This page was originally put together as an attempt to put several pieces into one place to try and understand European politics better and how it might relate to the rebuilding of the Roman Empire through which the antichrist may arise. A lot of those perspectives have changed and so this has really been pared down to just review some basic elements of European politics and perhaps show how one agreement after another can end up leading to global governance and how that may lead to a world united against God and His people.

Short History of the EU

Wikipedia: The European Union (EU) is a supranational and intergovernmental union of 27 democratic member states in Europe. The European Union was established under that name in 1992 by the Maastricht Treaty. Many aspects of the Union existed before then through a series of predecessor relaIn 1985, the Schengen Agreement abolished passport control and customs checks for most member states within EU's internal borders, creating, to some extent, a single area of free movement for EU citizens to live, travel, work and invest. A Common Foreign and Security PolicyCommon Foreign and Security Policy was established as the second of the three pillars of the European Union.

Important EU institutions include the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, the European Council, the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice, and the European Parliament which is elected every five years.

Working Groups - Nameless bureaucrats meeting behind closed doors in a multinational setting, where they are writing laws to integrate and harmonize laws. (20 "working groups" were created following the Security & Prosperity Partnership (SPP) meeting March 23, 2005 to harmonize America's laws with Mexico and Canada. America is also ceding power to Europe in certain emergency situations.)

Return of the Tower of Babel?

From Biblelight.net

Genesis 11:1-9
And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

An Unfinished Tower

Above is an illustration of the one of the buildings of the European Parliament in Strasbourg France, the Louise Weiss Building, which includes a tower that appears to be unfinished. Below on the left is a painting done in 1563 of the Tower of Babel, by Pieter Brueghel the Elder, a Flemish Northern Renaissance Painter. Below on the right is a poster produced by the European Union symbolically depicting their mission. It combines the 12 stars of the EU flag with the rebuilding of the tower of Babel with the motto Europe: Many Tongues One Voice. Note also that the stars are shown as inverted pentagrams, an occult symbol for Satan.

The tower of the Louise Weiss Building (shown below), although it looks unfinished, was designed with the expressed purpose of resembling the tower of Babel as depicted in Brueghel's painting!

The European Union Constitution

	Capitoline Hill, Rome, October 29, 2004 - Signing the new EU constitution in the Appartamento dei Conservatori, Sala degli Orazi e Curiazi, before the bronze statue of Pope Innocent X by Alessandro Algardi.
AP photo

The European Union is clearly saying symbolically that their goal is a defiant reversal of an act of God. The prophecy of Daniel chapter 2 tells us that this end-time attempt at unification will ultimately fail as an unfinished work, that it will soon be replaced by the Kingdom of God.

Daniel 2:43,44
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

The EU expanded from 15 members to 25 in 2004, making a new constitution necessary for practical governing. Before it could come into effect, the EU constitution had to be ratified by all 25 EU member states, either through a referendum or by a parliamentary vote. Nine countries already had done so: Austria, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain, however, rejection by even a single remaining country would prevent it from taking effect in November of 2006. The “no” vote that derailed the EU constitution happened on May 29th, 2005 in France. The Netherlands also voted “no” on June 1st, 2005 and the United Kingdom announced on June 6th, 2005 that it would not vote on the constitution. For all practical purposes, the EU constitution and its attempt at unity is dead.

As of January 1, 2007, the EU expanded to 27 nations with the addition of Bulgaria and Romania.

The European Union dropped plans for a constitution and decided to amend two existing treaties instead. Signed by the heads of state in Lisbon on December 13th, 2007, it still had be ratified by all 27 member nations to go into effect. Ireland, the only country to put the treaty to a public vote, defeated the Lisbon treaty proposition on June 12th, 2008.

In September of 2009, Czech senators filed a complaint against the treaty in the constitutional courts that delayed Czech signing of the treaty.

Ireland voted again on October 2nd, 2009, approving the Lisbon treaty, and Poland's President signed the Treaty on October 10th, leaving only the Czech republic's president to approve it, who has said he will not sign the treaty unless his country is granted an opt-out from the EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights.

On November 3rd, 2009, Czech president Vaclav Klaus signed the Lisbon Treaty, after the complaint to the constitutional courts was rejected. The Treaty became law on December 1st.

Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, chosen unanimously by the 27 European heads of government over dinner on November 19th to become EU President, is a devout Roman Catholic who was educated at the Jesuit Sint-Jan Berchmans College in central Brussels, and has degrees in philosophy and applied economics from the Catholic University of Leuven.

Freedom, Security, Privacy - European Home Affairs in an Open World

Thanks to Constance Cumbey for bringing this to my attention. I just came across the website www.statewatch.org and its monitoring of the state and civil liberties in Europe. The following comes from their site regarding the following report and some sections of the report I have linked below:

“The Council Presidency (France) sent this report to COREPER (high-level committee of Brussels-based representatives of all EU member states) and the Council (Ministers) in a document dated 9 July 2008 - it was discussed at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 24-25 July. However, it was not ‘archived’ (made publicly available) on the Council's public register of documents until 11 September 2008 - two months later and the same day that Statewatch released its report on the Future Group's report on European Home Affairs: The Shape of Things to Come Statewatch had put this document on its website: Future Report: Freedom, Security, Privacy – European Home Affairs in an open world (pdf) on 7 August 2008. Tony Bunyan, Statewatch editor, comments: “The Council's report on the future direction of EU justice and home affairs policies raises fundamental questions on privacy, civil liberties and the kind of society we want to live in. Statewatch's analysis on ‘The Shape of Things to Come’, was published on 11 September, by which time over 10,000 copies of the EU Future Group's report had been downloaded from our website. The very same day the Council made the report available to the public - but if Statewatch had not published ‘The Shape of Things to Come’ when would the Council have made it public?”

