDaily, dated September 17. For a video commentary on this subject please visit our StandingWatch web site or click here to download.

Muslims Soon in Charge of Jerusalem?

On September 18, ynetnews reported the following:

“Head of the northern faction of the Islamic Movement Sheikh Raed Salah said Friday that ‘soon Jerusalem will be the capital of the new Muslim caliphate, and the caliph’s seat will be there.’ Salah addressed an audience of 50,000 attending the Islamic Movement’s 11th annual rally… ‘Caliph’ refers to a leader of the Muslim nation and in Arabic means the ‘heir’ or ‘substitute’ of the prophet Muhammad. Salah noted that history tells of many occasions in which the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem was occupied by foreign conquerors, but the occupiers left after a short time, and thus will also be the fate of the Israeli occupation… The former mufti of Jerusalem Ekrima Sabri and the archbishop of the Greek-Orthodox church who is considered close to the Palestinian Authority also spoke at the rally. Secretary General of the Arab League Amr Musa also sent his blessings to the assembly.”

The Bible predicts that the city of Jerusalem will become a central point of end-time prophecy. We read in Zechariah 12:2 that God will make “Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem.” God continues in verse 3: “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” We are also told, in Zechariah 14:2, that God will “gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem,” and that “Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city.”

Germany Sends Troops to Lebanon

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 20:

“German forces are bound for the Middle East after the parliament approved the dispatch of up to 2,400 troops to help patrol Lebanon’s coastal waters… Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany’s first military mission in the region since World War II was historic because it underlined the country’s responsibility for protecting Israel and its growing role in world affairs following unification. ‘This mission by the Bundeswehr in the Middle East is of historic significance,’ she told the Bundestag. ‘We all know that with unification Germany’s responsibility in the world changed. That has consequences, military ones too.’… Addressing concerns by German opposition politicians that the military involvement would weaken Germany’s position as an honest broker in the region, Merkel said: ‘We’re not neutral and we don’t want to be. German state policy hasn’t been neutral ever since 1949. It has been value-bound, and that is the opposite of neutrality.’…

“Berlin ruled out sending ground troops to Lebanon because that may have brought its soldiers into confrontation with Israeli soldiers, an unthinkable prospect in Germany given the Holocaust. Instead, it has agreed to lead an international maritime task force patrolling Lebanon’s coast and will contribute eight vessels to it, including two frigates equipped with helicopters, two supply ships and four speedboats. The task force will also include troops and vessels from Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden… it will be empowered to divert vessels it suspects of carrying arms supplies, and to use force to board and search ships and accompany them to Lebanese ports. Its soldiers will not however be allowed to confiscate weapons — that will be up to Lebanese forces. The German mission is limited until August 31 but most officials expect it to run for much longer than that.”
The article continued:

“Ahead of the vote, the leader of the main opposition party FDP, Guido Westerwelle, said he opposed the mission because it couldn’t be ruled out that German troops may come into conflict with Israelis. ‘The fact that we have a special responsibility that stems from the greatest crime in German history is undisputed in this house,’ he told the Bundestag. ‘We are not neutral as regards Israel, we mustn’t be and we don’t want to be. German soldiers must be spared confrontation with Israeli soldiers or citizens. Can such confrontation, even if it occurs accidentally, between German and Israeli soldiers really be excluded? We shouldn’t get a false sense of security just because this is a naval mission.’ Westerwelle also said he didn’t have much faith in the Lebanese government’s pledge that it would confiscate weapons destined for Hezbollah, especially given that Hezbollah ministers were in the Lebanese government…

“Opinion polls show a solid majority of Germans [about 64 percent] oppose the mission, partly because growing violence in Afghanistan, where Germany has almost 3,000 troops, has fuelled skepticism in a country that has inherited a strong pacifist streak from Word War II.”

The Associated Press added on September 21 that “Germany began its biggest naval operation since World War II on Thursday as eight warships set sail for the eastern Mediterranean to help the U.N. keep the peace in Lebanon.”

Germans Highly Liked by Arabs

Der Spiegel Online is wondering whether the new role of Germany in the Middle East will change the love of the Arabs for the Germans. The magazine reported on September 11, 2006:

“No other Western power [can] rival Germany’s popularity — not the United States, which has few friends in the Middle East right now, and not Great Britain, the old colonial power. Even France comes up short despite helping push the Syrians out of Lebanon… The relationship of the Arabs to Germany is that of a complicated and largely unrequited love, which contains an element of admiration or jealousy, and it sometimes leads to bizarre misunderstandings… The admiration many Arabs have for Nazi leaders is notorious, just like the embarrassing compliments that they make sometimes. One of Egypt’s highest state officials, President Hosni Mubarak’s now retired anti-corruption czar, is called Hitler Tantawi. Arab nationalists have also been known to give their sons names such as ‘Rommel’ and ‘Eichmann.’ In some cases, this love for Germany reflects an explicit anti-Semitism; in others, it is simply a sign of historical ignorance… “This fondness for Germany goes back to a tradition that Germans have forgotten, but which lives on among cultivated Arabs. The tradition begins with German Kaiser Frederick II, the crusader who spoke Arabic. When he entered Jerusalem in 1229, he refused to ban Muslims from praying the way they were accustomed to: ‘You’re wrong to change your customs in your own country because of me. You would not even have to do this if you were in my country,’ Frederick said. Arabs also like to remember Wilhelm II, another German Kaiser. In 1898, when relationships between the German Reich and the Ottoman Empire were especially close, Wilhelm spoke these lofty words in Damascus: ‘If I had not been born a Christian, I would be a Muslim.’…

“Germany’s image in the Middle East improved dramatically when former German chancellor Gerhard Schröder took a stand against the US-led invasion of Iraq. Schröder was credited more for his stance than French President Jacques Chirac, who also criticized the invasion, but was accused of just wanting to place himself in the spotlight. And Vladimir Putin’s reservations about US policy were just explained in terms of Russia’s economic interests in Iraq…

“[German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier] remains confident about the future following the end of the Israeli air and sea blockade. He says many Arab states have assured him they are glad there is now another influential foreign power with good relations to Israel operating in the region, besides the United States. According to Steinmeier, German diplomacy will play an important mediating role in the future, given its good contacts to both the Arab and the Israeli camps. Perhaps Germany can mediate in the question of a possible exchange of prisoners, the foreign minister suggested last week. Just one more example that the Germans appear intent on maintaining their good ties in the region.”

The Bible clearly reveals that in the near future, Germany and many Arab nations will enter into a confederacy or friendship pact. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

IRS Fights Liberal Pasadena Church

The Associated Press reported on September 16:

“The IRS is investigating whether All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena violated the federal tax code when its former rector, Rev. George F. Regas, delivered an anti-war sermon on the eve of the last presidential election. Tax-exempt organizations are barred from intervening in political campaigns and elections, and the church could lose its tax-exempt status… Ed Bacon received a summons Thursday ordering the church to present any politically charged sermons, newsletters and electronic communications by Sept 29. Bacon was ordered to testify before IRS officials Oct. 11… ‘There is a lot at stake here,’ Bacon said. ‘If the IRS prevails, it will have a chilling effect on the practice of religion in America.’… In a sermon two days before the 2004 election, Regas did not urge parishioners to support President Bush or challenger John Kerry but was critical of the Iraq war and Bush’s tax cuts, Bacon said in an interview last November when the investigation was announced… “All Saints has a long history of social activism, dating back to World War II, when its rector spoke out against the internment of Japanese Americans. Regas, who headed the church for 28 years before retiring in 1995, was well-known for opposing the Vietnam War, championing female clergy and supporting gays and lesbians in the church.”

Europe and China

The Week in Germany reported on September 15:

“Last year, the 25-nation European Union overtook the United States in terms of trade with China, which now totals some $217.3 billion and is $5.7 billion more than with the U.S… European companies like civil jet maker Airbus, German engineering group Siemens and German automaker Volkswagen helped make the EU the No. 4 investor in China.. [A Chinese official] negotiated bolstered trade agreements with both Britain and Germany during his European tour, which also saw the announcement of a new factory in China for automaker DaimlerChrysler. He signed eight new trade agreements on September 14 with the German government and businesses, including one on copyright issues and another on biotechnology.”

As we have announced for decades, Europe will become the most powerful economic force in the world, while the influence of the United States of America will steadily decline. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

German Troops in Lebanon

As Reuters reported on September 13, 2006, “Germany’s cabinet approved plans on Wednesday to send naval and air forces to Lebanon… Up to 2,400 German personnel will patrol the Lebanese coast to prevent weapons reaching Hizbollah, enforcing the terms of a truce which ended the month-long war… ‘Sending troops to the Middle East is for us a historic decision,’ Chancellor Angela Merkel said.”

Deutsche Welle added: “Defence Minister Franz Josef Jung said Germany would lead the marine component of the UN force and has been given ‘a robust but not aggressive mandate’ to patrol Lebanon’s coast. ‘We will control the whole of Lebanon’s waters, within 50 nautical miles of the coast. We will have the right to use force against vessels that show resistance,’ he said. Two frigates, four fast patrol boats, two supply ships, one tender, and two helicopters will be deployed by Germany in cooperation with naval forces being sent by the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Denmark, said Merkel and Jung. Merkel… said a Lebanese naval liaison officer would be aboard one of the German ships ‘but there would be no chance for a veto’ from the Lebanese. German naval vessels would then be able to take up position off the Lebanese coast by early October. Germany is also providing a small number of border police and customs officials to be stationed at Beirut International Airport to supervise incoming cargo.”

The German Parliament must still approve the deployment. It is to vote next week. Since Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democrat coalition partners hold a large majority, an affirmation of the German cabinet’s decision is expected.

Der Spiegel Online added that the German government foresees its military intervention in Lebanon to last “for many years,” even though Germany’s current mandate will expire on August 31, 2007. According to the magazine, Merkel stated that this is the beginning of a “far-reaching German engagement in the region.” It was further pointed out that the employment of its troops will cost Germany 46 million euros in 2006 and 147 million euros in 2007. It was stressed that the German navy will function in cooperation with the Lebanese navy, but Germany is authorized to act on its own, if need be.

In order to learn more about the prophetic significance of German troops in the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Leave It to Iran?

USA Today reported on September 13 that “U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Wednesday that most leaders in the Middle East believe the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and its aftermath [is] ‘a real disaster.’ Annan said the United States was now in the difficult position where ‘it cannot stay and it cannot leave.’ He said the leaders he spoke to on his recent trip to the Middle East fell into two camps: Some believed the United States cannot walk away from Iraq, while others, such as Iran, said it should leave and they would help stabilize the country.”

The Associated Press reported on September 13 that “Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made his first official visit to Iran, a close ally, asking the Islamic regime on Tuesday to crack down on al-Qaida militants infiltrating his country and seeking new deals to help Iraq’s troubled oil industry. The visit reflected the complex relationship between Iran, a mostly Shiite Muslim country, and Iraq’s government, now dominated in the post-Saddam Hussein era by Shiite allies of Tehran. Since Saddam’s fall in 2003, Iraq has sought better relations with Iran… The two enjoy increasingly strong ties that include new oil cooperation. Iraq has already turned to Iran for help with a chronic shortage of petroleum goods, reaching a deal last month to import Iranian gasoline, kerosene and cooking fuel. Iraqi officials said al-Maliki’s visit and other recent exchanges could improve the cooperation.”

Strong Words From Netanyahu

On September 13, ynetnews.com reported that Israel’s Knesset member Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Al-Qaeda can’t develop nuclear weapons, while the militant Shiite movement is galloping forward towards developing nuclear terror… Hitler went out on a world campaign first, and then tried to get nuclear weapons. Iran is trying to get nuclear arms first. Therefore from that perspective, it is much more dangerous… Hitler was defeated because he could not develop weapons of mass destruction. But Iran stands close to developing nuclear weapons. Does the world understand? In Europe, where I returned from, there are glimpses of understanding… International terrorism is a mistaken term, not because it doesn’t exist, but because the problem is international militant Islam. That is the movement… that operates terror on the international level, and that is the movement that is preparing the ultimate terror, nuclear terrorism…”

The German Pope in Germany

Benedict XVI’s second visit to Germany, as Pope, was not just meant to be a vacation. The Associated Press of September 9 reported:

“Benedict’s election aroused mixed feelings in Germany–the now largely secular land of the Protestant Reformation, and home to a shrinking and distinctly liberal Catholic Church. But there is also strong pride in the German pope, particularly in Bavaria. Munich’s Abendzeitung newspaper devoted its front page to a photo of a smiling Benedict under the headline ‘Welcome home!’ The Munich edition of the mass-circulation Bild daily’s front page said: ‘Benedict, we love YOU.’

AFP added on September 11: “In European countries like Germany, the number of churchgoers has dwindled in recent years and papal authority has been questioned. While his visit is partly a trip down memory lane, Benedict is keen to try to halt the decline of religious observance in his native Germany. Recent figures indicate some 100,000 people turn their back on the Church in Germany annually.”

Der Stern stated on September 12 that both German President Horst Koehler and Bavaria’s Prime Minister, Edmund Stoiber, asked the Pope to set clearer signals in support of the ecumenical movement, in order to unify the Catholic and Protestant Churches. Koehler, a Protestant, and Stoiber, a Catholic, encouraged the Pope to empathize the similarities between the two big churches, rather than the issues which separate them. The Pope told Koehler that he will take Koehler’s prayer for unity back to Rome, stating, according to Der Spiegel Online of September 9, that “we will attempt to reach unity with our hearts and with our intellects.” Bavaria’s Interior Minister, Guenther Beckstein, participated with Stoiber at a Mass, conducted by the Pope. Beckstein, a Protestant, stated that “especially during the ‘Lord’s Supper,’ the separation between the two big Christian churches becomes, sadly, very obvious.”

It is presently the official position of the Catholic Church that no Protestant is permitted to participate at Catholic “communion” or the “Lord’s Supper.”

In other news, Der Spiegel Online reported on September 12 that during his visit, “Pope Benedict XVI prayed at the statue of the Black Madonna, one of Germany’s holiest sites.” The statue is situated in the town of Altötting, where the Pope “had worshipped as a child. Legend has it that a three-year-old girl was brought back to life after drowning when her mother put her before the wooden Madonna in 1489.”

In a related article of September 12, Der Spiegel Online quoted the Pope, stating that he was pleading with the “mother of God” to receive her blessing for the Church worldwide, and for all people of good will.

The Associated Press reported on September 9: “German President Horst Koehler and Chancellor Angela Merkel greeted the pontiff ahead of his ride to the city’s central Marienplatz square, where he was to offer a prayer at its 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary, the patroness of Bavaria — Germany’s Roman Catholic heartland.”

In a veiled attack on evolution, the Pope made the following comments, according to The Associated Press of September 12:

“Benedict in his sermon scoffed at the idea of a ‘mathematically ordered cosmos’ without any hand of God. He said this would mean ‘nothing more than a chance result of evolution. We believe in God… This is a fundamental decision on our part.'”

The Catholic religion has embraced many teachings which are not derived from the Bible, but from pagan cultures and philosophies. Our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas,” proves this fact beyond doubt. The Bible also prophesies that the Catholic and the Protestant Churches will unite. But this temporary and passing unification will not be pleasing to God.

U.S. Sanctions Against North Korea?

The Associated Press reported on September 12 that “The United States is moving to impose sanctions on North Korea for test-launching a series of missiles in July, a senior South Korean official said Tuesday. South Korea’s main news agency reported, meanwhile, that the North had rejected an offer for direct talks with the U.S. over its nuclear program… South Korea’s main spy agency has said the communist regime [of North Korea] could test a nuclear device at any time… Many experts believe the North has enough radioactive material to build at least a half-dozen nuclear weapons.”

Germany Remembers September 11, 2001

Der Spiegel Online made the following comments on September 11, 2006, describing how the world has changed for the worse since September 11, 2001:

“‘Nine-Eleven’ has entered the English language as a metaphor, an abbreviation even bigger than a millennial milestone: 9/11 broke through Fortress America, turning it into another country. George W. Bush has tried to turn the planet into another world. And failed.”

The article continued:

“… At first the United States and Europe closed ranks; yet soon amity turned to enmity in one of the worst ideological conflicts the two continents have ever seen. The United States, by its own definition not an imperial power… considered itself ‘at war.’ To wage its ‘war against terror,’ the U.S. president availed himself of immense powers both at home and abroad. He suspended many of the civil rights that his nation had always cherished, and elevated the ‘preemptive strike’ to a divine doctrine: America had every right to launch an unprovoked attack against any country suspected of abetting terrorists.

“The United States squandered the international sympathy and solidarity showered upon it in the immediate aftermath of September 11. Even in Tehran, people had spontaneously taken to the streets, while the French newspaper Le Monde had declared: ‘We are all Americans.’ But the Bush administration decided to go it alone: it scoffed at traditional alliances and institutions like the United Nations, and arbitrarily ignored international law…

“The dreams of swift strikes and longlasting victories in the war against terror are in tatters, along with illusions of regime change in the Middle East. Much has changed over the past five years, but little has improved. The world has become a more violent and complex place. Osama bin Laden, who has declared war on the West in general and the U.S. superpower in particular, is still at large–presumably hiding out along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan… The United States now has credibility issues that are both political and moral, and a superpower status that rests solely on arms supremacy. The nation is light years ahead when it comes to investing in military might; in the list of big spenders, it devotes more funds to weapons than the next 10 countries combined…

“Today other countries in other regions are making world history. The Asian century is dawning at this very moment. India, and above all China, are experiencing dramatic economic booms, and styling themselves America’s peers on the world political stage… The winners of the American war are outside Iraq, and one of them is Osama bin Laden. For al Qaeda, Iraq has become the Afghanistan of the 1990s: the battlefield in its jihad against an infidel superpower. Iran, ironically enough, is another of the winners–and didn’t have to lift a finger. Having seen its arch-enemy Saddam toppled, Teheran is happily picking up the pieces.

“Iran’s influence is spreading in southern Iraq where the Shiites form the majority. The longer the war lasts, the greater the political spoils for the mullahs. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a man with apocalyptic visions, has replaced the mild-mannered Mohammad Khatami as president. While a debilitated America falters, Iran is developing the technology to build nuclear weapons, and is well on the way to becoming the region’s dominant power.

“… Of the many depressing statistics from the president’s second term, this is probably his most depressing: More than 50 percent of Americans now consider George W. Bush ‘dishonest.’ Such huge credibility gaps are rare in U.S. politics… In their joint study conducted for Foreign Policy and the highly respected think tank ‘Center for American Progress,’ 84 percent disagreed with Bush’s statement that the United States was winning the war against terrorism. Eighty-six percent said they thought the world was a more dangerous place. Only 10 percent were expecting positives from the Iraq war. A devastating indictment. ‘The Worst President in History?’ the U.S. magazine Rolling Stone asked pointedly on a cover in May…

“Five years after 9/11, a new international order is emerging. While the United States can still boast the greatest economic and military might on the planet, claims of unipolarity and American hegemony are no longer credible. The rise of China and India as major powers and Russia’s return to the major political leagues cannot be denied. And lesser powers are emerging as well, small and mid-sized players, public and private, each of them vying for influence… This world is fragmented, labyrinthine and unpredictable.”

Our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” give detailed information as to what is prophesied to happen soon in the USA, Great Britain, continental Europe, the Middle East, and the rest of the world.

Germans Angry With America

Der Spiegel Online reported on September 11 about the view of the German press toward the USA:

“As German commentators reflect on the events and aftermath of 9/11 five years later, there is a strangely forceful consensus: the US was right to force the Taliban from power and it was right to strengthen security, even at the cost of some personal liberties. But there is also broad agreement that Washington’s anti-terror policy is deeply flawed in Iraq and in its willingness to sacrifice fundamental rights of its own citizens as well as largely ignore international law. Germans and most Europeans are angry about Guantanamo, about secret CIA prisons, and the president’s continued use of incendiary rhetoric such as referring to the terrorists as ‘Islamic fascists.’ Before Bush launched the war against Iraq, Germany raised its voice in opposition and said the US would ignite a wildfire with no plan for putting out the flames. The tone of Monday’s editorials in German newspapers feel sadly vindicated by the events of the past five years.”

Virtually Untreatable Tuberculosis

The BBC reported on September 6: “A ‘virtually untreatable’ form of TB has emerged, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Extreme drug resistant TB… has been seen worldwide, including in the US, Eastern Europe and Africa… TB presently causes about 1.7 million deaths a year worldwide, but researchers are worried about the emergence of strains that are resistant to drugs. Drug resistance is caused by poor TB control, through taking the wrong types of drugs for the incorrect duration.”

A “New Vision” for Europe

On September 8, the EUOberserver reported about the European vision of French interior minister and presidential hopeful Nicolas Sarkozy, proposing “radical EU reforms such as getting the European Commission president to pick his own commissioners and cross-border European Parliament elections–but first he wants a new EU ‘mini treaty.'”

The article continued: “Mr Sarkozy already caused some alarm in small and mid-size member states last year by proposing that the EU’s ‘big six’ should together take up a leading role in the union–an idea which he repeated on Friday… France and Germany should pioneer… with cross-border political platforms in the 2009 elections… The ‘mini treaty’ would include key parts of the constitution such as its voting rights provisions and plans to create an EU foreign minister, on which there is a ‘large consensus. It would provide a way out for those countries that voted “no” without humiliating those who voted “yes”‘, he said, adding that the French EU presidency in 2009 should finalise the text. On enlargement… he said that Turkey should stay out. ‘We should now say who is European and who isn’t,’ he said.”

