News for June 8, 2007

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Israel, 40 Years After the Six-Day-War Glory Of Zion International Ministries (June 5, 2007)

Numbers 13:30; 14:8-9; 24
Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, 'Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them." . . . "But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.

The passage is taken from this week's Torah Portion (Numbers 13:1-15:41). The "land" which Caleb's descendants would inherit was the city of Hebron-but he would have to wait forty more years for them to do so. Ten of his fellow-spies, terrified by the giants they had seen there, gave an evil report which succeeded in turning the people's hearts away from God's promises. Forty years ago this Thursday (June 7, 1967, following the Gregorian Calendar) for the first time in over 2500 years Hebron fell again into Hebrew hands. Earlier that day Israel had taken Jerusalem from Jordanian soldiers with a great loss of life-but at 6:00 that afternoon Hebron, the place where God had conversed with Abraham, where the Patriarchs and their wives are buried, where David had begun his Kingdom, was yielded up without a shot. A generation has passed-and Israel is again faced with giants and bad reports. Encouraged by her poor showing in the war last summer (not to mention her embarrassing display of confusion and irresolution in its aftermath), Syria has continued purchasing and deploying advanced weapons systems from Russia and Iran, and is deploying her troops and equipment in a battle array unprecedented since the Yom Kippur War of 1973. This morning a member of the Syrian parliament actually confirmed that his nation is indeed actively preparing for a summer war with Israel-although at present it is still claimed that Syria believes Israel will start the war. Earlier this week, with words eerily echoing similar predictions made by Egypt's Nassir to his countrymen in the buildup to the '67 war, Iran's President Ahmadinejad promised that "in the near future, the world will witness the destruction of Israel". Yesterday's HaAretz reports that "Egypt and Iran will hold a round of talks in the coming days aimed at restoring full diplomatic relations." In the meanwhile, the past three weeks have witnessed the unprovoked launching of more than 300 homemade "Kassam" rockets into Israel's sovereign territory from northern Gaza, causing death, wounding and destruction. As the city of Sderot is turning into a ghost town, the Israeli government, perhaps fearing the accusing mantra of "disproportionate response" from the nations is choosing only limited responses. At the same time, the military is voicing an uneasiness with the possibility of a possible major ground incursion into Gaza for fear of having Israel's forces bogged down in Gaza should war breaks out in the north. more...

Lighthouse Trails Research Project - Exposing the dangers of Contemplative Spirituality: A belief system that uses ancient mystical practices to induce altered states of consciousness (the silence) and is rooted in mysticism and the occult but often wrapped in Christian terminology. The premise of contemplative spirituality is pantheistic (God is all) and panentheistic (God is in all). A Great Falling Away? While it may look to some that we are just being divisive and are name callers, if you carefully study what we have to say, we think you will see the overall big picture of what is happening in Christendom today and agree with us that as believers we have a responsibility to warn of impending danger. We believe we could possibly be witnessing the great falling away of which Scripture speaks. 1 Timothy 4:1 | 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4

Immigration By The Numbers NumbersUSA - The 1990s saw the biggest U.S. population boom in U.S. history. This is truly astounding news coming three decades after widespread determination that the country was mature and probably already overpopulated. No wonder Americans in the 1990s became increasingly alarmed at their deteriorating quality of life due to sprawl, congestion, overcrowded schools, lost open spaces and increasing restrictions on their individual liberty in order to handle the new population explosion! Because this population boom was almost entirely engineered by federal-forced-growth policies that are still in place, the Census Bureau states that Americans will suffer this kind of rapid congestion every decade into the future unless Congress changes the policies.

Herb L. Peters Diagnosed with Advanced Terminal Colon Cancer FulfilledProphecy (June 8, 2007) - It's with deep sadness and tears that I, Holly, am writing this update for my father, Herb. This is the last thing in the world I want to be writing, and I'm not even sure how to say it. We got news on Tuesday that he has very advanced colon cancer that is terminal. The doctors have estimated that he has two to three months to live. I know this news will be a complete shock to many people, as it has been to my dad and our family. He was told previously that his condition was his gallbladder and that he simply needed surgery. But when he went into the emergency room hoping to speed up the process for the surgery, he learned his true condition. This explains the pain he has been experiencing now for many months that he had thought was related to his back condition. The cancer was symptom less, other than the increasing pain he recently began to have. The one thing that has made all this news easier is my dad's incredibly positive attitude. He said that when he was first given the diagnosis he had no fear or panic. Instead, he felt a peace knowing that, if this is the Lord's will, then He knows what He's doing and He will walk with him the whole way -- as He's done through my dad's entire life. My dad said he's excited to meet Jesus. His strong faith during this difficult trial has been so amazing to me, our family and friends. He's been such a strong witness for Christ to the healthcare workers and hospice people who've been helping us out. He wants me to tell you that, for some months before his diagnosis, he had been telling many people (including myself, my mother and brother, Constance and others) that he had a sense that the work God had called him to -- reporting on a series of events that appear to be the fulfillment of end-time Bible prophecies -- was done. He felt the entire end-time scenario is now in place. So, when he received the diagnosis, he felt like it was a confirmation of what God had already put in his heart. He feels a peace and excitement about the next stage -- though he isn't looking forward to the process between now and then. He knows many people have been praying for him, and he is grateful. His prayer request is that God will give him what he's calling "dying grace" -- the ability to face death with courage. He also really wants the information on FP to be preserved online so it will be available for people searching for the record of events this Web site has reported on since 2002 (events my dad has been following since 1992 and that are documented in his book and on this site). My dad has charged me with the task of preserving the information on the site -- a task I embrace humbly and with a deep sense of responsibility. I share his conviction that FP must be kept online, and I will be doing so with the continued support of all you who've followed FP. I will provide updates as time goes on, but ask for your continued support during this transition. My dad especially asks for continued financial support to keep FP going and also to help my mother, Linda, with all the unexpected costs the family will have during this time. Please keep him and our family in your prayers. Prayers for healing, of course, are also welcomed by my dad -- though he wants everyone to know that he has peace during this time and knows that, at the end of this difficult process, he will be with the Lord and in a much better place. As the apostle Paul says, to be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord, and it is far better to be with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). My dad wanted me to be sure and tell you what deep feelings of affection he has for all of those who've followed FP all these years, contacted him and supported him. Thank you from him, Linda and our entire family. He's also excited to know FP will go on and said that if he can see things on earth from where he's going, he'll enjoy watching how FP continues to be used by God. As events continue to unfold that appear to be fulfillments of ancient Bible prophecies, I know he wants everyone to "Stay Tuned!" Please keep Herb and family in your prayers. Let us continue to pray for healing, that God would use this for His glory, Herb's benefit, and ultimately all of ours as he continues to watch events in Europe for us all.

Hindu appointed to run Christian religion studies WorldNetDaily (June 8, 2007) - A college affiliated with a Christian denomination has appointed to head its religion department a practicing Hindu who believes that some forms of Christian ministry produce violence. Anantanand Rambachan, who has taught religion and philosophy at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., since 1985, now will become the first non-Christian to head the religion department in the school's 133-year history. "It's a great honor," Rambachan, a leading figure in Minnesota's Hindu community, told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. But in an interview with Hinduism Today, he wrote of participating in the Pontifical Council in Rome in 2006. "Last year we met in Rome in a joint consultation with the World Council of Churches to discuss conversion. This was the first meeting of a three-year project to study the issue and to develop an acceptable code of conduct. Certain forms of Christian proselytization have given rise to tension and even violence between some religious communities," he said. "We gathered to share our perspectives on this matter and to consider acceptable and unacceptable ways of sharing our faiths in communities. "Our discussion was frank and at times difficult, but we agreed that while everyone has a right to invite others to an understanding of their faith, no one has the right to violate others' rights and religious sensibilities. At the same time, all should heal themselves from the obsession of converting others," he wrote. His writings also have been featured on the website of the Hindu-American Foundation, which earlier launched a diatribe against a variety of Christian organizations. As WND reported, the report from the Hindu American Foundation accused a long list of Christian organizations, including some providing aid in India, of promoting hatred. "The proliferation of websites promoting religious hatred is an unfortunate consequence of the universality of access to the Internet," said Vinay Vallabh, the lead author of the report. Among those criticized were the Southern Baptists' missions board, Gospel for Asia and Olive Tree Ministries, just down the road from St. Olaf, a ministry that aims at teaching Christians about their beliefs. "We must vigorously identify, condemn and counter those who use the Internet to espouse chauvinism and bigotry over the principles of pluralism and tolerance," Vallabh said. Jan Markell, who has been with the Olive Tree Ministries since 1977, has written eight books and hundreds of articles about Christians and their beliefs, at first wondered why she would be listed among ministries hated by a Hindu organization. Then she remembered a series of articles warning Christians against participating in yoga, a Hindu form of worship. "I'm big on [opposing yoga for Christians]," she told WND. "I talk about it on the radio, and I write about it. And the irony of it all is, like Hindus, we don't want Christians practicing yoga either. more...
| Apostasy |

I find it interesting that the Christian is blamed for promoting violence when it is they who are attacked for sharing their beliefs. My how people are offended today...like the Bible said it would be.

