Reactions to Saddam Hussein’s Death

Germany and Europe, as well as the Catholic Church stand united against the United States’ support of Saddam Hussein’s execution. And even many Arabs are upset about the timing and a perception that the trial against Saddam was unfair. All seem to agree that Saddam’s death will increase the violence in Iraq.

European and American Reactions

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 30:

“Saddam Hussein has been executed by hanging in Baghdad. Shiites danced in the street to celebrate while Sunnis mourned the dictator’s death…

“US President George W. Bush issued a statement from his Texan ranch welcoming the execution. Bringing Saddam to justice was ‘an important milestone on Iraq’s course to becoming a democracy that can govern, sustain and defend itself,’ the statement read. Bush added that the execution marks the ‘end of a difficult year for the Iraqi people and for our troops’. However he cautioned that Saddam’s death will not halt the violence in Iraq. “German politicians criticized the death penalty after hearing the news. ‘The federal government, like the European Union, rejects the death penalty on principle, irrespective of the circumstances,’ the Foreign Ministry said in a statement..'”

Austria’s Networld reported on December 30 that the European Union condemned Saddam’s execution as “barbaric.”

How the Vatican Sees It

The Associated Press reported on December 30:

“The Vatican spokesman on Saturday denounced Saddam Hussein’s execution as ‘tragic’ and expressed worry it might fuel revenge and new violence… In separate comments to the station’s English program, Lombardi said that capital punishment cannot be justified ‘even when the person put to death is one guilty of grave crimes,’ and he reiterated the Catholic Church’s overall opposition to the death penalty. Executing Saddam ‘is not a way to reconstruct justice’ in Iraqi society, the spokesman said. ‘It might fuel the spirit of revenge and sow seeds of new violence.’… In an interview published in an Italian daily earlier in the week, the Vatican’s top prelate for justice issues, Cardinal Renato Martino, said executing Saddam would mean punishing ‘a crime with another crime.'”

The Associated Press added on January 3:

“The Vatican’s official newspaper on Tuesday decried media images of Saddam Hussein’s hanging as a ‘spectacle’ violating human rights and harming efforts to promote reconciliation in Iraq… The paper added that: ‘in a country ever more disfigured by every kind of violence, you don’t need arrogant gestures…'”

Arab Reactions

Reuters reported on December 30:

“Saddam Hussein’s execution on Saturday angered many Arabs, but even some who felt the former Iraqi leader deserved to die voiced a sense of justice denied. Many said his hanging for crimes against humanity, on the Muslim feast of Eid al-Adha, would worsen violence in Iraq…Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based Al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper, told Al Jazeera television: ‘Arab public opinion wonders who deserves to be tried and executed: Saddam Hussein who preserved the unity of Iraq, its Arab and Islamic identity and the coexistence of its different communities such as Shi’ites and Sunnis … or those who engulfed the country in this bloody civil war?’…

“In Afghanistan, which preceded Iraq as the first target in the U.S.-declared ‘war on terror,’ a top commander of the resurgent Islamist Taliban movement said Saddam’s death would galvanize Muslim opposition to the United States… In Mecca, Sunni Arab pilgrims voiced outrage that Iraqi authorities had executed Saddam on a major religious holiday… Beyond the Arab world, few Muslims seemed ready to defend Saddam, but many doubted that full justice had been done.  In Pakistan, Liaqat Baluch, a leader of a six-party opposition alliance of conservative religious parties, said Saddam was a ‘bad guy’ but his trial had been unfair.”

America’s Destroyed Dictator

On December 30, the British daily, The Independent, published the following editorial by Robert Fisk, titled: “A dictator created then destroyed by America”:

“Saddam to the gallows. It was an easy equation. Who could be more deserving of that last walk to the scaffold – that crack of the neck at the end of a rope – than the Beast of Baghdad, the Hitler of the Tigris, the man who murdered untold hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqis while spraying chemical weapons over his enemies? Our masters will tell us in a few hours that it is a ‘great day’ for Iraqis and will hope that the Muslim world will forget that his death sentence was signed – by the Iraqi ‘government’, but on behalf of the Americans – on the very eve of the Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the moment of greatest forgiveness in the Arab world. “But history will record that the Arabs and other Muslims and, indeed, many millions in the West, will ask another question this weekend, a question that will not be posed in other Western newspapers because it is not the narrative laid down for us by our presidents and prime ministers – what about the other guilty men?

“No, Tony Blair is not Saddam. We don’t gas our enemies. George W Bush is not Saddam. He didn’t invade Iran or Kuwait. He only invaded Iraq. But hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilians are dead – and thousands of Western troops are dead – because Messrs Bush and Blair and the Spanish Prime Minister and the Italian Prime Minister and the Australian Prime Minister went to war in 2003 on a potage of lies and mendacity and, given the weapons we used, with great brutality.

“In the aftermath of the international crimes against humanity of 2001 we have tortured, we have murdered, we have brutalised and killed the innocent – we have even added our shame at Abu Ghraib to Saddam’s shame at Abu Ghraib – and yet we are supposed to forget these terrible crimes as we applaud the swinging corpse of the dictator we created.

“Who encouraged Saddam to invade Iran in 1980, which was the greatest war crime he has committed for it led to the deaths of a million and a half souls? And who sold him the components for the chemical weapons with which he drenched Iran and the Kurds? We did. No wonder the Americans, who controlled Saddam’s weird trial, forbad any mention of this, his most obscene atrocity, in the charges against him. Could he not have been handed over to the Iranians for sentencing for this massive war crime? Of course not. Because that would also expose our culpability.

“And the mass killings we perpetrated in 2003 with our depleted uranium shells and our ‘bunker buster’ bombs and our phosphorous, the murderous post-invasion sieges of Fallujah and Najaf, the hell-disaster of anarchy we unleashed on the Iraqi population in the aftermath of our ‘victory’ – our ‘mission accomplished’ – who will be found guilty of this? Such expiation as we might expect will come, no doubt, in the self-serving memoirs of Blair and Bush, written in comfortable and wealthy retirement…

“… But [Saddam’s] execution will go down – correctly – as an American affair and time will add its false but lasting gloss to all this – that the West destroyed an Arab leader who no longer obeyed his orders from Washington, that, for all his wrongdoing (and this will be the terrible get-out for Arab historians, this shaving away of his crimes) Saddam died a ‘martyr’ to the will of the new ‘Crusaders’.

“When he was captured in November of 2003, the insurgency against American troops increased in ferocity. After his death, it will redouble in intensity again. Freed from the remotest possibility of Saddam’s return by his execution, the West’s enemies in Iraq have no reason to fear the return of his Baathist regime…”

Sadam’s Execution “Merely an Act of Shiite Revenge”?

ABC News reported on December 30 about an uncut video of Saddam Hussein’s execution, which is being placed on the Internet and which has been broadcast on several TV stations around the world. The video, which had apparently been shot on a cell phone by one of the two dozen witnesses, shows numerous provocations of Saddam by Shiites before, during and after the hanging. ABC News stated:

“There are five men in black face masks who are visible on the gallows platform around Saddam, acting as guards. As they guide him towards the trap door and put the noose over his head, they start chanting religious slogans with the names of Moqtada al Sadr (the head of the Mahdi army, accused of organizing death squads against Sunnis) and Baqr al Sadr (the father-in-law of Moqtada). Saddam, a Sunni, is outraged at this last-minute provocation, and tells them to ‘go to hell.’…

“… the impact of this video could be quite significant. First, it will reinforce Sunni suspicions that the execution of Saddam was merely an act of Shiite revenge for decades of repression under Saddam. The building where the execution took place was expressly chosen because it was once used as a detention center by a division of Saddam’s secret police that was focused on the Shiite Dawa party. Some of the witnesses whom the government invited to the execution had themselves once been tortured in that same building. Indeed, Prime Minister Maliki, who signed the execution order the day before the hanging, is a long-term member of the Dawa party and had himself been sentenced to death by Saddam back in 1980 before fleeing the country. “Worse, it will also reinforce the fears of Sunnis that Maliki’s government is beholden to the Mahdi army, Moqtada’s militia. Executions are generally expected to be solemn affairs–certainly not opportunities for thugs to score some final sectarian points before the ‘enemy’ is disposed of. The video itself seems quite distasteful–but it is informative to the extent that it reveals the political baggage that the current government carries on its shoulders. It does not add up to a pretty picture.”

Der Spiegel Online added on January 3:

“The international community has been outraged — especially at Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose government not only let a (banned) mobile phone slip into the execution chamber, but also hurried up the hanging… German newspapers see the whole affair as a gruesome circus that either threatens western values or drives another wedge between Iraqi Sunnis and Shiites. Some even suspect Maliki of using Saddam’s execution as a sop to his Shiite supporters…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes:

‘It would have been a miracle if Saddam’s execution had not raised new problems for the Baghdad government, the overstrained US army, or for the violence-plagued Iraqi people. But now a mobile-phone video has turned up, and the pictures and sound both show, first, just how degraded Saddam’s death was, and second how depraved a society has to be to turn the execution of a condemned thug into a cheap and coarse spectacle… The video also shows that neither the Baghdad government nor the American occupiers are in a position to control an execution… Saddam Hussein’s death won’t heal old wounds any more than it will satisfy a lust for revenge — the pictures are more likely to achieve the opposite effect. And a government that can’t even prohibit recordings of an execution will never be able to control its country.'”

Divisions Between Iraqi Shiites and Sunnites Continue

The Financial Times reported on December 30:

“Street celebrations and a handful of angry protests erupted in Iraq’s streets early this morning, as the country awoke to the news that former president Saddam Hussein, who had overshadowed Iraqi public life for over three decades, had been put to death. However, a series of blasts in mostly Shia areas left at least 68 Iraqis dead, while six US troops were reported killed, pushing the death toll for December to 109 and making it the worst month for US forces in two years…

“The different reactions and the continued sectarian violence reflect the legacy of Saddam’s regime, which was dominated by Sunni Arabs and brutally repressed Shia religious and political movements. The execution is unlikely to bridge this divide, as perceptions of Saddam’s hanging differ radically between Sunni Arab and Shia. Even the timing of his hanging seemed to reinforce the sectarian gap–although Iraqi law bans executions during religious holidays, it took place just as the Sunni’s Eid al-Adha feast was beginning. Shia begin celebrations a day later.”

Saddam’s Death Personal Vindication?

The New York Times wrote on December 30:

“The capture of Saddam Hussein three years ago was a jubilant moment for the White House, hailed by President Bush in a televised address from the Cabinet Room. The execution of Mr. Hussein, though, seemed hardly to inspire the same sentiment… After Mr. Hussein was arrested Dec. 13, 2003, he gradually faded from view, save for his courtroom outbursts and writings from prison. The growing chaos and violence in Iraq has steadily overshadowed the torturous rule of Mr. Hussein, who for more than two decades held a unique place in the politics and psyche of the United States, a symbol of the manifestation of evil in the Middle East.

“Now, what could have been a triumphal bookend to the American invasion of Iraq has instead been dampened by the grim reality of conditions on the ground there. Mr. Hussein’s hanging means that the ousted leader has been held accountable for his misdeeds, fulfilling the American war aim most cited by the White House after Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction proved nonexistent.

“But that war is now edging toward its fifth year, and the sectarian violence that has surged independent of any old Sunni or Baathist allegiances to Mr. Hussein has raised questions about what change, if any, his death might bring.

“’Saddam’s face has been on this process from the beginning and here goes that face,’ said Bruce Buchanan, a professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin… the specter of Mr. Hussein remained intimately entwined with Mr. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush. Two years after the Persian Gulf war, Mr. Hussein ordered an assassination attempt on the elder Bush, an act of spite that the 43rd president would never forget… Mr. Buchanan, a longtime observer of the Bush political family in Texas, said that these were no ordinary archenemies and that setting aside personal views entirely seemed impossible. ‘I think the president will see this as justice done and may well feel some sense of vindication, in part because of the attempt on his father’s life,’ he said. ‘It’s definitely part of the drama.'”

Italy Wants Worldwide Moratorium on Death Penalty

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 3:

“Rome is calling on European Union member states and the United Nations to push for an international moratorium on capital punishment. The move follows the controversial execution this weekend of Iraq’s former dictator Saddam Hussein, who was sentenced to death for committing crimes against humanity… Rome is hoping to gain the support of the 85 UN member states who recently joined a non-binding declaration against the death penalty…

“… the Italians are also seeking to get the European Union — which makes a ban on capital punishment a precondition for membership — to promote a global moratorium. Rome has also asked Germany to add the issue to the agenda at an upcoming meeting of justice ministers in Dresden.

“In Iraq, the government deflected the criticism, noting that the Italians themselves had executed former fascist leader Benito Mussolini during World War II. ‘They have no right interfering with the affairs of another country,’ Iraqi government official Yaseen Majeed told the Italian daily La Repubblica. ‘Mussolini’s trial only lasted one minute.” The dictator was executed by partisans and strung up in a square in Milan in April 1945. Mussolini’s granddaughter and European Parliament member Alessandra Mussolini said her ‘blood ran cold’ as she viewed the images of Saddam’s execution. ‘My mind immediately flicked to pictures of my grandfather, who also had his uncovered face exposed to the public for ridicule,’ she said.”

War Has Returned to Somalia

Der Spiegel Online reported on January 2, 2007:

“Ethiopia has driven the Islamists out of Mogadishu. Now the region is threatened with a new East African front in the clash of civilizations. The radical Somalis are looking for support from the Middle East, and Ethiopia has turned to the US government for support in its fight against the Taliban-like Islamists… War has returned to the Horn of Africa, and the outcome is unclear. With tanks and many thousands of soldiers, the Ethiopian Army moved into the Somali capital of Mogadishu last Thursday, taking control of airports and the presidential palace…

“‘Somalia is at risk of becoming the battlefield of a global war between an Islamist international force and Western anti-terrorism forces,’ warns Hamburg-based Somalia expert Volker Matthies. ‘While the Islamists receive sufficient support from fundamentalists from the Arab world, the weaker government of President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, recognized by the West, gets its support from Addis Ababa. So Ethiopia is turning into an east African bridgehead for the Americans in their war against terror.’…

“Still, the unsuccessful debate in the UN Security Council has made it clear that Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is now officially an ally of America. No one fears a bridgehead of the Islamists in East Africa more than the US, whose embassies in Nairobi and Darussalam were blown up in 1998 by Osama Bin Laden’s terrorists…

“… there are now renewed threats of war with Eritrea, which is among Ethiopia’s enemies and will not hesitate to arm the Islamists or even to send its own soldiers off to the fight. Ethiopia and Eritrea are extremely poor states, but each country nevertheless maintains an army of more than 180,000 very well prepared soldiers.

“The government in Addis Ababa already views itself as being in a bind… Now Ethiopian soldiers have crossed into the neighboring country, and the Islamists are calling up their allies in the Middle East to a ‘holy war’ against the invaders. They could now face a similar debacle as did the Americans in 1992, when they came to Somalia to combat a famine — and withdrew in humiliation after the desecrated body of a GI was dragged through the streets of Mogadishu. There already is a similar photo on display today on the Internet. It shows an Ethiopian soldier, hands tied behind his back, his throat slit.”

Will Dollar’s Decline Prompt War with Iran?

WorldNetDaily wrote on January 2:

“Economists anticipate that the fall of the U.S dollar in world currency markets that began in 2006 will accelerate in 2007.

“‘The dollar could lose as much as 30 percent of its value in 2007,’ econometrician John Williams… told WND. ‘In 2007, we are likely to see the economic downturn of 2006 develop into a structural recession and yet we have international trade and federal budged deficits careening out of control.’… Bob Chapman… told WND, ‘Central bankers in 2007 will begin to move away from the dollar in their foreign reserve holdings.’…”Iran’s decision to hold only Euros may prompt a U.S. decision to launch a pre-emptive attack, Chapman speculated, with the public argument being Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons in defiance of the U.N. Security Council. ‘Saddam Hussein signed his death warrant,’ Chapman argued, ‘when he got the U.N. to agree that he could hold [his] oil-for-food reserves in euros. Ahmadinejad appears determined to go down the same path.'”

Dangerous Religious Deception in Iran…

ynetnew reported on December 31:

“A triumphal religious prophecy has appeared on an Iranian official state media website, heralding the return of the Shiite messiah. According to the website, ‘Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka’ba in Mecca.’…

“The Mahdi’s far sightedness and firmness in the face of mischievous elements will strike awe. After his uprising from Mecca all of Arabia will be submit to him and then other parts of the world as he marches upon Iraq and established his seat of global government in the city of Kufa.

‘Then the Imam will send 10 thousand of his forces to the east and west to uproot the oppressors. At this time God will facilitate things for him and lands will come under his control one after the other,’ the website declared. ‘After his appearance the Imam would remain in Mecca for some time, and then go to Medina… a descendant of the Prophet’s archenemy Abu Sofyan will seize Syria and attack Iraq and the Hejaz with the ferocity of a beast… finally Imam Mahdi sends troops who kill the Sofyani in Beit ol-Moqaddas (Jerusalem), the Islamic holy city in Palestine that is currently under occupation of the Zionists,’ the IRIB added…

“According to the Iranian series, the Mahdi will reappear on earth with Jesus: ‘We read in the book Tazkarat ol-Olia, ‘the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him.’ …Imam Mahdi will be the leader while Prophet Jesus will act as his lieutenant in the struggle against oppression and establishment of justice in the world. Jesus had himself given the tidings of the coming of God’s last messenger and will see Mohammad’s ideals materialize in the time of the Mahdi.'”

… And in the United States

The Associated Press reported on January 3:

“In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Tuesday that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in ‘mass killing’ late in 2007. ‘I’m not necessarily saying it’s going to be nuclear,’ he said during his news-and-talk television show ‘The 700 Club’… The Lord didn’t say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that.’ “Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September…

“In May, Robertson said God told him that storms and possibly a tsunami were to crash into America’s coastline in 2006. Even though the U.S. was not hit with a tsunami, Robertson on Tuesday cited last spring’s heavy rains and flooding in New England as partly fulfilling the prediction.”

The sad news is that the Bible predicts that the United States WILL BE experiencing man-made and natural disasters with increasing strength and frequency, as we are approaching the time of the return of Jesus Christ. But it is preposterous to claim that God “spoke” to someone to give him the precise date–especially, when that person does not teach that we must keep ALL of God’s Ten Commandments, INCLUDING the weekly Sabbath (Note our Editorial in this issue). We might also ask, HOW did God “speak” to that person?

Romania and Bulgaria Join the EU

Britain’s The Telegraph wrote the following on January 1:

“At midnight last night Romania and Bulgaria became the newest nations of the European Union, bringing with them some 30 million people from one of the poorest corners of the continent. Hundreds of thousands of people were expected to flock to street parties and concerts for the double celebration of New Year and EU entry, which they hope will… lead to greater prosperity and a final break with communism…. In both countries surveys have shown two thirds of respondents in favour of joining, despite misgivings about rises in prices and the cost of living…

“Britain [as well as most other European countries, including Ireland, Germany, Austria and The Netherlands] will not however be granting Romanians and Bulgarians the same unhindered access to its job market allowed to Poles and other eastern Europeans when they joined in 2004. In mid-December the Government launched a television, radio and poster campaign informing Bulgarians and Romanians that although they can visit Britain without a visa for three months they will need a work permit — in most cases — to gain employment.”

