More Turmoil in the Middle East

AFP reported on July 12, 2006:

“Israel has invaded southern Lebanon in a ground and air assault to retrieve two soldiers snatched by Hezbollah, the first such assault into the country since a 2000 pullout. The capture, in an attack on an army outpost on the volatile Lebanese border, opened a new front in the Middle East after the capture of another Israeli soldier by Palestinians two weeks ago plunged the region into chaos. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the abduction amounted to an act of war, held the government in Beirut fully responsible, and vowed no negotiations, as aircraft and artillery pounded Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.

“Hezbollah, whose Shiite militia was instrumental in forcing Israeli troops out of Lebanon six years ago and which is sponsored by Israel’s arch-foes Syria and Iran, demanded the release of Arab prisoners in exchange for the soldiers. The morning raid and abduction came amid intense cross-border exchanges in which at least four civilians were wounded in northern Israel and another four in south Lebanon, including a correspondent of Hezbollah television. Two Lebanese civilians were later killed and five others wounded as the Israelis mounted their incursion, Lebanese police said.”

The article continued:

“Defence Minister Amir Peretz confirmed the soldiers were captured in an operation along Israel’s northern border… As soon as news of the capture was announced, celebratory gunfire erupted across Beirut’s southern suburbs — a Hezbollah stronghold. Some residents were also seen distributing sweets to passing motorists… The return of Israeli troops to the Gaza Strip last week has already evoked painful memories of the army’s disastrous 1982 invasion of Lebanon where soldiers became bogged down in a deadly quagmire before finally leaving… In an interview, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said his mediation efforts for Shalit’s release had been sabotaged by an unnamed party. In the remarks published Wednesday, Mubarak said he had reached a deal with Israel for ‘a large number of prisoners’ to be released but added that Hamas came under fresh pressure and the mediation was scuppered… Israel has so far refused to negotiate and launched a large-scale operation against the Gaza Strip, killing more than 60 Palestinians in the past 10 days and pounding the territory’s infrastructure.”

Der Spiegel Online added the following on July 13:

“After the kidnapping of two of its soldiers, Israel is cutting Lebanon off from the outside world with an air, land and sea blockade, Israeli army radio announced Thursday. Bombing raids continue after both Beirut airport and a suburb of the Lebanese capital were targeted causing at least 27 civilian casualties. Conflict in the Middle East intensified Thursday as Israel announced it would completely blockade Lebanon and continue bombing raids until two kidnapped Israeli soldiers are released. At least 27 civilians died in a night of bombing, with scores more injured as Israel flew more than 40 bombing raids over Lebanon… The Israeli Navy has entered Lebanese waters while flights have been halted into and out of Beirut’s only international airport. It is the biggest show of Israeli force in Lebanon since the 1982 invasion…

“During the night and early morning Israel carried out an aerial bombardment of southern Lebanon. According to police, ten members of a family were killed when their house was hit by a bomb: the dead included eight children. According to AFP at least 27 civilians died during a night of attacks. The Israeli army confirmed it had flown around 40 raids. The army is targeting hidden caches of Hezbollah weapons and munitions and targeted Beirut airport because, according to the army, it ‘is a central hub for the transfer of weapons and supplies to the Hezbollah terrorist organization.’… Meanwhile, the Israeli army has also stepped up its operation in the Gaza Strip. The office of the Palestinian foreign minister there was bombed Wednesday night and ten children were injured, doctors at the El-Schifa hospital said. According to eyewitnesses the children lived in houses near to the office. Nearby apartments were badly damaged by the blast.”

CNN.com added on Thursday, July 13, that “Israeli forces struck Beirut’s international airport for the second time Thursday, hitting fuel tanks that exploded into fireballs. The attack came soon after two rockets struck the northern Israeli port of Haifa on a day of spiraling violence and deepening crisis. Israel Defense Forces said the Haifa rockets came from Lebanon and blamed the strike on Hezbollah, whose guerrillas triggered the violence when they attacked inside Israel on Wednesday, killing eight Israeli soldiers and capturing two more.”

The EU Flexes Its Muscles

AFP reported on July 12:

“The European Commission has slapped Microsoft with a new fine of 280.5 million euros for failing to fully respect a 2004 antitrust ruling, but the software giant vowed to appeal. Raising the pressure on the US software giant, the European Union competition watchdog also threatened additional fines of three million euros (3.82 million dollars) a day from the end of the month if the company continued to defy the ruling. EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that more than two years since the decision was handed down she now had ‘no alternative’ than to impose new fines, on top of a nearly half-billion-euro penalty in the original ruling… ‘No company is above the law, each and every company, large or small, operating in the European Union must obey EU law, including competition law for the benefit of all companies and consumers.’… After a five-year investigation, Kroes’ predecessor Mario Monti took the commission’s biggest competition decision ever in ruling that Microsoft had broken EU law by using a quasi-monopoly in personal computer operating systems to thwart rivals… In addition to fining Microsoft, the EU ordered the company to sell a version of its Windows operating system without Media Player software and to divulge information on Windows needed by makers of rival products.”

In a somewhat related matter, The Associated Press reported on July 12:

“The EU head office on Wednesday proposed to legislate price controls on the cost of using a mobile phone abroad, saying network operators make “excessive” profits on roaming calls and have systematically ignored appeals to moderate their prices… EU Information Society Commissioner Viviane Reding said the roaming rates bill she has drafted tackles ‘one of the last borders within Europe’s internal market… For years, mobile roaming charges have remained at unjustifiably high levels, in spite of repeated warnings to the industry,’ she said. ‘I am convinced reducing roaming charges will not only be beneficial for citizens traveling within the EU, but will also enhance the competitiveness of Europe’s industry…. [A] local call in Poland costs euro 0.19, but on a non-Polish cellphone it costs from euro 0.34 to euro 2.56 per minute. While a local call in Italy costs an Italian customer euro 0.10, that same call will cost a French customer euro 0.50 to euro 1.18 per minute.”

Bush Administration in More Trouble?

AFP reported on July 10, 2006:

“The Bush administration concealed at least one ‘major’ intelligence operation from Congress in possible violation of the law and briefed lawmakers only after they had learned about it from independent sources, a ranking congressman said. The charge by Republican Representative Peter Hoekstra, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, calls into question repeated assurances by President George W. Bush and his top aides that they strictly comply with disclosure requirements. They also follow allegations the administration may have acted illegally by authorizing wiretaps on American citizens in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks without requisite court warrants… US law requires that the intelligence panels of both the Senate and the House of Representatives be informed of the government’s intelligence activities.”

Bush Defends Putin

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 7:

“Ahead of his trip to the G8 summit in St. Petersburg later this month, US President George Bush has warned against publicly criticizing his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on contentious issues.”

The article continued:

“Bush still considers Putin a friend despite ongoing US-Russian tensions, the US leader said in a recent television [interview] with news channel CNN. At the same time, he said admonishing the Russian president in public on matters of concern such as democracy and human rights would be counterproductive… Bush will meet with Putin on July 15-16 for a Group of Eight (G8) gathering of the world’s leading industrial nations in the Russian leader’s hometown St. Petersburg, Russia. The summit comes at a time of harsh exchanges between US and Russian officials, including US Vice President Dick Cheney’s comments in May that Putin was bullying Russia’s neighbors with energy sources and hurting the domestic development of democracy.

“More recently, Russia has opposed a UN Security Council resolution backed by the United States that would impose sanctions on North Korea for its missile tests. But Bush said he has a good relationship with Putin despite all of the disagreements. ‘I don’t understand some of the decisions he’s made, but my relationship is such that I’m able to express that concern and listen carefully as to why he does what he does,’ he said in the CNN interview… Bush likely has some sympathy for Putin, since the US president has been subjected to public criticism in recent years like few other leaders ever have.”

President Bush in Germany–His Lonely Arrival

On July 13, Der Spiegel Online wrote the following about President Bush’s short visit in Germany: “The airport of the Baltic Sea port town Rostock has probably never received as prominent a visitor as US President George W. Bush, who arrived in Germany Wednesday night. But amid heavy security hardly anyone was there to see Bush and his wife Laura land.”

The article continued:

“The airport had been closed off. The president’s audience consisted only of Secret Service agents and the journalists on the specially set up press podium… Meanwhile the town of Trinwillershagen is preparing for its great night in a relatively relaxed manner. True, there are vehicle controls at the entrance to the town — which has 770 inhabitants — but beyond the checkpoint everything is fully accessible, including the inn where Merkel and Bush will have their barbecue along with 50 hand-picked guests on Thursday evening.”

Has World War III Begun?

The New York Daily News reported on July 9:

“Last week’s headlines prove the point: North Korea fires missiles, Iran talks of nukes again, Iraq carnage continues, Israel invades Gaza, England observes one-year anniversary of subway bombing. And, oh, yes, the feds stop a plot to blow up tunnels under the Hudson River. World War III has begun. It’s not perfectly clear when it started. Perhaps it was after the Berlin Wall fell and the Cold War ended. Perhaps it was the first bombing of the World Trade Center, in 1993. What is clear is that this war has a long fuse and, while we are not in the full-scale combat phase that marked World Wars I and II, we seem to be heading there. The expanding hostilities mean it’s time to give this conflict a name, one that focuses the mind and clarifies the big picture. The war on terror, or the war of terror, has tentacles that reach much of the globe. It is a world war…

“I sound pessimistic because I am. Even worse than the problems is the fact that our political system is failing us. Democratic Party leaders want to pretend we can declare peace and everything will be fine, while President Bush is out of ideas. Witness Bush now counseling patience and diplomacy on North Korea. This from a man who scorned both for five years. But what choice does he have now that the pillars of his post-9/11 foreign policy are crumbling?… I believed Iraq was the key, that if we prevailed there, momentum would shift in our favor. Now I’m not sure. We still must prevail there, but Iraq could mean nothing if Iran or Bin Laden get the bomb or North Korea uses one.”

President Bush Defends Israel

The Associated Press reported on July 13:

“President Bush said Thursday that Israel has the right to defend itself as it launched fresh attacks on Lebanon after the capture of Israeli soldiers. Bush, visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel en route later in the week to a summit of world leaders in Russia, laid the blame for the escalation of violence along the border on Hezbollah, whose guerrillas mounted a cross-border raid earlier in the week and captured the two soldiers. He also said that Syria ‘needs to be held to account’ for supporting and harboring Hezbollah… Merkel appealed for restraint from both sides. But she suggested they do not share equal blame, repeatedly noting that the violence began with the soldiers’ capture… Bush was pressed on whether Israel’s military assaults, which have killed nearly three dozen civilians, could trigger a wider war. He tempered his strong support for Israel by saying his ‘biggest concern’ was that the attacks could weaken the Lebanese government led by Prime Minister Fuad Saniora and make it harder for the fledgling democracy movement there to continue to grow.”

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 13 that “Greece on Thursday expressed ‘serious concern’ over Israeli attacks in Lebanon, and urged neighboring countries to show restraint… Greece has traditionally close ties with Arab countries but has also recently improved relations with Israel.”

The article in The Associated Press continued:

“On Iran, both Bush and Merkel declined to take a hard line against Tehran, which has defied appeals from the United States, Germany and other nations to provide an answer by Wednesday on whether it would accept a package of incentives to halt uranium enrichment. The United States and other permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, along with Germany and the European Union, have agreed to raise Iran’s behavior at the Security Council for possible punishment.”

Southern California Wildfire

The Associated Press reported on July 13 about a huge wildfire which was caused by lightning and finds fuel in many dead trees killed by beetle infestation:

“A huge wildfire was edging toward San Bernardino National Forest Thursday, worrying fire officials that it could grow rapidly and get close to the resort community of Big Bear Lake and add to the nearly 100 structures it had already devoured. The blistering heat and strong winds that have made firefighting efforts difficult were not letting up, as forecasters expected 100 degree plus temperatures Thursday. Temperatures hit 108 degrees Wednesday as 2,500 firefighters attacked flames burning greasewood, Joshua trees, pinon pines and brush in hills and canyons… A severe bark beetle infestation has killed many trees in the National Forest in recent years, and could provide the Sawtooth Complex fire with substantial fuel… The fire, ignited during the weekend by lightning, had destroyed 42 houses, 55 other buildings and 91 vehicles in and around this high desert community 100 miles east of Los Angeles, authorities said. As of late Wednesday, it had burned 37,000 acres (according to news reports on Thursday, more than 40,000 acres have been burned).”

Mass Murder in India

AFP reported on July 12:

“Indian police said the bombs which ripped through trains in the financial hub Mumbai [formerly known as Bombay], killing more than 200 people and wounding hundreds more, bore the hallmark of Islamic militants. Investigators picked through the debris of Tuesday’s rush-hour strikes seeking clues to the country’s worst attack in more than a decade… Seven blasts [according to subsequent reports, eight blasts] went off in the space of 15 minutes along the western railway line, tearing open first-class train carriages that were packed with people travelling home from work. The toll was 200 dead with more than 700 injured… Analysts said the bombers hoped to stoke Hindu-Muslim tensions and may have targeted first-class carriages to minimise casualties among Muslims, a minority in Mumbai and generally poorer than their Hindu counterparts.”

India Launches Its Missiles

The Jerusalem Post reported on July 9:

“India test-fired its nuclear-capable Agni III missile Sunday for the first time, the Defense Ministry said… India’s longest-range missile [was] able to fly 3,000 kilometers… The Agni III further boosts India’s homegrown missile arsenal, which includes… [a] short-range… ballistic missile, [a] medium-range [missile] and [a] supersonic… missile, developed jointly with Russia.”

Japan Considering Pre-Emptive Strike on North Korea

The Associated Press reported on July 10:

“Japan said Monday it was considering whether a pre-emptive strike on… [North Korea’s] missile bases would violate its constitution… Japan was badly rattled by North Korea’s missile tests last week and several government officials openly discussed whether the country ought to take steps to better defend itself, including setting up the legal framework to allow Tokyo to launch a pre-emptive strike…

“Japan’s constitution currently bars the use of military force in settling international disputes and prohibits Japan from maintaining a military for warfare. Tokyo has interpreted that to mean it can have armed troops to protect itself, allowing the existence of its 240,000-strong Self-Defense Forces. A Defense Agency spokeswoman, however, said Japan has no attacking weapons such as ballistic missiles that could reach North Korea. Its forces only have ground-to-air missiles and ground-to-vessel missiles…”

A Europe-Wide Missile “Defense”-System?

The EUObserver reported on July 7:

“NATO headquarters has been warming up to the idea of a Europe-wide missile defence system… The issue has come under a new spotlight following this week’s missile tests by North Korea… Hungarian press quoted the US lieutenant commander Joe Carpenter as saying that a deal on the location is far from ended. ‘The decision hasn’t even been made whether or not we will build in Europe. The first question is whether or not the system is viable,’ he added…

“Mrs Alliot-Marie also confirmed that French leaders discussed… a kind of Europeanised nuclear force or ‘eurobomb’ with the British prime minister Tony Blair during their summit in Paris on 9 June. Her confirmation sparked criticism by Geoffrey Van Orden, defence spokesman for the UK conservatives in the European Parliament. He argued ‘Given the importance of the independent nuclear deterrent to the national security of the United Kingdom, I am very surprised that the prime minister did not mention that such a vital issue is currently being discussed.’

“Mr Van Orden said that while the UK and France have been on different sides of the argument on several key foreign policy issues, ‘It would be the most extraordinary act of folly if we were to become in any way reliant on France for the ultimate strategic defence capability of our nation.'”

Germany’s Transformation

On July 5, 2006, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“Germany’s World Cup dream might be over, but that doesn’t mean the tournament won’t have a lasting effect on the country. The soccer spectacle has already altered the way the world sees the Germans and even how the Germans see themselves… The soccer tournament has unleashed a torrent of feel-good vibes from Hamburg to Munich that has stunned the locals probably even more than all the foreign visitors from around the globe. Germans — long shy about expressing positive attitudes toward their country in light of their difficult history — have experienced three weeks of unabashed fun and pride decked out in the national colors black, red and gold.

“The Germans are positive. The Germans are friendly. The Germans have hosted an unforgettable World Cup. How can this be? For years, commentators both at home and abroad have derided the Germans for their pessimism and often glum or crabby manner. A sudden transformation brought on by the sunny, California-style optimism of German national soccer team coach Jürgen Klinsmann?… much of what has seemed so surprising over the last three weeks is less some dramatic transformation than simply a new perspective on things. Germany was always full of friendly and optimistic people like Klinsmann — it’s just that they were often drowned out by all the complainers and pessimists. The World Cup hasn’t changed the foundations of the country, but it has changed the balance within it…

“Just as Germany was never as bad a place as many foreigners thought, it was certainly much nicer than many Germans were willing to admit. Yes, there are problems, serious ones. The economy might be doing okay at the moment, but far too many people remain jobless. And Chancellor Angela Merkel’s so-called grand coalition appears more willing to simply milk taxpayers than undertake real reforms that would overhaul the country’s bloated welfare system or creaky healthcare.

“Still, Germany remains a very comfortable place to live… Many Turks and Arabs flew the German colors at their shops or on their cars. A small gesture perhaps, but an important one to both those Germans concerned about integration and those immigrants acknowledging that this is their home too. This outpouring of good-natured patriotism is only logical: if the Germans are more willing to express their affection for the good aspects of their own country, then so too will others. Of course, there will be challenges both private and public that will make it difficult for some Germans to stick to their newfound positive ethos. But the naysayers no longer have the upper hand here. Many optimists will not cede the country back to the moaners so easily. And that, in many respects, is a greater gift from Klinsmann and his team than winning the World Cup ever could be.”

Germany’s Leadership Crisis

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 6 about the crisis in leadership of Germany’s Chancellor, Angela Merkel. With strong words, the magazine pointed out:

“The German government’s protracted health reform talks were worth the effort in at least one respect: a clearer picture of Angela Merkel has emerged. The chancellor who took office with a mission to modernize the country isn’t delivering… Angela Merkel is no German Maggie Thatcher. That’s not something one has to complain about, but it’s important to know. Surprisingly, Angela Merkel has so far not even reached the standing of a female version of Gerhard Schröder… Her small steps won’t modernize the country. Quite the contrary. They are even leading away from Angela Merkel. She is betraying herself by trying to swap conviction for popularity…

“The fact that the Social Democrat party without Schröder is following her willingly, and even encouraging her at times, doesn’t lessen Merkel’s responsibility for what’s happening, it increases it. It’s Merkel’s task to continue the reforms, to speed them up and deepen them. Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of postwar West Germany, embedded the country into the west, Willy Brandt, the first Social Democrat chancellor, opened Germany to the east. It’s Merkel’s historic mission to reform the welfare state and cut mass unemployment. There’s no point trying to evade the enormity of this task by negating it. In the end, Merkel will be chancellor of reform or she won’t be chancellor at all. Her ‘breakthrough in health policy’ announced at the weekend is a breakthrough in the wrong direction… It’s the job of the media to describe reality. The chancellor’s job is to effect change, improve opportunities for prosperity and minimize future risks. And to lead the country, sometimes into areas where no one has ventured before. Angela Merkel isn’t delivering this kind of leadership at the moment.”

On July 7, the magazine published a follow-up article about the current political situation in Germany, under Angela Merkel’s leadership:

“The shine has come off Germany’s so-called grand coalition. Recently proposed healthcare reforms have sparked a bitter row between Angela Merkel’s conservatives and their Social Democratic partners… Rather than working together to find a solution, the coalition currently seems to prefer criticizing each other… After a golden honeymoon in which Merkel seemed to be able to do no wrong, suddenly her popularity, and that of the coalition government, appears to be in freefall. A survey by public broadcaster ARD for July recorded just 24 percent of the German population is happy with the work of the grand coalition — the worst poll rating since the government was formed last year. Two-thirds of respondents said they felt the grand coalition was no better at solving Germany’s problems than the previous center-left government under Gerhard Schröder…

“[The] conservative newspaper Die Welt [writes:]… ‘The German drama is that both partners are too weak on their own to risk a new beginning. So they’ll stay together, and muddle through in small steps.’… ‘the grand coalition faces a summer of discontent,’ writes Financial Times Deutschland. ‘The combination of deadlock, chaos and anger is reminiscent of the crisis of Gerhard Schröder’s second administration… The grand coalition today suffers from a quite different predicament: the fundamental incompatibility of two political directions and mentalities.’…

“[The] Sueddeutsche Zeitung [writes:] ‘Nothing significant is to be expected from this government… Only a few months after it took office, the coalition is acting like it’s preparing for a separation and to apportion blame.’ The honeymoon is over for Angela Merkel too. In the cold light of day, ‘nobody knows what this woman really wants and for what policies she stands…'”

Germany is facing a leadership crisis of potentially dangerous proportions. Please make sure to listen to our new StandingWatch program, “Germany’s New Patriotism.”

Sabbath Keeper Wins in Court

The Adventist News Network reported on June 30, 2006, that “A United States federal district court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has ruled for a Seventh-day Adventist who sought accommodation for his Sabbath-keeping beliefs. The worker was awarded U.S. $311,166.75 in lost wages and punitive damages. It is believed to be one of the few such cases in which punitive damages–designed to ‘reform or deter the defendant,’ as one definition puts it–have been awarded to a Sabbath-keeper.”

The article continued:

“Todd Sturgill, age 41 and a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, was a 19-year driver for United Parcel Service when he joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in May of 2004. In July of that year, Sturgill asked his employer for accommodation on Friday evenings during the upcoming holiday delivery season. After three months, Sturgill was told he would receive no accommodation. Though Sturgill was happy to perform his job, his conviction about observing the Biblical Sabbath on the seventh day of the week–which begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on the Sabbath, or Saturday–would not allow him to perform work during that time. Despite these roadblocks, Sturgill was able to make arrangements with his coworkers to adjust his schedule and keep the Sabbath until Friday, Dec. 17, 2004. On that day, despite repeated requests for assistance and accommodation, managers at the firm took no steps to enable Sturgill to complete his work before sundown, and he returned to the UPS center with roughly 35 undelivered parcels, and then went home. He was fired the following Monday for what UPS called ‘job abandonment.'”