From The Shape of Things to Come by Tony Bunyan:

This analysis looks at the ideology in the Future group report, Freedom, Security and Privacy - the area of European Home Affairs. The EU is currently developing a new five year strategy for justice and home affairs and security policy for 2009-2014. The proposals set out by the shadowy ‘Future Group’ include a range of extremely controversial measures including techniques and technologies of surveillance and enhanced cooperation with the United States.

This examines the proposals of the Future Group and their relation to existing and planned EU policies. It shows how European governments and EU policy-makers are pursuing unfettered powers to access and gather masses of personal data on the everyday life of everyone – on the grounds that we can all be safe and secure from perceived “threats”.

The Council of the European Union's “Future Group” presented its final report at the Justice and Home Affairs Council's July 2008 meeting. This will lead to a new justice and home affairs programme for 2010-2014, following the “Tampere” programme (1999-2004) and the “Hague” programme 2005-2009. The final programme will be proposed by the European Commission, then amended and adopted by the Council. It will set out a detailed programme for both new measures and practices for the five-year period.

The “Timetable” indicates that the new five year plan will be adopted under the Swedish Council Presidency in the second half of 2009 – the “Stockholm programme” maybe.3 The final report is intended to be the basis of a proposal from the European Commission and unlike the processes for the adoption of the Tampere and Hague programmes it also suggests that the European Parliament will be consulted - but, as usual, the Council of the European Union (the 27 governments) will have the final say on its content.

The group was set up in January 2007 - Ministers had agreed to a German Presidency proposal at the Informal JHA meeting in Dresden on 14-16 January 2007 and later “in the margins” of the JHA Council on 14 February 2007.4 Its final report is from the “Informal High Level Advisory Group on the Future of European Home Affairs Policy” and is entitled: Freedom, Security and Privacy - European Home Affairs in an open world. A separate report was also published on Justice.5 The Tampere and Hague programmes were concerned with both home affairs and justice so this separation is unusual but deliberate - in many member states the Justice Ministries are often perceived as being more “liberal” as they cover peoples' rights in the criminal justice system whereas Interior Ministries are more concerned with the agencies that exercise coercive powers over citizens and migrants... Read more at the link above.

From Future Report: Freedom, Security, Privacy – European Home Affairs in an open world:

Executive Summary: The Future Group

“1. At the informal meeting of Ministers of Interior and Immigration in Dresden in January 2007, the German Minister of the Interior and the Vice President of the European Commission responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security proposed the creation of an informal Group at ministerial level with the objective to consider the future of the European area of justice, freedom and security. The findings and recommendations of the Future Group are meant to be an important contribution and a source of inspiration for the European Commission's proposal for the next multi-annual programme in the field of Justice and Home Affairs.” (Pg. 5)

Preserving Internal Security and External Stability

Police Cooperation

“5. The Group recommends deepening law enforcement cooperation within the Union while ensuring that the different aspects of this cooperation progress consistently and while preserving active cooperation in the field. Police forces in the Union belong to Member States’ field of competence. In the years to come, these law enforcement services should, however, get closer to each other. There is a need for improving the environment of police cooperation, especially by reinforcing Europol, exchanging knowledge and integrating police file management and security technologies.” (Pg. 6)

Fight against terrorism

“12. The Group recommends that the work initiated within the scope of the 2005 European Union Strategy be carried on and further developed so as to fight terrorism based on a comprehensive global approach. The European Union must ensure that Member States’ competences and resources are better tapped, since these are responsible for the operational fight against terrorism.” (Pg. 8)

“13. The Group deems it advisable that the different actors of the fight against terrorism be better coordinated within the Union and that, therefore, a concept should be developed on the future institutional architecture in this area. The Group suggests an improvement of the information flow between Member States’ law enforcement authorities, Eurojust and Europol. In this context, the role of the Joint Situation Centre (SitCen) should be analysed with particular consideration.” (Pg. 8)

Terrorism defined according to Alliance of Civilizations perhaps?

“15. Regarding external relations, better political, technical and operational cooperation should be reached with third countries, especially with countries most affected by the menace of terror as well as the Union’s major strategic partners – the United States and Russia.”

Border Management and Cooperation with Third Countries

“34. The European Union border management policy is coming to the end of its first phase, which aimed mainly at the abolition of internal borders controls. Member States admit that the cooperation of law enforcement teams on external borders is necessary to reach an effective and mutually supportive policy.” (Pg. 12)

“37. The Group thinks that Frontex must play a central role in maximising threat analysis; cooperation between Member States (Frontex should especially be in a position to manage joint operations); training of Member States’ border guards and reinforcing links with third countries in this field. The resources belonging to Frontex – personnel and equipment – must be reinforced. The agency should also be given the responsibility to regularly evaluate and inspect national border forces.” (Pg. 13)

Using new technologies and information networks

“44. In a space where people and goods move freely, information exchange is a key component of European security. The Hague-Programme established the Principle of Availability. The Group estimates that European information networks should now be developed from a legal as well as from a technical standpoint, with a global and coherent approach taking fully into account operational needs. It therefore recommends implementing a European Union Information Management Strategy (EU IMS) promoting a coherent approach to the development of information technology and exchange of information.” (Pg. 14)

Which strategy can best take up the 2010-2014 challenges?

“52. The underlying thread to a coordinated management of European migration and security issues could be the convergence principle. The aim of this idea is to bring Member States closer not only by means of standardisation when necessary but also by operational means. Common training programmes, exchange networks, solidarity mechanisms, the pooling of some equipment, simpler cooperation procedures, and of course, information exchanges are essential ways of reaching true and genuine operational cooperation between the Union’s Member States.” (Pg. 16)

Chapter I: Introduction

1.) The Future Group: A different way of policy-making in the area of European Home
Affairs

“1. Home Affairs policy has been dealt with at European level for years, and it now takes place increasingly in an international and even global environment. Policy-makers are confronted with continually shifting political surroundings requiring dynamic decision-making. The general framework requiring political action in this climate is made up of: globalisation; the right balance between mobility, security and privacy; the increasing blurriness of internal and external security; the worldwide and borderless use of information and communication technologies and, linked thereto, an increasing need to protect sensitive data in an exemplary manner.” (Pg. 18)

In progress... You can read the full document for yourself at the link above and I recommend reading The Shape of Things To Come, an analysis of this document.

