Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the CFSP, welcomes the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS Europa Document (December 28, 2008) - Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), today welcomed the completion of the procedures for the accreditation of EUPOL COPPS and made the following statement: "I welcome the completion of the procedure that paves the way for the accreditation of the European Union police mission for the Palestinian Territories (EUPOL COPPS) by the Government of Israel. I wish to thank Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mrs Tzipi Livni for her support. This agreement will facilitate the implementation of the mandate of the mission." The aim of the EUPOL COPPS mission is to work with the Palestinian civilian police to support the Palestinian Authority in taking responsibility for law and order, and improving its civilian police and law enforcement capacity. EUPOL COPPS helps to establish sustainable and effective policing arrangements under Palestinian ownership in accordance with the best international standards. This mission is a central pillar of the EU Action Strategy in support of renewed peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians launched in Annapolis last November.| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Big Brother on Stage: What Kind of Actor is the EU? A
Time, Times, and Half a Time (December
25, 2007) -
Rafael Dochao Moreno,
principal administrator of the Euro-Med Partnership, when asked the
question why Spain chose to launch the Alliance of Civilizations
initiative at the United Nations rather than the European Union
responded that the “Barcelona process is already an AoC…why
do we need an AoC?” Moreno’s response reminded those of us
who have been following the Barcelona Process what we’ve already
known--that the Alliance of Civilizations is a
key aspect for the European foreign policy.
The Barcelona Process, introduced in 1995 by Spain’s Javier Solana,
contained a social cohesion strategy which had a goal to combat
religious fundamentalism worldwide. The Alliance of Civilizations is
merely a vehicle for such activity. Right from the start, the AoC
was intended to form the
core of the global counter-terrorism strategy.
Before the cartoon crisis (in which Spain’s Zapatero, Moratinos,
Federico Mayor, and Solana so authoritatively rose to the occasion
to turn
crisis into opportunity),
Spain’s foreign minister had
introduced the idea of the AoC as a tool to combat terrorism.
Incidentally, although no group has ever stepped forward to claim
responsibility or offer rationale for inciting the cartoon crisis,
blame was assigned to “religious extremists” along with the claim
that they seek to provoke a clash of civilizations. There is only
one group that has reaped tremendous political benefit from the
cartoon crisis--it almost reminds me of the Reichstag fire. In a
previous blog post we examined the
Club of Madrid’s 2005
counter-terrorism strategy. As I reviewed the conference pictures
and
list of participants, I
noticed linkages to those who put forth the EU Social Cohesion
Policy and the Alliance of Civilisations initiative. It is not
surprising then that the Madrid Agenda contains identical objectives
to those of the
European Union’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
Europe’s counter-terrorism strategy was presented to the
June 2003 Thessalonika European Council
by Javier Solana. Solana’s counter-terrorism strategy, which was
incorporated into the security strategy
A Secure Europe for a Better World,
addresses combating strategic terrorism as its primary objective.
Recall in
Part I of my
counter-terrorism article that strategic terrorism has been
attributed to religious beliefs in which one accepts an
“exclusivist” truth claim. An examination of the EU
counter-terrorism documents yields the same definition. But here we
see the lion’s teeth of militarization. There is an interesting
paragraph in the Thessalonika document which reads: “…the Danish Presidency decided to commission a group of Ministers' personal representatives to submit an analysis of the phenomenon of extreme fundamentalism and terrorism…The final report has been submitted and will be further discussed within the Council with a view to taking forward its recommendations.” “In most fundamentalist transnational terrorist violence, the perpetrators tend to view the front line to be between Israel and the United States, on the one hand, and the Islamic world on the other. It involves the dispute about the US occupation of holy areas either itself or through proxies such as the authoritarian regimes of Saudi Arabia and Persia, or Israel. According to the report of the Extreme Fundamentalism and Terrorism Group (EFTG) the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would have a very important positive impact on the struggle against extreme fundamentalism and terrorism.”This is consistent with the Alliance of Civilizations’ statements as during the Doha debates Israel’s government was named an extremist regime. Regarding fundamentalism, the EFTG says: "Fundamentalism has been defined as an attitude where non-negotiable principles are introduced to politics from a transcendental source, holy texts or a divine discourse. “From the point of view of fundamentalism, religion expresses a divine order, which ideally embraces all life spheres. Although this may simply lead fundamentalists to encapsulate their own existence around their religious beliefs (“Quietism”), they will most often actively pursue the goal of seeking other life spheres, including political one, dominated by religious rather than secular principles.” Often fundamentalism has also meant a tendency to impose these principles indiscriminately on believers and non-believers alike.”The European Commission’s social cohesion research report further demonstrates that religious fundamentalism will not be tolerated within the European neighborhood. "This third school of thought is referred to as 'civil society as the public sphere'. "Theories of the public sphere demand a return to the practice of politics. Not as an elite occupation in which the public takes part once every four or five years through elections, but as an ongoing process through which 'active citizens' can help to shape both the ends and means of the good society…Essential to the functioning of democracy, according to the line of thinking of this school, is that all sets of voices are heard. Inequality and discrimination are therefore seen as the enemies of the public sphere. Fundamentalism is seen as its most dangerous enemy, since fundamentalism does not acknowledge the existence of different truths nor does it respect other values, which makes it impossible to reach a consensus with other groups... The only similarity between European policy and this third school of thought is its aversion to fundamentalism."As part of the 2007-2013 Cohesion Policy, member states are bound by agreement to implement European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP) guidelines. As mentioned earlier, the European Defense Strategy’s focus is primarily on combating strategic terrorism. To do so, Solana has created a military-industrial complex having the following characteristics (to name only a few):
| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | NewWorldOrder | America |
Brussels names first 'EU ambassador' Telegraph.co.uk (December
17, 2007) - Brussels has appointed the European Union's first
"ambassador" more than a year before the EU Reform Treaty comes into
force, The Sunday Telegraph has learned. The powerful dual role will
involve Belgium's Koen Vervaeke representing both the European
Commission and the EU's 27 member states in Africa. The position is part
of a diplomatic corps created under the treaty signed by Gordon Brown in
Lisbon last week amid claims by Eurosceptics of a betrayal of Britain's
national interests. Brussels chiefs have pressed ahead with Mr
Vervaeke's appointment before any countries have begun ratifying the
treaty, which is scheduled to come into effect in 2009. Critics
have accused the commission of riding roughshod over the ratification
process, which in Britain will see the treaty subject to parliamentary
scrutiny and votes over more than 20 days next year. Dr Charles Tannock,
a Conservative Euro-MP and the party's foreign affairs spokesman at the
European Parliament, said: "By appointing this man to Africa they are
obviously testing the waters. This is the way things will work in the
future. But until the treaty is ratified they have no mandate to set up
anything like an EU diplomatic corps." The official Brussels line is
that Mr Vervaeke's role is "an exception". Under the treaty, there
will be a powerful EU foreign minister, or "high representative",
who will also service member states and the commission, deriving his
power from what Brussels officials call a "double hat" arrangement. Javier
Solana, the Spaniard who heads the EU's fledgling foreign office, is
tipped for the job, which will involve taking on more than
100 existing commission delegations around the world and turning them
into a corps of diplomats. Mr Vervaeke, 47, who will be based in Addis
Ababa, Ethiopia, is essentially a regional foreign minister with a
mandate to talk on behalf of the entire EU.
The EU's Treaty Treachery Human
Events (December 17, 2007) - To
millions of Britons, December 13, 2007 is a date which will live in
infamy. In the Labor Party’s 2006 Election Manifesto, the British people
were given a devout promise that there would be a referendum on whether
to sign on to the proposed EU Constitution. Gordon Brown reaffirmed this
vow when he succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister in July of this year.
The promise was an empty one. The proposed EU Constitution --
meant to replace all previous treaties -- was already legally dead
thanks to ”no” votes by both the
French
and the Dutch in 2005. But behind the scenes, there has
been treachery afoot these past 30 months. Bureaucrats never
take your “no” for the answer to what they want. Slowly, the Euro forces
began cosmetic surgery. The Constitution underwent a political makeover
and re-emerged as the new EU Reform Treaty, a document which is not only
the same as the failed EU Constitution, but has added even more
bureaucracy to it. On Thursday morning, December 13 in Lisbon,
Portugal, the Presidents and Prime Ministers from the 27 member nations
were to gather to sign this new Treaty. All were present except for
Gordon Brown. He sent his Foreign Minister. David Milliband signed this
historical document on behalf of the UK when the cameras were flashing.
Brown explained his absence as a “conflict of scheduling.” Then
events took a turn toward treachery worthy of a Shakespearian play.
Three hours later, Brown surreptitiously arrived. Cowering in a back
room off the main hall - where he had hoped in vain to avoid the cameras
-- the pusillanimous Prime Minister signed the document. One
EU insider dryly remarked that Brown acted like someone who was trying
to keep a dirty little secret. Brown seems to have imagined that
this out-of-sight out-of-mind tactic would fool the British public.
Hardly. The Shadow (Conservative) Foreign Minister, William Hague, asked
what the members of the EU would think of a man who “dithers for a week
about whether or not he wants to be photographed putting pen to paper.”
To others it was more a case of Brown proving to be as handy with a
knife as Brutus. So just what are the most important points of
the so-called “Reform Treaty” as they impact minor details like, for
instance, British sovereignty? The EU is designed to be a
superstructure entity that creates a single foreign policy and one-stop
overarching decision-making powers which will be directed downwards to
all its member states. Until now, the heads of the 27 member nations
served six month rotations as nominal EU President. That egalitarian
practice is now dead. There is to be a
new all-powerful unelected President of Europe, appointed by the 27
heads of state - not elected by the 350 million people of new Europe.
(Frustrated Democrats who have never gotten over the US 2000 election,
please note). Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the UK, has been
heavily tipped to take over this coveted post. Although the initial idea
of a single EU Foreign Minister was abandoned in this round of “ever
closer union”, the new Treaty calls for a Foreign Policy Chief
-- who will hold diplomatic status and head up the new EU Foreign
Service bureaucracy. What’s in a name? Perhaps
everything. Great Britain and Poland asked to opt out of signing on to
the 50-article Charter of Fundamental Rights -- for the time being. This
charter promises life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and religions
freedom. It then goes on to promise universal collective bargaining,
fair working conditions and shelter. Yes, shelter. No one in the New
Europe will be allowed to be homeless. The UK continues to demure on
joining the Euro. But this Treaty puts yet more pressure on Great
Britain to ditch the Pound in favor of New Europe’s collective currency.
The most sinister part of the Treaty is contained in another rule. This
one gives the EU rights to overturn decisions made by Britain’s
Immigration and Asylum Tribunal. Those who have sought -- and have been
rejected -- as asylum seekers in the UK now have the right to take their
cases over the head of Great Britain’s highest court and appeal to the
unelected European Court of Justice in Luxembourg whose EU bureaucrats
will have the final say. Giving the EU authorities power to trump
immigration and border issues inside the UK is seen as the end of their
democracy by many a Brit. When the EU Court of Justice can overrule any
member nation’s own judiciary, another piece of national sovereignty has
been signed away. The output of venom directed against the Prime
Minister since Wednesday’s dirty deed has been stunning. The most
vociferous critics of Brown’s stealth execution of the treaty are
calling for his severed head to be skewered on a pike and set above the
Thames. This was often the fate of traitors in earlier times. The
British have such colorful traditions. Others have suggested that the
Tower of London be re-commissioned to serve as a prison for Brown and
his minions. Calls have been raised for a million people to surround the
Houses of Parliament in a massive protest where this Treaty must be
ratified in the House of Commons. Two full weeks of debate have been
promised the public -- but then promises come cheap in politics. Brown
himself has been compared to Neville Chamberlain, who returned to
England from Germany in 1938 waving a paper which Adolph Hitler had
written promising that there would be no future war. British veterans
and their heirs must surely wonder why two world wars were fought and
millions of lives lost if the British sovereignty would eventually be
surrendered -- by their own government -- to their former continental
enemies. Brown is also now being parodied in cartoons and editorials
which compare him to that bumbling silent English loner, Mr. Bean. After
all, the wags point out, Brown doesn’t like to even mingle with his EU
counterparts. Brown bungles about like Mr. Bean, although Mr. Bean’s
awkwardness and its consequences are inadvertent. And like the bumbling
Mr. Bean, since Brown went slinking off to Portugal to sign away his
country’s autonomy, Brown has mumbled to the English press that the new
EU treaty "would provide a lasting framwork for the EU" yet at the same
time create "a circle of reflection" on the EU's long term future. Of
course, there is a technical flaw in that observation. Gordon Brown
isn’t English. He’s a sly and canny Scot. Come to that, so is Tony
Blair. Many a wary English eye is now being cast north of Hadrian’s
Wall. Just a few months ago, the ever more powerful Scottish Parliament
voted to give every one of its citizens free health care, the costs for
which will be taken out of English pockets. Is the new Europe Reform
Treaty part of the Great Scottish Plot? Is this Braveheart’s Revenge? nonymouse from FulfilledProphecy shared this USA Today story pointing out that the President of Europe "will have few formal powers but will chair leaders' summits and meetings and help the EU's foreign policy chief represent the bloc on the world stage." The initial story points out what I think may be the 3 horns from Daniel 7:7,8 that are plucked with the little horn (man of sin) arising from the 10 since the French, Dutch and British rejection of the Constitution has been circumvented in the Treaty of Lisbon.
EU to agree Kosovo talks over Reuters (December
9, 2007) - EU leaders are expected to agree this week that
efforts to reach a negotiated solution to the Kosovo problem are
exhausted, and offer to take responsibility for security and justice
in the breakaway Serbian province. But Russian Foreign Minister
Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday "artificial deadlines" for finding a
solution to Kosovo's status were not binding and could raise risks
to stability. EU negotiator Wolfgang Ischinger will brief
European Union foreign ministers on Monday on the results of four
months of mediation efforts and urge them to help stabilize the
Balkan territory by sending in police and justice officials
soon. Leaders of the 27-nation bloc are expected to declare
in a statement at a summit on Friday that negotiations are at an end
and that the future of both Serbia and Kosovo lies in the
European Union, diplomats said. They are also likely to
confirm they are willing to dispatch police and justice missions and
appoint a high representative to oversee Kosovo if asked by the
Kosovo Albanian government and the United Nations Secretary-General.
"It is clear that the future of Serbia and Kosovo lies in
the European Union. That's something that both sides agree on,"
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said in an
interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag newspaper. A troika of
EU, U.S. and Russian mediators told U.N. Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon in a report on Friday that their mission failed because
neither side was willing to give way on the fundamental question of
sovereignty over Kosovo. The troika had been given a December 10
deadline to complete its report. "We were given 120 days but if we
had been given 1,200 days the outcome would have been the same," an
aide quoted Ischinger as telling Solana. more... Dictator at the Door A Time, Times, and Half a Time (December 8, 2007) - During Kofi Annan's presentation to the General Assembly of the United Nation's Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, he applauded the Club of Madrid for its related efforts in countering terrorism. In 2005, the Club of Madrid conducted a democracy, terrorism and security conference which is said to have been the largest gathering of security and terrorism experts that has ever taken place. Annan delivered the keynote address to the closing plenary where he conveyed that he would form an implementation task force dedicated to fighting terrorism and that all the UN system would play a role. We know that the role of setting the "global conscience" is being fulfilled by the Alliance of Civilizations High Level Group. One need not look too far on the list of conference participants to find individuals connected to the Alliance of Civilizations. Noteworthy participants include John Esposito, Giandomenico Picco, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Javier Solana, etc. Here, I provide a summation of the conference outcome documents. In Addressing the Causes of Terrorism, identification of the problematic individuals are found on pages 27-33. The core of the experts’ argument is that religion can contribute to a ‘culture of violence’, a condition which must be addressed to stop the spread of terrorism. “…religion is often ‘centered around themes that can be inherently polarizing—concepts of truth, notions of good, of absolutes and ultimate realities’. For this reason, religion can contribute to a culture of violence where violence becomes ‘a defining issue’ in the identity of activist groups.”In Part I of this series, we see that Alliance of Civilisation’s High Level Group member John Esposito equates monotheistic religions’ exclusive truth claims with terrorism. In light of Esposito’s contribution to this counter-terrorism strategy, it’s no surprise that the question “Is violence more frequently linked with monotheistic traditions?” resulted in the following answer: “Samuel Peleg pointed out that the monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism and Islam) have a tendency to authoritarianism and intolerance due to ‘their centrist emphasis on a single deity’. Esposito said that the ‘three Abrahamic traditions’ have been ‘more prone to exclusivist theologies/worldviews which can be used by political and religious leaders to legitimate imperialist expansion, violence, and terror’. Elorza gave explanations of why – in his view – Islam and Judaism had a propensity towards violence and Buddhism did not. Other members of the group stressed that some strands of Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism have also been capable of hideous acts of terror, and that these acts have been justified by violent images and themes within these Eastern traditions. Moreover, the distinction between ‘monotheism’ and ‘polytheism’ is much debated by scholars of comparative religion who point out that a supposedly polytheistic religion such as Hinduism has a strong sense of unity behind its diversity, and that notions such as the Christian Trinity and concepts of sainthood introduce a complexity into the idea of God in the supposed monotheisms of Western religions.” Maybe the monotheistic faiths are too complex for these individuals. So they concluded: therefore, responding to terrorism: “Multi-track approaches (involving political, social and economic in parallel with security and military measures) should be employed.” The Confronting Terrorism working papers lay out these multi track approaches. I subtitled my copy “Directives for a Police State”. There is a common thread running through the three main counter-terrorism strategies which I focus on —one which migrates the military from battlefield situations and embeds it into the populations. This is referred to as peace-keeping. (I will address this further in my next blog article.) This approach is intended for global implementation. Among the Club of Madrid's plans of action are:
Travel documents for a world without borders? Hmmm. But, of course, all of this is intended to be conducted within the framework of and with sensitivity to democracy—that is “safe democracy”. The Alliance of Civilizations Giandomenico Picco has provided us with direction on what form of democracy we may expect under this weltanschauung. I noticed after I published my first article in this series that the Club of Madrid had removed Picco’s article from their website. I have attached it to the top of this piece for educational purposes. It can also be found on safe democracy foundation’s website. Simply click on each document to expand it so it becomes readable. According to Picco:
Well this is one weltanschauung that amounts to nothing more than old
fashioned fascism--a relic of extremist ideology has been tested before.
Ultimately, it will become known as the most terroristic regime the
world has ever known. Treaty amending the treaty on European Union and the treaty establishing the European community The "Lisbon Treaty" WEU Assembly Documents (December 3, 2007) - The following are excerpts from the document linked above. The purpose is to show in the documentation how power consolidation is being made such that all resources will be available to the High Representative over the military and civilian forces of the EU and UN: Article 9e page 9Article 13 page 9 Article 19 page 11 - With the LISBON TREATY Solana has a foot in the UN security Council and has the EU countries there work for his interests: "Member States which are also members of the United Nations Security Council will concert and keep the other Member States, and the High Representative, fully informed. Member States which are members of the Security Council will, in the execution of their functions, defend the positions and the interests of the Union, without prejudice to their responsibilities under the provisions of the United Nations Charter. When the Union has defined a position on a subject which is on the United Nations Security Council agenda, those Member States which sit on the Security Council shall request that the High Representative be asked to present the Union's position "[…]Article 9e page 12 2. Furthermore, the Conference recalls that, as regards the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy whose term of office will start in November 2009 at the same time and for the same duration as the next Commission, he or she will be appointed in accordance with the provision of Articles 9d and 9e of the Treaty on European Union.from A/WEU [2007] DG 7 3 December 2007 FIFTY-THIRD SESSION _______ TREATY AMENDING THE TREATY ON EUROPEAN UNION AND THE TREATY ESTABLISHING THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY THE “LISBON TREATY” Provisions concerning the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), including the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) more... | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | NewWorldOrder |
The Coming War on the Saints
Watchman Wordpress
(December 7, 2007) - This collection
of information regarding the building war on religious fundamentalism
and the military and civilian resources built into law to deal with it
and power over them shifting toward Javier Solana. Read
Constance Cumbey,
Bjorn
(farmer),
Richard Peterson and
Fulfilled
Prophecy for more detailed, focused and up-to-date information on
these developments.
EU embassy mergers 'are step closer to a superstate' Daily
Mail (December
6, 2007) - Europe yesterday took another big step towards
becoming a superstate by proposing joint EU embassies throughout the
world. The suggestion comes only days before the signing of the
controversial EU treaty, which will create a European diplomatic service
and a new post of EU foreign minister. The European Commission unveiled
plans yesterday for travellers to be able to use the consular services
of any EU country and suggested members could merge their embassies. It
also proposed standard rules on the type of help that should be given to
European citizens when abroad. EU foreign relations commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner said: 'We need to step up co-operation at EU level and
work with member states to protect our citizens.' Under the proposals,
travellers who run into problems abroad would be able to use the
consular services of any of the EU's 27 members. There would also be
standardised rules on the difficult problem of repatriation of corpses
from abroad. Any of the EU's 490million citizens are already supposed to
be able to use another member state's consulate if their country is not
represented abroad. But co-operation between countries' embassies and
consulates is patchy. The commission said it wanted to make consulates
more aware of their duties regarding EU travellers who lose a passport
or get arrested. Last night a commission official who helped draft the
proposal said: 'When a family member dies abroad, it is a nightmare. I
could imagine a common stance for the repatriation of corpses.' He said
consulates could pool resources by, for example, allowing a small EU
country to use a consulate belonging to a larger member. The commission
said EU citizens make 80million trips a year outside Europe and up to
50million EU citizens live outside Europe. There are only three
countries outside the EU where all 27 members are represented - China,
Russia and the U.S. The proposals come days before the signing of the
European Reform Treaty, formerly the European Constitution, in Lisbon.
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'It is a good thing for EU
countries to help each others' citizens abroad where they don't have
embassies. 'But the EU Commission's proposals go far further than that.
This is a clear step towards an EU takeover of British consulates.' Recommendation 666 Emergency Powers Incorporated Into EU Treaty Fulfilled Prophecy (December 6, 2007) - Here's big news for students of end-times prophecy. The Assembly of the Western European Union has just released a consolidated version of the provisions of the "Lisbon Treaty" (the European Union's new Reform Treaty) that relate to the EU's common foreign and security policy. The document shows how the Lisbon Treaty incorporates the emergency powers from the Western European Union's Assembly Recommendation 666. This means that, in the event of a crisis, the new High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will have the same extraordinary powers to step in and take control of the EU's military that the old High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy did. This appears to, in effect, enshrine Recommendation 666 into the new treaty. Compare the clause from the Lisbon Treaty with the correlating clause from Recommendation 666. The Lisbon Treaty says (see Article 16, page 10): 2. In cases requiring a rapid decision, the High Representative, of his or her own motion, or at the request of a Member State, shall convene an extraordinary Council meeting within 48 hours or, in an emergency, within a shorter period. The WEU's Assembly Recommendation 666 says (see No. 12):
Bjorn Freiberg,
of Europe, a long-time contributor on the FP discussion board, talks
about this in depth at
his blog. To learn more about the prophetic implications of WEU
Assembly Recommendation 666, read about it
here. Staying tuned!
Killing with a Clear Conscience A Time, Times, and Half A Time (December 2, 2007) - Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy Part I: In my early writings on this blog space, I warned of the Militarization of the Alliance of Civilizations. A militarized Alliance of Civilisations is necessary for the High Level Group (HLG) to successfully conduct a war on extremism and terrorism. Most people consider those objectives to be positive. I may have too had I not read the AoC’s definitions of terrorism. When Kofi Annan first introduced the AoC, he said that the problem (civilizational tensions) is not with the faiths, but with the faithful. The AoC has since expanded on this statement. Accordingly, if you read a religious text and apply an interpretation that becomes an “exclusive” truth claim, you have thereby entered a theology of hatred and have terrorist leanings. That, they say, is a root cause of terrorism. During the Doha Debates HLG member John Esposito said:
This poses a significant problem for most monotheists
as our religious texts make exclusive truth claims. What escapes
Esposito’s attention is that most of us enjoy freedom—we can choose our
faiths and worship as we please. We respect and defend others’ rights to
do likewise. This is called respect, not hatred. Perhaps Esposito’s
vision of democracy is entirely different than mine.
Nearly a year ago I had archived a counter-terrorism piece from the Office on Drugs and Crime’s website which says:
(This link is no longer on the website, but the same
material can be found
here.)
This prompted me to check and see if the Interregional Crime and Justice
Research Institute shared the same wisdom. Sure enough, I found
counter-terrorism material by Giandomenico Picco. Picco was Kofi Annan’s
personal representative who worked on the Dialogue Among Civilizations
project and later was instrumental in
the startup
of the Alliance of Civilizations initiative. Picco’s contribution to
the AoC is certain to have a significant impact world’s religious
populations as he has most disturbingly defined terrorism which can be
found in UN publication
International Terrorism and Governmental Structures.
Here Picco explains that there are two types of terrorism, those being
tactical and strategic. Tactical terrorist are associated with groups
such as Hezbollah. Hezbollah, Picco explains, has a both a political and
military branch whereby negotiations are possible. Strategic terrorism
is based on religious belief. It is altogether different--more
radical—of which there can be no negotiation. more...
EU embassy mergers 'are step closer to a superstate' Daily
Mail (December
6, 2007) - Europe yesterday took another big step towards
becoming a superstate by proposing joint EU embassies throughout the
world. The suggestion comes only days before the signing of the
controversial EU treaty, which will create a European diplomatic service
and a new post of EU foreign minister. The European Commission unveiled
plans yesterday for travellers to be able to use the consular services
of any EU country and suggested members could merge their embassies. It
also proposed standard rules on the type of help that should be given to
European citizens when abroad. EU foreign relations commissioner Benita
Ferrero-Waldner said: 'We need to step up co-operation at EU level and
work with member states to protect our citizens.' Under the proposals,
travellers who run into problems abroad would be able to use the
consular services of any of the EU's 27 members. There would also be
standardised rules on the difficult problem of repatriation of corpses
from abroad. Any of the EU's 490million citizens are already supposed to
be able to use another member state's consulate if their country is not
represented abroad. But co-operation between countries' embassies and
consulates is patchy. The commission said it wanted to make consulates
more aware of their duties regarding EU travellers who lose a passport
or get arrested. Last night a commission official who helped draft the
proposal said: 'When a family member dies abroad, it is a nightmare. I
could imagine a common stance for the repatriation of corpses.' He said
consulates could pool resources by, for example, allowing a small EU
country to use a consulate belonging to a larger member. The commission
said EU citizens make 80million trips a year outside Europe and up to
50million EU citizens live outside Europe. There are only three
countries outside the EU where all 27 members are represented - China,
Russia and the U.S. The proposals come days before the signing of the
European Reform Treaty, formerly the European Constitution, in Lisbon.
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: 'It is a good thing for EU
countries to help each others' citizens abroad where they don't have
embassies. 'But the EU Commission's proposals go far further than that.
This is a clear step towards an EU takeover of British consulates.'
Unclear EU treaty troubles leaders Web
India 123 (December 1, 2007) -
European leaders who have agreed to a new treaty for the European Union
are trying to figure out what the document means. The Reform Treaty
gives the president of the European Commission, the president of the
European Council and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs
and Security Policy responsibilities that overlap,
The EU Observer reported. That could mean the division of labor depends
on who has the stronger personality at any given time. Slovenia holds
the EU presidency for the first half of 2008. Igor Sencar, the Slovenian
ambassador to the union, said at least 40 items in the treaty need to be
clarified before it takes effect in
2009. EU officials are already displaying
nervousness about the treaty, Sencar said.
Annapolis: A Day for the Prophetic History Books Fulfilled
Prophecy (November 29, 2007) - Organizers
and attendees appear to agree: the Annapolis Conference, Tuesday,
was a success. But more than that, I think it was prophetically
significant. For the first time, the
entire international community -- including the United States,
Israel and even the Arab nations -- gathered to declare their joint
support for the creation of a Palestinian state. Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
committed to working for a peace treaty by the end of 2008. (Read
their statement of Joint Understanding
here.) They're now creating a steering committee that will start
continuous negotiations on Dec. 12. Olmert and Abbas will meet every
two weeks to advance the negotiations.
Olmert and Abbas also agreed to begin immediate implementation of
their nation's obligations under the
Road Map for Peace, created in 2003 by the Quartet on the Middle
East (the United States, Russia, the European Union and the United
Nations). They even agreed to let the United States monitor the
implementation of the Road Map and judge whether both parties are
fulfilling their obligations. And, today, the United States
appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East Security -- General James
Jones, an ex-NATO commander -- to help Abbas' government bring
security to Palestine. Read about it
here. Despite the naysayers, I
think we may see a peace deal within the next year. Of course,
that's what we'd expect if we've entered the 70th week of Daniel.
That's not to say there won't be bumps in the road and times when
negotiations look like they've stalled. But we may look back to this
conference as the breakthrough. In my
father, Herb Peters', book, Recommendation 666 (available to
read free
here), he cited the 1992 Israeli election as the first time
Israelis began saying "Peace and safety!" -- when they voted for
Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin who ran on the platform of trading land
for peace. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:3, when they are saying
"peace and safety!" (in other words, when Israel is willing to give
up its God-given land and turn to its enemies for protection) then
destruction will come on Israel suddenly. Note two very similar words in the statement
of Joint Understanding read by Bush at the conference:
This is a formal
declaration made by Israel -- and witnessed by the nations of the world
-- that Israel has chosen to give up its land for peace. And it was a
U.S. president -- sad for me to say -- that pushed for it.