Matthew 24:9,10
Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Israel, offering Golan, awaits Syria proposals Reuters (June 8, 2007) - Israel has told Syria it is willing to trade land for peace and is waiting to hear whether President Bashar al-Assad would cut ties with Iran and hostile guerrilla groups in return, Israeli officials said on Friday. One said Syrian officials had so far indicated a willingness to conduct discreet contacts that might lead to a resumption of formal peace talks after a seven-year hiatus. In two weeks, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is due to meet President George W. Bush, who would play a crucial role in any such process. Two days after Olmert confirmed Israel had sent conciliatory messages to Damascus, Israeli media widely reported a leak to a newspaper that quoted a senior diplomat saying Syria had been reminded that Israel was ready to discuss returning the Golan Heights, captured 40 years ago this week, if peace talks resume. A former Israeli diplomat who has taken part in efforts to revive dialogue said Olmert -- deeply unpopular after last year's inconclusive war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon -- was preparing his voters for possible concessions to Syria in a process that will probably need strong U.S. support to succeed. A senior serving Israeli official told Reuters that Syrian officials appeared open to discreet dialogue and Israel was now trying to determine what concessions Damascus might be willing to make, notably in severing alliances with Israel's enemies in Iran, Hezbollah and Palestinian militant movements like Hamas. "Nobody knows the answer," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity and has been involved in the discussions. "We don't know what is the Syrian definition of peace -- if Syria will really position itself with the U.S. and its Western allies or stay with Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas? "There are no preconditions for the beginning of the negotiations. But (Assad) will have to send an indication." more...
| Israel | Islam |

As FreeInHim said on FulfilledProphecy, "The situation reminds me of a man throwing a juicy steak at a mad dog charging him, as though that would serve as a viable distraction. For now, it might." I have a feeling this is just going to embolden Islam to create more terror and fear to get more land. The know Israel doesn't want war. I think if Israeli leadership changes to someone like Netanyahu though, that Damascus will be in trouble, which fits right in with Isaiah 17. Israel has every reason to destroy that terrorist den, and doing so would inevitably lead to an attack by Syria's allies, Iran, Russia, and Turkey. When God destroys them in the mountains of Israel, it will connect ancient Bible prophecy to every Jew in Israel personally and I think that will wake them up the the reality of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. See how quickly things will change in the Middle East then! Keep watching!

Sarkozy says he and Blair agree on reforming the EU Scotsman (June 7, 2007) - President Nicolas Sarkozy of France said Thursday that he and Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain had struck a deal on reforming the EU’s institutions while Germany reported progress toward a treaty. Sarkozy has been pushing for a "simplified treaty" that countries could ratify without consulting voters. That would streamline decision-making in the European Union after French and Dutch voters rejected a European constitution in referendums in 2005. "Tony Blair and I have just agreed on what might be the framework for a simplified treaty. That is quite something," Sarkozy said after meeting Blair on the sidelines of the Group of 8 meeting here. "We agreed that it should be a new treaty and not a small constitution." In Brussels, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany told the European Parliament that EU member states had narrowed their differences over a new treaty, raising hopes that a deal would be reached at an EU summit meeting on June 21 and 22. "The number of open questions has been substantially reduced," Steinmeier said. Germany, which holds the EU's six-month rotating presidency, hopes to clinch a preliminary deal at that meeting. The EU's 27 members committed themselves in March to trying to secure a final agreement on the treaty by the end of this year. The aim is to overhaul the union's institutions and make the bloc more efficient following its rapid enlargement. Sarkozy advocated adopting a "mini-treaty" last year, before he was elected president, but has since replaced this term with "simplified treaty" to placate the 18 EU states that have ratified the constitution. Diplomats said that under the emerging accord, the EU would have the long-term president and foreign minister envisaged under the constitution but probably with different titles. Poland wants changes to the voting system envisaged under the draft constitution and agreed to by other EU members. Britain wants the constitution's charter of fundamental rights excluded, but Germany and others want a clause giving it legal force. Sarkozy said he had agreed with Blair on how to tackle the fundamental rights issue but did not go into details.
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom |

Fears of war as Israel and Syria show army might Scotsman (June 7, 2007) - CONCERN is growing that Israel and Syria may be heading towards war, with signs that both are preparing their armies. The preparations are being made across both sides of the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights area occupied by Israel since 1967. Syria has increased troop numbers and brought in rocket units similar to those used by Hezbollah against Israel in last summer's war in Lebanon, according to intelligence estimates. The Syrians have also brought in new anti-aircraft guns and tanks from Russia and recently conducted a frontline exercise of troops. Israel yesterday appointed a team of senior ministers to handle policy towards Syria, but denied it was a "war cabinet". The move came just a day after Israeli troops held a widely publicised training exercise in which they captured what army officials described as a model of a Syrian village. In an apparent attempt to reassure Damascus, the Israeli prime minister, Ehud Omert, was quoted as telling the security cabinet yesterday: "Israel does not want a war with Syria and one needs to be careful about a scenario of miscalculation that leads to a security deterioration." Amos Yadlin, the Israeli army intelligence chief, told Knesset MPs that "the Syrians have a lot to lose if a war breaks out". He said that the Syrian president, Bashar Assad, "has a regime, an airforce, civilian networks, an electricity network and civilian infrastructure: all of these are liable to be harmed in a war". Since the war between Israel and Hezbollah, Mr Assad has expressed interest in resuming the talks with Israel that stalled seven years ago over the extent of an Israeli pullback in the Golan Heights, but he has also hinted that Syria might resort to force if Israel shunned diplomacy. According to Israeli army intelligence, the Syrian army preparations are defensive and they also believe that Mr Assad does not want to initiate hostilities. Israel has been talking about war and peace simultaneously, albeit without embracing Mr Assad's offer of talks. more...
| Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

'Syria, Iran, Hizbullah planning war' The Jerusalem Post (June 6, 2007) - Syria, Iran and Hizbullah are preparing for the possibility of a war with Israel on the Syrian front, Channel Two reported on Wednesday night. Reportedly, Damascus has set August as the month for final war preparations. The report followed an earlier security cabinet meeting devoted almost exclusively to Syria, during which Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Israel is working through various diplomatic channels to assure Damascus that Jerusalem wants peace and is not interested in a war. His comments come amid a flurry of reports about a Syrian military buildup and concern in the defense establishment that if various Syrian overtures were not well received in Israel, the Syrians might initiate military action to try and retain the Golan, or a piece of it.

"Israel is not interested in a war with Syria, and we have to be careful about a scenario where a miscalculation could lead to a deterioration in the security situation," Olmert said at the end of the meeting. He added that Israel has sent this message to Damascus through "different diplomatic channels." Housing and Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit told reporters after the meeting that Olmert called for direct negotiations with Syria, something that was not reflected in the statement the Prime Minister's Office issued after the meeting. "I want to make clear that we have no aggressive intentions at all against Syria," Sheetrit said. "The prime minister made that clear, and even called for direct peace talks with the Syrians. All the comments about a possible war with Syria are unnecessary, everyone needs to cool down." The ministers received various intelligence and security briefings during the meeting, with military intelligence officials saying that the Syrians were on a defensive posture on the Golan. The ministers also heard estimations that if a war would break out with Damascus, it would include a renewed confrontation with Hizbullah. more...
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Cyclone lashes Oman as Iran battens down AFP (June 6, 2007) - Cyclone Gonu lashed Oman on Wednesday as thousands of people were evacuated in the Gulf state and neighbouring Iran for the strongest tropical storm to hit the region in 30 years. As Gonu -- the Maldives word for a bag made of palm fronds -- hit the Omani capital strong winds snapped tree branches and blew over street signs. Roads were flooded and thick fog blanketed out the mountains encircling the city. Heavy rain and wind led to flights being suspended at Muscat airport, but the cyclone has so far not affected shipping in the Strait of Hormuz through which at least a quarter of world oil supplies passes, officials said. Oil experts said any impact on world oil prices would be temporary provided facilities in the area stayed intact. "If shipping is halted through Hormuz, I think there is going to be a panic in world oil markets and prices could shoot to as high as 80 dollars, but of course for a very short period," Kuwaiti oil expert Kamel al-Harami said. The streets of Muscat were almost deserted save for all-terrain vehicles after police asked people to stay indoors and thousands of residents were evacuated, but the storm weakened steadily after making landfall. Omani television showed rising seawater advancing some 500 metres (yards) inland, flooding coastal roads in the Sohar region 200 kilometres (125 miles) northwest of Muscat. The ministry of transport said the ports of Sohar and Qabus in Muscat were closed. Cyclone Gonu initially packed winds of 260 kilometres (160 miles) an hour but they have now dropped dramatically to some 90 kilometres (50 miles), weather officials said. They said the cyclone was expected to be the strongest to hit the Arabian peninsula since 1977. more...
| Iran | Earth Changes |