The article pointed out:

“The June 30 ruling supports an earlier federal court case in which an auto salesman in Arkansas, who was not a Seventh-day Adventist, won the right to have his Sabbatarian beliefs accommodated. ‘While we are gratified over today’s outcome, one message is clear,’ said Todd McFarland, associate general counsel for the Seventh-day Adventist world church. ‘The United States needs to enact the Workplace Religious Freedom Act to safeguard the rights of working people.'”

For more information about the godly requirements for true Christians to keep the weekly Sabbath, as well as seven annual Holy Days, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Russia’s Pravda Acknowledges Weakness of Evolution Theory

The Pravda published an interesting article on July 7, bringing into focus some of the problems with the Evolution Theory. The article pointed out:

“The theory of evolution teaches that matter has an innate tendency to evolve towards greater and greater complexity or order. We are so accustomed to seeing evolution of technology all about us (new cars, boats, ships, inventions, etc.) that we assume that Nature must work the same way also. Of course, we forget that all those new gadgets and technology had a human designer behind them. Nature, however, does not work the same way… For example, a few amino acids have been produced spontaneously, but there is already a natural tendency for molecules to form into amino acids if given the right conditions. There is, however, no natural tendency for amino acids to come together spontaneously into a sequence to form into proteins. They have to be directed to do so by the genetic code in the cells of our bodies. Even the simplest cell is made up of billions of protein molecules. An average protein molecule may comprise of several hundred sequentially arranged amino acids. Many are comprised of thousands of sequential units. If they are not in the precise sequence the protein will not function!

“The sequence of molecules in DNA (the genetic code) determines the sequence of molecules in proteins. Furthermore, without DNA there cannot be RNA, but without RNA there cannot be DNA. Without either DNA or RNA there cannot be proteins, but without proteins there cannot be either DNA or RNA. These complex molecules are all mutually dependent upon one another for existence! If the cell had evolved it would have had to be all at once. A partially evolved cell cannot wait millions of years to become complete because it would be highly unstable and quickly disintegrate in the open environment.

“The great British scientist Sir Frederick Hoyle has said that the mathematical probability of the sequence of molecules in the simplest cell occurring by chance is 10 to the 40,000th power or roughly equivalent to a tornado going through a junk yard and assembling a 747 Jumbo Jet. It is not rational to put faith in such odds for the origin of life. Considering the enormous complexity of life, it is much more logical to believe that the genetic and biological similarities between all species is due to a common Designer rather than common biological ancestry. It is only logical that the great Designer would design similar functions for similar purposes and different functions for different purposes in all of the various forms of life.

“Contrary to popular belief, scientists have never created life in the laboratory. What scientists have done is genetically alter or engineer already existing forms of life, and by doing this scientists have been able to produce new forms of life. However, they did not produce these new life forms from non-living matter… Furthermore, because of the law of entropy the universe does not have the ability to have sustained itself from all eternity since all the useful energy in the universe will some day become irreversibly and totally useless. The universe, therefore, cannot be eternal and requires a beginning. Since energy cannot come into existence from nothing by any natural process, the beginning of the universe must have required a Supernatural origin!

“Science cannot prove we’re here by creation, but neither can science prove we’re here by chance or macro-evolution. No one has observed either. They are both accepted on faith. The issue is which faith, Darwinian macro-evolutionary theory or creation, has better scientific support. Whatever evolution occurs in Nature is limited to within biological kinds (such as the varieties of dogs, cats, horses, cows, etc.) but, unless Nature can perform genetic engineering, evolution will never be possible across biological kinds, especially from simpler kinds to more complex ones (i.e. from fish to human)… What we believe about our origins does influence our philosophy and value of life as well as our view of ourselves and others. This is no small issue!”

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

A New Germany?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 5:

“On Tuesday night, one second after Germany lost 2-0 to Italy, it was as if someone had pulled the plug on Germany’s World Cup party. As the flag-waving subsides, politicians and media are urging Germans to stay confident and proud after a month-long display of patriotism which startled the world and the nation itself. The cheers, the cries of ‘Deutschland, Deutschland,’ the honking of horns, the whole wall of sound that has echoed around cities since June 9 ended within a second of the final whistle. In the country’s biggest public viewing area, the Fan Fest behind the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, 900,000 fans fell silent and drifted home with their flags stuffed in their pockets and tears smudging the national colors of black, red and gold painted onto their faces… On Wednesday morning, every other car still had a German flag on it. The big question now is whether the upbeat mood and outpouring of patriotism in recent weeks, the flag waving, the fervent singing of the national anthem, marked a genuine revival in national pride or was just a short-lived summer carnival…

“The World Cup hasn’t changed the fact that Germany remains weighed down by mass unemployment, slow economic growth, high public debt and a social welfare system struggling to cope with an ageing population and surging costs. Chancellor Angela Merkel went as far as to call the country an ‘economic basket case’ two weeks ago… President Horst Köhler said Germans should stay upbeat even after the World Cup. ‘We can achieve a lot if we have the courage to try new things,’ said Köhler. ‘We should remember that after the World Cup. The Germans are identifying themselves with their country and its national colors. I think that’s great. And I think it’s great that I’m not the only one with a flag on my car,’ added Köhler…”

On July 4, Der Spiegel Online reported:

“Like so many ageing Western societies, Germany has struggled with surging healthcare costs in recent years. But instead of coming up with a grand reform to the healthcare system, the government in Berlin has agreed to a sickly compromise… The ideological differences between the conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the SPD left the coalition unable to deal with the question of what to do with Germany’s private health insurers… In the end, Germany gets a half-baked compromise that is loathed by an insurance lobby… It also raises the important question of whether Merkel’s grand coalition really has the courage to initiate the tough reforms Germany requires.”

The mass tabloid Bild was less concerned with finding “diplomatic” words for its criticism. It wrote on July 4:

“They (the Grand Coalition) have once again broken their word. Only two weeks after the greatest tax increase of all times, the Grand Coalition grabs into our pockets once again… They broke another promise–and this is not the first time.”

In its accompanying commentary, Bild Online wrote: “The citizens ask: Why can’t the Grand Coalition accomplish anything?… The so-called health-care reform is… a political declaration of bankruptcy.” On July 3, Der Stern Online referred to the “health care reform” as “der grosse Murks” (loosely translated as, “the big chaos”), adding that the German government is losing its credibility.

Bild Online also reported on July 4 that SPD’s party-chief Peter Struck accused Coalition Partner and Chancellor Angela Merkel of breaking her word. He had publicly commented previously, on June 26, 2006, that Gerhard Schroeder would be a better chancellor than Angela Merkel.

As can be expected, not much, if anything, is reported in the American press about this ongoing controversy in the German Grand Coalition. This is perhaps due to a lack of foresight and appreciation regarding the significance of the events in Germany. However, the indications are that the current German government won’t survive for long. The ideological differences are too great, and the will to compromise too appalling. Coupled with a perception that the ruling parties are incompetent to govern, the German citizens are becoming increasingly frustrated with “their” leadership. The new-found wave of patriotism, in the wake of the World Cup, might contribute to a conviction that Germany deserves much better!

In order to understand what IS prophesied for Germany’s future, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Flag-Waving in the USA

The Associated Press reported on July 4:

“It’s a true epidemic: the red, white and blue, stars-and-stripes banners are everywhere in the United States–on house facades, front lawns, cars and clothes. Hitting an high point on the July 4 US Independence Day holiday, it is a genuine phenomenon of American national pride that, inevitably, gets a good but also sometimes unwanted boost from commercial exploitation. ‘It’s a little strange, this obsession of the flag,’ French author Bernard-Henri Levy wrote after traveling across the country… But the phenomenon hits its peak each year around the Fourth of July, when it becomes the focus of intense advertising and commercial promotions. At shopping malls, big and small national banners show up on jeans, baseball caps, dinner plates and swimsuits. The Stars and Stripes decorate everything — from tattoos and fingernails to huge cakes…

“An official federal government code sets very specific rules on how the US flag should be handled. The national banner cannot be thrown on the ground, hung upside down, torn or allowed to become dirty. It must be illuminated in nighttime and, the code says, cannot be used as a prop for advertising activities. However, there is no sanction for violating these rules. The Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that freedom of expression guaranteed by the US constitution includes the right to burn the flag, an act frequently observed during protests against the Vietnam War. Last week, the US Senate barely rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that could have led to criminal penalties for desecrating of the flag.”

South American Trade Bloc vs. USA

The Associated Press reported on July 5:

“President Hugo Chavez marked Venezuela’s entry into the South American trade bloc Mercosur with a six-nation summit Tuesday, an alliance that he says should be a common front against U.S. free trade deals. Chavez and the leaders of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay formalized the bloc’s expansion to include Venezuela, which Chavez claims as a victory against Washington’s ‘imperialistic’ economic plans for the hemisphere. Bolivian President Evo Morales, a close Chavez ally, was to attend the signing ceremony as an observer. ‘We are defeating the hegemonic pretensions’ of the United States ‘and today we have placed a new cornerstone for the freedom and unity of South America,’ Chavez said to a rousing applause in a packed Caracas auditorium following the signing ceremony.”

North Korea A Real Danger?

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 5:

“Despite repeated warnings from the international community, North Korea has test-fired at least six missiles. The missiles were launched on Wednesday morning at 3:30 a.m. local time and included a long-range Taepodong-2 missile, which is thought to be capable of reaching the United States. Due to the time difference — North Korea is located on the other side of the international dateline — the launch symbolically took place on July 4th, America’s independence day, a day generally associated with less nefarious fireworks. According to US officials, the Taepodong missile failed just 42 seconds after take-off, while the others fell into the Sea of Japan. Washington and Seoul have both criticized the tests, calling them ‘provocative,’ while Japan has demanded an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.”

The Associated Press added:

“North Korea test-fired a seventh missile Wednesday, intensifying the furor that began when the reclusive regime defied international protests by launching a long-range missile and at least five shorter-range rockets earlier in the day. The North’s state-run media said Wednesday that the country was prepared to cope with any provocation by the United States… China, North Korea’s neighbor and most important ally, urged all parties to remain calm.”

The Hostage War

On July 3, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“The kidnapping of an Israeli soldier shows that radicals within Hamas want to harm the pragmatists around Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh. Now Israel is trying to destroy the Islamists’ infrastructure — in the face of massive international criticism… The hostage affair has given Israel a welcome provocation to destroy the infrastructure for militants who have been firing Qassam rockets at the small Israeli town of Sderot ever since Jewish settlers left the Gaza Strip. This end justifies any means, in Prime Minister Olmert’s opinion. ‘The world is fed up with the Palestinians,’ he railed at a meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet. According to Olmert, the entire Palestinian political leadership — including President Abbas — is responsible for the kidnapping… There’s one thing the Israeli action has accomplished: Factions within Hamas have put aside their differences, and for now moderates are working in solidarity with hardliners again.”

The Middle East Quartet a Failure–and Gaza a “Hell Hole”?

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 4:

“The ultimatum issued by Palestinian militants to the Israelis for the release of prisoners in exchange for a captured Israeli soldier has not been met. Pessimism is growing about the prospects for a diplomatic resolution…

“The left-wing ‘Die Tageszeitung’ is pessimistic about the chances for an international resolution of the current crisis. The Middle East Quartet — the United States, EU, Russia and the United Nations — had described itself as the ‘guardians of the peace process,’ presenting the quartet members as ‘honest brokers between the Israelis and the Palestinians.’ However, the current crisis makes clear the extent to which the Quartet has failed. The paper points out a number of reasons for this failure: firstly, its ‘partiality.’ Over the past three weeks the Quartet ‘held its tongue as 20 civilians died as a result of constant Israeli pounding of the Gaza Strip. It was only with the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier that it suddenly lifted a finger.’ The Quartet should also have ‘been working over the past year and a half to transform the unilateral cease fire by Hamas into a bilateral one.’ The paper continues: ‘The decision to boycott the Hamas government now seems to be a failure too.’ As a result, Americans and Europeans have no access to the right people. According to the newspaper, ‘the Quartet now has to put pressure on Presidential president Mahmoud Abbas, who has to pass this on to the Hamas government, which then has to put the militant groups under pressure.’ It points out that ‘without diplomatic channels, there is no diplomacy and thus no diplomatic solution.’

“The conservative ‘Die Welt’ writes that since the Israelis withdrew from the Gaza Strip and gave up the settlements, the ability of the Palestinians to establish a stable state has been put to the test. ‘The results have been catastrophic. Gaza, instead of becoming a model of Palestinian autonomy has become a hell hole.’ The Israeli reaction of shelling is a ‘disproportionate retaliation without a clear and reachable political goal.’… The paper concludes that ‘the small war over Gaza shows signs of spinning out of control.’ The Quartet, as well as Egypt, the Saudis and Israel have to understand that ‘if the fire brigade hesitates the fire in Gaza, it will spread across the whole neighborhood.'”

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

…but it’s the Wrong Sabbath

On July 3, USA Today published an article by a Presbyterian pastor about the need to keep the weekly Sabbath holy. Unfortunately, the pastor confuses the weekly Sabbath–the seventh day of the week– with Sunday, the first day of the week. This error is not uncommon in the “Christian” world–but it shows the complete ignorance, if not willful defiance of the teachings of the Bible. In addition, the article contains other glaring errors. To judge for yourself, just read the following excerpts:

“For all the attention paid this past year to public displays of the Ten Commandments, you’d think people would spend as much energy trying to follow them. When it comes to the Fourth Commandment–‘Remember the Sabbath Day’–that’s not the case. And pastors like me, far from being role models, are among the worst offenders. After all, we work every Sunday.

“The problem with ignoring the Sabbath is that it hurts us as individuals, families and communities… Whether religious or not, people know that they need to take a day off in order to maintain their sanity and remain efficient and productive at work. But I’m convinced that downtime is not enough. We need a formal day of rest. A true Sabbath gives us time to refresh and renew ourselves, regain proper perspective and redirect our lives to what is good and true and worthwhile. There is something positive and even creative about allowing ourselves to take a break, as is noted in the Bible when it says God finishes the work of creation on the seventh day … by resting (Genesis 2:2). Resting is an act of creativity…

“Given this history, Sabbath-keeping is going to be a countercultural activity, one requiring commitment and creativity. A day of rest does not have to be a Saturday or a Sunday–impossible for pastors and many others–but it should be at least one day out of seven, and qualitatively different from the other six. The key is to break away from work patterns, whether that means hobbies, sports or artistic activities. (Sabbath is related to the Hebrew verb meaning ‘to cease, stop, interrupt.’)… So take a vacation this summer and a Sabbath day throughout the year–whether to honor God, your family or yourself.”

The Bible commands us to keep the seventh day of the week holy–which is the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. And it is to be kept in honor of God. To keep Sunday–or just one day out of seven–does not fulfill Godly requirements in the slightest And the suggestion to keep the Sabbath to honor yourself is just plain ridiculous. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

Further Erosion of Individual Liberties

The EUObserver reported on June 29 about the recent scandal regarding US access to international banking transfers–another piece of a puzzle showing more and more the restrictions and the erosion of privacy of US citizens and others. The article revealed the astonishing fact that, apparently, European countries secretly collaborated with the US:

“The European Central Bank and the Bank of England were aware that customers’ payment data were being transferred to US authorities, according to a document obtained by Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper. A consortium known as SWIFT, which manages the ‘Swift’ codes for international payments, tried in vain to get permission from the Frankfurt and London banks to hand payment data to Washington, but the banks did not subsequently tell the government of Belgium–where SWIFT is based–that data was being transferred to the US. SWIFT, which stands for the ‘Society for Worldwide Inter-bank Financial Telecommunications’ based just outside Brussels, was thrust into the limelight when the New York Times last week reported that officials from the CIA, the FBI and other US agencies had since 2001 been allowed to inspect the transfers. The Belgian senate announced on Wednesday (28 June) that it had opened a case on the affair. The office of Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt said in a statement that the probe will determine whether Belgian law and the rights of Belgian nationals were respected when information on financial transactions worldwide was passed on to US authorities. The National Bank of Belgium (BNB) acknowledged that it knew of the transfers. But it claimed that it could do nothing about them as its primary task is to see to the soundness of financial transactions, not of data transfer.

“London-based human rights group Privacy International said it was alleging that SWIFT made the disclosures ‘without regard to legal process under data protection law’ and without any legal basis or authority. ‘This unlawful activity shows yet again how the US wilfully disregards the privacy rights not only of its own citizens, but also the rights of foreign nationals,’ said the head of the group Simon Davies in a statement. ‘The scale of the operation is breathtaking, and the extent of privacy violation is almost without parallel. We will work to bring the programme to a halt pending further investigation.’ A European diplomat said ironically however, that ‘in any case, the Americans have succeeded in doing what the Europeans cannot; creating a European judiciary… European judges spend years to obtain this kind of information,’ Liberation writes.”

Guantanamo Camp Illegal!

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 30:

“The United States Supreme Court has ruled that George W. Bush overstepped his authority when he set up military tribunals for Guantanamo Bay inmates. The ruling has widespread implications for Guantanamo, the war on terror and rule of law in the United States… In its ruling the Supreme Court, which ruled 5-3… against the government, said that the tribunals contravened the Geneva Convention, as well as the US code of military justice. It added that there was ‘no sweeping mandate for the president to invoke military commissions whenever he deems them necessary.’ The German press resoundingly welcomes the Supreme Court decision, and many papers comment on its implications for the democratic rule of law and separation of powers in the United States.’…

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes that the existence of the camp ’causes serious concerns for every person who respects the law.’ Concerns that the US itself could embark on the path of lawlessness, ‘which the fight against terror is actually aimed at defeating.’ The paper argues that the decision by the Supreme Court against the Bush military tribunals is therefore good for the US: ‘It makes clear that in America it is not only the opinion of the president that counts.’ The paper then asks: ‘How long can the US government afford to sanction this kind of extrajudicial space, against the doubts of its own Supreme Court? How long can they keep going back to Sept 11 to justify operating on the edges of legality?'”

America’s reputation in the world is growing worse and worse. To understand the reasons for this startling development, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Haider in the News Again

On June 17, the Jerusalem Post reported the following: 

“Far-right Austrian leader Joerg Haider called US President George W. Bush a war criminal on Saturday. In an interview with the Austrian daily Die Presse, Haider claimed Bush ‘brought about the war against Iraq deliberately, with lies and falsehoods … The Iraqi population is suffering terribly. Bush took the risk of an enormous number of victims.’ Haider added in the interview that Bush’s actions have only served to strengthen international terrorism.”

According to Austrian reports, Haider might be contemplating running for office in non-Austrian territories within a few years from now–due to a proposed change of the European laws, purportedly allowing candidates from one European country to run for office in another European country. Even though Haider is considered by some as just an “agitator,” it might be advisable to take note of his words, conduct and plans.

More Tension in the Middle East!

Following the abduction of an Israeli soldier–the first since 1994, Israel has mounted a massive show of force to free this 19 year old combatant. BBC News reported on June 28:

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel would not hesitate to ‘carry out extreme action’ to free the captured soldier but said Israel did not want to re-take control of Gaza.”

In an article from the Chicago Tribune on June 28, by Joel Greenburg, the seriousness of this confrontation was highlighted:

“Israel readied forces to enter the northern Gaza Strip early Thursday and rounded up Hamas government officials in the West Bank, stepping up its response to the abduction of one of its soldiers by Palestinian militants.”

The article continued: “About 750,000 people in the Gaza Strip were left without electricity and many lacked running water, officials said, after an air strike on the territory’s only power station cut the electricity supply and crippled water pumps. Engineers said repairs of the station could take as long as six months.”

“…Mustafa Barghouti, a member of parliament and a physician, said that the cut off of electricity, which engineers said affected 65 percent of the Gaza Strip, would cause serious hardship.

” ‘What will we do for medications that need to be preserved, what will we do for hospitals that need electricity, what will we do for schools, for people who have no electricity now in their houses and probably will not have water supply?’ Barghouti said in an interview with British Broadcasting Corp. television. ‘This collective punishment will only aggravate people and enhance violence.’ “

The entire Middle East is now a cauldron of boiling problems! Iran continues to defy the world as it deftly ignores pleas and threats from Western nations to stop its nuclear program. Iraq is infested with an insurgency of implacable violence despite the best efforts of coalition forces led by the world’s current “Super Power”–the United States. However, Bible prophecy points to Jerusalem and the land of Israel as the contested focal point of world powers in the near future. Even now, developments are setting the stage for the dramatic culmination of these prophesied events. Be sure to view our insightful StandingWatch commentary that explains the news of our day in the light of Bible prophecy–available at www.standingwatch.org and presented by Evangelist Norbert Link.

Christianity Spreading in China

On June 27, the Rocky Mountain News published an article by Nicholas Kristof (The New York Times) that reported about a rapid change happening in China:

“Christianity is booming as never before in China, and some giddy followers say China could eventually have hundreds of millions of Christians–perhaps more than any other country in the world.”

The article continued: “This boom in religion, particularly Christianity but also including the Bahai faith and various cults like Falun Gong, reflects a spiritual yearning among many Chinese. While China has official Catholic and Protestant churches, the fastest-growing churches are the underground ones–usually evangelical without any specific denomination–that are independent of the government. The total number of Chinese Christians today probably exceeds 40 million, and some estimates go far higher.”

In the turbulent times ahead, Biblical prophecy reveals that the whole world will embrace a global religion. To understand how nations–great and small–will follow the lead of a powerful and charismatic religious leader, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Anglican Church Split in Two!

Following several years of highly publicized controversial differences within the Anglican Church over such issues as ordaining a gay bishop, ordaining women and performing same-sex marriages, some now recognize that the compromises are tearing the 77 million strong church apart. The following excerpts appeared in the “Daily Mail” on June 19, 2006:
“Efforts to prevent a schism in the Anglican Communion are now futile as it has become virtually ‘two religions’, a leading Church of England bishop claimed in an interview published today.”