Europe will unite soon–and it is most likely that ten core nations or groups of nations–not just six– will ultimately lead the rest of continental Europe, under the strong leadership of a German or Austrian political personage, called the “beast” in Biblical prophecy.

September 11th Terrorist Attack Puppeteered?

Almost unbelievable allegations have been launched against the Pentagon by “leading academics” in the United States. It stands to reason that some or many people will believe their accusations–especially outside the United States. This might, in turn, create additional feelings of animosity against the USA.

The British Daily Mail reported on September 6:

“The 9/11 terrorist attack on America which left almost 3,000 people dead was an ‘inside job’, according to a group of leading academics. Around 75 top professors and leading scientists believe the attacks were puppeteered by war mongers in the White House to justify the invasion and the occupation of oil-rich Arab countries. The claims have caused outrage and anger in the US which marks the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Monday. But leading scientists say the facts of their investigations cannot be ignored and say they have evidence that points to one of the biggest conspiracies ever perpetrated… They believe a group of US neo-conservatives called the Project for a New American Century, set on US world dominance, orchestrated the 9/11 attacks as an excuse to hit Iraq, Afghanistan and later Iran… The group also maintains World Trade Centre 7–a neighbouring building which caught fire and collapsed later in the day–was only partially damaged but had to be destroyed because it housed a clandestine CIA station.”

Fortunately, other experts, as well as the 9/11 Commission, have rejected as totally without basis “the numerous conspiracy theories after [an] exhaustive investigation into the terror attacks.” The Daily Mail continued to state:

“Christopher Pyle, professor of constitutional law at [Mount Holyoke] College in Massachusetts, has dismissed the academic group. He said: ‘To plant bombs in three buildings with enough bomb materials and wiring? It’s too huge a project and would require far too many people to keep it a secret afterwards. After every major crisis, like the assassinations of JFK or Martin Luther King, we’ve had conspiracy theorists who come up with plausible scenarios for gullible people. It’s a waste of time.'”

The Death of the Crocodile Hunter

Australia, as well as the rest of the world, mourns the death of an extremely popular filmmaker, entertainer, animal activist, zoo director and animal preservationist and conservationist–Steve Irwin, the “Crocodile Hunter.” Irwin’s daring face-to-face confrontations with all manner of deadly crocodiles, snakes and spiders made him a global media phenomenon. His death was as dramatic as many of his life performances–Irvin, 44, was killed Monday off the Great Barrier Reef when the tail barb of a giant stingray punctured his heart as the creature lashed out at him while he was filming. More bizarre yet, Irwin’s death was caught on tape. Close friend and “Crocodile Hunter” producer John Stainton watched the tape. He said that Irwin plucked the stingray’s barbed tail from his chest before dying.

All kinds of speculations, assumptions, suspicions and questions surround Irwin’s death. Animal “experts” explain that it is extremely rare that a stingray would attack and hurt or kill a human being–in spite of the reported fact that hundreds of beachgoers are stung each year by stingrays at San Diego beaches alone. People, in order to satisfy their thirst for thrill and sensation, want to see the tape. Fortunately, some TV broadcasting companies have stated that they will refuse to show the tape, but it stands to reason that somehow the tape will be shown–even if it ends up on some weird Internet site.

Stainton was quoted by the AFP of September 6 as saying that the tape featuring Irwin’s death should never be shown. “It should be destroyed… At the moment, it’s in police custody for evidence.” Stainton had earlier told reporters in Australia the footage was “shocking,” and that it is “a very hard thing to watch because you’re actually witnessing somebody die … and it’s terrible.”

Yes, indeed! The Bible says that we should cry over the deaths of innocent people–not get excited and thrilled about them!

Irwin dedicated his life–and that of his family–to animals and their preservation. AFP continued to report:

“But even in death, Irwin was rallying people to the wildlife conservation cause he so passionately promoted on television. An environmental charity he set up, Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, had been overwhelmed by donations from around the world… The website had received ‘something like a million hits in the first few hours of the news breaking’ and on Tuesday ‘we were getting 55 donations every 10 minutes’… Staff at Irwin’s zoo were also astounded by the extraordinary global outpouring of grief for Australia’s most famous export… The shrine and outpouring of popular grief is being compared by Australian media to the floral mountain created in London after the 1997 death of Princess Diana.”

It is good to see that in this evil world, there are still some who are determined to make a difference for the better–and whatever one may think of Steve Irwin, he was such a man, dedicated to a worthy cause. How much more ought the Church of God be diligent and dedicated to its cause and commission–to preach the gospel in all the world as a witness (Matthew 24:14) and to feed God’s people (Matthew 28:18).

Turkey Gets Involved–and Fulfills Prophecy

The Associated Press reported on September 6, 2006, that “Turkey’s ruling party lawmakers voted Tuesday in favor of the deployment of peacekeeping troops [in Lebanon], despite objections from opposition parties and street protests by thousands of people… Turkey is the first Muslim nation with diplomatic ties with Israel to pledge troops for the force… Turkish leaders have not specified how many troops would be sent to Lebanon but… the number is unlikely to exceed 1,000.”

In spite of this rather small force, it is interesting that Turkey would send any troops to Lebanon. In Biblical prophecy, Turkey is known as modern Edom or Esau, the brother of Jacob. When Isaac blessed Esau, prophesying about his and his descendants’ future, he stated, in Genesis 27:39-40: “Behold, your dwelling shall be of [correct: without] the fatness [or fertility] of the earth, And of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, And you shall serve your brother [Jacob or Israel–including his descendants, the modern nations of the houses of Israel and Judah]; And it shall come to pass, when you become restless, That you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

This prophecy was fulfilled under the Ottoman Empire of the Turkish people.

The book of Obadiah contains further prophecies about Edom or Turkey. It was prophesied that Turkey would become “small among the nations” (verse 2). It is also stated that “all the men in your confederacy Shall force you to the border; The men at peace with you Shall deceive you and prevail against you” (verse 7). Verses 10-14 explain why God will be very angry with modern-day Turkey–as Turkey will participate in the conquest of Jerusalem and the children of Judah. That is one of the reasons why it is noteworthy that Turkey is sending troops into that part of the world.

Blair in Big Trouble

President Bush’s most supportive ally on the war on terror, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, is facing great difficulties. As The Associated Press reported on September 6, “Seven junior members of Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government resigned Wednesday to protest his refusal to leave office as calls for the British leader to announce when he will step aside gained momentum. The rebellion in Blair’s Labour Party flared despite strong hints by senior ministers that Blair planned to step down within a year, and a news report claiming the departure date would be July 26. Though the lower-level revolt was unlikely to force Blair from office, it raised fears that the eventual change of command will be rancorous and messy…

“Blair… is not obliged to leave office before the next national vote. However, many Labour lawmakers, angry over his handling of the recent fighting in Lebanon and Iraq and anxious about their slide in the polls, are demanding he say when he’ll go because they fear the continued uncertainty will damage the party’s electoral prospects.”

The Associated Press reported on September 9 that “Blair reluctantly promised Thursday to resign within a year, hoping that revealing a general time frame for his departure will appease critics.”

Sooner or later, Tony Blair will step down from the political world scene. And it stands to reason that the new Prime Minister will not follow in Blair’s footsteps of an unquestioned alliance with, and support of, the Bush Administration. When that happens, the current American government will have lost its strongest supporter. Presently, many American citizens are not really aware of how much America’s prestige has decreased in the world. There are reasons for this development. Our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America” explains these reasons.

Iran Toys With a Sleeping World

Even before the arrival of the deadline set by the U.N. Security Council forcing Iran to halt its uranium enrichment, Iran had explained that they would not comply. The deadline came and went, Iran did not comply, and it should now be expected that the world would act in some fashion! But far from it!

Reuters reported on September 2 that “European Union foreign ministers agreed on Saturday to give diplomacy two more weeks to clarify Iran’s stance on halting sensitive nuclear work… “

This is almost beyond belief! By now, it should be very clear what Iran’s “stance” is on the matter.

To nobody’s surprise who is cognizant of Iran’s clear agenda, The Associated Press reported on September 6:

“Iran abruptly announced Wednesday that last-ditch talks on its disputed nuclear program were postponed… The talks between Iranian nuclear envoy Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana had been tentatively set for Wednesday in Vienna as a final attempt to see if common ground could be found to start negotiations… But while Solana had been ready to fly to the Austrian capital at short notice, the talks had been left hanging by uncertainty over whether Larijani would come. ‘We will not have the meeting today in Vienna,’ Ali Ashgar Soltanieh, the chief Iranian envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency, told The Associated Press. ‘Both sides are arranging (a meeting) for a couple of days later.’ Instead, Iran’s president proposed that he and President Bush hold a debate at the U.N. General Assembly later this month.”

On September 7, The Associated Press reported that “Solana said Thursday that he expects to hold talks with Iran’s top nuclear envoy on Saturday. The talks are considered a final attempt to determine whether there is common ground to start negotiations between Iran and the five U.N. Security Council nations, plus Germany.”

In spite of these all-too-obvious tactics, countries such as Russia and China are apparently still unwilling to impose any sanctions on Iran. And so, Iran is continuing to stay its course, while much of the world seems to be sound asleep. For example, Iran’s President is determined to establish radical Islam in his country. As The Associated Press reported on September 6, “Iran’s hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called Tuesday for a purge of liberal and secular teachers from the country’s universities, urging students to return to 1980s-style radicalism.”

Is the world listening?

Please make sure to watch our StandingWatch program, “Iran’s Frightening Intentions.”

A Divided Europe Cannot Stand!

Slowly recovering from its poor performance during the Lebanon war, the EU ministers are trying to agree on a course of action regarding the Israeli-Palestinian “peace” process. But proposed solutions are hotly disputed–again. As the EUObserver reported on September 1:

“EU foreign ministers meeting in Finland agreed that the bloc should take the lead in reviving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process – but member states are divided over plans to hold talks with the Palestinian Hamas movement.”

Dissensions like these might very well ultimately lead to the establishment of a core of 10 European nations or groups of nations, which will give autocratic power to a charismatic political and military leader–the “beast,” as he is known in Biblical prophecy. But even then, the 10 European nations will not be totally united. Daniel 2:41-43 predicts that “the kingdom” of Europe “shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron [to make war] shall be in it… the kingdom shall be partly strong [militarily] and partly fragile [in other matters]… they will not adhere to one another.” In addition, Revelation 17:12 adds that these ten kings will be “of one mind [militarily], and they will give their power and authority to the beast. These will make war with the Lamb [Jesus Christ]… For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.”

Keep watching for the unification of Europe, but don’t make the mistake of expecting a totally unified Europe in all respects. Remember, the “core” European Union will be partly strong and partly fragile; they will be divided and still be of one mind in certain matters.

Poll Results in Europe

The EUObserver reported on September 6, that a “majority of EU citizens [65 percent] are in favour of having a single EU foreign minister for the bloc… The EU foreign minister position is one of the key innovations of the European constitution which was shelved last year after French and Dutch voters rejected it in referendums.”

The report continued:

“But while there was some strong support for a foreign minister, the idea of the bloc strengthening its military power to play a larger role in the world proved more controversial. On average, 51 percent were against the idea but there were big differences between countries with the Portuguese (68%) and the French (56%) more in favour of the bloc assuming military responsibilities but the Germans (64%) and the Italians (56%) more against.

“The same survey shows that European support for US leadership in world affairs has dropped significantly (from 64% to 37%) since the 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington five years ago. On a similar note, European disapproval of US president George W. Bush’s handling of international affairs has risen strongly from 56 percent to 77 percent–with the French, Germans and Spanish proving to be the most critical with an 85 percent disapproval rate.”

For more information as to what will soon happen in Europe, including its relationship with the USA, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Next War Between Israel, Iran and Syria?

The Sunday Times reported on September 3 that Israel is preparing for a “possible war with both Iran and Syria.” The article continued:

“The Israeli defence establishment believes that Iran’s pursuit of a nuclear programme means war is likely to become unavoidable…  There has been grave concern in Israel over a military pact signed in Tehran on June 15 between Iran and Syria which the Iranian defence minister described as a ‘mutual front against Israeli threats’… both Iran and Syria have ballistic missiles that can cover most of Israel, including Tel Aviv.”

If you want to learn more about what is prophesied to happen soon in the Middle East, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Powerless America!

Der Spiegel Online published this week a thought-provoking article on Europe, the United States, Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Iran. This article is almost prophetic. It addressed the continuing downfall and defeat of the United States of America and Israel, as well as the growing influence of Muslim nations and Europe’s goal to create “peace” in the Middle East.

In referring to Iran, the article was titled, “The Spider’s Web.” It stated:

“More people than ever are dying in Iraq while the United States looks on powerlessly. In the wake of its invasion of Lebanon, Israel is riven with self-doubt, while Europe tries to establish peace. But there is one country that is benefiting from every crisis in the region: Iran… Thousands have died in Iraq in recent weeks, far more than those killed in Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, which has dominated this summer’s headlines. The world seems to have grown weary of the misery, the mounting death toll and the bad news constantly coming out of Baghdad or the Sunni triangle, which has been poisoning the Middle East since the spring of 2003. Amr Mussa, Secretary General of the Arab League, once warned that a war in Iraq would open ‘the door to hell.’ Who would disagree with him today?… Meanwhile, Washington continues to indulge in rosy rhetoric about the ‘new Middle East’ it claims to have created… ‘I’m confident in our capacity to leave behind a better world,’ announced US President George W. Bush, sounding more defiant than triumphant…

“Nothing seems to be going well at the moment for the United States, the superpower with its vastly superior military might. The Taliban is on the rise again in Afghanistan, Iraq is in the throes of civil war and Washington’s reputation in the region has plunged to [an] historic low, its authority as a broker in the region’s conflict frittered away for now — and probably for a long time to come… Israel, the US’s staunchest ally in the region, isn’t faring any better. Far from achieving any of its war objectives, the country has only managed to bomb Lebanon’s remarkable ‘Cedar Revolution’ into distant memory. Israel seems determined to repeat the Americans’ mistakes. It became involved in an asymmetrical war against [the] terrorist organization Hezbollah, and its bombardment of areas filled with civilians has done nothing but strengthen the adversary it tried to destroy. In Lebanon, an international force numbering several thousand, initially under French leadership, will be expected to secure the peace, apparently with a far-reaching mandate, the details of which are being worked out.

“But everything seems to be going well at the moment for America’s greatest foe, the government of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It has crafted a finely woven web of relationships stretching from Ankara in Turkey to the Gulf and on to Russia, India and China. And what the regime hasn’t developed itself seems to be falling into its lap. The United States has done Iran a favor by eliminating its two worst enemies, the Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam in Iraq. The US ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, jokes that he’ll send Tehran the bill one day. Iran has also emerged as a winner in the Iraq war, without having fired a single shot. Whether in Baghdad, Beirut or Kabul, everything is going according to the Iranians’ wishes — badly, that is…

“Iran, like a spider in a web, [is] steadily collecting its prey, and has become astoundingly weighty in the process. Despite a general lack of clarity over its domestic situation, the regime deals with the rest of the world with the gravitas of a major power… The Islamic Republic has established itself as a regional power, even without nuclear weapons. According to a recent report by Chatham House, a British think tank, Iran has more influence in Iraq than the United States does. Although the Americans have 135,000 troops stationed there, Iran controls the Shiite militias, whose membership numbers in the hundreds of thousands. ‘The debate is over,’ says Kenneth Pollack, a Middle East expert who once supported the war. ‘By any definition, Iraq is in a state of civil war.’ … One hundred thousand Arabs have fled from the Kurds in northern Iraq, 200,000 Sunnis from war-torn regions in the west, and between 50,000 and 100,000 Shiites from mixed districts in central Iraq… Now more than ever, Iran, 17 years after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, is the opinion leader in the anti-American and anti-Israeli discourse raging in the Islamic world…

“It appears that President Bush is now ready to listen. Iranian-born Vali Nasr, who teaches political science at the Naval Postgraduate Academy in Monterrey, California, recently explained the situation to Bush… According to Nasr, America, by marching into Iraq, destroyed the Sunni wall that had kept the mullahs in check. ‘This genie won’t go back into the bottle,’ he told the US president, adding that the old allies of the US have lost control of the region. How can America regain control?”

America’s military and political influence is shrinking–in spite of a German press release that Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld allegedly said on August 29 that America would be capable, militarily, to deal with Iran. America’s declining role in the world is just the beginning of prophetic developments which will surely come to pass. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

U.S. Plains Withering in Drought

UPI reported on August 29:

“Five U.S. Plains states are experiencing a drought that has been setting records, decimating crops and careers for ranchers, The New York Times reports. The drought affecting North and South Dakota, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming is the result of several years of dry conditions and a winter with little snow, climatologists with the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln told the newspaper. South Dakota Gov. Michael Rounds has requested 51 of the state’s 66 counties be designated a federal agricultural disaster area, as sunflower, corn and pasture grasses have withered and died.”

Iran Won’t Concede!

On August 26, The Associated Press reported:

“An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb… Mohammed Saeedi, the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said the heavy water plant is ‘one of the biggest nuclear projects’ in the country… He said the plant will be used in the pharmaceutical field and in diagnosing cancer…”

On August 29, Der Spiegel Online reported about Iran’s most recent defiance, showing that Iran will not concede. Will the world respond to Iran’s relentless search for power? And if so, how? The magazine stated:

“At a wide-ranging press conference only two days ahead of a United Nations deadline calling for Iran to suspend uranium enrichment for its controversial nuclear program, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made clear that Tehran would not ‘bow to threats and ultimatums’ made by the international community… Prior to Ahmadinejad’s press conference, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said on Monday that Iran’s efforts to master the nuclear fuel cycle were ‘irreversible’ — similar to previous comments made by the country’s supreme religious leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Washington is pushing for quick action at the Security Council if Iran fails to comply with the UN deadline. However, it remains to be seen if the world body can stick to a unified line, since both China and Russia are seen as being reluctant to harm their considerable economic interests in Iran by slapping harsh sanctions on Tehran.”

The German daily, Die Welt, wrote this week: “Washington will have a difficult time taking unilateral action if the Council shies away from imposing sanctions. The only thing that remains to be negotiated — that has become clear after the verbal muscle-flexing and theatrical self-portrayal — is whether and how the international community will accompany Iran’s genesis as a nuclear power while exerting some control. The alternative is war.”

Will America Have to Go Alone Against Iran?

The LA Times reported on August 26:

“With increasing signs that several fellow Security Council members may stall a United States push to penalize Iran for its nuclear enrichment program, Bush administration officials have indicated that they are prepared to form an independent coalition to freeze Iranian assets and restrict trade. The strategy, analysts say, reflects not only long-standing U.S. frustration with the Security Council’s inaction on Iran, but also the current weakness of Washington’s position because of its controversial role in a series of conflicts in the Middle East, most recently in Lebanon.

“Despite assurances from Russia and China in July that they would support initial sanctions against Iran if it failed to suspend aspects of its nuclear program, Russia seemed to backtrack… Under U.S. terrorism laws, Washington could ramp up its own sanctions, including financial constraints on Tehran and interception of missile and nuclear materials en route to Iran, [U.S. Ambassador John] Bolton said, and the U.S. is encouraging other countries to follow suit… He said Washington was focusing on European and Japanese banks to restrict business with Iran, because most of Tehran’s transactions are done in U.S. dollars, euros, British pounds and yen.”

America’s Options for Iran — “All of Them Bad!”

On August 24, David Horovitz wrote the following in “the Jerusalem Post”:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, if he ever became the supreme decision maker in his country, would ‘sacrifice half of Iran for the sake of eliminating Israel,’ Giora Eiland, Israel’s former national security adviser [said]. At present, Eiland stressed, the ultimate decision maker in Iran was Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 67, whom he said was ‘more reasonable.’ But, Eiland went on, ‘if Ahmadinejad were to succeed him–and he has a reasonable chance of doing so–then we’d be in a highly dangerous situation.’ The 49-year-old Iranian president, he said, ‘has a religious conviction that Israel’s demise is essential to the restoration of Muslim glory, that the Zionist thorn in the heart of the Islamic nations must be removed. And he will pay almost any price to right the perceived historic wrong. If he becomes the supreme leader and has a nuclear capability, that’s a real threat.’

“In facing up to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Eiland said the United States had three possible courses of action, ‘all of them bad,’ and that a decision could not be postponed for too long, ‘since delay, too, is a decision of sorts.’ The first option was ‘to give up’–to accept that Iran was going nuclear and try to make the best of it… Washington’s second option was to launch a last-ditch effort at diplomatic action, he said… The third option, said Eiland, was a military operation… this would be action that would have to be taken within months…”

German Troops in Southern Afghanistan?