Yes, I think we'll look back on
this day as prophetically significant. Unclear EU treaty provisions causing 'nervousness' EU Observer (November 28, 2007) - Although the ink has barely dried on the EU's new treaty, analysts are already scratching their heads as to how the document, with its unclear division of power between the EU's top politicians, is going to work in practice. Come 2009, when the Reform Treaty is supposed to click into place, there will be three big jobs to be had in Brussels - the president of the European Commission; the president of the European Council and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The three have overlapping job descriptions that are set to be defined only by the strength of the personalities involved, meaning that the treaty, agreed in October after years of wrangling, could be laying the ground for a political hornet's nest. Igor Sencar, Slovenia's EU ambassador, says there are "at least 40 elements" in the treaty that have to "considered and understood" during the course of next year. Speaking at the European Policy Centre think tank in Brussels on Wednesday, Mr Sencar – whose country will run the EU during the first half of next year – says he already feels the "nervousness" in Brussels about the lack of clarity in the document. The questions run from pinning down the exact powers of the EU president; agreeing who the president will be; to sorting out the funding, personnel and scope of the diplomatic service as well as looking at issues such as whether the EU's police body, Europol, needs to be adjusted and how national ministers will fit into the EU decision-making process. Mr Sencar indicated that the issues will have to be dealt with by EU leaders and that a "common view" should be drawn up by the end of next year. Meanwhile academics and commentators in Brussels are already picking holes in the proposed political set-up contained in the new treaty. Dr Andreas Maurer from the German thinktank Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik in a recently published paper notes that the future EU president, who can hold office for up to five years risks becoming EU leaders' "play ball" because the office lacks its own ministry. "Does the new president have sufficient personnel, administrative and financial resources at his disposal" to carry out duties such as leading, preparing and giving a sense of continuity to leading EU projects, such as on climate change and energy, asks the paper. It also questions whether EU leaders will really stand behind the president on major issues and points out that there could be a "legitimacy" problem because the president is not actually accountable to anyone – neither MEPs or MPs. The foreign minister post creates its own set of problems partly because it is not completely clear where his or her duties begin and that of the council president and commission president end. Dr Maurer's paper notes that the new foreign minister, who will be both vice-president of the commission as well as chairing the regular EU foreign minister meetings, will have an "unusually large range of duties." A crucial point will be whether the foreign minister assumes the trade and development aspects of EU foreign policy when chairing the foreign ministers' meeting. If the minister does, "it will put into question" the "autonomy and the political profile of the commission" – which traditionally has strong powers in this area. more...| EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | NewWorldOrder | According to Bible prophecy, a little horn will rise up among 10. Daniel 7:7,8 What is happening according to this article is an orginization of power centered around the foreign minister position. Commissioners responsible for trade and development will answer to the foreign minister, and these three positions are overlapping. We know that 10 kings are going to give their power and authority to the antichrist. Revelation 17:12-14 The world will worship the beast and feel powerless against him. Revelation 13:1-5 What this all leads to is the creation of a position that fits with Bible prophecy in centering power over trade and foreign policy through the WEU, the 10 member-state military arm of the EU. Is this all coincidence or are we closer to great tribulation than most realize. Summary of remarks by Javier SOLANA on the occasion of the Annapolis Conference Europa (November 27, 2007) - NEW MOMENTUM IN THE PEACE PROCESS: Recent developments have created a sense of cautious optimism for progress towards resolution of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. President Abbas and Prime Minister Olmert are engaged in a substantive and wide-ranging bilateral dialogue. The United States Government is actively supporting their efforts, including by calling for an international meeting before the end of the year, in order to launch a bilateral negotiation process that would lead to the establishment of a Palestinian state. The new momentum in the peace process benefits from the full backing and active involvement of the Quartet. Arab support has been expressed through the voice of the Arab League follow-up Committee. Comprehensive peace in the Middle East is a strategic objective for the European Union. Any lasting and just settlement to the conflict should be based on the principle of land for peace, relevant UNSC resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative, the Roadmap and previous agreements reached between the parties. The EU considers that the present opportunity should not be missed and is ready to take its responsibilities, in accordance with the vital European interests involved. The EU is therefore committed to supporting current efforts in a serious and substantive way, offering a comprehensive and coherent contribution to the process, including during the crucial implementation period. The European Union calls on all other interested parties to support the current process, bearing in mind the high cost of failure for everyone involved. The forthcoming international meeting in Annapolis should launch a bilateral negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians on final status issues, as a first step towards a comprehensive settlement of the Arab-Israeli conflict. It should establish a robust follow-up process under the auspices of the Quartet and with the involvement of the international community. The EU calls on its Quartet, Arab League and other international partners to contribute to the success of the upcoming donors conference in Paris, which will constitute an indispensable complement to the political process launched at Annapolis. more...| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | America | EU expected to follow Middle East peace conference with major aid push International Herald Tribune (November 21, 2007) - The European Union goes to next week's Middle East peace conference ready to back up an agreement with financial aid, recognizing that without giving Palestinians hope for improved living standards, a political settlement will remain out of reach. The EU, which will be represented by its key Mideast envoys and a number of foreign ministers, is expected, however, to take a back seat to the United States in the diplomatic drive to restart a peace process between Israeli and the Palestinians. The conference takes place Monday through Wednesday in Annapolis, Maryland, and Washington. "The European Union is a bit on the sidelines for this process. The idea is for the United States to get the two key players together," said Alfred Pijpers, a senior researcher at the Clingendael Netherlands Institute for International Relations. "The European Union will be of great help for financing, and technical assistance and investments and so on, but as far as the direct, so-called peace process is concerned, at this moment I don't see a very immediate and direct activity from the EU side," he said by telephone from Amsterdam on Wednesday. The EU is the Palestinians' largest aid donor. In 2007, the EU and its 27 member nations gave close to €1 billion (US$1.48 billion), most of it in humanitarian assistance for Palestinians who now live under rival governments in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This week, the EU foreign ministers endorsed steps to support any peace moves emerging from the Annapolis conference, which will also be attended by delegations from Arab nations. The steps were outlined in a report written by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU's external relations commissioner, and Javier Solana, the EU security affairs chief. The report makes clear EU aid will be made available for practical purposes: money and technical assistance to boost the Palestinian police force and to reform the Palestinians' health, education and judiciary departments. more...| Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Solana claims credit for “Roadmap to Peace” Unsealed Prophecy (November 15, 2007) - Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, has pledged that the EU will play a very important role at the international peace conference to be held in Annapolis, Maryland later this month. He made the comments during a press conference in Israel yesterday, convened by the head of the Israeli negotiating team, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. Solana said that he had discussed a number of issues with Tzipi Livni during his tour of the region, namely Israel’s desire to upgrade its relations with the European Union, increasing co-operation in fields such as science and technology, and they also discussed the need for a third round of sanctions against Iran in relation to its nuclear programme. He was also asked questions in relation to Europe’s involvement in the Middle East peace process. To that, Solana replied that the EU would have an important presence at the Annapolis gathering, and that the bloc would continue to play a very prominent role in the region after the event, taking on the responsibility of a monitoring mechanism, ensuring that both sides abide by any agreement that is reached. Solana reiterated his earlier statement, that a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian Authority was “doable” by the end of 2008.
In regards to the American-backed “Roadmap to Peace” document, both Solana and Livni agreed that it was not necessary for the process to intricately follow the steps written in this document. The Palestinian Authority has not disarmed or disbanded terrorist organizations operating in its territory, as detailed in the first stage of the document. As a result, Israel has not felt obligated to halt all settlement activity in Judea and Samaria. Instead, the Roadmap to Peace would be used as a final check, pending the future implementation of any agreement. For his part, Solana said it was doubtful that the Israelis or Palestinians could reach an agreement that did not follow along the lines of the Roadmap to Peace. The US takes much of the credit for initiating the Roadmap to Peace, following President Bush’s speech of June 2002. But from that time America has not played much of a peace-making role in the Middle East. During yesterday’s press conference, Javier Solana stated that he believed the Roadmap to Peace would be accepted by both sides, and based this claim on his working knowledge of the document, having actually written part of the document himself.
If you are wondering why Solana is referred to as “Secretary General”, it is because he is the Secretary General of the 10 nation Western European Union (WEU), the military arm of the EU. He is also Secretary General of the Council of the European Union, the highest legislative body in the European Union. So as we can see from yesterday’s news, the European Union has in the past, and will in the future, have a direct role in mediating and strengthening a future peace agreement between Israel and the surrounding nations - just as the Bible said. According to Scripture, I believe that the identity of the Antichrist will not be revealed until the Church is removed from the scene. What is clear is that there are individuals like Solana, heavily involved in this Middle East peace process, who presently have little public exposure. Perhaps once we are gone, this will all change.
I believe that according to Scripture, the identity of this Person that withholds the appearance of the man of sin is none other than the Holy Spirit working through the Church. For only God can be addressed as both gender-neutral and masculine at the same time. When the “salt” and “light” of this world is taken home (Matthew 5:13-14), then the way will be opened up for the appearance of this man, the Antichrist. Are you waiting for the appearance of the Antichrist, or the appearance of God’s Son from heaven (1st Thessalonians 1:10)? Turn to Jesus Christ for salvation today. [men] shall live, [together with] my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew [is as] the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast. For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Dividing the Land | Solana Links Mideast Peace to Euro-Med Partnership Fulfilled Prophecy (November 5,6, 2007) - Mr Solana underlined to ministers the importance of the meeting on the Middle East peace process to be held in Annapolis and the need for all the parties to play a constructive part. The same was true of the presidential election in Lebanon: all parties must be constructive. As regards the Barcelona Process, Mr Solana stressed the importance of discussing security and energy issues in the Euro-Mediterranean forum and pointed to the progress made in the past year.
At the joint press conference with the Portuguese Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Council, Luis Amado, Mr Solana pointed to the strength and dynamism of the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. The work over the past year, the communiqué - a joint text agreed by everyone - and the fact that other countries wanted to join the club, reflected this. | Israel | Islam | Dividing the Land | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
EU Holds Talks with Israelis, Palestinians; Praises Olmert Deutsche
Welle (November 5, 2007) - The foreign
ministers will talk separately with senior European Union in Lisbon at the 9th
Euro-Mediterranean Conference which runs until Tuesday, Nov. 6. Discussions are
expected to focus on the Middle East peace process. Tensions are now high in the
Middle East after Israeli air and ground strikes on Sunday killed four
Palestinians, including three civilians. Palestinian militants fired six
missiles at western Israel, causing a power outage in one town. There are not
expected to be any direct talks between Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and
her Palestinian counterpart, Riyad Malki, but the two of them are expected to
face each other during a dinner Monday with fellow foreign ministers from the EU
and the Mediterranean area. The Euro-Mediterranean Partnership was set up in
1995 and aims on establishing a common area of peace and security and works
toward enhancing cooperation between the EU and 10 of its southern neighbors. The European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Monday praised the
"constructive" approach of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to the upcoming
US-sponsored conference on the Middle East, saying it could help
bring peace to the region. Preparations are being made for the international
conference to be held later this year in Annapolis, Maryland, although no
specific date has been set. "Olmert yesterday gave a very constructive speech,
one of his best in recent times," Solana said. "If that is the spirit
with which he is approaching the [Middle East peace] process, I think we have
many chances of having a positive outcome." Solana was addressing
reporters in Lisbon ahead of talks between senior EU officials and the foreign
ministers of Israel and the Palestinian Territories. Speaking in Israel on
Sunday, Olmert said he was willing to deal with the core issues of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the conference. "[The conference] will be the
start of a future process ... we will enter into intense and continuous
negotiations," Olmert said. more...
EU will back Abbas if Hamas included
The Jerusalem Post
(October 11, 2007) -
The European Union would support Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas if he reconciled with Hamas, according to Christina Gallach,
spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana. Speaking to
visiting Israeli reporters in Brussels on Thursday, she said the EU,
nonetheless, still held firm to its policy not to recognize Hamas until
it recognizes Israel. Gallach said it was up to Abbas to find a way to
handle Hamas. "What we tell him [Abbas] is that he is the one we
recognize, the one we support," she said. "We work very well with him
and [PA] Prime Minister Salaam Fayad." In the past, Gallach said, the EU
found a way to move forward with Fatah when it sat in a government with
Hamas, dealing solely with Abbas and some of his Fatah ministers. Her
statements came in response to media reports of possible talks between
Hamas and Fatah just one month before the US-sponsored Middle East
meeting expected to be held in Annapolis on the Israeli-Palestinian
peace process. "We tell [Abbas] he has to do what he thinks is right,"
Gallach said. "On this issue, we will not take the lead." Hamas Prime
Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday night that Hamas would be willing
to hold talks with Fatah and hinted it would consider ceding control of
the Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera reported. "There is a serious improvement in
Palestinian dialogue, and we have agreed to hold talks with Fatah in one
of the Arab capitals," Haniyeh reportedly said. He reportedly said the
Hamas administration in Gaza was "temporary," adding that dialogue with
Fatah would be established following Ramadan. Nabil Amr, a senior Fatah
official and key adviser to Abbas, on Thursday strongly denied reports
about secret talks between his faction and Hamas. He said Fatah would
not talk to Hamas unless the Islamist movement relinquished control over
the Gaza Strip. "Hamas is a terror organization, and any connection of
any type whatsoever to Hamas will not bring peace - not to Israel and
not to the Palestinians," a Foreign Ministry official told The Jerusalem
Post Thursday. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of former senior US
officials and congressmen pushed for dialogue with Hamas ahead of the
Annapolis peace conference. "We believe that a genuine dialogue with the
organization is far preferable to its isolation; it could be conducted,
for example, by the UN and Quartet Middle East envoys," they wrote in a
letter to the Bush administration published Wednesday. "If Syria or
Hamas are ostracized, prospects that they will play a spoiler role
increase dramatically." The signatories included former George H.W. Bush
administration national security adviser Brent Scowcroft, former Carter
administration national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski and former
Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker. The letter praised the invitation
extended to Syria and called for the conference to launch Israeli-Syrian
talks. more...
Israel says peace conference not enough
Associated Press
(October 7, 2007) -
Israel's prime minister said Sunday the U.S.-sponsored Mideast
conference next month is not a substitute for direct Israeli-Palestinian
peace talks, an apparent attempt to lower expectations from the
gathering called by President Bush. However, violence threatened to
overshadow preparations. On Sunday, Gaza militants fired a Katyusha
rocket at southern Israel. No one was hurt, but it raised the dire
possibility of an escalation in the daily battles with Israeli forces if
the militants use more of the rockets, which are far more dangerous than
the homemade versions they have been using. Lebanese Hezbollah
guerrillas bombarded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 of the rockets in
their monthlong war with Israel in 2006, killing dozens of Israelis.
Palestinians were scaling back their demands before the conference,
improving chances for an agreement with Israel on an advance document.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told his Cabinet on Sunday that his meetings
with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have yielded no breakthroughs.
"There have been no agreements or deals," Olmert said. The two have been
sitting down every two weeks or so, and last week they appointed
committees to draft an accord to take to the Mideast conference,
expected to convene in late November in the U.S. The teams are set to
meet for the first time on Monday, and Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice is to return to the region later this week to assess progress.
While the international conference is designed to promote peacemaking,
"it will in no way replace direct negotiations with the Palestinians,"
Olmert said. He also said there could be no actual movement toward peace
until the Palestinians implement their commitments under the 2003 "road
map" plan. That includes dismantling violent groups like Hamas, which
has in the meantime taken over Gaza and is threatening Abbas' rival
Fatah faction in the West Bank. Palestinians charge Israel has not done
its part under the road map — halting settlement expansion and removing
illegal outposts. Palestinian government spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeneh said
Sunday Israeli intentions are the key. "If they are serious, we will
definitely reach a political document that handles the final status
issues with a timetable for the implementation and the establishment of
the independent Palestinian state," he said. But other Palestinian
officials said a detailed agreement is no longer a condition for
attending the conference — a document that lists the issues but does not
spell out Palestinian concessions would be acceptable. The officials
spoke on condition of anonymity because negotiations are still in
progress. Israel prefers a vague declaration of principles instead of a
detailed document including its concessions. The outline of a final
Israel-Palestinian peace deal has been clear for years — an Israeli
withdrawal from most of the West Bank, removal of most Jewish
settlements there, and deals over Palestinian refugees and division of
Jerusalem. The main problem is the perception on each side that the
other is too weak to make the necessary concessions to finalize such an
agreement. more...
EU treaty talks leave
several political loose ends EU
Observer (October 3, 2007) -
Although the legal experts have given their blessing to the EU's new
draft treaty, there are plenty of political issues that may have to
be dealt with by EU leaders when they meet later this month to sign
off the document. Topping the list is Poland's request to have a
decision-blocking mechanism written into the treaty. Other member
states fear this will make using the mechanism the norm rather than
the exception and are battling to keep it in a declaration, which
has no legal value. Poland is "almost certain" to raise it at the
summit, says one diplomat but notes Portugal - holding the current
EU presidency - is working behind the scenes to get a deal with the
Poles. "They are unlikely to come to the summit without some sort of
solution," said the diplomat who indicated that the Polish request
for an extra advocate general at the European Court of Justice may
be a bargaining chip. The legal experts refused to deal with the
matter, saying it was a purely political question, and that when a
solution had been found they would turn it into legal text. Under
the treaty rules the post - going under the laborious name of High
Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy - is supposed
to kick into place as soon as the document is ratified in all member
states. The current timetable says this should be done by the
beginning of 2009. This has already got people noting that the
foreign minister could technically be in place before the European
elections take place (mid 2009) and the new commission is in place
(late 2009). This raises all sorts of questions about a reshuffle in
the current commission - the foreign minister will also be a
vice-president of the institution - and who the person is likely to
be and how he or she will be chosen. Leaders of the political groups
in the European Parliament at a meeting with commission chief Jose
Manuel Barroso on Tuesday (2 October) questioned him on their role
in choosing the foreign minister, with MEPs wanting to have as
strong a say as possible. more...
Solana
calls for more substance in Israeli-Palestinian talks EU
Business (September 24, 2007) - "The
issues that are fundamental have been stated already many, many times,"
Solana said as the members of the quartet -- the United States, European
Union, United Nations and Russia -- began two hours of talks. "We have
to go beyond the mere stating of the issues and try to put some more
meat on every issue," he said. "Water, borders, security, Jerusalem,
refugees -- those are the fundamental issues that have to be resolved at
the end of the day," he said, adding: "We can not afford a failure."
"Without any doubt, it would be going back several years. We cannot
afford that to happen," he added. more... Very, very dangerous -- Excuse for EU to unite and come after USA? Constance Cumbey (September 13, 2007) - USA to begin crafting Iran Bombing Plan?
A frightening headline on a Fox news story ran yesterday. It indicated:
Now, the reality, probabilities, and prophetic implications:
I am writing this in shock and on the fly. I must go
to my office for an appointment. I will add hyperlinks to this story and
amplify it later. We indeed live in serious times and I fear for my
country. Stay tuned!
Solana: ‘Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism’ European
Jewish Press (September 4, 2007)
- Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief,
condemned Monday the Qassam rocket attack from Gaza on a
kindergarten school in the Israeli southern city of Sderot.
Speaking at a
press conference after meeting Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni
in Jerusalem, Solana, who is on a new Middle East trip, declared: "I
would like to offer my solidarity to the people of Sderot and I
condemn the rocket attack on a school today". “I was there with the
minister not long ago and we were welcomed together there, and I
know what it means. And to see Sderot again today - once again,
seeing the same spirit of the people of Sderot, particularly the
kids in the schools. I think that this is something that I have to
condemn,” he added. Asked about EU support for Israeli operations in
Gaza to stop the rockets, Solana, whose official title is EU High
Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP),
said: "Israel has our solidarity in fighting terrorism. We have
continued to search for efficient measures against terrorism.
Sometimes we do not agree 100% on exactly how to combat it but we
offer our full solidarity with Israel in it’s efforts to fight
terroris. Israel knows that you have it.” Solana’s trip is aimed at
preparing the EU for an intensive period of activity in the coming
months and at restarting the peace process. He pointed to the
meeting of the ad hoc liaison committee and the Quartet meeting
during the UN General Assembly week later this month in New York and
the international conference to take place in the late autumn
probably in Washington. This conference was called for by US
President George Bush as part of efforts to jumpstart the dormant
peace process in the wake of the takeover of Gaza by Hamas in
mid-June. Solana said: "We don’t know exactly when the conference
will take place but it must be a success. We can not allow it to
fail and we must therefore define success". The EU would help and
cooperate as much as possible in the preparations of the event, he
added. more...
Solana beating US conference drum Associated
Press (September 4, 2007) -
European Union Foreign Policy chief
Javier Solana has arrived in Egypt for talks with the Egyptian
officials on Middle East peace process. Solana will hold talks with
the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit and the Arab League
Chief Amr Moussa, according to DPA. Solana's multi-leg tour of the
Middle East takes place ahead of a major US-sponsored international
conference on Middle Peace which is scheduled to be held in
Washington this autumn. The main discussions between the EU's top
diplomat and the Egyptian officials are expected to be held on
Wednesday. During the two-day visit Solana will make efforts to
bring the Palestinians and Israelis back to the negotiating table.
Solana held similar talks in Amman on Monday. So far, Solana's
statements had signaled hope. During his Sunday's visit to the West
Bank city of Ramallah, Solana predicted that the coming months
would witness a series of important forums in which the peace
process will be discussed. He had also said that that the Middle
East Quartet, which comprises the United States, Russia, the EU and
the United Nations, will meet with members of the Arab League in
December. One obvious flaw in the much-ballyhooed US sponsored
conference is that it has consciously failed to allow Hamas to
attend. The militant group has consistently refused to recognize
Israel and in the January 2006 elections soundly trounced
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party
throughout the occupied territories. Solana hopes for developments in Mideast peace process YNet News (September 2, 2007) - Following meeting with Palestinian president in Ramallah, EU foreign policy chief says, 'We have to take advantage of the opportunity created.' Abbas stresses that 'there will be no dialogue with Hamas until it goes back on the coup it carried out in June'. It is time for the Palestinian people to reap the fruits of security and peace, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Sunday following his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. In a press conference held after the meeting, Solana said he hoped for positive developments in the coming months. According to the foreign policy chief, he came to the Middle East to advance the peace process. He stressed that the Europe Union would continue to help Abbas and his government with financial and security aid. "We need to see achievements by the end of the year. We have to take advantage of the opportunity created," he added. Solana noted that the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians would be backed by the EU and expressed his hope that the talks would succeed and that each side would be open to the other side's suggestions. Addressing the US-sponsored peace conference scheduled to take place in November, the foreign policy chief said that "a solution will not be achieved tomorrow, but we have to make progress." The Palestinian president said that his meetings with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert dealt with all the relevant issues, both daily issued and disputed diplomatic issues. "Every such meeting requires a lot of preparation, so that it is not defined as a failure," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |
Solana to meet Israeli and Palestinian leaders European
Jewish Press (August 31, 2007) - EU’s
foreign policy chief Javier Solana will travel to Israel and the Palestinian
Territories over the weekend as part of the European Union’s desire to play an
important role in the Quartet of international Middle East mediators,
his spokeswoman, Mary Brazier, told
EJP. Solana will have talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders ahead of
several important gatherings later this year, including the informal meeting of
EU Foreign Ministers on 9 September in Portugal, the Quartet meeting in New York
next month and the international Mideast peace conference to be convened in
November at the initiative of US president George Bush. Solana is to meet on
Sunday in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister
Salam Fayyad before meetings in Jerusalem Sunday and Monday with Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Defence Minister Ehud Barak
and Knesset (Israel’s parliament) Speaker Dalia Itsik. Solana is said to be
“cautiously optimistic” about Israeli-Palestinian peace prospects and
appreciates the current momentum created by the talks between Olmert and Abbas.
He also feels that there is for the first time in seven years a “unique
opportunity” to seize with Bush’s peace conference proposal. His spokesperson
said that there is “no change” in the EU’s policy towards Hamas. “There is no
political contact with Hamas,” Mary Brazier, said. During his visit, Solana will
also meet the heads of the EU border assistance mission at the Rafah crossing
point (EU BAM Rafah) and of the EU Police Mission in the Palestinian territories
(EUPOL COPPS) which is helping the Palestinian Authority to establish a modern
and effective civil police service and develop security capacity.
more...
Exclusive: European Union officials hold secret talks with Hamas The
Jerusalem Post (August 29, 2007)
- EU security officials have been conducting secret talks with Hamas
leaders in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks, Palestinian
Authority officials told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday. The
PA officials did not reveal the identity of the visitors, except to
say that they belonged to three EU intelligence services. The
Europeans are said to have met with top Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar,
as well as Ahmed Yusef, political adviser to Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh. Sources close to Hamas confirmed that EU officials had
visited the Gaza Strip recently for talks focusing on security-related issues.
According to the sources, the Hamas leaders urged the EU
representatives to work to end the boycott of the Hamas government
in the Gaza Strip,
and to pressure Israel to reopen the Rafah border crossing between
Gaza and Egypt. "We hope these talks will be the first step toward
ending the boycott of Hamas, which came to power in a free and
democratic election," the sources told the Post. "There is
growing awareness among the Europeans of the fact that Hamas can't
be ignored as a major player in the Palestinian arena." In response,
Christina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU Foreign Policy chief Javier
Solana, told The Jerusalem Post that she was unaware of any
such meetings. On a separate note, she said that Solana was due to
visit the region this weekend and would be in Jerusalem, Ramallah
and Jordan. Israeli government officials contacted about this matter
Tuesday night said they knew of no EU contacts with Hamas. One
government official reiterated that Israel‚s position was that
"Hamas should not be dealt with and should be kept as far away form
the game as possible." The official added that Hamas was a terrorist
organization "that continues to do whatever it can to impede any
chance for progress." This is the first time Hamas has confirmed
that its representatives have held secret talks with EU security
officials. The Hamas representatives reportedly stressed during the
talks that they were not interested in a major confrontation with
Israel. Both Zahar and Yusef denied assertions that Hamas was
planning a wave of terrorist attacks in the West Bank to undermine
PA Chairman Mamoud Abbas's status ahead of November's Middle East
peace conference. Meanwhile, Abbas has asked Sudan to use its good
offices with Hamas to resolve the crisis in the PA. A senior Fatah
delegation headed by Azzam al-Ahmed, who is close to Abbas, held
talks in Khartoum on Tuesday with Sudanese government officials on
ways of ending the Fatah-Hamas dispute. The Fatah delegation
emphasized that Abbas and Fatah were keen on resuming "national
dialogue" with the Islamist group.
Solanaman Fulfilled
Prophecy (August 24, 2007) - A
breakthrough may have been reached with Iran's nuclear program,
according to reports from the
Islamic Republic News Agency and the
Associated Press. During two days of talks in Tehran on Monday
and Tuesday, representatives from Iran and the International Atomic
Energy Agency (the UN's nuclear watchdog) reportedly finalized an
agreement that was previously made between Iran's top nuclear
negotiator, Ali Larijani, the IAEA secretary general, Mohamed
ElBaradei, and the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana. The
agreement follows on the heels of ongoing negotiations between
Larijani and Solana that Solana called "very constructive."
Read about the talks here. And in March, the Iranian foreign
minister said Larijani's meetings with Solana were helping to
materialize a solution. The agreement reportedly includes a
framework -- a plan and timetable -- for resolving the international
community's concerns over Iran's nuclear program. It comes a month
before the IAEA is scheduled to release a progress report on Iran's
nuclear program. A favorable report would keep new UN sanctions from
being imposed on Iran. Yet, Washington opposes the agreement and
believes new sanctions should be imposed, according to the
Associated Press article. The U.S. fears that the IAEA is giving
into Iran -- and just days after the United States labeled Iran's
Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization.
Read about it here. But European nations may see things
differently. This
Asia Times Online article today reports that European nations --
with the exception of the EU3 (France, Germany and Britain) feel
that Iran and the IAEA have reached an acceptable agreement. The EU3
have sided with the United States -- agreeing that Iran is not
complying with UN demands -- and, with the U.S., these three have
been negotiating with Iran outside of the UN efforts. Yet, their
efforts haven't produced the results Solana's have, causing the Asia
Times article to ask and then answer its own question: "Why is the
Larijani-Solana duet making progress while other channels are not?
The answer is persuasive diplomacy, for Solana has wisely used quiet
diplomacy and rationality, rather than the rhetoric of Washington
and London." If Solana's negotiations continue to deliver results
with Iran, then it will be interesting to see his diplomatic skills
resulting in yet another successful breakthrough -- one others
thought was impossible. Solana has a long history of such
negotiations, earning him a reputation as a diplomatic superhero.
That's why I call him "Solanaman." The funny thing is, after I
titled this article I found another article my dad had written about
Solana by the same name.
Read it here. I guess I really rubbed off on my dad. (Ha ha! ...
I can tease my him now, and he can't say anything ... at least where
I can hear him!) We're also waiting to see if Solana's
Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace will deliver stability to
the Middle East. Staying tuned!