The NATO connection: Look out America!

23. PROTOCOL ON PERMANENT STRUCTURED COOPERATION ESTABLISHED BY ARTICLE I-41(6) AND ARTICLE III-312 OF THE CONSTITUTION

THE HIGH CONTRACTING PARTIES,

HAVING REGARD TO Article I‑41(6) and Article III‑312 of the Constitution,

RECALLING that the Union is pursuing a common foreign and security policy based on the achievement of growing convergence of action by Member States;

RECALLING that the common security and defence policy is an integral part of the common foreign and security policy; that it provides the Union with operational capacity drawing on civil and military assets; that the Union may use such assets in the tasks referred to in Article III‑309 of the Constitution outside the Union for peace‑keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter; that the performance of these tasks is to be undertaken using capabilities provided by the Member States in accordance with the principle of a single set of forces;

RECALLING that the common security and defence policy of the Union does not prejudice the specific character of the security and defence policy of certain Member States;

RECALLING that the common security and defence policy of the Union respects the obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty of those Member States, which see their common defence realised in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which remains the foundation of the collective defence of its members, and is compatible with the common security and defence policy established within that framework;

CONVINCED that a more assertive Union role in security and defence matters will contribute to the vitality of a renewed Atlantic Alliance, in accordance with the Berlin Plus arrangements;

DETERMINED to ensure that the Union is capable of fully assuming its responsibilities within the international community;

RECOGNISING that the United Nations Organisation may request the Union’s assistance for the urgent implementation of missions undertaken under Chapters VI and VII of the United Nations Charter;

RECOGNISING that the strengthening of the security and defence policy will require efforts by Member States in the area of capabilities;

CONSCIOUS that embarking on a new stage in the development of the European security and defence policy involves a determined effort by the Member States concerned;

RECALLING the importance of the Minister for Foreign Affairs being fully involved in proceedings relating to permanent structured cooperation,

HAVE AGREED UPON the following provisions, which shall be annexed to the Constitution:

Article 1

The permanent structured cooperation referred to in Article I‑41(6) of the Constitution shall be open to any Member State which undertakes, from the date of entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, to:

(a) proceed more intensively to develop its defence capacities through the development of its national contributions and participation, where appropriate, in multinational forces, in the main European equipment programmes, and in the activity of the Agency in the field of defence capabilities development, research, acquisition and armaments (European Defence Agency), and

(b) have the capacity to supply by 2007 at the latest, either at national level or as a component of multinational force groups, targeted combat units for the missions planned, structured at a tactical level as a battle group, with support elements including transport and logistics, capable of carrying out the tasks referred to in Article III‑309, within a period of 5 to 30 days, in particular in response to requests from the United Nations Organisation, and which can be sustained for an initial period of 30 days and be extended up to at least 120 days.

Article 2

To achieve the objectives laid down in Article 1, Member States participating in permanent structured cooperation shall undertake to:

(a) cooperate, as from the entry into force of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, with a view to achieving approved objectives concerning the level of investment expenditure on defence equipment, and regularly review these objectives, in the light of the security environment and of the Union’s international responsibilities;

(b) bring their defence apparatus into line with each other as far as possible, particularly by harmonising the identification of their military needs, by pooling and, where appropriate, specialising their defence means and capabilities, and by encouraging cooperation in the fields of training and logistics;

(c) take concrete measures to enhance the availability, interoperability, flexibility and deployability of their forces, in particular by identifying common objectives regarding the commitment of forces, including possibly reviewing their national decision‑making procedures;

(d) work together to ensure that they take the necessary measures to make good, including through multinational approaches, and without prejudice to undertakings in this regard within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the shortfalls perceived in the framework of the ‘Capability Development Mechanism’;

(e) take part, where appropriate, in the development of major joint or European equipment programmes in the framework of the European Defence Agency.

Article 3

The European Defence Agency shall contribute to the regular assessment of participating Member States’ contributions with regard to capabilities, in particular contributions made in accordance with the criteria to be established, inter alia, on the basis of Article 2, and shall report thereon at least once a year. The assessment may serve as a basis for Council recommendations and European decisions adopted in accordance with Article III‑312 of the Constitution.

C 310/366 EN Official Journal of the European Union 16.12.2004

Outrage Erupts Over Bush Demands in Murder Case WorldNet Daily (October 10, 2007) - What the U.S. government wants in the Medellin murder case, now being heard before the U.S. Supreme Court, is “bizarrely grotesque,” according to the chief counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. And the warning from ADF Chief Counsel Benjamin Bull notes that the case, being pursued by President Bush through the Department of Justice, could result in U.S. laws being subjugated to U.N. resolutions and rules to the point that local police officers will have to spend more time studying international law than catching criminals.

The following is an excerpt from a document found at the NATO on-line library. Thank you Bjorn:

NATO after Riga (February 14, 2007)

...Fully operational NATO Response Force

Allied leaders announced at Riga that the NATO Response Force (NRF) had reached its full operational capability. The technologically-advanced force is made up of land, air, sea and special forces components that the Alliance can deploy quickly wherever needed. It is capable of performing missions worldwide across the whole spectrum of operations, including evacuations, disaster management, counterterrorism, and acting as an initial entry force for larger, follow-on forces. It can number up to 25,000 troops and start to deploy after five days’ notice and sustain itself for operations lasting 30 days or longer if re-supplied. The Secretary General [Jaap de Hoop Scheffer] described achieving full operational capability for the NRF as “a major accomplishment because it gives the Euro-Atlantic community unprecedented capability.” NATO leaders agreed at Riga on common funding of short-notice deployments of the NRF, an agreement that should act as an incentive for countries to participate in future rotations of the force...