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 29 about the German reaction to pressures from its allies to send German troops into southern Afghanistan:

“With growing unrest and fighting in southern Afghanistan, a major debate is shaping up in Germany over whether Bundeswehr army soldiers should be dispatched to the region… The conservative Die Welt writes that current developments are ‘forcing Germans to face a reality about the Bundeswehr’s foreign deployments that they didn’t take seriously before.’ And that’s that deployments aren’t just simple peacekeeping operations — they could put soldiers in harm’s way at any time. ‘If German soldiers are deployed to southern Afghanistan, they could face Taliban fighters,” the paper writes. “The perils facing German troops in Congo, where they are providing election security, was demonstrated a few days ago by a shootout in Khinshasa.’…

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung uses the debate over a southern Afghanistan deployment as the jumping off point for a bigger issue: the lack of a vision for the Bundeswehr. Since 1992, a total of 150,000 German soldiers have participated in missions abroad — sometimes for humanitarian reasons, at times for combat. But it is still unclear under what criteria Germany sends troops abroad. ‘There is no recognizable strategy whatsoever,’ the paper complains. ‘What German interests are represented in Afghanistan, in Congo and, in the future, in the Middle East?’ The paper says its almost laughable that a country with Germany’s economic might has already reached its military limit with less than 10,000 of its 260,000 troops being deployed abroad. ‘If Germany is going to have an army that gets its orders from parliament,’ the paper argues, ‘then parliament is going to have to take its job seriously. It has to provide a definition of the Bundeswehr’s actual role: It’s obviously no more than an army of self-defense at the moment. But should it become an army of intervention?’ The paper then calls on the government to develop a clear German policy that can determine whether a deployment of troops makes sense or not.”

As Biblical prophecy reveals, Germany will soon have a powerful army, and it will be used as an “army of intervention”–not only as an “army of self-defense.” For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

“More France Means Less Europe”

On August 25, Germany’s conservative daily, Die Welt, published a guest commentary by Dominique Moisi, one of the founders of the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI). According to Der Spiegel Online, summarizing the editorial, “Moisi argues that the conflict in Lebanon has ‘widened the emotional gap between Europe and the United States that began to open up with the beginning of the war in Iraq.’ The United States ‘may not be convinced of the tactical choices made by Israel’s Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and his administration,’ Moisi writes, ‘but the Americans still believe that there was no choice but to conduct this war — just as with the 1982 war in Lebanon.’ On the other hand, the ‘majority of Europeans’ view the war ‘as an operation that was useless from Israel’s point of view, and which could trigger a clash of civilizations between Islam and the West.’…

“[According to Moisi] ‘Spain and Italy have become more critical of Israel, and they’ve also moved closer to France.’ That this last country should be playing an increasingly central role in the debate over the UN peacekeeping mandate in Lebanon is not a good thing, in Moisi’s view: France’s decisions are dictated less by a clear strategy than by the country’s need to retain political ‘credibility’ and its ‘reputation for being a country that doesn’t shy from military intervention.’ Moisi also suggests that ‘more France’ means ‘less Europe,’ or that France’s tendency to take over the reins when it comes to intervention in the Middle East reflects the absence of a consistent EU policy.”

Europe Asked to Act More Decisively!

The EUObserver reported on August 28:

“The Middle East crisis has exposed weaknesses in EU foreign policy with the 25-member bloc reacting too slowly to stop the destruction of Lebanon, president Jacques Chirac said at an annual gathering of top French diplomats in Paris on Monday… ‘The future of the European project is today predicated on Europe’s ability to be a leading political player,’ the president added… The EU’s so-called high representative on foreign affairs, Javier Solana, flew to Lebanon at the height of the conflict in July but the Finnish EU presidency all-but-ignored Mr Chirac’s 20 July plea to give the unofficial EU foreign minister special powers in this case. Speaking at the time, EU diplomats said the UK was unwilling to let Mr Solana negotiate for the whole bloc because there was no unanimity on how to handle the crisis, while other EU states were afraid of losing control in foreign policy areas… ‘In a few short days we saw Lebanon laid to waste, its people battered, 15 years of [diplomatic] effort laid to waste,’ Mr Chirac said.”

European Policy Needs Cohesiveness!

Der Spiegel Online wrote on August 28 about the German perception that Europe’s and Germany’s foreign policy flip-flops. The magazine pointed out:

“The EU has long indicated it wants to play a larger role in world events. But this episode [pertaining to Lebanon] shows Europe still lacks the cohesion and decisiveness in foreign policy, German commentators [said] on Monday.

“Business daily Financial Times Deutschland… singled out France for its waffling on the number of troops it was going to send… In short, the paper writes: ‘The EU has taken on a big responsibility with its participation. Now it must show that it can live up to it.’ Left-leaning Berliner Zeitung says Germany is making itself part of the problem in the Middle East conflict by first rejecting any deployment that could bring its troops into confrontation with Israeli soldiers and then stressing that its navy will use force to stop arms shipments to Hezbolla.'”

Terrorists in Turkey

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 29 about the most recent horrible terror attacks in Turkey by Kurdish extremists, suggesting that more terrible attacks will follow. The magazine stated:

“Several bombs rocked Turkey’s Mediterranean coast and Istanbul late Sunday and Monday, causing at least three deaths and injuring many more. But the toll could have been even higher: Police have reportedly foiled another attack in the western port city Izmir after arresting a member of the banned Kurdish Workers Party (PKK)… The Kurdistan Liberation Hawks (TAK), believed to be tied to the PKK, claimed responsibility for the bombings… The TAK made clear that it was targeting Turkey’s tourist industry to further its separatist cause for the country’s sizable Kurdish minority. ‘We have warned the public of Turkey and the international public before, Turkey is not a safe country, tourists shouldn’t come,’ the group said in a statement on its Web site… The TAK tactic of trying to damage Turkey’s tourist industry, an important part of the country’s economy, could have serious repercussions for the number of foreign visitors… Turkey’s tourist industry, which brings in $18 billion each year, has already been hit this year by other militant attacks and a bird flu outbreak.”

Catholic Church Questions Theory of Evolution

The Guardian Unlimited reported on August 28 about a remarkable development within the Catholic Church, which is apparently willing to review its stance regarding creation and evolution. For decades, the Catholic Church followed the influence of intellectual science to postulate that the concept of evolution was more than a hypothesis. But this erroneous position might perhaps be revised. The article stated:

“Philosophers, scientists and other intellectuals close to Pope Benedict will gather at his summer palace outside Rome this week for intensive discussions that could herald a fundamental shift in the Vatican’s view of evolution. There have been growing signs the Pope is considering aligning his church more closely with the theory of ‘intelligent design’ taught in some US states. Advocates of the theory argue that some features of the universe and nature are so complex that they must have been designed by a higher intelligence. Critics say it is a disguise for creationism.

“A prominent anti-evolutionist and Roman Catholic scientist, Dominique Tassot, told the US National Catholic Reporter that this week’s meeting was ‘to give a broader extension to the debate. Even if [the Pope] knows where he wants to go, and I believe he does, it will take time. Most Catholic intellectuals today are convinced that evolution is obviously true because most scientists say so.’… The Pope also raised the issue in the inaugural sermon of his pontificate, saying: ‘We are not the accidental product, without meaning, of evolution.'”

For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Europe Needs Christians!

On August 27, the Catholic news agency, Zenit, published an interview with Hans Maier, retired professor of Munich’s Ludwig-Maximilians University. Maier was minister of Education and Culture in Bavaria from 1970 to 1986, and president of the Central Committee of German Catholics from 1976 to 1988. He has written some 30 books, including “Democracy in the Church?” (1970), in which he collaborated with Joseph Ratzinger, now Benedict XVI.

In the interview, Maier advocated the concept that Europe needs united and active Christians, and that Europe does not need the import of Arab Muslims. He stated:

“… there are common foundations and principles, manifested in the cultural specificities of each nation. And these unifying principles are Roman law, which led Europe to develop an efficient juridical culture; the Judeo-Christian belief in one God, which has imprinted itself on institutions and thought… We cannot say that Europe is only Christian, but the Judeo-Christian heritage profoundly influenced its cultural and political soul. To import in Europe the same Islam that has been structured in Arab countries would mean the suppression of present-day Europe to create another, radically different continent. This does not mean that we cannot have a Euro-Islam, an Islam adapted to Europe. But it presupposes on the part of Muslims respect for religious freedom, pluralism of thought and the distinction between religion and politics. It requires that the mullahs accept to live their faith along with the Jewish synagogues and Christian cathedrals. It is a process of transformation and maturation to which we must call Muslims, if they wish to be part of this Europe of ours…

“Freedom is something typically European, and I would also say, typically Christian. The contribution made by Christianity to the development of freedom as well as of democracy, is very strong. As for the rest, the totalitarianisms of the 20th century, Communism, and Fascism especially in their National-Socialist expression, are the substitute introduced when there was an attempt to suppress [the Judeo-Christian] religion in Europe… the roots of modern democracy [are] not by accident… Christian roots… Christians are called to unite, to seek ties with others. It must never be forgotten that one of the factors that led to the affirmation of Nazism in Germany was the division between Catholics and Protestants, who were unable to form a common front.”

A Christian European Constitution

Bild Online reported on August 29 about a formal visit between Pope Benedict XVI and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, daughter of a Protestant minister. During the visit, Merkel promised that she would strongly advocate that Christianity is firmly rooted in the European Constitution, as “Christianity has formed essentially our European history.” The Pope is scheduled to visit Bavaria on September 8.

Terrorists Strike in Germany

Some thought that Germany might be somewhat protected from terrorist activity. They were wrong. More than two weeks ago, Germany awoke to the cruel reality that fanatical terrorists might strike anywhere–any time. If they had been successful in their foiled attempt to blow up several trains, hundreds of innocent passengers would have been killed. As AFP put it: “The bombs were set to detonate 10 minutes before their arrival in the western cities of Hamm, near Dortmund, and Koblenz, but a technical fault prevented an almost certain bloodbath.” Both main suspects–students from Lebanon–were arrested; one in Germany, the other one, who escaped to Lebanon, in Tripoli. All clues point at a terror cell in Germany, with connections to Lebanon and al-Quida.

On August 19, Bild Online reported that the first captured suspect is a Lebanese student living in the German city of Kiel. The paper said that he is apparently a member of an Islamic network, and the two suspects were not acting alone, but as a part of a group with terrorist background. It is feared that the arrest of the one suspect will lead to retaliation from Islamic perpetrators.

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 19, that two train stations in Kiel, Germany, were closed from 4:00 am until 9:00 pm on Saturday because of suspected terrorist activity. In addition, trains were stopped and travelers were stranded for hours. The magazine also stated that in the past (Mohammed) Atta, the terrorist from New York, had been seen in the German city of Kiel.

On August 22, 2006, Der Spiegel Online added the following comments: “German authorities have identified the second suspect involved in last month’s failed plot to bomb trains. He is believed to be 20 years old and from Lebanon, like the first suspect, a 21- year- old student, who was arrested last Saturday… German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said fears of a possible terror attack were ‘unfortunately very real.’ He added that the motive of the two attackers remained unclear. However, a resident of the student dormitory where [the first arrested suspect] resided in Kiel told SPIEGEL ONLINE the student had told residents that his brother, a member of the Lebanese army, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Beirut Airport.”

AFP added on August 22: “Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel reported that some of [the first suspect’s] relatives had links to the banned Islamic extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir and that the 21-year-old was believed to have been radicalized by the organization, which strives to create an Islamic state.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 24 about the capture of the second suspect: “The search for a suspect accused of plotting a terrorist attack in Germany ended on Thursday after he was taken into custody in the northern Lebanese town of Tripoli. While German officials said he turned himself in to police, the Lebanese authorities said he was lured to the city and then arrested… [The] 20-year-old Lebanese citizen who had been living in Cologne [Germany], is thought to be involved in a plot to blow up two trains in western Germany on July 31. According to the Associated Press, the Lebanese anti-terrorism police acted on information from Interpol while searching for [the suspect] for almost a week in northern Lebanon. German federal prosecutors want him for several counts of attempted murder and membership in a terrorist organization.”

AFP added on August 24: “The German government said the plotters… had almost certainly acted with the help of a terrorist group. The plot has put the country on edge, reminding Germans that three of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks, including ringleader Mohammed Atta, lived as students in Hamburg for years without arousing suspicion.”

Lebanon’s Fragile Peace

The Associated Press reported on August 19:

“Israeli commandos raided a Hezbollah stronghold deep inside Lebanon Saturday, sparking a fierce clash with militants that left one Israeli soldier dead. Lebanon called the raid a ‘flagrant violation’ of the U.N.-brokered cease-fire, while Israel said it was aimed at disrupting arms smuggling from Iran and Syria. Lebanese Defense Minister Elias Murr threatened to halt the army’s deployment in south Lebanon if the United Nations does not take up the issue of the raid. A stop to the deployment would deeply damage efforts to move in an international force to strengthen the cease-fire… The fighting… highlighted the fragility of the 6-day-old truce as the United Nations pleaded for nations to contribute to an international peacekeeping force due to patrol southern Lebanon.

“Under the cease-fire terms, Israel has said it will conduct defensive operations if its troops are threatened. But the raid took place far from positions of Israeli troops in southern Lebanon. The cease-fire resolution talks about an end to weapons shipments to Hezbollah as part of a long-term end to the conflict–but does not immediately require it…”

It was also reported by the Arab paper, Aljazeera, on August 19 that “Israeli soldiers have detained the Palestinian deputy prime minister, the latest step in a continuing crackdown against the ruling Hamas party… An Israeli army spokesman confirmed that troops had taken al-Shaer into custody, saying it was ‘due to his membership of a terrorist organisation’… With al-Shaer’s arrest, four members of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian cabinet and about 28 Hamas members of parliament are in Israeli custody.”

Please make sure to tune in to our StandingWatch program, titled, “What’s Next for Lebanon?”

Situation in Lebanon Explosive

The Associated Press reported on August 23:

“Israel’s foreign minister on Wednesday called the situation in Lebanon ‘explosive’ and urged the international community to work quickly to deploy peacekeeping troops there… Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora urged the United States to help end Israel’s sea and air blockade… France and other European countries have been demanding a clear mandate from the U.N. mission that gives their soldiers the right to defend themselves without dragging them into the conflict… Meanwhile, the shaky cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah was tested Wednesday as the Israeli army fired artillery into a disputed border region in response to what it said was an attack from inside Lebanon. An Israeli soldier was killed in a separate incident, the army said…”

The Associated Press reported in August 24:

“Israeli forces crossed into the Gaza Strip early Thursday in a raid that captured a local Hamas militant leader and left his brother dead near a Gaza border town… As the forces–backed by tanks and helicopter gunships–moved into the area of Abasan and took up positions on rooftops, militants began firing at them, sparking gunbattles that wounded two militants… The violence came as Israel continued its offensive in the Gaza Strip, which it began June 28, three days after Hamas-linked militants tunneled into Israel, attacked an Israeli army post and captured a soldier… Israel said it would maintain its offensive until [the soldier] was released and militants ceased firing rockets into Israel.”

Syria Rejects UN Forces at its Border

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 23:

“As one of Hezbollah’s strongest international supporters, many had hoped that Syria could be a partner in delivering peace between Israel and the Lebanon-based Islamic extremist group. But comments made by the country’s president, Bashar Assad, muted those hopes on Tuesday. Speaking in harsh tones, Assad said his country would not accept the stationing of troops from a United Nations security force along the border between Syria and Lebanon… Assad described the plans as a ‘hostile act.'”

AFP added on August 24:

“Syria has threatened to close its border with Lebanon if UN peacekeepers are deployed there, further complicating the struggle by world powers to agree on the makeup and role of a force to police a fragile ceasefire. The warning came as EU diplomats met in Brussels for a second day Thursday… A partial breakthrough seemed to emerge Thursday, when officials in Paris announced that France might send ‘hundreds more’ troops to join the 400 it already has in Lebanon. Following talks Wednesday in Helsinki with Syrian counterpart Walid Muallem, Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said ‘they will close the frontier for all traffic (if) the UN troops will be deployed’ along the border.”

Did Israel Commit War Crimes?

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 23:

“… the human rights organization Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Israel of having committed war crimes by deliberately destroying Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure and indiscriminate bombing that led to a high number of civilian casualties. ‘The scale of destruction was just extraordinary,’ Amnesty Researcher Donatella Rovera said, according to AP. ‘There is clear evidence of disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks.’ The organization encouraged the UN to investigate whether Israel or Hezbollah had violated international law.

“Israel denied the charges. ‘Unlike Hezbollah,’ said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev, ‘we did not deliberately target the Lebanese population. On the contrary, under very difficult circumstances, we tried to be as surgical as is humanly possible in targeting the Hezbollah terrorist organization.’ The Israeli army has also defended itself, issuing statements that it warned civilians in Lebanon that bombings would take place. Israel also accused Hezbollah of firing rockets at locations near civilian institutions.

“Amnesty International claims that more than 1,100 Lebanese were killed during the five-week war. One-third were reportedly children. An estimated 160 Israelis were killed in combat or as the result of Hezbollah rocket attacks.”

How To Respond to Iran?

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 23 about the reaction of the German press to Iran’s nebulous response to the UN’s demands to stop its nuclear program. The magazine wrote: “Iran says it’s ready for ‘serious negotiations’ about its controversial nuclear ambitions. But the country’s hard-liners aren’t prepared to give up uranium enrichment. What should be the international community’s next move?”

It continued:

“The conservative daily Die Welt has considerable doubts that Tehran is honestly willing to negotiate. ‘Suddenly Iran is in a hurry. And what have they done up till now? Correct: They have not been serious about talks, they have stalled for time, and they duped the international community,’ writes the paper. The West will now have to quickly determine if Tehran truly wants to return to the negotiating table. ‘If not — and nothing yet has shown that Tehran can be convinced to give up its uranium enrichment program — then the Security Council will have to place sanctions on the country.’ Failing to do so, argues Die Welt, would harm the UN’s credibility. ‘But the Council isn’t united. China’s and Russia’s interests are in conflict with Washington’s uncompromising course. Iran has always successfully exploited just that,’ writes the paper…

“The left-wing Berliner Zeitung places blame for any impasse on both Tehran and Washington, calling Iran’s response a ‘tactical answer to a tactical offer.’ The paper — no friend of the Bush administration — argues that the United States has put something on the table that Iran cannot agree to by making stopping uranium enrichment a condition and not a goal of further negotiations. ‘The political intention is clear. Iran should be able to be blamed for any coming escalation,’ opines the editorial after cynically implying that Washington only sees the Middle East as a vast market for oil and natural gas.

“The business daily Handelsblatt believes the dispute has reached a key turning point. ‘Until now the goal was to keep (Iran) from building a nuclear bomb with economic and political incentives,’ writes the paper. ‘Moving forward, however, the Europeans and Americans will have to discuss sanctions.’ Since Tehran doesn’t appear willing to give up its enrichment activities, the international community has little choice but to respond with the possibility of meting out punishment… Though the paper argues that the mullahs need to be firmly shown just how far they will be allowed to go, it is also concerned that the dispute could create divisions between the European Union and America…”

Ahmadinejad’s Thirst for Destruction

On August 22, the British paper, The Daily Mail, published an eye-opening article, titled, “Why this man should give us all nightmares.”

The paper explained what motivates Iran’s President to engage in his well-documented irate behavior. The answers are frightening and justify, indeed, the headline of the article.

It was stated:

“Why shouldn’t Iran have nuclear weapons? We [in Great Britain] have them, so has America, France, Russia, Israel, China, Pakistan, India and possibly North Korea. So why make such a fuss about Iran?… The mullah-mafia lied through their teeth for 18 years, denying they had a nuclear programme, despite their obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. And all the evidence shows that they are lying now when they say they only want nuclear power for ‘peaceful energy purposes’, despite sitting on some of the largest oil reserves in the world. But, alas, there’s nothing which we would recognise as ‘reasonable’ about President Ahmadinejad, the small, bearded blacksmith’s son from the slums of Tehran–who denies the existence of the Holocaust, promises to ‘wipe Israel off the map’ and who, moreover, urges Iranians to ‘prepare to take over the world’. The UN gave him until August 31 to reply to its package of proposals designed to stop his nuclear programme. Significantly he chose yesterday to, in effect, reject the UN ultimatum because yesterday was a sacred day in the Islamic calendar. It is the day on which the Prophet Mohammed made his miraculous night flight from Jerusalem to heaven and back on Buraq, the winged horse.

“As one Iranian exile told me yesterday: ‘The trouble with you secular people is that you don’t realise how firmly Ahmadinejad believes–literally–in things like the winged horse. By choosing this date for his decision, he is telling his followers that he is going to obey his religious duty. ‘And he believes that his religious duty is to create chaos and bloodshed in the “infidel” world, in order to hasten the return of the Mahdi–the Hidden Imam. So don’t expect him to behave, in your eyes, “reasonably”.’

“So who is this Hidden Imam? He was a direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed who, at the age of five, disappeared down a well around AD 940. He will only return after a period of utter chaos and bloodshed, whereupon peace, justice and Islam will reign worldwide. When I was in Tehran, Ahmadinejad was its mayor, and an Iranian friend with links to the city council told me: ‘He’s instructed the council to build a grand avenue to prepare for the Mahdi’s return’…

“On coming to power, in order to hasten the return of the Hidden Imam, the Iranian President allocated the equivalent of £10m for the building of a blue-tiled mosque at Jamkaran, south of the capital, where the five-year-old Hidden Imam was said to have disappeared down the well… the President’s apocalyptic mindset ‘makes you very strong. If I think the Mahdi will come in two, three, or four years, why should I be soft? Now is the time to stand strong, to be hard’… nuclear-weapon technology in the hands of an Iranian President obsessed with ‘ fruitcake theology’ and the destruction of all ‘infidels’ is something which should keep us all awake at night.”