The Militarization of the Alliance of Civilizations
Richard Peterson
(August 24, 2007)
- Over the months
that followed the cartoon crisis, I paid very close attention to the
Alliance of Civilizations’ web site. Daily search engine inquiries and
AoC web visits had become routine. July and August yielded more than
enough reading material. One such report, the
OSCE
contribution to the Alliance of Civilizations initiative,
was released in June. The OSCE originated
from the Helsinki Final Act of 1975 (also known as the Helsinki Process)
and changed its official name to the Organization for Security and
Co-operation of Europe in 1994. To this day, the
Helsinki Process
remains active working to implement a one
world government. What I found was that the OSCE had been particularly
impressed with how the EU’s High Representative Javier Solana and the
Alliance of Civilizations had turned the
cartoon crisis into opportunity. Now
they were on board and had written of their unique position to
contribute to the implementation of the AoC initiative. Although I found
aspects of the report somewhat troublesome, it wasn’t until I read the
Alliance’s July 17
Report of
the Hearing with the International Community and Civil Society
that I decided to give the OSCE a second
in-depth look. The International Hearings report contains the following:
“The Military Staff Committee, instead of being abolished, should be
revived so that meetings of military leaders at different levels could
be introduced for the international practice.” (page 26) It appeared
that the defunct Committee was about to be revived! I also read: “On the
national level, constitutional democracy does not entail the existence
of a police state or military watchdog, but implies observation of the
laws that have been worked out by the elected representatives, as well
as the adherence to the value system.” (page 26) This reminded me of a
statement in the OSCE report that I found puzzling. They said that the
OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organization, comprising
of 56 participating states and that “decisions are based on consensus
and are politically but not legally binding”. What did that mean? I
found my answer in the
Helsinki Process Papers--Building Democracy From Manila to Doha: The
Evolution of the Movement of New or Restored Democracies as follows: “Under its human
dimension objectives, the OSCE has adopted instruments, created norms
and initiated activities for the promotion of democracy and governance.
The OSCE instruments are "politically binding commitments" for the
participating states, and become effective upon adoption and
implementable without having to wait for subsequent domestic approval or
ratification. This process allows also the OSCE to react quickly to new
needs.” (page 67) The Barcelona Process, established in 1995, set
among its goals the responsibility of straightening out the clash of
civilizations as well as combating religious fundamentalism worldwide.
The Alliance of Civilizations intends to start operations within the
framework of the Barcelona Process and then amplify the AoC initiative
globally. Next is
NATO and the AoC. NATO is also on board
with the Alliance of Civilizations and, unknown to most Americans, has
split under the
Berlin-Plus Agreement. In the
event of a crisis situation, NATO assets are transferred to the European
Union’s Political and Security Committee presently presided over by EU
High Representative Javier Solana.
Crisis
management drills have already been conducted to test the Berlin-Plus
arrangement. Moving in we have the European Union which has at its
disposal the crisis management
Battle Groups which can simultaneously
sustain multiple offensive operations. These battle groups are intended
for rapid deployment while awaiting reinforcements from member states’
militaries and NATO assets. The
European Security Strategy has
committed to strengthening the United Nations so that it may fulfill its
role in global governance. Anything that undermines global governance is
considered by Solana to be a threat. Statewatch’s report,
Arming
Big Brother,
provides an excellent analysis of the EU’s militarization. The EU is
fully committed to the Alliance of Civilizations as it has appointed the
Anna Lindh Foundation to oversee its implementation. more...
New EU treaty 'cut and pasted' from old
Telegraph.UK (August 2, 2007) - The official
English text of the new EU treaty shows that it is a "cut and paste
job" from the former European constitution, it was claimed last
night. The official English translation - published while MPs are
away on a 10-week summer break - is 277 pages long. The reference to
a constitution is out. Also cut is "symbolic" legal status for the
EU's 12-star flag, an official motto and the EU's anthem. Other
changes to substance are minor. The title of the EU's "foreign
minister" is changed to High Representative. Provisions drawn word
for word from the old constitution will give him speaking rights
from British and French seats at the UN Security Council. Unlike
Europe's current foreign policy representative, Javier Solana, the
new minister will also be vice-president of the European Commission,
weakening direct control over the post by national governments. Also
lifted almost word for word from the 2004 constitutional treaty is a
new "ratchet clause" making it far easier for the EU to scrap
national vetoes and sidestep referendums. William Hague, the
Conservative foreign affairs spokesman, said: "We can see clearly
what a cut-and-paste job this is from the old EU constitution.
Virtually everything that was in the old EU constitution is in this
treaty."
Solana hopeful Iran, IAEA will resolve issues soon Monsters
And Critics (August 1, 2007)
- The European Union's foreign policy chief expressed hope on
Wednesday that Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
would soon resolve all issues relating to Tehran's nuclear programme.
Javier Solana said Iran was now 'trying to work with the agency of
IAEA in Vienna to clarify the outstanding issues that have not been
previously resolved.' 'Once this is done - and I hope this will be
done soon - we will have to resume meetings to see if we can pave
the way to start negotiations,' he told reporters on the sideline of
his meetings with foreign ministers of the Association of South-East
Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippine capital. Solana said he and
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani agreed to see how the
discussions with the IAEA go before they talk again 'to see if the
meeting is appropriate.' Solana arrived late Monday in Manila to
attend the 27-member ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the only security
meeting in Asia, on Thursday. On Monday, an IAEA delegation
inspected the heavy-water reactor at Arak in central Iran, according
to Iran state news agency IRNA. Iran's readiness to allow IAEA
inspectors to visit the heavy-water reactor currently under
construction is widely considered a major breakthrough between the
relevant sides in the nuclear dispute. According to a draft
statement, the foreign ministers attending the ARF are expected to
express their 'deep concern' over the May 2007 report of the IAEA
director general that Iran had not suspended its enrichment-related
activities. 'The ministers stressed the urgent need for a diplomatic
solution and a comprehensive arrangement with Iran, while respecting
Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy under safeguards and in
accordance with its obligations under the Non Proliferation Treaty,'
the draft added. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia,
Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Aside from the 10-member ASEAN, other members of the ARF are
Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan,
Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, North and South Korea,
Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka and the United States.
Primor: EU Troops Could Bring Peace to Middle East Deutsche
Welle (August 1, 2007)
- DW-WORLD.DE:
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said last week that he thought a
peace agreement could be reached by the end of 2008. One of the
reasons he gave was because US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice
assured him of it. Is it wishful thinking? As the head of the WEU, the 10 member-state military wing of the European Union, Javier Solana has emergency powers over the E.U.'s military. If a peace is going to happen and a great diplomat get the credit for it, things seem to be falling in order. This peace will also play into the dividing of the land of Israel, required in order for Islam to even consider peace. This will probably also result in the dividing of the Temple Mount such that the outer court area of the rebuilt temple will be "left out," Revelation 11:1,2, to allow the co-habitation of the Dome of the Rock and the Jewish temple.
The new European century The
Guardian UK (July 31, 2007)
- The
Project for the New American Century was tested in Iraq and
floundered there. Now it's Europe's turn to make a play for world
power. The American project aspired to US global leadership and
military strength. If Europeans are to have continued influence in
the world, we have to get our aspirations right. The European
Union's methods are set by its ethos and structure. It
claims to have a good human rights record, even if the
reality lets down the most liberal of members sometimes.
Military action is generally undertaken by member states
individually. Working with its limited tools of trade and aid, the
EU has been trying to increase its influence in the world. It
recently signed
agreements with Morocco providing financial support for economic
and social cooperation. They cover human rights reforms, market
integration, and energy security. The agreements are part of a
larger plan called the
European Neighbourhood Policy. The idea is that neighbouring
non-member countries can enter into closer ties with the EU if they
share its economic and social goals. Europeans who want to live in a
prosperous continent should hope the policy works. It will ensure
North African and Central Asian oil and gas is accessible through
sympathetic countries. They would be useful allies in fighting
against crime, and in ensuring that migration can be managed to the
advantage of both Europe and the migrants. Europe's mistakes in the
past century ensured that its economy lags behind the US economy.
Today, it is Asia which could further eclipse Europe. Both China and
India are likely to reach Europe economically within a lifetime. We
can't stop the development of China and India. But we can keep
Europe influential in the new world order. Being surrounded by a
ring of economically successful allies will help keep Europeans rich
and powerful. The advantages of close economic links with our
neighbours are so strong that the EU might be tempted to drop its
demands for high standards of human rights in its partners. Let's
face it, the west has been getting its oil from repressive regimes
for decades without domestic collapse. There are signs that Europe
is willing to lower its standards. For example, the EU has entered
into partnership agreements with Tunisia. We have
given the North African state a billion euros in aid since 2002,
so you might expect growing attention to human rights from it.
Sadly, no; here's a taste of what Human Rights Watch
says: "The government uses the threat of terrorism and
religious extremism as a pretext to crack down on peaceful dissent.
There are continuous and credible reports of torture and
ill-treatment being used to obtain statements from suspects in
custody. Sentenced prisoners also face deliberate ill-treatment." I
wouldn't want to live in one of the EU's more repressive partners if
we give up on human rights in them. Maybe if the partners were on
the other side of the world, I would become callous to the suffering
of their citizens. The trouble is, they are our neighbours. Human
rights abuses in them have effects which are usually damaging to our
long-term economic interests. more...
EU Treaty published - but only in French Telegraph.UK
(July 27, 2007) - MPs have
accused Brussels and Government ministers of preventing proper
scrutiny of the new European Union treaty by failing to provide the
House of Commons with an English version of the 277-page text.
William Hague accuses the Government of dodging debate "Corners are
being cut" and parliaments across Europe snubbed in the rush to seal
a treaty deal by (October!!), officials have admitted to The Daily
Telegraph. A treaty text was tabled in Brussels on Monday in one
language, French. The Government, and EU officials organising
negotiations, cannot produce an official English translation of the
145 pages of draft articles, 69 of protocols and 63 pages of
declarations until next month, well after the Commons has finished
for the summer. MPs will return to duty 10 days before Gordon Brown
signs a final treaty agreement in Lisbon on October 18-19. Rejecting
referendum calls, the Prime Minister will then press for
(parliamentary ratification!!) on a treaty that will have been
negotiated over the summer without proper scrutiny by MPs. William
Hague, the Conservative foreign affairs spokesman, has accused the
Government of dodging democratic debate. "Now that the rejected EU
constitution is back, with a different label, it is clear that it is
being rushed through with the minimum of scrutiny," he said. "Gordon
Brown wants the British people to know as little as possible about
the major transfer of their own powers to Brussels this treaty will
bring about, but the tactic could not be more transparent. It simply
shows up the undemocratic nature of the exercise." EU leaders are
racing against the clock to rush through a new "reform treaty" to
replace the constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in
2005. Officials close to the organisation of negotiations have
admitted that documents in all the EU's 23 languages are not
expected until December, when a formal ratification text will be
signed by Europe's leaders. "We believe it is a problem but we have
a mandate that is tight. There is urgency. Doing all this within six
months is unprecedented and there are going to be real limitations
to the process," said an official. Normal EU rules stipulating that
documents must at least be in German, French and English have been
suspended. The Conservative MP Roger Gale has asked for, and been
refused, a copy of the new treaty in English. "The Government
obviously does not want MPs, journalists or the public to have
access to the document until it is a done deal - presumably for fear
of the growing demand for the people to have the right to vote on
the issue," he said. The E.U. Deal News With Views: Constance Cumbey (July 25, 2007) - On a random internet search, looking frankly for something else I never found, I just discovered an off the road lovely little blogspot maintained by one of Javier Solana’s most obvious London based thinktanks: The Centre for European Reform. A few years ago, Herb Peters and I laughed on live radio air at a $10,000 award two of its foremost analysts, Charles Grant and Steve Everts received for an essay competition for ideas on how to better manage “Transatlantic Relations” in its alleged “growing divide.” Their thoughts:
We joked on the air over WMUZ radio in Detroit on my then regular program, “Law Talk,” “Now why didn’t we think of that? We could have had $10,000 to divide by writing the obviously desired lines of other power elites: “Give Javier Solana more power, more money, and more staff.” Grant/Everts’ exact essay wording was “Streamline decision-making and give Javier Solana more resources.” Quoting from their prize winning essay:
Co-author Steven Everts thereafter not surprisingly left the CER to take a position on Javier Solana’s cabinet. Charles Grant stayed behind, also to the benefit of Javier Solana. The CER ideas were instrumental in shaping notions that would be incorporated in shaping Javier Solana’s to be all powerful Foreign Minister post in the failed European Constitutional drive. Now his compatriot Charles Grant and company are working hard to shame Great Britain into accepting the deals made on the new “Treaty” cum constitution in drag. This is what Grant says are the main features of “the Treaty”:
When there was
obviously popular rejection by the peoples of the affected countries
themselves to this acknowledged “democratic deficit” power grab, new
scheming began. That culminated in the recent treaty meetings and
there seems to be an obvious “the people be damned” approach to it.
British elements are trying frantically to force a referendum.
Eurocrats and global elitists are frantically trying to stop one
from happening. Obviously, what is being framed here is much larger
than Europe. Why else would a USA based group hand $10,000 for a
simply worded essay that suggests handing one man, Javier Solana,
such unilateral power and control? In my 26 years of researching the
New Age Movement and 12 years of researching Dr. Javier Solana and
his roles in Middle East processes, NATO, the European Union, and
now “global governance,” I have learned that those advocating all of
the above play a lovely little game of “now you see us, now you
don’t.” Charles Grant, the obvious Javier Solana partisan who stayed
behind at the CER think tank while his writing partner, Steve Everts
went on to be a part of Dr. Solana’s EU cabinet emphatically insists
that Britain
does not need a referendum.
[1]
more...
Javier Solana & The Larger Plan
News With Views: Dennis L. Cuddy (July
23, 2007) - In
my July 2 NewsWithViews.com
column, I gave a specific
example of how the power elite’s dialectical process worked (a micro
analysis). In this new article here, I’ll look at the larger picture
(macro analysis) of how a single incident or individual fits into
the power elite’s larger plan. To do this, I’ll refer to Constance
Cumbey’s excellent June 17 NWV
column regarding Javier
Solana, Canada, and other elements. As I’ve mentioned before, one of
the primary power elitists was Cecil Rhodes, whose secret Society of
the Elect was “to take the government of the whole world.” Canadian
P.E. Corbett was a member of this group, and in his Post-War
Worlds (1942) described their plan to form a world government by
linking regional arrangements which would involve trade, investment,
distribution of food and raw materials, migration, etc. After World
War II, Rhodes scholars packed the Canadian external affairs office
of Lester Pearson, who probably had a great deal to do with
President Truman’s firing of U.S. General Douglas MacArthur. This is
because MacArthur had displeased Canada (and Britain) by his efforts
to win the Korean War. Thus, Canada has played an important role in
the power elite’s plans. Constance Cumbey began her article by
stating, “In March of 1995, there was a near shooting war. . .
between Spain and Canada.” She then referred to Solana’s “BIG plans”
involving “mutually advantageous trading terms over the area’s
resources leading to a Mediterranean Free Trade Zone by 2010.” To
accomplish this, the larger plan was to get rid of Yugoslavia’s
Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who was standing in the way of
linking the European Union’s trade corridor to the power elite’s
desired Mediterranean regional arrangement because of his conflict
with Croatia and Kosovo. In Washington Post columnist William
Raspberry’s interview of me on the subject on December 18, 1995, he
wrote: “Cuddy says he is tempted more and more to look for economic
explanations for what seems otherwise inexplicable. . . . . Cuddy
notes that the United States is now involved in negotiating a
Transatlantic Free Trade Agreement with Europe.” In early June 1995,
Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced regarding the
Transatlantic Free Trade Area: “We intend to give it the serious
study it deserves, with its considerable potential to form an
element of our overall strategy. . . . The long-term objective is
the integration of the economies of North America and Europe,
consistent with the World Trade Organization.” In Constance Cumbey’s
article, she referred to Solana chairing the “Transatlantic
Alliance,” and in my June 12, 2006 NWV column on “Global
Integration,” I spelled out
the details of the “New Transatlantic Agenda,” not only involving
education (portability of academic credits, etc.) but the Agenda
further stated that “governments too are obliged to adapt their
economic training and social welfare programs.” Constance Cumbey
concluded her article referring to the New Age influence on
Canadians Maurice Strong and former Prime Minister Paul Martin. The
power elite’s larger plan regarding spirituality involves a
synthesis of all religions into “A Common Faith” (the title of
humanist John Dewey’s 1934 book). And prominent Canadians have
played a significant part in the plan. Dorothy MacLean, formerly
with British Intelligence, in the 1990s was president of the New Age
Canadian Lorian Association. The first head of the World Health
Organization (WHO) was Canadian psychiatrist Brock Chisholm (1959
Humanist of the Year), who wrote in Psychiatry (February 1946): “We
have swallowed all manner of poisonous certainties fed us by our
parents, our Sunday and lay school teachers, our politicians, our
priests. . . . the reinterpretation and eventual eradication of the
concept of right and wrong which has been the basis of child
training, the substitution of intelligent and rational thinking for
faith in the certainties of old people, these are the belated
objectives. . . for charting the changes in human behavior.” Just 3
months later, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on May 5, 1946
aired a speech by Dr. Ewen Cameron, who would in 1953 become
president of the American Psychiatric Association and later receive
CIA funds to conduct horrible LSD and control experiments on people.
In the speech titled “The Building of the Coming World Order,” he
declared: “. . . What we call morals, are simply the customs,
prohibitions and rules which a society maintains at any given time.
. . . What we have once set up, we can set up again, and better. . .
. The United Nations Organization deserves the support of all who
are concerned with the building of a New World Order. . . . There
can be only one education anywhere on earth and that is education
for world citizenship.” Maurice Strong was former U.N.
Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s right-hand man. And long-time U.N.
Assistant Secretary-General Robert Muller has based the curriculum
for his many Robert Muller schools around the world on the
underlying teachings of Luciferian Alice Bailey. Muller and former
Canadian parliament member Douglas Roche in 1995 co-authored a book
advocating a “common security agenda as the basis for a new world
order.” This was after Roche at the World Conference of Religion for
Peace in Louvain, Belgium (August 28-September 3, 1974) delivered a
report titled “We can achieve a New World Order,” thus showing the
power elite’s larger plan to use religion to bring about their New
World Order of a World Socialist Government and One World Religion.
Check out Constance Cumbey's latest article on Javier Solana and the
UN.
Is Javier Solana going to speak for EU at UN? News
With Views: Constance Cumbey (July 21,
2007) - If a very recent British
newspaper article is to be believed, Great Britain may soon
surrender its permanent Security Council seat at the UN to the
European Union's Javier Solana. According to
EU Referendum blogspot, Great Britain won't lose their Security
Council seat, nor will France, but the EU will instead have its own
seat. Britain and/or France will have to defer to the EU and remain
silent at the UN Security Council, should an issue arise on which
the EU has taken a "common position."[1]
Which ever version of this is true, it will unquestionably mean a
much greater role for him (or any successor) on the world stage.
Since October 1999, Solana has headed European foreign and military
policy. He also serves as Secretary General of the European Union
Council of Ministers. Also, since November 20, 1999, Solana has
headed the Western European Union, a ten permanent member military
federation. That was to have been a "temporary" one year stint, but
I cynically note that the "year" has lasted a very long time and
that job is still in existence. Solana uses the WEU job for
holding military-industrial confabs that might not be as
non-controversially available to him in other venues.[2]
Since assuming his initial EU governmental roles, his powers have
steadily grown. He now is playing an obviously prominent role in
"global governance" as well.
Quoting from that article as it appears in the British Telegraph
on line today, July 20, 2007: The British government had claimed
that powers for the EU foreign policy supremo, rechristened a High
Representative, have been reduced and his UN role stripped from the
new treaty. However, an EU official confirmed: "We retain, except
for the name of the minister, the Constitutional Treaty text of 2004
including the provisions on the UN. "There is a provision which
provides for the representative of the EU to state the position of
the EU at the UN Security Council." The Government had insisted that
negotiations on the treaty had ensured that the British presence on
the Security Council would never be replaced by an EU
representative. However, the text provides for the British seat to
be occupied by an EU minister when the bloc has a united position on
issues. Mr Hague, the shadow foreign secretary, has criticised
Gordon Brown for allowing "one of the most damaging and important
provisions in the rejected EU Constitution" to be resurrected after
referendums by the French and Dutch two years ago voted against it [i]
[3] My personal tracking of Javier Solana began in late
November, 1995 – November 22 to be precise. As a culmination of his
dual six month rotating presidencies of the European Union and
Western European Union, Solana executed and signed a comprehensive
Treaty of Association with Israel on November 20, 1995.[4]
Only one week later, he would preside over the first Barcelona
Conference designed to battle religious fundamentalism, set the
stage for a Mediterranean Free Trade zone to be launched in 2010,
and eliminate and/or reduce USA presence in the Mediterranean. Two
days after the conclusion of that conference, he would be
unanimously selected as a "dark horse candidate" to the
disappointment of former Dutch president Ruud Lubbers who
aspired to the job, to be the new Secretary General of NATO.[5]
More surprisingly still was that this NATO job came to him only a
scant few
months after he dispatched Spanish warships against the Canada he
declared a virtual state of war
against. more...
Solana talks of revival The
European Weekly (July 21, 2007)
- The European Union has vowed full support for US President George
W Bush’s renewed drive to revive stalled Middle East peace talks and
seek a two-state solution to the conflict. EU foreign and security
policy chief Javier Solana said the 27-nation bloc also backed
Bush’s call for an international conference to explore moves to
create an independent Palestinian state. “The European Union
will continue to work side by side with the United States ... in a
determined effort to bring about an end to the Arab-Israeli conflict,”
said Solana. Solana said the proposed international meeting would
also give substantial support to the parties in negotiations towards
a permanent settlement. The diplomatic Quartet - whose members
include the US and the EU as well as Russia and the United Nations -
would have a “major part” to play in such a gathering, he added.
Solana is also expected to underline EU support for the Bush
initiative in talks with the new Quartet envoy and former British
premier Tony Blair who was in Brussels for meetings with key EU
officials. The Quartet was to meet in Lisbon for the first time
since the appointment of Blair. It was also the first encounter of
the group since Hamas captured the Gaza Strip in June and the
subsequent nomination of a non-Hamas interim government led by
Palestinian prime minister-designate Salam Fayyad. Bush has said
the US will provide full backing to Blair’s peace efforts but
several EU officials and ministers, including Solana, were taken
aback by the US push to give the former British premier the Quartet
job. Like the US, the EU has pledged to improve the clout and
standing of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his moderate
Fatah movement. But unlike Washington, the EU has yet to release
millions of dollars in direct aid to the Fatah-led Palestinian
government. The funds were frozen after last year’s Hamas electoral
victory. The militant group is black-listed as a terrorist
organisation by the EU and the US. The EU has, however, been
channelling aid for the Palestinian health and security sector
through non-governmental aid groups. Officials said an estimated 700
million Euro in such emergency aid was sent to Gaza and the West
Bank last year. The money was used to pay the salaries of teachers,
doctors and health workers and for supplies of fuel, water and
electricity to the territories. Bush has announced USD 190 million
in direct aid to the Palestinian government, with an additional USD
80 million for security. The amount includes funding humanitarian
causes in Gaza. “We are showing the Palestinian people that a
commitment to peace leads to the generous support of the United
States,” Bush said.
The European Security and Defense Policy: A Challenge to the
Transatlantic Security Alliance
Heritage
Foundation by Sally McNamara (July
18, 2007)
- NOTE: The
original link
to the Heritage Foundation is no longer working.
The most text I could find was from the link in the title. The
terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001, Madrid in
2004, and London in 2005 profoundly demonstrate the new security
threats facing the West. Transnational terrorism, the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction, and unstable or failed states
present daunting challenges to the entire Euro-Atlantic community
and require a long-term sustained response. It is essential that
Europe rise to the challenge of these new threats. Finding the right
strategic and structural balance is equally imperative. A strong
Europe of independent self-determining nation-states invested in
NATO and protected by NATO will contribute far more to
transatlantic security than will a deeply integrated European Union
(EU) usurping NATO's role. The European Security and Defense Policy
(ESDP) has emerged as one of the biggest attempts to expand EU power
to date, centralizing the most important tools of nation-statehood.
The militarization of the European Union marks one of the greatest
geopolitical shifts in the transatlantic alliance since the end of
the Second World War. As a political initiative, it embodies the
worst elements of European animosity toward the United States and
would fundamentally undermine the NATO alliance and the
Anglo-American Special Relationship. A Challenge to the
Transatlantic Alliance Since its establishment in 1998, the ESDP has
been fashioned by EU elites into a military identity distinct from
and independent of NATO. It has become a tool for projecting
European power in the world and promoting the EU as a global actor.
The EU has long used institutional program-building to advance its
centralizing and integrationist policies, and the ESDP is critical
to achieving "ever closer union." The ESDP's Franco-British
Foundations. When British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French
President Jacques Chirac heralded the ESDP at St. Malo, France, in
1998, it was reasonable to assume that Blair envisioned an ESDP very
different from the one envisioned by Chirac--an ESDP that would
complement NATO, not rival it. On the other hand, the French have
long coveted a European defense identity specifically to counter
American global power. Through a supranational foray into foreign
policy areas such as military operations, the ESDP became Chirac's
latest ruse to rival America. When EU elites talk about the balance
of power, they mean that the EU should balance American
hyperpuissance.[1] As Lady Margaret Thatcher stated: France has for
many years wanted to see an alternative military power to an
American-led NATO. The European Union's plans for a separate
integrated European defence provided the French with a unique
opportunity to achieve this goal.[2] Rather than meaningfully
address shared transatlantic security challenges, the
militarization of the EU through the ESDP actually presents a number
of challenges by itself. The U.S. should not confuse its desire to
see European countries take on more security and defense
responsibilities, both in Europe and in the wider world, with the
ramifications of further European military integration--especially
in terms of America's ability to build alliances. The potential to
destabilize the successful transatlantic security alliance has never
been greater, and in that respect, the ESDP should not be viewed as
an effective strategic partnership. more...
Solana steps up effort to fill anti-terrorism post European
Voice (July 5, 2007) -
Javier Solana, the EU’s foreign policy chief, is expected to fill the
post of EU counter-terrorism co-ordinator soon but with a strengthened
role and mandate. Efforts to fill the post, which was
vacated by Gijs de Vries, a Dutch politician, in March, have
intensified after the terrorist incidents in the UK this week.
Member states support boosting the position, with Wolfgang Schaüble,
Germany’s interior minister, saying that the current job description
and mandate were “not sufficient”. “The construction of the post is
not sufficient…the matter now is to look for a new construction. Until
now it has been a position of the Council [of Ministers] but that is
not effective enough,” he said, in an interview with European Voice.
The role could involve stronger powers in scrutinising police
co-operation across the EU and monitoring how relevant EU legislation
is functioning, an EU official said. The post could also
involve an enhanced role in co-operating with third countries on
counter-terrorism. There are suggestions that the post could involve
co-ordination of anti-terror activities across the EU institutions.
But the official said that this was “out of the question”, as it would
involve the new anti-terror co-ordinator stealing powers from the
European Commission. Franco Frattini, the European commissioner for
justice, freedom and security, said that it was up to the Council to
decide if the post should be strengthened, but added: “The Council is
leading the co-ordination of the intergovernmental area while I am
leading the communitarian [European Community] area of the issue.” The
post is expected to be filled by appointing a candidate from a large
member state, said one diplomat. The position has remained vacant
since de Vries stepped down because Solana and his office have not had
time to find a replacement. Instead, they have focused their attention
on the crises in the Middle East and with Iran, as well as on reform
of the EU’s institutions. But the recent terrorist incidents in the UK
have highlighted the need to step up co-ordination against terrorism
at EU level and are expected to boost efforts to fill the post.
Frattini on Tuesday (3 July) announced that he would be introducing
legislation in the autumn to criminalise the posting of information
about bomb-making on the internet and that he intended to set up a
database to track the storage and use of explosives across the EU. He
reiterated his intention to introduce a European system for collecting
information on airline passengers entering the EU. Frattini said that
he wanted each member state to set up a national unit to collect and
store such information, which includes credit card details, passport
number and who a passenger is flying with. Frattini said that he was
also sending out a questionnaire to all member states asking how they
deal with religious education and prevent radicalisation. He said that
this was intended to “protect the large majority of Muslims living
here peacefully”. Remember Revelation 6:1,2, "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." and Daniel 8:25, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." As I've mentioned before, Daniel 8:25 refers to a historical figure, Antiochus IV Epiphanes. He was a type of antichrist, even placing an idol in the Holy of Holies, thus performing the abomination of desolation and causing the Macabbean revolt. The same spirit is behind the end-time man of sin. Terrorism is a cause for peace and safety that is brought about by going forth conquering. It is also a means to place controls on society that will eventually lead to the mark of the beast. Another trademark is entering in by flatteries, and that's what politics is all about. The master politician knows how to wear the right masks at the right times to elevate the pride of those you wish to get something from, playing to their egos in return for cooperation. The question is who will fill the anti-terrorism post? Whoever it is, it appears that Solana is appointing them. Keep watching!