...At Riga, NATO leaders launched a special operations forces transformation initiative to increase joint training and doctrine development, improve equipment, and enhance interoperability. The Allies also directed further work in a number of other areas that are vital to modern operations, including air-to-ground surveillance, logistics and intelligence-sharing. These and a broad range of other activities illustrating NATO’s transformation in action were displayed at a Transformation Exhibition during the Summit. Transformation costs money. The Riga Summit declaration stated Allies’ commitment to continuing to provide, individually and collectively, the resources necessary to allow NATO to perform the tasks demanded of it. They therefore called on member nations with declining defence spending to increase this spending in real terms...

The question becomes then what constitutes terrorism? When we start to examine the beginning stages of the attack on thought mixed with the goal of the Alliance of Civilizations to fight against those claiming sole ownership to the Truth, the definition of a terrorist could easily become a thought crime issue. And with lies repeated loud enough and long enough mixed with people claiming to be Christian but acting contrary to the Bible’s dictates I’m sure will be used to destroy Christianity and support the worship of the man of sin as the Bible foretells will happen. By the way, NATO Backs Turkey’s Alliance of Civilizations Initiative (November 29, 2006) and the goal ultimately is to have civilian and military forces act as one to support the governmental system in development today and enforce laws and rules. We are seeing power through trade and political agreements asserted on the world’s unsuspecting population, showing how it is possible for those not watching to miss all that is being fulfilled around them.

Keeping the peace International Herald Tribune (March 10, 2008) - For months, for years, we have been deeply distressed, yet powerless, with respect to the tragedy in Darfur. Two weeks ago, despite the troubles in Chad, Europe gave itself the means to protect the victims and to rebuild their villages in eastern Chad. At the behest of France, and thanks to the efforts of our European partners, the European Union - implementing a unanimous UN Security Council resolution - launched its Eufor operation. There will finally be help and comfort for women - who up to now were raped or killed as soon as they left their camps - and for hungry children. This is no small achievement. I've just returned from Goz Beida in eastern Chad, and I will never forget the enthusiastic welcome the European soldiers received from displaced persons and refugees. The launch of an autonomous EU operation in Africa, led by an Irish general with a Polish deputy and bringing together troops from some 15 countries, illustrates how far we have come in building a European defense. It is now desired and supported by nations that until very recently remained skeptical. We have been working to build a European defense since the 1990s. The Europeans needed military means commensurate with their political ambitions. How could we hope to influence a crisis or negotiations without the means to back up our words? “The Union must have the capacity for autonomous action, backed up by credible military forces, the means to decide to use them, and a readiness to do so, in order to respond to international crises,” concluded the Franco-British Saint-Malo Summit in 1998. The European Security and Defense Policy inscribed in the Lisbon Treaty is finally allowing us to meet this need. In the future, if we wish to do so, the EU will be able to fully assume its role on the international scene. No one can deny that this is a major asset for peace in the world. The approximately 15 civilian and military operations that Europe has already conducted since 2003 in the Balkans, in Africa, in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and as far away as Indonesia, largely attest to this. In each of them, the EU was guided by a single ideal: to save lives, to avert war, and to work for reconstruction and reconciliation when the international community had been unable to prevent conflict. Each time we did so with a concern for effectiveness and pragmatism, with or without direct support from the Americans. Our vision of relations between the EU and NATO is that they should be founded on this same pragmatism. In some cases, the EU has used its own military means, as it did in Congo in the past and is doing in Chad and the Central African Republic today. In other situations - Bosnia, for example - the EU benefited from NATO support. Now, in a growing number of crises, the EU and NATO are deployed together on the ground. That is sufficient to show that there is not competition but rather complementarity between the two organizations. How could it be otherwise when 21 of the 26 NATO allies are members of the EU, and 21 of the 27 EU partners are members of NATO? Moreover, it is these individual nations that decide on a case-by-case basis what is the most appropriate framework for their actions. And it is they who supply troops and equipment - there is no EU army, just as there is no NATO army. And all the parties remain free. This very simple truth means that European defense relies on the commitment of each state and that all may do their share. It presumes that all European countries make the effort to ensure that the security of all is no longer guaranteed or financed by only a few. As France is one of the largest contributors to both EU and NATO operations, it is in our interest, even more than in that of others, for the two organizations to work more effectively together. The positions expressed by President Nicolas Sarkozy last fall are clear: A tireless promoter of European defense, France is at the same time a key member of NATO, whose forces it has commanded on several occasions, particularly in Kosovo and Afghanistan. Our new approach to NATO is not an alignment but rather a strengthened European dynamic. Some claim that the United States remains opposed to a European defense, as it would weaken NATO. This claim no longer appears to be true. Recent statements by high-ranking U.S. officials in Paris and London indicate that Washington - aware of the challenges we must face together - acknowledges the necessary complementarity of the two organizations. Trust is built over time and through reciprocity: Our openness to the United States and American support for the EU autonomously assuming its responsibilities shall advance hand in hand. European defense and Europe's anchorage in the Atlantic alliance are two facets of the same defense and security policy, pursued in the name of the values we share. The EU presidency, which France will assume on July 1, must allow us to open new perspectives in the field of security and defense, to fight against terrorism and proliferation more effectively, to reinforce our energy security, and to prepare the implementation of permanent structured cooperation open to all 27 member states, as made possible by the new treaty. We will resolutely strive toward that aim. We are already preparing ourselves under the presidency of our Slovenian friends. This progress will give full meaning to the renewal of our relationship with NATO.