The REAL Federal Deficit

On August 4, 2006, USA Today published an alarming and thought-provoking article about the REAL federal deficit. The article claimed that the official figures published for the public are intentionally kept far too low, stating:

“The federal government keeps two sets of books. The set the government promotes to the public has a healthier bottom line: a $318 billion deficit in 2005. The set the government doesn’t talk about is the audited financial statement produced by the government’s accountants following standard accounting rules. It reports a more ominous financial picture: a $760 billion deficit for 2005. If Social Security and Medicare were included… the federal deficit would have been $3.5 trillion… Last year, the audited statement produced by the accountants said the government ran a deficit equal to $6,700 for every American household. The number given to the public put the deficit at $2,800 per household…

“The government has run a deficit of $2.9 trillion since 1997… Congress and the president are able to report a lower deficit mostly because they don’t count the growing burden of future pensions and medical care for federal retirees and military personnel. These obligations are so large and are growing so fast that budget surpluses of the late 1990s actually were deficits when the costs are included. The Clinton administration reported a surplus of $559 billion in its final four budget years. The audited numbers showed a deficit of $484 billion…” But it gets even more frightening. USA Today continued to explain the rationale WHY the retirement programs, Medicare and Social Security, are not included in the official government publications. But this reason is not in any way good news:

“The retirement programs do ‘not represent a legal obligation because Congress has the authority to increase or reduce social insurance benefits at any time,’ wrote Clay Johnson III, then acting director of the president’s Office of Management Budget, in a letter to the board in May… Social Security chief actuary Stephen Goss says it would be a mistake to apply accrual accounting to Social Security and Medicare. These programs are not pensions or legally binding federal obligations, although many people view them that way, he says. Social Security and Medicare are pay-as-you-go programs and should be treated like food stamps and fighter jets, not like a Treasury bond that must be repaid in the future, he adds…”

America’s Power Pushed Back

New America Media reported on August 18:

“American power is being pushed back on several fronts. Both the nuclear deal [with India] and the American setbacks in world politics are aspects of a breakdown in the post-1989 unipolar order…

“America remains tied down in Iraq. The drain of American capabilities and prestige in Iraq has rendered it unable to prevent adverse trends elsewhere. The jihadis are rising in Afghanistan, and America has no reserves available to throw into the battle. Iran is gaining confidence in its ability to pursue its nuclear program, and North Korea is defying America and Japan with its missile tests. What makes these last two trends possible is the growing power and assertiveness of Russia and China. Their refusal to bow to Western pressure in the UN Security Council has disabled the United States, European Union, and Japan from mobilizing pressure on Iran and North Korea…”

America in Need of Marines

CNN reported on August 23:

“President Bush has authorized the U.S. Marine Corps to recall 2,500 troops to active duty because there are not enough volunteers returning for duty in Afghanistan and Iraq… The recall was authorized last month, and will begin in spring 2007 to fill positions for upcoming rotations… there is a shortfall of about 1,200 Marines needed to fill positions in upcoming unit deployments… Tours for recalled Marines could last 12 to 18 months… Though the initial recall is for 2,500 troops, there is no cap on how many could be called up in the future… The Marines recalled more than 2,600 troops in the early days of the Iraq war. The Army has recalled about 10,000 soldiers since September 11, 2001, the majority of those coming in 2004 to help in Iraq.”

Morning-After Pill Kills Innocent Human Life!

The Catholic news agency, Zenit, reported on August 21:

“President George Bush said he supports restricted access to the ‘morning-after’ pill for minors, disturbing some pro-lifers who want the potentially abortion-causing drug banned altogether… LifeSite… quoted Father Thomas Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, as saying: ‘President Bush’s implied support for the abortion-causing drug… is completely inconsistent with his recent veto of the embryonic stem cell research [ESCR] funding bill. What the president apparently fails to realize is that [the drug] kills the same innocent unborn children that the ESCR process does.’… The U.S. bishops’ conference opposes making [the drug] available over-the-counter on several grounds, including its abortifacient potential and its implications for informed consent.

“In a statement today, Judie Brown, president of American Life League, lamented Bush’s comments. ‘It is no secret that [the drug] can and does take the lives of newly conceived babies in the days immediately following fertilization,’ said Brown. ‘The drug’s own manufacturer recognizes this fact; so why can’t the rest of the pro-life community and our self-professed pro-life president recognize it as well? President Bush is showing inconsistency in his support for life.'”

Catholic Church vs. Madonna

The controversial British mass tabloid, The Sun News, reported on August 22 about pressures by the Catholic Church to prosecute singer and entertainer Madonna for alleged attacks on the Catholic religion. The tabloid stated:

“Prosecutors in Germany said they have decided against opening an investigation into the mock crucifixion scene performed by Madonna at her weekend concert. A crowd of about 45,000 packed Duesseldorf’s LTU Arena on Sunday night to watch the first of two German concerts on the singer’s worldwide ‘Confessions’ tour. The scene–in which Madonna rises from the stage on a mirrored cross while wearing a crown of fake thorns to sing ‘Live to Tell’–drew criticism from religious leaders in Italy earlier this month, who condemned it as an act of hostility toward the Roman Catholic Church.”

Recently, Bavaria’s leader, Edmund Stoiber, demanded in relationship to another alleged attack on the Catholic religion in Germany, to enact German laws which would make it easier to prosecute those vocally opposed to the Catholic religion.

Dark Matter–Yes or No?

On August 22, The Register reported the following:

“NASA says it now has the first direct evidence for the existence of dark matter, thanks to observations of a huge, intergalactic collision. Researchers… have been watching two galactic clusters collide, an event they say is the most energetic in the universe, ever, apart from the Big Bang… Most of the matter in the universe is thought to be so-called dark matter. It gets its name because it is effectively invisible, and until now its existence could only be inferred from its gravitational effects. The term was invented to account for the fact that despite not having enough mass to hold themselves together under their own gravity, galaxies still spectacularly failed to tear themselves apart. Astronomers reasoned that something invisible, but massive, must be holding things together. Hence, dark matter. However, not all scientists agree (and when do they ever?). Some alternative theories have been put forward, but NASA says only dark matter can explain the observations here.”

Scientists have come forward with all kind of scientific explanations as to how the universe came into being, and how it is sustained. Most of those ideas are wrong. The Bible, however, gives us very clear answers, but most scientists are unwilling to consider those. Hebrews 1:1-2 explains (New International Version):

“In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.”

Verse 3 continues (Revised English Bible): “… he sustains the universe by his word of power.”

Doesn’t an active Creator and living Sustainer of the universe, who is identified as the “light” shining “in the darkness” (John 1:5), sound much more plausible to explain the continued existence of the universe, than some kind of dead dark matter?

For more information, please read our free booklet: “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults.”

Peace in the Middle East–No Way!

In this special report, we are publishing articles with all kinds of different political view points, shapes and colors about the current crisis situation in the Middle East. We do not necessarily agree with the quoted material and the opinions contained therein, but the following facts are clear: Israel has not accomplished its goals; Hezbollah has become much more popular in the Arab world; Europe is willing to send troops into Lebanon; the future in Lebanon is still very uncertain; and the United States of America and Israel find themselves all alone. And this means, lasting peace is more elusive than ever in that war-torn region.

These trends and developments have been prophesied. Please read our free booklet: “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

A New War Just a Matter of Time?

Bild Online wrote on August 14: “Since yesterday, 7:00 am, the weapons are silent. Did Israel win the war?”

The paper, which is friendly toward Israel, continued:

“Israel has won, but they are not the victors. Israel did not achieve all of its goals… The two captured soldiers are sill captured… the international community, especially the UN, has failed… Is the next war against Israel just a matter of time?… “

The paper also asked what the war did for Hezbollah, and stated:

“Hezbollah has shown a military strength succeeding the expectations of many, including many in Israel. Hezbollah leader Nasrallah claims that he is more popular in the country than Lebanese Prime Minister, Fonad Siniora.”

Will Israel Withdraw?

Reuters reported on August 16:

“Israel could withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon within 10 days, but only if the Lebanese army deploys quickly in the area, Israel’s army chief of staff, Dan Halutz, said… ‘If the Lebanese army does not move down within a number of days to the south … the way I see it, we must stop our withdrawal,’ Halutz added… Halutz… had been quoted earlier as saying Israel was prepared to keep troops in southern Lebanon for months if it takes that long for an international force to deploy… ‘We must check matters one by one and correct them quickly. I do not rule out the possibility that the situation could explode and we, as an army, must be ready,’ he said [on Wednesday].”

Hezbollah Won’t Disarm

The Jerusalem Post reported on August 16:

“The issue of disarmament is not on the agenda, senior Hizbullah official Hassan Fadlallah said on Wednesday, jeopardizing the fragile cease-fire in the region. The UN cease-fire resolution clearly states that the area south of the Litani river must be demilitarized. According to Fadlallah, who spoke with al-Jazeera, Hizbullah will not evacuate its operatives from southern Lebanon since they are the ones who populate the region. ‘Any such withdrawal means the evacuation of southern Lebanon,’ he said.”

Who Will Disarm Hezbollah?

Der Spiegel Online asked on August 16: “Who Will Disarm Hezbollah?” The magazine continued:

“The cease-fire resolution passed by the Security Council last Friday does not outline what kind of mandate a UN force in southern Lebanon might be equipped with. And many countries have said they are reluctant to pledge troops before such a mandate exists… The UN hopes to eventually assemble a force of 15,000 troops to assist the Lebanese force in enforcing the cease-fire, and aims at sending some 3,500 troops within the next week to 10 days. France has indicated its willingness to send a sizable force, as have Italy, Spain, Malaysia and Indonesia [as well as Turkey]. A number of other mostly European countries have also voiced interest in helping out, but none have made official pledges. German politicians continued their wrangling over the issue on Tuesday and Wednesday.”

The article continued:

“Hezbollah… sees itself as the winner of the war with Israel. Indeed, the group has taken the lead in rebuilding efforts in southern Lebanon, going door to door to ask returning residents what they need and trying to pave the way for a return to normal life… It could take up to a year for the United Nations to establish a full, 15,000-troop force in southern Lebanon… With Israel beginning its withdrawal, however, a rapid deployment is necessary.”

Lebanon’s Army Unwilling to Fight Hezbollah

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 17:

“… the Lebanese army began deploying troops in the southern part of the country on Thursday as part of the UN-brokered cease-fire plan to end fighting between Israel and Islamic extremist group Hezbollah. For decades, the Lebanese army has had little or no influence south of the Litani River. The border region’s true powerbrokers have been Hezbollah and Israel — the two opposing sides that the deployment of Lebanese soldiers and tanks in southern Lebanon is meant to keep from fighting. But it remains to be seen if the Lebanese government in Beirut can truly expand its control to its southern border with Israel, especially since the Islamist outfit Hezbollah appears far from willing to cede power or disarm. Lebanon’s cabinet on Wednesday backed the deployment of troops south of the Litani River, but the government — which includes ministers from Hezbollah’s political wing — said soldiers would not confront militia members of the Shiite extremist group…”

The magazine continued:

“However, establishing Lebanese army control in the south is a key part of the UN cease-fire that stopped over a month of heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Hezbollah. The government troops will have to bridge a period until a more robust UN peacekeeping force can be sent to the region to help stabilize the fragile peace. According to the UN cease-fire agreement that took hold on Monday, Israel will transfer control of its positions in southern Lebanon to the UN forces, which would then turn them over to the Lebanese army… Many local residents seemed pleased the Lebanese army had returned, even if they are unprepared to face down Hezbollah… But it remains to be seen if Israel will be content with a still-armed Hezbollah sitting on its northern border. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev said Israel expected Lebanon to fully follow the UN plan. ‘That resolution clearly calls for the creation of a Hezbollah-free zone south of the Litani River, and anything less would mean that the resolution is not being implemented,’ he said.”

What Germans Think About a UN Army

On August 15, Der Spiegel Online discussed the reaction of the German press to the creation of a UN army:

“The international force, being assembled to strengthen the small United Nations mission that is currently in southern Lebanon, is… taking shape slowly… The German press on Tuesday is urging speed.

“Left-leaning Die Tageszeitung… stresses, the cease-fire only has a chance of success ‘if UN troops are stationed in southern Lebanon within the next couple of days — not weeks.’ Additionally, these troops will need to be strong enough to ‘keep both conflicting parties from active fighting.’…

“According to the conservative daily Die Welt, ‘there is no cause for optimism’ for those familiar with the less-than-successful track record of UN troops. ‘Aside from the East Timor operation, most blue helmet missions can be classified as failures,’ the paper laments. The UN and the members of the Security Council carry part of the blame for this war; about two years ago they called for Hezbollah to be disarmed and then left it up to Lebanon to do the job. If something is to come out of a new mission, one ‘must send an army that will not hesitate to fight.’ And what’s more: ‘They need to be ready for a confrontation on the scale of the Americans’ war on terror in Afghanistan.’ Hezbollah will not willingly give up its weapons. But ‘Europe seems to want to avoid all of this’ and simply ‘wish the Lebanese well.'”

German Troops for Lebanon?

On August 15, Der Spiegel Online discussed the reaction of the German press to the concept of sending German troops into Lebanon:

“The Financial Times Deutschland [thinks that there] are real reasons for Germany to get involved in settling the Lebanese conflict…, stating, ‘ it would be disastrous for the entire region as well as for Europe, if Hezbollah succeeded in rising even stronger out of the ruins of Beirut.’… Berlin would do itself no favors were it to ‘focus on keeping out of it and making nice with all of the conflicting parties.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung emphasizes… [that] Germany is wary of putting itself in a position where it may be forced to fight Israeli troops; and even if Germany doesn’t get involved, the mere willingness to support military action ‘is a further … step on the way to emancipation from self-inflicted restraints of foreign policy involvement.’

“Business daily Handelsblatt goes a bit further in looking at how the current situation — and the possibility of Germany sending troops to the Middle East — will test the relationship between the two countries. On the one hand, Germany’s history — and constitution — requires a ‘special relationship’ between Germany and Israel. But since 1967, German public opinion has changed dramatically from being pro-Israeli to being anti-Zionist. ‘Along with that comes a strong antipathy towards America.’ In addition, even as the US has followed a strongly pro-Israeli foreign policy, ‘the European Union has followed a different path.’ But that different path cannot blind the Europeans to the danger facing Israel ‘when Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and their sponsors aim at the heart of Israel.'”

BBC News added the following on August 17:

“Germany is waiting to hear precisely what the mandate of the UN force for Lebanon will be before it decides what role to play in it. Party leaders in the ruling coalition said on Wednesday they had agreed in principle on contributing to the planned international force. But sensitivities about Germany’s past make some politicians uneasy about the idea of German troops facing Israelis. Germany may help in humanitarian work and securing the Lebanon-Syria border. ‘Many questions are still open,’ said government spokesman Thomas Steg… Any cabinet decision to send troops would still have to be approved by parliament. Coalition officials said they were considering providing naval patrols or police to help secure the Lebanon-Syria border.”

The article continued:

“Germany has sent 7,700 soldiers overseas already to serve with international forces in Afghanistan, the Balkans and DR Congo. Edmund Stoiber, head of the conservative Bavarian CSU party allied to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, firmly opposed any deployment of German combat troops. He said his Christian Social Union ‘will never vote for a combat operation for German soldiers in the buffer zone between Hezbollah and the Israeli border.'”

The US and Israel Stand Alone

On August 15, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with former President Jimmy Carter, addressing the current Middle Eastern crisis:

“I don’t think that Israel has any legal or moral justification for their massive bombing of the entire nation of Lebanon. What happened is that Israel is holding almost 10,000 prisoners, so when the militants in Lebanon or in Gaza take one or two soldiers, Israel looks upon this as a justification for an attack on the civilian population of Lebanon and Gaza…  I think that at this moment the United States and Israel probably stand more alone than our country has in generations.”

Iran and Syria Praise Hezbollah–and Incur German Wrath

The Associated Press reported on August 15:

“Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Tuesday that Hezbollah has ‘hoisted the banner of victory’ over Israel and toppled U.S.-led plans for the Middle East. Hezbollah’s main backers–Iran and Syria–struck nearly identical tones a day after a cease-fire took effect in Lebanon: heaping praise on the guerrillas as perceived victors for the Islamic world and claiming that Western influence in the region was dealt a serious blow.”

Reuters added on August 15:

“Assad said in a speech to the Syrian Journalists Union on Tuesday: ‘It is evident that after six years of this (US) administration that there is no peace and there will be none in the foreseeable future… The Israeli leadership is in front of an historic crossroads. Either it moves toward peace and gives back rights or face constant instability until an (Arab) generation comes and puts an end to the issue.'”

As a consequence, according to Reuters, “German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier cancelled a [planned] trip to Syria on Tuesday… ‘The speech today by Syrian President Assad is a negative contribution that is not in any way justified in view of the current challenges and opportunities in the Middle East,’ Steinmeier said in a statement… Steinmeier left on Monday for his third trip to the Middle East since hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah fighters in Lebanon erupted.”

Special Report on the Middle East

Last week, Mathias Dapfner, CEO of the Axel Stronger AG and publisher of the right-wing mass tabloid, Bild, as well as the daily, Die Welt, wrote in an editorial in Welt am Sonntag against the concept that Hezbollah, Iran and other controversial nations must be “appeased.” He also strongly advocated European action:

“Appeasement cost millions of Jews and non-Jews their lives, as England and France, allies at the time, negotiated and hesitated too long before they noticed that Hitler had to be fought, not bound to toothless agreements. Appeasement legitimized and stabilized Communism in the Soviet Union, then East Germany, then all the rest of Eastern Europe, where for decades, inhuman suppressive, murderous governments were glorified as the ideologically correct alternative to all other possibilities.

“Appeasement crippled Europe when genocide ran rampant in Kosovo, and although we had absolute proof of ongoing mass-murder, we Europeans debated and debated and debated, and were still debating when finally the Americans had to come from halfway around the world, into Europe yet again, and do our work for us. Rather than protecting democracy in the Middle East, European Appeasement, camouflaged behind the fuzzy word ‘equidistance,’ now countenances suicide bombings in Israel by fundamentalist Palestinians.

“Appeasement generates a mentality that allows Europe to ignore nearly 500,000 victims of Saddam’s torture and murder machinery and, motivated by the self-righteousness of the peace movement, has the gall to issue bad grades to George Bush… Even as it is uncovered that the loudest critics of the American action in Iraq made illicit billions, no, TENS of billions, in the corrupt U.N. Oil-for-Food program.

“And now we are faced with a particularly grotesque form of appeasement. How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic Fundamentalists in Holland and elsewhere? By suggesting that we really should have a ‘Muslim Holiday’ in Germany? I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of our… Government, and if the polls are to be believed, the German people, actually believe that creating an Official State ‘Muslim Holiday’ will somehow spare us from the wrath of the fanatical Islamists. One cannot help but recall Britain’s Neville Chamberlain waving the laughable treaty signed by Adolph Hitler and declaring European ‘Peace in our time’.

“What else has to happen before the European public and its political leadership get it?… Only two recent American Presidents had the courage needed for Anti-appeasement: Reagan and Bush. His American critics may quibble over the details, but we Europeans know the truth. We saw it first hand: Ronald Reagan ended the Cold War, freeing half of the German people from nearly 50 years of terror and virtual slavery. And Bush, supported only by the Social Democrat Blair, acting on moral conviction, recognized the danger in the Islamic War against Democracy… [We] listen to TV pastors preach about the need to ‘reach out to terrorists. To understand and forgive’. These days, Europe reminds me of an old woman who, with shaking hands, frantically hides her last pieces of jewelry when she notices a robber breaking into a neighbor’s house. Appeasement? Europe, thy name is Cowardice.”

War With Iran Is Coming

On August 10, 2006, TIA Daily published a provocative article with the catching headline, “Five Minutes to Midnight.” Even though some, if not much, of the article is to be viewed as propaganda for the purpose of advocating war with Iran, some of the statements are noteworthy. We quote selected excerpts, as follows:

“It is, indeed, ‘five minutes to midnight’–not just for Israel, but for the West. The time is very short now before we will have to confront Iran… We can’t avoid this war, because Iran won’t let us avoid it. That is the real analogy to the 1930s. Hitler came to power espousing the goal of German world domination, openly promising to conquer neighboring nations through military force and to persecute and murder Europe’s Jews. He predicted that the free nations of the world would be too weak–too morally weak–to stand up to him, and European and American leaders spent the 1930s reinforcing that impression. So Hitler kept advancing–the militarization of the Rhineland in 1936, the Spanish bombing campaign in 1937, the annexation of Austria and the invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1938, the invasion of Poland in 1939–until the West finally, belated[ly] decided there was no alternative but war.

“That is what is playing out today. Iran’s theocracy has chosen, as the nation’s new president, a religious fanatic who believes in the impending, apocalyptic triumph of Islam over the infidels. He openly proclaims his desire to create an Iranian-led Axis that will unite the Middle East in the battle against America, and he proclaims his desire to ‘wipe Israel off the map,’ telling an audience of Muslim leaders that ‘the main solution’ to the conflict in Lebanon is ‘the elimination of the Zionist regime.'”