Continuing from the article: “…Michael Nazir-Ali, Bishop of Rochester, said the division between liberals and conservatives in the worldwide Anglican Communion was now so profound that a compromise was impossible.

” ‘Nobody wants a split, but if you think you have virtually two religions in a single Church, something has got to give some time,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.”

Additionally, a related article, by Laurie Goodstein and Neela Banerjee, appeared in the New York Times on June 28:

“In a defining moment in the Anglican Communion’s civil war over homosexuality, the Archbishop of Canterbury proposed a plan yesterday that could force the Episcopal Church in the United States either to renounce gay bishops and same-sex unions or to give up full membership in the Communion.”

Continuing to quote from the article: “The archbishop wrote, ‘No member church can make significant decisions unilaterally and still expect this to make no difference to how it is regarded in the fellowship.’ “

The battle is between conservative and liberal members and what is permitted among those who call themselves “Christian.” The following comment from the article places the blame: “The conservatives have insisted all along that it is the American church that destabilized the Anglican ship and should be pushed overboard if it will not relent.”

Secondhand Smoking!

In an AP report by medical writer Lauran Neergaard on June 27, the dangers faced by nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke were cited from a surgeon general’s report:

“Breathing any amount of someone else’s tobacco smoke harms nonsmokers, the surgeon general declared Tuesday–a strong condemnation of secondhand smoke that is sure to fuel nationwide efforts to ban smoking in public.

” ‘The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard,’ said U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

“More than 126 million nonsmoking Americans are regularly exposed to smokers’ fumes–what Carmona termed ‘involuntary smoking’–and tens of thousands die each year as a result, concludes the 670-page study. It cites ‘overwhelming scientific evidence’ that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, lung cancer and a list of other illnesses.”

The issue of smoking and its addiction has certainly been a modern plague–both for those who do smoke and for those who have to live around smokers. A beginning point for those who struggle with this can be found in the Word of God. Jesus said the following: ” ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” For more information on what the Bible reveals and for help in overcoming problems of this nature, please read our free booklets, “Sickness and Healing, What the Bible Tells Us” and “Keys to Happy Marriages and Families.”

USA: Drought / Floods!

On June 27, USA Today published an article by Catherine Rampeli. In the article, the author states:

“A drought over a third of the nation has grown so severe that consumers could be facing higher prices for everything from beef to bread by the end of the year.

“Conditions have become so dire that ‘the middle of the United States and certainly the Southwest are well on their way to one of the worst droughts in history,’ says Carl Anderson, professor of agricultural economics at Texas A&M University.”

By contrast, the Eastern Seaboard of the United States is suffering from record-setting floods! In an article from the Associated Press on June 28, writer Mark Scolforo reports:

“Up to 200,000 people in the Wilkes-Barre area were ordered to evacuate their homes Wednesday because of rising water on the Susquehanna River, swelled by a record-breaking deluge that has killed at least 12 people across the Northeast.

“Thousands more were ordered to leave their homes in New Jersey, New York and Maryland. Rescue helicopters plucked residents from rooftops as rivers and streams surged over their banks, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off villages in some of the worst flooding in the region in decades, with more rain in the forecast for the rest of the week.”

Following the severe hurricanes that hit the U.S. last year, the economic losses for all Americans became clearly felt through higher gasoline prices–among other things. Now, with a severe drought growing across the nation, citizens will again experience higher costs as national food supplies dwindle. The ongoing floods of this week will also prove costly for the immediate areas in the Northeast as well as for other parts of the country. Just WHY these national disasters are increasing is revealed in the prophecies of the Bible. For ANSWERS, please read our free booklet, “The Rise and Fall of Britain and America.”

German and American Patriotism–Right or Wrong?

On June 14, Der Spiegel Online published an article by American journalist Marc Young. In the article, Young discusses Germany’s and America’s patriotism and argues that America has become the “new Germany”:

“The World Cup has caused Germany to break out into a patriotic burst of black, red and gold not seen since reunification 16 years ago. Many Germans are confused. Some are even concerned… Sometimes it would be easier to just be Swedish. Aside from getting uncontrollably drunk on Baltic Sea ferries, the Swedes haven’t really annoyed anyone for over a century. The times when Scandinavian armies or hordes of pillaging Vikings descended upon Europe are far enough back that no one begrudges the friendly Swedes their orgy of yellow-and-blue-colored patriotism whenever their national soccer team steps onto the pitch…

“Of course, supporting the national soccer team has long been the most innocent way for Germans to feel good about their country. But it’s still easy to believe that what we might all be witness to this summer is nothing less than a watershed in attitudes towards patriotism and pride in Germany. Six decades after the horrors of World War II and 16 years after reunification, it’s okay to be German again. As an American, I can attest that’s a positive thing. There’s absolutely no reason why Germans shouldn’t be able to feel good about their modern and tolerant country. Germany is still far from perfect, as I have written here before, but the best way to cut neo-Nazis and other mutants off at the knees is to avoid abandoning love of country and patriotism to right-wing extremists…

“… while in Germany it’s becoming easier to wave the flag, unfortunately the situation is exactly the opposite for me and many of my American countrymen. When it comes to being disliked abroad, it sometimes feels like America has become the new Germany. When you’re from a large and mighty country, nobody likes to see you throw your weight around and then gloat about it. When Swedes revel in unabashed national euphoria it’s cute. But when your country invades another under false assumptions and is reviled by many around the globe as either the ‘Great Satan’ or the rotten source of imperialistic capitalism, flying the Stars and Stripes isn’t easy. The official bus transporting the US soccer team during the World Cup is the only one out of 32 that isn’t painted in the country’s national colors…

“So Germans should be happy they can freely cheer for Michael Ballack and team while swaddled in black, red and gold for the next three weeks. But before they get misty-eyed about the Fatherland, they should thank US President George W. Bush. Ironically enough, his decision to invade Iraq has helped many Germans feel proud — as well they should — about their country and its strong opposition to the war. Besides, patriotism isn’t about some misguided ‘my-country-right-or-wrong’ type of attitude. I can vehemently disagree with US apologists for embarrassments like Guantanamo Bay exactly because I believe the sort of legal limbo the prison camp creates goes against the very principles that actually make me proud of my country.”

It is remarkable that the United States of America has become so unpopular in the world. But there are reasons for this astonishing development. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

USA Unprepared!

AFP reported on June 16, 2006:

“The United States is not prepared to cope with a large-scale terrorist attack or a powerful hurricane, the US Department of Homeland Security has said in a report… The Nationwide Plan Review comes two weeks into the hurricane season, which started June 1. US weather experts are forecasting between eight to 10 hurricanes — as many as six of them major — would form in the Atlantic basin this year. The review was conducted in all 56 states and territories and 75 urban areas over six months. The emergency plans were compared to pre-Katrina standards by review teams that included former state and local homeland security and emergency management officials.

“‘The majority of the Nation’s current emergency operations plans and planning processes cannot be characterized as fully sufficient to manage catatrophic events,’ the report said. ‘Significant weaknesses in evacuation planning are an area of profound concern,’ it said, adding that the capabilities to receive and care for large numbers of evacuees were found to be ‘inadequate.'”

kutv.com added on June 16:

“Utah is only partially prepared to respond to a catastrophic event such as an earthquake along the Wasatch Front, a federal security analysis concluded Friday. ‘An earthquake along the Wasatch Front would be our Hurricane Katrina in magnitude and impact,” said Derek Jensen, spokesman for the Utah division of emergency services and homeland security… New Orleans is still woefully unprepared for catastrophes 10 months after Hurricane Katrina… New York and Washington, al-Qaida’s targets on Sept. 11, 2001, received lukewarm ratings. Seventy-one percent of New York’s emergency plans were described as only partially sufficient. In Washington, 67 percent of the plans were deemed partially sufficient and 2 percent insufficient.”

Europe’s Immigration Problems

Not only the USA is confronted with illegal immigration problems. Europe is facing similar issues. The EUObserver pointed out on June 16:

“EU leaders have agreed they must find some common principles on how to tackle immigration, with Austrian chancellor Wolfgang Schussel stressing that immigrants must accept some European values if they want to settle in the continent. ‘It is very important for somebody who is coming to our countries to learn the language and sign up to the values, the human rights, the position of women, the rule of law. There is no compromise on this,’ Mr Schussel told journalists on Thursday (15 June) at the EU summit in Brussels… Spain and Malta pointed to the increasing number of illegal immigrants ending up on their territory. French president Jacques Chirac indicated the EU must improve its cooperation with African states on the issue, and try to help them solve the roots of the illegal immigration… The European Commission is planning to table some fresh proposals on illegal immigration in July, including a plan for rapid border intervention teams and a list of safe countries–from which the EU will not accept asylum seekers.”

Cruelty to Animals

The Associated Press reported on June 15:

“Customers craving fresh crustaceans will have to look beyond Whole Foods Market Inc. after the natural-foods grocery chain decided Thursday to stop selling live lobsters and crabs on the grounds that it’s inhumane… Animal rights activities were thrilled with the decision, not just because of the way lobsters are harvested, shipped and stored but because of the fate that awaits many of them–being dropped alive into a pot of boiling water. ‘The ways that lobsters are treated would warrant felony cruelty to animals charges if they were dogs or cats,’ said Bruce Friedrich, a spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. In making its decision, Whole Foods pointed to a November report from the European Food Safety Authority Animal Health and Welfare panel that it said concluded all decapod crustaceans, including lobsters and crabs, appear to have some degree of awareness, feel pain and can learn. But other scientists and seafood industry officials said Thursday that lobsters have such primitive insect-like nervous systems they don’t even have brains and can’t experience pain the way animals and humans do.”

For more information, please make sure to view our new StandingWatch program, “Why So Much Cruelty?”

The Long-Term Effects of War

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 15, 2006:

“The German military is battling a new problem: As it prepares for a new foreign deployment in Congo, many soldiers are still suffering from traumatic experiences in Somalia, Kosovo and Afghanistan. A term most commonly associated with the Vietnam War — post-traumatic stress disorder — is now increasingly afflicting German soldiers returning from missions abroad… It is the most difficult of all human reactions to stress; it changes the personality and, if untreated, often leads to a permanent disability that renders the patient incapable of working. A good 30 years after Vietnam, one-third of all homeless men in the US are veterans. Drug abuse and rates of criminality, divorce and suicide are way above average in this population… Symptoms of the trauma are always the same: sleeplessness, aggression, depression. Then come problems with a spouse or a boss, and then, more often than not, total social dysfunction… Of the American soldiers who return today from Iraq, 17 percent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder… ‘Kriegszitterer’ or ‘war-tremblers’ is what Germans called soldiers who fell apart during World War I — who suffered from hysterical crying or whose limbs shook despite the absence of visible injury. Doctors considered them malingerers and tortured them with electroshock therapy until they were ‘fit’ to return to the front.”

War is SO wrong. And war does not bring good results. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Should You Fight in War?”

Haider vs. Bush

The Jerusalem Post reported on June 16, that “Far-right Austrian leader Joerg Haider called US President George W. Bush a war criminal on Saturday. In an interview with the Austrian daily Die Presse, Haider claimed Bush ‘brought about the war against Iraq deliberately, with lies and falsehoods … The Iraqi population is suffering terribly. Bush took the risk of an enormous number of victims.’  Haider added in the interview that Bush’s actions have only served to strengthen international terrorism. Bush is expected to arrive in Vienna this coming week in order to participate in a summit meeting with European leaders.”

The Pope Head of All Christians?

On June 14, the “Indian Catholic” published an article by Cardinal Ivan Dias, the newly appointed head of the Vatican’s Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples. In the article, Dias took the position that the Pope has a God-given authority to speak for all Christians, and to all of mankind. He explained this bold assertion as follows:

“The moral and spiritual authority vested in the Pope is normally referred to as The Holy See: the term ‘see’ (which means seat) symbolically signifies the chair from which teaching is officially imparted, laws are promulgated and judgements pronounced, something akin to… the thrones of the kings in Europe…

“Strictly speaking, the Holy See or the Apostolic See is the ministry of the Pope who has a double sovereignty: as Pastor of the universal Church and as Head of the Vatican City-State… The Holy See is thus the central governing body of the Catholic Church, whose head is the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and it is precisely in the exercise of this function that it enjoys international recognition. The Holy See is also the supreme authority of the Vatican City-State… The Holy See, not the Vatican City, maintains diplomatic relations with 174 nations and participates in various international organizations. Foreign embassies are accredited to the Holy See, not to the Vatican City, and it is the Holy See that establishes treaties and concordats with other sovereign entities and, when necessary, even on behalf of the Vatican City… The State of the Vatican City was… created with the signing of the Lateran Pact between the Holy See and the Italian Authorities on February 11, 1929 to ‘ensure the absolute and visible independence of the Holy See’ and ‘to guarantee to it an indisputable sovereignty in international affairs’… This permanent international recognition of the Holy See is proof enough that States and Governments looked at the Holy See, not primarily as a territorial entity, but as an international juridical reality, whose foundation was the spiritual sovereignty of the Church exercised through the ministry of the Pope… The Holy See has existed ever since Peter was mandated by Christ to take care of His flock, which is the whole human race.”

It should be clearly understood that Peter was not a pope or the “first pope”–even though the Catholic Church has falsely proclaimed this concept over the centuries. In fact, when reviewing the teachings of the apostle Peter with those of the Catholic Church, one has to conclude that any similarities might just be coincidental. But it is interesting that the Catholic Church restates its century-old claim that the Pope is ABOVE the State, and that he speaks for and to the State. This unfortunate alliance and interdependence of Church and State has caused much persecution for the true followers of Jesus Christ, as well as the entire world. And the Bible does show that it will bring much more trouble in the future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Son of Late Italian Emperor Arrested

AFP reported on June 16:

“Prince Victor Emmanuel, son of Italy’s last king [King Umberto II, who reigned briefly as Italy’s last king in 1946], was arrested on suspicion of links to criminals involved in corruption and prostitution…  Victor Emmanuel of Savoy made an official return to Italy in March 2003, after 56 years of exile imposed on the family of his grandfather King Victor Emmanuel III, who ruled from 1900 to 1946 and died in 1947, for its support of the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini. The constitutional ban on a return to Italy by male heirs of the kingdom of Savoy was lifted in July 2002 by the national parliament.”

Thailand Celebrates Its King and Queen

The Associated Press reported on June 9:

“Thailand’s king, the world longest-serving monarch, marked 60 years on the throne Friday, calling for unity in his politically troubled country as hundreds of thousands of adoring Thais cheered and waved yellow flags. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, 78, greeted his subjects in a glittering golden gown from the palace balcony in Bangkok, only the third such appearance of his royal career… The monarch is beloved for his projects to help the rural poor and for using his moral influence to keep the country together through political turmoil… The people cried and held hands in reverence, chanting ‘long live the king,’ as Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit waved goodbye from the balcony. Thailand has been mired in a political crisis for months over corruption allegations against Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and demands that he resign. The country has been without a working legislature since April 2 general elections boycotted by the opposition and invalidated by the nation’s highest court…

“Although the king is a constitutional monarch with limited powers, he has used his prestige to smooth over several political crises over the years, persuading opposing parties to compromise for the sake of peace and stability. He often mingles with people in remote villages where he has started hundreds of development projects… Thailand has declared a five-day public holiday for the festivities, including fireworks, feasts and a river parade featuring dozens of gilded ceremonial boats. A royal banquet Tuesday closes the celebrations. Heads of state and royalty from 25 countries, including Japan’s Emperor Akihito, Britain’s Prince Andrew and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, were expected to attend the culmination of celebrations next week. King Bhumibol was named king on June 9, 1946, after the death of his older brother. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, who ascended to the throne in 1952, is the world’s second-longest serving monarch.”

We like to remember Queen Sirikit’s remarkable visit to the USA in March of 1985; her stay as a guest on the grounds of the Worldwide Church of God (WCG) and Ambassador College (AC); and her close friendship with Herbert W. Armstrong, former human leader of the WCG. During her visit, Queen Sirikit made the following remarks about Mr. Armstrong (who was, by then, 93 years old, and who died less than a year later):

“I’d like to devote this event [an exhibition of valuable Thai art] to Mr. Armstrong, a good friend of Thailand, who has a far vision and who has made it possible for the Exhibition of these ancient Asian treasures… I feel I have a debt to pay to Mr. Armstrong and others who are supporting and have given us a chance to exhibit our cultures from the first recorded history of Thailand till the present time in this beautiful Ambassador College.”

In a book commemorating Queen Sirikit’s visit to America, titled, “Royal Moon Rising over America,” the following expressions were made by the Queen about the AC students:

“There are about 600 students attending the college. They do not teach just liberal arts, but also moral values. The purpose is to help the students become people with good morality. We saw the students here dressed better than other teenagers. Men have short hair and wore neckties nicely. There were no punks with long hair–or no hair–or colored hair at all. The ladies were impressively well dressed. No tight jeans were worn. The most important fact is that every one of them had good manners and good speech. When the students saw us passing by, they smiled at us and talked with us. When we asked them questions, they were very helpful to us all… ‘It is not surprising that this college has received three awards… And first of all, which may be the most important value here, is that you produce incredible people–people with good qualities,’ Her Majesty expressed…. ‘This Ambassador College campus is beautiful like heaven.'”

What a terrible tragedy it is that after Mr. Armstrong’s death in 1986, the values and high standards, taught by the WCG and AC, were gradually eroded, until, due to the shortsightedness and lack of vision of the new leadership and their different emphasis on what is important in life, AC was closed and its campus sold. For more information on how doctrinal errors gradually found their way into WCG, make sure to read our latest member letter, as well as our free booklet, “Are You Already Born Again?”

No German Troops in Iraq

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 9:

“The United States remains interested in a greater German involvement in Iraq… According to the Berlin daily Berliner Zeitung, US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has asked his German counterpart Franz Josef Jung for help in training the Iraqi military in Baghdad. Germany’s policy of only providing training assistance outside the borders of Iraq, however, will continue, Jung said at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels on Thursday… Germany has consistently refused to become involved directly in Iraq — a policy that has not changed since Chancellor Angela Merkel’s election in the autumn of 2005… a direct German involvement in Iraq would likely be extremely controversial. Schröder’s outright refusal to get involved in Iraq, first voiced categorically during his 2002 campaign for the chancellery, was extraordinarily popular in Germany and led to his re-election that year. Four years later, the US presence in Iraq remains deeply unpopular in Germany.

“The German military only recently pledged almost 800 troops to participate in a peace-keeping operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo during elections there at the end of July. German troops are likewise stationed in Afghanistan, Kosovo and off the Horn of Africa.”

Otto von Habsburg Warns Of Russia

On May 27, 2006, Austria’s “NtwWorld News” published an article about Otto von Habsburg’s comments at a meeting of the Pan-European Union. Habsburg, son of the last Austrian Emperor, Charles I, was quoted as saying: “There are dangers and Russia is the greatest danger for us.” He continued that Russia’s President Putin is making “exactly the same steps as Hitler.” He stated that the conviction of oil-magnate Michail Chrodorkowski was “a “repetition of the big trials under Stalin.” Dr. Habsburg also expressed his view that the enlargement of Europe is “inevitable.” He said that some politicians make one step forward and three steps backward. “We must prevent this from continuing,” Habsburg was quoted. 

Tony Blair’s Interview: “They Libel Everyone!”

At the beginning of the World Cup, Reporters from Bild Online and The Sun interviewed England’s Prime Minister Tony Blair. Bild Online published the interview on June 10. The following excerpts are quite remarkable:

When asked how he views the relationship between Germany and England,. Blair answered: “Obviously not without complications, because of the known historical reasons. At the same time, many Germans work in England. And most tourists who are visiting Berlin are from England. We are also very close politically.” He also stated that “we never underestimate the Germans–when it comes to soccer.”

When asked why a good relationship between England and Germany is so important, Blair stated: “Especially when looking at big nations such as India or China, the collaboration between European countries becomes more and more important. Europe gives us smaller countries a chance to epitomize our potential and to accomplish the best.”

When asked how Blair would “explain the constant attacks of the English press on the Germans, and the oftentimes war-like language,” Blair responded: “You should hear what they call me. They libel everyone, without making any difference. You must not take this personally.”

Israel and Hamas–and No Peace in Sight

The Associated Press reported on June 9:

“Palestinians fired rockets into Israel Friday and vowed to avenge Israel’s assassination of the Hamas government’s top security chief in an attack that threatened to ignite large-scale violence between the two sides. The security chief, Jamal Abu Samhadana, was a key player in Palestinian rocket attacks against Israel and a close ally of the Hamas militants who now govern the Palestinian Authority and have refused to renounce their commitment to Israel’s destruction. Hours after his death Thursday night, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired two rockets into Israel… Tens of thousands of Palestinians flocked to a Gaza Strip stadium for Abu Samhadana’s funeral Friday, some firing in the air and calling for blood…

“Hamas government officials called Abu Samhadana’s killing a direct assault on the Palestinian Authority, and vowed to continue its resistance against the Jewish state. Abu Samhadana’s Popular Resistance Committees faction vowed revenge… Since Hamas was elected to power in January, it has not been directly involved in attacks against Israel, but it does back other factions’ operations… The U.S. and other Western countries imposed the sanctions because of Hamas’ refusal to disarm militants and recognize Israel.”

The Associated Press also wrote the following in a related article on June 9, 2006:

“Hamas militants called off a truce with Israel on Friday after a barrage of Israeli artillery shells tore into Palestinians at a beachside picnic in the Gaza Strip, killing seven civilians. The declaration raised the prospect of a new wave of bloodshed. Hamas militants suspended a campaign of deadly suicide attacks on Israelis with a February 2005 cease-fire, and have largely stuck to the truce. The Islamic group now leads the Palestinian government… The Israeli artillery attack was part of a wider aerial and artillery bombardment of suspected Palestinian rocket-launching sites that killed a total of 10 people Friday. The violence fueled tensions already high over an Israeli airstrike that killed a militant commander in the Hamas-led government Thursday… Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the attack on the beach as a ‘genocidal crime.’ He called for international intervention and declared a three-day period of mourning. His rival, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, said the shelling was a ‘war crime’ and urged an end to recent fighting between Hamas and Abbas’ moderate Fatah movement.”