United Nations to expand police force Associated Press (November 1, 2007) - With the world facing new security threats, the U.N. is planning for an unprecedented expansion of its police missions. U.N. officials say a shift in the nature of conflicts requires revamped peacekeeping operations. Traditionally, the U.N. has facilitated peace between warring states by sending its blue-helmeted soldiers to man buffer zones between their armies. But today, interventions are increasingly focused on settling civil wars.

An article by our reader and contributor affectionately known to us as “Rich of Medford” The final report of the United Nations’ Alliance of Civilizations (AoC) initiative was released last month. In addition to its usual goal of combating exclusivist ideology, the report contains some interesting elements:

1) Exclusivist ideology is defined as “those who feed on exclusion and claim sole ownership of the truth. (Christians, read John 14:6 as you consider this statement.)

John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

2) The core issue identified to be the bridge between the West and Islam is resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
3) The global and problematic players in this conflict have been identified as the adherents of the three monotheistic faiths.
4) Failure to resolve this conflict will result in a failed Alliance of Civilizations.

Also noteworthy is that the AoC has identified the European Union’s Barcelona Process as one of the frameworks in which it intends to operate. For those unfamiliar with the Process, it is the foundation of the EU’s political, economic, and social policy. The Process, also known as the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, is represented as the only platform that can solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The social dimension of the Process, with implementation facilitated by the Anna Lindh Foundation, cooperates with the AoC and shares the common goal to combat religious fundamentalism worldwide. So what happens to the adherents of the monotheistic faiths if the peace process fails? Lucis Trust, one of the contributors to the AoC initiative gives us an idea. In its publication The Rays and the Initiations, Lucis Trust says that those faiths are but three dead and gone religions with Judaism being old, obsolete, and separative. Christianity, they say, has served its purpose and the new age Christ will replace the Gospel with a new truth. As for Muslims, they will accept the new age Christ as their Imam Mahdi “who will lead them to light and to spiritual victory.” The objective of the AoC, therefore, is “to enforce an Alliance of Civilizations against all those who…give prevalence…to a logic of division and confrontation.” Since the Alliance intends to be fully prepared to enforce its objectives by 2009, I suspect that’s when they will introduce their symbol. Timing is everything. The European Commission has just submitted a document to the author of the Barcelona Process that it is time to deliver. If the planners of the AoC really mean what they say, may God help us all. -Constance Cumbey

As we see from the above, NATO is connected to this military availability for future “emergencies” as defined on the fly as needed for Europe to intervene through military and civilian means. So if global terror were to break out for some reason or another, by some religion, then a reaction to a global threat from fundamentalist religions as defined in the Alliance of Civilizations could begin.

I just recently had the following relevant news brought to my attention by Curt at the link provided. Please notice the Lisbon link in the speech...

Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) Goes Live The 70th Week (February 2, 2008) - If you are familiar with Bible Prophecy then you are aware that towards the middle of the 70th week, the False Prophet will require all to take a mark on their right hand or forehead, and without this mark they will not be able to buy or sell. Who ever does not take this mark and worship the beast will be killed. Many have speculated over the years as to what this will be and what it will look like. Here is a scriptural reference to review.

A couple of days ago the Single Euro Payments Area or SEPA went live. This could be highly significant. You see SEPA is a brand new way to conduct cashless transactions throughout the EU. Not only is this another step in the integration of the EU but it is a huge step towards a single market. If the Anti-Christ and the False Prophet were able to be in charge of this future single market, it would make implementing the mark of the beast that much easier. Is SEPA the beginning or the framework for the Mark of the Beast? Well, time will tell, but one thing is for sure, it is worth watching. Please take the time to read the article below.

SEPA goes live European Central Bank (January 28, 2008) - Speech by Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB Launch event organised by the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the European Payments Council Brussels. The countdown is over! Today, 28 January 2008, SEPA goes live! I am pleased to welcome you all to the launch of SEPA. First and foremost, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the European Commission for hosting today’s event and for its cooperation over the last few years, the fruit of which can been seen today as SEPA comes to life. Those who have made SEPA a reality, the banks and the service providers are here tonight and I would like to congratulate them all. Let me also mention the work of the Council and the European Parliament that has contributed to making SEPA a reality. Nine years ago we introduced the single currency. Today, we launch SEPA – another important step in European integration. But let me assure you: today is only just the beginning! SEPA is all about integration, harmonisation and modernisation. It is a natural consequence of the single currency and a major step in the creation of the Single Market. That is why the ECB has supported the project closely over the past six years. Today’s launch is the first visible result. A single currency – with a single set of payment instruments – in a single euro payments area. With SEPA, this becomes a reality. And we, as euro area citizens, will be able to make euro payments as cheaply, as easily and as safely as we do national payments. All euro payments will be “domestic”; finally, there will be no difference between sending a payment from Rome to Dublin or from Brussels to Antwerp. We can now make payments not only with euro notes and coins, but harmonised electronic payments by European credit transfer, direct debit and payment card as well. An important milestone has been reached today with the launch of “SEPA Credit Transfer”. We are now able to send euro payments quickly, and in the same way, to any beneficiary in Europe. This will be followed by “SEPA Direct Debit” before the end of 2009. As a result, we will be able to make direct debit payments across Europe, as if no borders existed. With the “SEPA Cards Framework”, extensive changes await the European cards market. The ECB expects a new European card scheme to emerge, harmonising card payments across Europe. That said, efficient national card schemes should not vanish, leaving the cards market entirely to international card schemes. Let’s work together and use the experience of the national schemes to devise a new European card scheme. Together, these three payment instruments make up SEPA, our key to a door behind which many opportunities lie. Once the door is open we will still have a mountain to climb. But if we are willing to take up the challenge and use SEPA with innovative thinking, we can reap the full benefit. Let me stress: we do not envision opening the door only to sit back and admire the great many opportunities on the other side. Let’s climb the mountain, discover the opportunities and progress onwards and upwards. Let’s complement the SEPA instruments with innovative services, such as online and mobile payment initiation, e-invoicing and e-reconciliation. By combining these services with SEPA instruments, we eliminate paper and the payment process becomes fully electronic. End-users will spend less time on payments – and, as we all know, time means money. But how will you benefit from SEPA?