Mideast peace treaty possible this month, says expert Daily
Star Egypt (July 4, 2007) -
A meeting between the Quartet, the Palestinian Authority, and Israeli
leaders will take place in Egypt mid-July, announced EU foreign policy
chief Javier Solana. "Toward the middle of the month, we will
recuperate this initiative," he said. Political analyst from the Al
Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies Emad Gad told The
Daily Star Egypt
that he believed the countries were very close to negotiating
a peace treaty delineating a two-state solution “very close” to what
former PM Arafat was said to have been offered at the 2000 Camp David
meeting. He believes that “ ‘moderate’ Palestinians are ready to sign
a peace treaty with Israel.” While the Quartet meeting was postponed
from late June due to high tensions within the Palestinian
territories, Gad explains that the situation is very different now.
“It is looking positive in the West Bank,” he says, where Israel has
returned tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority and the EU has
resumed relations with the territory. Abbas is also supported by the
US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. Abbas is actually stronger than
before, explains Gad, as he and his Fatah party no longer need to take
approval or agreement from Hamas, as was the case under their unity
government. “Hamas is now controlling Gaza only.” The meeting will
also represent former British PM Tony Blair’s first test as Middle
East envoy for the Quartet — composed of the European Union, Russia,
the United Nations and the United States. Despite being generally
considered pro-Israel, Abbas had welcomed Blair as the new
representative, saying the Arabs were ready to deal with Blair as
mideast negotiator. “Blair can play a positive role in convincing the
Palestinians and Israelis to negotiate,” says Gad. He explains that
Blair’s close ties to US President Bush put him in an advantageous
position, as the US is in a position to pressure the Israelis to
resume negotiations. There are two sides to the Middle East position on Israel, the "radical" Islamic side and the "moderate" Islamic side. As far as Bible prophecy goes, I believe we are about to see the moderate and radical paths played out in our near future. On the radical Islamic path, the Magog invasion that is stopped with fire and brimstone from heaven will soon play out when Israel is attacked by Russia, Turkey, Iran, Libya, and others. This is building now and the alliances are already in place. The moderate side for peace between Islam and Israel will come to fruition after that invasion fails, I believe. Israel won't cave in politically as much as they do now and Islam will have a better idea of who they're up against and will fake the peace game brought about through the work of the European Union's push for peace in the Middle East. So we have this mix of war and peace on the horizon that is eventually going to end up with the rebuilding of the temple on the Temple Mount and then later the abomination of desolation that begins the great tribulation.
Solana suggests Iran behind Gaza, Lebanon attacks
ABC News
(July 2, 2007) -
The European Union foreign policy chief suggested on Monday that Iran
could be linked to the Hamas military takeover of Gaza, recent attacks
on the Lebanese army, and on European peacekeepers in Lebanon. Javier
Solana, who has led efforts to bring Iran back to the negotiating
table over its nuclear programme, stopped short of blaming Tehran
outright, but said the incidents could not be treated separately.
"What happened in Gaza cannot be seen separately from what happened in
Lebanon," he told a conference on the Middle East hosted by the
Socialist group of the European Parliament. "There are new groups in
the Palestinian camps," Solana said. "And the fact that UNIFIL has
been attacked for the first time cannot be taken separately." Solana
said that while the car bomb attack that killed six Spanish members of
the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on June 24 was carried out
by "forces we don't know", he added: "It would be naive not to see
this as part of a global approach." "Somebody I know well --
Ali Larijani -- has said 'we are supporting Hamas'," he said,
referring to the chief Iranian nuclear negotiator, who made the
statement in an interview with Newsweek published last month. "All
this is connected," Solana said. "It didn't happen by accident
or miracle, it was probably planned." "It would be difficult to
understand without seeing other important regional players behind it,"
he added, referring to "other forces" in Iran and Syria. Solana also
said a postponed meeting of Western and Arab Middle East mediators
with Israeli and Palestinian leaders would probably now happen in
Cairo in mid-July. He said it was important to provide a new political
impetus to the peace process, not just financial and humanitarian aid
to the Palestinian government. Solana also said that in the long run
it would be necessary to have an international peacekeeping presence
in the West Bank and Gaza, but this was not an immediate priority.
Solana's spokesperson denies western news agency report on Iran, "The spokesperson of European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana dismissed Monday a western news agency report on statements attributed to Solana as "wrong interpretation". "It is wrong interpretation of what he said," Cristina Gallach told IRNA in Brussels Monday evening. She was referring to a dispatch by the British news agency Reuters from "Solana suggests Iran behind Gaza and Lebanon attacks". "We don't deal with suggestions. We are not in a business of suggestions. People take out sentences out of context to spin," noted Gallach." You read what he said above, what do you think he meant? Eventually when you try to play both sides, you run into problems like this.
Blair not to mediate in Middle East, Solana says M&C
News (June 29, 2007)
- Middle East quartet envoy Tony Blair
will not be charged with mediating in the Middle East conflict, but
with channelling aid towards the construction of a Palestinian state,
European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana was Friday quoted as
saying. Former British Premier Blair, whose appointment has been met
with skepticism in parts of the region, will not conduct a peace
process, the Spanish daily El Pais quoted Solana as saying in Lisbon.
Blair's task will be to mobilize political and economic aid, 'will and
solidarity' to create a government structure for a Palestinian state,
Solana explained. The current situation in the Palestinian
territories, with the confrontation between Fatah and Hamas, did not
make Blair's task easy, Solana added.
Blair prepares to say hasta la vista to No 10 The
Herald (June 26, 2007)
- Tony Blair will hold his last official foreign talks today plus his
final press conference as Prime Minister when he welcomes ex-film star
Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, to Downing Street.
The breakfast meeting with the "Governator" at No 10, primarily on
climate change, is expected to come just hours before Mr Blair's
appointment as a special envoy to the Middle East is confirmed by a
meeting of representatives from the Quartet - the UN, US, EU and
Russia - in Jerusalem. Yesterday, when the Prime Minister's spokesman
was asked about Mr Blair's appointment, he refused to deny it, saying
only: "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." One source close to the Quartet said:
"Blair's appointment has been 150% approved. The Jerusalem meeting is
all about arranging the logistics, making final arrangements and
getting the announcement out." The prime mover behind the PM's
appointment has been American President George W Bush with support
from Ehud Olmert, the Israeli premier. Given Mr Blair's central role
in the Iraq war, the prospect of his appointment has raised eyebrows
in certain quarters, though it is thought Vladimir Putin, the Russian
president, has decided not to object. Javier Solana,
the EU's high representative on foreign affairs, is believed to be
unhappy at Mr Blair's appointment because it could distract
from his own role in the region. However,
diplomats have insisted the PM's new role will focus on Palestine and
will not directly involve talks between the Palestinian Authority and
the Israeli government. more...
No Surprise Fulfilled Prophecy (June 25, 2007)
- The news that EU leaders, on Saturday, approved a "Reform Treaty" to
replace the failed EU constitution -- and, with it, approved a foreign
minister post -- is no surprise to those who've followed FP. Herb's
reporting had anticipated these increased EU powers. What also will be
no surprise is if the foreign minister post goes to Javier Solana --
making this already powerful leader much more powerful (despite the
startling fact that many people in the world still don't know who this
man is). Of course, the word "Constitution" has been abandoned for
"Reform Treaty" and the foreign minister post will now be called "High
Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy."
But the main points of the constitution -- and the job description for
the foreign minister post -- have remained intact. The name changes
were made to alleviate fears that a European superstate is on the
rise. Yesterday, in the U.K. Telegraph, an alarmed Neil O'Brien
(director of the Open Europe think-tank) wrote: "Anyone reading what
has been agreed in Brussels this weekend will quickly realise that the
'new' treaty is merely the EU constitution with another name."
I encourage you to read O'Brien's article here. The EU's habit of
changing words to mask its true actions had often been noted by Herb.
Besides calling for the appointment of a foreign policy chief, the
Reform Treaty calls for the appointment of a permanent EU Council
president (to replace the six-month rotating presidency). The treaty
will allow the EU to enter into treaties as if it were a single
country. It also gives the European Court of Justice along with
Europol (the EU's police force) greater powers over Member States.
(Britain has reportedly received exemption from certain aspects of the
treaty, including exemption from cooperation in police and criminal
matters and from the Charter of Fundamental Rights.) And Member States
will have less veto power over EU decisions. The treaty also allows
for future amendments, which O'Brien fears will allow the EU to give
itself even more powers. But O'Brien and other critics are especially
frightened about the creation of the foreign policy post, which will
combine Solana's current position as the "High Representative for the
Common Foreign and Security Policy" in the Council of the European
Union with the vice president of the European Commission -- giving
Solana (or whoever fills this post) significantly more powers and
control of the EU's external aid budget. This person will represent
the EU to the world. The EU heads are hurriedly drafting the text of
the Reform Treaty, so they can sign it by December and then put it up
for vote to the 27 Member States. Their goal is for it to go
into effect in 2009. What does all this mean? It means
the European Union is continuing to appear to meet the description of
the Revived Roman Empire that the Bible foretold would arise before
Christ's return. And, within the European Union, a job description is
continuing to be created with the type of powers the prophesied
Antichrist will have. 'How spin muddies EU foreign policy debate BBC News (June 24, 2007) - Any analysis of the effects on EU foreign policy of the proposed new treaty has to pick its way through a morass of spin and exaggeration. The treaty will allow some limited but quite important steps towards the encouragement of joint policies in foreign affairs and certainly towards the clearer presentation of those policies. But the giant leap has not been taken. Foreign policy will still be subject to unanimity in all but a few limited areas. The upgraded "high representative" will have a greater ability to carry out policy, but will not make policy. There is no intention of allowing in foreign affairs what happens, without complaint, in trade policy, where the EU has to act by law as one, decisions are taken by qualified majority vote and considerable freedom is given to the commissioner for trade. So decisions such as the British one to join the invasion of Iraq will still be possible in future. Yet to listen to the British government before the talks was to hear cries of alarm that British independence was threatened and afterwards that such a threat had been triumphantly averted. One wondered why the government had previously agreed to the proposals if they were now seen as such a threat. On the other side, the anti-EU critics were also crying disaster, and in their case the cries are continuing. The most significant change will be to combine the jobs of the existing high representative for foreign and security policy and the external affairs commissioner. This gives the new high representative (the title "foreign minister" was dropped due to British sensitivities) a seat on the European Commission and the foreign aid cash with which to put money where the policy is. The representative will also chair meetings of the foreign ministers and control a potentially powerful new EU diplomatic service. So he or she (it will probably be a he, in that the present representative Javier Solana is likely to get the enhanced job when it is established in 2009) will have a bigger profile internationally. There will also be a permanent President of the European Council, the body made up of heads of state and government. This post will also give the EU a larger presence on the world stage. Do not underestimate the influence of that. more... | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | EU Leaders Agree On Foreign Chief Reuters (June 22, 2007) - European Union leaders reached broad agreement on Friday on a single post to run EU foreign affairs, the first success at a summit on the bloc's future, but Poland held up progress towards a treaty to reform the Union. The leaders of the 27 member states agreed on the job title, role and powers of a High Representative of the European Union for foreign policy, defense and security, diplomats said. The post will combine the jobs of foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who does mostly crisis management, and External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, who controls the executive European Commission's aid budget. The new foreign policy chief would chair meetings of EU foreign ministers and head a combined external action service drawing on both national and EU diplomats, after Britain dropped its reservations on those points, the diplomats said. The provisional accord was reached on the second day of a crucial summit meant to launch negotiations on a treaty to reform the bloc's institutions, replacing the defunct EU constitution and helping the bloc face up to global challenges. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, hosting the summit, struggled to break Poland's resistance to planned changes to the bloc's voting system which Warsaw says would favor member states with larger populations and reduce its own influence. Merkel met Polish President Lech Kaczynski three times in 12 hours to try to ease his concerns. "We're working hard. The problems are not yet solved but everyone is trying," said Merkel, who also met the leaders of the other states with concerns over the treaty -- Britain, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. Finnish President Tarja Halonen said she sensed progress. "I would say the atmosphere was today better...I am more optimistic now than I was this morning," she told reporters. Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said a lot of hard talking lay ahead: "I still believe in an agreement but it will be a long negotiation." more... | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana |
Constitutional fudge Guardian
Unlimited (June 19, 2007)
- So far, Britain's stance on the German attempt to revise the EU
treaties has been - from a British perspective - broadly reasonable.
The common position of 10 Downing St, the Foreign Office and the
Treasury is that the new treaty must not transfer powers from
member-states to the EU. So at the EU summit in Berlin this week,
Britain will ask for the right to opt out of sensitive areas where
national vetoes are likely to be scrapped, such as justice and home
affairs, and social security. And a way will be found to ensure that
the Charter of Fundamental Rights does not apply to Britain. But on
one particular subject, the new provisions for foreign policy, British
policy is shifting, and in ways that could harm both Britain and the
EU. The most significant parts of the EU's constitutional treaty that
are likely to be carried over to the new amending treaty concern
foreign policy. The EU's current arrangements for representing its
viewpoint to the rest of the world - when it has a single viewpoint -
are dysfunctional. The rotating presidency shifts from one
member-state to another every six months, at the cost of continuity
and credibility with rest of the world. And the diplomatic side of
foreign policy, under the High Representative (now Javier Solana) in
the Council of Ministers, is separated from the economic side, under
the commissioner for external relations (now Benita Ferrero-Waldner).
Solana and Ferrero-Waldner run two bureaucracies that work on the same
problems (such as the Middle East, the Balkans, Russia and energy) but
do so separately, leading to different priorities and, too often,
mixed messages to the outside world. Because the huge spending
programmes of the Commission are seldom well-aligned with the EU's
political objectives, as set by the Council, Europe's influence in the
world is less than it could and should be. During the negotiation of
the constitutional treaty, the British and their allies sought to fix
these problems by creating a new "foreign minister", based on the jobs
now held by Solana and Ferrero-Waldner. This person would chair
meetings of the foreign ministers, replacing the rotating presidency.
He or she would also speak for the EU externally, instead of the
current "troika" of the foreign minister of the presidency, the High
Representative and the external relations commissioner. The foreign
minister would be supported by an "external action service",
consisting of the relevant officials from the Council of Ministers and
the Commission, and supplemented by others from the member-states. The
job of this service would be to provide advice, analysis and expertise
to the foreign minister. However, at a dinner of EU foreign ministers
in Brussels this week, Margaret Beckett, the foreign secretary,
unveiled a new British policy. The first point she made was expected,
and not unreasonable: the title of "foreign minister" should be
changed, since it could imply that the incumbent had authority over
national foreign ministers. But she then said that this person should
not chair the meetings of foreign ministers. She would restore this
function, which includes the ability to set the agenda and sum up at
the end, to the rotating presidency. This is bizarre: Britain has
pioneered efforts to reduce the role of the rotating presidency -
often in the face of tough opposition from smaller countries, which
remain attached to the institution. I have even heard William Hague,
never a great EU-enthusiast, say that the rotating presidency was a
system that needed reform. The NATO secretary-general chairs meetings
of NATO foreign and defence ministers, but does not have any power
over them. NATO would be much less effective if the secretary-general
was replaced by a rotating presidency. Beckett then went further,
saying that the British could not accept the external action service.
Apparently the creation of such a service could be portrayed as
"state-building" - despite the fact that a merger of the departments
working for Solana and Ferrero-Waldner would not give the EU new
powers vis-à-vis the member-states. It does not make sense for Britain
to support the foreign minister (or whatever that person is called)
but not an external action service. It would be like having a
conductor without an orchestra - or rather, a conductor trying to
conduct two separate orchestras at the same time. Most of the smaller
member-states initially opposed the plan for an external action
service, because they understand that bigger countries tend to
dominate EU foreign policy machinery. They have seen that happen
within the small staff that works for Solana (where the three key
officials are Pierre de Boissieu, the Frenchman who runs the Council
of Ministers secretariat; Robert Cooper, the British head of the
directorate for external relations; and Helga Schmid, the German head
of the policy unit). Britain, alongside the other large member-states,
would be well-placed to influence the external action service. This is
because Britain has a lot of highly skilled diplomats who would be
well-qualified to take the top jobs. more...
Curious Triangle: Maurice Strong, Paul Martin & Javier Solana NewsWithViews (June 17, 2007) - In March of 1995, there was a near shooting war at high sea between Spain and Canada. Javier Solana was close to beginning his 6 month dual coinciding presidency terms as president of both the 10 nation Western European Union, a military federation and the EU itself. He had BIG plans that would definitely need Morocco's cooperation. Solana's larger agenda included the Barcelona Process. It would be opened by a "Barcelona Conference" scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain on November 27, 1995. It was to be a federation of 27 Mediterranean basin nations. He wanted it to: (1) Battle religious fundamentalism, worldwide; (2) Mutually advantageous trading terms over the area's resources leading to a Mediterranean Free Trade Zone by 2010; (3) Get the USA out of the Mediterranean and/or greatly reduce its presence there. Morocco was to pose a little problem and Solana was working to solve it. Historically there has been little or no love lost between Spain and Morocco. Solana could not put the Barcelona Process together and sell it to the Arab population countries without Moroccan support or at least lack of opposition. Morocco demanded concessions. Solana who enjoyed extraordinary powers for a mere cabinet official in Spain (he being the official spokesman for the country for many years) negotiated and gave Morocco what they sought. What they sought was (1) the ability to sell their produce in Europe. Although the concession deeply impacted the produce growing economy of the European Mediterranean and southern Atlantic countries of France, Greece, Portugal and Spain, this was granted. Next, Morocco demanded that Spanish fishermen stop fishing off her coastline. This was granted and the Spanish fishermen were ordered home. It was March of 1995. Six hundred unemployed Spanish fishing trawlers with their owners and crews were sitting angrily unemployed in the Spanish harbors. It was suggested to them that they could and should "go fish Canada." They went to Canada's Newfoundland waters and fished the cod, halibut, and turbot fishing stocks nearly to extinction. Canadian correspondents tell me the stocks have never fully recovered. Canada, of course, was not happy about this. I was told by former American ambassador to Canada, former Michigan governor James Blanchard, that the United States at that time assisted Canada in detecting that the Spaniards were fishing using illegal methods. Blanchard confided in me that electronic devices had been employed in making this determination. Nothing much was done, however, until a Spanish trawler, the Estai, crossed the boundary from international waters into Canadian waters. When this occurred, Canadian authorities boarded the ship and took both ship and crew into custody. At this point, Javier Solana leaped into action. He promptly dispatched three Spanish warships against Canada. Various scholars have worked in an intellectual vein to understand the event in terms of international law. Solana was most vocal about his differences with Canada, threatening the breaking of all diplomatic relations with her.[1] A political analysis would be much more relevant, but few have analyzed Dr. Solana and his broader motives. more... | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | Javier Solana - Antichrist? Prophec in the News (June 16, 2007) - This article examines the life of Javier Solana, the High Representative for the European Common, Foreign and Security Policy, and the Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, who will strengthen a peace agreement with Israel and the surrounding nations. Please note before reading. I am not saying Javier Solana is the Antichrist. All I am trying to do here is compare well known prophecies in the Scriptures concerning the Antichrist and the feats he will accomplish, with public knowledge of the man, Javier Solana. Another man could well fulfil all these prophecies. But the best we can do until "that Wicked" is finally revealed (2 Thessalonians 2:8) is to make an educated guess as much as the signs of the times allow. I don't know if the European Neighbourhood Policy is the "seven year covenant with many" or not, all we can do is wait and see. For further information on Javier Solana, check through the news postings using the search function. I have tried to summarize the information as best I can here. more... | Solana | Solana defends EU military planning hub EU Observer (June 14, 2007) - As the new EU military operations centre conducts its first exercise with a virtual deployment of 2,000 European soldiers, the bloc's foreign policy chief Javier Solana played down criticism that the new body duplicates the role of NATO's headquarters. "It's a question of a good and serious division of labour, which is necessary with the number of crises we are trying to handle," Mr Solana told journalists on Wednesday (14 June), AP reported. He rejected the suggestion that the centre - set up earlier this year in Brussels to enable the bloc to plan and run an autonomous operation at the military strategic level - could be seen as competition undermining links with the North Atlantic pact. Such criticism has been recently voiced by UK conservative MEP Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, who argued that the military operations centre is a revival of the idea of a separate EU operational planning staff proposed by four states (France, Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg) in 2003 and rejected by the UK. "The reasons to oppose such a move [in 2003] were clear - the EU would be duplicating vital functions at the very heart of NATO, would weaken enthusiasm for NATO-led operations, and ultimately would displace the role of NATO's military planners," Mr van Orden said. The British deputy added that originally a small EU operational staff based at NATO has now turned into "the full works" in the form of the new body, with "the fig leaf that the EU is merely helping NATO and has only limited defence ambitions" increasingly exposed. But the argument has been rejected by the NATO chief himself, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. At the security and defence agenda conference in Brussels last week, he said he thought the EU's operations centre was a good idea and had nothing against it, AP writes. The virtual training exercise taking place between 7 and 15 June is the EU's second military exercise within the framework of its security and defence policy but for the first time, its operational centre - consisting of military and civilian officials - has been activated. It is based on a scenario in a fictitious country (Alisia), where a clash between a government and a rebel group hampers the distribution of humanitarian aid to camps of internally displaced persons, with a UN mission cut off from people in need. The EU is asked to run an operation bridging the time needed for the UN to reorganise its personnel which requires the deployment of a force up to 2,000 people, including military staff. The exercise is being conducted by the EU's military operations centre in Brussels and in another EU building in Enkoping, Sweden. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal |Solana Says EU Would Consider Military Role In Gaza Haaretz (June 13, 2007) - The European Union would consider participating in an international force in Gaza if asked by the major players in the region, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Wednesday. "If we are asked, of course, we will consider the possibility," Solana told reporters. He spoke in response to a suggestion by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that international forces could be stationed along the Gaza Strip's volatile border with Egypt to prevent arms from reaching Palestinian militants. The EU, which has police officers already helping to monitor the Gaza-Egypt border, has long said it would examine a possible peacekeeping role in the region if there is an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. Solana stressed that as yet there had been no decision among players in the region to seek EU help. "We are far from a decision," he said. "We'll see how things go, and what is the decision to be taken by the important players, that have to take a decision, which are ... the Israelis, the Palestinians and the Egyptians." Solana said he'd been in touch overnight with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and other Palestinian leaders in an effort to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip between Abbas' Fatah forces and the rival Hamas faction. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he supports the deployment of a multinational force along the Philadelphi Route in Rafah on the Gaza-Egypt border. more... | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Daniel 8:25, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." As I've said before, this is speaking of Antiochus IV, who performed an abomination of desolation (setting up an idol in the Holy of Holies) several hundred years before Christ. However, the same spirit of antichrist that motivated him, will be with the final man who will declare himself god in the future. Currently, the Western European Union fits the 10 toes/10 horns prophecy the best and there is one man who is at the head of the WEU among other powerful positions. The deep desire for peace by the world in the face of radical Islam fits, I think, with the idea of conquering by peace. He conquers those causing the trouble by force and conquers the rest of the world (the West) by offering them the solution to the chaos they want. Since Lucifer is behind both, he can play off each other to wear down the world to the point of exhaustion and they will accept any messiah who can solve their worldly problems. Are we in this time?
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.