Reuters added on January 1:

“The accession of Romania and Bulgaria will raise the EU’s membership to 27, almost half of them former communist states cut off from the West by the Iron Curtain until 1989…”

“Angela Can Fix It…”

The BBC News published the following article on December 29:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel has chosen the motto ‘succeeding together’ for Germany’s six-month EU presidency starting on 1 January–at a time of weak morale in the EU. On the plus side, the EU is celebrating the entry of Romania and Bulgaria as new members, its economy is picking up and it claims global leadership on issues like climate change… there are widespread hopes among EU-watchers that ‘Angela can fix it’…

“Germany, as Europe’s largest nation and biggest economy, is being asked to revive the EU’s faltering sense of purpose. Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier says the German presidency expects to spend a lot of energy responding to unforeseen crises on the EU’s behalf…

“Mrs Merkel wants to save as much as possible of the original draft treaty, which provided for an EU president and foreign minister at the head of new structures for common European internal and foreign policies. At a special leaders’ meeting on 25 March 2007, 50 years after the signing of the Treaty of Rome, she will issue a ‘Berlin Declaration’, in an attempt to re-inspire Europeans with the ideal of continent-wide integration and to map out Europe’s common challenges…

“The Germans are themselves involved in a damaging split: Poland and the Baltic states strongly oppose the strategic deal done by former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin in 2005 to build a new North European gas pipeline under the Baltic Sea. It will supply customers in Western Europe, bypassing Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine. Since then Russia’s robust use of its vast energy resources as a foreign policy tool has thrown prospects for a strategic EU-Russia partnership agreement into doubt. And the unsolved murders of several high-profile opponents of Mr Putin have led the Europeans to question whether this Russian leadership is committed to respecting civil rights and the rule of law, or even wants to be a constructive partner…

“Despite the mountain of problems much of Europe looks with hope to Mrs Merkel’s lead. Not only is Germany big enough to get things moving. But Angela Merkel, in her tactful way, has also chastised other European leaders for their lack of courage in [making] decisions. ”

Jerusalem Ex-Mayor Kollek Dies at 95

Deutsche Welle reported on January 2, 2007:

“Former Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, who presided over the reunification of the city after the 1967 Middle East war, has died at the age of 95. Within days of the end of the war, Kollek ordered the stone wall which had divided Jerusalem to be torn down. He preached Israeli-Palestinian coexistence while attempting to balance the national aspirations of both people during nearly three decades as mayor. The Jerusalem Foundation, a charity founded by Kollek 40 years ago, said he died of natural causes. He is expected to be buried in a state funeral in Jerusalem on Thursday.”

Church of God members will recall the close friendship that existed between Teddy Kollek and the late Herbert W. Armstrong, founder of the Worldwide Church of God and the Ambassador International Cultural Foundation.

2007 — A Big Year for Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 27:

“2007 will be a big year for Germany: As president of the European Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel will have to reenergize a flagging European project. And as chair of the G8, she will have to resolve some of the most burning issues facing the world’s industrialized nations… [It will be the] largest political event post-war Germany has ever staged… On Jan. 1, Germany will assume the presidency of the G8 organization of the largest industrial powers. In addition, Berlin will also chair the European Union Council, presiding over the EU’s 27 member states for six months.”The 2007 ‘Germany Show’ will be played out in rather mundane venues like Heiligendamm, but also at historic locations, like Cecilienhof palace, where the Potsdam Conference was held in 1945, and the baroque Zeughaus, the former Prussian armory, in the center of Berlin. Many German politicians will have a chance to step into the limelight, not least among them Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. But it is German Chancellor Angela Merkel who will play the starring role. For months the country’s first female chancellor will be shaking hands, holding meetings, appearing on TV screens and showing Europe, and the world, the modern Germany…

“Merkel already commands the respect of her male colleagues. Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker, has referred to her as ‘the visionary of Europe.’ The new United Nations general secretary, Ban Ki Moon, hopes that Merkel’s ‘double role’ will be a great source of help for both of them. And the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, a close ally of the German chancellor among Europe’s conservatives, talks about his ‘faith in Germany’s ability to lead Europe.’

“Diplomats circling the globe today come across a frightening number of conflict zones that Berlin must now deal with: from the Balkans, Afghanistan and Russia, to Iran, Iraq and Lebanon, even as far afield as Sudan and Congo. Two hotspots of particular worry are the Middle East and the Serbian province of Kosovo. The chancellor’s advisor Christoph Heusgen has also identified events in Israel as ‘a focal point for European foreign policy.’ Heusgen says that, at the very latest, this focus became intensified by the ‘increased physical engagement on the ground’ that has come with the deployment of international peacekeeping troops to southern Lebanon, where German Navy ships patrol the coast to prevent weapons deliveries to Hezbollah. In an internal analysis the German Foreign Ministry has identified five “risks” for the coming six months, including new elections in Lebanon and the Palestinian areas and the threat of new terrorist and rocket attacks on Israel. Add to that what seasoned diplomats call the ‘biggest problem’ the German presidency will face: the challenge posed by the Balkans…

“But what will really decide the success of Merkel’s presidency, will be how well she deals with the question of the EU constitution. The Union’s heads of state and government have so been unable to solve the central questions of the distribution of power in a satisfactory manner. How many votes does each member state have? When is a veto possible? Should Europe speak with the voice of one president… The other powerful EU states France and Britain are now weaker because their long-term leaders, Jacques Chirac and Tony Blair, are at the twilight of their political careers. There is no point in Merkel undertaking any concrete initiative before the French presidential elections in May — and there will only be a few weeks after it, during which the chancellor will be able to come up with anything. Faith in the European idea is rapidly fading anyway, as a survey published last week by the European Commission revealed. Whereas over 70 percent of all Europeans supported the EU project at the end of the 1990s, today that figure is only 53 percent. And only 33 percent of Europeans believe that the EU is on the right track.

“So will Merkel turn things round? Even members of her own Christian Democrat Union (CDU) party view this as almost inconceivable. ‘That would be like achieving the impossible,’ says Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble.

“Nevertheless, the chancellor and her foreign minister are hanging on to a glimmer of hope. In early December, Merkel gathered her Berlin staff and the German EU ambassadors together to come up with a plan of attack. The most important result of the confidential meeting was that as much of the original substance of the existing contract as possible should be kept — after all, the agreement has already been ratified by 18 states… during the first three months of 2007 Merkel will conduct face-to-face meetings with her 26 fellow European leaders to find common ground in order to get the constitution back on track. Meetings will also be set up with potential French presidential candidates — discreetly, of course, as no one wants to insult Chirac. In this way, says one advisor, Merkel is trying to work out where the ‘absolute red line’ on the constitution is. To all intents and purposes this group of people would take the scissors to the draft constitution until it is acceptable to all.

“The first fruits of Merkel’s efforts will be on show on March 25, which the chancellor is describing as ‘the dramatic high-point of the German presidency.’ At a special summit in the Zeughaus building of the German Historical Museum in the center of Berlin, Europe will be celebrating the 50th birthday of the Treaty of Rome, the document that founded the European Economic Community that would later grow to become the European Community and, ultimately, today’s European Union. Merkel believes the event will provide a good opportunity to put new life into the European project, which has languished in the new millennium.”

The Bible clearly reveals that continental Europe WILL unite. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

German Fighter Jets Requested for Afghanistan

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 21, 2006:

“It happened faster than expected: NATO has requested in a confidential letter that the German military deploy German Tornado surveillance and fighter jets to Afghanistan. Berlin has agreed to comply — and the German parliament will not be given a chance to debate the matter…

“The situation in Kabul is more dangerous than it has been for a long time. Taliban fighters have gotten a foothold into the city’s suburbs and are gradually infiltrating the Afghan capital from there. The city’s southern districts have become a ‘gateway’ for suicide attackers and armed fighters…

“Until now, the German government has expanded its military commitments in Afghanistan in a series of small steps. But the pace is speeding up. First came occasional transport flights in the hard-fought south of the country. Then a few signals specialists were dispatched to Kandahar. Now it’s Tornado surveillance jets, equipped with cameras — and cannons. The Germans are allowing themselves to get deeper and deeper involved in the Afghanistan conflict, and there is no end in sight. Between Christmas and New Year, US C-17 transport planes will unload heavy German Marder tanks at the German military’s central headquarters in Mazar-e-Sharif.

“And the Germans will also have to agree to the request for the Tornados. There is no doubt about that in the German Chancellery, at the Defense Ministry or at the Foreign Ministry. The complaints from Germany’s NATO allies during the past weeks about the German armed forces, who are seen as having installed themselves in the relatively quiet north of Afghanistan, leaving the fighting to their allies, had grown too loud…

“Step by step, the government began venturing into dangerous territory. Shortly before the NATO summit in Riga, Berlin sent 23 signals specialists to Kandahar, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan, to assist the British troops stationed there — and curb the ire of Germany’s NATO allies. ‘Without the Germans, the British would have been in a fix,’ one NATO general admitted…

“German Tornado jets were already deployed in combat situations about eight years ago — in order to ‘avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Kosovo conflict,’ as the Bundestag resolution, passed by a large majority, stated then. It was the first time that German troops were deployed in combat since World War II. This time the Tornados are meant to fly as reconnaissance planes — but that can of course be changed at any time. The German military journal Soldat und Technik notes, not without a certain pride, that the planes can be converted into bombers again in no time. A few hours are all it takes to replace camera-equipped containers with bombs. The jets fly at an altitude of between 60 and 2,600 meters (197 and 8,530 feet). Their infrared sensors are capable of detecting even freshly dug graves at the edge of a forest — a technological capability sometimes utilized in police investigations within Germany.”

Germany is destined to play a major role in world affairs. Even though many Germans are opposed to their country’s military involvement in other parts of the world, the pressure from Germany’s allies to engage in such a way, will steadily grow in time. Our booklet, “Europe in Prophecy,” explains in much detail what is certain to happen soon in Germany, Europe and the rest of the World.

The War Has Begun

The Associated Press reported on December 24:

“Ethiopia sent fighter jets into Somalia and bombed several towns Sunday in a dramatic attack on Somalia’s powerful Islamic movement, and Ethiopia’s prime minister said his country had been ‘forced to enter a war.’ It was the first time Ethiopia acknowledged its troops were fighting in support of Somalia’s U.N.-backed interim government even though witnesses had been reporting their presence for weeks in an escalating battle that threatens to engulf the Horn of Africa region. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi went on television to announce that his country was at war with the Islamic movement that wants to rule neighboring Somalia by the Quran.

“‘Our defense force has been forced to enter a war to defend (against) the attacks from extremists and anti-Ethiopian forces and to protect the sovereignty of the land,’ Meles said a few hours after his military attacked the Islamic militia with fighter jets and artillery… Eritrea, a bitter rival of Ethiopia, is backing the Islamic militia, and experts fear the conflict could draw in the volatile Horn of Africa region, which lies close to the Saudi Arabian peninsula and has seen a rise in Islamic extremism. A recent U.N. report said 10 nations have been illegally supplying arms and equipment to both sides in Somalia.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 24 that the EU reacted “alarmed.” They are demanding of Ethiopia an immediate cease fire and the cessation of any further attacks on Somalia. AFP reported on December 26 that “the United States defended Ethiopia’s assault… which has reportedly killed more than 1,000 people.”

Der Spiegel Online added on December 27:

“Ethiopa’s military offensive against the Union of Islamic Courts, which holds the Somali capital Mogadishu and much of central and southern Somalia, is a dangerous act of aggression that could lead to a protracted war and even strengthen the Islamists, according to German media commentators who see the conflict as opening up a new battlefield in the American-led global war against Islamic extremists.”

AFP reported on December 28:

“Islamist forces have abandoned Somalia’s capital Mogadishu as Ethiopian-backed government troops surrounded the coastal city, where residents reported looting, gunfire and preparations for guerrilla warfare. The government said the Islamists, who set up their stronghold in Mogadishu after routing warlords in June, had distributed weapons to civilians… Late Wednesday, the UN Security Council failed for a second day to reach consensus on a call for the immediate withdrawal of all foreign forces from Somalia and an end to military operations, then gave up. The African Union and the Arab League have urged Ethiopia to pull out… The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has meanwhile warned that as many as 50,000 refugees could pour into neighbouring countries.”

We read in Daniel 11:40 that in the end time, the king of the south will “push at” the king of the north. The translation in the King James Bible, “attack him,” is incorrect. In the past, Ethiopia was the king of the south, which was pushing at the revived Roman Empire in Europe. It is unclear whether the prophecy in Daniel 11:40, which has been fulfilled, is of dual application. If so, that is, IF a “king of the south” were still to arise again on the world scene, it would have to be Ethiopia. [The concept that a future king of the south would be some kind of a league of Arab nations has absolutely no support in Scripture or history.] It is therefore important to watch the events taking place in and near to Ethiopia, as well as European reactions to the dealings of Ethiopia.

America’s Decline

The New York Times wrote on December 24 about incredible events in Somalia:

“The rally was supposed to be against Ethiopia, Somalia’s neighbor and historic archenemy… But the cheers that shook the stadium… were about another country, far, far away. ‘Down, down U.S.A.!’ thousands of Somalis yelled… ‘Slit the throats of the Americans!’ Not exactly soothing words, especially when the passport in your pocket has one of those golden eagles on it.

“Somalia may be the place that best illustrates a trend sweeping across the African continent: After Sept. 11, 2001, the United States concluded that anarchy and misery aid terrorism, and so it tried to re-engage Africa. But anti-American sentiment on the continent has only grown, and become increasingly nasty. And the United States seems unable to do much about it.

“A number of experts on Africa trace those developments to a sense not of American power, but of its decline — a perception that the United States is no longer the only power that counts, that it is too bogged down in the Middle East to be a real threat here, and so it can be ignored or defied with impunity. American officials, for example, acknowledge that they are at a loss about what to do about the on-again, off-again Somali crisis…

“But the broader issue playing out here — the sense that the United States is not the kingmaker it once was — goes beyond Mogadishu. It is Africa-wide. And it is based on a changed reality: the emergence of other customers for Africa’s resources and the tying down of American military forces in Iraq have combined to reduce American clout in sub-Saharan Africa, even as the United States pumps in more financial aid than ever — about $4 billion per year — and can still claim to be the one superpower left standing.”

The steady decline of America’s influence in the world has clearly been prophesied. For more information, please read our free booklet: “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Former U.S. President Gerald Ford Dies

AFP reported on December 28:

“US flags have flown at half mast across the country in honor of the late former US president Gerald Ford… Ford, who in 1974 became the 38th US president when he replaced the disgraced Richard Nixon, died quietly late Tuesday at his home in Rancho Mirage, in southern California, his family said. He was 93. No cause of death was given. Ford’s 896-day presidency is best-remembered for pardoning Nixon for his role in the Watergate scandal within weeks of taking office. The pardon provoked howls of condemnation and likely cost him the 1976 presidential election to Democrat Jimmy Carter.

“The unassuming Republican politician was a decorated World War II veteran who saw action aboard a navy aircraft carrier in the Pacific. He was president in April 1975 when the last US troops, diplomats and Vietnamese supporters were flown out in helicopters from the roof of the US embassy in Saigon, marking the end of the US intervention in Vietnam. This experience may have shaped his disagreement with the US-led war in Iraq: in a Washington Post interview published Thursday, Ford made it clear he ‘very strongly’ disagreed with President George W. Bush’s justifications for invasion… Ford was also critical of two of the Iraq war’s strongest advocates: Vice President Dick Cheney — his former White House chief of staff — and former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who performed the same job during his presidency.”

Euro Overtakes US Dollar

The Financial Times reported on December 27:

“The US dollar bill’s standing as the world’s favourite form of cash is being usurped by the five-year-old euro. The value of euro notes in circulation is this month likely to exceed the value of circulating dollar notes, according to calculations by the Financial Times. Converted at Wednesday’s exchange rates, the euro took the lead in October.

“The figures highlight the remarkable growth in euro notes since their launch on January 1 2002, three years after the start of Europe’s monetary union, which in January welcomes its 13th member – Slovenia, the former Yugoslav republic.”

Is Japan Going to Develop Nuclear Weapons?

Haaretz.com reported on December 25:

“The Japanese government recently looked into the possibility of developing nuclear warhead[s]… experts affiliated with the government estimated that it will take at least three to five years for Japan to make a prototype nuclear warhead… As the only country ever attacked by atomic weapons, Japan has for decades espoused a strict policy of not possessing, developing or allowing the introduction of nuclear bombs on its territory.

“The non-nuclear stance, however, has come under increasing scrutiny since North Korea conducted its first nuclear test on October 9, which raised severe security concerns in Japan, and broader fears that a regional arms race could be triggered. Just months prior to the North’s nuclear test, it test-fired several ballistic missiles capable of hitting Japan…

“The government, under newly elected Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, has said the country’s pacifist Constitution does not ban it from possessing nuclear weapons for self-defense, but stressed that Japan would stick to its policy of forbidding nuclear weapons on Japanese soil. Japan’s huge plutonium stockpile from nuclear power stations is a major international concern, partly because it could be a target of terror attacks or could be turned into nuclear weapons.”

It cannot be ruled out that Japan will begin to develop nuclear weapons, or that it will align itself with Asian nuclear powers. Daniel 11:44 speaks in prophetic terms about the future military leader of a European super power, who will be troubled by “news from the east and the north”–i.e., the Far East. The Bible continues to predict in the same verse that the European power bloc will engage the Far East in a destructive war. The development of nuclear weapons, or the threat to use existing ones, might very well be one of the reasons for this future war.

The Cycle of Violence

Zenit wrote on December 19:

“Violence only leads to more violence, Benedict XVI warned as he expressed his hopes for peace and stability in the Middle East… [The Pope said:] ‘With a heavy heart, I note that a wide range of territorial and other disputes have led to armed conflicts in recent times that threaten the peace and stability of the entire Middle East… Repeatedly I have pleaded for a cessation of violence in Lebanon, in the Holy Land and in Iraq… The world looks on with great sadness at the cycle of death and destruction, as innocent people continue to suffer and targeted individuals are kidnapped and assassinated.’ The Pope said that the Church ’emphatically rejects war as a means of resolving international disputes, and has often pointed out that it only leads to new and still more complicated conflicts… Sadly, from the current situation in the Middle East, it is only too evident that this is the case…'”

Earthquakes Damage Telephone Lines and Internet Services

The Associated Press reported on December 27:

“Telephone lines and Internet service went dead across much of Asia on Wednesday after two powerful earthquakes damaged undersea cables used by several countries to route calls and online traffic. Repairing the cables could take weeks because crews have to pull them up and transfer them to a ship for repair…

“The quakes jolted Taiwan late Tuesday, setting off a tsunami alert on the second anniversary of the Dec. 26, 2004, waves and quake that killed 230,000 in nine countries from the Indonesian islands to east Africa. No large waves materialized this time… The company reported a 50 percent loss of overall telephone capacity, with connections to China, Japan and Southeast Asia most affected… almost all of Taiwan’s communications capacity with Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong was disrupted. Also hard hit was telephone service to the U.S., where 60 percent of capacity was lost, the company said…

“The quake, which hit offshore from the southern town of Hengchun, was felt throughout Taiwan… The U.S. Geological Survey estimated its magnitude at 7.1, while Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau measured it at 6.7. It was followed eight minutes later by 7.0 magnitude aftershock, the USGS said. A 5.9-magnitude aftershock struck early Wednesday, the Central Weather Bureau said… a 7.6-magnitude earthquake in central Taiwan in September 1999 killed more than 2,300 people.”

AFP reported on December 28:

“The chaos in Asia’s Internet service sparked by an undersea earthquake shows the region’s cable network is too fragile and overly reliant on connections to the United States, industry observers have said… ‘Instead of being so dependent on connections to North America, Asia might want to spend some money on connecting to Europe,’ said Ross Veitch, who set up Yahoo Southeast Asia…”

Malaysia’s Worst Floods

Reuters reported on December 23 that “Malaysia’s worst floods in 37 years have displaced nearly 100,000 people amid food shortages, looting and criticism on Saturday of the government’s handling of the crisis… In Indonesia, authorities said at least five people were killed and 70,000 others driven from their homes by surging flash floods triggered by two days of incessant rain in Aceh’s eastern coastal areas.”

Saddam To Die

The Daily Mail reported on December 27:

“Saddam Hussein said today he would go to the gallows as a ‘sacrifice’ and called on Iraqis to unite against US and British troops. Just hours after a court confirmed his death sentence, the former dictator released an open letter from his cell spelling out his wish to become a ‘martyr’… His statement came as his Ba’ath Party threatened to target US interests across the globe if the execution went ahead as expected in the next 30 days… Iraq’s highest court yesterday rejected Saddam’s appeal against a conviction and death sentence for the killing of 148 people who were detained after a 1982 attempt to assassinate him in Dujail, northern Iraq…

“[Saddam’s] British-based [defense] lawyer Dr Abdel Haq Alani told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: ‘It’s got nothing to do with crimes against humanity or war crimes. It’s about a political era that has to be tried and executed, and the head of it must pay for it, otherwise the invasion would have been completely baseless, meaningless and morally bankrupt. And it is – but they have to sell it to the people.’ Dr Haq Alani added: ‘What’s happened in the last three and a half years is a calamity, even in the bloody Middle East. Saddam Hussein is another incident in this mess created by George Bush and Tony Blair.’