AFP reported on June 11, 2006:

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has expressed regret over the death of eight Palestinian civilians who were killed by shelling of a beach in the northern Gaza Strip. ‘We regret the death of innocent civilians,’ Olmert told ministers at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. The prime minister pledged that the exact circumstances behind the deaths on Friday afternoon would be brought to light. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has denounced the deaths as a ‘bloody massacre’ while there has also been widespread international condemnation of the killings… Britain’s Foreign Minister Margarget Beckett has been among those to voice their condemnation of the incident, saying that ‘the killing of innocent civilians is utterly unacceptable.’… The eight civilians killed included three children and their parents.”

State and Catholic Church Against Sects?

The Catholic news agency, Zenit, reported on June 8:

“A bishop [Bishop Gestori] says that the Catholic Church should collaborate with the state in order to keep the phenomenon of sects from triggering public interference in religious life… The 70-year-old bishop [tried] to specify the limits and ways within which the state and Church can intervene to oppose the spread of sects… Special laws… would be dangerous, because there would be the risk of state interference ‘in an area that is not of its competency. The state cannot define what a sect is and cannot judge a religious doctrine,’ he added. ‘The state must take an interest in sects and, in general, in religion, when it is a question of public order, but it has no right to interfere in the internal affairs of a religious group,’ he clarified. From this point of view, the problem of the regulation of sects remains an open question and its evolution merits the careful attention of the Catholic Church in order to collaborate with the state. The foregoing might also serve to ‘avoid the objective problem of sects becoming an occasion for interference in religious life… It might reveal itself as a threat to religious freedom and the profession of faith, of any faith.'”

These comments are to be looked at very seriously. The history of the Catholic Church and of the powers of the European states is one of collaboration against non-Catholic beliefs. Many times, these beliefs were forcefully and brutally suppressed. And it was often the Catholic Church which told the European states what and who was “heretical” and had to be eradicated. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Guantanamo Bay Prison Camp Illegal?

AFP reported on June 11:

“The Guantanamo Bay prison camp for US war on terror suspects faced renewed scrutiny and criticism after three inmates hanged themselves. A top Republican senator criticized the policy of prolonged detentions of hundreds of terror suspects without trial at the Cuba facility run by the US Navy. ‘Those people have to be tried,’ said Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. ‘There are tribunals established, and they ought to be tried. Where we have evidence they ought to be tried, and if convicted they ought to be sentenced,’ said Specter, who said some inmates have been detained based on ‘the flimsiest sort of hearsay.’ A senior Senate Democrat, Jack Reed, called for the detention center to be permanently shuttered… The suicides Saturday represent a new challenge for President George W. Bush’s administration, which is under strong pressure to close the camp from critics that include the United Nations, international human rights organizations, European governments and Britain’s top legal advisor… Some 460 prisoners are being held at the military-run prison. Only 10 have been formally charged since the camp opened in early 2002, and none has gone on trial.”

Space Man’s Only Hope for Survival?

On June 13, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“The survival of the human race depends on its ability to find new homes elsewhere in the universe because there’s an increasing risk that a disaster will destroy the Earth, world-renowned scientist Stephen Hawking said Tuesday.

“The British astrophysicist told a news conference in Hong Kong that humans could have a permanent base on the moon in 20 years and a colony on Mars in the next 40 years… ‘It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species,’ Hawking said. ‘Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically engineered virus or other dangers we have not yet thought of.'”

Sadly, the Bible predicts that in a few years from now, great disasters will strike the earth so that mankind would be totally annihilated, if it weren’t for God’s intervention. But God WILL intervene and prevent man’s cosmocide. Man’s survival depends on God alone–and not on colonizing space.

For more information, please read our free booklets, “Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Illegal Immigration in the USA–The Overlooked Reality

The Associated Press reported on June 5:

“Millions of illegal immigrants in the United States never jumped the U.S.-Mexico border where Congress wants to erect impenetrable walls and President Bush is sending National Guard troops to patrol. They never sneaked in at all. The little-acknowledged reality is that nearly half the estimated 12 million undocumented foreigners in the United States entered on bona fide U.S. visas–and simply never left. Authorities call them ‘overstays’ who have been largely overlooked in the vitriolic debate on immigration.”

Bird Flu–and a Massive Cover-Up?

The New York Times reported on June 4 about the already existing reality of human-to-human transmissions of the bird flu virus. In the article, it was stated:

“In the wake of a cluster of avian flu cases that killed seven members of a rural Indonesian family, it appears likely that there have been many more human-to-human infections than the authorities have previously acknowledged. The numbers are still relatively small, and they do not mean that the virus has mutated to pass easily between people–a change that could touch off a worldwide epidemic. All the clusters of cases have been among relatives or in nurses who were in long, close contact with patients. But the clusters–in Indonesia, Thailand, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq and Vietnam–paint a grimmer picture of the virus’s potential to pass from human to human than is normally described by public health officials, who usually say such cases are ‘rare.’… Dr. Angus Nicoll, chief of flu activities at the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, acknowledged that ‘we are probably underestimating the extent of person-to-person transmission.’… several scientists have noted that there are many clusters in which human-to-human infection may be a more logical explanation than the idea that relatives who fell sick days apart got the virus from the same dying bird.”

America’s Reputation Continues to Go Downhill in Iraq…

America’s involvement in Iraq becomes more and more questionable. Iraqis don’t like Americans to continue “occupying” their country. And alleged murders of civilians by American troops, and an alleged subsequent cover-up by the Marines, does not help to ease the tension.

AFP reported on June 2, 2006:

“The US military was investigating allegations made by Iraqi police that American troops rounded up and shot dead civilians in March, the BBC reported, after airing video footage it obtained of dead adults and children. The alleged incident in Ishaqi, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad, comes on the heels of allegations that US Marines killed unarmed Iraqi civilians. The report by the British Broadcasting Corporation on Thursday quoted a spokesman for US forces in Iraq as saying that an inquiry was under way into the events in Ishaqi on March 15 this year. The BBC, which said it had received the video from a Sunni Muslim group opposed to US forces, said the evidence appeared to contradict the US version of events. US officials said at the time that four people died when US troops became involved in a firefight after a tip-off that an al-Qaeda supporter was visiting a house in Ishaqi, the BBC said. US officials, it added, said that the home collapsed under heavy fire, killing one suspected militant, two women and a child. But a report filed by Iraqi police accused US troops of rounding up and deliberately shooting 11 people in the house, including five children and four women, before blowing up the building. The BBC aired video footage of several bodies, including those of three children, one of them covered in blood. The BBC’s John Simpson said the images clearly show the dead adults and children suffered gunshot wounds. The BBC’s Ian Pannell in Baghdad said the footage has been cross-checked with other images taken at the time of events and is believed to be genuine.

“The video aired by the BBC follows news of an alleged massacre in Haditha, where US Marines are suspected of killing up to 24 unarmed Iraqi civilians last November… The Haditha shootings came to light in a Time magazine report… last March which cited an Iraqi human rights group and Haditha residents.”

The Associated Press stated on June 3 that “The U.S. military said Saturday that it had found no wrongdoing by American troops accused of intentionally killing civilians during a raid in a village north of Baghdad [Ishaqi]  that left up to 13 Iraqis dead.”

The Associated Press had also reported on June 2:

“Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki upbraided the U.S. military over allegations that Marines killed two dozen unarmed civilians in Haditha, calling the killings ‘a horrible crime’ in his strongest public comments on the subject since his government was sworn in last month… Al-Maliki said the list of human rights breaches by coalition forces in Iraq was long. ‘This is a phenomenon that has become common among many of the multinational forces,’ the prime minister said. ‘No respect for citizens, smashing civilian cars and killing on a suspicion or a hunch. It’s unacceptable.’ Al-Maliki’s remarks bolstered Iraqi complaints that U.S. troops are insensitive to their culture and show disregard for their lives. To many Iraqis, the soldiers are occupiers seeking to control the country’s oil wealth. The Americans, on the other hand, are under intense pressure, isolated from Iraqis by cultural and language barriers and battling insurgents who easily blend into the civilian population. Some of the troops are in Iraq on their third combat tour since the U.S. invasion three years ago…

“U.S. military investigators have evidence that points toward unprovoked murders by the Marines, a senior defense official said last week. The Washington Post reported Thursday that the investigators will conclude some officers gave false testimony to their superiors, who then failed to scrutinize the reports adequately… It took nearly a month for President Bush to be told of the Haditha investigation, the White House said Thursday.”

The New York Times added on June 3:

“Marine commanders in Iraq learned within two days of the killings in Haditha last November that Iraqi civilians had died from gunfire, not a roadside bomb as initially reported, but the officers involved saw no reason to investigate further, according to a senior Marine officer. The commanders have told investigators they had not viewed as unusual, in a combat environment, the discrepancies that emerged almost immediately in accounts about how the two dozen Iraqis died, and that they had no information at the time suggesting that any civilians had been killed deliberately. But the handling of the matter by the senior Marine commanders in Haditha, and whether officers and enlisted personnel tried to cover up what happened or missed signs suggesting that the civilian killings were not accidental, has become a major element of the investigation by an Army general into the entire episode. Officials have said that the investigation, while not yet complete, is likely to conclude that a small group of marines carried out the unprovoked killings of two dozen civilians in the hours after a makeshift bomb killed a marine.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 3:

“Only a few days ago, US President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair publicly conceded that their two countries had made many mistakes in Iraq. In his speech, the US president symbolically mentioned Abu Ghraib, the site of gruesome excesses committed by American soldiers. But if accusations prove to be true, Haditha would represent an even more serious act of barbarism — a systematic murder of the innocent motivated by revenge. Haditha will then be on par with the infamous My Lai incident. Five hundred and four Vietnamese civilians were killed on March 16, 1968 in a massacre committed by soldiers in the 11th Infantry Brigade, under the command of Lt. William Calley. It took almost two years before Life magazine first reported on the atrocities that took place in the village on the border with North Vietnam — finally breaking the cloak of silence the US military had placed over My Lai.

“… the Haditha incident has destroyed much of any progress made in the region. Haditha reinforced widespread suspicion that the US is not only capable of atrocities, but also that it does its best to cover them up. Should it come to an investigation, each case is merely declared an isolated incident. Haditha weakens America and is likely to bolster already staunch opposition to the now-unpopular US president’s war. ‘Such incidents are devastating,’ says Zalmay Khalilzad, the US Ambassador to Iraq, in an interview with SPIEGEL… Instead of launching their own investigation, the Marines tried to cover their tracks. Their official version of the incident has the 24 civilians being killed by insurgents and not by US troops… The families of most of the victims each received $2,500, the maximum amount of compensation allowed under Marine regulations. The payments represented an initial acknowledgment that Haditha was more than just an ordinary attack with a high, but not unusual number of victims…

“The Marines’ version of the incident fell apart when the investigators reconstructed the massacre. The principal suspects include Sgt. Frank Wuterich, who led the patrol, and two privates. All three will likely face murder charges. Nine of the 13 Marines probably witnessed what happened in Haditha, but failed to intervene. The battalion commander, Lt. Col. Jeffrey Chessani, and two other officers suspected of trying to cover up the killings have since been relieved of their commands. Chessani also apparently gave the order to compensate the victims’ families. Under Marine regulations, cash compensation can only be paid when innocent people are killed.”

… and in Afghanistan

There are also troubles brewing in Afghanistan, provoked by conduct of American troops which has been strongly condemned by the Afghan government. The Associated Press reported on June 1:

“President Hamid Karzai on Thursday condemned the use of gunfire by U.S. troops to suppress Afghans angered by a traffic accident involving a military truck that sparked the worst riots in the capital since the fall of the Taliban. Speaking in his native Pashto language, Karzai used phrases that left open whether the U.S. troops had fired into a crowd that had gathered at the scene of Monday’s accident, or only over their heads. But he was strongly critical.’The coalition opened fire, and we strongly condemn that,’ Karzai said in a national radio address. ‘I have to say, all the time we tell them to be careful because we have one joint aim, which is the struggle against terrorism.’… AP Television News video from Monday shows the mounted machine gun of a U.S. Humvee firing over the heads of Afghans shortly after the accident. Many Afghans at the scene and some officials say the U.S. troops also fired into the crowd. The U.S. military has only confirmed that its soldiers used their weapons in self-defense.

“On Thursday, a top judge said foreigners could be tried for crimes committed in Afghanistan, after lawmakers passed a nonbinding resolution calling for local prosecution of U.S. troops responsible for the crash. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Neumann, however, said that American troops in Afghanistan couldn’t be punished under local law… There also is outrage in Afghanistan over civilian deaths caused by coalition military action against Taliban guerrillas. The latest incident occurred last week, when a U.S. airstrike killed at least 16 civilians in a southern village. A rights group said as many as 34 civilians died.”

In War This Kind of Thing Happens

AFP reported on June 4 from Camp Pendelton:

“Here outside the world’s largest base of US marines — the elite force that calls itself ‘the few, the proud’ — men of all ranks are cautious when responding to reports of marines killing civilians. But privately the answer is simple: ‘in war that kind of thing happens.’… [These] remarks provide a framework to comments… on reports that US marines massacred 24 civilians, including unarmed women and young children, in the western Iraqi town of Haditha in November. Time magazine reported that the marines killed seven civilians in one house and another 12 civilians in neighbouring [sic] homes, as well as shooting dead the driver of a taxi and his four passengers… There are currently at least two investigations regarding Haditha — one relating to the massacre charges, the other relating to the coverup… Both the marines and the Oceanside residents expressed anger at the news media coverage of the case, and are stunned by the official investigation. ‘It’s the marines, the soldiers there are in the camp of battle, fighting for our country,’ said [one person].”

Recently, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was quoted in an article by AFP, dated May 26, as follows:

“‘Well, obviously, they hear a lot of bad news and it’s not surprising. A war is an ugly thing. I don’t think you’ll ever find a popular war,’ he said. “Why should war be popular? It’s a vicious, horrible, ugly thing. But…, if we tossed in the towel every time we had a problem in this country we wouldn’t have a country,’ he said. ‘Turning over that country [Iraq] to violent extremists would destabilize that region, it would put at risk the neighboring Sunni regimes. If you were Iran, it would be the best thing in the world,’ he said… Visiting the casualties of war and their families at military hospitals, he said, ‘can be heartbreak.’ Asked how he dealt with it emotionally, Rumsfeld said he read US history to try to keep it in perspective.”

Lieutenant Announced that He Won’t Fight in Iraq

On June 6, 2006, ThankyouLT.org filed the following article:

“As thousands of Fort Lewis Army troops prepare to head back to Iraq, one of their officers is making a stand. A lieutenant says he is going to refuse to go, saying it’s an unjust war… Lt. Ehren Watada of the Stryker Brigade writes, ‘I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to “stay the course.” I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression…’  [T]he lieutenant hasn’t done anything official yet, there’s no violation. But should he decide to go ahead with this, he could be charged with ‘desertion’ or more likely with ‘missing the movement’ of his unit… It’s happened before with a sergeant who refused to go… [and] was sentenced to 15 months… Anti-war protestors… are rushing to [Watada’s] aid. They have put up a Web site believing he’s the first commissioned officer to refuse to go.” 

Success in Iraq?

AFP reported on June 8, 2006:

“Al-Qaeda’s chief in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who orchestrated a bloody campaign of attacks and beheadings, has been killed in an air strike, with US and Iraqi officials hailing it as a major blow against the network… US President George W. Bush and other leaders welcomed the killing of the Jordanian-born insurgent who carried a 25 million dollar bounty on his head, but also cautioned Al-Qaeda remains a dangerous force in Iraq and worldwide… Bush cautioned: ‘The difficult and necessary mission in Iraq continues. We can expect the terrorists and insurgents to carry on without him. We can expect the sectarian violence to continue.’… An Al-Qaeda statement on an Islamist website confirmed the death. ‘We announce the martyr death of our sheikh, fighter Abu Musab al-Zarqawi,’ said a statement… His death ‘would only reinforce our determination to pursue “jihad” so that the word of Allah gains the upper hand,’ the statement said. The group promised Al-Qaeda supremo bin Laden that ‘his soldiers in Al-Qaeda in Iraq will continue on the path forged by our sheikh Abu Musab.’…

“… in another step aimed at returning security to the insurgency-wracked country, parliament also approved Maliki’s long-awaited appointments to the defence and interior ministries. Jawad Polani [a Shiite] was named as interior minister, Abdel Qader al-Obeidi [a Sunni] as defense minister and Shirwan al-Waili [a Shiite] to head national security.”

Der Stern commented on Thursday: “Even the few good news in Iraq deal with killing… The death of al-Zarqawi is one of the very few successes for the US government in Iraq–a success which is not due to Bush, but to al-Zarqawi’s own conduct…. A militant Sunni leader in Iraq said recently: ‘We are so heavily involved in fighting the Shiites that we don’t get around to fighting the Americans. Allah may curse al-Zarqawi: His constant attacks on the Shiites have turned them against us.'”

Reuters added:

“A Baghdad baker gave out free bread and a school teacher in rebellious Falluja expressed hope the killing of al Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi would halt Iraq’s ‘rivers of blood.’ But other Iraqis lamented the death of Zarqawi… as a great loss in the fight against American occupiers and some feared it would prompt reprisals… Some experts on Islamist groups have accused the United States of playing up the role of Zarqawi in Iraq to exaggerate America’s successes in Iraq. ‘We received this news with great joy, but our greater joy will be the departure of the occupation forces from Iraq,’ said Sahib al-Amiri, a member of radical Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s group… ‘Zarqawi is a puppet in the hands of the Americans, who chose to kill him to keep the occupation in our country. The occupation forces will start a new game in coming days.'”

European Countries Under Fire

The Associated Press reported on June 7:

“Fourteen European nations colluded with U.S. intelligence in a ‘spider’s web’ of secret flights and detention centers that violated international human rights law, [Swiss senator Dick Marty,] the head of an investigation into alleged CIA clandestine prisons said Wednesday… Marty relied mostly on flight logs provided by the European Union’s air traffic agency, Eurocontrol, witness statements gathered from people who said they had been abducted by U.S. intelligence agents and judicial and parliamentary inquiries in various countries… He listed 14 European countries–Britain, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Bosnia, Macedonia, Turkey, Spain, Cyprus, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Romania and Poland–as being complicit in ‘unlawful inter-state transfers’ of people. Some, including Sweden and Bosnia, already have admitted some involvement… A parallel investigation by the European Parliament has said data show there have been more than 1,000 clandestine CIA flights stopping on European territory since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks… The Council of Europe has no power to punish countries for breaching the treaty other than terminating their membership in the organization. Based on irrefutable evidence, the European Union might be able to suspend the voting rights of a country found to have breached the convention.”

On June 8, 2006, AFP reported that “Poland and Romania led European countries in dismissing [the] report… The United States also criticized the report calling it a list of unproven allegations… In Warsaw, Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz dismissed the allegations as ‘libel’ with ‘no basis in fact’… Romania said the accusations were ‘pure speculation’ and slammed as unacceptable the ‘accusations based on “indications”‘… Belgium, meanwhile, urged Poland and Romania to lay their cards on the table and clear up the murky situation… Spain ‘categorically’ rejected the accusations… British Prime Minister Tony Blair dismissed the report as containing ‘absolutely nothing new’… But rights watchdog Amnesty International welcomed the report and repeated demands for the United States and Europe to halt ‘extraordinary renditions’. The London-based organisation said the report showed that so-called renditions were outside the law and ‘contrary to basic legal principles — involving… “disappearances”, arbitrary detention, illegal transfers and torture or other ill-treatment’.

“The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, which is a separate body from the European Union, was set up after World War II to promote democracy and human rights across the continent. All 25 EU countries are part of the 46-member organisation.”

Iran’s President Unwelcome in Germany?

AFP reported on June 6 that “The head of the Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center wrote to Germany’s leader [Angela Merkel] on Monday after Iranian officials were quoted by media as saying their president would attend the football fiesta in Germany if Iran’s team advances to the second stage. ‘President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust and called for the obliteration of the state of Israel,’ wrote Rabbi Marvin Hier… ‘It is inconceivable that a head of state who advocates those policies would be received at a world sporting event by the same country where the Nuremburg Laws were proclaimed and where Adolf Hitler first enunciated his policies that led to the “Final Solution.” Such a visit would desecrate the memory of the millions murdered in the gas chambers and contradict the very foundation upon which the post-war Federal Republic of Germany was built,’ Hier added in the strongly worded letter on behalf of the 400,000 center members… While as a head of state Ahmadinejad does not require an official invitation from Germany to accept the games, Hier said he believed Berlin had a ‘moral obligation to state publicly that his visit would be unwelcome. I feel that the international community, and in this case Germany as the host country, have to say something and it’s not good enough to say they are hoping he won’t come,’ Hier told AFP.”

The German press has discussed for weeks the possible unwelcome visit of the President of Iran, but they have also pointed out that Germany does not really have any legal grounds for prohibiting the President’s visit. Even his denial of the Holocaust–to do so is a crime in Germany–does not constitute any legal basis for criminal prosecution or a denial of his visit, as the President of Iran would enjoy diplomatic and legal immunity.

Is the World Bowing to Iran?

The Associated Press reported on June 6:

“A package of incentives presented Tuesday to Iran includes a provision for the United States to supply Tehran with some nuclear technology if it stops enriching uranium–a major concession by Washington, diplomats said… The package was agreed on last week by the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia–the five veto-wielding members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany, in a bid to resolve the nuclear standoff with Iran.”