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 | 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. 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. Solana, Zoellick and the World Bank News With Views: Constance Cumbey (May 31, 2007) - Portfolio now include Robert Zoellick and the World Bank. Newswithviews regular readers may remember my February 21st article. In it, I covered Javier Solana's Valentine's Day speech (February 14, 2007) in New York City. He was addressing the Arthur F. Burns Foundation. He was introduced by Robert F. Zoellick. Today that same Robert F. Zoellick, “a friend for many, many years” of Javier Solana [1] was nominated by President George W. Bush to be head of the World Bank.[2] Perhaps raising their own expected opposition so that they may just as rapidly unilaterally squelch it, the Bookings Institution, another confederate, together with Zoellick for Javier Solana's Global Governance initiative, most disingenuously issued a statement that foreign countries may be unhappy at the nomination. I suspect that at least “The Face and Voice of Europe”[3] in the form of Javier Solana is not. I also suspect that the Brookings Institution itself is not unhappy! At the February 14th New York City event, “dear Javier” was introduced by German Ambassador to the USA, Klaus Scharioth as “The Face and Voice of Europe.” Five weeks later, Javier Solana would with the assistance of New York University, Stanford University and the Brookings Institution all apparently acting with the blessings of the United States State Department would launch a new global security initiative. [4] Javier Solana has evidently had a cozy relationship with both Zoellick and the Brookings Institution. On January 5th, while in the USA, his busy itinerary included a meeting with Brookings Institution representatives.[5] Gingerly, like testing the water, “global constitutionalism” a/k/a “global governance” is being advanced. This is not entirely unlike George H. W. Bush (Bush the elder) mentioning the New World Order and his intentions to advance same in a speech he auspiciously delivered on September 11, 1991. Similar speeches were given other times.[6] That Robert Zoellick is part of that scene is clear. In addition to being a friend of Javier Solana for many years, Robert Zoellick has with equal vigor been a friend and proponent of a “New World Order,” more recently and politely known as “global governance.” As early as March, 1992, Robert Zoellick was speaking of his World Economic Forum inspired epiphanies of a New World Order.[7] They are calling all of this by various names these days. Condoleezza Rice calls it “Transformational Diplomacy.” Fletcher Law School Associate Professor Daniel W. Drezner calls it “the New New World Order.”[8] It appears that although Javier Solana may have his European migraines as reluctance to hand him everything appears among the masses, he has offsetting advantages of global elitist support. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | NewWorldOrder | America | 'Peacemaker' Solana heads to Mideast Jerusalem Newswire (May 21, 2007) - European Union foreign policy czar Javier Solana arrived in the Middle East Monday in his latest bid to reduce tension between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs after a week of spiraling violence. Eight Arabs were reportedly killed Sunday evening as Israel continued efforts to stop the firing of Kassam rockets from Gaza at civilians in southern Israel. Dozens of missiles have fallen on and around the Negev town of Sderot in the past week, injuring Israelis and damaging buildings - including a school classroom, kindergarten and petrol station. Solana, whose "solution" to the decades' old conflict sees Israel surrendering more Jewish lands to Arab control, plans to visit Jerusalem, areas Israel has given to the "Palestinians," Egypt - which is also able to exert pressure on Israel, and Lebanon. According to a statement from his office, Solana will let Israel know that the EU backs the Arab League's "peace" plan. He will tell the Arabs in Samaria, Judea and Gaza that it is important for them to stop fighting among themselves so that they can get a "State of Palestine" as soon as possible. And he will likely convey to the Israeli government Europe's displeasure at the IDF's defensive actions against the terrorists in the Gaza Strip. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | End EU constitution stalemate: Solana The Peninsula (May 18, 2007) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana urged the bloc yesterday to resolve the two-year-old stalemate over its stalled constitution, arguing the deadlock was undermining EU's influence in the world. Receiving a prestigious German peace prize in the border city of Aachen, Solana backed efforts by Chancellor Angela Merkel to launch a blueprint for reforms of EU structures that would be in place from mid-2009. "Just when we should be at our most alert, just when the world's demand for Europe is at its highest, the Union has turned inwards, immersed in a sterile institutional crisis," Solana said. "We cannot go on like this. This must be resolved as soon as possible, if possible in 2007," he told an audience packed with past and present European dignitaries. The bloc's 27 capitals disagree on how to revive a charter all but killed off in 2005 by rejections in Dutch and French referendums. Diplomats say some consensus is, however, emerging around a slimmed-down "mini treaty" proposed by new French President Nicolas Sarkozy. It is not clear how much will be salvaged of the original text, which would have streamlined EU voting structures, created a more permanent presidency and a single foreign minister. Spanish Socialist Solana would have been the first holder of such a post, giving him control over EU instruments such as its vast overseas aid budget. Yet with his mandate expiring in 2009, any attempt to restore the position come too late for him. "We can only develop a genuine foreign policy if we give ourselves the necessary structures," said the 64-year-old former NATO secretary-general. "In the last few years, we have come a long way ... But today, we are very close to the limit of what can be achieved in this way." Solana, who has mediated in conflicts from the Balkans to the Middle East, received the Charlemagne Award. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | Charlemagne Award 2007: Dr. Javier Solana Madariaga pdf (May 17, 2007) - "I was privileged to be born into a family with a long-standing commitment to Europe. Naturally it gives me great satisfaction to note that, along with Salvador de Madariaga, two members of this family have now received this eminent distinction. As a Spanish European, allow me to say a few words of gratitude to those Spaniards present here who have been awarded the distinction that I now have the honour to receive. It is not hard to put this into words: by pooling our resources and working together we can forge a better and more promising future than any of us could have hoped to do alone. This is all the more important in a world in which forces and movements have been unleashed which no single government can control or contain. A world in which violence, oppression and extreme poverty are still with us. A world in which many do not share our commitment to multilateralism and the rule of law. I am convinced that we should continue the European integration process. In the past we have relied on a three-pronged strategy of enlarging, deepening and reforming. Each of these elements has depended on the others for success, and even for meaning. With enlargement we have reunified Europe without imposing anything on anyone, simply through the enormous power of attraction that the Union has had on other European States. It has been a historic success. But the Union is a work in progress. That is why I am convinced that we need changes in various spheres. Changes in what things we do and how; changes in how we communicate with our citizens and spend their money; changes in how we deal with the rest of the world. Above all, we need to safeguard Europe's capacity to act. Our world is changing very rapidly. New players are moving into the centres of power and decision-making; major economic flows are also shifting; many schools of thought are moving away from our humanist model; and scientific and technological know-how is spreading to regions of the world where, just a few years ago, it would have been inconceivable to encounter this type of knowledge. In the face of those far-reaching changes; in the face of those challenges of unpredictable scope, I regret to have to observe that our Union is reacting with paralysing narrow-mindedness." Just when we should be at our most alert, just when the world's demand for Europe is at its highest, the Union has turned inwards, immersed in a sterile institutional crisis. We cannot go on like this. This must be resolved as soon as possible, in 2007. For this reason, I unreservedly support Chancellor Merkel in her efforts to put an end to this hiatus and put Europe back on a solid footing to face the future. And we should do so with determination because Europe means not only grand ideas but also concrete achievements. Of these there have been many and of great significance: the single market, the euro, enlargement, the development of capabilities to conduct military and civilian crisismanagement operations, to name a few. But our citizens want more than a market and a regional stabilisation project. They also want the Union to be a global player. And they want it, by acting globally, to be a factor for peace. We are seen as an active player but not as a threat. For this we have to thank the legacy of the ideas on which we originally founded our project: solid laws and institutions, the tireless pursuit of consensus and a spirit of compromise... European integration began with the desire to consolidate peace between Germany and France. Forty years later, it has been the key to the peaceful reunification of the continent. In Europe, we have managed to break away from the old idea of basing our security on the weakness of others. We have transcended that approach, which remains prevalent in many parts of the world. Now we realise that our strength and prosperity depend on the strength and prosperity of our neighbours. We have to go on to take the next step and become a factor for peace in the international community. The young people of Europe are big-hearted. In vast numbers, they act to alleviate the situation of those who suffer the greatest hardships. I have toured three continents, visiting EU missions in which European police officers, soldiers, magistrates and young people of all origins are working for peace. What started out as a European peace project must in the 21st century become a factor for peace in the world. Our young people will, without a doubt, back such a project. Because it is above all they who dream of a world like that. Europe is a global player speaking with one voice and playing a decisive role in world peace and stability. Europe is an inescapable factor in resolving any international conflict or crisis. Europe, a point of reference for a world based on solid, respected laws and institutions. That is my idea of Europe. And I believe with all my heart that this can and should be the next achievement in the grand European project. We have the capability. Let us mobilise the political will and make it happen. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | The beginning of the speech was platitudes and flattery moving into the strategy for the future. A thought came to me while reading it, more of a scripture verse: 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12, "For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." What is the lie? I think Solana put it pretty well, the New World Order. The underlined portions above highlight the unity first in Europe, but open-ended leading to the world. The lie is that this is all for the common good. Reality is explained in the Bible, that Lucifer is trying to deceive us away from the Truth, which is Christ. But most of the world pleasures in unrighteousness and couldn't care less about the Bible. So they are deluded without Truth and they believe the lie, joining man's solution to the violence in this world. In reality Lucifer is behind both the violence and man's solution to it, both an effort to blind man to spiritual reality by only recognizing the material world. Solana claims the solution to peace through the laws of the revived Roman Empire and compromise and claims the European Union is best suited for that task. Daniel 8:25, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." Before you know it, RFID tagging through a tattoo showing allegiance to the system of world government and its leader will be implemented. Without that identification, people will be unable to buy or sell anything in the global world. Doesn't seem far off in this world of fear of terrorism. That's not even taking into account the effect of the supernatural abilities that Lucifer will give to the man of sin. So what do we do? Pray. God has already laid out what must take place and told us to watch and pray. Iran, EU to hold nuclear talks on May 31: IRNA (May 15, 2007) - Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana will meet on May 31 for a new round of talks on Tehran's nuclear program, the IRNA news agency said on Tuesday. Larijani and Solana last met on April 25-26 in the Turkish capital Ankara to discuss Iran's nuclear row with the West. IRNA said they agreed to meet again during a telephone discussion in which they emphasized the need for a "logical and legal solution through diplomatic means." It did not say where the meeting would take place. A spokeswoman for Solana said she could not confirm a date or venue for the next round of talks but the EU foreign policy chief told a reporter on Monday he expected it would be around the end of the month. Solana made clear in an interview with a German newspaper that any talks with Iran would be difficult and take time to find a solution. "Our dispute over the Iranian nuclear program cannot be resolved in hours, or days or months. It will probably take years," he told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung according to extracts of an interview to be published in full on Wednesday. Iran is embroiled in a deepening standoff with major powers over its atomic ambitions, which the West fears are aimed at making nuclear weapons. Tehran says it only wants to produce electricity. more... | Iran | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | China's FM meets with Russian FM, EU's Solana (May 5, 2007) - New Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Friday at this Red Sea resort on the sidelines of an international meeting on Iraq's security. In meeting with Lavrov, the two ministers lauded the rapid development of the strategic partnership of cooperation between Russia and China, stressing the significance of holding the Year of China in Russia and the Year of Russia in China in pushing forward with bilateral ties. The two ministers agreed to make use of these programs of cultural exchanges and deepen cooperation to develop ties in the direction set out by the two nations' leaders. China and Russia will further increase coordination and cooperation on major issues, they said, while exchanging views on other regional and international issues of common interest. Both sides also agreed to expand cooperation among members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. During his meeting with Solana, Yang said the EU was an all- round strategic cooperative partner for China, and China valued highly the EU's role in the international arena. China was ready to expand and deepen cooperation with the EU in broad fields, said Yang, adding that the Chinese side was also willing to further improve consultation and cooperation with the EU over international issues. Solana told Yang that the EU attached high importance to cooperative relations with China, and hoped to maintain communication and carry out strategic dialogue with China. Solana briefed Yang of the EU's stance on the Iranian nuclear issue, saying that the EU hoped to solve the issue through diplomatic negotiations. Yang said resolving the Iranian issue by peaceful means was in conformity with the interest of related parties, and the important thing at present was to resume negotiations. Yang said China appreciated EU's efforts in this aspect. The one-day meeting on Iraq, also called enlarged meeting of the Iraq's neighboring countries, was attended by senior diplomats from Iraq's six neighbors -- Iran, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait -- plus Bahrain, Egypt and the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the UN as well as the EU. more... | Gog/Magog | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | Knowing where this is all headed according to Bible prophecy, I can't help but wonder what other kinds of plans may have been discussed behind closed doors. Look at the participants here: Russia, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Kuwait. Just about all of those nations fall into anti-Israel stances at their core and there is talk about a summer offensive. The EU will play the peacemaker up to a certain point, but then shows its true colors with Lucifer controlling the head against Israel. I wonder how much of Bible prophecy is already in planning stages currently. I wonder what goes on behind the closed doors? I'm thinking we'll see in the next few years. U.S.-EU Sign Agreement on Security of Classified Information (April 30, 2007) - Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte and European Union Council Secretary General and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Javier Solana signed a U.S.-EU Agreement on the security of classified information today at the Department of State. The agreement enables systematic exchanges of classified information between the United States and the European Union by obligating each party to undertake certain steps to protect such information. As the United States and European Union work together on global priorities, sharing of such classified information will remain vital to public safety and security. | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | NewWorldOrder | America | The Javier Solana Story by Constance Cumbey - as of April 17, 2007, this 7-part series focuses in on Javier Solana and just what he has been up to and how that is lining up with Bible prophecy. | Solana | EU official: 'New momentum' in the Mideast peace (April 14, 2007) - There is "new momentum" in the Middle East peace process, a high-ranking European Union official said after meeting the UN secretary-general. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner pointed to the recent Arab League peace initiative, the formation of a Palestinian national unity government including Hamas and Fatah, and regular meetings between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. "I think the recent developments ... have brought indeed a new momentum to this peace process," she said Friday. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Ferrero-Waldner discussed these developments and the next meeting of the Quartet, the international group comprising the UN, the US, the EU and Russia that produced the stalled roadmap to Israeli-Palestinian peace culminating with statehood for the Palestinians. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Official: Discussions on Iran's nuclear program resume after sailor standoff resolved (April 4, 2007) - Discussions about Iran's nuclear program are back on. A European Union official says talks between Iran's top negotiator and the E-U's foreign policy chief resumed hours after Iran's president announced the release of a British navy crew. The official says the two discussed both the seized crew and the possibilities of progress on the nuclear issue. Just before the British crew members were seized last month, the Security Council toughened sanctions against Iran over its defiance of U-N calls to stop enriching uranium. Uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons as well as generate energy. Tehran insists the program is for peaceful purposes. E-U foreign policy chief Javier Solana (hah-vee-EHR' soh-LAHN'-ah) is negotiating on behalf of the permanent U-N Security Council members. | Iran | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Olmert reaches out to Saudis over peace plan (March 30, 2007) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he was ready to hold talks with Saudi Arabia and other Arab states about their renewed peace plan but rejected any return of Palestinian refugees as "out of the question." In interviews with Israeli newspapers published on Friday, Olmert said the plan endorsed by Arab leaders at a summit in Riyadh could help create positive momentum in future negotiations. "There is a significant chance that in the next five years Israel can get to a comprehensive peace," Olmert said. But he made clear aspects of the Arab plan were "problematic" and that Israel was not prepared to embrace it, "jump in and say 'This is it."' The Arab plan offers Israel normal ties with all Arab countries in return for withdrawal from land seized in the 1967 Middle East war, the creation of a Palestinian state and a "just solution" for Palestinians displaced in 1948 with Israel's creation. Israel opposes giving Palestinian refugees the right of return to their former homes in what is now the Jewish state, and it wants to hold onto some of the major settlement blocs in the occupied West Bank. "There are interesting ideas there (in the Arab plan), and we are ready to hold discussions and hear from the Saudis about their approach and to tell them about ours," Olmert told the Haaretz newspaper. But he added: "We will act cautiously and wisely out of a willingness to create a dynamic that will improve and strengthen the process." The right of return, Olmert told the Jerusalem Post, is "something we certainly can't agree to and we won't agree to." It is out of the question, he said. "I'll never accept a solution that is based on their return to Israel, any number." Israelis fears that any mass return of refugees would threaten the Jewish character of their state. Islamist group Hamas, which heads the Palestinian government, has not voiced opposition of the Arab plan but called on Arab leaders not to compromise on the right of refugees to return. Arab leaders in Riyadh gave the green light to creating a committee that could negotiate details of the plan with the Jewish state and others. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Please read Whose Plan Is It Really? by Herb Peters. "According to today's news, the Arab states have gathered and formally reactivated the 2002 Saudi Peace Plan. And wouldn't you know it, the EU's Solana was there. 'Several of the great and the good of world diplomacy - including Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary-General, and the EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana - gathered at today's [3/28/07] opening session, in which leaders urged Israel to accept the Saudi-brokered initiative." This is connected to Javier Solana's proposal to Iran delivered on 6/6/06. It's getting harder and harder to deny what is going on lines up with Bible prophecy. How is your relationship with Christ? EU: Commissioner Seeks To Breathe Life Into EU's Neighborhood Policy (March 30, 2007) - EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner plans to ask EU member states to speed up efforts to ease visa restrictions against the bloc's easternmost neighbors, and to open their markets to their goods. The hope is that the two measures would help the ENP meet it stated objective of facilitating economic integration and good relations with the enlarged EU's new neighbors. The commissioner intends to pitch her ideas during informal talks by EU foreign ministers from March 30-31 in Bremen, Germany. The plan will also be touted at the EU summit in June. Speaking in Brussels on March 29, Ferrero-Waldner acknowledged that neither idea is likely to be met with open arms by EU members -- with whom final decisions concerning the ENP rest. But Ferrero-Waldner argues that unless the EU opens up to its new neighbors, the bloc will fail in its efforts to improve its relations with them. "Building better people-to-people contacts with our partners is in many ways, I would even say it's the litmus test for the Neighborhood Policy," she said. "But the real issue is enabling our neighbors to engage with us more easily. How can they feel closer to us if we keep them at [an] arm's length, so to speak, with complex and sometimes very expensive visa procedures?" ENP members Ukraine and Georgia are next in line to ink visa-facilitation agreements with the EU. Russia, which does not neighbor the European Union, has already done so, adding some urgency to the equation. The other major element in Ferrero-Waldner's initiative to bring new life to ENP is to push for better market access for neighbors' goods. Improved trade, she says, should be at the heart of the new policy. "The core of our strengthened ENP is, of course, improved access to the European Union's internal market," Ferrero-Waldner said. "And our long-term vision is [that] of a 'Neighborhood Economic Community.'" more... | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Arab leaders unanimously approve Saudi peace initiative at Riyadh summit (March 28, 2007) - The plan offers Israel recognition and permanent peace with all Arab countries in return for an Israeli withdrawal from lands captured in the 1967 Six-Day War. It also calls for setting up a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital and a just solution to the issue of Palestinian refugees. At the summit, Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah called for an end to the international blockade on the Palestinian government. The king said: "It has become necessary to end the unjust blockade imposed on the Palestinian people as soon as possible so the peace process can proceed." The European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, yesterday urged Arab states to be flexible in their land-for-peace offer to Israel. Addressing the Arab summit, Solana called for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 boundaries. He called the Arab initiative a general concept that has to be developed. He also urged Arabs and Israel to deal with the plan as a starting point in negotiations. In a written message to the Arab leaders gathered in Riyadh, Solana said the EU hopes all the members of the Arab League will fulfill their responsibilities and contribute to the success of this enterprise. "Failure to rise to today's challenges will put the Middle East at risk of missing the train of human and economic development," he said in the message. Before arriving in Riyadh, Solana expressed optimism that the relaunched initiative could reinvigorate the Middle East peace process. Solana's presence at the summit was designed to highlight the European Union's support for the peace initiative, officials said. If Israel rejects the Arab peace initiative, it means it is not interested in reaching a peaceful solution with its neighbors, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said yesterday. Speaking at the summit, al-Faisal said, "If Israel refuses, that means it doesn't want peace." Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh urged Arab leaders not to compromise on the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homes in Israel, a clause in the initiative which Israel has asked to modify. "I expect the Arab summit meeting to reiterate the Arab countries' commitment not to compromise on the Palestinian refugees right of return," Haniyeh said. At the summit, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Arab leaders to prove they were serious about peace with Israel by reviving their five-year-old initiative. "The Arab peace initiative is one of the pillars for the peace process ... This initiative sends a signal that the Arabs are serious about achieving peace," Ban told Arab leaders. "When I was in Israel I urged my Israeli friends to take a new look at the initiative. Here in Riyadh, I also urge you, my Arab friends, to benefit from this initiative and reiterate your commitment to it." At the summit, Arab League chief Amr Moussa urged Israel to accept the initiative rather than ask for changes. "The Israeli response was to ask for an amendment. We tell them to accept it first," Moussa told Arab leaders. "We are at a crossroads - either we move toward a real peace or see an escalation in the situation." | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | It appears to be in the hands of Israel now. They have been threatened with continued violence if they don't cave and give up the land. They have said in the past that they would never give up that land retaken in 1967, but given their past concessions and fears of the future, will that position hold? I believe peace will come out of this time, even if it is a false, temporary peace. The EU is on the side of the Muslims, wanting the land given up to them. If Israel caves in under the fear and pressure, they will get a temporary peace, but it will be short-lived. See my estimation from my research of the coming times. Managing Global Insecurity (March 21, 2007) - Keynote address by Javier Solana: Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Friends, Dean Acheson's memoirs were called Present at the Creation. The story he tells is how in the postwar period, under US leadership, a system was built that put the world on a new path of international co-operation. His generation was determined to learn the lessons of the 1930s; to avoid economic protectionism and a paralysed League of Nations. They were committed to do better. But they were not naïve. After all, this was also the start of the Cold War. So they knew about power. But they decided to make it subject to constraints. The title of Acheson's memoirs is fitting. The leaders at that time were not always aware of it. But they created what became known as "the multilateral system". Co-operation would not be just ad-hoc, but based on strong institutions. For decades that system served us well. This morning I am delighted that I am, so to say, also present at the creation of something, namely this new initiative on Global Governance. I want to commend Strobe [Talbott] and Carlos [Pascual] for getting this project off the ground, together with the Center for International Co-operation at NYU and the Center for International Security and Co-operation at Stanford. The aim of this project is ambitious and urgent: to launch a new reform effort for the global security system, in 2009. As Carlos [Pascual] says, we have to analyse the capacity of the existing system to address the new threats we face; assess why previous reform attempts have not always worked; and then decide how we can build the momentum for a successful reform effort by 2009. I am delighted to play a modest role myself. Global governance is an awful term but a vital concept. We need it because of a simple reality: interdependence. We live in a world where people, goods, ideas, money, threats and opportunities move at a global level and at increasing speed. What happens half-way round the world, in Afghanistan, Gaza or DR Congo affects our own security and prosperity. Globalisation has offered millions a chance to live better lives. But it has also unleashed forces that governments can neither stop not control. You all know the list: terrorism, non-proliferation, climate change, pandemics, failing states. None can be solved by a single government acting alone. So the question is: how do we organise this globalised world? And especially how do we tackle the dark side of globalisation? On the whole, our capacity to analyse problems is good. But even when we agree on what has to happen - take Israel-Palestine - we still don't manage to translate that consensus into results on the ground. It is worth analysing why this is so. Let us return for a moment to Acheson. The post-war system was very successful. We had a network of strong institutions and regimes: the UN, IMF, GATT, NATO. Yes, the Cold War set limits on the capacity of the system. But it also prevented the Cold War from degenerating into open conflict. Through deterrence and détente, the Helsinki agreement, and arms control treaties, we eventually brought about a peaceful end to the Cold War. This led in 1989/90 to the outbreak of euphoria. It was the period of "the end of history"; the triumph of markets and democracy. A new world order to be managed by a rejuvenated United Nations. It was great to live through that phase. But people were far too optimistic. For the global system is in serious trouble. It is simply not capable of solving the big challenges of today. In the 19th century, the problems that industrialisation brought about were solved through a series of state interventions: from safety standards to sewage systems to a ban on child labour. We have to ask ourselves: what structures, beyond the state, do we have to solve the big problems of our times? We are dealing with complex security challenges that defy traditional ways of operating. We have to see the connections between different threats. In many ways, Darfur is the first time we are aware that a war is caused by climate change - and it will not be the last. We need more integrated strategies to address these problems. In the old system, everyone was doing their own thing in their own corner. We now know that we must bring together the world of soldiers, diplomats, judges and development experts. More fundamentally the old system cannot cope because power is shifting away. Within political systems: to the media, markets and above all to individuals. These days, there is less obedience. Who wants to be a follower if you are constantly told you can be what you want to be? It is striking that in Britain, the slogan for the recruitment for the army has changed from "Your country needs You" to "Be all you can be". Power is also shifting between political systems: from the West to new powers. China, India, Brazil, South Africa. And yes from the US, we have seen a tendency to make its engagement in the multilateral system more selective. More narrowly focused on short-term priorities. And less willing to seek deeper trade-offs with other countries. What to do? The first requirement is that the US plays an active and constructive role inside the system. I have a sense that the tide may be turning. And I hope that this project will strengthen those who argue that working through ultilateral organisations is the best way to get lasting results. More broadly, we need to make space at the top table. Take the G-8. At present it does not really work effectively. It needs to change its membership. Why not make it a G-10 in which the ten major countries are represented based on a composite index of international weight (GDP, aid, soldiers and civilians deployed on peace support missions)? This would not only bring China and India in but also keep some current members on their toes... Equally we should make space for the new heavyweights at the UN Security Council. In turn, the new powers should keep in mind that with greater global influence come greater responsibilities too. To strengthen regional co-operation, could we have (semi)permanent seats at the UNSC for the Great Powers but also for regional organisations? I am convinced that we need stronger regional organisations: the African Union, ASEAN, Latin American structures. I also wonder whether the Middle East region will remain the big exception: over-armed, under-institutionalised and rife with tensions. Then we will need to develop new bargains. On the environment and climate change. Or on forms of dialogues between cultures. Sometimes we need to be more serious about upholding our side of the old bargain. Take non-proliferation. If we want to be credible, we have to take the disarmament side of the bargain more seriously. In addition, the multilateral system cannot only address our immediate concerns. When we talk about non-proliferation we mostly mean WMD (weapons of mass destruction). But for many African or Asian leaders the most urgent proliferation problem is that of small arms and light weapons. Above all, we need to re-learn that the biggest shift in history came when we extended the rule of law. First within states and now, gradually, also among them. We should step up what we are already doing. Regionally - most strikingly in Europe. But also globally on some aspects of international life. See the WTO dispute settlement system, or the International Criminal Court. In short: we need to share power (with new players); re-think power (beyond the state paradigm) and tame power (extend the rule of law internationally). Let me end with some words on legitimacy. One big problem is that we all know that we live in a globalised world. But our politics remain local or national. This is a problem for those, like me, who are convinced that the world needs more global-level, multilateral co-operation. For I am also a democrat in believing that power has to be accountable. So the question becomes: how do you make global governance more effective while making it also democratically accountable? A key benefit of acting multilaterally is legitimacy which in turns enhances effectiveness. As I said, this means bringing in new centres of power. But legitimacy also means bringing our publics along. If decisions are increasingly taken at the international level, people have to see these as legitimate. So we have two imperatives: to create greater effectiveness in global governance but also to uphold democratic legitimacy. To do so is difficult. It requires new ideas and a sense of compromise. But I really see no real alternative. Let me leave you with a quote from Jean Jacques Rousseau, from The Social Contract, now that we are talking about a global social contract. "The strongest is never strong enough to be always the master, unless he transforms strength into right and obedience into duty." | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | The puzzle of Solana's power (March 16, 2007) - On the final day of his whistle-stop tour of the Middle East, Javier Solana sat down with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Mouallim. Camera crews were being brought into the small meeting room in batches of five or six at a time, and it was taking a little while to get them all in and out. Rather than discuss the finer points of Syria-Lebanese relations with the microphones switched on, Mr Solana and the foreign minister sparred a little. "I see you all the time on the television," said Mr Mouallim. "I don't look for them. They look for me," protested Mr Solana. "They're hoping I'm going to say something important." "Just your presence is an important event," said Mr Mouallim. Both men had the fixed grins of professional diplomats. But scattered like tiny diamonds across the exchange were telling truths and untruths about Mr Solana's role. For the Syrians, Mr Solana's presence really was an important event. It was a sign that their long international isolation was coming to an end. His visit was to be milked for publicity purposes. In a country where the government controls every TV station, it is no coincidence the 15 crews turn up to film an international visitor.The untruth is that Mr Solana does not look for the TV cameras. He does. Not because he is vain - though there is probably a little bit of that. It is mainly because cameras and microphones are among his most important tools. There is no EU army. Mr Solana cannot - should the desire ever take him - order up an air strike or send a fleet to hover off the coast of a country. He carries no fat commercial contracts to use as persuasion, nor does he have the power to impose embargoes. Even the EU's sizeable aid and development budgets are disbursed by other departments. He is instead a cajoler and a persuader. He is a symbol of that still nebulous thing, European foreign policy. more... | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Has the Middle East Turned a Corner? (March 16, 2007) - Two weeks ago, it seemed as if the Middle East was on the brink of war. U.S. carrier strike forces were heading for the Gulf while Vice-President Dick Cheney growled that, if Tehran did not halt uranium enrichment, 'all options were on the table'. Washington's belligerent neocons seemed to be making a come-back and their organ, the Weekly Standard, was baying for war. Suddenly, a break in the clouds suggests that better weather lies ahead. A striking development has been a surge of Saudi diplomacy in a great many directions. The Saudis brokered last month's Mecca agreement between Fatah and Hamas, opening the way for a Palestinian national unity government, and they are proposing, in the near future, to hold a similar meeting of reconciliation for all Lebanese factions. Underpinned by Saudi Arabia's religious authority and financial muscle, these are promising developments, establishing the Kingdom as the Arab world's leading actor. Braving Washington's displeasure, Riyadh has embarked on an intense dialogue with Iran - first through Prince Bandar bin Sultan and Ali Larijani, the respective heads of their countries' national security councils, and then at a recent summit meeting in Riyadh between King Abdallah bin Abdulaziz and Iran's President Mahmud Ahmadinejad. The two countries have a strong common interest a) in preventing Sunni-Shi'i violence in Iraq from spilling over into the region; b) in damping down the flames of conflict in the Palestinian and Lebanese arenas; and, above all, c) in preventing a U.S.-Iranian war, which would be catastrophic for the whole Middle East, and especially for the vulnerable Arab Gulf states. The Saudi-Iranian dialogue is a strong signal that these two leading countries are determined to take the destinies of the region into their own hands, free from the intervention of external powers. It is a clear message directed at the United States, whose influence and authority are much diminished because of its calamitous war in Iraq. All this would seem to be in preparation for the important Arab summit meeting in Riyadh on 28-29 March. In the past, these summits have often been derided as ineffectual, because they have rarely been followed by concerted action. This time, however, there is a new sense of urgency. The Riyadh summit is widely expected to re-launch the Arab Peace Initiative, first proposed by King Abdallah when he was Crown Prince, and then endorsed by the entire Arab world at the Beirut summit of March 2002. It offered Israel peace and normal relations with all 22 members of the Arab League if it withdrew from all territories occupied in the 1967 war; recognised the establishment of a Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza, with its capital in Arab East Jerusalem; and provided for a just solution of the Palestine refugee problem to be agreed in accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution 194 (which in effect gave refugees the choice between return to their former homes or compensation.) When it was first launched, Israel scornfully rejected the Arab Peace Initiative, but times have changed. Voices are now being raised in Israel - not least that of Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni - suggesting that the Initiative could provide the basis for negotiations. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | Solana: EU supports Syrian initiative to regain Golan Heights (March 14, 2007) - The European Union supports Syria's goal of regaining the Golan Heights from Israel, the EU foreign policy chief said after meeting President Bashar Assad on Wednesday. "We would like to work as much as possible to see your country Syria recuperate the territory taken in 1967," Javier Solana told a joint news conference with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moallem. Syria has made it clear that its cooperation to help end violence in Iraq would be tied to Western - especially U.S. - support for its peaceful campaign to regain the Golan Heights, which Israel conquered during the Six Day War four decades ago. Solana also discussed the Lebanese crisis with Syrian leaders Wednesday on what was the first high-level visit by an EU official to Syria in more than two years. Syria, through its state-run press, welcomed Solana's visit as a good move after a long absence. Solana came to Syria on the final stop of a three-nation attempt to mediate an end to the crisis in Lebanon, where the Hezbollah-led opposition has staged three months of mass protests in a bid to topple the government. Nine people have been killed in street battles between government and opposition supporters. He held talks with Moallem and Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa on Wednesday morning and was scheduled to meet President Bashar Assad later. In Lebanon on Monday, where he began his mediating, Solana said he hoped his trip to Damascus would help spur an improvement in relations between the EU and Syria, but he added that Syrian policies had to change. "In order to resume the relationship, we have to have a frank and sincere discussion about things that can change ... and we have to see how the behavior of our friends in Syria may change," Solana said. Solana's visit to Damascus is a big and important step on the road to repairing two years of damage in Arab-EU relations, the official Syrian newspaper Tishrin said in an editorial Wednesday. Syria is receiving Solana with a lot of openness and a readiness to hear what he has to say as an EU envoy. Solana visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday where he discussed Lebanon with the Saudi foreign minister, Prince Saud Al-Faisal, in Riyadh. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | With Solana at helm, EU packs more global clout (March 13, 2007) - "Who speaks for Europe" famously asked former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger in 1973. These days, most foreign leaders seeking to talk to the European Union simply pick up the phone and call Javier Solana. As the 27-nation bloc's "High Representative" for foreign and security policy, the 65-year old Spaniard - formerly a NATO secretary general - is certainly not the sole EU spokesman. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso often speaks in the name of the EU as do presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers of the nation holding the six-month rotating EU presidency. But while Barroso holds the key to EU purse strings, he has only a small role in forging EU foreign and defence policy. And since the EU presidency changes every six months, its representatives are in the spotlight for a short time. Solana, on the other hand, has been de facto EU foreign minister and head of military operations since October 1999. His staying power - and tireless diplomatic efforts in the Balkans, Iran and the Middle East - have given him a global reputation with which few EU politicians can compete. Appropriately, the EU chief diplomat received the prestigious "peace through dialogue" award at the Munich Security Conference last month just hours before a meeting with Iran's leading nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani. Solana has been spearheading western efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the worsening nuclear crisis with Iran. more... | EU/UN | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | What It Means Herb L. Peters (March 12, 2007) - Now is not the time to get lost in the details. We need to keep our eyes on the "road signs" of Bible prophecy. Prophetic road signs are events that were foretold in Scripture and are now documented in history. If we keep our eyes on the road signs, it helps us stay on course and understand better what may be going on around us. As you probably know by now, I believe the rebirth of Israel in 1948 may be our first great road sign of end-time prophecy. It is commonly believed the "woman" in the following passage represents Israel. In Revelation chapter 12 we read: A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1 New American Standard Bible). And the European reunification project that began in 1950 -- now known as the European Union -- may be our second great sign. That's because it is commonly believed the seven-headed dragon in the following passage represents the seven Gentile empires that have and will persecute the woman (Israel). We read: Then another sign appeared in heaven: and behold, a great red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems (Revelation 12:3). Here are some roads signs that may have followed:
Solana to Restore EU Ties with Syria (March 9, 2007) - Javier Solana, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, will restore high-level EU contact with Syria when he visits Damascus next week for the first time in more than two years. The trip is designed to encourage Syria to help end the Lebanon political crisis, which pits pro-Syrian parties against a government supported by the west. Diplomats on Friday linked the dispatch of Mr. Solana with the US’s decision to sit down with Syrian officials at Saturday’s Baghdad security conference. The EU move also comes at the end of the presidency of France’s Jacques Chirac, who has resisted initiatives to re-establish close contact between Syria and the EU as a whole, although officials such as Miguel Angel Moratinos, Spain’s foreign minister, have visited Damascus. Mr. Solana said the visit would be part of a broader regional tour and would focus in particular on Lebanon. Relations between the EU and Syria rapidly deteriorated after the February 2005 assassination of Rafiq Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister and friend of Mr. Chirac. A UN investigation into the killing has yet to be completed but progress reports last year implicated Syrian and Lebanese officials. A main sticking point in Lebanon’s political crisis is the establishment of a UN-backed tribunal to try Hariri’s killers. The pro-western Lebanese government is seeking parliamentary approval for the tribunal, but the move is being resisted by the pro-Syrian opposition. Despite Arab and European pressure on Syria to accept the tribunal, Walid Muallem, Syrian foreign minister, earlier this week said Damascus wanted any nationals accused of involvement in the killing to be tried in accordance with Syrian law. Mr. Chirac on Friday said he supported the Solana trip, which would deliver a firm message to Damascus to cooperate with the Hariri inquiry. “We have finally decided that Europe will speak with one voice, that of Mr. Solana,” he said, in response to a question by the Financial Times. “When I had my reservations it was because various ministers went in a disordered way when it is an issue that needs complete coherence from the EU.” more... | Islam | EU | 4th Kingdom | Solana | Revelation 17:12-14, "And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful." EU's Solana says Palestinians must give clear recognition of Israel (March 8, 2007) - The Palestinian unity government being formed by Hamas and Fatah must clearly state that it recognizes Israel, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Thursday. "There are many ways whereby you can express the recognition of Israel," Solana told The Associated Press. "I am not going to define what is the manner that would be the most appropriate, that's for them to decide, but in any case it has to be sufficiently clear that statement can be read and not only imagined." Solana spoke in an interview before an EU summit where French President Jacques Chirac pressed other European leaders to support the Palestinian efforts to form a coalition government. The EU presidency, held by Germany, also backed recent progress. "We note the important step taken in Mecca," said German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, referring to the deal in the Saudi city last month which pledges to "respect" certain agreements with Israel even though it does not explicitly recognize Israel. "It's not at the end of the matter yet but it's a basis for further work," Steinmeier said. French diplomats said at the summit that last month the power-sharing deal between Hamas and Fatah was "a first step toward the realization of the conditions" set by the EU, U.S. and others for the restoration of aid to the Palestinian government. Those conditions include recognition of Israel, renunciation of violence and respect for previous peace agreements. Solana said the movement toward unity among the Palestinians was "a good decision" following outbreaks of fighting between Fatah and Hamas militants. He said Palestinian unity was also positive for Israel, but stressed that the EU would have to wait to see what the power-sharing deal would mean in practice before making any decisions. "These agreements have to be implemented," he said. "We'll have to make the final judgment ... when they are implemented." Despite the Mecca agreement, Fatah and Hamas have failed to agree on the formation of a unity government with differences focused on who would be interior minister, controlling security forces. more... | Israel | Islam | EU | 4th Kingdom | Solana | 1st Seal | America | Blair wants EU to take on British foreign affairs, says German ambassador (March 6, 2007) - Tony Blair is set to back plans for a powerful new EU foreign minister to represent Britain's interests abroad, it has been claimed. A senior German official said it was time for Europe to "get its act together" by agreeing to create the massively influential post that would effectively limit the powers of national foreign ministers. His comments will fuel fears that Germany is trying to revive the discredited EU constitution by the back door during its six months presidency of the EU. And it is sure to be opposed by Tory leader David Cameron, who spoke out in Brussels against further centralisation of EU powers and the prospect of introducing key elements of the constitution - such as the common foreign minister plan - without the democratic support of voters. Germany's ambassador to the UK, Wolfgang Ischinger, spoke warmly of the idea of an EU foreign affairs supremo, a role that would go to a full-time unelected Brussels figure who would strut the world stage at taxpayers' expense to present a "harmonised" foreign policy on behalf of the 27-member club. Mr Ischinger confidently expressed his belief that Mr Blair secretly supports the plan - which critics warn is a major step towards a European superstate. He claimed that other world powers could not "understand" why the EU had so many representatives on foreign affairs. And he called for Javier Solana, the EU's current "High Representative" on foreign affairs, to be put in charge of European foreign policy as a formal foreign minister. The EU was forced to ditch the foreign minister plan last year after the French and Dutch refused to back the blueprint, but European leaders are plotting to bring it back in some form. Mr Ischinger told journalists in London: "Like a group of lobbyists, we are an incredibly diverse group of people and no-one in Washington has ever understood why there needs to be a President of the Commission, and a Commissioner, and then comes the higher representative for foreign policy, Mr (Javier ) Solana and then comes the Presidency...and it is very confusing for non-EU people. "Why can't we get our act together and have a European foreign minister who can travel to Malaysia, or Washington, or some other country and say this is what the EU believes." When asked whether the German Chancellor Angela Merkel also backs the idea of a single EU foreign minister, he added: "Absolutely. Sure. And I think the British Government thinks the same thing. more... | EU | 4th Kingdom | Solana | Revelation 17:3;8-18 A Circle of Deals Herb L. Peters (February 5, 2007) - Today's geo-strategic puzzle is fascinating. I can see how those involved could become totally engrossed in the game. In order to bring peace to the Middle East -- which appears to be the goal -- a circle of inter related deals will have to be made and joined together. You see, all the players want something. So, the secret to peace in the Middle East is finding a way to give everybody what they want. For a starting point, there can be no Palestinian state without a unified Palestinian government. So, the international community wants an agreement found between rival Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah. However, Hamas continues to call for the destruction of Israel. Fatah, on the other hand, continues to refuse Israel's demand that a Palestinian state have temporary borders Read about it here. And U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice appears to be shying from Israel's demand in favor of granting Fatah's call for permanent borders Read about it here. Looking at all these contrary desires, it seems unlikely a way can be found to make all players happy. However, even while all this negative news is pouring out, we find British Prime Minister Tony Blair saying a breakthrough in the Middle East peace process could soon be made Read about it here. When I read this, I thought about how the EU's Javier Solana recently said pretty much the same Read about it here. Friends, what do Blair and Solana know that we don't? Perhaps here is where we find our answer. Evidently, Solana is talking about another breakthrough. As you may recall, the EU and Russia have failed to reach agreement over energy. The EU depends on the vast flow of energy that only Russian can supply. But, Russia has begun making demands that alarm some EU member states. You see, Russian wants a strategic partnership with the EU -- one like the EU has with America. Nevertheless, according to Solana, a deal between the EU and Russia could finally be in the works Read about it here | And here. If so, that brings up an obvious question: What is Russia really getting in return? And as far as Solana making peace in the Middle East, there's more to consider. His new deal between the EU and Russia may bring us full circle back to a possible deal between Hamas and Fatah. You see, Hamas is controlled by Syria, and Syria already has a strategic partnership with Russia. Yes, it's a circle of deals. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | I believe we may be seeing the first seal happening before our eyes. Revelation 6:2, "And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer." Many people view "conquering" as having to do with war. I agree that this is usually what conquering takes. However, I would like to point out a couple things. First of all, Daniel 8:25 tells us about an antichrist named Antiochus IV. He was the cause of the Maccabean revolt that is celebrated by Israel every winter in a holiday called Hanukkah. This is what it says, "And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand." How do you destroy many by peace? I believe it will be a war on religious fundamentalism prompted by the terrist activities of radical Islam. Eventually, anyone who claims sole ownership of the truth, as the Bible does, will become part of this group who is destroyed in the name of peace and security. Also, from the Watchman Newsletter September 30, 2006 edition, Fascinating or Sensationalism: "A primary purpose for the Alliance Of Civilizations is to fight all forms of religious fundamentalism See 1st pdf here. Another AOC report even discusses the importance of symbols and calls for the creation -- in as many cities as possible -- of temples and houses of religions (plural). And, it calls for the AOC to be fully operational in 2010 -- the middle of the coming seven-year period See 2nd pdf here. And, if all of this is not enough to convince us, the events in the UN are also connected to Recommendation 666. You see, the AOC was introduced to the UN by Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Zapatero is a member of the same Spanish Socialist Party as is Javier Solana -- the man who negotiated the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership for Peace (a covenant with many) and implemented the elements of Recommendation 666 into the EU." Do you see the pieces coming together??? Another thing of note for your research is Comet McNaught and how that may also be a sign in the heavens. Keep watching!!! Quartet Statement (February 2, 2007) - The Quartet Principals - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, High Representative for European Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner - met today in Washington to discuss the situation in the Middle East. The Quartet welcomed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the representative of the EU Presidency, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Recognizing the critical need to end the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, which would contribute to security and stability in the region, the Quartet pledged to support efforts to put in place a process with the goal of ending the occupation that began in 1967 and creating an independent, democratic and viable Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace and security with Israel, and reaffirmed its commitment to a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace based on UNSCRs 242 and 338. The Quartet expressed the hope that the result-oriented dialogue initiated between Israeli and Palestinian leaders will continue in the framework of a renewed political process with the aim of launching meaningful negotiations. The Quartet undertook to give active follow-up to these meetings and to remain closely engaged at this moment of increased activity and dialogue. The Quartet reaffirmed its commitment to meet regularly at both the principals and envoys level according to an agreed calendar, including with the parties and other regional partners, to monitor developments and actions taken by the parties and to discuss the way ahead. The Quartet noted its support for renewed dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian leaders and welcomed the December 23 meeting between Israeli PM Olmert and PA President Abbas, and the subsequent implementation of some steps discussed at that meeting. The Quartet urged the parties to implement fully steps discussed at the December 23 meeting, to refrain from taking any measures that could predetermine the number of issues that will be resolved in negotiations, to meet their respective obligations under phase one of the Roadmap and under the Agreement on Movement and Access, and to seek to fulfill their obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh Understandings of 2005. more... | Iran | Gog/Magog | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | America | I think God has a couple things to say about this and given the history of those who try to get Israel out of the Land, I think it should be understood that God will punish those that come against Israel whom He Himself has placed there as prophesied in Ezekiel 36,37. However, God has also made it clear that those who come against Israel will be cut to pieces. Zechariah 12:1-3, "The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it." God also promises to punish all those who oppress Israel. Jeremiah 30:18-20, "Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof. And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small. Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them." As the US/EU policy moves forward to take away the Promised Land given to Israel in 1967, expect God's protection to be removed and replaced with His punishment. Germany, Spain may push ahead on EU Constitution without France or UK (January 29, 2007) - A group of European Union governments led by Germany and Spain may press ahead with the deeper political integration set out in the bloc's constitution without France or the UK, said Spanish EU Affairs Minister Alberto Navarro. "We can't all advance at the pace of the slowest," Navarro told journalists in Madrid on Friday after a meeting of 20 EU governments that support the constitution. "To progress in Europe, we often have to do it with a group of countries that are prepared to move forward. We have the example of the euro. We must be prepared to take that step." European leaders must decide how to proceed with the constitutional project when the "period of reflection" ends in June under Germany's presidency. Germany has long been a proponent of the constitution to overcome shortcomings in the existing Nice treaty. The process of ratifying the constitution was halted in 2005 when voters in France and the Netherlands rejected the text in successive referendums. Supporters of the treaty will try to win approval for the text by adding further clauses to the document, Navarro said. „Europe doesn't need a minimalist solution,” Luxembourg's Europe Minister Nicolas Schmit said at the press conference. "Europe needs a maximalist solution that allows us to resolve the problems of our times. We want to send a message of support to the German presidency." French presidential candidate Nicolas Sarkozy is calling for a "mini-treaty" that would strengthen the EU's decision-making efficiency while dropping provisions, such as the extension of the bloc's powers in foreign and internal affairs, that rankled the French electorate. | EU/UN | Solana | Kadima Proposes Handing Judea and Samaria to Europe (January 25, 2007) - A member of PM Ehud Olmert's Kadima party proposed transferring control of Judea and Samaria to a European task force until the establishment of a Palestinian state. Following the establishment of the state, the strategic territory would be handed to security forces associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. The proposal comes after WND broke the story earlier this week according to top European and Egyptian diplomatic sources Israel has been conducting behind-the-scene negotiations to hand over most of Judea and Samaria to Abbas' security forces. The sources said the transfer of security control to Abbas would be coordinated by the European Union and Jordan. Judea and Samaria encompass Jerusalem and are within rocket-firing range of Tel Aviv and Israel's international airport. At Israel's prestigious Herzliya Conference, Knesset Member Shlomo Breznitz, reportedly a close confidante of Olmert, said the Judea and Samaria should be temporarily transferred to the Europeans and that most of the territory's Jewish communities should be evacuated. "The only way to get out of the impasse is to transfer the territories, for a limited time, to an international mandate, that will run them until the establishment of a Palestinian state," said Breznitz at the conference. The Herzliya Conference is attended by Israel's top leadership and regularly maps out the country's agenda for the coming year. In 2004, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced his plan to withdraw from Gaza at the conference. They sources, who said they were directly involved in behind-the-scene negotiations, said one proposal being considered is for the E.U. and Jordan to supervise the transfer of northern Samaria to Abbas' security forces, which reportedly are receiving aid, weapons and training from the U.S. The sources said major changes in Israeli-Palestinian affairs are expected within a few weeks to two months. According to an aide to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, speaking on condition of anonymity, there will be a "historic political evolution and movement in negotiations in the next few weeks and few months, unseen since the Camp David peace talks in 2000." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Activity Picks Up for Mideast Talks (January 22, 2007) - After months of inaction, a flurry of diplomatic activity toward reviving Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking is under way. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning a summit with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, top Israeli officials are floating peace initiatives and the moderate Palestinian president says he is ready to discuss the outlines of a final settlement. But with Hamas militants dominating the Palestinian parliament and Cabinet, and weak leadership on all sides, no one expects a deal any time soon. The U.S. and Israel are trying to build on the "road map'' peace plan by initiating confidence-building steps such as easing financial sanctions on the Palestinians and lifting West Bank roadblocks. They are also holding out the prospect of more wide-ranging concessions to help Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his power struggle against Hamas militants. "We're at the pre-negotiation stage where the emphasis is on confidence-building measures,'' Miri Eisin, a spokeswoman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, said Monday. "But we're not talking about the substance.'' The 2003 road map - which outlines a staged plan for creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel - never got off the ground because each side failed to meet its initial obligations. With the Israeli-Palestinian peace process in deep freeze since 2000, and the political rise of Hamas in the Palestinian territories, moderates on each side have found themselves with little choice but to start talking again. In the past few weeks, the Israeli and Palestinian leaders held their first substantive meeting, and Israel followed up by transferring $100 million in frozen tax revenues to Abbas. Rice has promised to lead a summit with Abbas and Olmert by mid-February, and is talking about reinvigorating U.S. involvement in Mideast peacemaking. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | America | Peace in the Middle East? I expect it to come. I also expect the EU and Javier Solana to be the main players in making it happen. He is "Mr. Europe" and wears many crowns as: High Representative and Secretary-General of the Council of European Union, Secretary-General of the WEU (Western European Union), Chairman of the Political Security Committee for the European Union, and the main political head behind the 1995 Euro-Med agreement that has just been confirmed for 7 years starting January 1, 2007. If this sounds eerily like Bible prophecy, I think there's a good reason. The EU fits the picture of the beast with 7 heads and 10 horns. The EU has 10 voting member nations. It is also connected intimately with the ancient Roman empire which is interesting given the dream given to Nebuchadnezzar that Daniel interpreted in Daniel 2. The two legs of iron represent the Eastern and Western Roman empire. The feet are made partly of iron. These are the only two kingdoms in the statue made of the same metal. Keep watching! Solana: There is chance to launch new political process in Mideast (January 21, 2007) - EU senior politician and Middle East expert said there is an opportunity to launch a new political process and resolve the Middle East conflict. "There is an opportunity that should not be missed to improve living conditions of the Palestinians or open a political process to settle the conflict," EU foreign policy Chief Javier Solana said during a news conference at the conclusion of his visit to Jordan on Sunday. "What we need is the political will. Time has come to change the method and approach of crisis management that has been followed so far and replace it by conflict resolution, " he said. "We know very well that the crisis management method has not yielded fruit; rather it has prolonged and deepened suffering of the people," said Solana before heading for Tel Aviv, the second leg of his Middle East tour. He added that the tour was aimed to rally friends in the Arab world and wield efforts and political will to start this political process as soon as possible. Europe would like to start a political process that gives the perspective to the people, the Palestinians and the countries in the region that a solution can be reached, Solana told reporters. He said his talks with officials in the United States and in the region showed that they have had the needed political will. He added next Thursday he will meet U.S Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and will have talks with the Quartet Committee in February in addition to his talks with leaders from the region with the main objective is to bring about the needed momentum and to give the political process a push forward. King Abdullah II of Jordan is playing a pivotal role in peace making and can influence events in more than way, he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | As the West tries to bring peace, radical Islam is getting louder and more confident. This is dividing up precisely how I would expect it to bring both a false peace as well as the Gog/Magog invasion around the same time-frame, before the abomination of desolation. Tale of 2 Seminars: Cooperation between Israel, Europe developed significantly in recent years (January 17, 2007) - At the beginning of 2005 Israel and the European Union adopted a comprehensive joint Action Plan to upgrade their relations in the framework of the European Neighborhood Policy. On December 4, 2006 the European Commission released a progress report on the achievements under the EU-Israel Action Plan so far. It found that the framework of EU-Israel relations was now better defined and that co-operation had significantly developed in the areas of political dialogue, anti-terrorism, promotion of trade and investment, justice and security and science and technology. To get a better idea of how the European Union and Israel are using the Action Plan to exchange knowledge and best practice, let us take a quick look at two seminars, both of which took place on December 7. In Tel Aviv, European experts contributed their experience to Israeli financial institutions and green organizations at a seminar on "Managing Environmental Risks in Financial Institutions." Meanwhile, in Brussels, Israeli and European experts held a joint seminar on the "Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism." Other technical workshops have been organized on subjects ranging from preventing terrorist financing, to fighting trafficking in human beings. The progress report on Israel was part of a set of proposals I made to further strengthen European Neighborhood Policy. In Israel's case I believe that they contain even more attractive incentives to upgrade our relations: more contacts between business people, students, youth, researchers and artists; deepening economic and trade relations and stronger co-operation on energy and transport. more... | Israel | EU/UN | Solana | Merkel calls for EU constitution by 2009 (January 17, 2007) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday outlined an ambitious program for her country's European Union presidency, saying the bloc must set a timetable for adopting an EU constitution. Merkel told EU lawmakers during her first appearance at the EU assembly that a decision on what to do with the constitution must be reached by June. The constitution was ratified by 18 states but rejected in Dutch and French referendums in 2005. Merkel said she would consult all 27 EU nations to hear their reservations about the landmark charter and to determine which parts can be rescued to form the basis of a new document. Germany wants to save as much as possible of the draft text, which was designed to accelerate policy-making and give the EU, now with 489 million people, more visibility on the world stage by creating the posts of EU president and foreign minister. "We need a foreign minister for Europe. That's enough of a reason to adopt a constitutional treaty," Merkel told the European Parliament, earning a standing ovation. "We must give a soul to Europe; we have to find Europe's soul. Any failure could be a historic failure." Merkel also said that completing global trade talks would be one of the priorities of Germany's six-month presidency, urging Europe to take a "resolute stand" to achieve a successful outcome. more... | EU/UN | Solana | NewWorldOrder | Interesting how the language is spiritual speaking about the foreign minister position. Everyone seems to be in agreement about this too. As Herb Peters pointed out, is that an accident given the rumors of Solana leaving back in October? It seems to the European leaders like their whole world is starting to crumble without a "Mr. Europe." Is Solana making a power play? And will we see the European leaders give their power to him? Keep watching! EU To Launch Mideast Peace Process Effort (January 12, 2007) - The European Union intends to launch an effort to reactivate the Middle East peace process in the first six months of this year, the EU's foreign policy chief Javier Solana said today. Mr Solana warned that it was crucial to do so before the United States enters its campaign period for the 2008 presidential elections. "If in the first semester of 2007 we don't get the process at least framed, I don't say finished, but framed, I have my doubts that we will be able to do it before 2008," Mr Solana said. "We have to put the political process in motion," he said at the end of a two-day conference in Madrid that aimed to revive optimism into stalled Middle East peace. The conference, organised by private foundations, brought together diplomats, academics and politicians from Europe, the United States, Russia and Middle Eastern countries. It was called to commemorate the 15th anniversary of landmark 1991 Madrid peace conference that brought Israelis and Arabs to the negotiating table for the first time. The latest conference has been criticised by some given that none of the major players in the region sent senior representatives. But Mr Solana said the important thing was to get people talking. Earlier Jordan's King Abdullah II urged George Bush to make greater efforts to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process when the US president telephoned the Jordanian monarch, the palace said in a statement. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | EU protocol chief sheds light on Brussels' dance of diplomacy (January 12, 2007) - The days when King Henry VIII met King Francis I in a field full of cloth of gold are gone but VIPs still have big egos, with the EU's protocol chief telling EUobserver about the intricate hierarchy of the family photo, the "paranoia" of US delegations and which EU leader has the firmest handshake. "Protocol is about respecting the dignity of the visitor and making sure everything goes smoothly, that there is no unplanned interference," 64-year old Austrian Hans Brunmayr, who has been welcoming VIPs at the EU's headquarters in Brussels for five years, explained. Looking at the picture of the 27 EU leaders taken at the end of the December summit - the "family photo" - it is clear the host, the then Finnish EU presidency is in the middle. But it is less clear why Finland is flanked by France and Poland or why EU top diplomat Javier Solana is hanging around on the front row. The answer is an occult system of diplomatic values which assumes that: the closer you stand to the current EU presidency the more important you are; the second most important figure is the next incoming EU presidency and a national president is always more important than a prime minister. The system, which runs all the way to the Austrian PM in the worst place on the second row (EU presidency in 2019) and the foreign ministers stuffed in the back rows, is so complex that Mr. Brunmayr has to stick little flags with names on them to the floor so that people know where to stand. Meanwhile, Mr. Solana is the joker in the pack and can appear anywhere in a situation that mirrors his office - formally there is no such thing as an EU foreign minister but he does the job anyway. "Solana is always in the front row either here or there," Mr. Brunmayr said. "He is granted a special status." more... | EU/UN | Solana | NewWorldOrder | Solana: It's time for action in Mideast (January 12, 2007) - The Madrid + 15 Peace Conference concluded Friday with a decision to put the peace train back on track during the first half of 2007. Spanish President Felipe Gonzalez attributed the failure of the Oslo Accords, which were reached before the PLO had recognized Israel, to the fact that the negotiations had moved from the private into the public domain before the agreements had become permanent. He compared the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference to the present one, saying that in 1991, the language had been "tougher than the present language, the distance between the parties was greater and the hope for achieving a true and lasting peace was less." This time, he said, the language had been more direct and rational. Gonzalez referred to the 2002 Arab League Initiative as "amazing," saying he could not believe that the international community had not recognized it as an irreversible step. He asked that the US play a part in the peace process without "too much involvement." "The Arab-Israeli issue may or may not be the epicenter of the problem," said Gonzalez, "but if it is not solved we cannot advance to the other issues." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Ban, Solana Agree the Middle East Issue Has to be Resolved "Rapidly" (January 9, 2007) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana late Monday agreed that three issues, including that of the Middle East at large, should be dealt with "rapidly." "We have three main geographical problems that we have to tackle, and tackle rapidly," Solana told reporters following a meeting with Ban. They are the Middle East, Darfur and Somalia in Africa, and Kosovo. "Within the Middle East, I would like to insist as strongly as possible, that we have to tackle the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians. I hope very much that he (Ban) will also play an important role in invigorating the Quartet," he said. The Quarter, made of UN, EU, US and Russia, may meet later this month, he said, on the sidelines of the Paris Donors Conference for Lebanon. "This must be for us a priority of great significance at this period of time," he added. He said the two officials are also concerned with the situation in Lebanon and called for the resolution of the Sheba'a farms issue as quickly as possible. "I insist very much that following the resolutions of the Security Council, the question of Sheba'a farms has to be resolved, the sooner the better," he said. "We need to solve problems. We don't need to talk about the problems... This is the spirit in which I'm going to work, in which the new Secretary-General is going to work," he said. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Writer's Block Herb L. Peters (January 8, 2007) - Some call it writer's block. It's a condition that usually happens when a writer can't think of anything to write. In my case, I think it's the opposite -- I have too much to write. You may have noticed: Although I've been posting links to news reports that I believe may be significant, I haven't posted my usual commentary for several days. So, today we'll go over why I felt some of these recent reports may be important. Yesterday it was reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be going to Israel to, as the report says, "exploit what she perceives as an opportunity to break the deadlock on the stalled peace process". And, Rice is quoted as saying, "there is a potential opening here to make progress on the issue of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security" Read about it here. The next report makes it obvious where this "opportunity" may have actually come from -- the amazing success of the recent Euromed summit held in Tampere, Finland. Before the summit, the problem was getting the Euromed's Arab partners on board the peace train. In fact, at last year's Euromed the majority of these Arab partners didn't even bother to show up. Regarding this year's summit, the report says: The European Union and its Israeli and Arab neighbours on November 28 vowed to work together for Middle East peace and to help pave the way for a two-state solution. It also says: But Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja, whose country currently runs the rotating EU presidency, said he had “never experienced such a positive atmosphere” in talks on the Mideast peace process Read about it here. So, what has happened since last year's Euromed to change the Arab partners mind? Friends, what's happened was last January's so-called "cartoon intifada" -- the crisis triggered by cartoons seen as offensive to Islam -- and the world's resulting embrace of the UN's new Alliance of Civilizations (AoC). In July another thing that happened for the Arab Euromed partners was, in the Israeli/Lebanon war, a new enemy emerged -- one more dangerous to their interests than Israel -- Iran. And now, as of January 1, 2007, the EU's "New" European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) kicks in, promising good things to all of them -- if they join the Euromed way of making the peace. Already the Euromed and ENP partners of Jordan, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority and Israel are agreeing to a regional peace summit. Syria, the last ENP hold out, is now under renewed pressure to get on board too Read about it here. In the meantime, Pope Benidict has openly and clearly thrown his hat into the AoC ring and calling for a "renewed humanism". The Pope is quoted saying, "The need emerged to elaborate a new world political and economic order, but at the same time and above all, a spiritual and cultural one _ that is, renewed humanism". The report also says, "The pope said that while politicians, scientists and researchers play important roles in the modern world, "today, more than ever, it is necessary to place at their side the leaders of the great non- Christian religious traditions" as well as Christian leaders Read about it here. Notice the kind of new world order that the Pope is calling for -- a political, economic and spiritual new world order. Bible believing friends, if that doesn't concern you, I don't know what would. You see, the Bible tells us, in the end times, a new global religious leader (not suggesting the Pope) will appear who will have the political power to enforce his religious views by economic means. An economic system will be introduced that, if people don't participate in this leader's form of religion, they will not be able to buy or sell. In the book of Revelation we read: And he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six (Revelation 13:17-18 New American Standard Bible). Notice in the above passage it says, "the number is that of a man". People who know Greek will tell us that, since there is no article in the Greek text, this passage can also be correctly read to say, "the number of man". And, it's my opinion that that's what's being said. And, that's why the Pope's call for a "renewed humanism" may be significant. The biblical number of man is the number six. God created man on the sixth day. Three sixes indicates the highest level of man, as God Himself is revealed as a Trinity. You see, humanism is actually defined as a religion. And, for some who don't believe in the God of the Bible, it can be a belief that man is God. So, the man who ascends into the ultimate position of worldly power is, in the mind of some humanists, God. more... | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | RCC | The Frankish Empire Strikes Back (December 8, 2006) - The European Union would have you believe it's the latest sign of progressive humanity, a peaceful and prosperous socialist union where previously only war and discord used to reign. Skeptics might point out that the EU is basically a revived Frankish Empire (5th-10th century CE), an attempt to unify Germany and France in an effort to control all of Europe. With the return of the dark side of the European psyche after fifty years, the biggest rationale for the EU is fear of its own people, who are thought to be closet Nazis by the leftist elites. When an Israeli soccer team won a game against a French team several weeks ago, Israeli fans were chased through the streets by a more than a hundred French football hooligans. Yet the Leftist elites of Europe might be inviting a self-fulfilling prophecy; suppress the democratic Right long enough, and in the face of Islamofascist waves of immigrants the voters might look for a strong man again. Daniel Hannan is a Euroskeptic conservative who is a Member of the (powerless) European Parliament. Hannan argues for actual elections to determine the future of Europe, as if the voters have any say over the matter. When the European Constitution was defeated two years ago by referenda in France and Holland, he predicted that the vote would make no real difference. The Eurobureaucracy is on the march and will force through the EU Constitution by decree. Hannan now writes: "...the EU will continue to adopt as many of the Constitution's proposals as it can ... . It has, after all, already enacted the document's chief provisions: a European criminal justice system, a diplomatic corps (the "European External Action Service") the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Some 85 per cent of the clauses can be pushed through this way. Then, at some stage in the next 18 months, there will be a perfunctory Inter-Governmental