“The lawyer said the legal process had been flawed, and added: ‘This case has finished without ever having a judgment. It’s unheard of in any legal process to have a sentence without a judgment.’ Saddam’s defence lawyers, based in Amman, called on Arab governments and the UN to intervene to stop the execution.”

According to Der Spiegel Online, dated December 27, “A White House spokesman in Washington called the ruling a milestone in Iraq’s efforts ‘to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law.’… [However,] Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema told an Italian news agency on Tuesday, ‘As Italians and as Europeans we are against the death penalty,’ and said the execution could have a negative effect on the ‘difficult process of reconciliation’ in Iraq.”

Iranians Don’t Approve of Their Leader…

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 19:

“The hardliners in Iran have suffered a major setback at the hands of the Iranian electorate. A combination of a high turnout and close cooperation between the reformists and moderate conservatives succeeded in giving President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad a bit of a bloody nose at the ballot box. Partial results from last Friday’s elections for local governments and the powerful Assembly of Experts indicate that the president’s supporters have been widely rejected by the voters… However, the election results do not directly affect the Iranian government, and while it is likely that the poor showing by his allies will weaken the president, it is uncertain if this will provoke any change in policy or rhetoric.”

… But He Continues to Be Controversial

The Associated Press reported on December 16:

“Iran’s president said Saturday his country was ready to transfer nuclear technology to neighboring countries, Kuwaiti television reported, a week after Arab states on the Persian Gulf announced plans to consider a joint nuclear program… Iran is at odds with the United States and its European allies, who accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is aimed solely at the peaceful production of nuclear energy.”

The Middle East Is Facing Worst Crisis…

The EUobserver reported on December 15:

“EU leaders meeting in Brussels on Friday… said the Middle East is facing one of the ‘worst crises in years’ after fighting broke out on Friday between rival Palestinian factions, and Lebanon continues to stand on the verge of internal conflict. ‘The Israeli-Arab conflict is at the heart of this crisis,’ the EU said, urging Israel and Palestine to live ‘side-by-side.'” …

USA Is Not Winning in Iraq

AFP reported on December 20:

“President George W. Bush warned Americans of the need for new ‘sacrifices’ in Iraq next year, and said hard choices await in a war he now grimly admits the United States is not winning. A somber Bush, under fierce pressure to change course in Iraq, also said in a year-end news conference he had not yet decided whether to send a surge of more troops into the country, and said his heart broke for slain US soldiers.”

In a related article, AFP added:

“New US Defense Secretary Robert Gates met top generals in Baghdad to discuss whether or not to send tens of thousands of extra American troops into war-torn Iraq… On Tuesday, a Pentagon report confirmed that sectarian and insurgent violence in Iraq was at an all-time high, due in part to the provocations of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr’s militia, the Mahdi Army… Washington had hoped to clip the cleric’s wings by persuading a ‘moderate coalition’ of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds to unite behind the ruling coalition and give it the backbone to face down the gunmen. But on Wednesday a leader of the main Shiite parliamentary bloc earmarked for this task, Hadi al-Ameri of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), described this idea as ‘madness’…

“Despite the latest bloodshed, US forces in Iraq handed responsibility for security in the Shiite province of Najaf to local provincial forces… British and Italian forces have already passed control of two southern provinces to local governors, but Wednesday’s ceremony was the first of its kind in the more volatile US-controlled regions of central Iraq. More provinces are expected to follow suit in the coming weeks.”

In spite of all the rhetoric, the question is this: Are the American people willing to bring more sacrifices in Iraq, including sending more American troops into Iraq, for a war which is admittedly not being won?

Japan Is Becoming More “Patriotic”

CNN reported on December 16:

“Japan’s conservative government chipped away at two pillars of the country’s postwar pacifism, requiring schools to teach patriotism and upgrading the Defense Agency to a full ministry for the first time since World War II. The measures, enacted Friday in a vote by Parliament’s upper house, form key elements of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push to bolster Japan’s international military role, build up national pride and distance the country from its post-1945 war guilt…

“The call for more patriotism in the schools coincides with a push by some local governments to crack down on teachers and students who refuse to stand for the national flag or sing an anthem to the emperor at school ceremonies. Postwar Japan has been solidly pacifist under the 1947 U.S.-drafted Constitution, which foreswears Japan from using force to settle international disputes, and Tokyo maintains fighting forces only for self-defense.”

Germany Wants To Become Permanent UN Security Council Member…

The German Press Agency (dpa) reported on December 15:

“Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday she would push hard for a permanent German United Nations Security Council seat in the coming years. ‘We will have this interest–but also an interest that the UN Security Council is reformed,’ she said at a news briefing. Berlin would seek a UN revamp and an upgraded role for Germany in the world body ‘with great intensity,’ she added.
“Present UN Security Council permanent members are Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The Security Council also has 10 further non-permanent members, positions which are held on a rotating basis. Germany has for years sought a permanent Security Council seat, although some observers claimed it was unclear whether Merkel would continue the effort after her foreign policy successes since taking up office in autumn 2005.”

… While Hoping to Unite a Peaceful Europe

The Week in Germany reported on December 15:

“Germany takes over the rotating six-month EU presidency from Finland on January 1, and Chancellor Angela Merkel outlined three key priority areas…: strengthening Europe’s economy, promoting peace and justice and pressing ahead with a new plan for the European Constitutional Treaty… Merkel… recalled that the EU, which turns 50 next March, was created to maintain peace based on common values, including freedom, justice, democracy, the rule of law and human rights.”

German-French Spy Satellite Program

The following was stated on December 19 in an article of Spaceflight Now:

“The first of a fleet of five identical all-weather German spy satellites was launched Tuesday aboard a Russian rocket to collect high-resolution images of the ground 24 hours a day. Called SAR-Lupe 1, the 1,587-pound craft is Germany’s first reconnaissance satellite. It is fitted with a large radar dish antenna that can pierce darkness and thick clouds to resolve targets. The radar data can be analyzed and turned into images… The craft was built for the German Federal Ministry of Defense by OHB-System AG, an aerospace company based in Bremen, Germany.

“Control of the satellite will be handed over to the German military in mid-January to begin its 10-year reconnaissance mission… Four more SAR-Lupe spacecraft are scheduled for launch at intervals of four to six months until the constellation is completed around 2008. The fleet will orbit about 300 miles above Earth in three orbital planes to maximize the number of passes over potential targets.

“The SAR-Lupe program is also a key element of a joint reconnaissance initiative signed between Germany and France four years ago. In the treaty, the two nations agreed to share data from each country’s reconnaissance satellite system. France will be allowed access to German SAR-Lupe imagery, while French optical and infrared data from the Helios 2 system will be shared with Germany, according to the agreement. Tuesday’s launch was the 60th space mission to successfully reach orbit this year.”

Poland at Odds with the EU and Russia

AFP reported on December 20:

“Poland refused to lift its embargo on the opening of EU talks on a wide-ranging agreement with Russia [which it imposed in retaliation to a Russian embargo on Polish meat], despite a fresh initiative from the EU presidency… Since November, Poland has been blocking the start of talks between the whole of the 25-nation EU and Russia on a new political, economic and energy deal, which is meant to replace a decade-old accord that expires in a year… The EU attaches great importance to the new accord, which will have a large chapter on energy supply, aimed at securing a reliable flow from Russia’s massive oil and gas fields as well as tackling the issue of access for EU companies.”

Even though Poland’s concerns towards Russia might very well be justified, it is becoming more and more obvious that the present European system does not work which allows just one country to sabotage proposed agreements between the EU and other countries. We will soon see a revision of this present impractical procedure.

A Crime or Not a Crime?

AFP reported on December 20:

“An Austrian appeals court ruled that the convicted British Holocaust-denier, David Irving, should be released from prison and serve the remainder of his three-year sentence on probation… Irving, 68, has already served 13 months in jail, after being arrested in November 2005. He was sentenced to three years in February this year after being found guilty on three counts of Holocaust denial in remarks he had made in Austria 17 years before… Austrian authorities were debating whether to ban Irving from staying in Austria and were holding him meanwhile in an immigration prison… In presenting the ruling, chief judge Ernst Maurer cited the ‘exceptionally long time since the crime’ as well as Irving’s argument that he no longer denies the Holocaust took place…

“Irving had insisted that he no longer questioned the existence of gas chambers at the Nazis’ Auschwitz concentration camp… Irving was also on trial for saying the November 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom against the Jews was not the work of the Nazis, but of ‘unknown’ people who had dressed up as stormtroopers, and that Adolf Hitler had in fact protected the Jews. He was found guilty on all three denial counts by an eight-person jury. Irving was prosecuted under an Austrian law targeting those who ‘deny the genocide by the National Socialists or other National Socialist crimes against humanity.’ Austria is among 11 countries that have laws against denying the Holocaust, in which some six million Jews were slaughtered by Nazi Germany, mainly in the later years of World War II. Irving became notorious worldwide for attempting to establish, against the evidence, that Hitler was not party to the Holocaust and that the number of Jews slain by the Nazis was greatly exaggerated.”

That the Holocaust is a historical fact, and that the Nazis were responsible for the Kristallnacht, as well as the murder of over six million Jews and millions of other innocent victims, cannot be denied. The question pondered in the USA is, however, whether it should be a crime to do so, or whether this would be a violation of the constitutional right of free speech. According to the universally held understanding in the USA, it clearly would be unconstitutional to enact such a crime. This shows, then, how far certain European countries and the USA are apart in their value systems, even when applied to the fundamental understanding as to whether or not to “criminalize” statements which would be protected under the US Constitution.

The real danger is that Europe will in time enact other laws, making it a crime to express opinions which might be correct, but not in accordance with the politically desired understanding of certain European governments.

This development is clearly prophesied to happen. Please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

New IRS Rules for Charitable Donations

The Associated Press reported on December 15:

“Beginning in the 2007 tax year, taxpayers must provide bank records or other information when claiming deductions for charitable donations of money, the Internal Revenue Service said in newly released guidelines. The IRS said that bank records can include canceled checks, bank or credit union statements and credit card statements that show the name of the charity and the transaction posting date. Taxpayers may also submit a written communication from the charity with the organization’s name, the date of the transaction and the amount of the contribution.

“Money donations are defined as those made in cash, or by check, electronic funds transfer, credit card or payroll deductions. For payroll deductions, the taxpayer should retain a pay stub, W-2 wage statement or other document showing the amount withheld for charity along with the pledge card showing the name of the charity. Previously, taxpayers could back up donations of money with personal bank registers, diaries or notes made around the time of the donation. Such records are no longer sufficient.

“There’s no change in the requirement that a taxpayer get an acknowledgment from the charity for each deductible donation of $250 or more… The tax agency also reminded people making year-end donations that donations charged to a credit card before the end of the year count for 2006, even if the credit-card bill isn’t paid until next year. Checks also count for 2006 as long as they are mailed this year.”

No Talks with Syria and Iran?

The Telegraph reported on December 8:

“Differences have emerged between Tony Blair and George Bush on strategy in the Middle East, even as the two leaders agreed that a major change of course was necessary in Iraq in the wake of the devastating critique delivered this week by a high-level bipartisan panel in Washington… at a joint press conference after a White House meeting yesterday, the President ruled out early talks with Iran and Syria… on which Britain seems much keener… But the direct talks with Tehran seen by some experts as an essential part of a new US strategy remain out of the question, Mr Bush stressed, until the regime verifiably suspended uranium enrichment. British officials later refused to make such a connection, pointing to the full diplomatic relations that exist between London and Tehran. In the case of Syria–recently visited by Mr Blair’s top foreign policy adviser–Mr Bush was equally uncompromising. Any serious discussions between Washington and Damascus depended on Syria not fomenting terrorism against Iraq and ceasing its meddling in Lebanon, he said…

“Yesterday’s meeting was a sombre occasion, the first at which the two architects of the war had to confront, head on and in public together, the recent slide towards anarchy in Iraq. A tired-looking Mr Bush acknowledged that the situation was ‘bad’ and ‘very tough,’ and that the task ahead was ‘daunting.’ But, he warned, the stakes could not be higher. A terrorist-dominated Middle East, he said, represented ‘an unprecedented threat to civilisation’. As unwilling as ever to admit error, he described America’s involvement in Iraq as ‘a noble mission’. Unlike the Prime Minister, he spoke explicitly of ‘victory’; insisting that it was ‘important for the entire world’ that the US and Britain prevailed.

“The two countries were facing ‘a difficult moment’ in Iraq. But Mr Bush noted that yesterday was the 65th anniversary of Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbour, the event that propelled the US into the Second World War, in which Britain and the US had fought side by side. They had faced difficult moments then but had prevailed, just as they would in this conflict. But differences in emphasis were evident. Mr Bush seemed only half-heartedly to accept the link between the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the crises in Lebanon and Iraq, all of which involve a clash between moderation and extremism, as the Prime Minister believes.”

For more information, please view our StandingWatch program: “How to Solve Iraq’s Problems…”

Kirk Douglas: “The World Is in a Mess”

On December 9, PRNewswire published an interesting press release from famous actor Kirk Douglas. We are reproducing the following excerpts:

“My name is Kirk Douglas… I was a movie star and I’m Michael Douglas’ dad, Catherine Zeta-Jones’ father-in-law, and the grandparent of their two children. Today I celebrate my 90th birthday. I have a message to convey to America’s young people. A 90th birthday is special. In my case, this birthday is not only special but miraculous. I survived World War II, a helicopter crash, a stroke, and two new knees… Instead of making a silent wish for myself, I want to make a LOUD wish for THE WORLD.

“Let’s face it: THE WORLD IS IN A MESS and you are inheriting it… You are the group facing many problems: abject poverty, global warming, genocide, AIDS, and suicide bombers to name a few. These problems exist, and the world is silent. We have done very little to solve these problems. Now, we leave it to you. You have to fix it because the situation is intolerable.

“You need to… care about people and the world you live in. We live in the best country in the world. I know. My parents were Russian immigrants. America is a country where EVERYONE, regardless of race, creed, or age has a chance. I had that chance. You are the generation that is most impacted and the generation that can make a difference.

“I love this country because I came from a life of poverty. I was able to work my way through college and go into acting, the field that I love. There is no guarantee in this country that you will be successful. But you always have a chance. Nothing should interfere with it. You have to make sure that nothing stands in the way.”

Arab World on the Brink of Exploding

AFP reported on December 9:

“Saudi King Abdullah opened the annual summit of Gulf leaders with a warning that the Arab world was on the brink of exploding because of conflicts in the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Lebanon. ‘Our Arab region is besieged by a number of dangers, as if it was a powder keg waiting for a spark to explode,’ he [said]… The Palestinians were reeling from ‘a hostile and ugly occupation’ by Israel while the international community watched their ‘bloody tragedy like a spectator,’ Abdullah said. But ‘most dangerous for the (Palestinian) cause is the conflict among brethren,’ he said in a reference to the differences between Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah faction and the Islamist Hamas movement that have blocked the formation of a unity government. In Iraq ‘a brother is still killing his brother,’ Abdullah said of the tit-for-tat killings between the Sunni Arab former elite and the ruling Shiite majority. Abdullah also warned that Lebanon, which was rocked by civil war in 1975-1990, risked sliding into renewed civil strife as a result of the current standoff between pro- and anti-Syrian camps.”

Iraq’s Grim Death Toll

The Associated Press reported on December 9:

“As of Saturday, Dec. 9, 2006, at least 2,930 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003… The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,356 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military’s numbers… The British military has reported 126 deaths; Italy, 33; Ukraine, 18; Poland, 18; Bulgaria, 13; Spain, 11; Denmark, six; El Salvador, five; Slovakia, four; Estonia, Netherlands, Thailand, two each; and Australia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Romania, one death each.”

This is almost the same number as the reported deaths on September 11th.

Rumsfeld Sued in U.S. Civil Court for Violation of Constitution and Civil Rights

MSNBC reported on December 8 that former alien detainees have filed a civil lawsuit against Don Rumsfeld. They argue that Rumsfeld is guilty of “‘derelictions of duty and command’ and promoting the practice of inflicting ‘physical and psychological injuries’ on civilians held by the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan… The former detainees accuse Rumsfeld and others of being personally responsible for approving torture techniques and violating the U.S. Constitution. Rumsfeld argues that they are all immune from liability… [and that] ‘alien military detainees held outside the United States are not generally entitled to constitutional protections.’…

“The former detainees who filed the lawsuit say they were all eventually released from detention and never charged with any crime or wrongdoing. The detainees–five were held at Abu Ghraib and four at Bagram–accuse Rumsfeld and the others of subjecting them to ‘torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, including severe and repeated beatings, cutting with knives, sexual humiliation and assault, confinement in a wooden box, forcible sleep and sensory deprivation, mock executions, death threats, and restraint in contorted and excruciating positions,’ according to court documents.

“The suit seeks compensatory damages and a judicial declaration that the legal rights of the prisoners were violated under the Constitution, the Geneva accords and other international law. Although allegations in the suit are the equivalent of war crimes, it is a civil case, not a criminal one. Only the U.S. government is empowered to prosecute war crimes in criminal court or before a military court.”

Will Germany Get Involved?

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 7:

“The Iraq Study Group on Wednesday released its long awaited report on the increasingly chaotic situation in Iraq. And one of its central recommendations was, as expected, to talk directly with two of President George W. Bush’s most hated countries: Syria and Iran. Should he agree, Germany may be just the country to help him proceed. Indeed, Karsten Voigt, Berlin’s coordinator for German-American relations, wants Germany to play a central role in bringing Washington to the table with Damascus and Tehran. The Germans have long pushed for the dialogue, which they see as critical to regional stability.’Germans and Europeans can help here and mediate, but they can never replace direct talks between the US and Syria or Iran,’ Voigt told the Berliner Zeitung…

“Germany finds itself right in the middle of the diplomatic triangle. Last week, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid a visit to Damascus. He delivered a stern message to President Assad that Syria will only get his help in emerging from international isolation if it stops contributing to Lebanon’s instability. On Wednesday, Steinmeier’s travels will take him to Washington for consultations with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Syria is sure to be on the agenda. Germany’s nice-making with Syria has been as controversial within Europe as in the US.

“When it comes to speaking with Iran, Europe is more united. President Bush has said he would join Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China in talks with Tehran if Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad first suspends uranium enrichment. But the Iraq Study Group is urging Bush to hold talks ‘without preconditions.’ If the situation in Iraq deteriorates, says the report, Iran might ‘send in troops to restore stability in southern Iraq and perhaps gain control of oil fields.’ Voigt sees this as Germany’s moment to shine diplomatically. ‘Europe and the US can only be successful in the region if they are both strong and attractive and cooperate well,’ he said.”

Is Israel Going to Give Control of Parts of Mount Zion to the Vatican?

Israel National News published the following report on December 10:

“[Prime Minister] Olmert [of Israel] will meet in the Vatican this week with Pope Benedict–two weeks after Israeli diplomats confirmed the reopening of talks over the status of church property on Mt. Zion and elsewhere… A year ago… a Foreign Ministry official admitted that a blueprint of an agreement with the Vatican giving it control of parts of Mt. Zion in Jerusalem–also known as King David’s burial site–had been received. The proposed contract read as follows:

“‘The State of Israel hands over to the Holy See the use of the Cenacle [the room of the event known as the Last Supper, above King David’s tomb – ed.], of the access path to it, and of the spaces adjacent to it… It is the Holy See’s intention to inform the Bishops – and through them the world’s Priests – that the Catholic Church has been given the use of the Cenacle, inviting them to visit the Holy Place together with their faithful…’

“At the time, President Moshe Katzav was about to embark on a visit to the Vatican. In the face of increasing public pressure, he was forced to deny any plans to sign away the King David’s complex in Jerusalem. It now appears, however, that this option has once again surfaced.”

Israel Worries About President Bush

AFP reported on December 8:

“Israel’s foreign minister has arrived in the United States amid worries that the Jewish state’s main ally could shift course after a report [by the Iraq Study Group or ISG] urged Washington to redouble Mideast peacemaking efforts… ‘The fact that [Bush] has decided to support Blair’s visit to the region and to present this trip as a joint mission of Britain and the United States shows that Bush intends to at least try to change his policy,’ Israel’s Yediot Aharonot daily wrote Friday. The newspaper went on to slam the Iraq report, accusing its chief authors James Baker and Lee Hamilton of ignoring Israel while preparing the report.