Brussels Plenary 6-7 June: Constitution, Middle East, Visas European Parliament (June 6, 2007) - Javier Solana briefed MEPs on his view of the situation as it stands in the region amid renewed violence betwen Israel and the Palestinians and in Lebanon. He told Members that "we've faced 40 years of suffering from both sides...we can look back at the past and see what mistakes we've made, or we can look at the future". Although painting a stark picture of the situation he did express some optimism that the time may be right for progress towards peace. Indeed he said that not since the 2000 Camp David talks has there been a better time for peace. He stressed three reasons why he thought this the case.

The first was that an Arab peace was now in place. This refers to the Saudi Plan endorsed by the Arab league this year that would see Israel return to its 1967 borders in return for peace treaties and recognition from Arab states.
The second factor Mr Solana noted was the psychological importance of the 40th anniversary of the six day war.
Finally he said that for the first time the EU was strongly represented at the negotiating table.

José Salafranca for the Parliament's largest political group the European People's Party and European Democrats called for the Palestinian government to "commit itself to democracy and the renunciation of violence". He went on to say that the EU should present a united front and support the work of the Quartet. What the region needs is an international buffer force to prevent further violence in Gaza according to Pasqualina Napolitano of the PSE group. She also called for the EU to support the Palestinian National Unity Government openly. This theme of support for the Palestinian authorities was picked up by Brian Crowley for the Union of Europe for the Nations Group (UEN). He said the EU "had sent the wrong signal" whan it cut money to the Palestinians following the election of Hamas deputies. The Greens/EFA speaker backed this point calling for financial aid to the Palestinians. He said that " Israel had won the six-day war, but lost the 40-year peace". The leaders of Parliament's respective delegations to the region also spoke. The Chair of the delegation to Israel Jana Hybášková stressed "we face not only 'Iraqisation' but also 'Iranization' in the Middle East. Extremist groups are endangering citizens as well as the peace process," she said. Kyriacos Triantaphyllides - chair of the delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council - expressed his solidarity with "our Palestinian colleagues imprisoned by Israel", referring to the fact Israel has detained 45 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the last year. The Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner asked for the release of both Palestinian and Israeli political prisoners, as well as BBC journalist Alan Johnston and for funds to the Palestinian Authority to be released by Israel. The vote on a resolution on the Middle East will take place during the next plenary session in Strasbourg later this month. more...
| Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |

Solana, EU Commissioner discuss Middle East Alarab Online (June 6, 2007) - Javier Solana, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner discussed the situation in the Middle East with Members of the European Parliament on Wednesday during plenary session in Brussels. Before they made their statements, Kyriacos Triantaphyllides (GUE/NGL, Cyprus), Chairman of the European Parliament delegation for relations with the Palestinian Legislative Council, read out a statement on behalf of 45 MEPs expressing solidarity with 45 imprisoned Palestinian MPs. In response, European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering recalled that during his speech to the Knesset on 30 May he had called for the release of the MPs. Solana looked back at 40 years of Israeli occupation and settlements and suffering by Palestinian and Israeli citizens on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. He said there was a choice of looking back at the mistakes of the past or looking ahead and working towards a solution to the conflict. He chose the latter, a rapid settlement to make peace a reality, which would require "will and determination." He reported on his recent visit to the Middle East, describing “difficult moments” for the Palestinians, renewed conflict, and ceasefires not maintained by either side. He called for another ceasefire and for Israel to show moderation and release Palestinian tax and customs revenues. Solana considered the latest meeting of the Middle East Quartet "probably one of most important" so far. He said the Quartet would go to the region for the first time next week and meet with leaders there. He saw peace "on the horizon," supported by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Brian Crowley, (UEN, Ireland) said the focus should be on solving the Arab-Israeli conflict, on which everything in the Middle East depends. Francis Wurtz, President of the GUE/ NGL Group, believes "doing nothing makes us guilty too." Jana Hybášková (EPP-ED, Czech Republic) warned of the danger of an "Iraqisation" of the Gaza Strip and "Iranisation" of the Middle East, “a threat to us all,” and called for Palestinian recognition of Israel after quoting statements made to the contrary on Al Jazeera. more...
| Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |

House of Representatives: Move US Embassy to Jerusalem YNet News (June 6, 2007) - The House of Representatives on Tuesday [June 5] unanimously passed a resolution calling on President George W. Bush to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, this on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War. The senate is expected to approve a similar motion later in the day. In the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995, Congress determined that Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel and that the US Embassy should be established there no later than May 31, 1999. However, the Clinton and Bush administrations have refrained from moving the embassy for fear of riots against American embassies in Arab countries and a possible decline in the status of the United States. “The House congratulates the citizens of Israel on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War in which Israel defeated enemies aiming to destroy the Jewish state. Jerusalem has been the focal point of Jewish religious devotion and the site of a continuous Jewish presence for over three millennia, with a Jewish majority since at least 1896,” the resolution said. “The vibrant Jewish population of the historic Old City of Jerusalem was driven out by force during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. In six days of war, Israel defeated those forces seeking its destruction and reunited the city of Jerusalem which had been artificially divided for 19 years.”
| Israel | America |

Solana: Gaza peace force possible Jerusalem Post (June 6, 2007) - It is possible that an international peacekeeping force would be stationed in the Gaza Strip, even though it would probably be difficult for Egypt to agree to its deployment, European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said on Wednesday. Solana told the European Parliament in Brussels that "for the first time in many, many years, the idea of an international force" was not out of the question. Solana said two groups in the Knesset had said it may be the moment to call for such a force south of Rafah Crossing. "We are working on that," he said. "The Israelis are also considering that possibility, the Palestinians are considering that possibility, the Egyptians are considering that possibility." Solana said it would probably be difficult for Egypt as deployment of such a force might give the impression it was not able to control that part of the border. However, he added: "I think we can still get into discussions on these issues and maybe eventually get a solution." The EU's External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told the parliament an international mechanism to provide direct aid to the Palestinians would be extended for a further three months. She said humanitarian conditions remained "dire" and urged EU members states to offer extra funds."
| Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |

I think we're going to see this idea of an international police force become more prevalent. Ultimately there has to be a system in place for the antichrist to exert his control through. I think that force will start with his kingdom and through peace and security efforts, spread world-wide rapidly. Because the U.S. is blind to the spiritual forces at work, the nation will probably join right up with it.

Israeli portal plans to connect the world, family by family Israel21c.com (June 6, 2007) - The goal of Famillion's web site, which allows users to create their own personal family trees, is to map the entire world through these trees. This sounds preposterous, until Danny Rolls explains that by the end of this year the site will have mapped the entire Jewish population of the world - some 12-13 million people, and within about two years will have mapped the Western world. "Our vision is to connect all the people in the world through family trees," Rolls tells ISRAEL21c. "We are all connected, wherever we come from, and once people realize that, it will change the way they think. People are always afraid of someone who is different from us, someone who is a stranger - it's a basic trait of human nature. When people understand that we are all connected to one another, this sense of difference will disappear." Famillion's strength compared to other genealogy or family network sites is that once a user has posted their family tree, the Famillion technology can recognize genealogical matches between individuals and families, enabling it to be merged with other related trees. As a result family trees begin to connect automatically, allowing users to discover new family members they might otherwise have been unaware of. According to company information, as the trees connect, "the global family grows and relationships can be found between any two people in the world." Some members may find new family members, while others might be pleased to discover they have familial connections to Bill Gates say, or maybe Albert Einstein, or any other famous personality. more...
| Israel | Technology |