Haider’s Tirades

The European Jewish Press reported on August 13:

“Tension between Austria’s far right-wing strongman Joerg Haider and the president of the country’s Jewish Community (IKG) has intensified after the two clashed over the Hezbollah-Israeli conflict. Far-right leader Haider said that IKG President Ariel Muzicant belonged to ‘those Zionist provocateurs in the West who defend the murder of dozens of children and hundreds of civilians and the destruction of bridges in order to stop people from fleeing and aid getting in, as well as the killing of UN soldiers, and with it justify a senseless war by Israel’. He added that ‘Muzicant’s credo and that of the Israeli warmongers in the Middle East’ is ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, instead of finding a peaceful solution without further violence,’ the respected daily ‘Die Presse’ reported…

“Haider’s tirade came after Muzicant criticised the ‘one-sidedness’ of discussions in Austria about the conflict. And he said politicians were trying to ‘use the tragedy in the Middle East for their own election purposes’, which he described as ‘tasteless’… Opposition towards Israel in Austria is mounting…”

The Risk of Nuclear Energy

On August 7, 2006, Der Spiegel Online raised some critical questions regarding the “vulnerability inherent in the process of producing nuclear energy.” In the article, titled, “How Close Did Sweden Come to Disaster?”, it is stated:

“The culprit was as simple as it was troubling: a short-circuit. But that short-circuit caused an electricity failure that nearly led to [a] catastrophe at Sweden’s Forsmark 1 nuclear reactor. Nearly two weeks ago, around noon on July 25, a power outage occured at Forsmark, throwing the plant’s control room into a state of chaos. As the power failed, so did two of the plant’s four emergency backup generators. The numbers on the controls started to go berserk, and it took a full 23 minutes before the workers, who for a time had no idea what was happening inside the reactor, were able to bring Forsmark 1 back under control.

“Describing the mishap, the environmental organization Greenpeace wrote that the events at Forsmark were comparable to a ‘ghost ship,’ with nobody at the rudder… Swedish nuclear expert Lars-Olov Högland, who served as chief of construction for Vattenfall until 1986, put it far more dramatically. ‘It was pure luck that there was not a meltdown,’ he said. ‘It was the worst incident since Chernobyl and Harrisburg,’ a reference to the 1979 meltdown at Three-Mile Island in Pennsylvania.

“… the incident shows yet again how vulnerable nuclear power plants are to a failure in electricity systems. ‘Nuclear power plants can quickly spin out of control and lead to meltdowns if short circuits or even power surges occur,’ warned Henrik Paulitz, of the German chapter of the group International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. Paulitz also took the opportunity to point out that Germany’s nuclear plants haven’t been immune to problems either. They included a power failure at Germany’s Biblis B nuclear reactor on Feb. 8, 2004. ‘And that was just because the weather was bad and there was a short in the power line,’ he recalled. Less than a decade earlier, in 1986, lightning disrupted operations at the plant. And in 1992, at a plant in Philippsburg, Germany, a defective electrical component caused an incident that had similarities with the July 25 incident in Sweden.”

Abortion and Confused World Religions

On August 13, 2006, USA Today published a lengthy article on the view point of influential religions on abortion. The emerging picture is one of utter confusion. If we follow God’s authoritative Holy Word, the Bible, we must conclude that abortion is ALWAYS wrong and NEVER justified, and that human life begins with the moment of conception. (For more information, please read our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”) We are reproducing the following excerpts from the article in USA Today:

“Roman Catholicism:

“The popes have taught that abortion is always forbidden, and the church hierarchy has held to a doctrine that strongly opposes it. Even so, grounds for permitting abortion exist in the Catholic tradition, and many Catholic theological authorities permit abortion in a variety of situations. There is even a pro-choice Catholic saint, the 15th century archbishop of Florence, St. Antoninus. He approved of early abortions when needed to save the life of the mother, a huge category in his day. There is thus no one Catholic view.

“Protestantism:

“Conservative Protestants usually condemn abortion, but Protestants are largely open to a moral choice on abortion. The Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice reports that some abortion rights are accepted within denominations, including Baptists, Disciples of Christ, Quakers, the Episcopal and Presbyterian churches, Methodists, United Church of Christ and Unitarian churches. The United Methodist General Conference was typical of mainline Protestant churches when it rejected ‘simplistic answers to the problem of abortion which, on the one hand, regard all abortions as murders, or, on the other hand, regard all abortions as procedures without moral significance.’

“Judaism:

“Because of the survival challenges Jews have faced historically, Judaism places great stress on children as a blessing. Nonetheless, as Orthodox theologian Laurie Zoloth says, ‘Abortion appears as an option for Jewish women from the earliest sources of the Bible and Mishnaic commentary.’ According to most Jewish authorities, the fetus does not have the status of a nefesh, a person, until the head emerges in the birthing process. This does not mean, however, that late-term abortions would be deemed acceptable in all circumstances. In some cases, performing an abortion is even considered a mitzvah, a sacred duty, not a ‘lesser evil.’

“Islam:

“Like all religions, it highly prizes fertility. Even so, Islam believes that we are obligated by God not to overpopulate. As Islamic scholar Azizah al-Hibri says, ‘The majority of Muslim scholars permit abortion, although they differ on the stage of fetal development beyond which it becomes prohibited.’ After 120 days, abortion is permissible only to save the mother’s life, where the pregnancy is harming an already suckling child, or when it is known that the fetus is malformed. Though the various schools of Islam differ on the time in which an abortion is permitted, al-Hibri says all “permit abortion for exigencies such as saving the mother’s life.'”

Mass Murder on an Unimaginable Scale!

BBC News reported early Thursday morning of yet another terrorist plan: “A plot to blow up planes in flight from the UK to the US and commit ‘mass murder on an unimaginable scale’ has been disrupted, Scotland Yard has said.”

The article pointed out that 21 individuals have been arrested. Widespread news coverage also indicated that other suspects were being sought. Additionally, fear of alternate plans by embedded terrorists cells has been voiced.

This latest plot has had immediate and wide-ranging consequences. Bloomberg.com reports: “European airline schedules were disrupted and passengers inconvenienced after U.K. anti-terror police said they foiled a plan to blow up airliners traveling to the U.S. and imposed travel restrictions.

“Delays and cancellations were most severe at London Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest. Flights from European destinations were canceled and some outbound flights were dropped as well. Extra security procedures are causing serious delays on the ground. British Airways Plc canceled all short-haul Heathrow flights.”

In the U.S., stringent new security checks were implemented forcing travelers to avoid many carry-on items. Lines at terminals–both pedestrian and automobile–grew ponderously across North America.

Indeed, nations all over the planet are being affected by this latest terrorist plot. The relative safety and freedom to travel that was enjoyed in the recent past has been severely damaged. People are fearful, and these events are evidence of prophetic warnings found in the Bible. For more information , please read our booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Earthquake Changed Earth’s Gravity

UPI reported on August 3:

“U.S. scientists say they’ve determined Earth’s gravity changed as a result of the giant 2004 Sumatran earthquake… The 9.1-magnitude December 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake in the Indian Ocean produced a tsunami that killed approximately 230,000 people, while displacing more than 1 million others. The event followed the slipping of two continental plates under the seafloor that raised [the] ocean bed in the region by several feet for thousands of square miles.”

The earthquakes, which we have been experiencing so far, are only tiny forerunners of earthquakes which are prophesied to occur in the future. For instance, we read in Revelation 16:18, 20:

“…and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth… Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found…”

Shiites Against Israel and the USA

The Associated Press reported on August 4:

“Hundreds of thousands of Shiites chanting ‘Death to Israel’ and ‘Death to America’ marched through the streets of Baghdad’s biggest Shiite district Friday in a massive show of support for Hezbollah in its battle against Israel… The demonstration was the biggest in the Middle East in support of Hezbollah since Israel launched its attacks against the guerrillas in Lebanon on July 12. The protest was organized by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr… Al-Sadr followers painted U.S. and Israeli flags on the main road leading to the rally site, and demonstrators stepped on them–a gesture of contempt in Iraq. Alongside the painted flags was written: ‘These are the terrorists.’ “Protesters set fire to American and Israeli flags, as well as effigies of President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, showing the men with Dracula teeth… Iraqi government television said the Defense Ministry had approved the demonstration, a sign of the public anger over Israel’s offensive in Lebanon and of al-Sadr’s stature as a major player in Iraqi politics… Although the rally was about Hezbollah, it was also a show of strength by al-Sadr…”

The wrath of the Muslim world is turning against Israel and the United States of America. To understand why, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Civil War in Iraq

The BBC stated on August 3:

“Civil war is a more likely outcome in Iraq than democracy, Britain’s outgoing ambassador in Baghdad has warned Tony Blair in a confidential memo. William Patey, who left the Iraqi capital last week, also predicted the break-up of Iraq along ethnic lines… BBC correspondent Paul Wood said although the document does not contradict government denials that civil war is imminent, ‘it is a devastating official assessment of the prospects for a peaceful Iraq, and stands in stark contrast to the public rhetoric’…

“Talking about the Shia militias blamed for many killings, Mr Patey added: ‘If we are to avoid a descent into civil war and anarchy then preventing the Jaish al-Mahdi (the Mahdi Army) from developing into a state within a state, as Hezbollah has done in Lebanon, will be a priority.’ The cable says that ‘the next six months are crucial’–an assessment which is shared by the coalition’s military commanders. Senior military sources told the BBC it was ‘make or break’ time in Iraq. The Americans are sending thousands of extra troops to Baghdad, starting next week. “

A King of Germany?

Bild Online reported on August 4, that the respectable Count of Wuerttemberg, Carl Herzog von Wuerttemberg, recommended that Germany embrace a monarchy under a German king. He stated that for him, the monarchy is the best form of government. He added that a king, who would be ruling for life, could accomplish much more than temporary politicians. He also recommended that the new king should be Georg Friedrich Ferdinand von Preußen (30). He would not only be King, but also Emperor (Kaiser), as his great-great-grandfather was Germany’s last Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II., who reigned from 1888 to 1918.

If one is tempted to dismiss this idea as too far-fetched, let’s consider that the Minister President of Baden-Wuerttemberg, Günther Oettinger (52, CDU), showed sympathy for the concept. He was quoted by Bild Online as saying: “I can understand this idea. If we had a king, we could rule under him in a democratic fashion.”

Although it is not necessary for the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy that Germany, as well as other European countries, will be ruled again by literal kings or even emperors, this possibility cannot be ruled out. Revelation 17:12 talks about a coming United States of Europe, comparing its ten leaders with ten horns. The passage states: “The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast [a future European military leader].” The next verse predicts that these ten kings–European leaders who MIGHT be literal kings or emperors–“will give their power and authority to the beast.”

For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Germans Interested in Islam

WorldNetDaily reported on August 5:

“More and more Germans are converting to Islam. Last year approximately 4,000 persons became Muslims. According to the Central Islam-Institute in Soest, the numbers have been rising since the turn of the century. Up to the year 2000 the annual number of conversions stagnated at 300, but it has been rising ever since…  there are 3.2 million Muslims in Germany. Most of them are Turkish immigrants… Currently there are 143 full-fledged mosques, with 128 more in the planning or building stages. In addition Muslims gather in 2,600 prayer and meeting places…”

The article continued to state:

“Approximately two-thirds of the 82 million inhabitants [of Germany] are church members. The Protestant Churches have 25.6 million members and the Roman Catholic Church 25.8 million. Approximately 500,000 Germans belong to smaller, often evangelical churches such as Baptists or Pentecostals… It has been noted by the churches that interest in religion is rising in Germany, but it is not focused on Christianity. Today, the citizens in Martin Luther’s home country are equally fascinated by esoteric practices, Buddhism and Islam.”

Today, German “Christianity” is evenly divided between Catholicism and Protestantism, and some Germans are looking for alternatives by embracing non-Christian religions. But in the near future, the religion of Germany–as well as of Europe and the entire world–will become united under the influence of one strong religious power. Revelation 17:18 explains that a worldwide religion, symbolized by a woman who is also identified as a city built on seven hills (verse 9), will reign “over the kings of the earth.” We are also told in the same chapter that she will sit “on many waters” (verse 1), which are “peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues” (verse 15).

Hell On Earth–Again?

WorldNetNews reported on August 7:

“As tens of thousands of people gathered at Hiroshima in Japan to mark the 61st anniversary of the day an atomic bomb created ‘hell on Earth’, Iran yesterday rejected a United Nations resolution calling for Tehran to halt its nuclear programme. Iran said it would expand its efforts to develop nuclear power, which the United States and Europe fear is aimed at making a bomb, and warned that any UN sanctions aimed at halting its uranium enrichment would bring a ‘painful’ response, possibly including a cut in oil exports.

“The news came amid reports that Iran had tried to import bomb-making uranium from the African mine that produced the material used to make the Second World War Hiroshima bomb, which killed 140,000 people. Speaking from near the epicentre of the devastating blast, Tadatoshi Akiba, the mayor of Hiroshima, called for the destruction of all nuclear weapons and expressed concern that a growing number of countries were developing them… A bell rang at 8:15am, marking the time when an American B-29 bomber, Enola Gay, dropped its deadly payload on Hiroshima on 6 August, 1945. It was the first atomic bomb ever used in war.”

The sad news is that we will experience NUCLEAR WAR in the future! Man has not learned the bitter lessons from history, and so he is bound to repeat his past mistakes. In fact, man’s futile attempts to bring peace through war–including nuclear war–will result in the potential destruction of this earth and the potential annihilation of mankind. Christ said that if He was not to return to end the madness of human endeavors, no human being would be saved alive (Matthew 24:21-22). But the good news is that Christ will return to save us from ourselves, by destroying those who destroy the earth (Revelation 11:18). For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Gospel of the Kingdom of God.”

Israel’s Leading Author Speaks Out

On August 7, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Israel’s leading author, Meir Shalev. Shalev is the son of poet Itzhak Shalev. He studied psychology at the Hebrew University and has produced and hosted several radio and television programs; he is also a regular columnist in the Israeli press. Apart from his novels, some of which have been bestsellers abroad as well as in Israel, Shalev writes books for children and non-fiction. Shalev has received the Bernstein Prize (1989) and the Juliet Club Prize (Italy, 1999). His work has been translated into over 20 languages.

In the interview, Shalev discussed the situation in the Middle East, as follows:

“The cause of the war was a just one, but the conduct has not been. And by this I do not just mean the tragedy of Qana, but also what already happened in the first days: Attacking Beirut like this, killing civilians in Lebanon. From the very first day we should have limited ourselves to attacks against the Hezbollah strongholds along the Israeli-Lebanese border… (Hezbollah leader) Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah drives everybody crazy in Israel… Even if they [the Israelis] warn the people, many people are not able to leave their towns, especially since roads, bridges, ports and the airport have been destroyed. But it is not only a question of morality. These Lebanese are going to be our neighbors forever, but many people are now against Israel. These citizens would support us if we had conducted our fight with the Hezbollah in a more measured way…

“Many Lebanese people were against the Hezbollah. It is a danger to their whole country, especially in a city like Beirut which is very open and liberal. Because the fundamentalists one day will try to forbid this Western way of life. At the beginning of the war you could see from the declarations of various Lebanese leaders that even they were quite satisfied that Israel took care of the Hezbollah. But we went into Lebanon like angry bulls into the arena, attacking anything that moves… In a true democracy, a leader with enough self-assurance does not talk the way [Israel’s Prime Minister] Olmert does… Olmert should have defined the objectives of the war from the beginning. But all he said was: ‘We will be victorious’ without defining what victory means. Also with defense minister Amir Peretz we cannot win… Olmert and Peretz behave like two bullies in a pub… Despite that, we will win at the end, because the Israeli society is smarter than its political leaders.”

The bitter lesson of history is that human wars don’t bring lasting peace. Mankind, including the intellectuals, politicians and brilliant minds of this world, has not yet understood this godly wisdom, erroneously believing that human violence works. But Jesus Christ told us: “Put your sword in its place, for ALL who take the sword will PERISH by the sword!” (Matthew 26:52). Revelation 13:10 confirms that those who kill with the sword “must be killed with the sword.” The passage continues to tell us that we can only deal correctly with challenging situations, when we have “the patience and the faith of the saints.”

The time will come when Christ will rule on this earth, teaching man that human wars don’t bring peace. At that time, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they LEARN WAR anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).

Christ is already teaching those who have open ears and eyes and who are WILLING to LISTEN to God, that human wars are WRONG. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Should YOU Fight in War?”

Proposed UN Security Council Resolution

Der Spiegel Online reported on August 7:

“The UN Security Council resolution drafted by the United States and France at the weekend calls for Hezbollah to stop all hostile operations and for Israel to stop its military drive into Lebanon. But already being questioned by other Security Council members, the proposal would allow Israel to strike back if Hezbollah were to break a cease-fire. Other Council members have suggested amendments because they feel the draft doesn’t take enough account of Lebanon’s concerns. Lebanon has urged the Council to revise the resolution to demand that Israel pull its forces out of the country once hostilities end and hand over its positions to UN peacekeepers. The draft makes no mention of an Israeli withdrawal…

“Left-wing Die Tageszeitung calls the draft resolution a diplomatic victory for the United States and Israel, but adds that it won’t do much good… The newspaper predicts: ‘The war will continue, despite or because of this resolution. The Shiite militia will nurture its role as resistance army against the invaders and will go on fighting. Even after almost four weeks of fighting it still has enough… fighters. And Israel will continue to justify further offensives by saying they are in reaction to these attacks, but is really fighting to decimate the ranks of Hezbollah…’

“Conservative Die Welt writes that if the Security Council had taken its last Lebanon resolution seriously, Hezbollah wouldn’t have any rockets now. ‘But the UN left it to Israel to put Resolution 1559 into force and disarm Hezbollah. Now it has a war on its hands.’ The paper adds: ‘Perhaps the new document will fare better than 1559. It won’t do any harm. It might end up bringing a peace force into Lebanon. But caution is warranted here too. The soldiers mustn’t operate like the current blue helmets in Lebanon who were smoking and playing cards while Hezbollah fired off rockets and abducted Israelis.’ “Center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes that America has undermined its credibility in the region by waging, and losing, the war in Iraq. ‘America’s weakness has laden Europe with new, unanticipated burdens. Take Lebanon for example: helping to rebuild it will not only cost French, Italians or Germans money but will also cost some of their soldiers’ lives.'”

Austrian Governor vs. Jewish Community

On August 8, The Gulf Times published an article about an ongoing controversy in Austria between Carinthian Governor Joerg Haider and Jewish Community president Ariel Muzicant. The article stated:

“Without naming Haider directly, Muzicant charged in the government paper Wiener Zeitung on Sunday that in Austria, ‘anti-Semites’ were commenting on the ‘tragedy in the Middle East’ by accusing Israel of ‘war crimes’ even though they knew better. These same people regarded the date of the Nazi capitulation, May 8, 1945, as the beginning of Allied ‘occupation’. They also had difficulties putting up a few bilingual signs, Muzicant said, referring to a struggle between Haider and the Supreme Court, with the governor resisting rulings for more German-Slovenian urban signs in his province.

“Haider reacted promptly. He accused Muzicant of being ‘among those Zionist provocateurs in the West who defend the murder of dozens of children and hundreds of civilians, the blowing up of bridges to cut off flight and aid routes, and the killing of UN soldiers, and thereby justify a senseless war by Israel’. Haider earlier demanded the expulsion of the Israeli ambassador in Vienna, and war-crimes trials for ‘warmongers in Israel.'”

Israel Accused of Preventing Humanitarian Aid

The German press, including Der Stern Online and Der Spiegel Online, have accused Israel of deliberately preventing humanitarian aid and food supplies from reaching the Lebanese people. On August 7, Der Stern ran an article, titled, “Israel Prohibits Humanitarian Aid.” It continued to allege that Israel revoked any permission to humanitarian aid organizations, such as the Red Cross, to distribute food and medical supplies to civilians in southern Lebanon, and tons of food and supplies have been stored at harbors for several days. The Red Cross also charged Israel with having broken their word to provide humanitarian aid organizations with military protection. According to the Red Cross, there are presently 100,000 civilians in southern Lebanon and up to 67,000 civilians in Tyre, who are in dire need of food and medical supplies. It is also charged that Israel prohibited a Greek ship with food and medical supplies to enter the harbor of Tyre.

Der Spiegel Online added on August 8 in its article, titled, “Helpers Accuse Israel of Massive Obstruction,” that Israel is deliberately sabotaging any attempts to bring food or medical supplies into places like Tyre, which has been totally isolated from the outside world.

Whether these reports are true or not, they will assist in turning world opinion against Israel. Ultimately, Israel might find itself in a totally isolated position–a development which is strongly indicated to happen in Biblical prophecy.

VJ Day in Japan

On August 9, The Times Online published an article about Japan’s forthcoming VJ Day on August 15. It was stated:

“There are still six days to go until August 15, the anniversary of Japan’s surrender in the Second World War, and already the right-wing activists are out on the streets in their pseudo-military uniforms emblazoned with the Japanese imperial symbol of the rising sun… It is against this backdrop that the outgoing Prime Minister of Japan, Junichiro Koizumi, has said that he is minded to keep the promise he made during his 2001 election campaign to visit the Yasukuni war shrine on August 15. Mr Koizumi has visited the shrine five times during his tenure as PM, and on each occasion it has sparked a fairly serious international reaction–particularly in China, where there was rioting, and in South Korea, both of which countries suffered badly from Japanese imperialism. None of those visits was, however, made on the actual anniversary of VJ Day, Japan’s surrender, as Mr Koizumi promised he would if he became Prime Minister. Were he to do it, it would be a real bonus for the right-wingers, as most previous PMs have studiously avoided visiting Yasukuni.”