“‘If the truth be told, they barely paid any attention to us,’ the newspaper lamented. ‘For 14 years, Israel enjoyed warm and pampering attention, under Clinton and Bush. Now, in light of the catastrophe in Iraq, Baker and Hamilton wish to restore us to our proper proportions.’ Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has also expressed dissatisfaction with the report’s recommendations. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he said US problems in Iraq ‘are entirely independent of the controversy between us and the Palestinians.'”

Radioactive Polonium Surfaces in Germany

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 11:

“The cloud of intrigue around the death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko continues to thicken… In true Cold War thriller fashion, a German connection has now been uncovered, with traces of the radioactive isotope polonium-210 which poisoned Litvinenko being found in Hamburg… Russia’s ambassador to Berlin, Vladimir Kotenev, on Sunday rejected criticism from the German government that the Russians were not doing enough to investigate the case… The discovery prompted German Chancellor Angela Merkel to warn the Russian government that cases such as Litvinenko’s death and the murder of journalist Anna Politkovskaya risked damaging Russia’s image abroad…

“Litvinenko died on November 23 after receiving a lethal dose of polonium-210. In a statement he issued shortly before his death, he accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of being responsible for his poisoning. The Kremlin has denied involvement in the case, which has revived memories of Cold War espionage, strained relations between Russia and Britain, and sparked a number of conspiracy theories.”

German Federal Government’s Latest “Disgrace”

On December 11, the German press, including Bild Online, reported about another incredible case of perceived incompetence of the German federal government, calling it the latest “giant disgrace.” According to Bild, the federal government deliberated for over six months how to ban smoking in trains, public buildings and discotheques, before announcing on Sunday that they are not even competent, for lack of jurisdiction, to make such decisions. Germany’s 16 states have extensive rights that cannot be overridden by Berlin. Bild asked: “Are our Politicians totally covered with smoke?”

Chile’s Pinochet Dies

AFP reported on December 11:

“Riot police clashed with thousands of demonstrators late Sunday celebrating the death of Chile’s former dictator Augusto Pinochet, as his body lay in a humble military school chapel. The former strongman died on Sunday aged 91, having evaded years of efforts to bring him to trial for thousands of cases of murder and torture arising from his 1973-1990 regime… The death of Pinochet, who came to power in a US-backed military coup in 1973 that toppled the Socialist government of Salvador Allende, struck a deep nerve in a country where many suffered under his regime and others defend it as salvation from the road to communism.

“The United States, which supported Pinochet’s 1973 coup against Allende, expressed sympathy for the victims of Pinochet’s regime… Former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was ‘greatly saddened’ by Pinochet’s death, her spokesman said on Sunday… Thatcher, who was prime minister from 1979 to 1990, would send her ‘deepest condolences’ to his widow and family. Left and right-wing political parties in Spain regretted that Pinochet had died before being brought to justice for atrocities committed under his regime… Some 3,000 people, by official count, were killed or disappeared under Pinochet’s regime.”

Freedom of the Internet?

Ireland-on-Line reported on December 8:

“Nearly one third of journalists now serving time in prisons around the world published their work on the internet, the second-largest category behind print journalists, the US committee to protect journalists said today. The bulk of internet journalists in jail–49 in total–shows that ‘authoritarian states are becoming more determined to control the internet,’ said Joel Simon, the New York-based group’s executive director…

“When Iranian journalist Mojtaba Saminejad was sentenced to two years in prison for insulting his country’s leader, it was not for an article that appeared in a newspaper. His offending story was posted on his personal weblog. Other noteworthy imprisoned internet journalists include US video blogger Joshua Wolf, who refused to give a grand jury his footage of a 2005 protest against a G-8 economic summit, and China’s Shi Tao, who is serving a 10-year sentence for posting online instructions by the government on how to cover the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

“For the second year in a row, CPJ’s annual survey found the total number of journalists in jail worldwide has increased. There were 134 reporters, editors and photographers incarcerated as of December 1, nine more than a year ago… In addition to the internet writers, the total includes 67 print journalists, eight TV reporters, eight radio reporters and two documentary filmmakers.

“Among the 24 nations that have imprisoned reporters, China topped the list for the eighth consecutive year with 31 journalists behind bars–19 of them internet journalists. Cuba was second with 24 reporters in prison…

“The US government and military has detained three journalists, including Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who was taken into custody in Iraq nine months ago and has yet to be charged with a crime…

“Cuban journalist Manuel Vasquez-Portal said he posted his articles on a Miami-based website because: ‘It was the only way to get the truth out of Cuba.’ Mr Vasquez-Portal, who was jailed for 15 months in 2003, said he had to call his stories in to the operator of the website, though, because Cubans are not allowed access to the internet.”

Christmas PAGAN-Inspired

On December 11, USA Today published a thought-provoking article by Mary Zeiss Stange, professor of women’s studies and religion at Skidmore College. She wrote:

“Happy holidays!

“Have I just offended you? If you are a member of the American Family Association, the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights or the Committee to Save Merry Christmas, I probably have.

“For the second year in a row, conservative Christian groups have threatened boycotts of big-box and department stores whose advertisements for ‘holiday trees’ and whose hearty if non-specific holiday well-wishes reflect, these groups say, an ‘anti-Christian and anti-Christmas bias.’…

“Yet there is a deep, and seasonal, irony here – one that might come as a shock to the ‘Save Merry Christmas’ crowd. For Christmas is, in its origins and its symbolism, perhaps the most pagan-inspired of all Christian holidays. Its dating derives from the ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia, which was determined by the winter solstice, that astronomical point in the year after which the periods of sunlight on Earth lengthen…

“Most of the popular symbols surrounding Christmas–evergreen trees and other greenery, mistletoe and holly, the Yule log, candles and bonfires and holiday lights, mystical spirits with the ability to fly and to enter and leave a house through its chimney, tricksters who treat or taunt little children, not to mention those elves–all derive from older, pre-Christian Europe. These pagan-derived symbols and customs are precisely the elements of Christmas that Christian activists are pressing to preserve and promote, in venues such as Target and Macy’s.”

For more information on the REAL origins of Christmas, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas!”

A European Army?

The EUobserver wrote on December 1:

“After its mission overseeing elections in Congo, EU troops are well on their way to being able to work as a common EU army, according to their French general. ‘I am very satisfied because I believe that we have a very well-functioning unit,’ said general Christian Damay… ‘Now we really have the beginning of a European army.’

“Discussions about creating a European army are not new, with Polish President Lech Kaczynski recently suggesting there should be a multinational EU army of 100,000 troops to support NATO missions… General Damay’s words come just as EU troops are packing their bags to leave Congo after having been in the country to monitor elections for four months–their mandate expired yesterday (30 November)… The 1,400-strong Congo mission has been held up as a shining example of a successful peacekeeping mission…”

According to Biblical prophecy, a powerful European army is going to exist very soon. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

How Propaganda Is to Be Used to Brainwash the British

England’s Daily Mail wrote on December 3:

“A multi-million pound propaganda war to force the British people to love the European Union and Brussels bureaucrats is to be launched by Tony Blair as part of his legacy as Prime Minister, it has been revealed… Details of the plan, obtained by The Mail on Sunday, show how the Prime Minister is so frustrated at his failure to persuade voters that the EU is a good thing, he is to spend a fortune from public funds in a final attempt to brainwash them before he resigns next year. They include banning Ministers and officials from referring to unpopular EU institutions like the European Commission, places such as Brussels and Strasbourg, the euro currency, terms like ‘Eurocrat’ and ‘EU directive’ and controversial policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy and the EU constitution. Instead they have been ordered to try to promote the ‘EU brand’ by linking to popular European events and institutions such as the Eurovision song contest, the Cannes Film Festival and the UEFA soccer organisation that runs the Champions League tournament–even though none of them has anything to do with the EU.”

In spite of these incredible alleged attempts by the British government to popularize the EU among British voters, Bible prophecy strongly indicates that Great Britain will ultimately not be a part of the EU. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Afghanistan Isn’t Working, Either…

Sometimes, we hear politicians make the claim that Iraq isn’t working because the USA moved alone, without European support, while Afghanistan is working, as the USA acted in collaboration with Europe and many additional allies. Not so!!! Afghanistan isn’t working either–and has not been for a long time.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 3:

“The regeneration of the Taliban — which has retaken control of parts of southern Afghanistan — is no longer fresh news to anyone. But are the insurgent forces preparing to launch a series of attacks on the capital city of Kabul, which is home to peacekeeping troops, the Afghan government and non-government organizations that are helping to rebuild the war-torn country? The leadership of Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr, fear that Taliban attacks on the Afghanistan capital of Kabul will likely increase in the coming months. According to a classified report on the state of Afghanistan obtained by SPIEGEL, ‘militant opposition forces’ have made it clear that they will focus fighting during the winter ‘on the country’s largest cities.’ “The security situation has already ‘visibly deteriorated’ in two districts located just 10 kilometers from Kabul’s city limits — to the point that Afghan security forces don’t even dare to patrol the streets at night. The report warned that Taliban fighters could use the district as ‘gateways’ to Kabul and also as [a] place where they could stage future attacks. According to the report, Taliban fighters are smuggled into the districts in small ‘groups of up to eight men,’ and they often blend in with the population by staying in the homes of local residents for several days at a time.

“In a separate development, NATO troops fired on civilians after a suicide car bomb exploded next to their convoy on Sunday. The suicide blast in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, killed two civilians and injured ten others, including three British soldiers. NATO spokesman Maj. Luke Knittig said that as the patrol was driving away from the scene they saw a car they feared might contain a second suicide bomber. At least one civilian was killed and nine were injured during the ensuing shooting.”

Hezbollah Used Civilians as Human Shields

USA Today reported on December 6:

“An Israeli think tank with strong links to the military released videos and testimony Tuesday it said proved Hezbollah guerrillas used civilians as human shields during last summer’s war in Lebanon. The report’s authors hoped the revelations would challenge allegations that Israel committed war crimes when it attacked residential areas during the war. Although no formal war crimes charges have been filed against either side, Israel has taken the brunt of international criticism. Israel is especially sensitive about the possibility of legal action because of previous lawsuits and indictments abroad against Israeli leaders and military officers.

“The 300-page report, compiled by a military intelligence expert who has an office in the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, argues that Lebanese government and media reports of the number of civilian dead in Lebanon were overblown. More than 850 Lebanese, most of them civilians, were killed in Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks during the 34-day war, which began after Hezbollah guerrillas captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid. The guerrillas bombarded northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets, killing 39 civilians. Also, 120 soldiers were killed in the violence. Israel says its attacks against Hezbollah targets in populated areas did not violate international law.

“The report, first released to The New York Times, said Hezbollah operated from civilian areas to deter the Israeli military and gain a propaganda advantage if an Israeli counterattack caused civilian casualties. Guerrillas stashed weapons in hundreds of private homes and mosques, had missile transports closely follow ambulances and fired rockets near U.N. monitoring posts, the report said.”

Chavez’ Re-election Poses Threat to the USA

MSNBC wrote on December 3:

“Emboldened by a resounding re-election, President Hugo Chavez pledged to shake up Venezuela with a more radical version of socialism and forge a wider front against the United States in Latin America… Chavez has posed a growing challenge to the United States while leading a widening bloc of Latin American leftists, influencing elections across the region, and allying himself with U.S. opponents like Iran and Syria.”The United States remains the top buyer of Venezuelan oil, but Chavez has sought to gradually diversify to new clients in Latin America and as far away as China… Venezuela is the world’s fifth largest oil exporter and soaring oil prices have made it the continent’s fastest-growing economy–a fact that some voters said helped tilt them toward Chavez… The president insists he is a democrat and will continue to respect private property–though he has boosted state control over the oil industry and has said he might nationalize utilities.”

Inevitable War Between Somalia, Islam, Ethiopia and Eritrea?

The Associated Press reported on December 5, 2006:

“Somalia’s troops are ready for an imminent and inevitable war with the Islamic militia that has taken over much of the country and surrounded the internationally backed government, the country’s prime minister [Ali Gedi] said… The Islamic movement has overrun much of Somalia, including the capital, in recent months, increasingly sidelining the weak government and vowing to bring Islamic law to the whole country… The United States has said the Islamic movement has links to al-Qaida, an accusation Islamic leaders have repeatedly denied… Gedi said the Islamic forces included more than 3,000 foreign fighters…

“A confidential U.N. report recently obtained by The Associated Press said there were up to 8,000 Ethiopian troops in the country supporting the government. Ethiopia’s parliament has authorized military action if attacked by the Islamic movement, which has declared holy war on Ethiopia over its troop incursions. The U.N. report said Ethiopia’s regional rival, Eritrea, had 2,000 troops in the country backing the Islamic movement, raising the specter of Eritrea and Ethiopia fighting a proxy war in Somalia… The United States has issued a travel advisory for Somalia’s neighbors Kenya and Ethiopia, warning that extremists in Somalia could launch suicide attacks in those countries.”

Terrible Disaster in the Philippines

AFP reported on December 2:

“Rescuers have arrived in this devastated Philippines city as officials warned there would be few survivors from giant mudslides which swept away entire villages, killing hundreds. Military and civilian emergency workers delayed by typhoon Durian, which triggered the mudflows on Thursday, flew in at first light with the toll already at 469 dead or missing [By now, the death toll has been estimated as exceeding at least 1,500]… Many buildings in Legaspi, capital of the eastern Bicol region, were damaged or demolished, while villages on the slopes of the scenic Mayon volcano had been reduced to just a few sticks…

“The disaster comes after an emergency in August, when 30,000 people were evacuated fearing Mayon would erupt before returning in September… The Philippines is also recovering from the impact of typhoon Cimaron, the strongest cyclone to hit the nation in more than 10 years, which left 38 dead or missing in late October… The floods have killed at least 120 people and displaced around 300,000 since unusually heavy rains started to pound the country in October.”

The IRS vs. Pasadena Church

On November 16, the Los Angeles Times published extended excerpts from a controversial sermon at Pasadena’s “All Saints Episcopal Church,” which was delivered at the eve of national elections in 2004, prompting the IRS to accuse the church of politically intervening. The paper asked the question: “But did [the controversial] speech violate federal laws? The answer, mostly likely to come from the courts, hinges on how one defines campaigning and interprets [the pastor’s] remarks.”

When reading the excerpts from the sermon, as set forth below, the FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WITH THE SERMON becomes very clear: It was given in preparation of a vote for a political candidate or political party. This is the sad conclusion to be gleaned from the sermon which, otherwise, includes many valuable thoughts to consider. Whether such “political involvement” is enough to deny the church tax exemption is a different matter. However, we must stress that getting involved in the politics of this world and VOTING for a particular political candidate or party in governmental elections VIOLATES the Biblical principle of keeping ourselves separate from this world. As a consequence, members of the Church of the Eternal God and its corporate affiliates refuse to participate in governmental elections and to vote for a particular political candidate or political party.

The LA Times quoted the sermon speaker as follows:

“Good people of profound faith will be for either George Bush or John Kerry for reasons deeply rooted in their faith. I want you to hear me on this. Yet I want to say as clearly as I can how I see Jesus impacting your vote and mine. Both Sen. Kerry and President Bush are devout Christians–one a Roman Catholic and the other a Methodist. Against the teachings of Jesus, listen in as Kerry and Bush debate three hugely important issues this morning: ending war and violence, eliminating poverty and holding tenaciously to hope… I believe Jesus would say to Bush and Kerry: ‘War is itself the most extreme form of terrorism. President Bush, you have not made dramatically clear what have been the human consequences of the war in Iraq. More than 1,100 U.S. soldiers dead, 8,000 wounded–some disabled for life–and now the latest figures say 100,000 Iraqi fighters, women and children are dead… Your fundamental premise for the massive violence of this war is that it is the proper response to the terrorist attack that took place Sept. 11, 2001. But remember: The killing of innocent people to achieve some desired goal is morally repudiated by anyone claiming to follow me as their savior and guide.’

“Jesus, looking at the United States, the most powerful nation in the history of civilization, disavows any path that affirms grief must lead to war; Jesus refuses to accept the violence of war as the necessary consequences of our tragic losses on Sept. 11. Maybe you are calling Jesus naive, but he points us to the truest reality in the universe: ‘Mercy brings mercy and revenge brings revenge. Tragically, your world refuses to learn this truth even after so many bitter experiences in every part of the world. Mercy brings mercy. Revenge brings revenge.’

“How Jesus mourns the deaths of those 3,000 people killed on Sept. 11. But Jesus also mourns the death, devastation and loss in Afghanistan and Iraq and Sudan and Israel/Palestine and in so many other parts of the world. They too are part of God’s precious human family… Jesus would say to us: ‘Yes, mourn the deaths of those closest to you who have died; yet it is troublesome that you in America could get so caught up in the tragedy of Sept. 11 without ever noticing all my children who have been blown apart by this war, and the 30,000 children under 5 years of age across the globe who die every day of malnutrition and hunger. My heart can hardly bear it.’

“Jesus confronts both Sen. Kerry and President Bush: ‘I will tell you what I think of your war. The sin at the heart of this war against Iraq is your belief that an American life is of more value than an Iraqi life. That an American child is more precious than an Iraqi baby. God loathes war. At the time of the trauma of Sept. 11 you did not have to declare war. You could have said to the American people and the world: ‘We will respond but not in kind. We will not seek to avenge the death of innocent Americans by the death of innocent victims elsewhere, lest we become what we abhor.’ Jesus continues: ‘Mr. President, your doctrine of preemptive war is a failed doctrine. Forcibly changing the regime of an enemy that posed no imminent threat has led to disaster. It will take years for the widely felt hostility in Iraq and around the world to ebb. The consequences of arrogance, accompanied by certitude that the world’s most powerful military can cure all ills, should be burned into America’s memory forever. President Bush, Sen. Kerry, will you save us from all this suffering? But God’s only hands are yours and all who call upon my name. In the midst of great suffering, I call out to you: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”‘

“Jesus turns to President Bush again with deep sadness. ‘Is what I hear really true? Do you really mean that you want to end a decade-old ban on developing nuclear battlefield weapons, as well as endorsing the creation of a nuclear “bunker-blaster” bomb? Are you really going to resume nuclear testing? That is sheer insanity. This only encourages nations to build their nuclear arsenal in defense against you. This is morally indefensible.’ Jesus grows more insistent. ‘The development of battlefield nuclear weapons and threatening their use against “rogue” nations and willing to strike first is a dangerous change of policy. Talk of winnable nuclear war is the greatest illusion. I am indignant when I hear people in your government saying a nuclear war could end for anyone as a victory.’

“Everything I know about Jesus would have him uttering those words. From my own study, prayer, reflection and dialogue, I say that nuclear war is the enemy… The political reality that nuclear war still remains an option for America and other countries is the paramount horror of modern existence. The nuclear bomb is the most outright evil thing that human beings ever created. What does it say about the moral values of a nation that puts its security in nuclear weapons that are morally outrageous? I believe that Jesus calls us to be nuclear abolitionists through the political process. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.’ When you go to the polls on Nov. 2, vote all your values. Jesus places on your heart this question: Who is to be trusted as the world’s chief peacemaker?”

Papal Authority Uncompromised

AFP reported on December 1:

“Pope Benedict XVI wrapped up a momentous visit to Turkey, in which he reached out to Muslims and the Orthodox Church while standing firm on key issues such as papal authority and Europe’s Christian roots… Adding drama to diplomacy, the 79-year-old pope made a stunning conciliatory gesture on Thursday when he assumed an attitude of Muslim prayer while facing Mecca in Istanbul’s Blue Mosque… he remained steadfast on a major point of disagreement — papal authority — when he stressed the Vatican’s ‘universal’ role.”

Are We To Observe Sunday?

CNA wrote on December 1:

“Pope Benedict XVI has sent a message to Cardinal Francis Arinze ahead of the Congregation for Divine Worship’s study day on the Sunday Mass… ‘Sundays,’ writes the Pope, ‘remain the fundamental seedbed and the primordial nucleus of the liturgical year… For the first Christians, participation in Sunday celebrations was the natural expression of their belonging to Christ, of their communion with His mystical Body, in joyous expectation of His glorious return. Today… it is more than ever necessary to reiterate the sacred nature of the Lord’s day and the need to participate in Sunday Mass.