On June 8, 2006, AFP reported:

“The United States refused to confirm or deny reports that it and European powers had offered Iran the possibility of uranium enrichment on its territory, dismissing them as ‘hypothetical and theoretical.’… The State Department and White House reiterated that Iran must suspend all uranium enrichment on its soil as a condition for Washington’s participation in negotiations with the Islamic republic… According to diplomatic sources in Vienna and Tehran, the powers’ offer to Iran would eventually allow uranium enrichment on its territory, but only after the approval of the international community.”

CIA Cover-Up?

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 7:

“The United States and West Germany knew of the location and alias of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann two years before his capture, according to CIA documents released on Tuesday. The newly declassified intelligence archives reveal that the CIA was told by West German intelligence in 1958 about Eichmann’s whereabouts in Argentina. Eichmann is known to have organized the ‘final solution’ –the deportation of Jews to ghettos and death camps — to rid Germany of its Jewish population during World War II… Eichmann remained at large in Argentina with his family until 1960 where he was captured and kidnapped by Israeli intelligence…After his capture by Israeli agents Eichmann was taken to Israel where he was tried, convicted and executed in 1962 for crimes that he committed against the Jews.”

Aachen Cathedral Restored

“This Week in Germany” reported on June 3 about the completed restoration of the cathedral of Aachen, a German town with highly significant historic relevance. The article stated:

“The cathedral–Germany’s oldest–defines the phrase ‘work in progress,’ featuring architectural and artistic elements from several eras of German history. Construction of the Palatine Chapel began in 786 AD at the behest of Charlemagne, who chose Aachen as the seat of his Holy Roman Empire. Thirty kings of the Holy Roman Empire were crowned in the cathedral’s chambers. It continued as wings were added to the structure periodically over the course of the next millennium, while a ‘glass house’ for choral performances was built in 1614. In 1978, the Aachen cathedral was the first German site to be chosen as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In late 2005, the first compilation of the Seven Wonders Foundation’s roster of ‘New 7 Wonders’ ranked the Aachen Cathedral at number 25, making it the highest ranked German site on the list.”

Mass Extinctions Through Space Rock?

Space.com reported on June 1:

“An apparent crater as big as Ohio has been found in Antarctica. Scientists think it was carved by a space rock that caused the greatest mass extinction on Earth, 250 million years ago.The crater, buried beneath a half-mile of ice and discovered by some serious airborne and satellite sleuthing, is more than twice as big as the one involved in the demise of the dinosaurs.The crater’s location, in the Wilkes Land region of East Antarctica, south of Australia, suggests it might have instigated the breakup of the so-called Gondwana supercontinent, which pushed Australia northward, the researchers said. ‘This Wilkes Land impact is much bigger than the impact that killed the dinosaurs, and probably would have caused catastrophic damage at the time,’ said Ralph von Frese, a professor of geological sciences at Ohio State University… The Permian-Triassic extinction, as it is known, wiped out most life on land and in the oceans. Researchers have long suspected a space rock might have been involved. Some scientists have blamed volcanic activity or other culprits… The newfound crater is more than twice the size of the Chicxulub crater in the Yucatan peninsula, which marks the impact that may have ultimately killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. The Chicxulub space rock is thought to have been 6 miles wide, while the Wilkes Land meteor could have been up to 30 miles wide, the researchers said.”

Interview with Iran’s President

On May 30, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published a revealing interview with Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. We are publishing the following excerpts from his highly controversial comments. We want to make it clear that we do not quote his comments because we agree with them, but to show how an intelligent charismatic figure can advance arguments which may sound reasonable to some, or he might exploit ideas for his purposes. Adolph Hitler and propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels were masters in this at their time:

Ahmadinejad’s comments about the Holocaust:

“We are saying that if the Holocaust occurred, then Europe must draw the consequences and that it is not Palestine that should pay the price for it. If it did not occur, then the Jews have to go back to where they came from. I believe that the German people today are also prisoners of the Holocaust. Sixty million people died in the Second World War. World War II was a gigantic crime. We condemn it all. We are against bloodshed, regardless of whether a crime was committed against a Muslim or against a Christian or a Jew. But the question is: Why among these 60 million victims are only the Jews the center of attention?… Why must the German people be humiliated today because a group of people committed crimes in the name of the Germans during the course of history?… How can a person who wasn’t even alive at the time be held legally responsible?… Why is such a burden heaped on the German people? The German people of today bear no guilt. Why are the German people not permitted the right to defend themselves? Why are the crimes of one group emphasized so greatly, instead of highlighting the great German cultural heritage? Why should the Germans not have the right to express their opinion freely?… How much longer do you think the German people have to accept being taken hostage by the Zionists?…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about nuclear weapons:

“… a number of countries… possess both nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. They use their atomic weapons to threaten other peoples. And it is these powers who say that they are worried about Iran deviating from the path of peaceful use of atomic energy. We say that these powers are free to monitor us if they are worried. But what these powers say is that the Iranians must not complete the nuclear fuel cycle because deviation from peaceful use might then be possible. What we say is that these countries themselves have long deviated from peaceful usage. These powers have no right to talk to us in this manner. This order is unjust and unsustainable… I stress once again, we don’t need any nuclear weapons…”

Ahmadinejad’s comments about Iraq and Europe:

“For eight years, the Western countries provided arms to Saddam in the war against us, including chemical weapons, and gave him political support. We were against Saddam and suffered severely because of him, so we’re happy that he has been toppled. But we don’t accept a whole country being swallowed under the pretext of wanting to topple Saddam. More than 100,000 Iraqis have lost their lives under the rule of the occupying forces. Fortunately, the Germans haven’t been involved in this. We want security in Iraq… We have very close ties to the Iraqi people. Many people on both sides of the border are related. We have lived side by side for thousands of years. Our holy pilgrimage sites are located in Iraq. Just like Iran, Iraq used to be a center of civilization… We have always cultivated good relations with Europe, especially with Germany. Our two peoples like each other. We’re eager to deepen this relationship.

“Europe has made three mistakes with respect to our people. The first mistake was to support the shah’s government. This has left our people disappointed and discontent. However, by offering asylum to Imam Khomeini, France earned a special position that it lost again later. The second mistake was to support Saddam in his war against us. The truth is that our people expected Europe to be on our side, not against us. The third mistake was Europe’s stance on the nuclear issue. Europe will be the big loser and will achieve nothing. We don’t want to see that happen… we’re puzzled why some European countries are opposed to us. I sent out a message on the nuclear issue, asking why the Europeans were translating the Americans’ words for us. After all, they know that our actions are aimed toward peace. By siding with Iran, the Europeans would serve their own and our interests. But they will suffer only damage if they oppose us. For our people is strong and determined… The Europeans risk losing their position in the Middle East entirely, and they are ruining their reputation in other parts of the world. The others will think that the Europeans aren’t capable of solving problems.”

Earthquake in Indonesia

The Associated Press reported on May 31, 2006:

“U.S. Marines joined an international effort to deliver aid and medical care to nearly 650,000 Indonesians displaced by a devastating earthquake, as hopes faded of finding more survivors… The United Nations said at least 21 other countries have joined the effort to help those left homeless by Saturday’s magnitude-6.3 quake, which killed more than 5,800 people. An estimated 647,000 people were displaced by the quake, nearly a third of them homeless and the rest staying with relatives.”

Smooth Entry Into the United States?

MSNBC reported on May 30:

“The European Union and the United States today vowed to strike a new deal allowing European airliners to transfer passenger data to US authorities, after the European Court of Justice today ruled the existing deal illegal. Today’s court decision means more queues and long hold-ups for Europeans at American airports once the current system is scrapped, unless a new arrangement can be reached. The agreement between Brussels and Washington, which was blasted by civil liberties groups, was insisted on by America after the September 11, 2001 attacks. It required European airlines to provide the US authorities with 34 pieces of information on each passenger including names, addresses and credit card information, within 15 minutes of a plane taking off. It was opposed by many European MPs as a breach of privacy laws.

“But the 2004 deal was annulled not on the issue of privacy, but on the purely technical grounds that existing EU data protection law only covers commercial data, and was not wide enough in scope to cover data used for security purposes. The EU and Washington now have until September 30 to negotiate a new agreement before the present arrangement expires… There is already a vexed history between Washington and Europe on the level of information necessary for European passengers to enjoy smooth entry to the United States.”

Just About Everything Wrong in Iraq?

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published an outspoken essay by former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer about the Iraq war:

“What went wrong?… Today, three years after the beginning of the war in Iraq, that question needs to be directed not just at the Arab world, but also at Western policy, and above all at United States policy. After all, since the administration of George W. Bush decided to remove Saddam Hussein from power by war, just about everything went wrong that possibly could have. What is more, the reality in Iraq and the surrounding region far surpassed all negative expectations and fears, and it continues to do so today…  The question is whether the majority of US citizens were ever really prepared to pay the very high military, political, economic, and moral cost for such an imperial enterprise, and to pay for it over a long period of time. We know today that the answer is ‘No.’ But such a negative answer was already to be expected in 2002 and 2003, and would have been the starting point if the actual reason for the war had been placed at the center of the domestic debate in the US. That’s why other reasons for going to war were invoked–weapons of mass destruction and international terror–reasons that have quite obviously not held up to reality…

“US policy in Iraq today has stalled entirely. Instead of bringing about regional realignment, the US is using its strength to create a power vacuum, and thus prevent a civil war. Such a civil war is, however, becoming more likely every day. If, in 2003, everything suggested that this US war was a mistake, then today, the arguments against a US retreat in Iraq are at least as strong. But the situation is even worse, since every day that US troops remain in Iraq will only aggravate rather than solve this crisis — a crisis that is headed for civil war. It’s depressing to see that nothing is left of the US strategy of regional realignment. Instead, an unnecessary defeat — and one with far-reaching consequences — will have to be responded to by a strategy of containment, deterrence and long-term transformation from within the societies concerned. These prospects are anything but encouraging, but when one looks back on the years since the US invaded Baghdad, one finds that all gloomy predictions have been surpassed by reality.”

Italy Jumps Off the Sinking Ship

On May 26, 2006, The Associated Press reported:

“Italy will pull 1,100 of its troops from Iraq in June, the new government said Friday, giving its first specific numbers about the planned withdrawal… [New Italian Prime Minister] Prodi had opposed the U.S.-led war in Iraq and pledged during his campaign for the elections in April which brought him and his center-left allies to power to bring Italian troops home and replace the contingent with a civilian force… In contrast, [former Italian Prime Minister] Berlusconi defied widespread opposition at home and sent about 3,000 soldiers to Iraq to help with reconstruction after the ouster of Saddam Hussein in 2003… U.S. allies in Iraq have slowly but steadily drawn down or pulled out as Iraqi forces take more responsibility for securing the country. By year’s end, officials say, the coalition may shrink noticeably.”

Bush and Blair Meet, Admit Mistakes

AFP reported on May 26 about the meeting between President Bush and Prime Minister Tony Bair in Washington:

“British Prime Minister Tony Blair came here to show solidarity with US President George W. Bush on Iraq, but his 24-hour visit highlighted their problems in extricating themselves from a war that has hurt them both… the two leaders, acknowledging a series of major mistakes in Iraq, had little new to offer in the way of strategy and appeared as far as ever from setting a timetable to withdraw their troops… [Tony Blair said:] ‘This should be a moment of reconciliation not only in Iraq but in the international community. The war split the world. The struggle of Iraqis for democracy should unite it.’… [The] predominant impression left behind by Bush and his British comrade in arms… was a growing awareness of how much had gone wrong in Iraq. Blair virtually conceded they had misread the battlefield they were entering and criticized the decision to launch a wholesale purge of members of Saddam’s old Baath party from the army and government. Bush spoke of ‘setbacks and missteps’ such as delays in rebuilding Iraq’s security forces and economy, and above all the widely publicized abuses of Iraqi inmates at Abu Ghraib prison.

“The Texas Republican went so far as to regret some of his rhetoric in the war on terror, such as his ‘Bring ’em on’ taunt to Iraqi insurgents. He called it the ‘kind of tough talk that sent the wrong signal to people.’ But as he and Blair did their mea culpas, a new, potentially devastating scandal loomed with allegations that US Marines went on a rampage last November and killed up to two dozen men, women and children in a western Iraq town.  At the same time, Blair seemed to admit that the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq and resurgent violence in Afghanistan could crimp the allies’ ability to deal with other crises, such as Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons program. ‘We don’t want a conflict with Iran. We have got enough on our plate doing other things,’ he told the Arab television station Al-Jazeera in an interview released Thursday by his office.”

Are Iran and Iraq Getting Closer?

Reuters reported on May 27:

“Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met leading Iraqi cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani on Saturday in one of Iraq’s holiest cities and thanked him for promoting unity between Iraq’s groups. The meeting with Sistani, who has emerged as perhaps the most powerful man in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s downfall, in the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf was likely to fuel Sunni Arab fears that Shi’ite Iran was trying to gain influence in Iraq… [T]he Sunni minority are suspicious of non-Arab Iran, against which Iraq fought a war in the 1980s.”

The German Pope in Poland

On May 29, 2006, Der Spiegel reported about the Pope’s visit in Poland, and especially in Auschwitz. For most Catholic believers, it does not matter where the Pope was born–they accept him as long as he is the Pope. And many Holocaust survivors liked what they heard from the Pope. But not all were happy:

“Most Polish believers don’t care where the Pope was born. They love him–because he has so thoroughly studied their difficult language; because he subjects himself to the tedium of protocol so uncomplainingly and mildly; because he has a message, even if it is a strict one; because he quotes their beloved Jan Pawel II in every address; but most of all–because he’s the Pope…The word ‘guilt’ is never used [by the Pope]. There is no ‘mea culpa,’ neither with regard to anti-Semitism in the Church, nor with regard to the role of his country. The Germans, he says–and the remark will probably be associated with him for a long time to come–the Germans are a people ‘that a gang of criminals managed to achieve power over with deceitful promises, with the promise of greatness, of the resurrection of the nation’s honor and significance, with the promise of well-being and also with terror and intimidation, such that our people could be used and abused as an instrument for their fury of destruction and domination.’… Many of [the] Holocaust survivors praised the Pope’s speech. ‘What else should he have said? The highest voice of the Catholics says that God was not at Auschwitz. That’s more than enough,’ the leader of the ghetto uprising Marek Edelmann told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica. But for others Ratzinger’s silence is not enough. The head rabbi of Warsaw, Michael Schudrich… said he wished the Pope had clearly addressed growing anti-Semitism in Catholic Poland.”

Murder of Innocent Children

On May 28, Associated Newspapers LTD published the following article about new scandalous developments in Great Britain, involving the murder of innocent children:

“The ethical storm over abortions has been renewed as it emerged that terminations are being carried out for minor, treatable birth defects. Late terminations have been performed in recent years because the babies had club feet, official figures show… Other babies were destroyed because they had webbed fingers or extra digits. Such defects can often be corrected with a simple operation or physiotherapy. The revelation sparked fears that abortion is increasingly being used to satisfy couples’ desire for the ‘perfect’ baby. A leading doctor said people were right to be ‘totally shocked’ that abortions were being carried out for such conditions.”

Vatican Wants International Control Over Jerusalem

On May 29, ynetnews.com reported about the Vatican’s renewed interest in “international” control of Jerusalem. The article stated:

“The Vatican’s legal advisor in Israel, David Jaeger, harshly criticized Israel’s policy regarding safeguarding Christian holy sites. Speaking during an international conference at a Haifa University conference Tuesday, Jaeger said Jerusalem is an important city the fate of which should not be left in the hands of Israel and the Palestinians. Any solution to the status of Jerusalem needs the approval of the international community, said Jaeger, adding that the Palestinian Authority has also failed in keeping with international conventions on preserving holy sites. Jaeger said there is a contradiction between agreements signed between Israel and the Vatican on preserving Christian Holy sites and Israeli laws dating from the British mandate in Palestine. The Israeli government took away the courts’ authority to deal with issues related to lands and funds belonging to the Roman Catholic Church, causing legal disputes that have been dragging in courts for years, the Vatican envoy said.”

Sale of Weapons Big Business

Pravda reported on May 29 about the questionable reputation of the five leading countries that are engaged in arms exports:

“Experts of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute have prepared another report about the export of arms in the world. The specialists calculated that Russia has become [the] world’s largest exporter of weapons during 2000-2004… According to SIPRI,  the first five positions of the list of [the] world’s largest exporters of arms (with up to 81 percent of deliveries) are distributed between: Russia ($26.9 billion), the USA ($25.9 billion), France ($6.3 billion), Germany ($4.8 billion) and Great Britain ($4.4 billion).”

AFP reported on May 26 that “The United States urged Russia to reconsider its decision to honor a contract to sell TOR-M1 surface-to-air missiles to Iran… At the end of last year, the Russian press announced that Iran had signed a contract with Moscow to buy 29 TOR-M1 air defense systems in a deal valued at 700 million dollars.” As the article continued to point out, Russia is determined to honor the contract and to deliver the missiles to Iran.

Illegal Immigration Big Politics

On May 28, 2006, The Washington Post published an article about America’s fight with illegal Immigration. The article came close to pointing out that politicians from all parties are heavily engaged in this fight for, apparently, mainly political reasons. The article does not even address the issue of right and wrong–just what position might result in the most votes:

“Republican House members facing the toughest races this fall are overwhelmingly opposed to any deal that provides illegal immigrants a path to citizenship — an election-year dynamic that significantly dims the prospects that President Bush will win the immigration compromise he is seeking, according to Republican lawmakers and leadership aides… The nearly united front of Republicans from the most competitive districts against Bush’s approach to immigration underscores the difficulties the president is facing… Most said 80 to 90 percent of feedback coming from constituents last week was in opposition to Bush and the Senate on the citizenship question.

“Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) will not allow a vote on a House-Senate compromise that does not have the support of most GOP lawmakers or one that would undermine the reelection chances of his at-risk members, aides said… John McCain (Ariz.), in an interview, cautioned his House colleagues to more closely examine ‘voting patterns’ and understand the ‘detrimental’ consequences of alienating Hispanics, who make up about 12.5 percent of the U.S. population.

“Rep. Ric Keller… said, about 90 percent of voters are opposed to a guest-worker program and in favor of the House approach… Rep. Gil Gutknecht (R-Minn.) [said:] ‘We keep our finger on the public pulse all the time, not just every six years.’… Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.), a top Democratic target who represents a district so competitive it is known as the ‘bloody 8th,’ warned that if House Republicans do not oppose guest workers, temporary workers and anything ‘that looks like amnesty,’ they could very well lose the House. ‘There are [a] lot of people on Capitol Hill that have no clue what November is going to bring them on immigration,’ he said. ‘It could be something like a tidal wave that could benefit the Democrats simply because Republicans don’t do the right thing. To survive through November, the folks up here [on Capitol Hill] are really going to have to understand the passion behind this.'”

Children in US Detention Camp?

Great Britain’s The Independent published the following article on May 28:

“The notorious US detention camp in Guantanamo Bay has been hit by fresh allegations of human rights abuses, with claims that dozens of children were sent there–some as young as 14 years old. Lawyers in London estimate that more than 60 detainees held at the terrorists’ prison camp were boys under 18 when they were captured. They include at least 10 detainees still held at the US base in Cuba who were 14 or 15 when they were seized–including child soldiers who were held in solitary confinement, repeatedly interrogated and allegedly tortured. The disclosures threaten to plunge the Bush administration into a fresh row with Britain, its closest ally in the war on terror, only days after the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith, repeated his demands for the closure of the detention facility. It was, he said, a ‘symbol of injustice’. Whitehall sources said the new allegations, from the London-based legal rights group Reprieve, directly contradicted the Bush administration’s assurances to the UK that no juveniles had been held there. ‘We would take a very, very dim view if it transpires that there were actually minors there,’ said an official.”

European Ministers Meet–Where and When?

The Associated Press reported on May 27:

“Meeting at a 900-year-old Roman Catholic monastery, the [EU foreign] ministers… discussed a proposal for a declaration restating the principles and values of an increasingly united Europe–ideally in 2007 when the EU marks its 50th anniversary. ‘Europe is a model all over the world and we should draw some self-confidence from that,’ German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said… One task is to convince ordinary Europeans–skittish about their jobs, crime rates and cultural identities in an age of globalization–that closer integration and bringing in half a dozen or more states into the EU is a good thing. Opinion surveys say Europeans generally support the EU and even the idea of a constitution but want the bloc to focus more on their day-to-day concerns such as unemployment, immigration and globalization.”

In a related article, The Associated Press wrote:

“European Union foreign ministers were cloistering themselves inside a 12th century abbey Saturday to consider the bloc’s future, almost exactly a year after French voters threw the continent into turmoil by rejecting what would have been the first Europe-wide constitution. The envoys were gathering informally at the Roman Catholic monastery in Klosterneuburg on the outskirts of Vienna for a two-day ‘future of Europe’ meeting… Several EU nations, notably the Netherlands and Germany–sensing public resistance to further expansion–want the EU to commit soon to final borders… The charter has been ratified by the parliaments of 13 nations: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia. Finland is expected to ratify it in the second half of 2006.” It is interesting that this meeting should take place on the Sabbath (Saturday, May 27), as well as on Sunday, May 28, in a Roman Catholic monastery close to Vienna, Austria. In addition, some of the 13 independent “countries” listed in the article which have “ratified” the EU Constitution would be clearly looked upon as “one” nation in Biblical terms. The Bible predicts that ultimately, 10 European nations or groups of nations will rule a united Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Europe Marches On

The EUobserver wrote on May 26:

“German chancellor Angela Merkel has spoken out in favour of a reference to God in the EU constitution… Merkel said ‘We live in a world in which we want to understand and communicate with other religions and cultures’. This includes knowing your own roots and being aware of them which is why God and the Christian belief should be included into the EU constitution, she indicated… It is the first time Berlin has spoken out in favour of a Christian reference in the EU constitution, and could potentially reopen one of the most bitter debates surrounding the drawing up of the document four years ago. Spain, Italy and Poland were among the most active countries in pushing for a strong Christian reference in the constitution–Germany’s Christian Democrats were also very vocal but they were then in opposition.”