Foreign Ministry Promoting Relations With the EU Israel National News (June 5, 2007) - A series of special events taking place this week is devoted to enhancing Israel-EU relations. Some of the events are on the government level, others involve the private sector. On Sunday, senior European and Israeli officials met at a one-day forum addressing the future of EU-Israel relations. The meeting, called at the initiative of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, was arranged with the assistance and coordination of the German head of the rotating EU presidency and EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. The objective of the day-long event was to examine possibilities of improving relations between Israel and the European states in various fields. The forum will submit a written report by the end of the year to the European and Israeli foreign ministers, including recommendations and practical suggestions. The Israeli delegates to the forum included many senior officials, among them the Governor of the Bank of Israel, the Director General of the Ministry of Infrastructures, the Assistant Attorney General, the Director General of the Council for Higher Education, and officials from the Ministries of Industry and Trade, Environmental Protection, Finance and Transportation, as well as representatives from the National Security Council.The following day, Monday, saw the annual meeting of senior officials responsible for ongoing Israel-EU bilateral relations. The subjects on the agenda included renewal of the mandate for European observers at the Gaza-Egypt Rafiach crossing, and the Israeli demand that the EU continue to refrain from transferring funds directly to the Palestinian Authority government headed by Hamas. Other subjects raised at the meeting included bilateral trade, cultural exchanges, mutual research and development projects, and international legal issues. Also discussed was the new Israeli-EU Chamber of Commerce, inaugurated on Tuesday.
| Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | 1st Seal |

U.S. signs security pact with Kurdistan, warns Turkey not to invade World Tribune (June 5, 2007) - The United States has issued its highest-level warning against a Turkish military invasion of neighboring Iraq. Meanwhile, on May 30, the autonomous northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan signed a security cooperation accord with the U.S.-led coalition. The accord was signed by Kurdistan President Masoud Barzani and U.S. commanders in Irbil. The accord stipulated the handover of coalition security responsibility to the Kurdish regional government in the provinces of Dohuk, Irbil and Suleimaniya, Middle East Newsline reported. Officials said the Bush administration has warned Turkey that an invasion of northern Iraq to uproot Kurdish insurgency strongholds would destabilize the region. They said the United States would instead encourage Iraq and the autonomous Kurdistan government to act against the Kurdish Workers Party. "We hope there would not be a unilateral military action across the border into Iraq," Defense Secretary Robert Gates said. At a news conference on Sunday in Singapore, Gates responded to reports of a Turkish military buildup along the Iraqi border. The Pentagon chief sounded sympathetic to Turkey's increasing concern over PKK infiltration. "The Turks have a genuine concern with Kurdish terrorism that takes place on Turkish soil," Gates said. "So one can understand their frustration and unhappiness over this. Several hundred Turks lose their lives each year, and we have been working with the Turks to try to help them get control of this problem on Turkish soil." Turkey was said to have amassed 60,000 troops along the Iraqi border. The Turkish military, saying it was awaiting an invasion order from the government, has also deployed at least 300 main battle tanks as well as attack helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in the southeast. more...
| Islam | America |

Is this the world's most polluted river? Daily Mail (June 5, 2007) - It was once a gently flowing river, where fishermen cast their nets, sea birds came to feed and natural beauty left visitors spellbound. Villagers collected water for their simple homes and rice paddies thrived on its irrigation channels. Today, the Citarum is a river in crisis, choked by the domestic waste of nine million people and thick with the cast-off from hundreds of factories. So dense is the carpet of refuse that the tiny wooden fishing craft which float through it are the only clue to the presence of water. Their occupants no longer try to fish. It is more profitable to forage for rubbish they can salvage and trade - plastic bottles, broken chair legs, rubber gloves - risking disease for one or two pounds a week if they are lucky. On what was United Nations World Environment Day, the Citarum, near the Indonesian capital of Jakarta, displayed the shocking abuse that mankind has subjected it to. More than 500 factories, many of them producing textiles which require chemical treatment, line the banks of the 200-mile river, the largest waterway in West Java, spewing waste into the water. On top of the chemicals go all the other kinds of human detritus from the factories and the people who work there. There is no such luxury as a rubbish collection service here. Nor are there any modern toilet facilities. Everything goes into the river. The filthy water is sucked into the rice paddies, while families risk their health by collecting it for drinking, cooking and washing. Twenty years ago, this was a place of beauty, and the river still served its people well. As one local man, Arifin, recalled: "Our wives did their washing there and our children swam." Its demise began with rapid industrialisation during the late 1980s. The mighty Citarum soon became a garbage bin for the factories. And the doomsday effect will spread. It is one of two major rivers that feed Lake Saguling, where the French have built the largest power generator in West Java. Experts predict that as the river chokes, its volume will decrease and the generator will not function properly. The area will be plunged into darkness. But at least the factories will be stilled and their waste will stop flowing. And perhaps the river will begin to breathe again.

EU to conduct military exercise China View (XINHUA) (June 5, 2007) - The European Union (EU) will conduct its second military exercise from June 7-15, the EU Council announced here on Monday. The exercise, in the framework of the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP), is a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and will focus on the key military aspects of crisis management. "No troops will be deployed," said a press release issued by the EU Council Secretariat. During the conduct of the exercise, the EU Operations Center (EU Ops Center), composed of military and civilian elements, will be activated for the first time. This will be the second time for the EU to stage a military exercise. The first military exercise ever staged by the EU, however, was conducted in November 2005. The exercise will focus on the interaction between the EU Ops Center in Brussels and an EU Force Headquarters (FHQ) in Enkoping of Sweden, in the context of an autonomous EU-led military operation. According to the EU Council, the exercise will be based on a newly developed scenario called ALISIA that is being used for EU exercises during the time frame from 2006 to 2010. The scenario depicts a situation in a fictitious country (Alisia), where friction between the Transitional Government of Alisia and a rebel group (National Freedom Movement) leads to a situation in which the deployment of humanitarian aid to camps of internally displaced persons in the North-Western part of the country is significantly hampered. A UN mission already on the ground does not have sufficient capabilities to address the situation. Under the scenario, at the request of the UN, the EU has decided to conduct an operation bridging the time needed for the UN to reorganize its personnel. The EU operation will include the deployment of a force up to 2000 personnel including an IntegratedPolice Unit, temporarily placed under military responsibility. The EU Council said some 200 "players" and supporting personnel are expected to take part. The exercise is carried out under the operational authority of the EU's security policy chief Javier Solana. Lieutenant-General David Leakey is the official conducting the exercise.
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana |

Read Recommendation 666 by Herb L. Peters for a little history on this. He was just diagnosed with colon cancer, please keep him and family in your prayers.

Army chief: IDF preparing for escalation on both fronts Ynetnews (June 5, 2007) - Lt.-Gen. Ashkenazi tells officer training course cadets army preparing for possible escalation on both Palestinian front and northern front. Defense Minister Peretz states Israel has no intelligence indicating Syria wants war. "The IDF is preparing for an escalation on the Palestinian front and the northern front," IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi stated Tuesday during a drill at the Shizafon army base in the south. "The army's next objective is to improve its readiness and fitness, while continuing to fight terror," Lieutenant General Ashkenazi told officer training course cadets who came to watch the drill. "The drill here displays very impressive abilities. There's only one thing missing – an enemy," he added. Ashkenazi said that he did not know whether the security situation in the region would deteriorate to war, stressing, "The people of Israel trust us, and I trust you." Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who also attended the exercise, said, "We have no intelligence indicating that Syria is interested in starting a war." However, he added, "I hope that the escalation in words does not bring about an escalation in reality." Peretz emphasized that Israel was only performing training, and that he hoped the Syrians would not misinterpret the IDF's actions.
| Israel | Islam |

Syrian MP confirms preparation for war Jerusalem Post (June 5, 2007) - A member of the Syrian parliament, Muhammad Habash, confirmed on Tuesday that his country was actively preparing for war with Israel, expected to break out in the summer, Israel Radio reported. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Habash said it was no secret that the Syrian military was arming itself for the upcoming confrontation with the IDF. He also claimed that the Israeli government was the one that wanted the war so that it could survive politically. Meanwhile, Pensioners Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan (GIL Pensioners) said on Tuesday that in negotiations with Syria, Israel must relate to the matter of the Golan Heights as a real estate issue. "Negotiations need to be about the property value," he said. National Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), said he believed Prime Minister Ehud Olmert should respond positively to any offer of peace talks from Syrian President Bashar Assad. However, Shas ministers Eli Yishai and Yitzhak Cohen insisted that the Syrians must take steps to show their intentions were serious before Israel negotiated with them. On Wednesday, the Security Cabinet was set to discuss the question of whether to examine the option of talks with Damascus.
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Could this push Israel to pre-emptively attack Damascus? Keep watching.