“‘The cultural context in which we live, often marked by religious indifference and secularism that obscure the horizon of transcendence, must not cause us to forget that the People of God who came into being with the events of Easter must return [to those events] as an inexhaustible spring, in order to better understand … their own identity and the reasons for their existence. Sunday was not chosen by the Christian community… rather by the Apostles, indeed by Christ Himself Who on that day, “the first day of the week,” arose and appeared before the disciples. … Each Sunday celebration of the Eucharist enacts the sanctification of Christian people.’ Benedict XVI closed his message by expressing the hope that the study day ‘may help to recover the Christian meaning of Sunday in … the life of all believers.'”

But is any or all of this true? Did the early Apostles and the early Christians celebrate Sunday or Easter? Did Jesus Christ rise from the dead on Sunday morning? If you don’t know the answers to these vital questions, then the truth WILL surprise you. It might actually CHANGE your life!

To learn more, please read our free booklets, “Jesus Christ–a Great Mystery,”“Don’t Keep Christmas,” and “God’s Commanded Holy Days.”

The Pope’s Visit in Turkey

Prior to the pope’s arrival in Turkey on Tuesday, Der Spiegel Online reported on November 27:

“Pope Benedict XVI’s trip to Turkey this week is not shaping up to be an easy one. In fact, it seems as if everybody he will be visiting in Ankara and Istanbul would prefer he not come at all. Some 25,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Istanbul on Sunday chanting ‘No to the pope’ and ‘Don’t come insidious pope’ while waving signs depicting the pontiff as the grim reaper. Organized by an Islamist political party, the protest was the biggest yet against the pope’s visit to Turkey, set to begin on Tuesday.

“Muslims are still angered by a lecture Benedict gave in September, when he quoted a 14th century Byzantine emperor who wrote in a dialogue with a Persian that the Prophet Muhammad had brought ‘only evil and inhuman’ things. The speech, made during a visit to his native Germany, appeared to link Islam to violence. The pope never apologized to the extent Muslims have demanded. The pope also didn’t make any friends with a recent accidental reference to Istanbul as ‘Constantinople,’ the city’s name before the Ottomans took it in 1453…

“Benedict is also controversial in Turkey due to comments in 2004, prior to his becoming pope, that Turkey didn’t belong in the European Union. ‘Turkey has always represented a different continent, in permanent contrast to Europe,’ he said. Irrespective of the pope’s visit this week, Turkey’s EU ambitions took another hit on Monday as negotiations to allow Turkey to open up its ports to Cyprus broke down in Finland.

“In addition to boosting the dialogue between Catholics and Muslims, the pope will also be travelling to [Ephesus and] Istanbul to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the leader of the world’s [150 million] Orthodox Christians. The Vatican, which oversees the world’s 1 billion Catholics, is interested in deepening ties between the two churches, which split in the 11th century. But some in the Orthodox Church… have been wary of becoming too close to the pope. Istanbul was a major Christian capital until it fell to the Ottomans.”

How to Please the Turks

How quickly alleged opinions and positions can change, became clear when observing events DURING the first two days of the pope’s visit in Turkey.

Der Spiegel Online wrote on Wednesday, November 29:

“It didn’t take long for Pope Benedict XVI to transform himself from one of Turkey’s worst enemies to one of the country’s best friends. Already on Wednesday, the pope was being given praise for his attempts to bridge the gaps between Christians and Muslims… His comments on Tuesday saying that ISLAM WAS A RELIGION OF PEACE was well received.

“But that wasn’t all. The pope came bearing a surprise gift as well: SUPPORT FOR TURKISH MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION… With foreign ministers across Europe on Wednesday [with the notable exception of Britain’s Prime Minister Tony Blair] putting the pressure on Turkey to give ground in the country’s ongoing tiff with Greece and Cyprus, the pope suddenly seems one of Ankara’s few friends.”

AFP reported on November 29:

“Pope Benedict XVI has begun the religious leg of his four-day visit to Turkey Wednesday by celebrating his first mass on Muslim soil at the [alleged] Home of the Virgin Mary [in Ephesus] and making a fresh appeal for peace in the Middle East… The pope recalled that the Virgin Mary, venerated by Christians as the mother of Christ, ‘is EQUALLY VENERATED BY MUSLIMS.'”

…But Perhaps Not Quite…

AFP reported on November 30:

“Pope Benedict XVI has put the brakes on his charm offensive in EU-hopeful, Muslim majority Turkey, stressing Europe’s ‘Christian roots’ and taking a strong stand on religious freedoms and minority rights. Flanked by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I after mass at the patriarcal Church of St. George, the pontiff complained in a speech Thursday that ‘the process of secularization has weakened the hold of … (Christian) tradition’ in Europe. ‘In the face of this reality, we are called, together with all other Christian communities, to renew Europe’s awareness of its Christian roots, traditions and values, giving them new vitality,’ he said. His statement came just two days after he told Turkey’s Islamist-turned-conservative Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in what was widely seen as a spectacular U-turn, that he supported Turkey’s membership in the European Union. Turkey in the EU, he had said while still Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, would be ‘a grave error… against the tide of history.'”

“In a later joint declaration with Bartholomew I, at the risk of once again rubbing up his hosts the wrong way, he said respect for religious freedom must be a criterion for membership in the EU, which must ensure that its members respect the rights of their religious minorities… Another bone of contention is Turkey’s refusal to recognize Bartholomew I as the ecumenical, or universal, leader of about 150 million Orthodox faithful around the world… Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I have both put reconciliation of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches high on their agendas, and the pope described the schism, which dates back to 1054, as a ‘scandal to the world.’ But he remained steadfast on a key point of contention between the two rites — papal authority — by referring in his speech to the Catholic leader’s ‘universal responsibility.'”

Catholic Church and Anglican Church Remain Far Apart

AFP reported on November 23:

“Serious obstacles impede closer ties between Roman Catholics and Anglicans, Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said… The cordial meeting marked the 40th anniversary of the historic encounter between Williams’ predecessor Michael Ramsey and pope Paul VI that set the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches on a path of reconciliation after a rift of more than 400 years. ‘There are many areas of witness and service in which we can stand together,’ the statement said, listing the quest for peace in the Middle East ‘and in other parts of the world marred by conflict and the threat of terrorism; promoting respect for life from conception until natural death (and) protecting the sanctity of marriage.’ Afterward, the two men prayed together in a chapel in the Apostolic palace.

“Experts expected LITTLE PROGRESS TOWARDS MORE UNITY between the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, which remain divided on issues including papal authority, the ordination of women and gay priests, priestly celibacy and other questions of sexual mores. The Anglican communion, which split from Catholicism in the 16th century when Pope Clement VII refused to grant King Henry VIII a divorce from Catherine d’Aragon, opened the priesthood to women in 1994 and is currently considering allowing woman bishops.The church is also considering allowing openly homosexual men and women into the priesthood, while it remains divided on the question of gay marriage.”

Enlargement of Europe

AFP reported on November 25:

“Bulgaria and Romania have cleared the last hurdle to joining the EU next year… after the German parliament ratified their entry into the club. ‘I welcome today’s vote in the German Bundesrat (upper house) on the accession treaty of Bulgaria and Romania, which completes the ratification process in Germany. It also completes the ratification process as a whole in the EU, since all the parliaments of the 25 member states and both acceding countries have now ratified the treaty,’ said EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn…

“While the Bulgarians and Romanians will become full members of the club on January 1, [2007], they will do so under close scrutiny… Bulgaria and Romania began the membership process in 2000, along with the 10 mainly ex-Soviet bloc nations who joined the EU in 2004. Their admittance to the European Union continues the process of embracing former members of the Communist bloc which crumbled 15 years ago.

“Still waiting in the wings after January 1 will be the western Balkan states of Albania, Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia… However the Union wants to sort out its own constitutional crisis, caused by the rejection of the bloc’s draft constitution by Dutch and French voters last year, before letting anyone else into the club. Croatia could become the 28th EU member state but not until 2009-2010.

“As for Turkey, another EU hopeful, the membership horizon is growing more distant as relations grow more strained, and few observers expect Ankara to be popping any European champagne corks for at least another decade.”

Putin Unhappy With EU Enlargement

The Bulgarian paper, Sofia Weekly, reported on November 24:

“Russian President Vladimir Putin slammed the European Union for accepting Bulgaria and Romania as new member states without consulting Moscow, DPA reported. ‘Unfortunately, the EU while adopting the accession of those two countries didn’t find it necessary to consult with us on the interests of all sides concerned,’ Putin told reporters on the eve of summit talks in Helsinki. The remarks came after Poland refused to lift its veto on opening EU partnership talks with Russia. It came in protest against Moscow’s ban on imports of Polish meat and plant exports–which Russia sees as linked with Bulgarian and Romanian accession… Officials in Moscow say food products from the two former Eastern Bloc countries could reach Russia through third-party EU members–especially Poland–after their EU accession… Officials in Moscow said the reason for their planned EU-wide ban–which encompasses dairy and fish products, in addition to meat–was lax veterinary standards in Romania and Bulgaria.”

Listen to Poland!

On November 25, the German conservative daily, Die Welt, published an intriguing and thought-provoking article. The paper stated:

“We should not view Poland’s resistance to a continued relationship between the EU and Russia as mere stiff-necked opposition. Our eastern neighbor is far ahead of us in its realistic analysis of the dangers, which exist for Europe due to Putin’s hunger for power… All these developments [in Russia] have not created in us the realization that Russia’s desire to meddle could also pose a SECURITY THREAT FOR THE EUROPEAN UNION… That [former German Chancellor] Gerhard Schroeder agreed to a pipeline with Russia, thereby circumventing Poland, was devastating enough… But it was even a much worse blow when he participated in Moscow at the festivities of the Red Army in celebration of the end of the war sixty years ago, and when he praised [the Red Army’s] accomplishments in achieving ‘freedom from fascism,’ while failing to mention at all the Hitler-Stalin Pact, which led to the partitioning of the Polish Nation among the totalitarian comrades.”

Russia an Enemy of the U.S.?

Another insightful article was published on November 28 by The Wall Street Journal:

“It’s time we start thinking of Vladimir Putin’s Russia as an enemy of the United States. This isn’t simply because a former KGB agent turned Putin critic died last week in London after ingesting a dose of polonium 210, an element that usually functions as a neutron trigger in atomic bombs. Nor is it that Alexander Litvinenko’s death is the latest in a series of killings, attempted murders, imprisonments and forced exiles whose victims just happened to be prominent opponents of Mr. Putin. It is because the foreign policy of Russia has become openly, and often gratuitously, hostile to the U.S.

“Some examples: Last summer, Russia signed a billion-dollar arms deal with Venezuela; Hugo Chávez wasted no time fantasizing aloud about using the weapons to sink an American aircraft carrier. Last week, Russia began deliveries to Iran of highly sophisticated SA-15 anti-aircraft missiles, at a value of $700 million… the purpose of the missiles is to defend Iran’s nuclear sites, which do threaten the balance of power. [Russian Defense Minister Igor] Ivanov… says he is ‘absolutely sure’ the billion-dollar Bushehr reactor that Russia is building for Iran could not be used to build nuclear weapons. This is false, and Mr. Ivanov must know it: The spent plutonium from the reactor can easily be diverted and reprocessed to produce as many as 60 bombs.

“At the United Nations, Russia has consistently opposed U.S. efforts to sanction Iran and North Korea for their nuclear programs and diluted the effects of the resolutions that were passed. The Russians say they oppose the use of sanctions because they ‘don’t work.’ It’s an odd claim coming from a government that in October brusquely imposed trade, travel and postal sanctions on neighboring Georgia…”

Is Ethiopia Pushing or Being Pushed?

AFP reported on November 25:

“Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said his country would not wait for foreign approval to attack powerful Islamists in neighboring Somalia that many fear could lead to a regional war. As the powerful Islamist movement poured troops into frontline positions outside the Ethiopian-backed weak Somali government’s seat, Meles called for international understanding but said he needed no ‘green light’ to fight. Speaking to reporters in Addis Ababa two days after announcing to parliament that ETHIOPIA HAD COMPLETED PREPARATIONS FOR WAR, he said he understood calls for restraint and was committed to dialogue but would act to defend his country…

“‘I want to stress again that we are not saying we might be attacked, we have already been attacked,’ Meles said of the Islamists, who have declared holy war on Ethiopian troops in Somalia deployed to protect the Somali government… Mainly Christian Ethiopia has watched with growing concern the rise on its southeastern border of the Islamists, who seized Mogadishu in June and now control most of southern and central Somalia.”

Will a New Lebanese War Break Out?

NewsFront Page magazine reported the following on November 22:

“In the wake of this summer’s bloody, 33-day war between Hezbollah and Israel, most analysts predicted that the region would never be the same. In fact, they asserted that with UN Resolution 1701, Hezbollah would be disarmed and expelled from its redoubt in southern Lebanon. This in turn would give effective control of the region to the Lebanese Army, while a UNIFIL force 15,000-men strong would secure the cease-fire and put an end to the armed conflict.

“But the present reality is far from this rosy picture. Indeed, one can make the case that this summer’s hostilities have achieved little and that ANOTHER WAR WILL RESUME IN THE NEAR FUTURE. A few prescient facts confirm this grim assessment. First, there is the anti-Israel composition of the Lebanese army. Forty percent of the 60,000-strong Lebanese army is composed of Shiite soldiers, many whom are extremely favorable to Hezbollah. There are also thousands of ex-Syrian troops, who joined the Lebanese Army when Syria ‘officially’ left Lebanon last year, just before the Syrian withdrawal, when thousands of Syrian soldiers were naturalized and incorporated into the ranks of the army.

“UNIFIL is scarcely an improvement. On the contrary, it is a DISASTER IN WAITING. Initially intended to number 15,000 soldiers, it is barely reaching 5,700. At the same time, countries like France are balking at sending additional troops to bolster the promised numbers. Understaffed and guided by an unclear mandate, UNIFIL troops are unwilling to tame Hezbollah. Proof for this proposition comes from a recent episode, wherein Spanish troops stood down at the mere sight of Hezbollah fighters. One of the Spanish patrol leaders explained that UNIFIL’s role was only to ‘observe changes in behavior of the local population.’

“On top of that, no UNIFIL patrols are carried out at night, for safety reasons. UN soldiers, feeling that they are increasingly viewed by the local population as an occupation force, are more interested in leaving than confronting Hezbollah: they are clearly worried about potential Hezbollah terror attacks. Such an attack would mirror the terrorist group’s October 1983 bombing, which killed 241 U.S. troops and 58 French troops. A few months later, multinational forces were gone. This time, the strategy appears to be preemptive retreat: A European diplomat was recently quoted as saying that, after an attack on UNIFIL, international forces would be gone within three days.

“To sum up the situation: the Lebanese Army is watching UNIFIL watching Hezbollah. Thus it is far from surprising that Hezbollah is fast rearming through Syria, right under the nose of UNIFIL troops and the Lebanese Army, a fact confirmed by U.N. Special envoy Terje Roed-Larsen. But while UNIFIL does not seem particularly concerned with Hezbollah’s buildup, it is focusing on Israel’s violations of Lebanese airspace. Significantly, however, these incursions occur because Israel is compelled to fulfill UNIFIL’s mandate, which is to arrest — and not simply to observe — Hezbollah’s rearmament. France in particular has threatened to punish Israel while permitting Hezbollah to operate with impunity… A likely scenario includes Hezbollah again controlling South Lebanon and launching attacks against Israel. This could be accelerated if Syria succeeds in igniting a civil war by pushing Hezbollah and its Shiite allies… towards a major confrontation with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora…

“In the worst-case scenario, THE CHAOS COULD REACH WESTERN SHORES if Hezbollah decides, on the orders of Iran, to start a terror campaign in the West or against Western targets, as it did in France in 1986. In the meantime, one thing seems clear. This summer’s Israel-Hezbollah standoff marked not the end of a conflict but the BEGINNING OF A BROADER WAR THAT SEEMS LIKELY TO REIGNITE BEFORE LONG.”

U.S. Dollar Continues to Fall

The Financial Times wrote on November 24 about the continuing slide of the U.S. dollar, stating:

“A sharpening slide in the US dollar unnerved global markets on Friday as investors sought to protect themselves from the possibility of sustained dollar weakness. As US markets were closing on Friday, THE EURO STOOD AT A 19-MONTH HIGH of $1.309, up 1.2 per cent, while sterling gained 0.9 per cent… The dollar has now fallen this year by more than 10 per cent against the euro and 12 per cent against sterling. Some economists suggest the greenback has FURTHER TO SLIDE given a WEAK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK in the US.”

The Telegraph.co.uk stated on Wednesday, November 29:

“The dollar tumbled to a NEAR 15-YEAR LOW against sterling yesterday on fresh signs of economic trouble in the United States. An 8.3pc crash in US industrial orders and an admission by the Federal Reserve chairman that Washington does not know how bad housing really is set off another day of wild gyrations on the currency markets… The dollar continued its slide against the euro, dropping to $1.3194… The pound briefly touched $1.95 and surged to eight-year highs against the yen. The Japanese currency has been in freefall for months on repeated weak data. It suffered a fresh blow yesterday after retail sales fell for a second month, increasing fears that Japan’s export-dependent economy may slow in lock step with America.”

Violence in Iraq Out Of Control

On November 24, AFP reported about continuing violence in Iraq:

“The Iraqi capital has been locked down by an indefinite curfew after more than 200 people were killed by a wave of bombings in a Shiite slum in BY FAR THE DEADLIEST ATTACK SINCE THE WAR IN 2003… Almost a thousand people have been killed by violence in Iraq since Saddam was sentenced to death on November 5 for the mass killing of Shiites in the 1980s.”

The most recent attacks were blamed on Sunnis, prompting retaliation from Shiites. As The Associated Press reported on November 24:

“Shiite militiamen grabbed six Sunnis as they left Friday worship services, doused them with kerosene and burned them alive NEAR IRAQI SOLDIERS WHO DID NOT INTERVENE…The savage revenge attack for Thursday’s slaying of 215 people in the Shiite Sadr City slum occurred as members of the Mahdi Army militia burned four mosques, and several homes while killing an unknown number of Sunni residents in the once-mixed Hurriyah neighborhood of Baghdad.”

The vicious cycle of violence continues in Iraq, and NO ONE seems to be able to stop it.

Middle Eastern Civil Wars Not Just in Iraq?

The Associated Press reported on November 26:

“Jordan’s King Abdullah said Sunday the problems in the Middle East go beyond the war in Iraq and that much of the region soon could become engulfed in violence unless the central issues are addressed quickly. ‘We could possibly imagine going into 2007 and having three civil wars on our hands,’ he said, citing conflicts in Iraq, Lebanon and the decades-long strife between the Palestinians and Israelis.'”

On Monday, November 27, 2006, several U.S. broadcasting companies, including CNN, NBC and MSNBC, decided to officially label the present situation in Iraq as “Civil War.” President Bush rejected this description on Tuesday, while former “U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, said on Wednesday Iraq had descended into civil war and urged world leaders to accept that ‘reality'” (Reuters, November 29, 2006).

Bring Saddam Hussein Back?

HOW BAD the situation in Iraq has become, and how desperate some are looking for “solutions” in face of an apparently unsolvable problem, can be seen when considering a most unusual and seemingly ridiculous proposal to bring rest to the area stricken by Civil War. The solution of The Los Angeles Times’ writer Jonathan Chait is simply this: Bring Saddam Hussein back! And Chait is not joking. In his editorial of November 26, 2006, he wrote:

“The debate about Iraq has moved past the question of whether it was a mistake (everybody knows it was) to the more depressing question of whether it is possible to avert total disaster. Every self-respecting foreign policy analyst has his own plan for Iraq. The trouble is that these tracts are inevitably unconvincing, except when they argue why all the other plans would fail. It’s all terribly grim. So allow me to propose the unthinkable: Maybe, just maybe, our best option is to restore Saddam Hussein to power… At the outset of the war, I had no high hopes for Iraqi democracy, but I paid no attention to the possibility that the Iraqis would end up with a worse government than the one they had. It turns out, however, that there is something more awful than totalitarianism, and that is endless chaos and civil war.

“Nobody seems to foresee the possibility of restoring order to Iraq. Here is the basic dilemma: The government is run by Shiites, and the security agencies have been overrun by militias and death squads. The government is strong enough to terrorize the Sunnis into rebellion but not strong enough to crush this rebellion… The disadvantages of reinstalling Hussein are obvious, but consider some of the upside. He would not allow the country to be dominated by Iran, which is the United States’ major regional enemy, a sponsor of terrorism and an instigator of warfare between Lebanon and Israel. Hussein was extremely difficult to deal with before the war, in large part because he apparently believed that he could defeat any U.S. invasion if it came to that. Now he knows he can’t. And he’d probably be amenable because his alternative is death by hanging.”