The article continued:

“Japan was fascinated to read leaked memos in the last three weeks that finally explained the reason why neither the current Japanese Emperor, nor Emperor Hirohito, who died in 1989, have visited Yasukuni since 1978. In the memos, Hirohito is quoted in conversation with his chief chamberlain, saying that he can’t understand why the High Priest has recently decided to incorporate into the shrine the names of 14 Class A war criminals convicted at these trials–Japan’s equivalent of Nuremberg–as this has posed a real problem and made a visit unpalatable. Mr Koizumi is stepping down as PM next month, so he has six days in which to decide whether to keep his promise.”

A New Middle East Being Born?

Newsweek reported on July 28:

“A New York Times/CBS News poll found a strong isolationist streak emerging, with 58 percent saying the United States has no responsibility to resolve the conflict between Israel and other countries in the Middle East, and 56 percent supporting a timetable for getting out of Iraq. A substantial majority of 62 percent say the Iraq war has not been worth it in terms of lives lost and dollars spent… Dale Bishop… taught Iranian studies at Columbia University and for 20 years served as Middle East area executive for the United Church of Christ. He spent much of his time reminding us of Lebanon’s bloody history and how Iraq seems destined to go down the same path.

“Both countries are artifacts of the colonial era. Winston Churchill drew the border lines for Iraq. The first Iraqi king was a Saudi-born royal who had not set foot in the new nation until he was installed. Lebanon was carved out of Syria by the French, who wanted a place for the Christian population… Lebanon has 17 sects, including a variety of Christians, Shiite and Sunni Muslims and Druze, and they fought a prolonged civil war that didn’t end until 1991. It was said that the fighting would continue until only a single Lebanese was left, and he would look at himself in the mirror and shoot the mirror. U.S. troops were in the middle of that mess until 241 American servicemen were ambushed and killed in their barracks in 1983. That was enough for President Reagan. He pulled out U.S. troops…

“The Lebanese continued to fight it out without U.S. forces, an outcome Bishop believes will eventually happen in Iraq. ‘And it’s not going to be pretty,’ he says. ‘We walked into a huge mess, and we’re not going to achieve a military victory—and our pride prevents us from just leaving… it’s a new Middle East that’s being born…”

“Hezbollah Are Cowards”

On July 31, News Herald Sun published several pictures showing that Hezbollah terrorists are using Lebanese civilians as “human shields” in their fight against Israel. The article stated:

“The images… show Hezbollah using high-density residential areas as launch pads for rockets and heavy-calibre weapons. Dressed in civilian clothing so they can quickly disappear, the militants [are] carrying automatic assault rifles and ride in on trucks mounted with cannon… The images include one of a group of men and youths preparing to fire an anti-aircraft gun metres from an apartment block with sheets hanging out on a balcony to dry. The release of the images comes as Hezbollah faces criticism for allegedly using innocent civilians as ‘human shields’. [UN’s humanitarian chief Jan] Egeland blasted Hezbollah as ‘cowards’ for operating among civilians. ‘When I was in Lebanon, in the Hezbollah heartland, I said Hezbollah must stop this cowardly blending in among women and children,’ he said.”

Christ’s Return in Our Lifetime?

On July 28, MSNBC.com published an interview with Tim LaHaye, coauthor of the popular “Left Behind” series. In the interview, LaHaye stated the following:

“Biblically speaking, the very nations that are mentioned in prophecy—and have been mentioned for 2,500 years as occupying the focus of the tension of the last days—are the very nations that are involved in the conflict [in the Middle East] right now. That may be one of the reasons there’s a sudden interest in bible prophecy because all of a sudden they realize end-time events could possibly take place and break forth right now… I have often said that no one knows the day nor the hour that Christ will come, but no generation has had so many signs of the times as our generation. We have more reason to believe that Christ could come in our lifetime than any generation before us…

“We believe that the Bible should be understood literally whenever possible. The next big event is the second coming of Christ. That’s preceded by a number of signs. And some of those signs could be stage-setting right now. They’re not going to come out of nowhere. For example, the Bible predicts when the antichrist comes and sits at his kingdom…, he’s going to have one world economy and one world government and one world religion. We’re already moving rapidly in the direction of those very things.”

Extreme Worldwide Weather Conditions

The Sunday Times reported on July 30:

“It looks like being the hottest July on record but Britain is not alone in experiencing extreme conditions… Hot, arid weather is afflicting millions in America and in dozens of countries across Europe and parts of east Asia. The phenomenon has surprised meteorologists who are used to seeing drought as a regional, not global, problem. This weekend they said early analysis of the hot weather, together with the size of the areas affected, suggested it was linked to global climate change…

“In California the temperature in Death Valley reached 56.5C and in many west coast towns it exceeded 40C. An estimated 130 people have been killed by the heat and demand for power to run air-conditioning overloaded power stations, leaving some areas without electricity for up to three days. In South America, mid-winter temperatures in Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and Brazil are up to 7C higher than average. The accompanying drought has reduced the giant Iguazu falls on the Brazil-Argentina border to a trickle. Temperatures are averaging 7C higher than usual across southern England and Scotland… Even Mediterranean countries were caught unawares. Last week Spain and France, hit by temperatures 7-9C above average, had to shut down nuclear power stations as the rivers supplying water for cooling became too warm.

“Pakistan, Bangladesh and southern India hit 3C above normal and much of central China was up by 5C. A drought, the worst for 60 years, is affecting the Chongqing region, leaving 2m short of water.”

Iran and Venezuela–Kindred Spirits?

The Guardian Unlimited reported on July 30:

“The presidents of Iran and Venezuela, leading U.S. critics, pledged Saturday to support one another in disputes with Washington… Iran’s president… said he saw in the Venezuelan president a kindred spirit. Chavez… said he admired the Iranian president for ‘his wisdom and strength.’ He invited Iranian oil companies to invest in Venezuela… Earlier this week [Chavez] secured an arms agreement with Russia that prompted U.S. criticism. Chavez boasted in Moscow on Thursday that Russia had helped his country break a U.S.-imposed ‘blockade’ by agreeing to sell fighter planes and helicopters worth billions of dollars to Venezuela… During his visit to Qatar, which began Friday, Chavez said Venezuela could eventually export guns and ammunition to Bolivia and other allies once these plants were built…”

Haider’s Strong Words

The Austrian Press reported on July 30 about Joerg Haider’s outspoken comments about and strong reaction to the crisis in the Middle East. According to Networld, Haider was quoted as saying in an interview with APA:

“The USA doesn’t fight the axis of evil–they ARE the axis of evil… [As was the case in Iraq] so they want a war in Lebanon at any cost…”

The article continued to point out that Haider remarked that European peace-keeping troops ought to replace the American military in Iraq and Afghanistan; that America is motivated by its interests in oil; and that it is willing to sacrifice the lives of innocent civilians for those interests. He insisted that Austria protest officially against “Israel’s aggression in Lebanon” and he demanded to “dismiss Israel’s ambassador in Austria.”

EU Condemns Israel

On July 31, The Associated Press reported about Europe’s reaction to Israel’s airstrike on the Lebanese city of Qana. The article stated:

“… officials from the Finnish EU presidency, the European Commission as well as EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana agreed to condemn the bombing as ‘unjustifiable.’… Solana declared that ‘nothing can justify’ the attack and the death of innocent civilians in Qana… The leaders of the UK and Germany, prime minister Tony Blair and chancellor Angela Merkel, in a joint statement after the Qana attack stressed the ‘urgency of the need for a ceasefire as soon as possible,’ but refrained from using the word ‘immediate.’ ‘It is now necessary to work in New York on the preconditions for such a ceasefire,’ the Blair-Merkel statement said.”

The Turning Point in Qana

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 31 about the reaction of the German press to Israel’s attack on Qana. The overall consensus was that the incident in Qana hurt Israel and helped Hezbollah. The article stated:

“At the start of Israel’s siege on militants in Lebanon, world opinion tilted toward Jerusalem — even some Arab governments made hushed noises against Hezbollah. But after an attack on a Lebanese village killed over 50 civilians on Sunday, that honeymoon is well and truly over, writes the German press. The deadly strike on the village of Qana on Sunday by Israeli planes has marked a sea-change in the almost three-week war in Lebanon: Not only did Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora publicly [uninvite] Condoleezza Rice to Beirut for peace talks; not only did Lebanese protesters smash windows at the UN building in Beirut; now world opinion seems to have shifted against Israel, and the violence threatens to hand Hezbollah militants a propaganda coup… At least 56 people died in the raid, including 37 children. Israel said it was unaware civilians were in the basement of a building when its planes bombed the village. But the strike outraged Lebanese people who remember a similar attack in Qana ten years ago, when Israel bombed a UN compound there during its so-called ‘Grapes of Wrath’ operation, killing 102 civilians…

“German editorial pages on Monday unanimously argue that the war has moved into a dangerous and perhaps unwinnable phase. The right-wing daily Die Welt suspects that Israel’s military ‘doesn’t know which strategy to take. It attacks, then it retreats.’ The lack of strategy leads to politically ‘tragic mistakes,’ and even an ‘immediate ceasefire’ now may give the terrorists a ‘world-shuddering victory — a victory which would also be expensive for us (in Europe)’… the left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung argues that it’s now too late for a sudden peace… ‘An immediate unconditional cease-fire will be the same as a victory for Hezbollah.’ The paper argues that Israel and the US have already lost ‘on the field of diplomacy,’ and that absent a quick military success, ‘Qana in 2006 will be what Qana in 1996 became: the writing on the wall that led to Israel’s retreat from Lebanon.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland… agrees with other papers that a retreat or a cease-fire will do no good. The last time Israel retreated from Lebanon, in 2000, it was ‘celebrated as a triumph for Hezbollah, and established its mythic status. As everyone can see, it didn’t serve the cause of peace.’ The paper isn’t optimistic about continued fighting, either, because the violence has already hurt Israel’s standing as a diplomatic negotiator. ‘The unprecedented criticism that Arab governments from Egypt to Saudi Arabia expressed against Hezbollah at the start of the current war has gone mute again.’ Although many leaders in the Middle East hate the idea of Iran spreading its influence through Hezbollah, the paper writes, now they have to show ‘solidarity’ with the Lebanese.”

The Pope Condemns Israel

According to an article in the German paper, NetZeitung, dated July 30, the Pope condemned Israel’s attack on Qana and stated: “In the name of God I am asking all responsible for this spiral of violence to immediately put down their weapons.” He continued to state that we “cannot build a new world order and peace with the vehicle of violence.” He asked, in German, to “pray to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, that the hardness of our hearts would cease and that the weapons would finally be silenced.”

Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon?

The Associated Press reported on August 2:

“Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Wednesday that Israel’s three-week-old offensive in Lebanon will stop only after a robust international peacekeeping force is in place in southern Lebanon… His comments on the international force were his clearest indication to date that Israel would resist European pressure for an immediate cease-fire. It’s not clear how long it will take to put such a force together… Turning to Syria to help solve the crisis would be useless, he said.”

In a related article, The Associated Press reported on August 2:

“Dealing a blow to a U.S.-backed strategy for Lebanon, France has refused to participate in a meeting of nations that could send troops to help monitor a cease-fire between Israel and Hezbollah, even though it may join–and possibly even lead–such a force. The French refusal to take part in the meeting, set to take place at the U.N. on Thursday, reflects a wide divergence in views between Washington and Paris about how to impose a lasting peace after three weeks of war between Israel and Hezbollah. France doesn’t even want to talk about sending peacekeepers until fighting halts…

“France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Turkey have said they are considering joining a multinational force, and France, which has taken a prominent role in diplomacy over Lebanon, could lead it.”

However, according to other news, Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel, told German tabloid Bild am Sonntag over the weekend that her country’s military capacities are “largely exhausted” with Berlin already providing peacekeeping contingents to Congo, the western Balkans and Afghanistan.

“The EU Must Act”

On July 29, the EUOberserver wrote a remarkable article, titled, “The EU Must Act.” In the article, it was stated:

“The international conference in Rome on July 26 offered hope that a consensus could be reached on a plan that would end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. But the conference ended without a resolution, and the members of the European Union are scrambling to salvage their first diplomatic attempt to end the current crisis. The EU should not be discouraged; it is capable of conducting a pro-active foreign policy and has the ability to commit the necessary financial, diplomatic, and military resources to bring stability and peace to the region. The EU must act decisively as a counterbalance to US unilateralism by proposing a European solution to the current crisis…  the chief problem is that the EU, which has an unprecedented opportunity to bring regional stability and an end to the deadly conflict between Israel and its neighbours, is holding back, as if it needs a permission slip from the United States before it can act.

The article continued:

“Unlike the US… the EU is still a credible broker in the region; Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority are members of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP)– their relationship yields more than $45 billion in trade annually… The European Union should consider the immediate dispatch of its EU Rapid Reaction Force (RRF)… to southern Lebanon. The RRF is a European military force that can be ‘triggered in situations of crisis and armed conflict’… Its development was predicated on the idea that the EU needs a force that can act independently of US-led NATO missions… The case for an EU force must also take into account Europe’s refusal to list Hezbollah as a terrorist organization, which opens the door for direct negotiations with hopes for the possibility that an EU force can maintain the peace without firing a shot.”

Opposition in Israel to the War in Lebanon

News Haaretz reported on July 31:

“The first person to refuse to do army service during the current fighting was sentenced Sunday to 28 days in a military prison. According to the refusal organization Yesh Gvul, which issued a public statement Sunday urging others to follow in Amir Fester’s footsteps, more than 10 other people have contacted the organization about the possibility of refusing to serve… Sunday’s bombing in Qana sparked an immediate surge in Israeli opposition to the fighting in Lebanon. Spontaneous demonstrations and petitions were organized within hours, and drew more people than the organized demonstrations of the previous two weeks…

“More than 600 people… have signed an international petition calling for an immediate, unconditional cease-fire in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank… Thousands of Israeli Arabs took to the streets of Umm al-Fahm on Sunday evening to protest the war in Lebanon following the bombing of the village of Qana.”

IRS Warns Churches

The Associated Press reported on July 18:
 
“The Internal Revenue Service has been warning churches and nonprofit organizations that improper campaigning in the upcoming political season could endanger their tax-exempt status. In notices to more than 15,000 tax-exempt organizations, numerous church denominations and tax preparers, the agency has detailed its new enforcement program, called the Political Activity Compliance Initiative… Under the initiative, the IRS plans to expedite investigations into claims of improper campaigning, no longer waiting for an annual tax return to be filed or the tax year to end before launching a probe. A three-member committee will make an initial review of complaints and then vote on whether to pursue the investigation in detail.”
The article continued:

“Since 2004, the IRS has investigated more than 200 organizations, including All Saints Church in Pasadena. Two days before the 2004 presidential election, the Rev. George F. Regas, the church’s former rector, delivered a guest sermon that pictured Jesus in a debate with George W. Bush and John Kerry. Although Regas didn’t endorse a candidate, he said Jesus would have told Bush that his pre-emptive war policy ‘has led to disaster.’ The church drew national attention when the Rev. Ed Bacon, rector of All Saints, disclosed the IRS investigation and later said the agency believed the church had violated federal tax code barring tax-exempt organizations from intervening in political campaigns and elections. Church leaders have not heard from the IRS since October, when the agency said the investigation was being taken to a higher level, according to Regas. The IRS has not confirmed whether the investigation is still ongoing…

“This month, OMB Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit government watchdog group, issued a report criticizing the IRS enforcement program and said the program could prompt retaliatory and harassment complaints unless the agency develops clear guidelines.”

“Israel’s Reaction Is Right!”

Der Spiegel Online published an article by Matthias Küntzel, a German political scientist and publicist, arguing that “Israel’s reaction is right.” The article stated:

“German and European public opinion does take sides — and it tends to side with the apparent underdog and against Israel. It has almost become a reflex on the Continent. In 2003, 59 percent of all Europeans pointed to Israel as the country presenting the greatest risk to world peace. On the third day of the current crisis, fully three quarters of all Germans polled were convinced that Israel was overreacting and using too much force in its response to Hezbollah. And since then, the images coming from the war zone have set the tenor: A cease-fire, most believe, should begin as soon as possible.

“I disagree — and have four reasons for doing so.

“First, Israel is fighting a just war. Germany and the European Union should unequivocally back Israel… Islamism has attacked Israel from both the south and the north and Israel has no choice but to react. But there is more to it than that. Israel’s military operation is important for the entire Western world… Islamism isn’t out to change Israeli policy in the region, Islamism is out to completely eradicate the country of Israel…

“Second, Israel wants peace… So far, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s government has succeeded in coupling its military operation with transparent political goals. Every step can be justified. On the one hand, Israel recognizes Lebanon as a sovereign state, thus making it responsible for the Hezbollah attack on July 12 in which the group abducted two Israeli soldiers. On the other hand, Israel’s war aims have been clearly stated… The fighting serves to achieve the following aims: a. The implementation of United Nations resolution 1559, which calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah; b. The implementation of UN resolution 5241, which calls for south Lebanon to be solely under the control of the Lebanese army, and c. The unconditional return of the kidnapped Israeli soldiers…  The infrastructure in Lebanon is being attacked, but only insofar as it is relevant to the arming and operations of Hezbollah. The Lebanese civilian population has been warned with leaflets and radio messages prior to attacks in residential areas. Hezbollah, on the other hand, is marching to a different drummer. Their motto is: ‘You love life, we love death.’… Hezbollah is not only happy to kill as many Jews as possible, it is not bothered by the deaths of Shiite Muslims as well and has thus strategically based many of their rockets directly in the middle of Shiite residential districts.

“Third, there is no alternative to Israel’s current military operation. Will Hezbollah ever willingly give up their weapons? Not a chance! The Jihad against Israel is the foundation of the militant group’s very existence. For Hezbollah members, the destruction of Israel is not only non-negotiable, it is a religious duty. Hezbollah only understands the language of violence and Israel’s military is the only force that is in a position to effectively confront Hezbollah. A United Nations force would never be able to achieve what Israel could… With this in mind, the demand for an immediate cease-fire is the equivalent of a plea for saving Hezbollah.

“Fourth, Israel’s military operation has already resulted in positive effects. One can already see some positive results from the Israeli operation — the strength of which clearly took Hezbollah and its supporters by surprise. Whereas the process of ‘critical dialogue’ — supported especially by Germany — with the Mullah dictatorship in Iran and with anti-Semitic terror groups tended to strengthen those groups, the Israeli offensive seems to have started a paradigm shift in the Middle East: For the first time in the history of the Middle East conflict, an overwhelming majority of the Arab League distanced itself from Hezbollah’s ‘dangerous adventurism.’

“Israel must not be forced to abandon its war against Hezbollah, rather it must win the conflict. Just as Hezbollah is fighting the war as Iran’s proxy, Israel is fighting genocidal Islamism as the proxy for the rest of the Western world. The least Israel should be able to expect from the West is that it not be betrayed.”

Whether Israel–strictly based on human reasoning–is fighting a “righteous war” or not, is not really the most important issue. How does GOD–not man–look at this present situation? For more information, please make sure to view our StandingWatch programs, “War in the Middle East?” and “Why No Peace in the Middle East?”

American Hypocrisy?

The British paper, The Independent, published a thought-provoking article on July 21 about perceived glaring hypocrisy between America’s domestic and foreign policy. The article stated:

“Yesterday US troops killed five people, including two women and a child, in the city of Baquba [Iraq] during a raid, claiming they had been shot at. At best it was a tragic error, at worst it spoke to the cavalier attitude of the US towards Iraqi civilian lives. Local police said that a man had fired from a rooftop at the Americans because he thought a hostile militia force was approaching. While the eyes of the world are elsewhere, Baghdad is still dying and the daily toll is hitting record levels. While the plumes of fire and smoke over Lebanon have dominated headlines for 11 days, with Britain and the US opposing a UN call for an immediate ceasefire, another Bush-Blair foreign policy disaster is unfolding in Iraq.

“Invoking the sanctity of human life, George Bush wielded the presidential veto for the first time in his presidency to halt US embryonic stem cell research in its tracks. He… talked of preventing the ‘taking of innocent human life’. How hollow that sounds to Iraqis. More people are dying here–probably more than 150 a day–in the escalating sectarian civil war between Shia and Sunni Muslims and the continuing war with US troops than in the bombardment of Lebanon.

“In a desperate effort to stem the butchery, the government yesterday imposed an all-day curfew on Baghdad, but tens of thousands of its people have already run for their lives. In some parts of the city, dead bodies are left to rot in the baking summer heat because nobody dares to remove them…Iraqis are terrified in a way that I have never seen before, since I first visited Baghdad in 1978. Sectarian massacres happen almost daily. The UN says 6,000 civilians were slaughtered in May and June, but this month has been far worse. In many districts it has become difficult to buy bread because Sunni assassins have killed all the bakers who are traditionally Shia…

“I never expected the occupation of Iraq by the US and Britain to end happily. But I did not foresee the present catastrophe. Baghdad has survived the Iran-Iraq war, the 1991 Gulf War, UN sanctions, more bombing and, finally, a savage guerrilla war. Now the city is finally splitting apart, and–most surprising of all–this disaster scarcely gets a mention on the news as the world watches the destruction of Beirut so many miles away.”