Conference to tie up the loose ends: ... . There will be no disagreement in principle about these things, which the 25 - now, with Romania and Bulgaria, 27 - governments have accepted in principle all along. The national leaders will then tell their electorates that it would be absurd to hold referendums on such detailed and technical proposals. The result? We will end up with virtually the entire text of the constitution, but with no more referendums." Europe is desperately trying to escape its past. Poland has just vetoed an outreach to Russia for fear of newly aggressive moves from the Bear to the East. l Eastern Europe doesn't trust the German Wolf either, as benign as it looks today. Europeans are still neurotically entangled in the past, no matter how glorious the EU proclaims itself to be. For them, the EU is a desperate effort to make the future work. more... | EU/UN | Solana | NewWorldOrder | Finland Ratifies EU Constitution (December 5, 2006) - Finland ratified the EU constitution on Tuesday adding one more country to the list of member states having given the nod of approval to a document whose fate is still undetermined. The parliament approved the constitution by an overwhelming majority with 125 voting in favour and 39 against, with the Finnish president still to sign off the procedure, expected sometime next week. Finland's move makes it the 16th member state to largely complete ratification of the document and the seventh country – along with Estonia, Latvia, Malta, Luxembourg, Belgium and Cyprus – whose vote comes after the shock 'no' referendums by French and Dutch voters last year. Coming at a stage when some member states are quietly thinking about how to get all or part of the constitution back on track, the Finnish vote is a symbolic boost to the document. Paavo Lipponen, the president of the Finnish parliament, said the vote had produced "an even greater majority of member states in favour of this treaty." He added Finland has contributed to making a "front against tearing the treaty apart and starting from zero," amid expected re-negotiations of at least part of the document from next year onwards. more... | EU/UN | Solana | Herb Peters: "June 29, 2004: The EU’s heads held their semi-annual summit and appointed Solana as their first, super Foreign Minister. And, according to the new Constitution, Solana will also become the Vice President of the EU Commission once the Constitution enters into force. This position would place Solana over the EU’s purse strings." One Voice Vital For EU On Energy Resources, Says Solana (November 21, 2006) - AN UNPRINCIPLED global scramble for energy resources may replace battles for territory and Europe must forge a united policy or face being left behind by rivals, the EU's foreign policy chief warned yesterday. Javier Solana also warned that competition for energy could well limit the European Union's ability to push foreign policy objectives such as conflict resolution and human rights. "The scramble for territory of the past may be replaced today by the scramble for energy," he told a conference in Brussels on energy supply security. Mr Solana said most of the major issues before the UN Security Council had an important energy dimension, yet too often EU states ended up divided on energy policy or defending a position that was the lowest common denominator. "However we choose to deal with such regimes, others will put the energy needs above anything else. The scramble for energy risks being pretty unprincipled," he said. "That has to change," he said. "Let us be clear: if we are not able to launch a unified and substantive position to these issues, partners will run rings around us. It has already come pretty close to that on some occasions." The EU gets 50 per cent of its energy from third countries and that dependency is projected to grow to 70 per cent by 2020. more... | EU/UN | Solana | Plans to rescue and revitalise a dormant EU (November 20, 2006) - If Europe seems to be on extended vacation, it’s because the ‘pause’ envisaged by Jose Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, has lost its way even as he struggles to sort out the institutional reforms that the EU has been crying out for ever since the EU constitutional treaty was blocked by French and Dutch ‘No’ votes in the referendums. The deadlock between the member states has now extended to a ‘pause’ to enlargement as well. There will be no more admission of new members after Rumania and Bulgaria. ‘Enlargement’ has now become a jittery word. It brings forth equally jittery responses such as ‘absorption capacity’, implying that new members will be sucked into the system and vanish, or at least need to be painfully digested. The member states know that there is a backlash against the inexorable enlargement process, an “enlargement fatigue”, especially in founder member states such as France. Croatia is waiting her turn in the enlargement queue while Turkey is on the way to becoming a test case of clashing civilizations on the banks of the Bosphorus. Barroso has argued that no new members — including Croatia and Turkey — can enter the club until its creaking institutions and rules have been updated through a new treaty. All 25 EU member states must agree to let Turkey in. The most recent Eurobarometer polls reveal that 15 of 25 current EU members were opposed to the idea. EU’s unfinished business is further aggravated by last December’s unloved compromise that left the 2007-13 budget largely unreformed. Does the EU have a game plan? Yes, only by default. As Germany takes over the EU presidency in January, it is expected that the EU will roll out a grand declaration that will spell out — in case you have forgotten its hazy contours — the values and ambitions of the Union, to be proclaimed in time to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome in March next year. Germany argues that pressure to revive most of the text will be irresistible, including innovations such as a EU foreign minister [Javier Solana] and diplomatic service, a full-time president representing member states instead of the present musical chairs, and a new voting system. A tall order, indeed! The next step would be to persuade the rest of the member states to agree, at their summit next June, on a timetable and plan of action for renegotiating the institutional reforms package. Taken to its logical conclusion, this could be an arrangement to pave the way for the appointment of a new Commission and European Parliament elections, in June 2009. more... | EU/UN | Solana | Herb Peters wrote about Solana taking the EU Foreign Minister position and what that means. "This new Foreign Minister appointment gives Javier Solana almost dictatorial powers over the new, super EU." Merkel's Foreign Policy Man is a Brussels Fan (November 19, 2006) - When it comes to foreign policy, the man who will be whispering strategic suggestions in future chancellor Angela Merkel's ear is an EU player with a good reputation. Brussels is, for once, in complete agreement. When it comes to foreign policy advisers, there's no one better on the market at the moment then Christoph Heusgen. A trusted advisor of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, the 50-year-old is director of the Policy Planning Unit, a group of 50 diplomats responsible for helping shape the EU's strategic planning. News that Heusgen will now be Merkel's chief advisor has been roundly applauded by observers, some of whom say it could indicate an EU-friendly direction in the future German government's policy planning. "Heusgen's appointment was greeted with a mix of joy and regret in Brussels," wrote the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "Regret because he was leaving. Joy, because (his appointment) indicates Merkel is behind Europe's political union." A lifelong diplomat, Heusgen has spent nearly his entire career in the European Union. For the past five years, he's been Solana's chief of staff; a position that, together with his responsibilities as director of the Policy Unit, have lent him a key role in helping shape EU's ambitious -- if unrealized -- goal of a common foreign policy. "We've only had the political will (to do this) since 1999," he said, in explaining the long road still to go. Heusgen is a fervent advocate for a strong Europe. As head of the unit charged with analyzing crisis situations and possible responses, he's become a strong proponent of EU-wide military cooperation as well. "We need to be able to, when it is necessary, involve ourselves militarily," he said. more... | EU/UN | Solana | Henry Kissinger speaks and the world is most likely listening Constance Cumbey (November 19, 2006) - I’m taking a break from finishing my book on Javier Solana to update my blogspot readers on what I see as an interesting new development. An article bylined by none other than Henry Kissinger appears in Saturday's Daily Aspen News. You may find it on line here. It was Henry Kissinger who made the famous statement that he wished he had a single number to call to reach Europe. It was the Clinton administration who announced gleefully that this had been achieved – under Javier Solana. It was the Bush administration that handed its proxy on Iran to Javier Solana – to exercise on June 6, 2006, no less. Henry Kissinger has now spoken again. He notes that Condoleezza Rice may be taking back the USA’s proxy given Europe and its Javier Solana under certain conditions. Those conditions are that Iran stop nuclear enrichment while direct negotiations with the USA are taking place. Kissinger is skeptical that such will happen –or even work. He believes the USA is in no position to challenge Iran. Moreover, he apparently believes that the conflict is also Mideast regional – Moslem Shi’ite “ideology” (religion) vs. Sunni religious forces. Henry Kissinger says that as long as Iran considers what it is doing a “crusade” vs. geopolitical realities, probably nothing will work. He notes that Europe will not insist on tough sanctions against Iran. He also notes that nobody has probably more to lose than Russia if Iran gains nuclear strength – Iran would then become a dangerous underbelly to Russia’s already self-evident problems with what Kissinger calls Shiite ideological extremists. Kissinger says that because of the delicacy of that situation both Europe and Russia are hesitant to use direct confrontation. He says that Russia now doubts the USA’s staying power in the region. Kissinger also expresses the opinion that the situation is too dangerous to ignore and will not go away. So what does Henry Kissinger believe will work? What healing balm will calm that region and unify the now competing Shiite and Sunni forces? It looks to me as if Kissinger may be suggesting that Israel is the key. It is renewed Palestinian peace efforts. Kissinger says Iran’s Ahmadinejad is empowered by knowledge that Shiite forces in Iraq alongside with Iranian sponsored Hezbollah ones in Lebanon are causing panic in Sunni nations. He suggests that the solution is two-fold: A Palestinian solution inside Israel and encouraging Iran to act “as a nation, not a cause.” Kissinger further says that there must now obviously be a USA repositioning, but if it must not be currently perceived as a prelude to inspired USA withdrawal from the region. Such could cause Iran to perceive it as opportunity. It would see the collapse of existing structures, take advantage of a perceived opportunity to fill the power vaccuum. Ergo, there would be even more chaos in the region. Iran probably would not move aggressively, per Kissinger, unless it believes this would happen. Consequently, any strategic redeployment must take this type of Shiite (Ahmadinejad) thinking into account. To me, Kissinger’s proposed solutions seem to lead us full circle to where Javier Solana came in when I first discovered him in 1995. Solana has been the only constant figure in all the “peace moves” in the Middle East, at least from 1991 onwards. Kissinger now defines religious fervency as “an ideology, "a crusade”, “a cause” and exceedingly dangerous, at least as it applies to Shiite Moslems. If Kissinger reflects and/or is shaping NATO, G-8, UN consensus, and he may well be, it may be inevitable that the “Alliance of Civilizations” with Solana’s concomitant “battle religious fundamentalism, worldwide” will come into accelerated play. After all, wouldn’t it, per that Alliance of Civilizations cum “New World Religion” combined with other equally “no religion” forces, be unfair to apply anti-fundamentalism to only Islamics? As I currently read it, this may likely be a win-win for Javier Solana and/or any successor for the processes Solana began. It looks as if very sophisticated minds are calling for a consensus that will control both the Israeli region and world monotheistic, non-compromising religious expression. When Henry Kissinger speaks, people usually listen. A very dangerous world is currently in play. As Herb Peters expresses it: stay tuned! | EU/UN | Solana | NewWorldOrder | Russia says believes Iran's nuke program peaceful (October 31, 2006) - Russia said on Tuesday it believed Iran's nuclear program was peaceful, and a political dialogue, not sanctions, must be used in talks with Tehran. "We do not have information that would suggest that Iran is carrying out a non-peaceful (nuclear) program," Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov told a news conference in Moscow. "We believe that the possibilities for continuing political discussion around this problem (Iran's nuclear program) have not been exhausted," he said. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in a telephone conversation on Monday that talks over Iran's nuclear dispute were being hindered because the European side did not have enough authority. "The most important problem in continuing Iran and Europe's negotiations (over the nuclear issue) is the European side's lack of enough authority (to take decisions)," an Iranian television report quoted Ahmadinejad as telling Putin. In a statement on Monday, the Kremlin said Putin had told the Iranian leader that Moscow favored further talks. Iran says negotiations are the only way to resolve the dispute. But Iran's failure to meet a U.N. deadline to halt enrichment has opened up the possibility of U.N. sanctions. European states have prepared a draft sanctions resolution but Russia has voiced misgivings. "Sanctions should not be adopted for their own sake," Ivanov said. European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana held months of talks with Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani. But those talks did not reach a deal and Solana said this month it was up to Iran to decide if talks should continue. more... | Iran | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Next thing you know, this will be used as a reason to pass the EU constitution giving power to Javier Solana so he can make a difference in Iranian negotiations. Like Herb says, Solana is sorely needed as a Foreign Minister by the European Union, they know it and Solana knows it. This could be used for a power play. Mideast peace at critical stage, warns EU's Solana (October 30, 2006) - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana warned that the Middle East has reached a critical point but that ending the Israeli-Palestinian crisis could provoke movement on many stalled fronts. "The Middle East is going through a very crucial moment, in several directions," said the European Union's top diplomat as he left Cairo at the end of a six-day tour to assess developments in the region first hand. "We think that the centre of gravity, in order to solve the problems of the Middle East, has to be given a push on the Palestinian-Israeli track," he told reporters travelling with him. "Without solving that we will have very little chance," he added. During his trip, Solana spoke with leaders in Israel, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, with most discussions focusing on how to get the Jewish state and the embattled Palestinians talking again. Achieving that, EU officials say, could be a key that unlocks other parts of a vastly complicated Middle East puzzle stretching from Egypt up to Lebanon, over to Syria and then across to Iran. Domestic concerns for Israel and the Palestinians are severely hampering progress, however. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's government has been badly weakened by its 34-day summer war against Shiite Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, which coincided with a second front in the poverty-hit Gaza Strip. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Merkel says Germany 'will not solve' EU constitution limbo (October 30, 2006) - German chancellor Angela Merkel has said that her country's EU presidency in the first half of next year will "not solve the problem" of the shelved EU constitution, following discussions on the charter with Dutch leader Jan Peter Balkenende. Ms Merkel on a visit to The Hague on Friday (27 October) made some of her most downbeat statements so far on Berlin's chances of reviving the EU constitution. "The German presidency will certainly not solve this problem," she said after talks with Mr Balkenende whose country rejected the charter in a popular referendum last year. German-Dutch ties over the issue are seen as problematic with Ms Merkel having frequently vowed to save as much of the existing text of the constitution as possible despite the Dutch "no". But after her meeting with Mr Balkenende, Ms Merkel highlighted the consensus between the two countries on the need for reform of the current EU treaty, while avoiding to call the EU constitution by name. "I believe we find ourselves together here, because we agree that the Nice Treaty is not sufficient, that we need something that shows our further European commitment," she said. A quick-fix solution to the constitutional deadlock would be hard to find given the French and Dutch "no" votes, she explained. more... | EU/UN | Solana | This EU Constitution will create the EU Foreign Minister position that Javier Solana will fill among his many other roles in the EU as Secretary-General. All of Europe is giving their power and authority to this one man who is planning on solving the Middle East crisis. Sound familiar? There is a time of false peace coming to the Middle East and Israel will be allowed to rebuild their temple on the Temple Mount. It will happen, it's just a matter of when. Given the news as of late, time is looking short. Solana: Time To End Occupation (October 27, 2006) - The European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana said following a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah Thursday that “the Palestinian people have suffered and suffered a lot, and it is time that the occupation that started in 1967 is over.” "That is the objective of the Road Map," he said, referring to an internationally drafted plan which seeks to create a Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure Israel, but has been largely dormant since its inception in 2003. Abbas called on the international community to act toward resuming talks between Israel and the PA, this as part of his ongoing efforts to schedule a meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Turning his attention to the Gilad Shalit kidnapping affair, Abbas said, “efforts are continuing in this matter, as are efforts to resolve the Palestinian political crisis.” However, the Palestinian president said of the situation in the PA that, “our options are limited and we must act in a level-headed manner to bring about a solution.” Abbas said the Shalit affair may spark renewed diplomatic talks and the implementation of the Road Map, adding that he hoped for a Palestinian government that would act in accordance with international law. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Clearly Solana has been sucked into the mantra of occupation as well. Europe's Unsolicited Advice (October 26, 2006) - You have got to hand it to Javier Solana, the European Union's foreign policy chief. He may be no friend of Israel, but he certainly can keep a straight face while saying the most ridiculous of things. And so it was that at a meeting today with Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Solana repeated the mantra that the Europeans have been reciting ad nauseum in recent years: Israel must abide by the so-called road map to peace. Now, Solana is no fool. He reads the newspapers. He surely knows that in the intervening years since the adoption of the road map, a few things have changed here in the Middle East. Israel withdrew unilaterally from Gush Katif and received terror in return, Hamas has come to power in the Palestinian Authority, and Israeli Cpl. Gilad Shalit remains in captivity somewhere in Gaza. So for Solana to declare that Israel must nonetheless fulfill its obligations under the road map only underlines once again just how unjust, and downright absurd, the European position on the Middle East truly is. Because essentially what Europe is saying to Israel is: we don't care if the Palestinians keep trying to kill you, just shut up and retreat. Sorry, Javier, but the days when Europe can force Jews to flee are over. This land belongs to us, and we have no intention of leaving – so start getting used to it. Or, better yet, take your unsolicited advice elsewhere. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Brings a song to mind... "I see your true colors shining through..." He's not standing with Israel, that's for sure. Solana Set for Tough Talks with Israeli and Palestinian Leaders (October 24, 2006) - European Union foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana heads for the Middle East on Wednesday in a renewed bid to revive long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian talks. EU diplomats said Solana was braced for difficult discussions in both Israel and the Palestinian territories but insisted that the 25- nation bloc was determined to try and bring Israelis and Palestinians back to the negotiating table. 'The Middle East situation is difficult but we have to keep our presence in the region and step up the pressure for peace,' an EU diplomat told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. Solana is also scheduled to meet with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Seniora before heading for Jordan and Egypt. The EU chief diplomat faces an uphill struggle in his bid for peace in the region. Prospects for a revival of Middle East peace talks look bleaker than ever following Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's addition of the ultra-conservative party Israel Beitenu (Israel Our Home) party of former Soviet immigrant Avigdor Lieberman to the country's ruling coalition. An EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the composition of the ruling Israeli coalition as 'very worrying', saying it would make any peace talks with Palestinians even more difficult. Solana's meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also looks set to be fraught given continuing in-fighting between Fatah and the militant Hamas group. The 25-nation bloc is still hoping that Abbas will be able to forge a government of national unity including Fatah and Hamas representatives, a move which could allow a resumption of blocked EU aid to Palestinians. 'The EU does not want the Palestinian Authority to fail or collapse but to transform,' said the EU diplomat. The EU and the US cut off all direct aid to the Palestinian government following the election victory earlier this year of Hamas. The group is classified as a terrorist organization by both Brussels and Washington. However, the EU is currently channelling badly-needed humanitarian assistance to Gaza and the West Bank and also paying allowances to Palestinian health workers. EU officials say aid to the Palestinian Authority will resume once Hamas recognizes Israel, renounces violence and agrees to abide by past peace treaties. In Lebanon, Solana will voice support for Premier Seniora and also meet Nabih Berri, the leader of the Lebanese Shiite group Amal and a key Hezbollah ally. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | I don't expect it will take him too long to work it out. I wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming seven-year period of his ENPI (European Neighborhood Policy Instrument) It starts January 1, 2007 and even has a mid-term review in 2010, 3 1/2 years later. Daniel 9:27 visit Herb Peters website, www.FulfilledProphecy.com This WEEK in the European Union (September 29, 2006) - This week justice ministers will gather in Luxembourg with the extension of the EU's borderless "Schengen" zone set to be a hot topic. The issue has become politically charged with member states from the east, where the Schengen area does not yet apply, believing the reasons for delay are political rather than technical. The commission indicated it would do some tough talking with US president George W. Bush at a bilateral summit earlier this year, but did not produce the results, with new member states feeling hard done by at what they see as a lack of solidarity. Meanwhile, at the beginning of the week, defence ministers will meet informally in Finland to debate the European Defence Agency, the EU's fledgling battle groups and the bloc's peace-keeping mission in Congo. One issue of interest will be Zagreb's reaction to recent comments by European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso that there will have to be a new EU treaty before the EU can further expand will be of interest. So far, it has played down the comments. The same committee will hear EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on Thursday amid rumours that he will not complete his term of office but retire earlier than 2009. more... This just goes to show that we won't truly know who the antichrist is until he reveals himself. We can speculate all day, but if Solana retires, it would create a huge power vacuum that could be filled suddenly by whoever the antichrist will be. The Bible says we won't be gathered to Christ in the harpazo until after the apostasy (falling away from faith) and the man of sin is revealed. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-4 Speculation can only go so far and it may be way off. That's why in watching we must be careful not to cling to those things we can't prove because they sound like they fit. Perhaps Solana won't retire, but the world will beg him to stay. This would give him a big head and perhaps that is the seed planted that brings him to consider himself God? Or maybe someone altogether different will fill his shoes. Regardless, I don't think we can ignore the EU and the system Solana heads right now because whoever the man of sin is, the EU looks like the political tool that will bring forth the antichrist in the future. High Hopes For German EU Period *link no longer works text pulled from Anna's blog (September 18, 2006) - Germany takes over the rotating six-month European Union presidency in 2007, a role burdened by outsized expectations from the rest of the continent, experts say. 'The expectations for the German presidency are huge,' Andreas Maurer, EU expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, a Berlin-based think tank, Wednesday told United Press International in a telephone interview. 'Everybody is expecting that Berlin will make a big difference.' The heightened pressures come as no surprise: The German grand coalition government is the only one really functioning among the big three countries in Europe. In France, everyone looks at the race for President Jacques Chirac`s successor; and in Britain, calls for Prime Minister Tony Blair`s retirement are becoming louder by the day. Germany will deliver a declaration on the status of Europe during its presidency, which falls into the period of the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the document that gave birth to what later became the EU. That paper will likely try to revive the lifeless constitution. Aside from the 800-pound gorilla that is the constitution, Germany may tackle several other pressing issues, chief of which is a more visible EU foreign and security policy. In what would be the first such move, Berlin could name Javier Solana, the EU`s current foreign policy chief, to preside over the council of ministers, instead of Steinmeier, Maurer said. Solana`s role in the Lebanon conflict was severely impaired by the fact that he was not able to make his own decisions, as the EU was not united on whether to immediately call for a cease-fire or not. A 'real' foreign minister could make his own decisions and may speed up the process of finding a common position on similar problems in the future, observers say. | EU/UN | Solana | This would certainly place Javier Solana as the power player over what he already is. He is currently, Secretary General of the European Union, Secretary General of the Western European Union, Office of the High Representative of the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union, and Chairman of the Political Security Committee for the European Union. That's already a lot of power and control for one man over all the European nations. More than that, they're all giving him this power like crazy. This would fit right in. Revelation 17:12,13 Also, 2007 is the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, also referred to as the treaty establishing the European Economic Community, signed on March 25, 1957. (thanks to 4givenmuch for pointing that out.) Javier Solana and the End Times (September 6, 2006) - THE HOLY BIBLE makes it clear that no one knows for sure the hour or the day of Christ's return in the End Times, but the current convergence of events may be one of the signs we are in the latter days. Relevant to this, one might take note of the activities of Javier Solana de Madariaga of Spain, whom I recently described in Part 2 of a NewsWithViews column about the Dialectic. Solana's grandfather was Salvador de Madariaga, who was chief of the League of Nations' Disarmament Section, Spanish Ambassador to the U.S., and militated for a united and integrated Europe. As previously indicated, Rhodes scholars Bill Clinton, Strobe Talbott, and Richard Gardner were largely responsible for Solana's appointment as head of NATO in 1995. Currently, he is Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union (EU), and responsible for coordinating its military and foreign policy as well. On November 20, 1999, he also became Secretary-General of the Council of the Western European Union (WEU). According to attorney Constance Cumbey, an expert on Solana, the EU was pushed by the World Federalists beginning in the late 1940s as part of a movement toward regionalization leading to a world government. President Clinton in 1993 wrote a letter to the World Federalist Association supporting world government (see letter here). And on October 17, 1997, he stated to reporters in Buenos Aires: "What I'm trying to do is to promote a process of reorganization of the world so that human beings are organized in a way that takes advantage of the new opportunities of this era....If we can prove that you can merge integrated economies and integrated democracies, then we'll be more likely to build a global system of this kind." more... | EU/UN | EU's Solana To Try To Revive Mideast Peace Effort (September 1, 2006) - The European Union on Friday said its foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, would tour the Middle East in an attempt to revive stalled peace efforts and rally support from Arab nations. Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja said the E.U. wants to get back to the 2003 "road map" peace plan and would step up support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's efforts to form a Palestinian government of national unity. The E.U. would like to reconvene the so-called Quartet that sponsored the "road map" plan - the E.U., the U.S., Russia and the U.N. - as soon as possible, Tuomioja said. "Javier Solana has the mandate ... to move forward with the peace process and present us with new ideas necessary," Tuomioja told reporters after a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers. He said Solana will be "in contact with all parties that are relevant," notably Syria. "It is up to Syria to choose the role it wants to play. We want it to play a constructive role," Tuomioja said. Tuomioja hailed Syria's commitment, made at a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan earlier Friday in Damascus, to step up border patrols and work with the Lebanese army to stop the flow of weapons to Hezbollah. At that meeting, Annan asked Syria to use its influence to help win the release of three Israeli soldiers held by Lebanese and Palestinian militants allied with Damascus. Syria will boost the number of its own guards along the Lebanon-Syria border, and establish joint patrols with the Lebanese army "where possible," Annan said. more... | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | What is the significance of this? It shows the diplomatic prowess of the head of the EU, where everyone is giving over to him control to bring peace in the Middle East. This is exactly what the Bible says will happen, and he's in control of the revived Roman empire! Arab nations pushing for new peace process with Israel (August 20, 2006) - Worried the Lebanon war has given a boost to Iran and militants in the region, three U.S. allies in the Mideast are spearheading an Arab effort to present a plan for reviving the stalled peace process and talks with Israel. Details remain sketchy, and already Israel has expressed skepticism, saying it doubts any plan the countries put forward would take into account its security needs. But the decision by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan to make the commitment now is a clear sign of how worried the countries are by current tensions and especially by Iran's new influence. So far, the United States has not talked about a wider peace effort in the wake of the Lebanon crisis, instead focusing its efforts on ensuring the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hezbollah is reined in. more... | Israel | Islam | Solana | Constance Cumby's Blogspot covers a good commentary on this news and what it means. It's under the August 20, 2006 entry. Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia are behind this new peace plan. Solana is even involved too. Read Herb L. Peter's commentary. Keep watching! Solana, EU's 'Good Cop' Takes Stage (August 13, 2006) - The European Union was so deeply divided before the Iraq war that its foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, locked himself in his nondescript office in Brussels, declined all requests for interviews and avoided diplomatic missions to the Middle East. Looking back on what he called the darkest moment of his seven years as the EU's top foreign policy official, Solana said in a recent interview that representing the divergent voices of 25 countries required knowing when to be invisible. "Iraq was the toughest moment for me because it showed the limits of multilateralism," said Solana, who privately opposed the war. "But at that moment, France and Britain disagreed and the possibility of finding consensus was very difficult." more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | If Solana does play out to be the future leader, expect some pretty amazing diplomatic feats from him. Primarily, he would be the one to broker "peace" in the Middle East. It's a false peace, but it allows the rebuilding of the Jewish temple on the Temple Mount. EU's Solana to visit Lebanon, Israel (August 10, 2006) - EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana is to visit Lebanon and Israel from Friday to Sunday to discuss a diplomatic solution to the current war, his office has said. In Beirut, Solana will in particular meet on Friday with Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, a spokeswoman said Thursday. In Israel he will speak on Saturday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defence Minister Amir Peretz and will then round off his trip with discussions with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas and top Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. "He is working for an end to hostilities and the launching of a process to create the political framework for a lasting solution," a statement from his office said. "This process will begin with the adoption of a UN Security Council Resolution to end the hostilities," it added. More than four weeks into the conflict, major powers have reported slow progress in efforts to agree on the wording of a truce call at the United Nations, despite mounting international impatience. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Europe Meets Israel (July 24, 2006) - Tel Aviv- A week ago I arrived here, and already the atmosphere was a bit surreal. I would sit outside in a beachfront restaurant, enjoying a warm summer breeze, music, and delicious grilled fish, as scores of young people walked the boardwalk. You felt that this half of the country at least was at peace. Tel Aviv's large white-sand beach was packed by day. But in the evening it was hard not to notice the military planes that passed overhead every few minutes on their way north. Israel was surely at war. I'm here co-hosting a group of European journalists, writers, and broadcasters from a half dozen different countries, all of whom are visiting Israel for the first time. Conventional wisdom early in our trip was that certain places in the north would be exempt from the violence. We had planned a trip to Tiberias, with a dinner on the Sea of Galilee. That was until we heard from Yaara, the manager of the Decks restaurant, who told us a rocket had hit nearby. Windows were damaged, she said, but "God would protect us" if we still wanted to come... ...In Jerusalem, the King David Hotel has become, once again, a center of backroom kibitzing in a time of crisis. New York Times columnist Tom Friedman passes one way through the lobby; Israeli politician and former Soviet dissident Natan Sharansky, the other. E.U. foreign policy chief Javier Solana strolls down an adjacent hallway with former Mossad head Efraim Halevy. You have to wonder whether Halevy, a former ambassador to the E.U., can make any headway. In his recently published memoir, Man in the Shadows, Halevy says if you take European arguments to their logical conclusions, "then only the disappearance of the State of Israel would succeed in pacifying the insatiable desires of the Arab world." This may sound a touch extreme, but Solana lives up to the caricature. When asked by a television reporter whether the axis of Iran, Syria, and Hezbollah has been behind the current conflict, Solana replies by saying that he does "not want to mention names." In another interview, Solana is pushed in vain to admit that Hezbollah belongs on the E.U.'s terrorist list. more... | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Is it really a surprise Solana isn't openly criticizing these groups of terrorists? Read the rest on Solana E.U.'s Javier Solana In Israel (July 19, 2006) - EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana arrived in Israel Wednesday with suggestions that Israel "act proportionately" and with excuses as to why the EU does not consider Hizbullah a terror group. In a statement following what he called a "frank" meeting with Israel's Foreign Minister Tzippy Livni, Solana condemned the kidnapping of three IDF soldiers, but said he recommended that Israel "act proportionately" in its attacks on Hizbullah and do everything to avoid hurting Lebanese civilians. The EU emissary said that in such a manner, Israel would be able to win the hearts of the citizens of southern Lebanon. Solana made a veiled reference to Syria and Iran, calling for such countries with influence over Hizbullah to use it. "I'd like to say also very clearly: those that may have influence to help solve this problem - they have to do it soon - immediately," Solana said. Asked about the EU's refusal to classify Hizbullah as a terrorist group, Solana said that the EU does not possess sufficient data to determine whether the group can be included on its list of terrorist organizations. He insisted that the issue was a legal one and not a moral one. Later in the day, Solana met with Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who told the EU official: "We are standing strong on the principle that Hizbullah must retreat from the border. We will not stand for a situation in which the Hizbullah flag waves on our border." Peretz also defended Israel's attacks on Lebanese targets. "The Lebanese government is the sovereign," he said, "and has to take responsibility for what happens in its territory." Solana also met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier in the day, but no information on the content of the meeting has been released. | Israel | Islam | EU/UN | Solana | Rice insists nuclear talks should go through Solana (July 17, 2006) - An Iranian initiative to end the crisis over its plans to build its own civil nuclear reactors must be handed to the six countries negotiating with Iran, US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice insisted at the G8 summit yesterday. Tehran had earlier caught the G8 by surprise by trying to involve them in the talks, after announcing that a package drafted by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany was an "acceptable basis" for discussion. Tehran's response came four days after a July 12 deadline to respond to the offer, and after the six countries had decided to refer Iran to the Security Council. In Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi said: "The G8 has two options ahead: one is the path of logic and the other the path of extremism. We hope the G8 group will place logical recommendations on its agenda." But Ms Rice said the Iranians should hold talks with EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who offered Iran a package of economic incentives last month in return for Tehran's long-term suspension of uranium enrichment. Britain, France and the United States, as well as non-permanent Security Council member Germany, support economic sanctions if Iran fails to cooperate. But Russia said it would not support such measures. more... | EU/UN | Solana | Hmm... Everyone wants to give all their power and responsibility to Solana. I wonder why??? Revelation 17:12,13 talks about just this. Now I don't think the U.S. is one of the 10 kings, but the same principle is there. Solana was unknown to mainstream watchers until June 6, 2006 when he delivered the G-8's nuclear package to Tehran. EU's Javier Solana on His Way to Beirut (July 16, 2006) - European Union Foreign Policy chief Javier Solana is being transported to Beirut for talks over the dramatic escalation in Middle East violence, Britain's Defense Ministry said Sunday. Solana is being flown from a base in Cyprus to Lebanon by British military helicopter, but defense officials said they were not aware who the official was due to meet for discussions. | EU/UN | Islam | Javier Solana As Antichrist Candidate? (July 16, 2006) - What conclusions can we reach concerning the persona and appearance of the Antichrist, based on Bible prophecy? The prophesied Antichrist:
EU ignores constitution vote to launch anti-terror squad (June 18, 2006) - European leaders were accused of "cherry picking" from the moribund European Union constitution last night after agreeing to create a pan-European counter-terrorism force. At the Brussels European summit, all 25 member states agreed to pool assets - police, civil protection and military - and place them at the disposal of Javier Solana, the EU's foreign minister-in-waiting. Such a move had been planned in the constitution which was rejected by voters in France and Holland last year. The constitution has been left on the shelf although Europe's leaders want it up and running again by 2008. Minutes of the summit show that the kernel of the counter-terrorism force, the "crisis steering group", will be operational in a fortnight. The EU presidency, currently held by Austria, has drawn up a "manual" of forces and assets which can be called on following an attack in any country. more... | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | Solana |
The Market of Markets
(June 13, 2006)
-
Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen visited President George Bush at
Camp David this week. According the EUobserver, Rasmussen was meeting with
Bush to sell his idea about creating the market of markets. Rasmussen's plan
is to establish a free trade zone spanning both the European and North
American continents
Read about it
here.