Corporates – make fast European transactions, simplify your payment handling and consolidate your liquidity management. SEPA’s harmonised services can optimise your payment process. So, request these services from your banks and service providers.

Public administrations – you will experience the same benefits as corporates. But that’s not all. SEPA can help drive e-Government and e-procurement, thereby promoting efficient public services. By adopting SEPA at an early stage, you will extend its benefits to society at large.

Consumers – one bank account and one set of payment instruments is all you need. As with euro notes and coins, there will finally be no difference between payments across Europe – all euro payments will be ”domestic”.

And banks – you have developed and will form the basis of SEPA. And SEPA can help you expand your business, as integration and harmonisation will encourage competition. It is now up to you to use the opportunities SEPA brings.

The launch of SEPA today is a major step in creating the Single Market and represents a significant contribution to the Lisbon agenda and a more competitive Europe. It has not been easy to arrive at where we are today – SEPA has been a formidable challenge, but formidable challenges make us stronger. It is not time to sit back in admiration; it is time to use SEPA. So, let’s rise to the challenge; let’s use SEPA, our key; and let’s discover the great many opportunities that lie on the other side of that door.

Significant Dates?

Tony Webber recently had a question regarding the common date of November 27,28 in terms of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and I thought it significant although besides these common dates and reasons, I don’t know why.

Shakings, Weighings and Divisions: Syria, Annapolis and the Return of YHVH - Part Three of Three – Cutting Israel Down To Size (October 17, 2007) - A recently declassified State Department document quotes from a meeting between Henry Kissinger (Secretary of State) and Sadun Hammadi (Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs) (www.gwu.edu/%7Ensarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB193/HAK-12-17-75.pdf) which took place in Paris on December 17, 1975. Kissinger communicated a 'no-nonsense' US foreign policy regarding Israel in the following selected quotes:

“Israel does us more harm than good in the Arab world”
“We can’t negotiate about the existence of Israel but we can reduce its size to historical proportions”.
“So I think in ten to fifteen years Israel will be like Lebanon – struggling for existence, with no influence in the Arab world”.
“If the issue is the existence of Israel, we can’t cooperate. But if the issue is more normal borders, we can cooperate”.
“I think the Palestinian identity has to be recognized in some form … (It) will be a tremendous fight … (but) no solution is possible without it”.

These shocking quotes show where the heart and strategy of the State Department lie. Israel's borders must be shrunk in order to weaken its military and political standing in the Middle East. A Palestinian state needs to be established on land which has been pried away from Israeli control. These words can help intercessors to pray for leaders and diplomats in the US and elsewhere, for these talking points are part and parcel of British, European and Russian strategies as well. more...

From Israel prayer update: Also on the table, of course, will be the future of Jerusalem. Ironically, this year in which there are still banners on the streets of the capital commemorating the 40^th anniversary of the city's “re-unification”, Olmert has made clear that he is prepared for a large part of it to be transferred from Israeli sovereignty to that of a Muslim Palestine. Only a little over seven years ago, as the Clinton-Barak plan to divide the city loomed, Natan Sharansky organized one of the largest demonstrations ever held in Jerusalem, proclaiming the Jerusalem and the Temple Mount as forever integral to the very identity of the Jewish people. We were present at that rally, and heard then-Mayor of Jerusalem Ehud Olmert loudly proclaiming against its ever again being divided. Now Olmert is Prime Minister and has voiced a willingness to cede at least six Arab neighborhoods to a future State, while his Vice Premier Haim Ramon has reportedly proposed the release of all Arab neighborhoods in the city excepting only those adjacent to the Old City which a 'special administration' would oversee (cf “Sharansky: Dividing Jerusalem 'crisis'”, Jerusalem Post Online Edition, Nov 20, 2007). Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident, Israeli Minister-has launched a new campaign aimed at standing against what he perceives as an “identity crisis” in leadership which once again threatens the oneness of Jerusalem.

All this seems to be working toward the common goal of the fourth kingdom’s control over the land of Israel to divide it for peace. This, I believe, better solidifies the link of Europe today with the revived Rome in Bible prophecy. It seems the seven heads through history of the beast in Revelation 17 are all linked by their interaction with Israel prophetically and in history. See more here.

Club of Rome

By Bryon on PNW: Pierre Elliot Trudeau, former Prime Minister of Canada, was a principal player in the Club of Rome. Of interest he used to have the number “666” on the license plate of his sports car. I once saw a picture of him sitting in his car looking back with the rear plate clearly visible, and with just '666' on it. When asked why he had chosen that number; he replied that it identified him with the Club of Rome, which apparently has adopted that number as a symbol; leastways according to Trudeau.

Javier Solana is also a member of the Club of Rome which appears to have been a think tank of sorts to push the unification of Europe as the first step in putting together a global empire. Donald Keys, a Luciferan, was also a chief scholar involved in the Club of Rome.

“Moreover, one of the Club of Rome's very active scholars was Donald Keys. Keys was an administrator of Lucis Trust, working actively with Alice and Foster Bailey. Lest we forget, Lucis Trust was an after named entity created by the Bailey's. After they had organized their first publishing company -- Lucifer Publishing Company. In 1924 they renamed it a somewhat less startling ‘Lucis Publishing’ and subsidiary organizations that would be known as ‘Lucis Trust’, ‘World Goodwill’, the ‘Arcane School’, and Triangles. All were intensely involved in disseminating directions for the New World Order. They were particularly concerned with a warm global reception for this ‘Maitreya’ and the New World Religion which would help enable him. One does not have to be a Rhodes or Fulbright scholar to see how closely those directions were followed. One strong global name that has appeared from the beginning and shows up at Findhorn for rallies on acceptance of this ‘Maitreya’ is Maurice Strong. High up in the United Nations, Kofi Annan was allegedly one of his mentored ones. From time to time, Javier Solana's published agendas show he meets with him.” | Constance Cumbey

Donald Keys believes that Christians, Jews, and Muslims, must be embroiled in a war to annihilate one another in order for the New World Order to rise to power. I would say that their Luciferian plan is definitely succeeding and going according to schedule. They even have a prayer called the ‘Great Invocation’ which in part reads ‘seal the door where evil dwells’ which is occult code for get rid of the Christians, Jews, and Muslims. They are even using modernist bibles to condition people to accept the ‘666’ antichrist ‘man of sin’.