Cease Fire Or Not?

The British paper, The Independent, wrote on July 21:

“Israeli warplanes continued their bombardment of Lebanon yesterday, defying a demand by Kofi Annan for an immediate end to fighting on the ninth day of a war that has led to the ‘collective punishment of the Lebanese people’. Two countries, the US and Britain, defiantly refused to back the international clamour for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas… [This] has given Israel a powerful signal that it can continue its attacks with impunity… Mr Annan, the secretary general of the United Nations, used his emotive statement to the Security Council to reflect the deep-seated international unease about the human cost of Israel’s response to the onslaught of rockets from Hizbollah guerrillas backed by Syria and Iran. ‘What is most urgently needed is an immediate cessation of hostilities,’ he said. However, he added that there were ‘serious obstacles to reaching a ceasefire, or even to diminishing the violence quickly.’…

“The statement was sharply criticised by Israel and the United States… Britain and the US say they are not opposed to a ceasefire, but that Hizbollah must first stop firing missiles from south Lebanon into Israel and release two abducted soldiers. Countries such as Russia, which are calling for an immediate end to the fighting, have accused Israel of harbouring broader strategic goals than the simple return of the soldiers… The EU said yesterday that a ceasefire was essential before any peacekeeping mission can be deployed to southern Lebanon, and said the two sides were ‘not listening enough’ to calls for an end to violence.”

The Associated Press reported on July 26:

“U.S., European and Arab officials holding crisis talks on Lebanon failed to agree Wednesday on an immediate plan to halt the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas… After listening to a dramatic appeal from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora for them to stop the killing, the officials said they had agreed on the need to deploy an international force under the aegis of the United Nations in southern Lebanon… The United States and Britain opposed the push for a quick cease-fire, saying any truce should ensure that Hezbollah no longer is a threat to Israel and should ensure a durable peace… The foreign ministers and other senior officials from 15 nations, as well as Annan and representatives from the European Union and the World Bank, agreed on a declaration that expressed ‘deep concern’ for the high number of civilian casualties in Lebanon, where government officials say hundreds of people have been killed… In Brussels, European Union officials said a meeting of foreign ministers would be held Aug. 1 to discuss the violence.”

Der Spiegel Online added on July 27:

“The Rome peace conference was widely derided as a failure on Wednesday, but Israel has claimed its one achievement was to affirm support for a continued bombardment of Lebanon…”

And so, the bloodshed, including the deaths of innocent civilians on both sides, will continue…

International Peacekeepers in Lebanon?

The Associated Press reported on July 23:

“President Bush’s chief of staff said Sunday international peacekeepers might be needed in Lebanon to help end the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants, but that U.S. troop involvement was unlikely… Israel’s defense minister said Sunday that his country would accept a temporary international force, preferably headed by NATO, along the Lebanese border to keep Hezbollah guerrillas away from Israel, according to officials in the minister’s office.”

Der Spiegel Online added on July 25:

“CNN also reported that Rice suggested more than 10,000 Turkish and Egyptian soldiers be used and be placed under NATO or UN command after a cease-fire. In a second phase, the contingent would be expanded to 30,000. Rice had discussed the plan with the Israeli government but it was not clear whether Egypt and Turkey had agreed, the report said. Meanwhile Germany continues to agonize about whether it should send troops as part of such a force. The general secretary of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Stephan Kramer, told German radio: ‘There are many Shoah survivors still alive in Israel, fortunately. And I don’t know what they would think if German troops had to take action against an Israeli soldier defending his country.’ Germany’s history made it problematic to send German troops to the region, he said.”

What Do Iranians Think?

On July 23, 2006, the British magazine, “Time,” published an article, titled, “Meanwhile, the view from inside Iran.” In the article, it was pointed out:

“To many observers in the Western world, Hizballah, the Lebanese guerrilla group battling Israel, is a mere puppet of Iran. Some are convinced that Hizballah triggered the crisis on Tehran’s orders to divert world attention away from Iran’s controversial nuclear plans. But client states are not necessarily as docile as one might think. Just as Israel sometimes takes actions that surprise (and even displease) the U.S., Hizballah does things Iran has neither ordered up nor necessarily approves of.

“It’s impossible to know the precise origins of the current crisis in Lebanon, but since it erupted two weeks ago, the mood in Tehran has swung between indifference–the fighting rarely makes the headlines–and resentment over Iran’s longstanding sponsorship of Hizballah. True, there have been officially sponsored rallies declaring support for Hizballah, whose leaders pledge religious allegiance to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatullah Ali Khamenei. But the emotional support for Hizballah common throughout the Arab world is largely absent here…

“It’s not only ordinary Iranians who are worried about what the Middle East explosion means for Iran. Even as state infomercials order Iranians to boycott soft drinks, officials in Tehran–pragmatists and conservatives alike–concur that the conflict is bad news for the Iranian regime because it exacerbates the West’s image of Tehran as a regional troublemaker. Rather than helpfully distracting attention from Iran, as many have charged, the conflict ‘undermines Iran’s position,’ says a university professor close to senior Iranian officials.

“The thorny nuclear negotiations with the West are likely to become even trickier. The delay in efforts to enforce a cease-fire in Lebanon is inflaming divisions within the Iranian regime on how to respond to the U.S.-backed package of incentives offered to Tehran in June. Before the crisis erupted, the momentum seemed to favor advocates of a pragmatic, positive response. But now the radicals are using the U.S.-backed Israeli campaign in Lebanon to push their case for a tough line. As an adviser to a senior conservative ayatullah puts it, ‘This has strengthened the hand of those who argue,”If this happened to us, the only thing that would save us is a nuclear deterrent.”‘”

Four UN Observers Killed

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 26 that “United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has accused Israel of deliberately targeting a UN observation post in an air raid which killed four UN observers on Tuesday night…  Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he had told Annan of his ‘deep sorrow’ at the killing of the observers, but voiced shock at Annan’s suggestion the attack was deliberate… China condemned the air raid, in which a Chinese national was killed. Its official Xinhua news agency said the other three observers were from Finland, Austria and Canada.”

America Unable To Solve the World’s Problems

On July 27, MSNBC.com posted an article on its Webpage, titled, “A Mission Unaccomplished.” In the article, it was stated:

“The war unfolding in the Middle East marks a new era. For Israel and the Palestinians, it is the end of any prospect for peace. For Israel and Hizbullah, it is the beginning of a death struggle. For newly reborn Lebanon, led by a West-leaning government that sprang from last year’s anti-Syrian Cedar Revolution, it’s a loss beyond calculation. And for the United States, it’s the last gasp of a cosmically naive pipe dream. A Middle East Pax Americana, topped by a friendly post-Saddam Iraq with democracies popping up like mushrooms across a once autocratic landscape? What rubbish. The United States is now bogged down, Israel is under threat, Lebanon is collapsing, Iraq is on the verge of civil war and Iran is fanning the flames across the region while pursuing its nuclear policy and calling for Israel to be wiped off the map. And in those unfortunate places where elections have indeed been held, Islamists swept the ballots, surfing on popular resentment against America, Israel and the West.”

It’s All President Bush’s Fault…

On July 25, The Russian paper, Pravda, published an overly simplified article by Rodrigue Tremblay, a professor emeritus of economics at the University of Montreal. However, the article shows the willingness of many to blame President Bush for almost everything which goes wrong these days in the world. The article stated:

“Coincidence or not, things started to go bad internationally soon after George W. Bush squeezed into power in January 2001, with the help of a one-member majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. Days after his inauguration, the new president began uttering incendiary statements, seemingly designed to provoke the Muslim world, but also to bully America’s allies… To what extent the al-Qaeda attacks of 9/11 were in response to Bush’s provocations, we will probably never know. One thing is certain, however, and it is that they surely did not help… The U.N.-sanctioned 2001 attacks against the al-Qaeda training camps in Afghanistan were accepted by the rest of the world as a necessary military mission to extirpate the virus of Islamist terrorism. Such was not the case with the unprovoked 2003 war against Iraq. There were no Islamist terrorists in Iraq before George W. Bush decided on his own to invade and occupy that country militarily…

“Bush II also demonstrated how irremediably caught up he is in the tangled neocon web when, in early July 2006, he ‘authorized’ Israel’s Ehud Olmert to indiscriminately bomb the defenseless country of Lebanon, even though there were 25,000 Americans in that country and hundreds of thousands of other nationals at risk. What’s more, Israeli offensive military forces were dropping American bombs on Beirut and on Lebanese villages. As a consequence, more than 350 Lebanese and other nationals, nearly all of whom were civilians and a third, children, have perished under Israeli bombs… In the Muslim world… [the] advent of democracy has been set back decades because Bush’s illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq has resulted in an Islamist and anti-democracy reaction. This reaction has been exacerbated by the military invasion of Lebanon by the U.S.’s client state, Israel… Even in Turkey, the most pro-Western Islamic country and a member of NATO, the anti-West mood is ‘rising’. The very idea of exporting ‘democracy’ with bombs and tanks was crazy to begin with, more like a cruel hoax. Elections in some of the most extreme Islamic countries were bound to bring anti-West religious parties to power.

“Indeed, in recent general elections in many Middle East countries, Islamist parties have obtained significant victories: for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, for Hamas in Palestine, for Hezbollah in Lebanon, and for a host of Islamist religious parties in Iraq, Somalia, and Afghanistan. As time goes on and the American-led occupation of Iraq and the Israeli occupation of Lebanon persist, and as American puppet Israel continues to kill innocent civilians in Gaza and in Lebanon, radical Islamist parties will gain further in popularity in most, if not all, Muslim countries. The U.S. will lose any following and Western values will be shunted aside in favor of radical Islamism. What a mess! It is really true that under the failed leadership of George W. Bush, the world is going to hell (politically, economically and morally speaking)!”

Why do we find so much anti-Americanism in the world? For answers, please read our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Interview With Lebanese President Emile Lahoud

On July 14, 2006, Der Spiegel published an interview with Lebanese President Emile Lahoud. His statements are remarkable in light of the present war in the Middle East and reflect quite a different mindset than that of the Western World, showing that a peaceful solution for the country of Lebanon is as far away as ever. Lahoud stated:

“I myself built up [the Lebanese] army following the civil war and integrated all the religious groups: Muslims, Christians and Druze. This army is there to secure internal peace, but it is not an army to fight a war… But it wasn’t the army that freed the occupied south of the country, rather it was the resistance which achieved that. Without this resistance Lebanon would still be occupied today… Naturally the strongholds of the resistance [i.e., Hezbollah] are not known [to the Lebanese army or the Israelis]. Despite the hail of bombs, the Israelis have been unable to produce one single photo of a destroyed resistance base, because they don’t know where they are. Army bases, on the other hand, are well known and this is why they are invariably destroying our armed forces and, above all, civilian targets… The Israeli armed forces are destroying Lebanon, and the international community isn’t trying to hold them back, but giving them more time to complete their plan of destruction… The exchange of prisoners has always worked perfectly in the past. The Germans above all were very helpful in this process. It is unclear whether that will happen this time. It’s a charged atmosphere…

“Hezbollah enjoys utmost prestige in Lebanon, because it freed our country. All over the Arab world you hear: Hezbollah maintains Arab honor, and even though it (Hezbollah) is very small, it stands up to Israel… As long as the conflict between Lebanon and Israel remains unresolved, no international force will help, however large it may be. The problems smoulder on: the undetermined status of the Schebaa Farms, the Lebanese prisoners in Israel and above all the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon… We have today around half a million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, their birth rate is three times higher than the Lebanese. That is a time bomb. It is the basic problem of our country, it led to the outbreak of civil war in 1975 and still remains unsolved today. Everybody today is talking about UN resolution 1559 [United Nations Resolution 1559 demands that the (Lebanese) army should control the whole country], but nobody mentions resolution 194, which recognizes the Palestinians’ right of return (to Israel). Lebanon is small and can’t integrate the Palestinians.”

Catholic Church Does Not Get Involved in Politics?

The Associated Press reported on July 21 about some rather strange comments from Pope Benedict XVI, pertaining to the present crisis in the Middle East:

“Pope Benedict XVI said Friday that he does not plan to intervene diplomatically in the Middle East fighting, but called on people of all religions to join Sunday’s worldwide day of prayers for peace. ‘I think it is best to leave that to the diplomats, because we don’t enter politics. But we do everything for peace. Our goal is simply peace, and we will do everything to help attain peace,’ Benedict told reporters… The pope has set aside Sunday as a worldwide day of prayers for peace, hoping the prayers will bring a halt to the fighting. Benedict invited everyone to pray ‘especially Muslims and Jews.’

“Benedict said he had heard from Catholic communities in Lebanon and Israel. ‘Especially from Lebanon, who implored us, as they have implored the Italian government, to help,’ he said. ‘We will help with our prayers and with the people we have… in Lebanon.'”

Zenit added on July 20:

“A communiqué issued today by the Vatican press office said the decision was due to the ‘great concern’ with which the Holy Father follows ‘the fate of all the affected peoples.’ With this initiative, the Pope invites ‘the pastors and faithful of all the particular Churches, and all believers of the world, to implore from God the precious gift of peace,’ explained the Vatican communiqué. In particular, the Bishop of Rome appeals for prayer to the Lord ‘for an immediate cease-fire between the sides, for humanitarian corridors to be opened in order to bring help to the suffering peoples and for reasonable and responsible negotiations to begin to put an end to objective situations of injustice that exist in that region.’ According to the Pontiff, ‘the Lebanese have the right to see the integrity and sovereignty of their country respected, the Israelis, the right to live in peace in their state, and the Palestinians have the right to have their own free and sovereign homeland.'”

The office of Pope does hold great influence in this world–in fact, the Pope is the most influential religious personality of our day. Biblical prophecy reveals that this office, and the person occupying it, will become more and more powerful in coming years. The Word of God reveals that BOTH a religious and a military entity will soon emerge in continental Europe to jointly dominate events all over the earth! Please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy”, for more of the dramatic details of these future events!

Outrageous U.S. Court Decision in Collaboration With Social Services

The Associated Press reported on July 21 about an outrageous decision with the effect of an intrusion into the rights of religion and privacy of the parents and the victim who is suffering of cancer:

“A [Virginia] judge ruled Friday that a 16-year-old boy fighting to use alternative treatment for his cancer must report to a hospital by Tuesday and accept treatment that doctors deem necessary, the family’s attorney said. The judge also found Starchild Abraham Cherrix’s parents were neglectful for allowing him to pursue alternative treatment of a sugar-free, organic diet and herbal supplements supervised by a clinic in Mexico, lawyer John Stepanovich said. Jay and Rose Cherrix… must continue to share custody of their son with the Accomack County Department of Social Services, as the judge had previously ordered, Stepanovich said. The parents were devastated by the new order and planned to appeal, the lawyer said.”

Just Wait…

USA Today reported on July 22 about the ongoing disagreement between Presidents Bush and Putin. The article stated:

“They’re the two most powerful people in the world. They shared private and public thoughts this past week. Two words summed up the difference in their philosophy, policy and style. This exchange between President Bush and Russian President Putin at a news conference after their private meeting at the Group of Eight summit tells it all:

“Bush: ‘I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there’s a free press and free religion … a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.’

“Putin: ‘We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly.’

“Bush: ‘Just wait.’

“’Wait’ has been the Bush clarion call in Iraq for years. Wait, we’ll find weapons of mass destruction. Wait, elections will bring a real working democracy. Wait, Iraq’s military will stand up and then our troops can stand down. ‘Wait’ makes Iraq Bush’s Achilles’ heel, which weakens his position with other world leaders on other world problems. The G-8 talked about them all–North Korea, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, the Hezbollah. Most issues produced compromising double talk because the G-8 countries have no strong world leader.”

ONGOING WAR in the Middle East

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 17:

“A spiral of violence has stymied peace in the Middle East for decades. Now, as bombs are being dropped on Beirut, rockets fired at Haifa and tanks sent into Gaza, Israel and Muslim extremists have brought the region to the brink of all out war…  Israeli fighter jets destroyed the runway at Beirut’s international airport. Then the city’s fuel storage tanks went up in flames. Israeli warships moved into Lebanese waters, blockading the country’s ports. Lebanon, which had just halfway recovered from 15 years of civil war, was bombed back into the last century during hundreds of air strikes in the last week. The simple headline ‘War’ in newspapers on both sides of the border said it all… the Israelis found themselves being bombed back into the days of the wars of 1948-49, 1956, 1967 and 1973, as tens of thousands fled from Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israeli territory. Nahariya, a popular Israeli seaside resort, turned into a ghost town in the wake of a barrage of Katyusha rockets. More than a third of the city’s 50,000 inhabitants left after Hezbollah’s attacks caused dozens of injuries and one death.

“For the first time, the apparently upgraded Soviet-era Katyusha rockets hit the port city of Haifa, which had been considered out of range and safe. Eight Israeli railway employees were killed in an attack on Sunday on Israel’s third-largest city, triggering panic among Haifa’s 270,000 inhabitants…

“The most recent escalation of violence in the Middle East is the outcome of a cooperative effort as surprising as it is threatening. It appears that the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Sunni Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip have for the first time managed to coordinate an operation on two fronts. Despite their bloody clashes in Iraq, the two factions within Islam have apparently set aside their differences in their struggle against common enemy Israel…

“[H]atred for Israel grows with each day, as Israeli fighter jets launch ever more ferocious bombing attacks on targets in Beirut and southern Lebanon, destroying bridges and roads, and as television stations broadcast close-up images of bloody corpses disfigured by shrapnel. Many Lebanese already sympathize with the Shiite militia for having liberated southern Lebanon in its struggle against Israeli occupation.”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 17:

“The militant Islamist group Hezbollah fire[d] Iranian-built missiles even deeper into northern Israel after Israeli Defense Forces bombarded Hezbollah strongholds and even Lebanese army targets over the weekend. World leaders have called for diplomacy and ‘international forces’ to keep the peace… Attending the G-8 summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Israel had ‘a right to defend itself,’ but she and other G-8 leaders also called on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon. ‘We don’t want to let the forces of terrorism and those who support them get the chance to create chaos in the Middle East,’ Merkel said in an interview with the German television station ZDF. But German sources told SPIEGEL that, internally, Merkel’s government considered the Israeli bombardments ‘an excessive reaction.’…

“At their meeting in St. Petersburg over the weekend, G-8 leaders had trouble reaching a consensus over how to respond to the Mideast crisis. In a joint statement on Sunday, the G-8 leaders called for ‘an immediate end to the current violence.’ But throughout the weekend, differences of opinion emerged over where criticism should be directed. Bush held Hezbollah responsible for the violence and offered ‘tacit approval’ (New York Times) for Israel’s attack against Hezbollah. ‘Our message to Israel is, look, defend yourself, but as you do so, be mindful of the consequences,’ Bush said on Sunday, ‘And so we’ve urged restraint.’ But Russia’s Putin accused Israel of going further than just defending itself. ‘We do get the impression that the aims of Israel go beyond just recovering their kidnapped soldiers,’ he told reporters…

“Missiles fired from Lebanon late Sunday landed in the Israeli city of Afula — about 50 kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border and further south than ever before. At least one missile landed near Nazareth, while others fell in western Galilee, near the coastal city of Akko, and in Haifa. Eight people were killed in the first rocket attack on Haifa on Sunday… Egyptian ministers separately confirmed on Saturday that an Egyptian civilian ship off the coast of Lebanon had been hit during a barrage of rocket fire between Hezbollah militants and Israeli gunships. Hezbollah had launched an attack on a fleet of Israeli military vessels laying siege to Lebanon from the water; Israel said a stray Lebanese missile hit the Egyptian boat. Egypt’s state news agency MENA, however, reported that the ship had been hit by Israeli fire. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said it was too early to say which side had fired the shot…

“Thousands of foreign civilians are currently being evacuated from Lebanon. An estimated 20,000 French, 2,000 Germans and 5,000 Swedes reside in the country. Hundreds were being evacuated on Monday by air and by sea. The American, Israeli, and EU governments have coordinated the evacuations. Tens of thousands of Syrian guest workers, meanwhile, lined up at a Lebanese border crossing to escape the hail of bombs.”

The British paper, The Times, wrote on July 15:

“Regardless of the outcome of the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, the clear losers will be the Lebanese who had hoped that their country was shedding its image as a synonym for violence. “

The British paper, The Independent, added on July 15:

“The beautiful viaduct that soars over the mountainside here has become a ‘terrorist’ target. The Israelis attacked the international highway from Beirut to Damascus just after dawn yesterday and dropped a bomb clean through the central span of the Italian-built bridge–a symbol of Lebanon’s co-operation with the European Union–sending concrete crashing hundreds of feet down into the valley beneath. It was the pride of the murdered ex-prime minister Rafik Hariri, the face of a new, emergent Lebanon. And now it is a ‘terrorist’ target.”

The AFP reported on July 19:

“At least 55 civilians were killed as Israeli jets and gunboats pummelled towns and villages across Lebanon and tens of thousands of people fled a conflict that both sides defiantly warned would have no limit. In the bloodiest day since the fighting erupted eight days ago, two Israeli soldiers were also reported killed in clashes with guerrillas from the Shiite Muslim Hezbollah movement as another volley of rockets fell on northern Israel. Streams of Lebanese were fleeing their homes to find safe havens and thousands of foreigners, mainly Westerners, were being evacuated by sea from Beirut to the neighbouring Mediterranean island of Cyprus.