The Incredible Debt of the U.S.

On May 23, The Pravda published a highly revealing article about the devastating economic situation in the United States. We feel that this should be considered as a “must-read” article:

“When Bush became president in 2001, the United States’ public debt was 5.8 trillion dollars. Today the public debt stands at 8.3 trillion dollars. Of this over $2.2 trillion dollars are held by foreigners… In 2005 the U.S. government paid $325 billion dollars only in interest payments alone. Then there are the future obligations such as Medicare, Social Security and government pensions. These obligations amount to $54 trillion dollars. This huge problem worried the former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan. He told congress: ‘As a nation, we may have already made promises to coming generations of retirees that we will be unable to fulfill.’

“One would think that this amount of debt would worry the president and the congress. But apparently it does not. United States’ Congress recently (March 2006) voted to increase the Federal debt limit to 9 trillion dollars. Any other nation in similar circumstances would have had to approach IMF for help. IMF would then have forced that nation to cut spending and devalue its currency. But the U.S. does not need to do this. The U.S. can just print some more dollars. But how long can this continue before the world loose faith in the greenback, sending it crashing to unimaginable levels?… Asian countries such as Japan, China and others that hold most of the U.S. debts have been happy to indulge the American deficit spending… The value of U.S. dollar so far has been kept artificially high by Japan, China and oil-exporting countries. These countries, by buying US debts, have kept interests rates relatively low in the United States and allowed Americans to keep spending even as their debts mount. But there is only so much risk these lenders (Asian and oil-exporting countries) are willing to take…

“China with the reserves of over $800 billion dollars has already begun to slowly reduce its dependency on dollars by converting part of its reserves to other currencies. If other Asian countries–with their vast dollar holdings–follow suit, then it will be disastrous for the value of the dollar. No-one is interested in holding a weakening currency… Another threat against the dollar comes from countries such as Iran and Venezuela… Iranians are going to make the Euro the standard currency for oil transactions. Some sympathetic countries such as Venezuela and others may join in. If the Iranians succeed in this, the pressure on the dollar will be catastrophic…

“[The] U.S. government keeps spending money in an un-winnable war in Iraq and is considering starting another one in Iran. The total cost of Iraq war, including the future payment to the disabled soldiers, replacement of equipment, etc., is estimated be between [sic] 1 to 2 trillion dollars. Any attack on Iran will substantially increase this cost. Even if there is no attack, the tense situation in the region will keep the oil prices at uncomfortable levels, contributing to both a reduction in U.S. growth and an increase in its deficit… Sooner or later, both the United States and the rest of the world have to address the existing problems. This problem is not the United States alone. We cannot ignore the largest economy on earth. It is said that if the United States sneezes, the world catches cold. We have to either make sure that the United States doesn’t catch cold or vaccinate ourselves against it.”

Sadly, Biblical Prophecy predicts that the entire world will “vaccinate” itself against the United States and Great Britain. For more information, read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

This Is How Much You Owe!

According to brillig.com, “The Outstanding Public Debt as of 01 Jun 2006 at 01:31:10 AM GMT is: $8,359,544,791,446.22. The estimated population of the United States is 298,820,299, so each citizen’s share of this debt is $27,975.16. The National Debt has continued to increase an average of $1.75 billion per day since September 30, 2005!”

US–The Fading Superpower

Last week, csmonitor.com published an interesting article, asking whether the United States was “fading as superpower.”

In the article, it was stated:

“For the past five years, since the 9/11 attacks, US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair have helped shape key world events. But now, some influential media and political critics are saying that both men, and the US in particular, no longer can get the world to do as they wish. In a recent article entitled, ‘Axis of Feeble,’ the Economist argues that ‘the debacle in Iraq and problems at home have turned both leaders from soaring hawks into the lamest of ducks.’… an era is plainly drawing to an end… For those who would ‘rejoice’ at the end of this partnership [between Bush and Blair], because of the idea that ‘in a world of one superpower, some say, people are safer when its president is too weak for foreign adventures,’ the Economist says they are wrong…

“WBUR.org’s OnPoint recently looked at the question ‘Is America losing its luster?’ The conclusion reached by panelists on the show was that while the US continues to be militarily powerful, the ‘notion of irresistible power’ no longer is the case. David Kennedy, professor of history at Stanford University, argued that the US is learning ‘[t]he world is a recalcitant place and does not yield itself to us easily.’ He added that the notion the US could shape the world as it wished proved to be an illusion. The US is learning the lesson that all great powers have learned, Kennedy said, that no matter how much power a country has, the world will not just go along with its wishes…”United Press International reports that a new survey by the Pew Research Center, part of a new book ‘America against the World,’ also illustrates the problem for the US. More than 70 percent of the 91,000 people around the world interviewed for the survey believe that the US needs a rival superpower… The survey found anti-American sentiment is at its highest level ever…”

The Bible prophesies that America’s status as a superpower will gradually disappear. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

USA and Europe Just Different

AFP reported on May 24:

“The United States is trying to rally its [European] partners behind plans to build a missile shield… Washington hopes to set up around 10 ‘interceptor’ missiles in central Europe, possibly in Poland or the Czech Republic, to ward off potential attacks with ballistic missiles, perhaps from countries like Iran… ‘There is a growing threat of long-range missile attack on NATO territory and it is timely to examine ways and means of addressing that threat’ in Europe, said Marshall Billingslea, head of NATO’s Conference of National Armaments Directors…”

However, the European reaction is less than enthusiastic and shows again the different perspectives of the two power blocs–even when they relate to such important matters as national and international defense. The article pointed out:

“‘There is a difference in perception. America is looking at protection from strategic missile attacks from places like China, North Korea and Iran. Europe doesn’t believe that’s a threat,’ said Andrew Brookes, from the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.”… Europe is unlikely to act too hastily. ‘On the European side, there is an almost categorical refusal to take decisions on the run,’ said Rik Coolsaet, from the Royal Institute of International Relations in Brussels. ‘Politically, Europeans understand that there is a potential danger from the Iranians but it is not a danger they see likely in the short term,’ he said, adding: ‘the sense of urgency is far less present in Europe than in the United States.’ Another obstacle — and a big one — to accepting the US plan is that it remains to be seen whether such a missile shield can actually work. ‘We are being asked — us, the Europeans — to make a huge investment to… a programme which, even in the United States, is not believed to be ready,’ said Coolsaet. ‘It isn’t working,’ Brookes said of the missile shield plan… ‘German politicians, French politicians and British politicians do not regard Pyongyang as about to launch anything in the foreseeable future at a European capital, they just don’t,’ he said.”

However, future developments might surprise everybody.

Pope Benedict’s “Bold Moves”

The Associated Press reported on May 19:

“Even as he was dogged by claims of sexual abuse, the founder of the Legionaries of Christ religious order remained a favorite of Pope John Paul II. On Friday, Pope Benedict XVI showed a bold willingness to correct his beloved predecessor by disciplining the Mexican priest. It’s the latest move by Benedict away from John Paul’s legacy… The Vatican asked the prominent cleric to stop celebrating Mass publicly and live a life of ‘prayer and penance’–effectively making him a priest in name only. In a statement, the 86-year-old Maciel insisted he was innocent, but accepted the Vatican’s punishment.

“The pope has made other changes that highlight his differences with John Paul. Benedict recently insisted on strict adherence to rules for naming saints, which will inevitably slow the process of canonization. By contrast, John Paul named an unprecedented number of saints during his 26-year papacy. Benedict has also cracked down on another movement that John Paul admired–the Neocatechumenal Way. The pope said the group had to change its innovative practices to celebrate Mass and take Holy Communion the same way other Catholics do…

“There were early signs that Benedict would aggressively take on transgressors among the faithful. Just before he became pope, he decried ‘filth’ in the church–a statement largely taken as a reference to the clergy sex abuse crisis. Still, when the cardinals elected Benedict in April 2005, many observers interpreted the vote as a desire for continuity. Benedict, the former Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had served for more than two decades under the late pontiff as the Vatican’s orthodoxy watchdog and had enormous influence in the church. But [Thomas] Reese, [former editor of the Jesuit magazine America], said, ‘Benedict is not a clone of John Paul. When he was Cardinal Ratzinger, Benedict didn’t shy away from taking people on even if it meant bad press,’ said Reese, who resigned as America editor under pressure from Ratzinger. ‘He does what he thinks is right.'”

The Catholic Church will play a dominant role in the near future. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

FCC Declined To Investigate

USA Today reported on May 24:

“The Federal Communications Commission declined Tuesday to investigate whether a spy agency has access to millions of Americans’ telephone records. It cited the secrecy of the National Security Agency. The decision drew a call for congressional hearings from a Democratic congressman who had requested a probe. ‘The FCC has abdicated its responsibility to protect Americans’ privacy to the National Security Agency without even asking a single question about it,’ Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., said. Markey had asked the regulatory panel to look into a report in USA TODAY that the NSA has been secretly collecting the phone call records with the help of telecommunications companies.

“FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wrote Markey that ‘the classified nature of the NSA’s activities make us unable to investigate the alleged violations’ of privacy. Martin cited written testimony by John Negroponte, the director of national intelligence, and Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, the NSA’s director, that disclosure of any information could ’cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States.’ Their declarations were made in response to a lawsuit in federal court in California. AT&T was sued there in January by the privacy rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation for violating customer privacy by turning over telephone data to the government. The Justice Department has asked that the case be dismissed…”

The article continued:

“USA TODAY reported May 11 that the NSA secretly collected call records with the help of three companies: AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth. USA TODAY reported the records include information on calls made before and after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks. Verizon and BellSouth released statements last week denying they provided the NSA with call information. A Verizon spokesman said the company’s statement did not include MCI, the long-distance company that Verizon acquired in January. President Bush has not confirmed or denied the report but said that intelligence activities he authorized were legal and that the government was not looking into ordinary Americans’ personal lives.”

Alarming Bird Flu Developments

Reuters reported on May 24 about the long-feared possibility that the bird flu virus might mutate–by transmitting the disease from human to human. The article stated:

“Limited human-to-human transmission of bird flu might have occurred in an Indonesian family… The WHO and Indonesian health officials are baffled over the source of the infection but genetic sequencing has shown the H5N1 bird flu virus has not mutated, the U.N. agency said… The WHO statement came after one of the family members, a 32-year-old father, died on Monday after caring for his ailing son, who had died earlier. The agency said such close contact was considered a possible source of infection… But another WHO spokesman said the agency was worried. ‘This is the most significant development so far in terms of public health,’ Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the West Pacific region of the WHO, told Reuters Television in the Philippine capital on Wednesday. ‘We have never had a cluster as large as this. We have not had in the past what we have here, which is no explanation as to how these people became infected. We can’t find sick animals in this community and that worries us,’ he added.”

Notwithstanding “reassuring” statements from some experts who may OR MAY NOT know the facts, these are alarming and frightening developments. It is understandable that some within the WHO want to calm down any “over-reaction”– but how truthful and helpful is this in light of comments from others within the WHO, who seem to be worried? Wouldn’t it be high time for this world to turn to GOD–the CREATOR of man–who ALONE can and does control and prevent the outbreak of diseases? Notice what God told ancient Israel in Exodus 15:26: “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.” Sadly, this world has moved so far away from God that any suggestion to RETURN to Him and obtain protection from disease epidemics is being met with indifference, ridicule or outright rejection.

More Hurricanes Are Coming

CBS News reported on May 22:

“This year’s North Atlantic hurricane season will be ‘very active,’ spawning eight to 10 hurricanes, the U.S.-based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Monday… NOAA’s outlook, published on its website, predicts: There will likely be 13 to 16 named storms, including tropical storms and hurricanes, compared with the 11 named storms seen in an average season. Eight to 10 of this year’s named storms will become hurricanes, meaning they will have sustained winds of at least 119 km/h, compared with the annual average of six. Four to six of the hurricanes will reach an intensity of at least Category 3, with sustained winds of at least 178 km/h, though on average each season experiences only two. The 2006 North Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1.”

The article continued:

“Even now, repaired levees are not strong enough to protect New Orleans from a direct hit by a Category 3 storm, a new report released Monday warned… Predictions of more storms than usual in 2005 were dead-on. Forecasters ran out of names for the tropical storms and hurricanes, having to dip into the Greek alphabet when the standard alphabetic list of 21 names was exhausted. At the end of the day, the 2005 North Atlantic season included 28 storms, seven more than the previous record of 21 storms in 1933. Four of them – Emily, Katrina, Rita and Wilma – reached Category 5, the top level of intensity, with sustained winds of at least 250 km/h at some point in their existence.”

U.S. Senate Votes on Illegal Immigration Issues

The Washington Times reported on May 19:

“The Senate voted yesterday to allow illegal aliens to collect Social Security benefits based on past illegal employment — even if the job was obtained through forged or stolen documents… The Senate also yesterday approved an amendment to adopt English as the nation’s official language… In addition, senators voted last night to kill an amendment that would have specified that the guest-worker program will not provide visas that would provide a path to citizenship.”

Iran Is Preparing For War

The Jerusalem Post reported on May 23:

“Iran conducted a test launch Tuesday night of the Shihab-3 intermediate-range ballistic missile, which is capable of reaching Israel and US targets in the region, Israel Radio reported… ‘What deters the enemy from launching an aggression is the resistance’s continuous readiness to respond,’ [Hizbullah leader Hassan] Nasrallah told scores of supporters. ‘Northern Israel today is within the range of the resistance’s rockets. The ports, bases, factories and everything is within that range.'”

The article continued:

“[Israel’s] Maj. Elyakim, commander of the Arrow missile battery at Palmahim, told The Jerusalem Post last month that the missile crews were always on high alert, but that they were recently instructed to ‘raise their level of awareness’ because of developments on the Iranian front. The Arrow missile, he said, could intercept and destroy any Iranian missile fired at Israel, including ones carrying non-conventional warheads. Experts believe that if Iran is attacked by Israel or the US, Teheran would respond by firing long-range ballistic missiles at Israel.”

Iraq’s New Government–Good or Bad News?

Der Spiegel Online reported on May 22 about the reaction of the German press to Iraq’s new government.

The magazine commented: “Five bloody months after Iraqis turned out to vote for their first freely-elected parliament, Baghdad has a working government — minus a few important ministers. German papers are divided on whether this amounts to a triumph for democracy… the day was marked by suicide bombings around Iraq and a walkout by Sunnis in the parliament chamber (to protest slim Sunni representation). The cabinet also wasn’t complete — three crucial ministers hadn’t been named. Observers said it was a symptom of deep divisions in Iraq that defense, interior, and national security jobs were still vacant, since those ministries need strong leaders to control Iraq’s security forces and quell the Sunni uprising…

“German newspapers on Monday can’t decide if the news is good. The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung sounds optimistic… The Financial Times Deutschland agrees. The lack of key ministers ‘may sound like a joke, given the security situation in Iraq,’ and yes, it took a long time for the government to form, but the presence of Sunnis in the cabinet is already an important step forward, writes the paper…

“Center-right daily Die Welt, however, is a lot more pessimistic. Its editors think Prime Minister al-Maliki has gotten off to a weak start… ‘How far Maliki has succeeded is clear from his appointments to key ministries: Not at all.’ The paper doesn’t believe non-partisan or ‘neutral’ politicians exist in Iraq… So the US probably won’t pull troops anytime soon. ‘AN AMERICAN STRATEGIC SUCCESS IN IRAQ, in other words a functioning, democratic, pro-western government,’ writes the paper, ‘IS SIMPLY NOT SHAPING UP.'”

Who Is Safe in Germany?

Der Spiegel Online reported on May 22:

“The furor over Germany’s image in advance of the World Cup roiled straight through the weekend after an assault in Berlin on a Turkish-born politician seemed to confirm warnings last week that non-white tourists might want to avoid parts of the country. Giyasettin Sayan, a 56-year-old member of Berlin’s regional assembly, was hospitalized after two men attacked him with a bottle on Friday in his own ward of Lichtenberg. The incident seemed to confirm a controversial warning made only two days before by Uwe-Karsten Heye, a former spokesman for Gerhard Schröder, that World Cup tourists should be warned [to stay] away from ‘small and mid-sized towns in Brandenburg,’ where neo-Nazi thugs were active. This time, tellingly, the incident was no provincial freakshow: It happened in the tolerant, cosmopolitan capital.

“‘Police say this wasn’t a targeted attack on Giyasettin Sayan — and that’s not comforting at all,’ writes the center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung. Sayan represents the neo-Communist Left Party in Berlin, and Lichtenberg has a known skinhead problem: If he wasn’t a target, the paper implies, then anyone can get hurt. ‘In Berlin, in eastern Germany, and even in western Germany it’s dangerous to walk around at night in the wrong neighborhood with the wrong skin color, beard, or length of hair,’ write the editors. Uwe-Karsten Heye’s warnings last week — which upset some conservative German politicians and soccer authorities — ‘weren’t just yanked out of thin air.'”

“The left-wing Berliner Zeitung thinks World Cup visitors need to be warned, officially, about certain parts of Berlin. ‘Immigrants with a sense of Berlin avoid these places out of experience,’ the commentator writes, but ‘the city senate should warn foreign visitors to be careful in these risky neighborhoods. Berlin authorities openly worry about the city’s name. But considering that a neo-Nazi attack during the World Cup would be even worse — how many people have to get hurt before the concern for the physical integrity of our guests becomes more important than our image?'”

Russia vs. EU

On May 22, The EUobserver reported about Russia’s misgivings regarding the enlargement of the EU. The article stated:

“The EU’s new member states are spoiling Moscow’s relationship with the bloc due to ‘phantom pains of the past,’ a top Russian diplomat [Vladimir Chizhov, Moscow’s ambassador to the EU] has commented in the run up to the EU-Russia summit this week. ‘With enlargement, the EU has not become an easier partner for us,’ [he said]… The Kremlin has seen several problematic issues come up with some of the countries from central and eastern Europe that joined the bloc in May 2004.”

The article continued:

“Disputes with the ex-Soviet republics–Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania–involving political wording around border agreement texts and the treatment of Russian minorities in the Baltic countries have strained relations… Poland, the biggest of the ten 2004 entrants, also features on Moscow’s list of prickly newcomers. Apart from its support to opposition forces in Ukraine and Belarus, Warsaw has been one of the most outspoken critics of Russia’s energy policy, accusing the Kremlin of using its gas reserves as a means of blackmailing western neighbours. Poland is particularly vexed about a gas pipeline project to link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea bypassing Poland, with the country’s defence minister Radek Sikorski comparing the deal to a pre-World War II Nazi-Soviet pact partitioning Poland. Russia’s months-long blockade of Polish food imports and Moscow’s refusal to grant the Stalinist massacre of Polish officers and intelligentsia in Katyn in 1940 ‘genocide’ status are also bones of contention.”

President Bush Speaks To Germany

In an unprecedented move, President Bush gave two interviews on German television and in the German press. On May 8, 2006, Der Spiegel Online published the English translations of the two interviews.

We are setting forth below excerpts from President Bush’s Interview on German TV (The “Sabine Christiansen” show, which is the German political talk show with the highest ratings):

“I had a good relationship with Chancellor Schröder. The problem was, of course, that there was a disagreement over a very difficult decision I had to make, and that was Iraq. I fully understand why a government or a people would be, you know, I guess disappointed in me in a way, and not understand why somebody would commit troops to achieve an objective. And I like to remind people that September the 11th for us was a change in our history, and it certainly changed the way I thought. And for others, it was just a moment in passing. So there was a disagreement. On the other hand, U.S.-German relations were always important, and now we have a chance to turn a new chapter in our relationship, strengthen that alliance, strengthen that relationship, and work on matters that will make this world a better place. So I’m thrilled with my relationship with Chancellor Merkel…

“… if I were an Israeli, I’d be concerned about the combination of a president [from Iran] that said, I want to wipe Israel off the map, and had a nuclear weapon. And so, obviously, Israel is a factor. It’s a little country that will defend herself… Saddam Hussein was a very dangerous person in the world. Saddam Hussein had used weapons of mass destruction. Obviously, we didn’t find them like everybody thought we would, but we did know he had the capacity to make them. He had harbored terrorists. He had invaded his neighborhood. And the removal of Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do… “

Set forth below are excerpts from President Bush’s Interview with Germany’s mass tabloid, Bild:

“… there needs to be more understanding between the Muslim world and the Western world. There needs to be a better understanding of the true beliefs of their respective religions… I take great comfort in knowing that the true Muslim — Islam, itself, is a peaceful religion, and those who adhere to Islam are people that respect the rights of others. And there’s common values in the great religions. And what we cannot allow [to] happen is for these totalitarians, these Islamic extremists to distort a great religion and define the nature of that religion…

“The partnership between the United States and Europe is a vital partnership that transcends the war on terror. Part of our relationship is working together in the war on terror. But there are many other areas where we can and will continue to work together… when the United States and Europe cooperate, we can achieve security for our people, and enhance the prosperity for our people, as well — as well as do our duty. See, I believe there’s a duty to help ease the suffering in the world. I believe in the admonition that to whom much is given, much is required. And the United States — the people of the United States have been given a lot. We’re a blessed nation. And same for the people of Europe. And we have a duty to work together to help relieve the suffering of those who are less fortunate…

“Germany plays a vital role in the war on terror. Germany is in the heart of Europe. Germany is — whether it’s this current administration or the previous administration, we have had a, amongst our intelligence services, as well as our law enforcement services, a close coordination and a close discussion. Germany’s will is important. When the German Chancellor stands up and says the war on terror must be won, or is a vital part of the security of our peoples, people around the world listen. Germany plays a very important role… I’ve come to realize that the nature of the German people [is] such that war is very abhorrent, that Germany is a country now that is — no matter where they sit on the political spectrum, Germans are — just don’t like war. And I can understand that. There’s a generation of people who had their lives torn about because of a terrible war… Germany is vital for the European Union’s vitality…

“… when al Qaeda speaks, I take their words seriously. When bin Laden says we’ll bring harm to the West, I take them seriously. When Zarqawi says it’s just a matter of time for the U.S. to get out of Iraq so we can have safe haven, I take him seriously. Zawahiri, the number two man in al Qaeda, he’s constantly speaking about their grand designs to spread their ideology. And when Ahmadinejad speaks, we need to take it seriously, and when he says he wants to destroy Israel, the world needs to take that very seriously. It’s a serious threat. It’s a threat to an ally of the United States and Germany. But what he’s also saying is, if he’s willing to destroy one country, he’d be willing to destroy other countries. And, therefore, this is a threat that has got to be dealt with…

“You know, it’s interesting that the last two Holy Fathers were from the same neighborhood. The Holy Father who just passed away, who was a great man, came from Poland and really helped rally the spirits of the people to challenge the tyranny of communism. And the current Holy Father came from a country torn asunder by war and is witness to a renewal of a united Germany. And I think it helps the world to have that perspective in a very important position of leadership. I admire the two Popes. These are strong, capable men who challenge the concept of moral relevancy.”