“Iraq Did Much Better Under Saddam”

On November 29, the German magazine, Der Stern Online, published an interview with Middle Eastern expert and well-known journalist Peter Scholl-Latour, almost echoing the above sentiments in the article of The Los Angeles Times. Scholl-Latour answered the question whether Iraq did better under Saddam:

“Much better. It is true that the Kurds and Shiites were persecuted, but Saddam held the country together; there was not daily fear to be killed or blackmailed through criminal gangs. Students could safely attend the university of Baghdad. Many women did not wear a scarf. When a woman is seen today on the streets of Baghdad without a scarf, she must expect the worse.”

When asked whether Iraqis are sad that Saddam is gone, Scholl-Latour answered:

“No, they only miss the order and security which existed then. There was one rule under Saddam Hussein: Do not oppose him. But when people kept quiet, they were left in peace for the most part.”

England Wants to Please Europe–and Angers Churches

The Daily Mail wrote on November 28 about proposed legislation in England, in compliance with a “European Directive,” pertaining to homosexuals, and the negative reaction of the Church of England and the Catholic Church. The article explained:

“The Sexual Orientation Regulations are set to go into law in England in April… [They] would have an impact on religious believers in business. Christian hoteliers will be compelled to rent rooms to gay couples, while Muslim printers will be unable to refuse to print homosexual magazines or advertisements.”

The article also stated: “Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols threatened to withdraw Catholic co-operation with the Government over schools, charity programmes and adoption agencies if the new sexual orientation regulations go ahead… Church of England leaders have said that priests could be sued for failing to bless same sex couples or give communion to churchgoers whose behaviour they believe to be wilfully sinful.” The article concluded with the following remarks:

“While the final version of the rules–which the Government has produced to MEET THE DEMANDS OF A EUROPEAN DIRECTIVE–have yet to be published in England, the version which will operate in Northern Ireland from 1 January has appeared. The Northern Ireland rules, which appear to cement the role of the province as a test bed for new legislation and forms of taxation in England, say those found guilty of breaking the rules will be fined between £500 and £1,000 for a first offence. Subsequent serious offences can attract penalties of up to £25,000.”

Colonizing Space Through Warp Drive?

On November 30, 2006, the British paper, The Telegraph, reported the following:

“Mankind will need to venture far beyond planet Earth to ensure the long-term survival of our species, according to the world’s best known scientist, Professor Stephen Hawking. Returning to a theme he has voiced many times before, the Cambridge University cosmologist said today that space-rockets propelled by the kind of matter/antimatter annihilation technology popularised in Star Trek would be needed to help Homo sapiens colonise hospitable planets orbiting alien stars… “He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that scientists still have ‘some way to go’ to reach his prediction in his bestselling A Brief History of Time that mankind would one day ‘know the mind of God’ by UNDERSTANDING THE COMPLETE SET OF LAWS WHICH GOVERN THE UNIVERSE. This set of laws, which will probably rely on theory that requires more than three dimensions of space and one of time, could be uncovered within 20 years…

“‘The long-term survival of the human race is at risk as long as it is confined to a single planet,’ he said. ‘Sooner or later, DISASTERS SUCH AS AN ASTEROID COLLISION OR NUCLEAR WAR COULD WIPE US ALL OUT. But once we spread out into space and establish independent colonies, our future should be safe. ‘There isn’t anywhere like the Earth in the solar system, so we would have to go to another star. If we used chemical fuel rockets like the Apollo mission to the moon, the journey to the nearest star would take 50,000 years. This is obviously far too long to be practical, so science fiction has developed the idea of warp drive, which takes you instantly to your destination. Unfortunately, this would violate the scientific law which says that nothing can travel faster than light. However, we can still within the law, by using matter/antimatter annihilation, and reach speeds just below the speed of light. With that, it would be possible to reach the next star in about six years, though it wouldn’t seem so long for those on board.’

“The science fiction series Star Trek has used matter/antimatter annihilation as an explanation for the warp drive. But, in reality, he said that scientists believe that the flash of radiation produced when matter and antimatter are brought together and destroy one another could in fact one day be used to drive craft to close to the speed of light.”

USA, Israel and Australia vs. the Rest of the World

UPI reported on November 18:

“Israel’s ambassador walked out on the United Nations session that resulted in a strong call to Israel to end its military operations in the Gaza Strip. The 192-member General Assembly voted Friday night 156-7, with six abstentions, in favor of the non-binding resolution in an emergency special session. The United States, Israel and Australia voted against the document, while all the European Union members supported it after last-minute changes were made to soften the tone. Israeli Ambassador Dan Gillerman conducted a news conference nearby and blasted the session as a ‘farce’ and a ‘circus.’ U.S. Ambassador John Bolton called the resolution ‘one-sided’ and said its adoption would only ‘increase tension and serve the interests of those hostile to Israel and that do not accept Israel’s right to exist.'”

Little Positive Change in the Middle East

Der Spiegel Online reported on November 21 about the popularity of President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as well as the current unchanged situation in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip:

“Both men have enjoyed few successes recently. Olmert is just as unpopular in Israel as Bush is in the United States. He has only been in office since last spring, and he has been isolated since the invasion of Lebanon…
“Israel made a number of mistakes in rapid succession, mistakes for which Bush’s America, with its theory of war as a suitable tool for bringing about change, is partly responsible. The invasion in Lebanon was based on the illusion that Hezbollah, under its leader Hassan Nasrallah, could be dealt a devastating and possibly quick military defeat. But when faced with large numbers of civilian casualties, Olmert was eventually forced to agree to a cease-fire. An international force has now been deployed to the region to keep the peace, but Israel has little confidence in its effectiveness, as evidenced by Israeli military aircraft routinely flying over German ships and ignoring Lebanon’s territorial sovereignty. In taking such action, the Olmert administration is in violation of United Nations resolutions.

“Little has changed in the Gaza Strip. Palestinian militants are still firing Qassam rockets into Israel, but their range and availability have increased, thereby increasing the risk of Israelis being killed or wounded. The rocket attacks are met with retaliatory action by the Israeli air force and army. In an inadvertent attack on Nov. 8, the Israelis ended up massacring 19 civilians, including women and small children, in the town of Beit Hanoun in the Gaza Strip…

“The Iraq war has only exacerbated the problem, because it has fueled the rise of the radical Hamas in Palestine and Hezbollah in Lebanon — and, of course, Iran’s push to become a nuclear power. Israel still has the monopoly on nuclear weapons in the region, although it has never admitted to being a nuclear power… With the military deprived of its mystique, the people disappointed and the administration weakened, Israel now even faces the prospect of waning support from its traditional ally, the US.”

Anti-Syrian Minister Murdered in Lebanon

AFP reported on November 21:

“Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel has been assassinated in a northern Beirut suburb in the latest in a spate of attacks to target anti-Syrian politicians… The head of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament, Saad Hariri, interrupted a press conference to accuse the Syrian regime of ‘trying to kill every free person’ in Lebanon. ‘The cycle (of killings) has resumed,’ he said. He was referring to a spate of assassinations and attempts in the past two years. These included the murder of his own father, five-time premier Rafiq Hariri, in a massive bomb blast on the Beirut seafront in February last year… The Syrian regime has denied links with the attacks.”

Britain’s Intervention in Iraq a “Disaster”?

The Daily Mail reported on November 18:

“Tony Blair admitted that British intervention in Iraq has been a disaster last night–sending shockwaves through Westminster. In his frankest admission about the war to date, Mr Blair admitted that Western forces have been powerless to stop the descent into violence… Challenged by veteran interviewer Sir David Frost that the Western invasion of Iraq has ‘so far been pretty much of a disaster’, Mr Blair said: ‘It has.’ … In a chilling warning to those who want Britain to cut and run from the foreign adventures that have characterised Mr Blair’s premiership he warned that Britain would be involved in the Middle East on a ‘generational’ basis, though he stressed he did not expect British troops to remain in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan for a generation… The Prime Minister used his interview to again offer a partnership with Iraq’s neighbours Iran and Syria but warned that they are not yet doing enough to warrant a friendly relationship.”  

Downing Street was quick to respond to Blair’s interview. As AFP reported on November 18:

“Downing Street has moved swiftly to dampen an apparent overnight admission by British Prime Minister Tony Blair that the US-led invasion of Iraq had been a disaster…  Downing Street insisted Saturday that Blair’s comments had been misrepresented. ‘The Prime Minister does not use the word disaster,’ a spokesperson told AFP. ‘What he does is set out that the violence in Iraq is of course hugely regrettable, tragic and very very difficult, but that this violence is a result of malicious external intervention, not some planning error three years ago.’… A spokesperson for the main opposition Conservative Party added that the Prime Minister’s comments highlighted the need for an inquiry into how Britain joined the war in Iraq.”

How Kissinger Sees It…

The Associated Press reported on November 20, 2006:

“Military victory is no longer possible in Iraq, former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said in a television interview broadcast Sunday. Kissinger presented a bleak vision of Iraq, saying the U.S. government must enter into dialogue with Iraq’s regional neighbors–including Iran–if progress is to be made in the region. ‘If you mean by “military victory” an Iraqi government that can be established and whose writ runs across the whole country, that gets the civil war under control and sectarian violence under control in a time period that the political processes of the democracies will support, I don’t believe that is possible,’ he told the British Broadcasting Corp.

“But Kissinger, an architect of the Vietnam war who has advised President Bush about Iraq, warned against a rapid withdrawal of coalition troops, saying it could destabilize Iraq’s neighbors and cause a long-lasting conflict. ‘A dramatic collapse of Iraq–whatever we think about how the situation was created–would have disastrous consequences for which we would pay for many years and which would bring us back, one way or another, into the region,’ he said.”

Australian Drought

Der Spiegel Online reported on November 21, 2006:

“Farmers in Australia are suffering their fifth year of continuous drought — and the summer hasn’t even started yet. Now, farms along the Murray River have been cut off… And there is little Australia can do… over 50 percent of the country’s agricultural land has now been declared drought-stricken… The drought has got so bad that officials are now talking about the worst dry spell in 100 years on the continent… More and more farmers are giving up hope and a wave of farmer suicides has hit the country, with a farmer taking his life every four days. The rate is already twice the national average… The situation has even shocked the government in Canberra out of their stubborn position on global warming. ‘Certainly, it has taken people beyond the denial phase on climate change,’ Senator Bill Heffernan told the International Herald Tribune recently. ‘For the first time, the cities are focused on their worries about the future of water supply. Everyone has taken for granted that you turn the tap on and water comes out. I think they now can see that that might not necessarily continue to be the case.”

Ethiopia’s Rare Lions Are Being Killed

The Associated Press reported on November 22:

“Rare Abyssinian lion cubs are being poisoned at a zoo because staff cannot afford to keep them… Ethiopia’s lions, famous for their black manes, are the country’s national symbol and adorn statues and the local currency. Wildlife experts estimate that only 1,000 Ethiopian lions, which are smaller than other lions, remain in the wild… it costs around $6,000 a month to run the zoo, but it only receives $5,000 in revenues from entrance fees… the poisoning has been going on [for] at least two years…The zoo is a popular local attraction, although poor facilities have led to concerns by international wildlife organizations. It was built in 1948 by Emperor Haile Selassie and currently has 16 adult lions and five cubs.”

How is Germany’s Angela Merkel Doing?

AFP reported on November 19, 2006:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has had a testing first year in charge, holding together a fractious coalition government, presiding over a fall in unemployment and thawing relations with Washington. Merkel came to power last November 22 after a messy, inconclusive election eventually produced a negotiated compromise — she would rule over the unusual combination of her conservative Christian Democrats and the left-leaning Social Democrats of her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder… As Germany’s first woman leader, Merkel has led the so-called grand coalition to major policy decisions, reforming the funding of the healthcare system and raising the retirement age while tinkering with the tax system. Unemployment, which bubbled ominously around the five-million mark before the election, fell in October to its lowest level in four years at around four million and debt is down too.

“But a panel of company bosses polled by the Allensbach research institute found that 55 percent of them believed the economic recovery had nothing to do with the work of the government. ‘After five lean years, Germany is for once enjoying the sweet side of the business cycle. It won’t last forever,’ said Bank of America analyst Holger Schmieding. Worse, he suggested, is that ‘the cyclical upswing has sapped the appetite in Berlin for tackling the really unpopular issues.’ While the infighting between right and left within her government has restricted her room to manoeuvre at home, Merkel has been able to express herself in the field of foreign policy…

“The US-German relationship was severely strained by Schroeder’s outspoken opposition to the Iraq war, but Merkel has made it work again and she was instrumental in ensuring Germany leads the naval component of the peacekeeping force after the Lebanon-Israel war. Her surprisingly high profile abroad saw the pastor’s daughter from the former East Germany voted the world’s most powerful woman by Forbes magazine. Yet Merkel has enjoyed a year of two halves — riding a wave of popularity in the first six months, almost drowning in the cross-party bickering over the healthcare reforms in the second. Surveys now show only a third of the country supports her conservatives, their lowest score since 2000. And with Germany set to take over the presidency of the Group of Eight most industrialised nations and the European Union on January 1, Merkel will find dangers lurking around every corner.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 20, 2006:

“It’s been one year since Chancellor Angela Merkel came to office at the head of a grand coalition of her conservatives and the center-left Social Democrats. How has she done? Conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘There’s no mood of celebration on the first anniversary of the grand coalition. There’s general disappointment that this alliance didn’t use its big majorities in the Bundestag and Bundesrat to achieve great things. Even its members don’t deny this. But they never announced gigantic plans in the first place… The weight of the grand coalitions’ seats has proved to be an optical illusion. Even the chancellor’s own party is divided on many issues.'”

The Unspeakable Horrors of the Holocaust

The Associated Press reported on November 19 about the terrible reality of the Holocaust during World War II. Even though the appalling fact of the Holocaust has been firmly established and verified, some still deny its existence, or the gravity of the same. The following article of the Associated Press should put any doubts to rest and remind the world of the unspeakable atrocities man has been willing–and is still willing–to inflict upon his fellow man:

“The 21-year-old Russian sat before a clerk of the U.S. Army Judge Advocate’s office, describing the furnaces at Auschwitz, the Nazi death camp where he had been a prisoner until a few weeks previously. ‘I saw with my own eyes how thousands of Jews were gassed daily and thrown by the hundreds into pits where Jews were burning,’ he said. ‘I saw how little children were killed with sticks and thrown into the fire,’ he continued. Blood flowed in gutters, and ‘Jews were thrown in and died there’; more were taken off trucks and cast alive into the flames.

“Today the Holocaust is known in dense and painful detail. Yet the young Russian’s words leap off the faded, onionskin page with a rawness that transports the reader back to April 1945, when World War II was still raging… The two pages of testimony, in a file randomly plucked off a shelf, are among millions of documents held by the International Tracing Service, or ITS, an arm of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

“This vast archive–16 miles of files in six nondescript buildings in a German spa town–contains the fullest records of Nazi persecutions in existence. But because of concerns about the victims’ privacy, the ITS has kept the files closed to the public for half a century, doling out information in minimal amounts to survivors or their descendants on a strict need-to-know basis. This policy, which has generated much ill-feeling among Holocaust survivors and researchers, is about to change.

“In May, after years of pressure from the United States and survivors’ groups, the 11 countries overseeing the archive agreed to unseal the files for scholars as well as victims and their families. In recent weeks the ITS’ interim director, Jean-Luc Blondel, has been to Washington, The Hague and to the Buchenwald memorial with a new message of cooperation with other Holocaust institutions and governments. ITS has allowed Paul Shapiro, of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, to look at the files and has also given The Associated Press extensive access on condition no names from the files are revealed unless they have been identified in other sources.

“‘This is powerful stuff,’ said Shapiro, leafing through the file containing the Russian’s statement and some 200 other testimonies that take the reader into the belly of Hitler’s death machine– its camps, inmates, commandants, executioners and trusted inmates used as low-level guards and known as kapos. ‘If you sat here for a day and read these files, you’d get a picture of what it was really like in the camps, how people were treated…’

“Another subject is the sheer scope of the Holocaust system. The files will support new research from other sources showing that the network of concentration camps, ghettos and labor camps was nearly three times more extensive than previously thought. Postwar historians estimated about 5,000 to 7,000 detention sites. But after the Cold War ended, records began pouring out of the former communist nations of East Europe. More sites were disclosed in the last six years in claims by 1.6 million people for slave labor reparations from a $6.6 billion fund financed by the German government and some 3,000 industries. ‘We have identified somewhere in the neighborhood of 20,000 camps and ghettos of various categories,’ said Geoffrey Megargee of the Holocaust Museum in Washington, who is compiling a seven-volume encyclopedia of these detention centers… Between 1933 to 1945, the Nazi persecution grew to assembly-line proportions, slaughtering 6 million Jews and an equal number of Gypsies, homosexuals, mental patients, political prisoners and other ‘undesirables.’ Tens of millions were conscripted as forced laborers.

“To operate history’s greatest slaughter, the Nazis created a bureaucracy that meticulously recorded the arrest, movement and death of each victim. Sometimes even the lice plucked from heads in concentration camps were counted. But as the pace of genocide stepped up, unknown numbers were marched directly from trains to gas chambers without being registered. In the war’s final months, the bookkeeping collapsed, though the extermination continued. What documents survived Nazi attempts to destroy them were collected by the Allies to help people find missing relatives… Some 50 million pages–scraps of paper, transport lists, registration books, labor documents, medical and death registers–make reference to 17.5 million individuals caught up in the machinery of persecution, displacement and death.”

Violent Games Blamed for German School Attack

Reuters reported on November 21:

“Leading German lawmakers demanded a crackdown on violent computer and simulated war games on Tuesday over concerns that they may have helped inspire a young man to attack his former school with guns and explosives. The masked 18-year-old man stormed the Scholl secondary school on Monday in the western German town of Emsdetten, wounding as many as 27 people before committing suicide. The young man, identified only as Bastian B., was known to authorities and due in court on Tuesday for weapons violations, local police said. According to German media reports, he had a fondness for war simulation and computer games.

“Wolfgang Bosbach, the deputy head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) in parliament, said it was time to consider banning games that simulate wanton killing. ‘We need effective guidelines to protect children from exposure to different types of media, but we don’t need (simulated) killer games that can lead to brutalisation,’ Bosbach was quoted on the Netzeitung news Web site as saying. Bosbach added that scientific studies have shown violent games have disturbing effects on some children.

“Christa Stewens, family minister for the conservative-led state of Bavaria, called for a nationwide ban on war games like paintball and laser tag, in which players hunt down and pretend to kill each other with guns firing paint balls or laser beams. ‘The federal government must finally ban (simulated) killer games… Bavaria has had such a ban in place since 2002,’ Stewens said in a statement. She added that children should also be prevented from playing violent computer games. The federal government has so far refused to ban such games.”

That violent computer and other games may have a contributing role in brutal and senseless murders cannot be denied. However, the real problem lies much deeper. To gain a thorough understanding of the matter, please read our free booklets, “Should You Fight in War?” and “The Keys to Happy Marriages and Families.”

Is Europe Going To Leap Ahead?

The EUobserver reported on November 20:

“Several former EU politicians have called for a ‘leap’ on the European political scene to create enough impetus to see through institutional reform in the bloc by 2009. A joint declaration, published in Florence on Friday (17 November) urges member states to ‘get back on the path to reform of the European institutions.’ Signed, amongst others, by Valery Giscard d’Estaing, the architect of the frozen EU constitution, ex-German foreign minister Joschka Fischer and the former presidents of Italy and Portugal, the text calls for a ‘political leap by all the parties concerned so that the new process is concluded at the time of the new European parliament in spring 2009.’

“Going into detail, it says that the whole of the first and second parts of the constitution–dealing with the values and aims of the bloc as well as the fundamental rights of citizens–should be kept and that the contentious parts of the third section–detailing the policies of the EU–should be clarified… Talk about reviving the EU institutional reform process–put off track by the rejection of the European constitution by French and Dutch voters last year–has gone up a notch recently. This is mainly due to the twin prospect of the German EU presidency in the first half of next year as well as French elections in April–with only a concerted effort by Berlin and Paris thought to be enough to get reform back at the top of the bloc’s political agenda…

“Germany has made progress on the constitution–calling for an ‘ambitious’ text–one of the main issues of its six-month stint at the helm of the EU. Now it is waiting to hear what Paris has to offer… For its part, Germany is planning to have a concrete timetable on the constitution and institutional reform on the table by an EU leaders summit in June–with a view to bringing the reform process to fruition in 2009.”