“The United Nations has warned of a humanitarian catastrophe, with 500,000 people displaced by the Israeli onslaught and the air and sea blockade and at least 310 people killed in Lebanon alone since last Wednesday. With the international community unable to agree even on a ceasefire call, Israel vowed its ‘intensive war’ against militants would go on as long it deemed necessary. ‘The security cabinet met this morning and decided on the continuation of the offensives in Lebanon and Gaza with no time limit,’ an Israeli official said. Hezbollah, whose leader Hassan Nasrallah vowed open war against Israel after his Beirut headquarters was bombed, retorted that its guerrillas can continue to strike with ‘an arsenal of rockets for long months, and not just days or weeks.’…

“Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who took office about a year ago after the first elections since former powerbroker Syria ended its three-decade military presence, accused Israel of ‘committing massacres’ against his people… For many ordinary Lebanese there is little chance of… a rescue and many were fleeing their homes in southern Leb
anon, which has borne the brunt of the Israeli operation, to try to find safe havens.”

The Associated Press reported on July 20 that “Israeli troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas Thursday as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons for a second straight day, and Israel hinted at a full-scale invasion.”

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 20 that “The Lebanese Minister of Defense warned Israel Thursday that if IDF ground forces are sent into southern Lebanon, Lebanese troops will fight along with the Hizbullah against Israel.”

US Already Bankrupt?

On July 14, the British newspaper, “The Telegraph,” published an article about the financial situation of the United States, titled, “US ‘could be going bankrupt.'” In the article, it was pointed out:

“The United States is heading for bankruptcy, according to an extraordinary paper published by one of the key members of the country’s central bank… Prof Kotlikoff said that, by some measures, the US is already bankrupt. ‘To paraphrase the Oxford English Dictionary, is the United States at the end of its resources, exhausted, stripped bare, destitute, bereft, wanting in property, or wrecked in consequence of failure to pay its creditors?’, he asked. According to his central analysis, ‘the US government is, indeed, bankrupt, insofar as it will be unable to pay its creditors, who, in this context, are current and future generations to whom it has explicitly or implicitly promised future net payments of various kinds.'”

Worldwide Donors to the Catholic Church

On July 13, Zenit published an article, explaining that Mexico belongs to the list of the ten highest donors to the Vatican. According to the article, “the Mexican contribution is ninth in the world, after that of the United States, Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Ireland, Canada and Korea, and before that of Austria. Mexico is in ninth place both in contributions to ‘Peter’s Pence’ as well as in the contributions of bishops in the collection carried out in their dioceses to support the universal mission of the Church… In previous years, the country of some 90 million Catholics had no significant place in aid to the work of the Church.”

Has the Iraq War Produced A Better Iraq?

On July 19, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“Nearly 6,000 civilians were slain across Iraq in May and June, a spike in deaths that coincided with rising sectarian attacks across the country… The report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Iraq describes a wave of lawlessness and crime, including assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, torture and intimidation. Hundreds of teachers, judges, religious leaders and doctors have been targeted for death, and thousands of people have fled, the report said…

“In the last two days alone, more than 120 people were killed in violence in Iraq. In the worst attacks, fifty-three perished in a suicide bombing Tuesday in Kufa, and 50 were slain Monday in a market in Mahmoudiya… In the first six months of the year, it said 14,338 people had been killed… Women report that their rights have been rolled back by extremist Muslim groups–both Shiite and Sunni. While under Saddam Hussein’s largely secular regime, women faced few social restrictions, they say they are now barred from going to market alone, wearing pants or driving cars. And children are frequently victims, perishing in large crowds or sometimes even targeted themselves, the report said. ‘Violence, corruption, inefficiency of state organs to exert control over security, establish the rule of law and protect individual and collective rights all lead to inability of both the state and the family to meet the needs of children,’ it said. The government still has not pursued many allegations of torture and other inhumane treatment in prisons and detention centers, the U.N. said.”

America In World War III?

On July 15, The Seattle Times quoted former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich as saying that “America is in World War III.” In the article, it was pointed out: “Gingrich said in the coming days he plans to speak out publicly, and to the Administration, about the need to recognize that America is in World War III. He lists wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, this week’s bomb attacks in India, North Korean nuclear threats, terrorist arrests and investigations in Florida, Canada and Britain, and violence in Israel and Lebanon as evidence of World War III… He said people, including some in the Bush Administration, who urge a restrained response from Israel are wrong ‘because they haven’t crossed the bridge of realizing this is a war.’ ‘This is World War III,’ Gingrich said. And once that’s accepted, he said calls for restraint would fall away… Gingrich said that public opinion can change ‘the minute you use the language’ of World War III. The message then, he said, is ‘OK, if we’re in the third world war, which side do you think should win?’ An historian, Gingrich said he has been studying recently how Abraham Lincoln talked to Americans about the Civil War, and what turned out to be a much longer and deadlier war than Lincoln expected.”

Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Java Island

The Associated Press reported on July 17 that “A powerful earthquake sent a two-meter high tsunami crashing into beach resorts along Indonesia’s Java island Monday, killing around 20 people and causing extensive damage to hotels, restaurants and homes, witnesses and officials said [It was subsequently reported that the tsunami killed over 530 people and left more than 50,000 people without home or shelter]… The tsunami followed a quake that struck deep beneath the Indian Ocean 150 miles southwest of Java’s western coast… The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.2, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It was followed by a [series of aftershocks, including a] 6.1-magnitude aftershock two hours later.”

According to subsequent reports on July 19, another 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck the region on Wednesday.

The article continued:

“Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of its location on the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire,’ an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed at least 216,000 people, nearly half of them in Indonesia’s Aceh province. On May 27, a magnitude-5.9 earthquake devastated a large swath of Java Island, killing more than 5,800 people.”

Israel’s Goals in Lebanon

On July 19, Der Spiegel Online discussed the reaction of the German press to Israel’s fight in the Middle East. The magazine quoted numerous German newspapers, as follows:

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung doubts a buffer zone will do much good… ‘The (rocket) attacks on Haifa prove that Hezbollah has weapons to reach Israel even from the hinterlands of Lebanon,’ writes the paper. The idea of disarming Hezbollah and forcing Lebanon to obey Resolution 1559 also seems to be an Israeli pipedream: ‘Until now the Lebanese army has been too weak, and whether they will want or be able to fulfil this task after the terrorists have been decimated in their own country remains an open question.’ Until Hezbollah surrenders, writes the FAZ, even sending UN troops to keep the peace will be ‘an illusion,’ and the risk of escalation remains high…

“The right-wing daily Die Welt runs a guest editorial filed from Tel Aviv, which argues that the international press has focused on Israel’s use of military force but missed the larger point: Israel hasn’t ‘opened’ a war on two fronts (in Lebanon as well as Gaza); Israel has ‘responded on two fronts’ after months of harassment and hundreds of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, the author, conservative US commentator Jeffrey Gedmin, writes…

“The left-wing daily Die Tageszeitung also runs a guest editorial, by the German-born Israeli peace activist and journalist Uri Avnery. It’s a ‘total illusion,’ Avnery writes, to think the Lebanese government would disarm a popular movement like Hezbollah, or that the Lebanese army–full of Shiites sympathetic to the Shiite militants– would fight them. ‘The only solution (for Israel) will be an agreement with the Shiites, and an indirect one with Syria and Iran,’ he argues, warning that Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, has started to position himself in the Arab world ‘as a kind of liberator the Palestinians.’ Israel needs to negotiate, Avnery believes…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung… wonders exactly where the violence will lead. Hezbollah’s rockets are hidden in civilian cellars, and ‘the longer this war of deterrence lasts and the more civilian victims are mourned in Lebanon, the more pictures of destruction will shove the true instigators of this war — Hezbollah — into the background.'”

Anti-Israeli Sentiments Grow

The EUObserver wrote on July 16 that “US foreign affairs chief Condoleezza Rice played down the split between Europe and America on reactions to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon… The US lays blame on Hamas and Hezbollah militants, arguing that Iran and Syria incited and supported the groups in kidnapping Israeli soldiers to halt Lebanon and Palestine’s recent moves toward democracy and peace with Tel Aviv… Mr Bush’s Iraq ally, UK leader Tony Blair, broadly aligned himself with the US after a bilateral meeting on Sunday morning, blaming Iran and Syria for disrupting regional ‘democratisation’ and saying ‘we have got to deal with those underlying conditions.’ But French president Jacques Chirac and Russian leader Vladimir Putin came out on Saturday night with strongly anti-Israeli statements in an international polarisation reminiscent of the divisions around the 2003 Iraq invasion itself.”

The Christian Science Monitor wrote on July 18:

“With Israel’s confrontation with Hizbullah and Lebanon lurching closer to all-out war, winds of anger are blowing through the Middle East that are likely to strengthen the political hand of radical Islamists from Egypt to Saudi Arabia. Since the fighting began, at least 24 Israelis, 12 of them civilians, have been killed and at least 175 Lebanese, nearly all civilians. In recent weeks, about 200 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed in a separate showdown between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group who won power in elections earlier this year. The confrontation–coupled with the rising civilian toll–also poses a serious threat to US interests in the region… Anger at Saudi Arabia’s close relationship with the US, and by association Israel, has long generated support for Al Qaeda among many Saudis… The escalating confrontation between Israel and Lebanon is also helping Syria and Iran gain influence and prestige among Arab populations for their strong support of Hizbullah and Hamas.”

Rift Between EU and USA Over Israel?

On July 19, The Associated Press reported:

“A rift is emerging between the European Union and the United States over whether Israel should cease its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas.

“The Europeans fear mounting civilian casualties will play into the hands of militants and weaken Lebanon’s democratically elected government. The Bush administration, while noting these concerns, is giving Israel a tacit green light to take the time it needs to neutralize the Shiite militant group.

“The mixed message could help Israel in its mission to destroy Hezbollah’s stronghold in southern Lebanon and stop the guerrillas’ deadly rocket fire on Israel. But Islamic hard-liners and terrorist groups could be long-term winners, using the vivid television imagery of the death and destruction in Lebanon to win popularity and promote their jihads.”

Iran’s Hezbollah Welcomes World War III

Newsmax.com reported on July 18:

“Iran’s Hezbollah, which claims links to the Lebanese group of the same name, said on Tuesday it stood ready to attack Israeli and U.S. interests worldwide. ‘We have 2,000 volunteers who have registered since last year,’ said Iranian Hezbollah’s spokesman Mojtaba Bigdeli… ‘They have been trained and they can become fully armed. We are ready to dispatch them to every corner of the world to jeopardize Israel and America’s interests. We are only waiting for the Supreme Leader’s green light to take action. If America wants to ignite World War Three . . . we welcome it,’ he said… While Iran did fund and support Lebanese Hezbollah during the 1980s, Tehran says it has not contributed troops or weapons in the latest violence. Israel says Iranian armaments have been fired against it.”

Is Lebanon’s Hezbollah Planning Attacks in the USA?

TCV News reported on July 16 that “While many US government officials are deeply concerned over Iran’s nuclear program, according to recent reports, investigations by Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Justice Department revealed last May that the Lebanon-based terrorist group Hezbollah may be plotting attacks. These attacks may be launched by their sleeper cells in New York and several other US cities… Hezbollah, or God’s Party, grew out of the Lebanese civil war in the early 1980s and quickly became the region’s leading radical Islamic movement. Their primary goal was to drive Israeli and American troops out of Lebanon. For many years, Hezbollah was synonymous with terror, suicide bombings and kidnappings.

“In 1983, militants who went on to join Hezbollah’s ranks carried out a suicide bombing attack that killed 241 US marines in Beirut, which lead to President Ronald Reagan’s withdrawal order for all US military peacekeepers. In May 2000 — due to the success of the party’s military arm — one of its main aims was achieved. Israel’s military was forced to end almost 20 years of occupation in southern Lebanon. Hezbollah now serves as an inspiration to Palestinian factions fighting to liberate more territory. The party has embraced the Palestinian cause and has said publicly that it is ready to open a second front against Israel in support of the intifada.”

“Hezbollah’s political rhetoric’s central theme is the total annihilation of the state of Israel. Its definition of Israeli occupation has also encompassed the idea that the whole of Palestine is occupied Muslim land and it has argued that Israel has no right to exist. Hezbollah’s spiritual head Sheikh Fadlallah is close to Iranian government and is believed responsible for the vitriolic speeches of the Iranian president.

“Hezbollah is funded, armed and trained by the Iranians and given free reign by Syria’s ruling Ba’athist Party. Its international network, according to terrorism analysts, is believed to include at least 15,000 operatives in cells in the US, Canada, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, most of Western Europe, Indonesia, Malaysia, and throughout Africa. Western intelligence sources estimate Hezbollah’s annual budget to be approximately $400 million, including almost $100 million annually from Iran.

“Other sources of funding include Syria, charitable organizations, individual donations, legitimate business, and illegitimate businesses such as illegal arms trading, cigarette smuggling, currency counterfeiting, credit card fraud, theft, operating illegal telephone exchanges, and drug trafficking. Recently two men were convicted of running a criminal operation that helped to fund Hezbollah.”

Slow Evacuations of Americans

USA Today reported on July 18:

“Thousands of Americans remained stranded Monday in Lebanon as the State and Defense departments developed plans to evacuate them. By late Monday, 64 Americans had been flown by Marine helicopter to safety on the island of Cyprus. The pace of the evacuation angered some in the USA with relatives in the country… As Israel and the militant Islamic group Hezbollah trade rocket attacks and airstrikes, European nations with citizens in Lebanon have evacuated more of their citizens more quickly than the United States. For example, about 850 Swedes among about 5,000 in Lebanon have been evacuated, and Sweden also chartered three ships to bring Swedes from Beirut to Cyprus… The State Department rejected a land evacuation through Syria because of safety concerns for Americans in that country…

“The Defense and State departments are developing a plan to evacuate those of the 25,000 Americans in Lebanon who want to leave, said Thomas Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Cyprus. A U.S. Embassy statement issued Monday instructed American citizens to be ready to leave immediately. It may be a week or more before the evacuation is fully underway, Miller said. Israeli airstrikes have damaged the international airport, making the sea Americans’ main escape route. The Pentagon has mobilized some ships and troops to aid in the evacuation. The 750-passenger Orient Queen, a Greek cruise ship, has been chartered to ferry evacuees from Beirut to Cyprus.”

As CNN reported on July 18, many Americans begin to compare the slow response of the American government to the crisis in Lebanon with its slow response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

On July 19, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“An eight-deck cruise liner [the “Orient Queen”] carrying more than 1,000 Americans sailed out of Beirut’s port Wednesday, the first mass U.S. evacuation from Lebanon since Israeli airstrikes started more than a week ago. The U.S. Marine general coordinating the evacuation says 6,000 Americans will be out of Lebanon by the weekend… Many of those aboard were relieved to depart, after complaints of slow action by the United States compared to European countries that sent cruise ships, ferries and warships over the past three days to move out thousands… The Americans also stepped up evacuations Wednesday by military aircraft from their hilltop embassy, which was expected to stay open. Four Chinook transport helicopters ferried 800 Americans from Beirut to nearby Larnaca airport in Cyprus. The Chinooks can carry twice as many people as the Sea Stallion choppers that have carried evacuees for the past three days… The U.S. State Department said Tuesday it had dropped a plan to make Americans reimburse the government for the transport… An estimated 8,000 of the 25,000 U.S. citizens in Lebanon want to be evacuated. A total of 320 Americans–mostly children, students and the elderly–left Tuesday night by military helicopter and a Norwegian car ferry, which also carried hundreds of Swedes, Norwegians and others… Part of what delayed the Orient Queen was Israel’s blockade of Lebanon’s ports…”

…While Some Other Nations Act More Quickly

AFP reported on July 18:

“World powers have deployed helicopters, warships, chartered ferries and buses to pluck tens of thousands of trapped foreigners from war-torn Lebanon in one of the biggest mass evacuations since World War II. With Beirut’s airport in tatters, foreigners fled by bus to Syria to escape Israeli bombs, missiles and artillery fire, as others were taken away by ship or helicopter to Cyprus. Israel has imposed an air and sea blockade around Lebanon but has said it will co-ordinate with foreign governments to allow their terrified nationals to leave.

“In London, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Britain now had six ships in the region… The British press has put pressure on Blair, saying Britons in Beirut are impatient with preparations to evacuate up to 12,000 British nationals, 10,000 dual nationals, and Commonwealth citizens… By early Tuesday, a chartered French ferry with about 1,250 people aboard — 800 French nationals, including 300 children, 400 from other European Union member states and 50 Americans — had already docked in Larnaca, Cyprus. The French nationals were to return to France on chartered Air France flights… Larnaca will also be the first port of call for nearly 50,000 Canadian citizens trapped by the fighting; Ottawa has chartered three ships — each capable of carrying 900 people — to help in the evacuation. An Italian vessel — with 186 Italians, 58 Lebanese and 49 Swedes and a new-born baby on board — docked there late Monday…

“Russians fleeing southern Lebanon described a harrowing journey along deserted and bombed roads to Beirut as others returned safely to Moscow from the Palestinian territories… Sweden is chartering a 1,600-passenger Greek vessel. Stockholm’s ambassador to Cyprus Ingemar Lindhal said 750 of its 5,000 passport holders are believed to have already escaped overland through Syria… Some 181 Polish nationals escaped to Syria on six buses which also contained about 30 other people, including Americans, Slovaks and Czechs… Spain said Tuesday that 113 people, most of them Spanish, had been brought home on board an armed forces Boeing 707 from Damascus, where they had arrived by bus… At the same time, German, Swiss and Austrian nationals began arriving back in Europe on chartered planes, many again on flights out of Damascus.”

The Costs of the Iraq War

The Associated Press reported on July 14 about the incredible financial costs of the Iraq war. According to the report, “The war in Iraq has cost almost $300 billion and would total almost a half-trillion dollars even if all U.S. troops were withdrawn by the end of 2009, according to a Congressional Budget Office analysis released Thursday. Congress has approved $432 billion for military operations and other costs related to combating terror since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks… A recent competing analysis by the Congressional Research Service puts the tally for Iraq at $319 billion with the war in Afghanistan costing another $88 billion.”

No Capable Leaders in this World–While the World Is in Chaos?

 Britain’s “Daily Mail” wrote on July 17 about the G8 summit meeting in Russia, entitling its article: “The eight most powerful people on the planet…but weak, indecisive and utterly incapable of true world leadership.” The paper continued:

“Rarely can the impotence of what is supposed to be the most powerful group of people in the world have been placed in sharper focus. President Bush is limping to the end of his presidency; President Chirac of France and Japan’s Prime Minister Koizumi are both nearing the end of their own terms; Germany’s Chancellor Merkel, the new girl on the block, is already dragged down by mounting criticism at home; and our own Prime Minister Blair–well, say no more. Yet the G8 could hardly be meeting at a more dangerous juncture in world history, with the conflagration in the Middle East escalating virtually by the hour and the crisis over Iran’s uranium enrichment programme reaching a critical point of decision. If ever the state of the world called for united and decisive leadership, it is now…”

The paper made the following additional comments regarding the present war in the Middle East:

“It is wrong to see what has happened in Lebanon as a local skirmish that somehow got out of control. It is rather an attempt by Iran to gain regional dominance, with untold consequences for all of us if it succeeds. Israel is under ferocious attack by Iran and Syria through their proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. Hezbollah is a kind of unofficial Iranian army, which continues to receive extensive funding and weapons from Tehran–including the arsenal of more than 13,000 rockets which have been pointed at Israel from their launchers in southern Lebanon for years. It was these missiles which hit Haifa yesterday, killing at least eight Israelis. It has been reported that Iranian Revolutionary Guards worked with Hezbollah in Lebanon on these attacks. And it was almost certainly Iran which instigated them. Iran’s President Ahmadinejad has threatened to wipe Israel off the map, as well as posing a mortal threat to the west from his regime’s potential for nuclear terrorism and blackmail. Last Tuesday, Iran dismissed the EU’s attempt to rein in its nuclear programme by saying it was in no hurry to respond…

“True, Israel’s response has been a fierce bombing campaign across Lebanon. It has blown up bridges, roads, Beirut airport and Lebanon’s TV station and many targets which it says were Hezbollah bases. It has choked off Lebanon’s economy, including its growing tourism industry. Tragically, more than 120 Lebanese have been killed so far, including a convoy of fleeing families and a further 23 civilians who died in raids yesterday. This has led to some accusing Israel of a disproportionate response. But in my view this is no more ‘disproportionate’ than, for example, Nato’s bombing of civilian targets in Serbia to force it to withdraw from Kosovo. War is always hell. Innocents always get killed, and where terrorists have deliberately embedded themselves among civilians it is hard to avoid such tragedies.

“It’s important to remember that the reason Iran was able to launch this wave of attacks upon Israel was the world’s abject failure to implement the UN Security Council resolution demanding the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon. Despite all their fierce words, both President Bush and Tony Blair are paralysed over Iran and other rogue states because they have been so politically weakened–and militarily stretched–in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even those of us who supported the war in Iraq have been appalled by the way mistakes made since the fall of Baghdad have left the coalition so powerless. It is that perception of chronic U.S. weakness which has so emboldened Iran and Syria, from whom the U.S. has exacted no price for their role in helping foment the war in Iraq.”