The Pope will play an important role in the future, and Germany is indeed the most important and influential country of Europe. Sadly, the relationship between Europe and the USA will deteriorate in time. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Putin vs. USA?

AFP reported on May 11:

“Russia faces a growing arms race against a ‘fortress’ United States which cares more about its own interests than democracy or human rights, President Vladimir Putin said in his annual state of the nation speech… his most biting comments targeted the United States, which has become increasingly critical of Russia’s human rights records, with Vice President Dick Cheney claiming last week that ‘opponents of democracy’ were seeking to roll back post-Soviet gains… [Putin] was adamant over Russia’s rights to look after its own interests, saying that Russia would join the World Trade Organisation only on its own terms… ‘We see negotiations on entering the World Trade Organization only on terms that support Russia’s economic interests.'”

America’s Illegal Immigration–Is There Any Solution?

USA Today published the following article in its edition of May 10:

“As an immigration attorney with 25 years of experience, I’m fascinated by all the misinformation regarding the immigration debate. For example, the question, ‘Why don’t illegal immigrants just come here legally?’… The modern system has quotas, backlogs, preferences, family-based visas, employment-based visas. If you don’t fit into the right peg, you can’t get in. Most of the undocumented lack a qualifying relative to petition them. Even if they do, they might have to wait years to come in. The brother of a U.S. citizen from the Philippines, for example, has to wait at least 23 to 30 years. (They are processing cases filed before Oct. 15, 1983.) The wait for Mexico is 15 to 20 years… You are penalized if you have lived illegally in the USA. The penalty is either three years or 10 years, depending on your time illegally in this country. Pardons are available but are hard to get. If, for example, you are the mother of a U.S. citizen and you lived illegally in the USA for more than a year – forget about it. You must wait a decade before you can come into the country legally. There is no pardon for the parents of a U.S. citizen… It is a lie to tell Americans that the massive numbers of undocumented immigrants could come here legally… Comprehensive immigration reform is needed that balances justice with compassion.”

We would like to clarify that the concept of “illegal aliens” in the USA includes those foreigners who came into this country legally, but overstayed.

The Chicago Tribune filed this report on May 10:

“Nearly half of the nation’s children under 5 are racial or ethnic minorities, and the percentage is increasing mainly because the Hispanic population is growing so rapidly… Hispanics accounted for 49 percent of the country’s growth from 2004 to 2005, the report shows, driving 70 percent of the growth in children younger than 5. Forty-five percent of U.S. children in that age range are minorities. The census figures show that the number of Hispanic and Asian children younger than 5 grew by double-digit percentages since 2000. The number of black children grew more slowly. The number of non-Hispanic white children younger than 5 declined for two years this decade before increasing again.”

In light of these statistics and predictions, the question is raised what to do with illegal aliens, and, more importantly, how to prevent additional illegal foreigners from entering this country.

AFP reported on May 16:

“A plan by President George W. Bush to deploy 6,000 troops along the US-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants brought a mixed response in the United States and concern from the Mexican government. Bush announced in a national speech late Monday that up to 6,000 National Guard soldiers could be deployed along the… southern border beginning next month for up to one year… Senator John Kerry, the beaten Democratic candidate in the 2004 presidential election, said tightening border security was needed, ‘but putting another burden on the backs of men and women who are serving their second tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan isn’t the right answer.’

“And some in Bush’s own Republican party said they feared the president was not being tough enough on illegal immigration, which has sparked a fierce political debate ahead of looming US congressional elections in November. ‘A few weeks ago, the administration announced a crackdown on illegal employers, arresting more than 1,100, nationwide. But by the next morning, more than half of those arrested were released,’ said Republican Congressman Tom Tancredo, one of the president’s harshest critics on the immigration… California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican, also voiced concern, suggesting the plan might provide a temporary fix, but not a remedy. ‘Border state governors were not consulted about this proposal in advance,’ Schwarzenegger said in a statement. ‘I am concerned asking National Guard troops to guard our nation’s border is a Band-Aid solution and not the permanent solution we need.’ Bush said any effort to tighten US borders must be coupled with a temporary guest-worker program for the estimated 11.5 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, more than half of whom are from Mexico.”

According to the Drudge Report of May 12, 2006, Schwarzenegger also stated:

“Going the direction of the National Guard, I think is maybe not the right way to go because I think that the Bush administration and the federal government should put up the money to create the kind of protection that the federal government is responsible to provide. Not to use our National Guard, soldiers that are coming back from Iraq, for instance, and that have spent a year and a half over there and now they are coming back. I think that we should let them go to work, back to work again.”

On May 18, 2006, The Associated Press reported the following: “The Senate agreed to give millions of illegal immigrants a shot at U.S. citizenship and backed construction of 370 miles of triple- layered fencing along the Mexican border Wednesday… The vote to build what supporters called a ‘real fence’–as distinct from the virtual fence already incorporated in the legislation–was 83-16. The fence would be built in areas ‘most often used by smugglers and illegal aliens,’ as determined by federal officials. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., estimated the cost at roughly $3.2 million per mile, more than $900 million for 300 miles. The provision includes a call for construction of 500 miles of vehicle barriers, adding to a system currently in place.”

The Bible prophesies that ultimately, foreigners, legal or illegal, will become the most powerful force in the USA. Deuteronomy 28:43-44 predicts:

“The alien who is among you shall rise higher and higher above you, and you shall come down lower and lower. He shall lend to you, but you shall not lend to him; he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.” Why will this happen? Verse 47 explains: “Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything…”

A new StandingWatch program has been recorded, titled, “America’s Illegal Aliens,” which addresses the overlooked reason for America’s ongoing battle with illegal immigration.

Has Orwell’s “Big Brother” Arrived?

USA TODAY reported on May 11:

“The National Security Agency has been secretly collecting the phone call records of tens of millions of Americans, using data provided by AT&T, Verizon and BellSouth, people with direct knowledge of the arrangement told USA TODAY. The NSA program reaches into homes and businesses across the nation by amassing information about the calls of ordinary Americans – most of whom aren’t suspected of any crime. This program does not involve the NSA listening to or recording conversations. But the spy agency is using the data to analyze calling patterns in an effort to detect terrorist activity… ‘It’s the largest database ever assembled in the world,’ said one person, who, like the others who agreed to talk about the NSA’s activities, declined to be identified by name or affiliation.

“The agency’s goal is ‘to create a database of every call ever made’ within the nation’s borders, this person added. For the customers of these companies, it means that the government has detailed records of calls they made – across town or across the country – to family members, co-workers, business contacts and others… The NSA’s domestic program, as described by sources, is far more expansive than what the White House has acknowledged. Last year, Bush said he had authorized the NSA to eavesdrop – without warrants – on international calls and international e-mails of people suspected of having links to terrorists when one party to the communication is in the USA. Warrants have also not been used in the NSA’s efforts to create a national call database.

“In defending the previously disclosed program, Bush insisted that the NSA was focused exclusively on international calls. ‘In other words,’ Bush explained, ‘one end of the communication must be outside the United States.’ As a result, domestic call records – those of calls that originate and terminate within U.S. borders – were believed to be private. Sources, however, say that is not the case. With access to records of billions of domestic calls, the NSA has gained a secret window into the communications habits of millions of Americans. Customers’ names, street addresses and other personal information are not being handed over as part of NSA’s domestic program, the sources said. But the phone numbers the NSA collects can easily be cross-checked with other databases to obtain that information.”

The Associated Press reported on May 13:

“Telecommunications giant Qwest refused to provide the government with access to telephone records of its 15 million customers after deciding the request violated privacy law… In a written statement, the attorney for former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio said the government approached the company in the fall of 2001 seeking access to the phone records of Qwest customers, with neither a warrant nor approval from a special court established to handle surveillance matters. ‘Mr. Nacchio concluded that these requests violated the privacy requirements of the Telecommunications Act,’ attorney Herbert J. Stern said from his Newark, N.J., office… Two New Jersey public interest lawyers sued Verizon on Friday for $5 billion, claiming the phone carrier violated privacy laws by turning over customers’ records. The lawsuit asks the court to stop Verizon from supplying the information without a warrant or the subscriber’s consent.”

As will be pointed out below, other news agencies reported that all three named companies (Verizon, AT&T and BellSouth) were named in a lawsuit, seeking $220 billion in damages.

AFP elaborated on these lawsuits and the potentially devastating financial consequences in its article, dated May 13:

“The lawsuit in New York was filed under the 1986 Stored Communications Act, which expressly forbids the companies from turning over client records to the government without a warrant. The statute also gives consumers the right to sue for violations of the act and allows claims of at least 1,000 dollars for each violation. ‘If you’ve got 50 million people, that’s potentially 50 billion dollars,’ said Peter Swire, a law professor at Ohio State University and a former White House adviser on privacy issues.”

Der Stern Online reported on May 12 that in addition to Qwest, “T-Mobile” likewise refused to comply with a request from the NSA to share its records with the NSA. According to Der Stern, T-Mobile is a daughter company of the German firm, “Telekom.”

AFP reported on May 16:

“President George W. Bush appeared to acknowledge his government had collected millions of US telephone records in its war on terrorism but insisted the privacy of Americans was not threatened. At a news conference with visiting Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Bush again defended phone and e-mail monitoring as necessary to ‘connect dots to protect the American people’ against Al-Qaeda terrorists… A reporter asked: ‘You’ve said that the government is not trolling through the lives of innocent Americans, but why shouldn’t ordinary people feel that their privacy is invaded by the NSA compiling a list of their telephone calls?’ The president responded, ‘The program he’s asking about is one that has been fully briefed to members of the United States Congress in both political parties. They’re very aware of what is taking place.'”

Subsequently, both BellSouth and Verizon denied that they gave information to the NSA.

USA Today reported on May 17:

“Verizon said in a statement Tuesday that it is not providing customer calling information to the National Security Agency. ‘One of the most glaring and repeated falsehoods in the media reporting,’ the statement said, ‘is the assertion that, in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Verizon was approached by NSA and entered into an arrangement to provide the NSA with data from its customers’ domestic calls. This is false.’… On Monday, BellSouth denied providing records to the NSA. AT&T has refused to confirm or deny that it gave records to the NSA… For the initial story, Verizon issued a statement saying, ‘We do not comment on national security matters, we act in full compliance with the law and we are committed to safeguarding our customers’ privacy.’ Since then, the three companies named in the story have been named in a lawsuit seeking $200 billion in damages. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan claims the companies violated telecommunications law and the Constitution by allowing the government to have call information… In response to the Verizon statement, Steve Anderson, USA TODAY’s director of communications, said: ‘We will continue to investigate and pursue the story. We’re confident in our coverage of the phone database story. We will look closely into the issues raised by the BellSouth and Verizon statements.”

Why is this discussion so important? Isn’t it immaterial whether or not the government has access to your phone records? Maybe not. As MSNBC repeatedly pointed out on its television show, it is not inconceivable that a government with such knowledge could have prevented journalists from uncovering the Watergate scandal. USA Today voiced the following opinion in its editorial, dated May 13:

“… this database will be compiled, updated and expanded into the indeterminate future, through countless administrations with who-knows-what interests and motives. Only the most naive and unsuspicious soul could trust that it will remain safe, secured and for the eyes only of those hunting terrorists. One need look no further than past abuses of power to be uncomfortable about the future. Richard Nixon during Watergate. Lyndon Johnson during the Vietnam War. J. Edgar Hoover during his long reign as FBI director… Is it legal?… The 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act requires a court order to gather a person’s current phone records. A 1934 law requires phone companies to protect customers’ privacy. And the Fourth Amendment forbids ‘unreasonable searches and seizures.’

“Is it useful? Taken as a whole, such a database is of dubious utility… Looking for suspicious patterns among billions
of phone numbers seems like the ultimate search for a needle in a haystack. Is it foolproof? These types of databases invariably have errors. The federal terrorist ‘watch list,’ which is used to screen airline passengers, has ensnared a number of innocent travelers – among them Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and a 23-month-old toddler – whose names are similar to, or the same as, suspects on the list [We might also remind the reader of the recent episode when famous British pop star Cat Stevens found himself on the watch list, preventing him from entering the United States.] Once you’re mistakenly targeted, the error can be nearly impossible to fix and your life can be turned upside down. Will it be abused? Maybe not at first. Over time, however, this vast quantity of data is a potentially irresistible tool for government officials who want to zero in on individual Americans… Creating a huge, secret database of Americans’ phone records does far more than threaten terrorists. It is a deeply troubling act that undermines U.S. freedoms and threatens us all.”

Our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “America’s Latest Phone Scandal,” which was recorded on May 12, discusses further questions relevant to the issues at hand.

Germany’s Sunday Laws

Der Spiegel Online published the following article on May 14, discussing Germany’s blue laws. It is interesting that the magazine makes the common mistake–which is not unheard of in the USA and Europe–to confuse the Biblical Sabbath with Sunday. Sunday is NOT–and never has been–the Biblical Sabbath. The Biblical Sabbath is the seventh day of the week–the time from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset–whereas Sunday is the first day of the week. However, many Germans. Europeans and Americans have been deceived in thinking that Sunday is the Biblical Sabbath.

The magazine, being a victim of that same deception, points out:

“Germans, of course, aren’t nearly as serious about observing the Sabbath as the Maccabees were — that ancient group of faithful Jews who allowed themselves to be slaughtered rather than fight on the day of rest. But just try picking up a frozen pizza or a carton of milk on a Sunday in most parts of Germany. Unless you live in a big city or next door to the train station, Sunday starvation is a serious risk… Sundays remain strictly off limits for shopaholics, chronic consumers and those who find it difficult to remember a pharmacy errand on Saturday before its doors slam shut at 1 p.m… After all, about the only thing you can do on Sunday here is relax, eat a lot, or head to a museum. With the streets empty of big trucks (by law) and building sites silent, a ride through the city or countryside also makes for a pleasant escape. If you get a flat though, don’t count on finding a bike shop open to help you fix it….

“Torturing consumers with anemic opening hours has a long tradition in Germany. The first such law came into existence in 1900, but was soon strengthened. By 1919, it was illegal to open up shop on Sunday and stores on workdays could only be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.”

An Era Is Coming to an End

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 15:

“Meanwhile the president, whose approval ratings have reached record lows, is being compared with former president Richard Nixon, a man who is still viewed as the epitome of a rogue occupying the country’s highest office… Only 31 percent of Americans now approve of Bush’s performance. An era is coming to an end. The man who once dictated the West’s response to the challenge from al-Qaida with unwavering self-confidence appears to be losing friends and allies daily… some Republican leaders in Congress continue to distance themselves from their president. When Bush implored his fellow conservatives not to approve a budget that would worsen the country’s already massive deficit, his pleas fell on deaf ears. The Republican legislators, concerned mainly with saving their own skins come November, instead took the opportunity last week to distribute plenty of pork to their constituents.”

Venezuela on the Attack

On May 14, 2006, The Observer reported:

“Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez arrives in London today with an extraordinary promise to offer cut-rate heating oil for needy families in Europe, modelled on a similar campaign in the US which has been seen partly as a bid to embarrass President George Bush. Last night Chavez also issued a taunting obituary for the ‘American empire’ on the eve of a visit where he will be shunned by Downing Street but welcomed by London Mayor Ken Livingstone. Chavez said in Vienna yesterday that the ‘final hours of the North American empire have arrived … Now we have to say to the empire: “We’re not afraid of you. You’re a paper tiger.” Referring to his supply of heating to poor American families last winter, Chavez told a meeting of political supporters: ‘I’d like to do the same here in Europe.’… he said that Venezuela has two refineries in Germany and one in Britain…

“Livingstone said that one reason he was keen to welcome Chavez was because of the potential benefit for the capital from a strong financial and economic relationship with Venezuela… ‘They’re looking for allies in Europe and Asia and it’s very much in London’s interests that as Venezuela’s companies go, they should see London as a natural home every bit as much as Madrid.’… The Venezuelan leader… angered Downing Street by declaring that the Falkland Islands rightly belonged to Argentina.”

AFP reported on May 16 that “The United States imposed military sanctions on Venezuela, a main oil supplier, accusing President Hugo Chavez’s leftist government of failing to cooperate in the US-led ‘war on terror.'” The Associated Press added: “Venezuela is considering selling its fleet of U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets to another country, perhaps Iran, in response to a U.S. ban on arms sales to President Hugo Chavez’s government, a military official said Tuesday.”

On May 17, The Associated Press reported: “Venezuela’s anti-American president was given a warm welcome in the Libyan capital Wednesday by Col. Moammar Gadhafi, whose authoritarian regime was removed only this week from Washington’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism… Chavez said Washington ‘has a great capacity to do harm to the countries of the world.'”

Da Vinci Code Movie Fails

The Associated Press reported on May 17:

“‘The Da Vinci Code’ drew lukewarm praise, shrugs of indifference, some jeering laughter and a few derisive jabs Tuesday from arguably the world’s toughest movie crowd: critics at the Cannes Film Festival… The Cannes audience clearly grew restless as the movie dragged on to two and a half hours and spun a long sequence of anticlimactic revelations… One especially melodramatic line uttered by Hanks drew prolonged laughter and some catcalls, and the audience continued to titter for much of the film’s remainder.”

Newsbusters.org added the following remarks on May 17, about comments by one of the Da Vinci Code actors, during an interview with Matt Lauer of the “Today’s Show”:

“Lauer took the bull of controversy… by the horns when he interviewed the cast and director Howard today. Said Lauer: ‘There have been calls from some religious groups, they wanted a disclaimer at the beginning of this movie saying it is fiction because one of the themes in the book really knocks Christianity right on its ear, if Christ survived the crucifixion, he did not die for our sins and therefore was not resurrected. What I’m saying is, people wanted this to say “fiction, fiction, fiction”. How would you all have felt if there was a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie? Would it have been okay with you?’

“There was a pause, and then famed British actor Ian McKellen [Gandalf of Lord of the Rings], piped up: ‘Well, I’ve often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction. I mean, walking on water, it takes an act of faith…’ With the camera focused on McKellen, one could hear a distinctly nervous laugh in the background, seeming to come from either actor Tom Hanks or director Howard. McKellen’s stunning bit of blasphemy is likely to test the adage that all publicity is good publicity.”

Sadly, many people, including nominal or professing “Christians,” believe that the Bible is a book of fiction. However, if we reject the Bible as God’s revelation to man, we have NO HOPE for the future. The Bible is the ONLY book which has the answers to man’s timeless questions, and which can give us HOPE. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Mysteries of the Bible.”

Iran Won’t Concede

AFP reported on May 17 about the increasingly volatile situation involving Iran:

“Iran’s hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ridiculed a European Union plan to offer trade and technology incentives in exchange for his country agreeing to halt sensitive nuclear work. ‘They say they want to give us incentives. They think they can take away our gold and give us some nuts and chocolate in exchange,’ Ahmadinejad told a rally in the town of Arak. In a confident speech carried live on state-run television, he also vowed the Islamic regime would not bow to demands it freeze uranium enrichment work — at the centre of fears the country could acquire atomic weapons… In his speech, Ahmadinejad confidently asserted that the Western powers were doomed to fail. ‘As long as the nation is pious, it will overcome all problems and will humiliate the enemies,’ said Ahmadinejad, who managed to give a rousing speech despite an apparent [sore] throat. The firebrand president also repeated a warning that Iran could follow the path of North Korea.”

World Faces Nightmarish Prospect

Newsmax.com reported on May 16 about a strong warning from former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger:

“‘The world is faced with the nightmarish prospect that nuclear weapons will become a standard part of national armament and wind up in terrorist hands,’ warns former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger… Writing in Tuesday’s Washington Post, Kissinger insisted that the current standoff about nuclear weapons between the United States and Iran and the United States and North Korea ‘is a nuclear test for diplomacy.’ Observing that the negotiations on Korean and Iranian nuclear proliferation ‘mark a watershed,’ Kissinger wrote that a ‘failed diplomacy would leave us with a choice between the use of force or a world where restraint has been eroded by the inability or unwillingness of countries that have the most to lose to restrain defiant fanatics. One need only imagine what would have happened had any of the terrorist attacks on New York, Washington, London, Madrid, Istanbul or Bali involved even the crudest nuclear weapon…

“‘Failure to work out a diplomatic solution to the problem of Iran’s development of nuclear weapons would have ominous consequences… The issue before the nations involved is similar to what the world faced in 1938 and at the beginning of the Cold War: Whether to overcome fears and hesitancy about undertaking the difficult path demanded by necessity,’ he concluded, warning that ‘The failure of that test in 1938 produced a catastrophic war; the ability to master it in the immediate aftermath of World War II led to victory without war.'”

Android Or Human?