Gonu--Iran, Not Arabia? Accuweather.com (June 5, 2007) - The latest infrared satellite imagery (from the NRLMRY) shows Gonu to be a weakening (from 260-kph, Category 5 status, the only way would seem to be down!) tropical cyclone. Location is southeast of Ra's al Hadd, Oman, towards which it is headed. As of 0600 hours GMT, the JTWC reckoned Gonu to be a Category 4 storm packing highest sustained winds of 230-kph, or 125 knots. Movement was toward the northwest at 7 knots, or 13 kph. Since 0600 GMT, satellite imagery seems to show further weakening, maybe to Category 3 status as of this writing. Meantime, westernmost squalls have reached easternmost Oman with rain being observed as of 0600 GMT at Sur. There will be a lot more in this part of Oman before Gonu has run its course. Since leaving work Monday, some of the `fog` shrouding the future path of Gonu seems to have settled. Numerical forecasts are pointing towards a northward veering of Gonu AWAY from northeast Oman and TOWARDS southeastern Iran. And this is the latest take by forecasters at the JWC. Landfall, based upon their latest thinking, would happen Wednesday night, local time, in an area lacking any bigger cities. One town on the map in the suggested area of landfall is Humedan. As for me, I am leaning towards the northward turn, but I am nowhere near `in touch` enough to have a firm stand of my own. In the shorter term, the big question is impact upon Oman. The area of Sur is going to get a battering with severe winds and torrential rains. Elsewhere, impact is clearly dependent upon the exact path of Gonu's eye, with a few tens of kms north or south being the difference between a stormy day and a severe, destructive pounding. The farther northwest along the Oman coast (toward Masqat and beyond), the less the impact of Gonu is likely to be, even if it hugs the coast. In following the JTWC path, Masqat would certainly be spared the worst of Gonu's winds, although torrential rain and flooding could still prove serious. My thanks to Abdullatif for his emails. First, he told me of two May cyclones that struck Arabia from the southeast--in 1992 and 2002. These must have been significant storms at landfall, but they were never as strong as Gonu. Indeed, Abdullatif has stated that Gonu is, indeed, the first known Category-5 storm over the Arabian Sea. He is even watching carefully enough to detect wobbling in the eye path; he attributes this to thunderstorm pulsing over India and East Africa. more...
| Earth Changes |

U.S. violent crime up again, more murders, robberies Reuters (June 4, 2007) - More murders and robberies in 2006 sent U.S. violent crimes higher for the second straight year, the FBI said on Monday, with the increase blamed on gangs, youth violence, gun crimes and fewer police on beats. The FBI reported that the number of violent crimes nationwide went up by 1.3 percent last year, following a 2.3 percent increase in 2005. That had been the first rise in four years and the biggest percentage gain in 15 years. The report showed that murders in big cities jumped last year by 6.7 percent. Robberies, an important indicator of crime trends, increased 6 percent nationwide. Cities with big increases in the number of murders included Orlando and Miami in Florida; Oakland and San Diego in California; Phoenix, Arizona; Corpus Christi, Texas; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Reno, Nevada and Little Rock, Arkansas. Even though the higher violent crime numbers had been expected, they still represented bad news for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who has targeted violent crime as a top priority. "Any increase is still of concern and the reason why the attorney general has acted to expand federal efforts to combat violent crime," said U.S. Justice Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said. A department study released last month of 18 metropolitan areas cited more violence by local gangs or street crews, more guns in the hands of criminals and younger, more violent offenders as key reasons for the rising crime rates. Criminologists agreed with those reasons and also said there are fewer police on the beat. They cited the Bush administration's emphasis on fighting terrorism since the September 11 attacks and funding cuts for programs to put more police officers on the street. "The fact that we are seeing these increases several years in a row should be a wake-up call," said James Alan Fox, a criminal justice professor at Northeastern University in Boston. "There's a tendency to think the sky is falling. It's not," said Fox, noting the increases have been relatively small. "We're not talking about an epidemic here." David Kennedy, director of the Center for Crime Prevention and Control at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said the crime problems appear to be spreading to medium-sized and smaller cities. He said the emergence of deadly drug crews or street gangs can profoundly affect a city's homicide or gun assault rate. more...
| Signs of the Times |

Gates: Taliban fighters use Iran weapons Associated Press (June 4, 2007) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Monday that Iranian weapons are falling into the hands of anti-government Taliban fighters but he stopped short of blaming Tehran. Afghan President Hamid Karzai seemed to dismiss the matter. At a news conference at the presidential palace, Gates offered possible explanations for the flow of weapons from Iran to this war-scarred country, including smuggling. He mentioned no specific weapons, but NATO officials recently cited the discovery in Kabul of an armor-piercing roadside bomb, the same type U.S. officials have long complained are entering Iraq from Iran. "There have been indications over the past few months of weapons coming in from Iran," Gates told reporters with Karzai at his side. "We do not have any information about whether the government of Iran is supporting this, is behind it, or whether it's smuggling." Gates, on his second visit to Afghanistan since becoming Pentagon chief last December, said that while the weapons appear to be going to Taliban fighters, some may be headed to criminals in the Afghan drug trade. Asked his own view, Karzai appeared eager to give the Iranian government a pass. He said there was no evidence of Iranian government involvement, adding, "Iran and Afghanistan have never been as friendly as they are today." more...
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |

Putin threatens to target Europe Globeandmail.com (June 4, 2007) - He also lashes out at NATO and insists he's world's only true democrat. In a threat not uttered since the Cold War, Vladimir Putin said that Russia intends to aim its missile systems - potentially nuclear weapons - at targets in Europe in retaliation for the U.S. decision to establish antimissile bases there. During a lengthy dinner, Russia's President defended his semi-authoritarian style and insisted he is the world's only true democrat. In an interview with The Globe and Mail and a small circle of other journalists, he stressed that his country is not moving away from a market economy, refused to consider extraditing a former KGB agent charged with poisoning a dissident in London, and lashed out repeatedly at the United States and NATO for operating in countries previously within Russia's sphere of influence. Mr. Putin's remarks, translated from Russian, virtually guarantee much of the G8 summit, due to begin in northern Germany on Wednesday, will be dominated by the growing confrontation between the West and Russia. Mr. Putin repeatedly described U.S. antimissile bases, which will be built in the Czech Republic and Poland, both former Warsaw Pact countries, as "an element of the nuclear potential of the United States," and that the alleged threat from Iranian missiles is a myth. Washington says that the bases are purely defensive and designed to shoot down missiles launched at the United States from Iran or other rogue states. Asked what he might do to retaliate, he said he would return to the Cold War practice of having Russian ballistic missiles programmed to strike targets in Europe - in this case, he said, the Czech and Polish antimissile sites as well as new U.S. bases in Bulgaria and Romania. "It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond," he said. "What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe." He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons. more...
| Gog/Magog | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom |

Iranian Leader: Countdown to Israel's Destruction Has Begun IsraelNationalNews (June 4, 2007) - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Sunday the countdown to Israel’s destruction has begun. Ahmadinejad said that Hizbullah began the countdown in its war with the IDF last summer. "With Allah’s help, the countdown button to this regime’s [Israel's] destruction has been pushed by the hands of Lebanon and Palestine’s children,” he said in a speech to foreign guests in Tehran in honor of the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran’s first Supreme Leader. " By Allah's will, we will witness the destruction of this regime in the near future thanks to the endeavors of Palestinian and Lebanese fighters." Ahmadinejad’s previous statement, regarding Israel being “wiped off the map,” was a quote of Khomeini. Iran’s “Supreme Leader” Ayatollah Ali Khameini declared Monday that Iran refuses to “beg world powers for its right to develop nuclear technology” and has demonstrated that it will not retreat from the "field of danger" and will protect those rights. "The world has learned from experience that an Iranian will never step back from the field of danger when defending his rights," Khameini said during a televised address Monday. Ahmadinejad spoke with Syrian president Bashar Assad this past week, during which Assad is reported, by Iran’s state-run news agency, to have said that “added coordination between Iran and Syria in confrontation with the Zionist regime and the USA can bear better results in the future.” The Iranian president congratulated Assad on his reelection. Assad ran unopposed and won 97% of the vote. more...
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |

Another Yom Kippur? Ynetnews (June 3, 2007) - Assad advocates diplomatic talks, yet evidence shows he is preparing for war. The UN Security Council's decision to establish an international court to try Basher Assad and his relatives for the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri has made the Syrian government frantic. This development may come at Israel's expense, as within the battle for his survival Assad may embark on a war against Israel sooner than expected. It's difficult not to notice that the Syrians are heading for war since they are convinced that Israel has lost its former "killer instinct" and fears a conflict. The Syrians followed the suicidal attitude that prevailed here following the Second Lebanon War with gaping mouths. They view the public criticism prevalent in the Israeli press and culture, as well as the Winograd's Commission's testimonies, as their strategic assets. As a result of the last war they understood that there is no need for a large ground force, but rather, missiles aimed at dense Israeli population centers. For the past two years the Syrians have been engaged in massive acquisitions from Russia. In the past they owed some $11 billion to the Russians, yet in 2005 the Russians erased part of the debt and the rest was covered by the Iranians. Syria began equipping itself with advanced anti-aircraft missiles in order to crush our Air Force, anti-tank missiles - as the last war demonstrated that our armored corps weren't prepared - and cruise missiles against our Navy. The Saudi London-based daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Syria has completed the deployment of Chinese C-802 cruise missiles, which it acquired from Iran, and that the deployment of its Air Force has also been completed. Russia has expressed its willingness to also sell the Syrians its most advanced 280 kilometers (174 miles) range Iskander missile, more than enough to strike at any destination in Israel. Each such missile features an optical GPS navigational system that allows operators to guide missiles to their targets. more...
| Israel | Islam |

Israeli printing technology could deliver 1,000 pages a minute Israel21c.com (June 3, 2007) - Imagine a bookstore that prints your purchases while you settle the bill or a personalized newspaper that contains only the news you want to read. Such expedient printing may soon become a reality using a new Israeli technology that will enable printing 1,000 pages a minute at affordable prices. Two researchers from The College of Judea and Samaria - Moshe and Nissim Einat - have developed a revolutionary printing technique called Jetrix, which enables simultaneous high- speed printing of an entire page of text. The technology combines printing and Liquid Crystal Technology (LCD) methods to make a page-sized printing array that emits ink instead of light. "We are reducing the limitations of printing heads," explains Moshe Einat, senior lecturer at the college's Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Einat's inspiration for rethinking print methods came from flat-screen display technologies. In the past display screens used a cathode ray tube to 'scan' the picture across the screen similar to the way a printer fills a page with text. With LCDs a screen-sized array of light emitting diodes creates the displayed picture and simultaneously changes to display each new image. Einat posed the question whether the same concept could not be applied to a printed page? "If you can do it with light, why not with ink?" he asked. Early printers used a continuous jet of ink to print on pages but were later replaced by modern Drop On Demand (DOD) printers in which a traveling head of tiny nozzles squirts ink at the page. The dots combine to produce the desired print. Current printers use a single print head that scans across the page but mechanical and physical limitations present a range of barriers that cap print speeds. more...
| Israel | Technology |

Netanyahu Calls For Government To Be Replaced Jerusalem Post (June 3, 2007) - The current government has failed and needs to be replaced, opposition leader Binyamin Netanyahu told Army Radio on Sunday morning. Netanyahu referred to the Winograd Committee's interim report on the Second Lebanon War, indicating that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's administration was unsuccessful in its judgment and irresponsible. Olmert is heavily lacking in knowledge of military management, he added. Therefore, he continued, "it is necessary to replace the [current] leadership. The report said that the entire government failed. We cannot continue to be complacent over our forgotten deterrence," said the Likud chairman. "We must change the leadership… Everyone has the opportunity to argue their points of view, but the public will decide. I am not afraid of elections," he added.
| Israel |

Ahmadinejad: Israel's Destruction Getting Close Fox News (June 3, 2007) - Iran's hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday said the world would witness the destruction of Israel soon, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported. Ahmadinejad said last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah showed for the first time that the "hegemony of the occupier regime [Israel] had collapsed, and the Lebanese nation pushed the button to begin counting the days until the destruction of the Zionist regime," IRNA quoted him as saying. "God willing, in the near future we will witness the destruction of the corrupt occupier regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying during a speech to foreign guests who attended ceremonies marking the 18th anniversary of the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who is known as the father of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution. Embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has lost public support after Israel failed to achieve its goals during last summer's 34-day war with Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon — freeing two captured soldiers and crushing the militant group. The war was sparked after two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped by Iranian- and Syrian-backed Hezbollah militants in a cross-border raid. The fighting ended with a U.N.-brokered cease-fire that called for deployment of U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops in southern Lebanon along the border with Israel. Ahmadinejad has made anti-Israel comments in the past. In October 2005, he caused outrage in the West when he said in a speech that Israel's "Zionist regime should be wiped off the map." His supporters have argued Ahmadinejad's words were mistranslated and should have been better translated as "vanish from the pages of time" — implying Israel would vanish on its own rather be destroyed.
| Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam |

Toothpaste Containing Poison Is Found in U.S. New York Times (June 2, 2007) - Consumers were advised on Friday to discard all toothpaste made in China after federal health officials said they found Chinese-made toothpaste containing a poison related to a chemical used in antifreeze in three locations — Miami, the Port of Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. Although there are no reports of anyone being harmed by the toothpaste, the Food and Drug Administration warned that the Chinese products have a “low but meaningful risk of toxicity and injury” to children and people with kidney or liver disease. The United States is the seventh country to find tainted Chinese toothpaste within its borders in recent weeks. F.D.A. officials said they found toothpaste containing a small amount of diethylene glycol, a sweet syrupy poison, at a Dollar Plus retail store in Miami, sold under the brand name ShiR Fresh Mint Flouride Paste. The F.D.A. also identified another nine brands of Chinese toothpaste that contain diethylene glycol, some with concentrations of between 3 percent and 4 percent. Previously, only a few brands had been identified by health officials around the world as containing diethylene glycol and all of them listed the chemical on the label. But diethylene glycol was not listed on the label of the toothpaste found in the Miami store. Its presence was detected only because the F.D.A. began testing imported Chinese toothpaste last month. That precaution was prompted by the discovery in Latin America of tens of thousands of tubes of tainted toothpaste made in China. Over the years, counterfeiters have found it profitable to substitute diethylene glycol for its chemical cousin, glycerin, which is usually more expensive. Glycerin is a safe additive commonly found in food, drugs and household products. In toothpaste, glycerin is used as a thickening agent. Chinese regulators said Thursday their investigation of toothpaste manufacturers there had found they had done nothing wrong. Chinese officials also said that while small amounts diethylene glycol can be safely used in toothpaste, new controls would be imposed on the use of the chemical in toothpaste. The F.D.A. said diethylene glycol in any amount is not suitable for use in toothpaste. The F.D.A. said two Chinese companies, Goldcredit International Trading and Suzhou City Jinmao Daily Chemicals Co., made the tainted brands found in the United States. more...
| America |

Al-Qaida cited in persecution of 200 million Christians WorldNetDaily (June 2, 2007) - A report by Britain's intelligence service MI6 reveals for the first time an estimated 200 million Christians in 60 countries are now facing persecution orchestrated, in part, by al-Qaida. The report has been sent to the pope and church leaders. It is the first time the secret intelligence service has shared its information with religious leaders. "We do so because we believe the situation is extremely serious," said an MI6 source. The report is based on details from MI6 agents stationed in the countries. North Korea is identified as the world's worst repressor of Christians. More than 50,000 Christians are incarcerated in work camps because they refuse to submit to the extreme views rigorously enforced by the country's dictator, Kim Jong-il. An estimated 40,000 Christians are imprisoned in China for their beliefs. The MI6 analysis calculates there are some 70 million "active Christians" in the People's Republic, all living in a climate of fear because of their beliefs. "Many try and escape by a route that is the equivalent of the biblical Exodus," says the report.
| Islam |

The other war / Syria, not Gaza Haaretz (June 2, 2007) - The main reason the Israel Defense Forces is not currently recommending a major ground operation in the Gaza Strip is fear that war might break out with Syria this summer, IDF sources say. This argument is rarely mentioned publicly, in part because intelligence analysts are still uncertain about whether Syrian President Bashar Assad intends to start a war or is merely trying to pressure Israel to resume peace talks. But Syria has clearly been preparing for the possibility of war, both through troop training and major arms deals. As a result, the IDF believes it must also be ready for this possibility, and excessive activity on the southern front would undermine its capabilities in the north. From the army's perspective, Syria is the biggest threat; the Palestinian front is secondary. The army is also concerned that miscalculations of the enemy's intentions, on either side of the border, could lead to war between Syria and Israel even if neither side wants it. Precisely this scenario was the subject of a major military exercise last month.
| Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | Isaiah 17 |