Prophetically speaking, this news is
incredible. Before we examine the implications, let's take a look at what
else is going on by way of markets.
Did you notice? All these free trade areas appear to be following a single plan. They all are to be in place by 2010. And, if you do a little Google searching, you will discover other trade agreements to be completed by that date too. Now, we read about Rasmussen's plan to link this all together in a grand market of markets. Friends, if I were looking for a conspiracy theory, I sure could find one here. But, as I've always said, I try to keep my primary focus on the Bible. And, sure enough, the Bible may have something to say about these trade agreements. The Bible tells us that the nation Israel will be reborn and the old Roman Empire will be revived. These two events will be the first great signs of end-time Bible prophecy. From out of this revived Roman Empire will rise a 10-nation alliance. Out of this alliance will emerge a new European political leader who will achieved a covenant of some kind that includes Israel. And, he will make firm, or confirm, his agreement with Israel for a period of seven years. But, in the middle of the seven years, the leader will break his promise to Israel. This brings us to our subject. After breaking his agreement, this European leader will implement a global, single economic system that will require a mark of some kind in order for people to buy or sell. more... | EU/UN | NewWorldOrder | America | Read Herb Peters free online e-book for more: Recommendation 666 EU 'can not wait' for constitution (July 5, 2006) - Europe can not wait for a constitution before pushing ahead with increased EU decision-making on justice and foreign policy, Finnish leader Matti Vanhanen has told MEPs. The Finnish prime minister on Wednesday set out his priorities for Helsinki’s EU presidency to the European parliament. Finland takes the EU helm from Austria for a six month stint at the tiller before Germany takes over in the first half of 2007. Finland must keep the EU’s constitution on ice but will prepare the ground for a German “roadmap” to a new treaty by pushing current decision-making powers to the limit. Vanhanen told MEPs that EU leaders must use existing European treaties to boost streamlined decision making by reducing national vetoes in key areas such as justice. “Europe cannot afford to wait for new decision-making rules. It must start to increase the effectiveness of the way it functions now,” he said “Increasing the union’s effectiveness will require some bold decisions from Europe’s leaders and decision-makers. We cannot just think of the here and now, and the next elections.” more... | EU/UN | Solana | This isn't too surprising considering the times we're seeing unfold and the upcoming ENP (European Neighborhood Policy) 2007-2013, a confirmation of the 1995 Euro-Med agreement. Read Euro-Med agreement. They're pushing, the 10 voting power members of the EU to give their power to one leader, a super-leader, Mr. Europe. And guess who that guy is right now? Javier Solana! Whoda thunk it? The guy who's position was created by Recommendation 666 will have emergency powers over an EU military force and the political structure of the EU. If you know Bible prophecy this all sounds very familiar. If you don't, click the links above and see. The alarm is going, will you hit snooze? Iran's Positive Response Offers Hope (June 7, 2006) - Iran has begun to give positive signals for the first time about a peaceful settlement in the international crisis that resulted from the country’s controversial nuclear studies. Though the Tehran administration responded positively to the incentives package prepared by the five United Nations (UN) permanent members and Germany, Iran; however, pointed out the existence of some ambiguities in the package. European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana presented the incentives package intended to settle the crisis over Iran’s nuclear studies to Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Ali Larijani yesterday. Larijani found the incentives package “positive”; though he cited some “ambiguities” which “should be removed.“ Solana also met with Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Muttaqi. “The proposal is on the table. I hope that we will get a positive response, which will be useful for both sides,” he said. The EU official’s remarks, who said he had “very fruitful talks” both with Larijani and Muttaqi, gave hope to the world about Iran’s “positive response” for a nuclear deal. more... | Iran | EU/UN | Solana | History's Final Days (June 5, 2006) - Herb explains a little more in detail about the prophetic implications of the so-called NATO-EU-UN Triangle. My co-reporter Constance Cumbey found this information. The above presentation was given by Lieutenant General Dr. Klaus Olshausen on November 1, 2005. Evidently, Olshausen is German Military Representative to NATO, the Western European Union (WEU) and the European Union (EU). His subject is of special interest to those who have read my book. You see, Olshausen took his three hatted post on October 1, 2000. This was during the chapter in my book titled, Solana's Cool Coup -- shortly after adoption of Recommendation 666. I'm intrigued by this presentation for two primary reasons. One: It shows how Javier Solana's own people interpret the new geo-political reality that's been created since Recommendation 666. As you know, the huge web of interlinking government and private agencies that exist today are hard to understand. And two: What's being presented by Olshausen fits perfectly with my understanding of end-time prophecy. It shows a single Office within a new10-nation power base in Europe that sees itself set to exercise power globally. In other words, the so-called "Geostrategic Triangle" that appears in Olshausen's presentation may literally be our first real peek at what's to shortly become the end-time New World Order. And, as I write President Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Olmert have just finished their Washington press conference. Olmert says -- this time with Bush looking on -- it will all be over in one way or another in three to four years. Olmert was referring to Israel's final borders. Friends, what I believe this all means is we could be staring into history's final days. more... Solana's Deal Fulfilled Prophecy (June 5, 2006) - The man presenting the deal to Iran is known. And, there's reason to believe the deal may even be his. The man I'm talking about, of course, is the EU's Javier Solana. The deal is the so-called "package of incentives" agreed upon in Vienna by the UN's big five, and to be presented to the nuclear club wannabe Iran Read about it here. If you recall, this on again, off again, negotiations we've been witnessing between the Western world and Iran began over a year ago with the EU3 -- France, Germany and Britain -- taking the lead. And, after succeeding only in being made a fool of, the EU3 invited Solana to help. So, I suspect the deal we're seeing presented is not only a European deal, it's most likely Solana's European deal. After all, the best person to pitch a deal is the author of the deal. To further support my theory, at the same time the package is being delivered to Iran, Britain's former negotiator and Foreign Minister, Jack Straw, has been replaced with Margaret Beckett. And, unlike Straw, Beckett has no reputation in matters of foreign policy Read about her here. Once again, this suggests to me the EU3 aren't in this diplomatic picture -- it's Solana's deal. This brings up an interesting question. If, like some say, a break-through may be on the horizon, what can it possibly be that Iran wants and Solana has? I'll tell you what I think: As you know, under Solana's guidance, the EU and the US have entered into a strategic partnership. As I record in my book, a treaty was reached between Brussels and Washington shortly after Solana's new security doctrine, A Secure Europe in a Better World, was delivered to the EU heads in June of 2003. Although the details of this new treaty remained secret, what was known is this -- the EU and the US would fight the war against terror together. more... EU's Solana Due in Iran late on Monday (June 5, 2006) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana is due in Tehran late on Monday to deliver a package of incentives that seek to persuade Iran to abandon its plans to make nuclear fuel, Iranian sources said. One of the sources, who all asked not to be identified, said Solana would meet Iranian officials on Tuesday. An EU diplomat also said Solana would be in Iran on Tuesday but gave no further details. Speaking during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah, Solana said he would travel to Iran "very soon", but did not elaborate. He arrived in Israel late on Sunday as part of a previously planned trip that includes meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. His spokeswoman has said he would have dinner with Palestinian civil society leaders in Ramallah on Monday might. The incentives Solana will deliver to Iran stem from an initiative put together by the three biggest EU states - Britain, France and Germany - and were approved by a forum that also included the United States, China and Russia. Solana's office in Brussels said it was preparing an announcement about the details of the trip but for now could not be more precise about the timing. Details of the package have not been announced, but diplomats have been working on themes ranging from offering nuclear reactor technology to giving security guarantees. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Saturday Iran would consider incentives but insisted the crux of the package -- that Iran must give up uranium enrichment -- was still unacceptable. Western nations fear Iran is enriching uranium to make an atomic bomb, but Iran insists its aims are entirely peaceful and that it wants to make fuel only to generate electricity. | Iran | EU/UN | Israel | 2010: A Programme For Reform (March 16, 2005) - This is a .PDF file from the Center for European Reform. It outlines their plans for the future of Europe. France keen to boost power of EU By Stephen Castle in Brussels (February 27, 2006) - An ambitious programme of EU initiatives, from boosting foreign policy and disaster relief to building common energy stocks and education programmes, is to be proposed by France. Anxious to show that last year's referendum "no" vote on the European constitution has not stymied all progress within the EU, Paris plans to push for concrete measures to promote Europe as a global player. The ideas, which will be put forward by the French President, Jacques Chirac, at summits in March and June, will be possible without new legal powers. They include moves to reinforce the role of Javier Solana, the EU's foreign policy chief. Mr. Solana would have gained new powers and the title "EU foreign minister" had the EU constitution come into effect. Senior French officials believe that his role can be enhanced without the constitutional treaty, and that he can be given greater backing to promote the EU. Solana to tour Middle East next week to contain Muslim fury over blasphemous cartoons (February 10, 2006) - European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, will visit the Middle-East region next week for talks aimed at calming Muslim indignation over the offensive cartoons published in European media. According to a statement released by Solana's office in Brussels Friday, The EU foreign policy chief will begin his visit Monday in Saudi Arabia where he is expected to meet King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Secretary-General of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglou among others. Further, he will hold talks with leaders and government officials in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and the Zionist state during his 4-day tour of the region. In Cairo, Solana will also meet the Grand Sheikh of Al-Azhar Islamic university, Sayyad Tantaqwi. "The High Representative will be visiting the Middle-East region in the aftermath of the publication of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) and the violent events that ensued,'' noted the statement. "He will be meeting leading figures of the Arab and Islamic worlds for talks aimed at promoting dialogue and restoring and furthering relations of friendship and mutual respect between Europe and the Islamic world,'' it said. In the Palestinian Territories, Solana will review with Palestinian leaders the situation following the recent elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and developments concerning the formation of a new government, added the statement
Condi
Meets With Spanish Socialist
(January
24, 2006) - Be careful of what you wish for. At last it seems
that the answer has been given to Henry Kissinger’s famous existential cry
of realpolitik angst, "Who do I call if I want to call Europe?"
The answer is apparent to anybody who has been following the Iran crisis: Javier
Solana, de facto Foreign Minister of the European Union. As the
crisis hit the headlines who was making the running, who was it who sat in a
chair opposite the U.S. secretary of state? Why that personable Spanish
socialist. At the press briefing before their indepth chat Condoleezza Rice
made a couple of telling points, "I think we have met, I won't even say
how many times we've met in the last year, but it has been a lot." She
also mentioned that the U.S. and the E.U. are, "together members of the
Quartet." The other members of the Quartet are Russia and the U.N. Nice
friends Ms. Rice is keeping. An American might ask whether it is worth
worrying about this at all, after all it is just recognition of reality. The
E.U. is now a far more integrated place and they are our allies. Well, yes
and no. Mr. Europe then spoke, "On
Iraq and Afghanistan, we are on the same wavelength." I beg to differ,
the E.U. and the U.S. are on different dials on Iraq. Actually, they are
operating on different technology. Of the six main countries in the E.U.,
France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland and the U.K. just look at their
priorities on Iraq. Germany and France famously went out on a limb to defend
their trading links with Saddam. Solana’s Spain elected his socialist
party as a result of the ghastly train bombings and removed its troops from
Mesopotamia (not that it stopped terrorists targeting Spain). The Italian
government this weekend announced that Italian troops will leave Iraq in
2006, starting with three hundred immediately, for electoral purposes.
Poland has delayed its planned withdrawal but even she plans to leave before
the end of 2006. All this of course leaves guess who? Yup, it’s that
anglospherical ally again. The country the Iranians call "the mother of
all evils." Of course many in the U.S. -- okay, the State Department --
have long wanted this, after all it make their work easier. Why listen to 25
whining ingrates when you can get it all over and done with in just a couple
off hours. The problem is that the whining ingrates are essentially opposed
to the actions of the U.S. and its serious allies of dealing with the very
real dangers that face them. A different problem that Mr.
Europe faces is an utter lack of legitimacy. It might be convenient
but it is convenient fiction. The post of the European Foreign Minister
exists in theory. In Article 1, chapter 21 of the European Constitution we
read: "The Union Minister for Foreign Affairs," just after the
point where it states that, "The Union shall have competence to define
and implement a common foreign and security policy, including the
progressive framing of a common defence policy" and "Member States
shall actively and unreservedly support the Union's common foreign and
security policy in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity and shall
comply with the Union's action in this area. They shall refrain from action
contrary to the Union's interests or likely to impair its
effectiveness." What they, and the State department seem to have
forgotten is that this position and his job have no authority. The fact that
Solana and his supporters have been specifically rejected in the referenda
in France and Holland is nothing to them. Solana is quoted as saying that
his job should be created anyhow, without reference to popular support. Now
take a look at those quotations from the European Constitution and think
about the ability of any European ally ever being able to support the U.S.
again. So Condeleezza, do you really think that the efficiency of meeting
one man rather than 25 is worth the prospective loss of allies? EU's Javier Solana says international community not considering military action against Iran (January 15, 2006) - The international community is not considering military action against Iran over its nuclear program, the European Union's foreign policy chief said Sunday as senior officials prepared to meet in London to discuss hauling the country before the U.N. Security Council. Javier Solana said he hoped united international pressure would force Tehran back into negotiations over its uranium enrichment activities. Senior officials from Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the United States gather in London on Monday to discuss what action to take against Iran for removing some U.N. seals from its main uranium enrichment facility in Natanz. The move alarmed Western nations that suspect Tehran is trying to develop the technology and infrastructure to build a nuclear bomb. Iran insists it only wants to produce electricity. more...
Acting PM Olmert Met With EU Foreign Minister Solana (January 10, 2006) - Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert spoke on Monday with European Union (EU) Foreign Minister Javier Solana, who telephoned in order to wish a quick recovery to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Solana said he is offering the State of Israel all possible friendship and assistance. He added that he recalls his most recent meeting with Prime Minister Sharon, noting that the latter was very friendly and had said that he was interested in advancing relations with Europe. Acting Prime Minister Olmert thanked Solana for his remarks, updated him on Prime Minister Sharon’s condition, and said that there was more optimism and hope. The Acting Prime Minister said that he hopes that he will soon be able to convey EU envoy Solana’s concerns to Prime Minister Sharon. Merkava on Prophecy News Watch (January 10, 2006) - "Javier Solana will not take over the rotating Presidency 1 Jan 2007. What he will be officially doing is pretty well the same job he is doing now (EU Foreign Minister) but he will receive more power, as that job will be combined with the External Relations Commissioner job into one. I believe Benita Waldner currently holds that position. The power the FM will have, will be the most powerful position in the EU. Even if the Constitution is not ratified by the member states the job of FM according to the constitution will still be put into force. Officially this job comes into effect November 2006 for 1 Jan 2007. This is how I understand it. I hope this helps." Key Provisions in the EU’s Constitution The text of the EU’s constitutional treaty is 341 pages.4Major changes to the EU’sgoverning institutions, decision-making processes, and policies include: A New President of the European Council. The constitution abolishes the rotating six-month presidency in favor of an individual — elected by member states for a term of two and one-half years, renewable once —to ensure policy continuity and raise the EU’s profile on the world stage. A New EU Foreign Minister. This new post is also intended to boost the EU’s international visibility, and combine into one position the current responsibilities of the Council’s High Representative for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the External Relations Commissioner, who coordinates the European Commission’s diplomatic activities and manages the EU’s development programs. The EU foreign minister will be an agent of the Council of Ministers (representing the member states), as well as a Vice-President of the Commission. http://italy.usembassy.gov/pdf/other/RS21618.pdf
General
Report 1998
(December 24, 2005)
- Chapter
V: Role of the Union in the world Merkava (December 22, 2005) - : "If everyone remembers, many people were saying and are still saying that the constitution of the EU is dead. It's only a matter of time before this EU head is healed."
'Time is ripe' for reviving constitution, say Britain's EU partners By David Rennie in Brussels (December 12, 2005) - Europe's federalist leaders yesterday celebrated the last days of Britain's EU presidency and announced that the "time is ripe" for reviving their most cherished project: the EU constitution. With Britain's presidency - seen in Brussels as a time of miserable stagnation - expiring this month, the baton is already passing to the next holders, Austria. Ursula Plassnik, the Austrian foreign minister, flew to Brussels yesterday to hail the constitution as holding the answers to key questions about Europe. Austria would relaunch the debate on the future of Europe at a June 2006 summit, Mrs Plassnik said. It was time to ask France and Holland what they intended to do about their No votes, she suggested, as 14 countries had now ratified the treaty. "We need to look at what we want, how we want to live in Europe, in our re-unified Europe, which is coming closer together. "An answer will best come, perhaps, if we look at the Constitutional Treaty, because I think it's a fascinating document, that sets out our objectives as a community of values. "The time is ripening now. This is the feeling I get, in my many conversations with colleagues around the table." In Berlin, a spokesman for Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, said its government, which will hold the rotating presidency of the EU in the first half of 2007, "has the clear intention of reviving the European Constitution". In theory, the constitution should have been finished off by the No votes in French and Dutch referendums during the summer. As a treaty, it has to be ratified by all 25 EU nations, without exception, however, the founders of the EU have never allowed No votes to put them off. Officially, the draft constitution is undergoing a "pause for reflection", that began in June, days after the Dutch No vote. When that pause was agreed by EU leaders, they called for it to be reviewed a year later, at the June 2006 summit of EU leaders that marks the end of the Austrian presidency. At the time, Guy Verhofstadt, the Belgian prime minister, told his fellow leaders the treaty was not dead, but deep frozen. Mrs Plassnik did not conceal her eagerness to begin thawing the treaty out. "We need to achieve a better, more positive mood than the mood we've had with us the last couple of months," she said, in a swipe at Britain. Even the most federalist politicians admit there is little sense asking the French or Dutch publics to vote again until they have new governments. Both countries are holding elections in 2007. On Saturday, President Jacques Chirac of France signalled his desire for "institutional reform" of the EU, though he did not mention the constitution by name. In a statement to mark the end of the budget summit chaired by Tony Blair, Mr Chirac said that creating more efficient and democratic EU institutions would be "the great ambition of the Austrian presidency". He pledged that during the June 2006 summit Austria would hold on the subject: "I will have the chance to make ambitious proposals for the Europe of tomorrow." Palestinian statehood contingent on renouncing violence: Solana (December 19, 2005) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana conditioned on Sunday the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on recognizing Israel and renouncing violence. Speaking at a news conference at Rafah Crossing on Gaza-Egypt borders, Solana called on all Palestinian factions and militant groups to renounce violence and recognize Israel if they want to establish a Palestinian state. "It is impossible to have a democratic independent state and a security duplicity at the same time," Solana told reporters at the news conference jointly held with Mohamed Dahlan, who is in charge of terminals and passages between Gaza and Israel. The European Union, as well as Israel and the United States, has raised concerns over the participation of Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary elections due on Jan. 25 as long as it doesn't recognize Israel or renounce violence. Hamas, a radical militant group sworn to Israel's destruction, put up a strong showing in the latest local elections in the West Bank last week, and with a surging street popularity, it is poised to present a tough challenge to the ruling Fatah movement led by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the upcoming legislative elections. Earlier reports quoted Solana as saying to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) that if Hamas won in the election, EU's financial aid to the Palestinians would be halted. The EU had pledged to supply the PNA police with logistic, technical and rehabilitation aids. Solana, who arrived in the region on Saturday, paid a visit to the PNA main police headquarters in Gaza City and also visited Israel's Tel Aviv. Solana said if Rafah Crossing is run by the Palestinians successfully, it will be a good example for operating Gaza airport and seaport. He noted that the success in operating terminals could also help the Palestinians establish their independent state. Dahlan, the former civil affairs minister, said at the press conference that the first Palestinian lorry loaded with Gaza products had crossed Rafah Crossing to Egypt. "We see the products from Gaza are exported to the outside world without any restrictions. This is the outcome of the recent agreement reached to operate crossings and terminals," said Dahlan. "Within the coming few days, Israel and the Palestinians will reach another deal on operating a safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank," he added. He also urged all Palestinian militant groups to refrain from carrying out attacks that might cause troubles in the future. Rafah Crossing will be operated for more extra hours within the coming days to facilitate the flow of passengers, mainly Palestinian pilgrims who head to Saudi Arabia for Haj, Dahlan said.
The European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) (December 05, 2005) - Europe has a face: "Monsieur PESC" The founding fathers of the European Community already had the vision of a strong Europe that speaks with one voice on foreign and security policy issues. But on the path towards a Common Foreign and Security Policy of the EU, major hurdles still lie ahead. The telephone number that American Secretary of State Henry Kissinger wanted in order to discuss Europe’s foreign policy now exists. Since 1999 the Union has had a face – the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, who is elected for a five-year period. At present, this is Javier Solana, "Monsieur PESC", the French acronym for the CFSP. The future European Constitution provides for the post of a Minister for Foreign Affairs, but the Member States still set the tone in foreign and security policy. Thus, the CFSP’s general guidelines are determined by the European Council, and the Council decides upon the EU’s common position on the basis of these guidelines. The European Council brings together the Heads of State and Government of the 25 European Union Member States and the President of the European Commission twice a year. The EU is represented externally by a "Troika" consisting of the Council Presidency, the High Representative (who is also Secretary-General of the European Council) and the European Commission (the Austrian Benita Ferrero-Waldner has been Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy since 2004). In order to coordinate its common positions, swift coordination between the capitals of the EU, the Secretary-General of the Council and the European Commission is essential. A communications network, called "coreu" (correspondance européenne), is used to transmit encoded messages requesting all Member States’ approval of decisions by a deadline. The neocons new strategy for Europe Voltairenet.org (October 3, 2005) - The European scene has been modified by the rejection of the European Constitutional Treaty in France and the Netherlands and the result of the recent legislative elections in Germany. Thierry Meyssan reveals the analyses of US neoconservatives and their new strategy for Europe. As a result of the lessons learned from the events that have shaken Europe over the past two years, the neoconservatives have decided to change their own agenda for this region of the world, which originally involved: 1) Redeploying the US military forces stationed in Europe, moving them to the East and the South to control Central and Eastern Europe, and establishing a “containment belt” around the Russian Federation;The redeployment of US troops has been taking place without any questioning. The European Union affectively participates – not complaining – in all destabilization operations carried out around Russia; with the pretext of carrying out programs of assistance and economic development, the EU facilitates US interference in the Caucasus; Javier Solana himself was in Ukraine supervising the “Orange” Revolution; and the Commission is financing a destabilization program against Belarus. The loyal Solana, who has not forgotten that he was the NATO General Secretary before he was appointed General Secretary of the European Union, managed to have the Council of Heads of State and Government adopt a strategic doctrine that copies very faithfully that of President Bush. This is why the EU’s defense is more than ever dependent on NATO. However, although Solana was successful in involving the European Union in Afghanistan and Sudan, he failed in the case of Iraq. Based on this incomplete result, the neoconservatives concluded that it was possible to manipulate the European Union within the European continent, but its members have so differing interests around the world that they are unable to perform the role the conservatives have given them. After interpreting these events as an illustration of the fears of expansion of the European Union and the immigration it is causing, or as a depressive crisis in the face of unemployment, equally translated into extremist votes, and even anti-Semitic ones, the neoconservatives understood that they would not be able to impose the Anglo-Saxon socio-economic model on recalcitrant populations through the political way. They have now changed their plans and have decided to look for the support of the world faction of national business owners. José Manuel Barroso, appointed president of the Commission thanks to George W. Bush after he organized the Summit of the Azores prior to the invasion of Iraq, was ordered to put the European Constitution aside and to readjust the mechanism. Thus, last week, Barroso announced the burial of the 70 legislative projects saying they are too complex and annoying for the public opinion. The truth is that the strategy has been changed: it is no longer about ruling under the authority of the Commission, but about dismantling what currently exists and transferring the making of the regulations to a transatlantic Regulation Forum controlled by the top chiefs of the Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD). In accordance with this new trend, the directives of Reach and Bolkenstein, which had been sacrificed so that the Constitution could be approved, have now resurfaced. The first one aims at eliminating regulations for chemical production. The second, obviously more important, aims at eliminating national social legislations so that the European Union may be compatible with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The principle is simple: taking free circulation as a pretext, the business owner has the possibility of choosing which social legislation he will put into practice for his employees and transferring the social headquarters of his companies to the country where the legislation best fits his interests. In addition, so as to convince the European people of what politicians have not been able to impose on them, the neoconservatives are now turning to Pope Benedict XVI and the Catholic Church. The leaders of the US Episcopal Conference and the Episcopate Commission of the European Union met in Brussels, from September 21st to the 23rd, to express their support of the “New Transatlantic Agenda”. In Washington, the neoconservatives decided to adapt their organizational mechanism to the new strategy. In the American Enterprise Institute, the group in charge of writing the presidential program of George W. Bush, the Project for a New American Century, was discreetly disbanded last week. It was replaced with the American Committee for a Strong Europe. “Strong Europe” actually means a Europe that can do the work that US troops currently do around the world and one that can defeat any anti-globalization efforts on its own continent. This Committee, which will try not to interfere too openly with the European Union policy, immediately asked the “friends of America” to do it for them. Thus, Saudi Arabia said “present” and will finance the next electoral campaign of Nicolas Sarkozy in France so that the neoconservatives can get rid of Dominique de Villepin. Similar measures were taken with respect to each and every big state of the European Union. | RCC | EU/UN / 4th Kingdom | Solana | NewWorldOrder | America | |
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