Remnants of Lost Ten Tribes in India?

The Scotsman reported on November 21:

“A group of 51 Indians who claim to be descendants of one of the ten lost biblical tribes were on their way to Israel last night, in what is viewed by their supporters as a fulfillment of prophecy. They were converted to Judaism in India by rabbis after Israel’s chief rabbinate last year recognized about 7,000 people from the remote north-eastern states of Mizoram and Minapur who claim ancient Israelite ancestry through belonging to the Bnei Menashe, one of the ten tribes that were lost after being exiled by the Assyrians in 586BC. Michael Jankelowitz, spokesman for the Jerusalem-based Jewish Agency, which is co-ordinating the Indians’ arrival, said ‘they have lived a Jewish way of life for decades’ including by keeping Saturday as the Sabbath and observing Jewish dietary laws…

“Some researchers say certain practices involving animal sacrifice were similar to ancient Hebrew traditions, while an ancient song among one tribe talked of crossing the Red Sea… Exiled from ancient Israel by the Assyrian empire around 730BC, the tribe was apparently forced east and travelled through Afghanistan and China before settling in what is now India’s north-east.

“On the way, they forgot their language, their history and most of their traditions… Among the clues… were traditions resembling those of the ancient Israelites, including having places of refuge for those who had killed someone by mistake. [They] also practised circumcision, albeit with sharpened flint rather than a knife… By Rabbi Avihayil’s estimate, there are tens of millions of descendants of the lost tribes of Israel living in [other parts of the world].”

We can safely say that the group of 51 Indians are NOT descendants of the ancient tribe of Manasseh, as these descendants migrated westward–not eastward–after the Assyrian captivity, and settled in Europe and ultimately in the United States. However, many people had come in contact with the Israelites before and after their captivity, so it stands to reason that they adopted some of the Israelite laws and cultures–something that God had prophesied would happen, to an extent. For more information, please read our free booklets, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” and “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.” We have also still available for distribution some copies of the full-color booklet, “America and Britain in Prophecy…,” which was written by Raymond McNair.

The Catholic Position

VIS reported on November 17:

“… at one of the regular meetings of the heads of dicasteries of the Roman Curia… [the] value of the choice of priestly celibacy [compulsory refusal to marry] in accordance with Catholic tradition was reaffirmed…  [The Pope also stressed that] ‘the aim of the ecumenical movement remains unchanged: the visible unity of the Church. … Vatican Council II considered the re-establishment of full unity among all Christians as one of its principal concerns. It is also my concern… The eastern and western parts of Europe are coming closer together, and this encourages Churches to coordinate their efforts to safeguard the Christian tradition.’… In this context [of the ecumenical movement], the [Pope] mentioned ‘the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification,’ signed with the World Lutheran Federation, and to which the World Methodist Council has also given its approval.”

Internet Libel Law

The Associated Press reported on November 20:

“Websites that publish inflammatory information written by other parties cannot be sued for libel, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday. The ruling in favour of free online expression was a victory for a San Diego woman who was sued by two doctors for posting an allegedly libelous e-mail on two websites. Some of the Internet’s biggest names, including Amazon.com, America Online Inc., EBay Inc., Google Inc., Microsoft Corp and Yahoo Inc., took the defendant’s side out of concern a ruling against her would expose them to liability. In reversing an appellate court’s decision, the state Supreme Court ruled that the Communications Decency Act of 1996 provides broad immunity from defamation lawsuits for people who publish information on the Internet that was gathered from another source.

“‘The prospect of blanket immunity for those who intentionally redistribute defamatory statements on the Internet has disturbing implications,’ Associate Justice Carol Corrigan wrote in the majority opinion. ‘Nevertheless … statutory immunity serves to protect online freedom of expression and to encourage self-regulation, as Congress intended.’ Unless the U.S. Congress revises the existing law, people who claim they were defamed in an Internet posting can only seek damages from the original source of the statement, the court ruled.”

New Chaos for Lebanon?

On November 13, The Australian reported the following about developments in Lebanon:

“The prospect of renewed chaos loomed over Lebanon at the weekend after the Hezbollah movement and its Shia allies quit the Government, plunging the country into a political crisis that could quickly spill into the streets. The resignations of all five Shia ministers–two from Hezbollah, two from the Amal movement and one independent–from the cabinet of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora were announced hours after the collapse of high-stakes talks aimed at soothing rising sectarian tensions in the wake of the devastating war with Israel last summer… the withdrawal of the Shia ministers effectively ended Shia representation in the coalition governing the country, threatening Lebanon with a period of renewed political uncertainty and potential civil strife at a time when it is still struggling to recover from the ruin inflicted during the war.”

Lebanese Guerrillas Are Back

Britain’s Sunday Times reported on November 12:

“Four months after Israel launched its onslaught against Hezbollah, the Lebanese guerrillas are back in south Lebanon stronger than ever and armed with more rockets than they had before the conflict, according to Israeli intelligence. During the month-long war, which began on July 12, Hezbollah fired 200 to 250 rockets a day into Israel, killing 43 civilians and terrorising much of the north of the country.

“‘Since the ceasefire, additional rockets, weapons and military equipment have reached Hezbollah,’ said an Israeli intelligence officer. ‘We assume they now have about 20,000 rockets of all ranges–a bit more than they had before July 12.’ Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, has confirmed the Israeli estimate. In a recent interview with al-Manar, the Hezbollah television station, he claimed his organisation had restocked its arsenal and now held at least 30,000 rockets, sufficient for five months of war… The Israeli military estimates that at least 5,000 rockets are hidden in secret shelters along the border, which it failed to find before the ceasefire came into effect on August 14.”

Iran Wants Israel’s Destruction

On November 15, 2006, ynet published the following report:

“Iranian newspapers Kehyan and Resalat have urged Muslims around the world to prepare for a ‘great war’ to destroy the State of Israel… ‘Hizbullah destroyed at least half of Israel in the Lebanon war… Now only half the path (to its destruction) remains,’ an editorial in the conservative Keyhan newspaper declared. ‘It was proven that, by means of an offensive operation that need not be equal to Israel’s moves, it is possible to neutralize the Zionist navy,’ the article said triumphantly. It continued: ‘Just as in one 33-day war more than 50 percent of Israel was destroyed, and the hope of its supporters for the continued life of this regime was broken, it is likely that in the next battle, the second half will also collapse. On that day… Jordan will not be able to prevent the Jordanian Islamists from operating through the long Jordan-Palestine border, and the millions of Egyptian Islamists… will not let the Sinai-Israel border remain quiet, and the Syrian Golan Heights will not remain as a (mere) observer of the battle. That day is not so far off.'”

“The Resalat newspaper struck a similarly bellicose tone with an editorial entitled ‘Preparations for the Great War.’… It added: ‘For the first time in the 60 years of its disgraceful life, the Zionist regime–the West’s beloved in the Middle East–tasted the taste of defeat, and the citizens of this regime trembled at the menace of Hizbullah’s missiles… The nation of Muslims must prepare for the great war, so as to completely wipe out the Zionist regime, and remove this cancerous growth. Like the Imam (Ayatollah) Khomeini said: ‘Israel must collapse.'”

No Condemnation for Israel

The Los Angeles Times reported on November 13:

“The United States vetoed a Security Council resolution Saturday that would have condemned Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip and demanded a withdrawal of Israeli troops. The resolution, sponsored by Qatar after an Israeli attack last week killed 18 civilians in the town of Beit Hanoun, received 10 votes in favor and four abstentions, but was killed by the U.S. veto [In the vote, the four countries which abstained were Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia. The ten countries which were in favor were: Argentina, China, Congo, France, Ghana, Greece, Peru, Russia, Qatar and Tanzania.].”

The article continued:

“The U.S. veto highlights the difficulty of achieving Security Council accord on taking any action on the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The United States, a close ally of Israel, contends that resolution of the conflict should be handled by the peace intermediaries known as the quartet–the U.S., Russia, the European Union and the U.N. Washington almost always rejects resolutions related to Israel that don’t mention Palestinian provocation or contain a denunciation of terrorism. The veto Saturday by the U.S. was its fourth in three years on the issue. The U.S. vetoed a similar resolution in July that sought to condemn Israeli military operations in Gaza after the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants, calling it ‘unbalanced.’ The other permanent members–Britain, France, Russia and China–say the long-standing conflict is a clear matter of peace and security that should be handled by the council…

“Israel apologized for the civilian deaths, saying that they had been caused by a ‘technical error’ but that its army would continue to defend the country against rocket attacks launched from Gaza… British Deputy Ambassador Karen Pierce condemned the Israeli attacks, saying, ‘It is hard to see what this action was meant to achieve and how it can be justified.’ But she said Britain abstained because it did not consider the resolution to be ‘sufficiently balanced nor to reflect the complexity of the current situation.'”

Any Solutions for Iraq?

The “State-South Carolina,” as posted by topix.net, wrote on November 11:

“What a difference a day makes. On Monday [of last week] those who questioned the wisdom or competence of Bush foreign policy were being dismissed by Republicans as ‘defeatocrats.’ Only last week President Bush vowed to keep Don Rumsfeld on as secretary of defense until 2008. Then, on Tuesday, the public registered a stunning vote of no confidence in Bush foreign policy–driven by dissatisfaction with Iraq. Democrats will control the House and the Senate. On Wednesday–before the results were even final–the president dumped Rumsfeld. And Bush talked repeatedly about ‘bipartisanship’ and the need to find ‘common ground’ with Democrats.

“It may be too late for even sincere bipartisanship to save Bush’s Iraq venture…  The president still makes key decisions. And his decisions over the past three years have left only bad options in Iraq… [But] Republicans unhappy with Bush foreign policy are now free to join Democratic counterparts in seeking a way out of the Iraq trap… at this point there are no miracles available to rescue Iraq policy…”

The article concludes: “Whether Bush and the Democrats can work together in a bipartisan fashion is far from certain.”

Iraq Is “Not Winnable”

On November 13, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations. According to the magazine, “A widely respected foreign policy expert, Haass warns that the Middle East could become dangerous for years to come.”

Set forth below are excerpts from his interesting interview:

“Iraq was a war of choice that proved to be much more difficult and expensive than Americans bargained for… I can’t think of a time when the United States has faced so many difficult challenges at once. What makes it worse is we are facing them at a time when we are increasingly stretched militarily. We are divided politically. We are stretched also economically, and there is a good deal of anti-Americanism in the world. It’s a very bad combination…

“I believe largely because of the American decision to go to war in Iraq and how it has been carried out, as well as the emphasis on promoting democracy and a lack of any serious energy policy, the Middle East has considerably grown worse. It’s one of history’s ironies that the first war in Iraq, a war of necessity, marked the beginning of the American era in the Middle East and the second Iraq war, a war of choice, has precipitated its end…

“Visions of a new Middle East that is peaceful, prosperous and democratic will not be realized. Much more likely is the emergence of a new Middle East that will cause great harm to itself and the world. Iran will be a powerful state in the region, a classical imperial power. No viable peace process between Israel and the Palestinians is likely for the foreseeable future. Militias will emerge throughout the region, terrorism will grow in sophistication, tensions between Sunni and Shia will increase, causing problems in countries with divided societies, such as Bahrain, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. Islam will fill the political and intellectual vacuum. Iraq at best will remain messy for years to come, with a weak central government, a divided society and sectarian violence. At worst, it will become a failed state racked by all-out civil war that will draw in its neighbors…

“The Iraq situation is not winnable in any meaningful sense of the word ‘winnable.’… The war is one the American people weren’t quite prepared for: They had not been told it was going to be that difficult and expensive. After the military battlefield phase, they thought it was going to be easy. So this has proven shocking. Nearly 3,000 Americans have lost their lives. Maybe 15,000 – 20,000 Americans have been wounded. Hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent. It has been disruptive on many levels. The danger is that the United States now will be weary of intervening elsewhere, like the cat that once sat on a hot stove and will never sit on any stove again… There is no doubt that the world needs the United States.”

When asked, ” What could Europe do?,” Haass replied:

“The one-word answer is: More… One wants Europe to be more internationally oriented. If you could make a criticism that the United States has under-used the diplomatic tool, Europeans often under-use other tools… What Europeans have control over is not American foreign policy. What they have control over is their own capacity and willingness to act — and that is what they ought to focus on.”

Iraq’s “Thanks”

On November 14, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Iraq’s health minister, Ali al-Shameri. In the interview, the following startling and revealing statements were made by al-Shameri:

“The Americans are the reason for the disaster in our country. Rumsfeld made many mistakes, and we are pleased to see him go. The Americans understand nothing about Iraq. They are not protecting us, but just themselves… The Iraqi government must be able to act as a sovereign body. We want to deploy our police and military forces the way we think is right. So far we have always had to ask the Americans. Personally, I would have no objection to their leaving the country tomorrow. In any event, in the future we must tie the presence of their troops to conditions… The Americans must leave the cities and withdraw to their bases. They should only come when they are needed and called for…

“The ordinary citizens, including the Sunnis, want the Americans to go. But those in the government and in political groups are now worried about their jobs. They get their support from Arab countries. As a result, more and more suicide bombers are coming into our country… Iran is a friend, but we receive neither weapons nor money from them, not even medications, which we urgently need… Both Iran and the Arabs should stay out of the affairs of Iraq… About 100 people die every day as a result of violence, and three times as many are wounded. Doctors are being threatened and are fleeing the country. Of a total of 18,000 doctors, the best — close to a thousand — have already left the country. I don’t have enough hospitals and far too few beds. We are running out of strength, both financially and otherwise, and we will not be able to survive much longer.”

Germans Dissatisfied With Democracy

Der Spiegel Online reported on November 3:

“In a survey released on Thursday evening by the German public television station ARD, 51 percent of the 1,500 people surveyed answered negatively to the question, ‘Are you satisfied with how democracy functions in Germany?’ It’s the lowest result since the station began asking the question in 1997… Similarly, the number of Germans who say that the situation in the country is ‘unjust’ continues to rise. Only 27 percent regard the current situation in Germany as ‘just’, with 66 percent disagreeing… The high levels of German dissatisfaction with the functioning of the country’s democracy could well be due to the current political atmosphere in Germany. One year after welcoming Angela Merkel and her grand coalition — the pairing of the Social Democrats with the conservatives — to power, Germans are increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s work. Only 27 percent think the current government is doing better than ex-chancellor Gerhard Schröder’s government. And with the grand coalition looking increasingly unwieldy, it may be some time before Germans cheer up again.”

America Lacks Faith in God

On November 9, WorldNetDaily wrote about America’s lack of faith and trust in God.  Although we don’t agree with much of the article, the point that the U.S.–as a nation–lacks faith in the true God of the Bible is very well taken. We are quoting the following excerpts from the article:

“You say we also believe in God today? No, we don’t–not as a nation… Today, America and Europe are being transformed by Islam because there is a spiritual vacuum in these once-Christian lands. Especially in Britain and Europe, where the Islamic invasion is already well advanced, analysts concede it’s simply a matter of time before some of these nations have Muslim majorities… The Netherlands’ justice minister, Piet Hein Donner, recently announced he would let Shariah law take over his European nation–already rapidly filling up with Muslims–if the majority votes for it… The French are so terrified of the Muslims that comprise 10 percent of their population that Parisian police won’t even venture into Muslim communities on the outskirts of the capital city… What about America? Though the percentage of Muslims in this huge nation is much lower than in Europe, radical Islam already has a powerful foothold in many parts of American society… We need to wake up and remember who we really are. We need to realize the bottom-line reality that man is a spiritual creature, and that he will have faith, one way or the other. If he doesn’t embrace true faith, he will embrace false faith… When God withheld His protection from ancient Israel because of the disobedience and faithlessness of His people, there was only one possible solution: They had to repent of their pride and folly and come back to Him. Do we somehow expect the Almighty to grant a different remedy to us?”

Special Report on Iraq

The former Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein, and six subordinates were convicted and sentenced Sunday for the 1982 killings of 148 people in a single Shiite town after an attempt on his life there. The death sentences automatically go to a nine-judge appeals panel, which has unlimited time to review the case. If the verdicts and sentences are upheld, the executions must be carried out within 30 days. The Iraqi president Jalal Talabani said Monday that he wouldn’t sign Saddam’s death sentence. However, he emphasized that his personal signature was not necessary for it to be carried out. Saddam Hussein was appearing in court again on Tuesday in a separate genocide trial investigating the Anfal campaign of 1987-88 during which up to 180,000 Kurds died.

The worldwide reaction to Saddam’s death penalty was mixed and brought into focus the failed attempts of the United States to bring peace and democracy to Iraq, as well as the American inability to prove the accuracy of the stated reasons for beginning the war in the first place. Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 7 that “Europe [was] united in opposition” to the verdict.

World Leaders Say Their Peace

The Associated Press wrote the following on November 5 about the reactions of world leaders to Saddam’s conviction and sentence:

“… The White House praised the Iraqi judicial system and denied the U.S. had been ‘scheming’ to have the historic verdict announced two days before American midterm elections, widely seen as a referendum on the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq… symbolic of the split between the United States and many of its traditional allies over the Iraq war, many European nations voiced opposition to the death sentences in the case, including France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden… Lost in the drama of Sunday’s death sentence was any mention of the failed search for the alleged weapons of mass destruction that Bush said led the United States to invade and occupy Iraq in March 2003.”

In a related article, The Associated Press stated: “At the Vatican, Cardinal Renato Martino, Pope Benedict XVI’s top prelate for justice issues, called the sentence a throwback to ‘eye for an eye’ vengeance… Intervening militarily was ‘a grave error,’ said Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose country withdrew its troops from Iraq, contending that conditions there have worsened since the U.S.-led invasion… The Council of Europe called it ‘futile and wrong’ to execute Saddam… Iran, which fought an eight-year war against Saddam’s Iraq and is a bitter opponent of the United States, praised the death sentence.”

Reuters added in its article of November 5:

“The European Union urged Iraq on Sunday not to carry out the death sentence… ‘The EU opposes capital punishment in all cases and under all circumstances, and it should not be carried out in this case either,’ Finland, current holder of the rotating EU presidency, said in a statement…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 6:

“The conviction of Saddam Hussein is dividing the world… Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi said: ‘The condemnation reflects the judgment of the entire international community. But however ferocious a crime may be, our traditions and our ethics distance us from the concept of a death penalty.’ German Chancellor Angela Merkel pointed out that the EU opposes the death sentence. ‘But it’s right and important that the courts deal with Saddam Hussein’s deeds.'”

The magazine also reported that the Foreign Ministers of Italy and France appealed to the Iraqi government not to execute Saddam. Surprisingly, even Tony Blair, when pressed by journalists, commented that “he was against the death penalty, including against Saddam Hussein… thereby rejecting the position of his war-ally, George W. Bush.” In typical political fashion he went on to say, however, that the issue was an internal Iraqi affair.

This last sentiment was echoed by the U.S. government. According to AFP of November 7, “US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice rejected criticism from European and other allies over the death sentence… ‘This is not something for Americans or, frankly, Europeans to comment on. I think this is something for Iraqis to decide,’ Rice said in a television interview… Rice also angrily rejected suggestions Washington had manipulated the timing of the Saddam verdict, which came two days before crucial US elections.”

A.P. added on November 6 that due to the verdict, “the divide between Shiite and Sunni” in Iraq was “widening.”  It also mentioned in its article of November 5 that “Shiites and Kurds, who had been tormented and killed in the tens of thousands under Saddam’s iron rule, erupted in celebration–but looked ahead fearfully for a potential backlash from the Sunni insurgency that some believe could be a final shove into all-out civil war.” AFP commented on November 7 that “The verdict served only to deepen Iraq’s bitter religious divide.”

Strong Accusations from Human Rights Groups

Reuters stated on November 5: “Human rights groups and legal experts have called the year-long trial, during which three defence lawyers were killed, deeply flawed.” According to The Associated Press, Amnesty International actually said it “deplored” the sentence, and condemned the trial as a “shabby affair, marred by serious flaws” which had not met basic international standards. According to Der Spiegel Online, dated November 7, “A United Nations legal expert has likewise urged the Iraqi government not to carry out the death sentence. Leandro Despouy, the UN special investigator on the independence of judges and lawyers, questioned the fairness of the trial and called for an international tribunal to either retry Saddam or handle the appeals process.”