Christian sentenced to death for blasphemy WorldNetDaily (June 2, 2007) - A Pakistani Christian has been sentenced to death for blasphemy by the sessions court in Lahore. According to sources in Pakistan, following the sentencing Wednesday, a large mob led by Islamic clerics responded by shouting slogans against Younis Masih and threatening anyone involved in providing security or legal assistance to "blasphemers." Christian Solidarity Worldwide says Masih, a Christian from Chungi Amar Sadu in Lahore, was charged Sept. 10, 2005, under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code. Section 295C relates to blasphemy against the Prophet Muhammad and carries the death penalty. Although no one has yet been executed by the state for blasphemy, several have been murdered by extremists. Masih has been held in Kot Lakhpat prison since Sept. 11, 2005, where he faces regular threats to his security. Christian Solidarity Worldwide says Pakistan's blasphemy laws are regularly misused as a means of settling scores or targeting religious minorities. Although Masih will now appeal against the sentence in the High Court, he faces death threats from extremists even while he remains in jail. The human rights organization says Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which relates to blasphemy against the Prophet Mohammed, was introduced in 1986 by the then-ruler of Pakistan, General Zia ul-Haq. Section 295B, relating to desecration of the Koran, was introduced in 1982. The blasphemy laws require only an accusation by one man against another for a case to be filed. In almost all cases the charges are entirely fabricated. Masih was outspoken against incidents of rape committed against Christian girls, and is a Christian himself. It is believed these were the reasons he was accused of blasphemy. more...
| Islam |

Russia Announces Large Joint Military Exercise With China, Shanghai Six RIA Novosti (June 1, 2007) - Russia will hold a counterterrorism military exercise with China and other members of the "Shanghai Six" in August, the Ground Forces commander said Friday. "The main [of the six international counterterrorism exercises planned for the year] will be a joint exercise of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in August," a regional grouping dominated by Russia and China, Army General Alexei Maslov said. The exercise will be held in the Russian Urals and will involve 500 vehicles from Russia and China, about 2,000 Russian and 1,600 Chinese personnel, a company (around 100 men) from Tajikistan, and smaller units from other members, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, the general said. While China has yet to decide how its troops would be transited through Kazakhstan, he has already suggested an alternate route directly across the Sino-Russian border in the Far East. Officially, the SCO focuses on fighting drug and arms trafficking, terrorism and separatism. Although it has conducted a number of joint military exercises since 2003, Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov earlier this month reassured critics concerned about SCO countering U.S. and NATO influence in resource-rich Central Asia, saying the grouping would not turn into a military bloc. Russia also held its first-ever joint military exercise outside the SCO framework with China in 2005, several exercises with SCO observer nation India, and has raised the prospect of the other two SCO observers Pakistan and Iran participating in such exercises in the future.
| Gog/Magog |

As the "Alliance Of Civilizations" Advances . . . Older New Age Alliances Join and Come to the Forefront of its Battle Constance Cumbey (June 1, 2007) - This blogspot article is prompted by some of my later disturbing discoveries of the Alliance of Civilizations. It is also fed by my intense research beginning in 1981 on the New Age Movement. Clearly, those involved sincerely believed something BIG would happen in 1982. They started much earlier in collaboration with many elements including but not limited to Lucis Trust, Rosicrucian, and Theosophical interests to put the pieces in place and build momentum for what they thought was coming. Alice Bailey had written that preparation for the “Reappearance of the Reappearance of the Christ” (one at least per the Alice Bailey writings neither Jesus nor Jewish) should go public on radio and television starting in 1975.1 Its been a little while since I have written about the Alliance of Civilizations, known to our British and Canadian friends as “Alliance of Civilisations.” Readers "Rich of Medford" and Dorothy Margraf have been valiantly keeping up with the subject as well. Lately, I started wondering about its connections with older efforts that started in the 60's. A bold New Age initiative was started by New York socialite Judith Hollister in 1960, 47 years ago.2 Rolland Gammon, a gossipy New Ager active in the days I was originally researching the New Age Movement in the early 1980s fortunately shared his then 20 year recollections in his 1980 book Nirvana Now: “In fact, the 20-year-old Temple of Understanding is such a bold New Age concept and its founder Judith Hollister is such an Aquarian enchantress that these interfaith gatherings of world religion leaders cannot fail to be peace-making and faith-heartening to the hundreds who attend and the millions who read, see and hear about them in international media. As I attended the first one in Calcutta, India in 1968 . . . missed the second one in Geneva Switzerland in 1970 . . . it was assured that I would participate in the third one in October, 1971 at Harvard University . . . All living religions today are trying to function as an integrated spiritual grid . . .”3 Back to today's Alliance of Civilizations, it has long than we have suspected been in a phase of not just planning, but indeed of “implementation.” It further seems that since these statements were made in early 2006, that the process was much further along than their public “christening” which happened in December 2006 would indicate. This is very typical of my experience of the New Agers over the years: they never brag, they never show all their cards. If they tell you they've got something, they've got all that and much more! Fortunately for us, they don't hold all the cards. That's their Achilles heel and one that frustrated their earlier efforts to advance their agenda starting in the 1960s for what they hoped would grandly culminate in a 1982 “Reappearance of the Christ.” If anybody thinks that the 1982 worldwide half a million dollar ad campaign featuring ads reading “The Christ is now here” was done for a mere prank, I have a bridge to sell them --Brooklyn or Chappaquiddick, take your pick! Obviously there were very serious purposes behind them. I remember experiencing cold chills in mid 1982 upon hearing Benjamin Creme publicly blame me on San Antonio, Texas “The Allen Dale Show” back in 1982 for “interfering with the Christ's Reappearance.” I have now donated those tapes to the University of Michigan for archival in their Bentley Historical Library, but I remember hearing those threats which then seemed to me very imminent of threats of ultimate evil coming to be directed my way. I heard Creme say “Constance Cumbey will pay for her interference with the Christ's reappearance.” I quipped to my friends, I suppose I might, but I suppose I'm going to get paid, too!” Looking at an aging Benjamin Creme these days, it doesn't appear that his “messiah” or the Lucifer that Creme has publicly espoused, has been particularly effective in maintaining his own New Age claimed “eternal youth.” But then, I suppose he expects "reincarnation" will rescue that. I would rather trust in "resurrection"! more...
| Apostasy |

Making Water From Thin Air Newswise (June 1, 2007) - An architect pursuing a PhD at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and his colleague have devised a low-tech way to collect dew from the air and turn it into fresh water. Their invention recently won an international competition seeking to make clean, safe water available to millions around the world. The brainchild of Technion Architecture and Building Planning grad student Joseph Cory and his colleague Eyal Malka, “WatAir,” is an inverted pyramid array of panels that collects dew from the air and turns it into fresh water in almost any climate. Inspired by the dew-collecting properties of leaves, one 315 sq ft unit can extract a minimum of 48 liters of fresh water from the air each day. Depending on the number of collectors used, an unlimited daily supply of water could be produced even in remote and polluted places. According to Cory, WatAir can be easily incorporated into both rural and urban landscapes because it has a relatively small base. Its vertical and diagonal design utilizes gravity to increase the collection areas. The panels are flexible and easy to collapse when not in use, and provide shelter from rain and heat and play areas for children. “WatAir is a wonderfully simple concept which draws its inspiration from nature,” said competition judge Jo da Silva. “This is a simple and effective idea using tried and tested technology.” The project was selected from 100 entries from North America, Europe, Africa and Asia as the winner of the “drawing water challenge” sponsored by Arup – a global firm of designers, engineers, planners and business consultants specializing in innovative and sustainable design. Geotectura and Malka Architects, the respective architectural studios of Cory and Malka, are located in Haifa, Israel. The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country’s winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with 17 offices around the country.
| Israel | Technology |

You can see pictures of the concept in this second article.