I found out that the original leaves used as borders on the UN logo were laurel leaves, (Laurel being considered a sacred plant in pagan Roman mythology.) used by Caesar to represent victory. The leaves were initially changed to olive leaves to represent peace instead. I wonder what kind of leaves will be found there tomorrow? Rome, Caesar, laurel leaves, 666, globalism. And I just read where a past pope called the UN; “The hope of the world.”

What About the Roman Empire? - The origins of the man who would run the EU, IF the EU is the 7 headed 10 horned beast.

"Many Christian teachers have taught that the Antichrist will emerge from the Roman Empire and then rule over most parts, if not all, of Europe. Thus, his empire will be a revived version of the Roman Empire. For an idea of what the Roman Empire looked like, see this map. It stretched from Spain to Mesopotamia and Assyria (modern day Iraq). In Daniel 8, we read of another of Daniel's vision that concerns the End Times. In this chapter, Daniel saw a two-horned ram that was attacked by a goat and killing the ram. Then the large horn of the goat was broken, and in its place four horns took its place. The Angel Gabriel identified that the ram was the Medo-Persian Empire (v. 20), and the goat the Greek Empire (v. 21). When Alexander the Great died at the young age of 33 ("at the height of his power") (v. 8), his empire was divided by his four generals (v. 8): Seleucus (Seleucid Empire), Ptolemy (Egypt), Lysimachos (Thrace) and Cassander (Macedon and Greece). See this map for this partition. The Seleucid Empire has its capitol over Babylon and was the largest of the four. It is also the one that the Bible described concerning the Antichrist: Out of one of them came another horn, which started small but grew in power to the south and to the east and toward the Beautiful Land. (Daniel 8:9) "Beautiful Land" of course refers to the land of Israel. Thus, we can see that this "little horn" comes from the geographic region of the Seleucid Empire. Many have also seen that the description of the little horn also fit somewhat Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a ruthless Seleucid king who desecrated the Jewish Temple by sacrificing a pig on its altar and setting up a statue of Zeus. However, the problem of simply treating the passage as dealing with Antiochus is that the Angel Gabriel explicitly told Daniel that "the vision concerns the time of the end" (v. 17), and the visions concern "what will happen later in the time of wrath because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end" (v. 19). It's fulfillment, therefore, is two-fold, one concerning Antiochus and the other the Antichrist "at the appointed time of the end". It is clear that Antiochus IV Epiphanes was, at the most, a prototype of the Antichrist that is to come."

European Neighborhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)

The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership or Barcelona Process is a wide framework of political, economic and social relations between member states of the EU and countries of the Southern Mediterranean. It was initiated on 27-28 November 1995 through a conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, held in Barcelona. Besides the 27 member states of the European Union, the remaining “Mediterranean Partners” are all other Mediterranean countries without Libya (which has had 'observer status' since 1999). Since the establishment of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument in 2007 the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership initiative will become fully a part of the wider European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). The Association Agreements signed with the Mediterranean states aim at establishing of a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area. - Wikipedia

What is the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI)?
From the beginning of the next budget cycle (Financial Perspective) in 2007, financial support for the European Neighbourhood Policy and ENP countries will be provided through a dedicated European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). The ENPI will target sustainable development and approximation to EU policies and legislation, and bring a radical improvement in our capacity to support cross-border cooperation along the EU’s external borders – thus giving substance to our aim of avoiding new dividing lines. The ENPI will replace MEDA and TACIS and other existing instruments such as the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR).

The ENPI is a “policy driven” instrument that will operate in the framework of the existing bilateral agreements between the Community and the neighbouring countries. It will focus in particular on supporting the implementation of the ENP Action Plans. In that context it will go further than promoting sustainable development and fighting poverty to encompass for example considerable support for measures leading to progressive participation in the EU’s internal market. Legislative approximation, regulatory convergence and institution building will be supported through mechanisms such as the exchange of experience, long term twinning arrangements with Member States or participation in Community programmes and agencies.

A specific and innovative feature of the instrument is its cross border co-operation component. Under this component, the ENPI will finance ”joint programmes” bringing together regions of Member States and partner countries sharing a common border. The instrument will bring a radical simplification in procedures and substantial gains in efficiency. It will use a “Structural Funds” approach, based on multi-annual programming, partnership and co-financing. The cross border co-operation component of the ENPI will be co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The words “and Partnership” in the title of the instrument reflects the fact that this will also fund the implementation of the Strategic Partnership with Russia (previously funded through the TACIS programme).

Why was a new funding instrument necessary for this policy area?

It has proved difficult to support cross-border cooperation along the EU’s external border due to the need to combine internal funding instruments (Regional/Structural Funds) with external funding instruments (e.g. TACIS, MEDA), operating with different rules and procedures. In its 2003 Communication on “Wider Europe”, the Commission recognised the importance of encouraging cross border co-operation at the EU’s external border, with the overall aim of preventing the creation of new dividing lines in Europe. In order to overcome the difficulties which arose from the combination of the different rules and procedures, the Commission proposed a single set of rules to cover cooperation at all of the EU’s external borders. This was spelled out in more detail in the Commission’s 2004 ENP Strategy Paper. Both documents were based on the idea of ENPI complementing rather than replacing the existing instruments (e.g. MEDA, TACIS) .