What The International Press Thinks…

The reaction of the international press to the verdict was sharply divided as well. As AFP pointed out on November 6, “The world’s media has been torn between applause for the death penalty given dictator Saddam Hussein and warnings that killing him would only exacerbate divisions threatening to destroy Iraq.” The article continued:

“The New York Times called for Saddam’s execution to be deferred, saying his trial had given Iraq ‘neither the full justice nor the full fairness it deserved’… Europe’s press reaction broadly reflected where the countries or individual newspapers stood on the Iraq invasion. ‘It’s a shame the verdict can give the impression of legitimizing a military intervention taken under false pretexts, when it should be before all else a founding act for a state based on the rule of law after 24 years of dictatorship,’ said Le Figaro in France, a fierce critic of the war.

“In Britain, the main US ally in the Iraq invasion, the response ranged between the tabloid Sun’s gloating over Saddam’s ‘fitting’ sentence to strong criticism in the broadsheets.The Guardian said that if ‘a new Iraq is to ever … emerge from the ruins of the old, eschewing judicial murder would be a good start.’ The Independent lamented that the trial had ‘solved nothing, ended nothing, healed nothing.’

“Some European papers saw the trial as a missed opportunity, arguing that hearings under an international tribunal would have delivered justice better, while the faulted process in Iraq was only likely to fuel fighting. The Berliner Zeitung said it should have been a ‘historic chance’ to learn about the brutalities of Saddam’s rule and help the nation move on. ‘Instead of that, the trial was manipulated by the occupational forces.'”

Schröder’s Point of View on Iraq

In his memoirs, which were published at the end of October, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder recalls the difficult period during the run-up to the Iraq war. On November 6, Der Spiegel Online introduced excerpts from Schröder’s book as follows:

“The trans-Atlantic Ice Age was intense. German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and US President George W. Bush — close allies during the post-Sept. 11 offensive in Afghanistan — had nothing but disdain for each other when it came to Iraq. On Aug. 1, 2002 Schröder elected to take the final step in severing his relationship to the president. With an eye on autumn elections, he promised that Germany would not take part in a US-led military ‘adventure’ in Iraq. The statement marked the start of a major diplomatic rift between Washington and Berlin — one that is still being mended today.”

One can safely say that without the Iraq war, the relationship between the United States and Germany would have been much better.

Der Spiegel Online continued as follows:

“Cheney gave a firebrand speech on Aug. 26, 2002 in Tennessee that Schröder describes in his memoir as a ‘tough one,’ a ‘carefully prepared bit of agitation for the coming conflict.’ Cheney infamously claimed that ‘only idiots or cowards could possibly believe’ the invasion was avoidable. With US special forces unable to capture al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden, Schröder suggests the CIA was eager to shift focus to Saddam Hussein — America’s ‘sworn enemy’ in Cheney’s words. ‘To justify this change in strategy,’ he writes, ‘Cheney turned mere assumptions into certainties.’ Cheney also predicted in the speech that Saddam’s collapse would give people a chance to ‘promote values that can bring lasting peace’ and that the people of Basra and Baghdad would cheer the American soldiers when they arrived. ‘What a string of miscalculations!’ Schröder writes. ‘Cheney was never held accountable for any of these mistakes — or perhaps they were deliberate distortions?'”

The magazine went on to point out:

“During those crucial months, the United Nations’ chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, was busy criss-crossing Iraq with his team searching fruitlessly for weapons of mass destruction. Schröder says that Blix’s inspection reports had often been used in top-level discussions about Iraq in Berlin. He describes the results of Blix’s work as clear: ‘There were no traces of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.’ The ex-chancellor describes Blix as having maintained a ‘stoic and unwavering stance’ during his thorough inspections and writes that he ‘continue(s) to respect’ that work today. Schröder also found the political campaign waged against Blix by the Bush administration to be deeply troubling…

“Jan. 30, 2003 proved to be a watershed day for European Union relations. Under domestic pressure at home in a country where the majority opposed an Iraq war, Tony Blair’s government sought signatures of prime ministers of seven other European countries for a letter that offered indirect support for the imminent invasion of Iraq. The letter served as a snub for Germany, France and other Western European Countries that had been critical of the calls for war. ‘As much as I could understand the new EU members from Eastern Europe who, for historical reasons, wanted to take sides with the United States, I was equally unable to recognize any even remotely equivalent legitimacy behind the other EU states signing the document.’ The letter, published in newspapers across Europe, drove a wedge between EU countries and spoiled hopes for a common European foreign policy. Three of the signatories were new EU member states from Eastern Europe. ‘What an opportunity we missed with all these quarrels!,’ he laments. ‘A united European stance could have contributed to dissuading America from making a fatal mistake.’

“On Feb. 5, Colin Powell gave his famous speech before the UN in which he laid out the case for the invasion of Iraq. It was only after this that France officially teamed with Berlin and became part of the anti-war alliance… Days later, millions took to the streets across Europe and the world to protest the coming war — including a half million in Berlin…

“Looking to the current state of affairs in Iraq, Schröder sees the recent rebellion of top retired US military generals as a sign that ‘Americans are beginning to deal with the lack of rationality within the government and among its representatives.’ Schröder ventures that the time to start thinking about a pullout has arrived. ‘Perhaps the time has come to encourage the United States to leave Iraq. However, this would require immense strategic preparation that would have to enable all parties involved to save face, and would also include safe withdrawal of the troops.’ This, he argues, would require a ‘peace initiative that takes away support for the terrorists and discourages them.’ He argues the US will be unable to achieve this on its own. ‘Europe and, if possible, another worldwide coalition, including the Arab countries and Israel, would have to be involved. We must begin paving the way now, otherwise we run the risk of terrorists establishing additional footholds worldwide. If that happens, there will be more at stake than a trans-Atlantic spat.'”

Iraq has become an absolutely unbearable burden for the United States and its very few allies–much worse, in a sense, than Vietnam, as the dangers involved are so much greater. The whole world might be set on fire because of an idle attempt to bring democracy to a terribly divided country. Swift concerted action is necessary, but, as Schröder rightly fears, very unlikely. Please make sure to read our member letter, dated November 8, 2006, which discusses the fiasco in Iraq and the reasons for it in more detail.

A Major Catastrophe Is Imminent

Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 6:

“Vesuvius has been quiet for the last 62 years — and that’s cause for concern. Italian authorities are preparing for the next eruption of the most dangerous volcano in the world.”

The magazine continued:

“The ground south of Mt. Vesuvius has been shaken by tremors 52 times during the last 24 hours… Three hundred tons of sulfur dioxide have spewed out of the crater. Other ominous signs of an impending catastrophe are mounting: The coast guard has sighted gaseous bubbles in the sea, and dead fish are floating on the waves. The water in the boroughs of Ercolano and Torre del Greco tastes sourer and sourer. And, as if that weren’t enough, GPS stations have observed that the ground in the region is rising — by no less than 20 centimetres (8 inches) in a single day. ‘No doubt about it, the magma is rising,’ [Italian researcher Franco] Barberi concludes…  Barberi speaks of a ‘dramatic acceleration of events.’ The evacuation has to begin immediately, he says — tonight…

“Nowhere else on the planet do so many people live in the death zone… Some 55,000 people live by the foot of Vesuvius — in towns that have crept farther and farther upward along the volcano’s fertile slopes during the past decades. Hardly any other region of Europe is as densely populated — and construction work is ongoing. Fifty thousand new buildings were built here during the past 20 years — even including a hospital in the town of Torre Annunziata… Vesuvius has been slumbering for 62 years now — and that’s a bad sign, according to the volcanologists. After all, each of the volcano’s major eruptions occurred at the end of such a calm period. The rule of thumb seems to be: The longer the volcano remains outwardly peaceful, the worse the disaster being prepared in its innards.”

In this context, you might want to view one of our older StandingWatch programs, titled, “The Last Days of Pompeii.”

Worst Drought in 1,000 Years

AFP reported on November 7 that “The world’s driest inhabited continent was in the grip of the worst drought in 1,000 years, a river management expert told Australia’s political leaders… The drought has already been described variously as the worst in living memory, the worst in a century and the worst since white settlement more than two centuries ago… statistics showed that the country’s most important river system, within the Murray-Darling Basin, could run out of water in six months, after six years of drought. About 30 rivers and hundreds of tributaries run across the basin, which feeds about 70 per cent of Australia’s irrigated farmlands.”

America’s Midterm Elections

American Voters Send A Clear Message!

Democrats ousted Republicans from power in the House of Representatives in Tuesday’s midterm elections. They also took the Senate with a majority of 51 seats, including two independents who said that they would work with the Democrats.

The Washington Post commented that the Democrats did not win the midterm elections, but that the Republicans lost.

Some of the noteworthy developments are:

Minneapolis’ Democrat Keith Ellison has become the first Muslim to win a seat in the US Congress; and California’s House Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi is set to be the first female speaker of the House. The most noted Republican who won a convincing re-election as California’s Governor was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many observers feel that his land-slide victory was largely due to his recent willingness to distance himself from President Bush on issues such as global warming, setting aside partisan differences, and to concentrate on working together with Democrats to try to solve California’s mounting problems.

Also, in the wake of the elections, having come under much criticism and having lost more and more support even within the military, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld resigned on Wednesday, to be replaced by Dr. Robert Gates. Gates is former CIA Chief (1991-1993), and currently President of Texas A&M University. He was selected in order to bring, in the words of President Bush, “a fresh perspective.” Although he changed his mind regarding Rumsfeld, having stated just before the elections that Rumsfeld would stay in office, President Bush reiterated on Wednesday during a press conference that Vice-President Cheney would remain Vice-President for the next two years.

When asked to comment on the election results, President Bush said that he had thought that the American people would have known the importance of security. “But, ” he added, “the people have spoken.”

According to commentators, American voters, disappointed with President Bush’s overall job performance, as well as upset about scandals, ethic problems and corruption in the House and Congress, sent a clear message to both Republicans and Democrats, which is: “Stop bickering and attacking each other, but get something done, including on hotly debated ethical issues and health care.” And: “Solve the debacle in Iraq!” These are tough demands, given the political climate in Washington and the fact that most Democrats had voted for the war in Iraq.

Der Spiegel Online reported on November 8:

“Exit polls showed that 42 percent of voters called corruption an extremely important issue in their choices at the polls, followed by terrorism at 40 percent, the economy at 39 percent and the war in Iraq at 37 percent… Karsten Voigt, a German government adviser on German-American relations, said the election outcome meant Bush would be forced to seek consensus positions with the Democrats on key issues including Iraq. ‘…the mere fact that they won seats will shift the debate there and the president will have to take account of that,’ said Voigt. He added that he didn’t think a majority of Democrats backed an immediate withdrawal from Iraq, though. ‘There are no good options for America in Iraq, only a range of options that are less bad,’ said Voigt, a member of the center-left Social Democrats.”

What Will the Democrats Do?

On the eve of the US Midterm elections, Der Spiegel Online wrote on November 7:

“It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Democrats are going to win back the House of Representatives — and maybe even the Senate [which they did]. But what will the Democrats do with their victory?… Congressional elections are often a reflection of the White House’s popularity, and right now, a failing policy in Iraq and abundant political scandals are casting a dark shadow over the Republican Party…

“[The] center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung… cautions the [Democratic] party to wield its power thoughtfully. Two years from now, when the Americans go to the polls again and look at what Democrats have done with their mandate, their typical refrain of ‘we wanted to but couldn’t’ will not be good enough. A difficult balancing act lies ahead. Democrats will have to become an effective ‘counterweight to the president,’ but they’ll also have to ‘prove their willingness to cooperate.’ The paper suggests Democrats resist the temptation to exact revenge on a President that has proven so divisive. Instead, they should focus on the central question of Iraq and suggest a timetable for the withdrawal of troops. Democrats, writes the editor, ‘must prove they deserve America’s trust.’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung makes little effort to downplay the US Midterm elections, referring to Tuesday as ‘World Voting Day.’ Europeans so desperately want the Democrats to win — and the image of ‘Bush as the enemy’ has become so deeply ingrained in the European conscience — that they are starting to believe a real shift in power is happening. Not so fast, writes the daily. ‘Whether this is actually the end of Republican dominance will only be seen in two years,’ when Democrats will have to answer for their time in power. Iraq is certainly the core issue in the campaign, but Democrats can’t forget the domestic issues — like corruption and pension reform — that need to be tackled. Many say the American political system is paralyzed when the White House and Congress are controlled by different parties. But with respect to American democracy, writes the paper, it wouldn’t be all that bad.

“Conservative daily Die Welt would like to remind its readers that America is the only superpower in the world. So, those Europeans who fantasize about an ‘alternative model to America,’ need to stop dreaming. Regardless of the outcome of the US Midterm elections, the US’s role in the world will not change. A Democratic victory will not lead to withdrawal from Iraq, and the threats from rogue states Iran and North Korea do not depend on who controls the US Congress. This, writes the paper, ‘Europe likes to forget.'”

AFP wrote on November 8:

“Victorious Democrats were quick to throw their newfound political weight behind demands that President George W. Bush change course in Iraq… But the opposition politicians [Democrats]… have offered few clear ideas for how to deal with the disastrous situation in the country US troops invaded more than three years ago… they appear almost as divided as Republicans over how to resolve the crisis.”

And Here We Go Again…

To end this week’s Current Events section with a laughable example of scientific “intelligent reasoning,” The Associated Press reported that “Japanese researchers said Sunday that a bottlenose dolphin captured last month has an extra set of fins that could be the remains of hind legs, a discovery that may provide further evidence that ocean-dwelling mammals once lived on land… Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.”

This is utter nonsense, of course. No “evolution” from sea animals to land animals to sea animals took place. It is amazing that scientists teaching this concept seem to be unwilling to ask and answer the pertinent question: If animal life developed in the ocean, as they contend, and if fish developed into sea-living reptiles, which then moved to land to evolve into birds and mammals, in order to become more adaptable to their environment, why in the world would those land animals then decide to move back into the sea, in order to give up their sophisticated characteristics that they developed as land animals? This makes no sense, does it?

For more information on the utter ridiculousness of the whole evolutionary concept, which is being taught to our poor children in school, please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution–a Fairy Tale for Adults?”

Special Report on Germany

The German Grand Coalition is in deep trouble. As can be observed in the United States with many of the projects of the Bush Administration which seem to backfire and end up in defeat, much of what the German Grand Coalition is doing is also met with disaster. In addition, events outside the German government’s control add to the bleak picture of Germany in the world. When will the German people wake up to do something about these incredible developments? Quite different from Biblical prophecies showing that the United States of America is DOOMED to failure just prior to Christ’s return–regardless of what government or administration might be “ruling” it–the Bible is also very clear that Germany is predestined to achieve TEMPORARY “greatness” in these end times–with disastrous events to follow.

Travesty in Afghanistan

As Der Spiegel Online reported on October 30, 2006:

“The photos of German soldiers posing with skulls in Afghanistan have endangered the mission of an army deployed to win the ‘hearts and minds’ of Afghans… The scandalous photos from Afghanistan… plunged the Bundeswehr into its biggest crisis in years. They fly in the face of a concept under which German soldiers are meant to serve as ambassadors of democracy, and under which they are meant to seek acceptance in crisis regions like Afghanistan and Lebanon… the series of photos shows German soldiers abroad doing precisely the opposite of what they are supposed to do, and it serves as a painful reminder of something the Germans have apparently forgotten over the past few decades: death and the military are all-too-often closely intertwined. Peacekeeping missions are rarely conducted in peaceful regions… Eighteen German soldiers have already been killed in Afghanistan. This is the highest death toll among all German military missions abroad, and it demonstrates just how dead serious life has become for these troops.”

Israel Attacks German Aircraft and Vessels

As if these developments were not bad enough, Israeli attacks on German aircraft and vessels in the Middle East added to the present confusion and the decreasing confidence of the German public in what their government is doing and has gotten Germany into.

Der Spiegel Online reported on October 30, 2006:

“One thing is certain, when Germany’s Defense Minister Franz Josef Jung visits Israel and Lebanon the end of this week, there will be no shortage of things to talk about. He will want a more detailed explanation from Israeli politicians, for example, as to why their fighter jets buzzed a German ship last Tuesday and why a German naval helicopter was approached by Israeli jets on Thursday night. And when Jung visits the Lebanese government, concern within Germany’s parliament about Beirut’s wish to limit the activities of the German-led UN flotilla off the coast will surely be on the agenda… Last Tuesday six Israeli F-16 fighter jets sped at low altitude over the Alster, a part of the German flotilla. At the time the vessel was cruising in international waters some 50 nautical miles off Israel’s coast just south of the border with Lebanon. The Israeli jets allegedly fired two shots from its canon before it released flares normally meant to confuse enemy air-defense missiles [The Israeli government, as well as some within the German government, went on record disputing these allegations, even though the German Defense Department considers them to be accurate]… As it turned out, the Tuesday incident wasn’t the first time tempers had flared… Two weeks previously, a similar event took place.”

Breitbart added on October 26 that “France and the United Nations this week warned Israel that it was endangering the multinational peace mission in Lebanon by sending its fighter planes into Lebanese airspace.” According to Der Spiegel Online of October 31, 2006, and other reports, Israel continued to do so on Tuesday with six or eight airplanes, thereby “clearly violating the UN resolution.”

German Government Guilty of Misrepresentations?

But according to the German viewpoint of public opinion, the real problem does not concern Israel, but Germany’s government. The small opposition under FDP leader Guido Westerwelle is accusing the government of negligent or intentional misrepresentations. As the magazine explained, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had “promised during the parliamentary debate on the mission… that Lebanon doesn’t have any right to veto. ‘We are allowed to travel in the whole region,’ was the promise she made before the German government agreed to the decision. The FDP opposition party is now criticizing Merkel for misleading parliament.”

Since the parliamentary opposition is so tiny, not much can be done, politically, to prevent the Grand Coalition from doing whatever they envision and agree on–even if this means, going against the clear wishes of the German people. The vast majority of the Germans was opposed to Germany’s involvement in Lebanon, but Angela Merkel (CDU) and her administration (coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD) decided to proceed anyhow–casting aside all contrary arguments. The FDP complained–and Westerwelle wrote in his weekly column in Bild about the continuing shortcomings of the ruling parties. Bild also published an article on October 30, stating that the German “adventure” of the country’s vessels in Lebanese waters “is becoming the most costly enterprise of the German Bundeswehr–with anticipated costs of 193 million euros by the end of 2007–with less and less prospects for success, due to the limitations imposed by Lebanon on German operations.”

What we see, then, is a German opposition OUTSIDE the German parliament. According to Der Spiegel Online of October 31, some officials within the ruling parties have begun to question publicly the necessity or effectiveness of Angela Merkel’s policy to commit to German military involvement in Lebanon. These kinds of developments with mounting opposition outside the German parliament and disagreements between the ruling parties occurred in the late 60’s, leading to the ultimate downfall of the then German Grand Coalition.

German Government Failing on Domestic Issues

The Merkel administration is in deep trouble in other respects as well. In private discussions with loyal CDU party members and supporters, they will admit that Merkel is not the kind of leader they had hoped to have. Former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (SPD) was not re-elected because of the German disapproval of Schroeder’s plans to modernize the German welfare system–leading the way to Merkel’s rise. But Merkel’s government has hardly brought about any success in this highly contested area–and German disapproval is mounting. Even in German family-oriented popular public television shows, such as the recent airing of “Spass Muss Sein,” comedians ridicule the key players within the German government–Merkel (CDU), Muentefering (SPD) and Bavaria’s Edmund Stoiber (CSU)–pointing out especially Stoiber’s continued complaining about Merkel’s policies, without being willing or able to show any “viable alternatives.”

President Koehler Puts German Parliament to Shame

One interesting player in this political horror story who has surprised all political parties is German President Horst Koehler (independent). After all major parties agreed to privatize German airlines, Koehler objected and refused to sign legislature to that effect, as, according to Koehler, the proposed law violated the German constitution. The German President has such limited veto powers, but he has rarely used them. That Koehler used them now shows the depth of the crisis pertaining to the German parliament.