Chief rabbis, EU president discuss 'interfaith UN' Jerusalem Post (May 30, 2007) - European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pottering said Wednesday in a meeting with Israel's chief rabbis that he would support the establishment of an "interfaith United Nations" that would bring together religious leaders from all over the world to promote peace. Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi Yona Metzger first proposed the idea at an interfaith meeting several months ago. But Metzger said that Wednesday's meeting with Pottering marked the first time a political figure had shown interest in concrete steps towards achieving that idea. "After our meeting, the president sent an envoy to discuss in more detail the creation of an international body made up of religious leaders who could foster peace," said Metzger. "I envision the body being based in the holy city of Jerusalem, which is sacred to the three monotheistic religious. But disputes over its location should not delay the establishment of the interfaith UN," Metzger added. In a press release, the Chief Rabbinate said an interfaith UN could help combat anti-Semitism. Metzger said that the controversy sparked by the Mughrabi bridge excavations near the Temple Mount was a perfect example of how dialogue between religious leaders assuaged religious extremist rancor sparked by misinformation. "After explaining in the international media that construction of the bridge did not endanger Al-Aksa Mosque, people calmed down," said Metzger. more...
| Israel | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Apostasy |

Pentecost 2007 ... A Step Closer to Global Unity ... A Step Further From Gospel Truth Lighthouse Trails Research (May 28, 2007) - This year's Pentecost 2007 will take place on June 3rd - 6th in Washington DC. Invited speakers include emerging church leader, Brian McLaren, Bill Hybel's wife--Lynne Hybels (Willow Creek), and liberal mystic-proponent Jim Wallis. Last fall, we reported on Pentecost 2006, stating: This summer's Pentecost 2006 conference, titled "Building a Covenant for a New America," is another example of how a move towards interspirituality (the coming together of all religions) is quickly taking place.... According to a Wall Street Journal editorial article on the event, Pentecost speaker Howard Dean said, "We're about to enter into the '60s again ... Into the age of enlightenment, led by religious figures who want to greet Americans with a moral, uplifting vision." While the emphasis of the Pentecost 2006 event was said to be helping the poor, one cannot help wonder about the implications and the results of such a coming together of religious and political ideas, especially when we stop and realize that here too, mysticism plays a significant role. Pentecost 2006 speaker Tony Campolo states his views on the role of mysticism and uniting all together in his book, Speaking My Mind: Beyond these models of reconciliation, a theology of mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have within their histories examples of ecstatic union with God ... I do not know what to make of the Muslim mystics, especially those who have come to be known as the Sufis. What do they experience in their mystical experiences? Could they have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism? (pp. 149-150) Well, according to New Agers, there is indeed a common ground between Christianity and Islam, in fact between all religions. Mysticism is the glue that binds them all together. In Ron Miller's book, As Above, So Below, he states (quoting Aldous Huxley): "a highest common factor" links the world's religious traditions. He [Huxley] calls this unifying factor the Perennial Philosophy: "the metaphysical [mystical] that recognizes a divine reality ... each religion [provides] meditative disciplines that help us ... experience our rootedness in the divine ... the spiritual dimension of culture is ... a spectrum of contemplative practices, equivalent in essence, which lead toward experience rather than towards doctrinal assertion." (pp. 2-3) Will this expected "age of enlightenment" that Howard Dean spoke of at Pentecost 2006 intersect at some point with the evangelical's (e.g., Rick Warren) hoped for "great awakening" or "second reformation"? The gap between the two is narrowing, and mysticism is the bridge that will bring about the ultimate unity. Now this year, Pentecost will be more of the same agenda. Pentecost 2007 speakers will include Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and three presidential candidates: Hilary Clinton, Obama Barack, and former Senator John Edwards.
| Apostasy |

The Sanhedrin’s peace initiative Ynetnews (May 1, 2007) - Jewish group devoted to rebuilding Temple in Jerusalem to send letters to all world leaders, including Arab ones, inviting them to take part in project, attend conference on Temple Mount in Israel. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has been gearing up for an Israeli offensive in recent months, is bound to be surprised by the peace feelers he is set to receive from Jerusalem soon. Without Saudi mediation or diplomatic procedures, the president will get a “Letter of Love and Peace”, accompanied by a historic invitation to visit Jerusalem, from The Supreme Judicial Court of the Jewish People, better known as the Sanhedrin. After having tried their luck with the High Court of Justice and the government, the members of the Jewish group have set out on a new track in their struggle for the Temple Mount, aimed at rebuilding the Temple in the Jewish capital. In recent days, the group members have drafted a letter that will be translated into 70 languages and sent to all government institutions in the world, including “the sons of Esau and Ishmael” who do not hold diplomatic ties with Israel. In the letter, the rabbis of the self-proclaimed Sanhedrin warn that the world is nearing a catastrophe, and write that the only way to bring peace among nations, states, and religions is by building a house for God, where Jews will worship, pray and offer up sacrifice, according to the vision of the prophets. The rabbis also call on the non-Jews to help the people of Israel fulfill their destiny and build the Temple, in order to prevent bloodshed across the globe. The letter will initially be translated into English, Spanish, Arabic, French and Farsi, and later also into Russian, Chinese and Japanese, and will include an invitation to world leaders to attend a conference dedicated to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem five months from now, during Succot. Prof Hillel Weiss of the Sanhedrin explained that the Torah and the prophets have tasked the Jewish people with the responsibility for world peace. He stressed that the group’s project was to rebuild the Temple, not a “church for all nations,” but added, “We have all descended from the same father, this is not another primitive and racist approach.”
| Temple Mount |

Approximately 100 Million American Church Members Have Very Little to No Understanding of Bible Prophecy Koenig's International News - Today there are approximately 100 million American church members who have very little to no understanding of Bible prophecy. These church members are from replacement theology churches that don't teach Bible prophecy and who look at prophetic scriptures as allegorical and not literal. Consequently, they do not understand the importance of Israel to the God of Israel or God's redemptive plan for Israel and the nations. (To Read "The Error of Replacement Theology" - By Clarence H. Wagner Jr. click here) These church members also have no understanding of the biblical significance of what is transpiring today in Israel, Russia, China, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and in other Middle East nations. They are also not aware of the significance of the formation of the European Union, new ID technologies and much more. I have shared the biblical significance of our times with some of these people and almost all of them can't process the information mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Many of these people, due to fear or unbelief, do not want to hear more. Sadly, they also have no biblical point of reference in which to start if they had interest. The good news is those who understand Bible prophecy are fully aware of the significance of Israel, God's time clock, and are watching the times with great interest and expectancy. Below is a list of the 25 largest churches in America. The churches that are highlighted in bold are confirmed replacement theology churches. We are still attempting to confirm a few of the smaller church positions.

Revelation 19:10
And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

If the "spirit of prophecy" is the "testimony of Yeshua," then Bible prophecy, which is all about the history and future of Yeshua, should be at least a small part of our learning of Him to know Him better. That is the purpose of the Watchman Bible Study website and this newsletter, to build up the faith of the bride of Christ and blow the trumpet as a watchman, seeing what is approaching the earth and warning. I urge you to do the same. Share the newsletter, share your experience with Christ with others, watch, and pray. Let us not be afraid of Bible prophecy telling us our future, but have faith that the Word of God is 100% true and accurate. If you haven't already, please visit the Watchman Bible Study Guide. It divides important concepts of Bible prophecy into topics and definitions.

Exposing the secret agenda behind today's obsession with global warming" WorldNetDaily (March, 2007) - The U.N. recently announced global warming is leading inexorably to global catastrophe. Al Gore won the "best documentary" Oscar for his disaster film "An Inconvenient Truth." The news media beat the drum of "climate catastrophe" daily, all but ignoring scientists who say the threat is overblown or nonexistent. And across America, school children are frightened to death with tales of rising oceans, monster tornadoes, droughts and millions dying – all because of man-made global warming. However, hidden just beneath the surface of the world's latest environmental craze is a stunningly different reality, as the March edition of WND's acclaimed Whistleblower magazine documents. Titled "HYSTERIA: Exposing the secret agenda behind today's obsession with global warming," Whistleblower tells the rest of the story the "mainstream press" will never reveal. To begin with, those who believe the dire warnings of today's establishment press should know, as U.S. Sen. James Inhofe has pointed out, that "for more than 100 years, journalists have quoted scientists predicting the destruction of civilization by, in alternation, either runaway heat or a new Ice Age." Believe it or not, over the last century America's major media have predicted an impending global climate crisis four different times – each prediction warning that entire countries would be wiped out or that lower crop yields would mean "billions will die." In 1895, the panic was over an imminent ice age. Later, in the late 1920s, when the earth’s surface warmed less than half a degree, the media jumped on a new threat – global warming, which continued into the late 1950s. Then in 1975, the New York Times' headline blared, "A Major Cooling Widely Considered to Be Inevitable." Then in 1981 it was back to global warming, with the Times quoting seven government atmospheric scientists who predicted global warming of an "almost unprecedented magnitude." Today, to cover all their bases, much of the press is changing its terminology from "global warming" to "climate change" or "climate catastrophe." That way they're covered either way: If the world gets colder, global warming is still at fault. But hot-and-cold press coverage is just the beginning. Whistleblower's "HYSTERIA" issue reveals exactly why so many scientists, journalists and others (even the president's speechwriters now have him pay lip service to "climate change") are so gripped by global warming fever. Here's a hint: As "Deep Throat" famously told Washington Post "Watergate" reporter Bob Woodward, "Follow the money." more...
| Earth Changes |

“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:21

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