However, as a result of parallel work on reforming the overall way in which EU external policies are funded, the Commission then proposed that the plethora of existing instruments funding external relations should be completely replaced, from the next budget cycle (2007-2013), by a much simpler system. This would mean three emergency instruments (humanitarian, macro-financial and a new Stability Instrument) and three policy-driven instruments (one for pre-accession, one for ENP and one for development and economic cooperation). These would replace all existing external relations funding programmes for the areas that they cover.

As regards cross-border cooperation, a key objective of the ENP, the new ENPI instrument will therefore provide a radical improvement over the current situation. Until the new instrument comes into existence (2007), efforts are being made to already improve cross-border cooperation, using the existing instruments, through Neighbourhood Programmes.

An interesting addition to the topic of the confirming nature of the ENP in relationship to the Barcelona Process. This also ties in the significant date above to the whole process currently going on in international politics. Thanks to Farmer for sharing the research!

March 14, 2005 - Margot Wallstrom, Vice-President of the European Commission original ending to speech given at the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly:

"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, As I have tried to point out, the European Neighbourhood Policy does not replace the process launched ten years ago in Barcelona. It renews it, clarifies it and breathes fresh life into it.”

revised version:
"Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, The European Neighborhood Policy does not replace the process launched ten years ago in Barcelona. It adds to it and makes things happen."

1. Under the "FAQ about the ENP" on the official EU-Website we find the following question:
"1. 6. How does the so-called "Barcelona Process" relate to the ENP?"
The EU’s answer is:" ...the Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans, agreed with the partners, will strengthen the Barcelona objectives and provide benchmarks and incentives to improve their implementation."
http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/faq_en.htm#1.6

2. Further in the "EU ENP action plan" for Israel it is written, that it’s goal would be to:
"...promote incrementally regional peace and security through inter alia the relevant provisions in the Barcelona Declaration of 1995,"
http://europa.eu.int/comm/world/enp/pdf/action_plans/israel_enp_ap_final_en.pdf (page 7)

3. In an Interim Report from the Council of the European Union by Javier Solana on the "EU Strategic Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East" already from 19-3-2004, on page 8 under "Neighbourhood Policy - deepening the emp" is written: "...In contact with our partners in the region, we should clearly situate the Neighbourhood Action Plans in the context of a reinforcement of the Barcelona Process... ."
http://ue.eu.int/ueDocs/cms_Data/docs/pressdata/EN/reports/79886.pdf

If we take a look at the dictionary we find:

reinforce
re•in•force also re-en•force or re•en•force Audio pronunciation of "reinforce" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rn-fôrs, -frs)
tr.v. re•in•forced, re•in•forc•ing, re•in•forc•es
1. To give more force or effectiveness to; strengthen: The news reinforced her hopes.
2. To strengthen (a military force) with additional personnel or equipment.
3. To strengthen by adding extra support or material.
4. To increase the number or amount of; augment.
5. Psychology.
1. To reward (an experimental subject, for example) with a reinforcer subsequent to a desired response or performance.
2. To encourage (a response) by means of a reinforcer”.

confirm
con•firm Audio pronunciation of "confirm" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (kn-fûrm)
tr.v. con•firmed, con•firm•ing, con•firms
1. To support or establish the certainty or validity of; verify.
2. To make firmer; strengthen: Working on the campaign confirmed her intention to go into politics.
3. To make valid or binding by a formal or legal act; ratify.
4. To administer the religious rite of confirmation to.
I used The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.

The EU and US as a shared Bipolar Global Power

FulfilledProphecy.com

A comprehensive article was published in 2005 concerning a transatlantic military strategy as published by the US army. It is now apparent the new US military strategy is a bipolar one between the EU and the US. I have not had a chance to read it all yet, but it is clear what the intentions are. It involves the transfer and merging of US corporations to the EU to support an EU based military defense system in tandem with the US military.

Rather than build their own companies from the ground up, EU companies have been outright buying US companies for a number of years now and creating their own conglomerate corporate giants like Daimler-Chrysler. Another trend I also noticed when I researched this was some companies bought by European ones become converted to private corporations.

Here is the opening statement from an analysis of a Bipolar EU/US military strategy.

Today, U.S. and European defense firms are at a crossroads. Opportunities for the construction of a transatlantic defense sector are tangible, but significant obstacles may accelerate the formation of a bipolar industrial base. While market forces played a key role in the transformation and consolidation of these sectors in recent years, political considerations are largely responsible for a restructuring process that has been almost entirely among U.S. firms in the United States and among European Union companies in Europe.

Here is and Annual Review Report from the EDA, from the EU side of things.

The EDU in Europe

EADS leverages Europe’s capabilities and competitiveness. The transformation of Airbus will lead to a renewal of the European spirit in our industry. On the defence side, EADS’ future growth will be strongly supported by the ongoing ramp-up of truly European programmes such as the A400M transport aircraft, NH90 and Tiger helicopters or the Eurofi ghter combat aircraft. All internationalisation efforts are designed to open up the most attractive markets while the Group continues to develop its industrial base in Europe.

The pace and breadth of EADS North America’s business activities has increased. The Group achieved an important step in its US growth strategy when it was selected as prime contractor for the LUH military helicopter programme. The company is also actively competing for two major military programmes. Together with strong US partners, EADS North America is offering the world’s most advanced tanker aircraft to the US forces and competing for the Joint Cargo Aircraft programme.

Share Holders of the EDA
22.46% DaimlerChrysler 1) 3) (Is a German Company located in Stuttgart, Germany). Does anyone remember how Volkswagen got started?
29.95% SOGEADE 1) 2): Lagardère and French state holding company SOGEPA
5.48% SEPI (Spanish state holding company)
41.05% Institutional, retail and employee ownership
plus shares held out of the contractual partnership by French state
1.06% Treasury shares (without economic or voting rights)

Europe and the End Times