The Korea Times reported on May 5:

“Standing 1.6 meters tall and weighing about 50 kilograms, she can understand others, speak, blink with her eyes and makes several facial expressions. But she is not human, rather an android developed by a team of South Korean scientists. It is only the second time in the world that an android has been developed–Japan made the first one… [The android, named EveR-1] looks just like a Korean female in her early 20s including her shape that is benchmarked against the nation’s model. The human-sized robot can understand 400 words and make eye contact while talking via her lips that are synchronized with the pronunciation of words. Fifteen tiny motors embedded into her silicon face enable her to make a total of four expressions in tune with as many sentiments–joy, anger, sorrow and happiness. From a distance, the android could be confused with a real, flesh and blood human being, according to [inventor] Baeg [Moonhong]. ‘EveR-1 amply demonstrates our robotic technologies are at the forefront in the world. We will continue to make efforts to advance,” Baeg said.

“Only Japan was faster than Baeg’s team in making an android as the country developed a life-size female robot in 2003, dubbed ACTROID. It cannot move because it is glued to the floor. Neither does EveR-1. The Korean robot can move the upper half of her body such as arms and hands but she cannot travel because her lower half is immobile. Baeg, who spent just 3 billion won in creating EveR-1 in a year, is looking to exceed his Japanese rivals by making the model move four limbs by late this year. ‘For now, EveR-1 can be employed as a guide robot at museums and department stores or as an educational model to read books to children,” Baeg said. ‘But we are looking further ahead–we are working on upgrading the android with the aim of making it move its legs by the end of this year. It will be able to sit down and stand up by then,’ he expects.”

In a somewhat related article, AFP wrote on May 9:

“It may sound like science fiction, but the prospect that suicide bombers and hijackers could be made redundant by flying robots is a real one, according to experts. The technology for remote-controlled light aircraft is now highly advanced, widely available — and, experts say, virtually unstoppable… Japanese company Yamaha has produced [a] 95-kilogram (209-pound) robot helicopter that is 3.6 metres (11.8 feet) long and has a 256 cc engine. It flies close to the ground at about 20 kilometres per hour (12 miles per hour), nothing but an incredible stroke of luck could stop it if it suddenly appeared in the sky above the White House — and it is already on the market. Bruce Simpson, an engineer from New Zealand, managed to produce an even more dangerous contraption in his own garage: a mini-cruise missile. He made it out of readily available materials at a cost of less than 5,000 dollars (4,000 euros). According to Simpson’s website… the New Zealand authorities forced him to shut down the project… under pressure from the United States.”

Is the next World War going to be fought with the help of androids and robots? The Bible might indicate that much. Although clearly using figurative language, the book of Revelation describes modern warfare in these interesting terms: “Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power… Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man… The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle. They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months” (Revelation 9:3-10).

The Vatican Clashes With China

On May 4, 2006, The Associated Press reported the following:

“The Vatican lashed out Thursday at Beijing, announcing the excommunication of two bishops who were ordained by China’s state-controlled church without Pope Benedict XVI’s consent. Benedict’s first major political clash since his election as pontiff a year ago dimmed hopes for any re-establishment soon of official ties between the Holy See and Beijing that ended after communists took control of China in 1949. Also automatically excommunicated for defying the pope were the bishops who performed the ordinations in separate ceremonies since Sunday, according to a provision of church law cited by Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls. Benedict learned about the defiant ordinations ‘with great sadness,’ said Navarro-Valls. ‘It is a great wound to the unity of the church.’ The Vatican said that according to its information, ‘bishops and priests have been subjected–by institutions outside the church–to strong pressures and threats, in order for them to take part in the ordinations that, because they were not approved by the Vatican, are illegitimate and go against their conscience… We are therefore faced with a grave violation of religious freedom,’… adding that the Vatican ‘had thought and had hoped that such deplorable episodes belonged to the past.'”

The Associated Press added the following in an article, dated May 7:

“China’s official Roman Catholic church named a new bishop Sunday — reportedly with papal approval — as Beijing rejected Vatican criticism of the unauthorized ordination of two other bishops… China’s Catholics were forced to cut ties to the Vatican after the 1949 communist revolution. But the Holy See and China’s church communicate informally… Chinese church leaders recognize the pope as their spiritual leader and have sent priests to Rome to learn new religious doctrine. But Beijing says it will not allow official contact until the Vatican breaks diplomatic ties with Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory… The Vatican rejects most government involvement in the selection of church figures. But in Vietnam, another Asian communist nation, bishops are appointed after consultation with the government… A State Department report last week ranked China among eight ‘countries of particular concern’ that deny religious openness. Beijing on Saturday criticized the report as irresponsible and said it could harm U.S.-Chinese ties.”

USA vs. Russia

The Financial Times reported on May 4:

“Dick Cheney, the US vice-president, delivered a stinging criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin’s rule, warning the Kremlin against using gas and oil supplies as ‘tools of intimidation and blackmail’ and accusing the Russian authorities of ‘unfairly’ restricting the rights of their citizens. It was the strongest public rebuke made by a senior American official of Russia’s growing authoritarianism and its increasing willingness to employ energy policy for political ends.”

According to an article by Reuters of May 4, “The Kremlin on Thursday rejected as ‘completely incomprehensible’ remarks by Vice President Dick Cheney that Russia was backsliding on democracy and using its vast energy supplies to bully its neighbors.”

The Associated Press filed this report:

“[Cheney’s criticism] was a hard slap at Vladimir Putin as the United States seeks Russia’s cooperation in punishing Iran… [It] came just two months before President Bush joins Putin in St. Petersburg for a summit of major industrial powers. Cheney warned that Russia’s backsliding could harm Moscow’s relations with the United States and Europe…  Russian officials reacted angrily. ‘Cheney’s speech looks like a provocation and interference in Russia’s internal affairs in terms of its content, form and place,’ former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev was quoted as saying by the Interfax news agency.”

The Associated Press reported on May 5:

“A Russian newspaper said Friday that Vice President Dick Cheney’s harsh criticism of Moscow’s human rights record signaled the start of a new Cold War. The Kommersant business daily compared Cheney’s speech Thursday in neighboring Lithuania to Winston Churchill’s famous ‘Iron Curtain’ speech in Fulton, Mo., saying in that it ‘marked the beginning of a second Cold War.’ Churchill coined the ‘Iron Curtain’ expression in his 1946 speech that warned of Soviet expansion.”

To Pray Or Not To Pray…

The Associated Press reported on May 4:

“President Bush said Thursday that America’s history is inexorably tied to prayer. ‘America is a nation of prayer. It’s impossible to tell the story of our nation without telling the story of people who pray,’ Bush said during a White House celebration of the National Day of Prayer. ‘At decisive moments in our history and in quiet times around family tables, we are a people humbled and strengthened and blessed by prayer.’ Bowing his head many times as Christian and Jewish leaders offered prayers, the president thanked those who pray for him, calling it the greatest gift a citizen can offer him…

“Bush was careful to also honor those who choose not to pray, or join any religion. ‘We are a people united by our love for freedom, even when we differ in our personal beliefs,’ the president said. ‘In America, we are free to profess any faith we choose, or no faith at all.'”

Merkel A Key Player

Der Spiegel Online reported the following on May 4 regarding Angela Merkel’s second visit in Washington this week, since becoming German Chancellor:

“Both US President George W. Bush and German Chancellor Angela Merkel emphasized their growing friendship on Wednesday. Merkel even invited Bush to visit her constituency. But Iran dominated their talks.  Merkel’s stay in Washington was overshadowed by tough decisions approaching on Iran… Speaking to the White House press corps, Merkel said: ‘We are in total agreement saying that under no circumstances can Iran be allowed to come into possession of nuclear weapons.’

“While Germany is not a permanent member of the Security Council, Merkel has evolved into a key player in trying to keep the council members on the same page and working toward the same goal. She has often taken on the role of slowing down Bush’s headlong rush to penalize Iran. On Wednesday, while agreeing that something had to be done, she once again went to her trusted playbook, saying: ‘It is crucial, if one wants to see this conclude with a diplomatic success, to actually do this on a step-by-step basis. Quite often, attempts have been made to rush matters.’… In the evening, she will address the 100[th] anniversary celebration of the American Jewish Committee — and she will become the first German chancellor ever to address the group.”

Father’s Day–So Innocent?

 Der Spiegel Online filed this interesting report on May 4 about upcoming Father’s Day celebrations:

“It sounds so innocent: Father’s Day. But in Germany, it can often turn into drunken mayhem… On a certain Thursday towards the end of May, don’t be surprised to walk outside your door and find grown men slumped against lampposts, or lolling dazed and confused in wooden carts, clutching barrels of beer. This is Father’s Day, German style. While in many countries the Father’s Day ritual involves little more than writing a card and giving the gift of a new pair of socks — with breakfast in bed thrown in if the pater familias is especially lucky — the Germans have turned it into a true holiday for the country’s men. They are granted carte blanche to get riotously rip-roaring drunk. The day always coincides with Ascension Thursday, a public holiday in Germany which falls 40 days after Easter… The Father’s Day tradition, which is also called Herrentag, originated in the 18th century, and since then has always fallen on Ascension Thursday — the original idea being to celebrate Jesus returning to the holy Father. Traditionally men would be placed in a cart or carriage and brought to the town or village square, and the proud father who had sired the most children received a prize from the mayor, often a big piece of ham. By the 19th century, colorful parades became common, featuring horse-drawn carriages and traditional walks by men and women commemorating the walking of the apostles. By the late 19th century, as religion lost its hold on many, particularly in urban areas, the day evolved into men going on little walking trips, and bringing picnics of ham and beer in handkerchiefs tied to their walking sticks. By the 20th century it had reached its current incarnation: The Day of Drink…

“The bad name that the day now has for ‘boozing and beating’ has led some left-wing and feminist groups calling for it to be banned. Another unpleasant aspect is that neo-Nazi groups have been known to take advantage of the occasion to go looking for trouble… The best advice for Father’s Day in Germany might be to approach with caution, or better yet, to stay indoors. Why not sit back on your balcony, sipping a beer safe from harm? From there, you can observe the beast in his natural habitat: merrily staggering down the street in search of the next drink or slumped unconscious in a wooden cart.”

Tony Blair In Deep Trouble

Der Spiegel Online published an article on May 3, 2006, with the headline: “Nightmare on Downing Street.” It listed the following scandals which plague the current government:

“A parliamentary committee has launched an inquiry after it emerged that some people who had been nominated for peerages by Blair had given Labour large loans before the 2005 election. The affair has been widened to include loans to the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats… Home Secretary Charles Clarke has faced calls to quit after he acknowledged 1,023 foreign prisoners had been released when they should have been considered for deportation after they served their term. Unfortunately for Clarke, several of the released prisoners re-offended. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, a bullish man who once punched a heckler for throwing eggs in the 2001 election campaign, has been humiliated by revelations of a two-year affair with his diary secretary Tracey Temple, 43. She has alleged that sexual encounters took place in Prescott’s office with the door ajar while a team of civil servants worked outside. Government departments are now to conduct an enquiry into whether Prescott abused his position… A newspaper reported that the Labour Party spent $13,700 on hair-styling bills for Blair’s wife Cherie during last year’s month-long general election campaign… Culture Minister Tessa Jowell overcame weeks of negative press coverage in March over prosecutors’ claims that former Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi paid her husband David Mills for helpful testimony in two court cases. Mills denies wrong-doing. Taken together, the headlines have created the impression of a government in crisis. Infighting over education reform hasn’t helped, nor has continuing criticism of the performance of the National Health Service, one of the key areas of Labour policy. The situation has reached the point where MPs and cabinet ministers have been embarrassed to face voters and local councillors campaigning ahead of Thursday’s local election…”

The local elections last Thursday resulted in a stunning defeat for Tony Blair’s Labour party. Der Spiegel Online reported on May 5:

“English voters gave British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party a drubbing in this week’s local elections, prompting Blair to reshuffle his cabinet on Friday… Like rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, was how Labour politician and former minister Frank Dobson described Thursday’s cabinet reshuffle… [Tony Blair’s] party suffered its worse defeat to the Conservative Party since 1992… On Thursday, all eyes were on Downing Street to see who emerged looking downfallen. Unsurprisingly Home Secretary Charles Clarke was sacked in the wake of a scandal involving over 1,000 foreign serious criminals including murderers and sex offenders, who were released from prison but not deported as government policy dictates… More surprisingly was Jack Straw’s apparent demotion from foreign secretary to leader of the House of Commons. This move, however, according to the British daily The Guardian, was at the request of Straw himself. He will be replaced by Margaret Beckett, a faithful Blairite and Britain’s first female foreign secretary… After the Prescott sex scandal, the foreign offender row and threatened health service strikes, not to mention continued dissatisfaction with Blair’s position on Iraq, it would be hard to imagine how things could get worse for the Labour government.”

Euro At All-Time High

The Associated Press reported on May 6, 2006:

“Gold prices rose Friday, drawing support from a U.S. jobs report that sent the euro soaring to a one-year high. June gold rose to $686.50 an ounce on the New York Mercantile Exchange moments after the monthly report on U.S. non-farm payrolls, stopping just shy of the fresh 25-year high of $687 hit in overnight trading… Worries about how Iran will react if the United Nations sanctions the country for continuing its nuclear program have been boosting commodities as a whole.

“The euro surged from $1.2691 about two minutes prior to the jobs report to a high for the day of $1.2763 that is its strongest level since last May… ‘The dollar fell out of bed,’ said John Person, president of National Futures Advisory Service. ‘We’re back to that scenario where when we see a stronger euro, we see gold prices accelerate as well.'”

Jerusalem To Be “Divided” Or “Shared”?

WorldNetDaily reported on May 5, 2006:

“Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s Kadima Party is drafting a plan to divide Jerusalem by unilaterally withdrawing from some of the city’s neighborhoods and making special arrangements for key holy sites, a top party official announced in an interview yesterday. ‘We will not divide Jerusalem, we will share it,’ Kadima lawmaker Otniel Schneller told the Associated Press. Most Jerusalem neighborhoods with large Arab populations would be given to the Palestinians, he said… Jerusalem’s Old City, its holy sites and adjacent neighborhoods would become a ‘special region with special understandings’ but remain under Israeli sovereignty. He did not specify whether that meant placing key holy sites under third-party custodianship.”

The article continued:

“Jerusalem first was divided into eastern and western sections when Jordan invaded and occupied Jerusalem and the Old City in 1947, expelling all Jewish inhabitants. Israel built its capital in the western part of the city, while the eastern quarters remained under Jordanian control until Israel captured it, along with the Old City, in 1967 after Jordan’s King Hussein ignored Israeli pleas for his country to stay out of the Six Day War. During the 19 years of Arab sovereignty, the ancient Jewish Quarter of the Old City was ravaged, 58 synagogues – some centuries old – were destroyed and slum dwellings were built abutting the Western Wall. Jews were not allowed to visit their holy places and Israeli Christians were subjected to many restrictions, with only limited numbers allowed to visit the Old City and Bethlehem at Christmas and Easter.”

Schwarzenegger Speaks Out On Immigration Issues

 The Los Angeles Times reported on May 6:

“In some of the harshest terms he has used to date, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Friday said the federal government has left the nation’s borders dangerously vulnerable while failing to come up with a sensible approach to immigration. Schwarzenegger, taking questions at a news conference on a multibillion-dollar public works package passed by the Legislature early Friday, blamed the Bush administration and Congress for the massive street protests and widespread public unhappiness over federal immigration policy. Marches in Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities, he said, ‘are an expression of frustration. People want to send a message to Washington that they’re not happy with certain bills… I think that all of this comes down to one thing: The federal government has failed the people of America in a terrible way, in a disastrous way, when it comes to this immigration situation.’… He chided federal policy-makers for letting the border problem ‘hang out there for 20 years and not do anything about it, when they knew this is a problem.’… He scolded Congress for leaving Washington last month for spring recess, after a proposed deal to revamp the nation’s immigration laws collapsed. ‘For them to go home for spring break and not really take care of it when they know this was boiling here in this country is also irresponsible,’ he said.”

America’s Other Prisoners

On May 5, 2006, Der Spiegel Online reprinted an article from the International Herald Tribune, titled, “America’s Other Prisoners.” We are publishing excerpts from the article to show that America is being viewed by some–rightly or wrongly–as a democratic nation which is fighting terrorism in ways that compromise human rights and even America’s own cherished freedoms.

In the article, it was pointed out:

“The jury in the trial of Zacarias Moussaoui has determined that he should spend his life in jail rather than be executed for his role in the Sept. 11 terror attacks. This seems like the best possible outcome. For all his bombast, Moussaoui had no direct role in the Sept. 11 attacks. And it is good to know that he will not achieve a fanatic’s martyrdom. The most important thing about the Moussaoui trial, however, was that it happened. The proceedings – including the jury deliberations – were long and difficult, but they were also fair and in accordance with the rules of American justice. That is not the story for hundreds of other people, many far less complicit than Moussaoui, who are languishing in the prison at Guantánamo Bay because the United States rounded them up haphazardly during the Afghan war and plunked them down in Cuba without any clear plan on what to do with them over the long run. So far only 10 of the 490 people still stashed away in Guantánamo have ever been charged with anything. The rest were hauled up before military proceedings that were a joke, if the available transcripts are any indication, to determine whether they should continue to be held without any rights or process under the phony label of ‘unlawful enemy combatant’ that the Bush administration concocted after Sept. 11 for just this purpose. This is not even a half-hearted stab at a day in court, and it leaves hundreds of people under indefinite, illegal detention.

“Among them are about 150 prisoners who the government says it would like to send home because they pose no threat to the United States, but feels it can’t. Some, like the Uighurs – Chinese Muslims – would face possible prison or torture if sent back to countries without basic regard for human rights. The Bush administration has put itself in a bizarre situation when it is forced to worry about the humane treatment of people it whisked off to Guantánamo without any serious attempt to determine who they were, much less what crime they may have committed. They were then held without charges, many under abusive conditions that sometimes amounted to torture, for more than three years.

“The Moussaoui trial was a messy process, marked by embarrassing lapses on the part of the prosecution, court fights about what information the defense could have access to and the weird demeanor of the defendant himself, which threatened at times to make the whole exercise seem ridiculous. It summarized, in the end, almost all the things about playing by the rules that the hard men who surround the president dislike. But it worked. The whole world was able to watch the U.S. judicial system struggling gamely and fairly toward a proper conclusion, upholding the principle that even semideranged outsiders who claim to rejoice in the deaths of more than 2,000 innocent civilians deserve their day in court. Meanwhile, the bitter fruits of the fast, easy, tough route are hidden away on a military base. It seems apparent now that many of them are simply luckless men who were in the most utterly wrong place in the world at the worst possible time. Those who may be something more sinister cannot be tried because their rights have been so compromised during their imprisonment. They are damaged goods, their very presence staining the honor of the country that imprisoned them, willy-nilly, because it seemed the easiest thing to do at the time.”

Legal Action Against Da Vinci Code?

On May 7, Reuters filed the following report:

‘In the latest Vatican broadside against ‘The Da Vinci Code’, a leading cardinal says Christians should respond to the book and film with legal action because both offend Christ and the Church he founded. Cardinal Francis Arinze, a Nigerian who was considered a candidate for pope last year, made his strong comments in a documentary called ‘The Da Vinci Code-A Masterful Deception.’ Arinze’s appeal came some 10 days after another Vatican cardinal called for a boycott of the film. Both cardinals asserted that other religions would never stand for offences against their beliefs and that Christians should get tough. ‘Christians must not just sit back and say it is enough for us to forgive and to forget,’ Arinze said in the documentary… ‘Sometimes it is our duty to do something practical. So it is not I who will tell all Christians what to do but some know legal means which can be taken in order to get the other person to respect the rights of others,’ Arinze said… The book, written by Dan Brown, has sold more than 40 million copies… The central tenet of the book is that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and had children… ‘Those who blaspheme Christ and get away with it are exploiting the Christian readiness to forgive and to love even those who insult us. There are some other religions which if you insult their founder they will not be just talking. They will make it painfully clear to you,’ Arinze said. This appeared to be a reference to protests by Muslims around the world over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.”

In his latest StandingWatch video, “American Hiroshima,” Norbert Link raises the question how long the Catholic Church will sit idly by before responding to blasphemous comments and actions by others. The video was taped and released before the above-quoted article was published.

Iran Can Also Be Wiped Off Of The Map

The Jerusalem Post reported on May 8:

“Vice Premier Shimon Peres said Monday in an interview to Reuters that ‘the president of Iran should remember that Iran can also be wiped off the map’… ‘Iran presents a danger to the entire world, not just to us,’ Peres added.”

On May 9, The Jerusalem Post added:

“‘Wiping Israel off the map is just one step in Iran’s attempt to create a new world order,’ said Brig.-Gen Yosef Kuperwasser, head of the IDF Military Intelligence’s research division… ‘Iran is at the forefront of global terrorism, and aids Hizbullah in Lebanon, al Qaida, and Palestinian terror organizations, and is behind attacks on US armed forces in Iraq,’ the general asserted… ‘Nuclear capabilities would ensure that regime returns to its former glory and revives the Islamic revolution there,” he explained.”

Reuters reported on May 9 about the expected failed attempt by the Security Council to agree on measures against Iran:

“More work is needed to unite world powers behind a U.N. resolution to rein in Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Germany said on Tuesday after foreign ministers failed to agree [on] a joint strategy… Russia and China oppose [measures against Iran, as proposed by the United States, Britain and France, as well as Germany]… China, which like Russia has big energy interests in Iran, repeated its call for negotiations to end the dispute… The United States has refused to rule out military action but… reiterated that it wanted a diplomatic resolution… Britain’s new foreign minister, Margaret Beckett, said no one intended to take military action but refused to describe such a prospect as ‘inconceivable.'”

On May 9, The Associated Press reported:

“Political directors from the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France as well as Germany made the decision to present Tehran with the possible carrots and sticks at a meeting after their foreign ministers failed Monday night to reach agreement on the resolution. As a result of Tuesday’s decision, political directors from the three European countries that had been spearheading negotiations with Iran will spend the next few days preparing a package of benefits and sanctions… The package will be presented to European Union foreign ministers on the sidelines of an EU meeting in Brussels, Belgium, on Monday, and when approved will be presented to the Iranian government.”