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CAIRO, Egypt-Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims in a new audiotape released Monday to strike Jewish and American targets in revenge for Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip.The al-Zawahri tape came on the heels of a message from Osama bin Laden, who called for a holy war to liberate the Palestinian territories. Together, the two messages appeared to be a more direct push by the terror network's leadership to use widespread anger over the Gaza violence to whip up support.Israel's weeklong offensive in Gaza ended in early March. It was launched in an attempt to put down Palestinian militants firing rockets against nearby the Israeli town of Sderot and city of Ashkelon. The Israeli assault killed more than 120 people, including many civilians. Three Israelis also were killed.Bin Laden and al-Zawahri have frequently referred to the Palestinian cause in their past messages, but usually in broader terms of liberating Jerusalem and denouncing Israeli violence. Their latest calls for attacks, however, had a more immediate and urgent tone.The string of messages has raised concerns that al-Qaida could be planning new attacks in the West-or is seeking to inspire its sympathizers to carry out violence. In another message last week, bin Laden warned of a "severe" reaction against Europe after Danish papers published a cartoon seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.The authenticity of the 4 minute, 44-second audiotape could not be independently confirmed. But the voice resembled that of al-Zawahri on previous audio and videotapes confirmed to be his. It was posted on an Islamic militant Web site where al-Qaida usually releases its statements, and a banner advertising the tape had the logo of al-Qaida's media arm, Al-Sahab."Muslims, today is your day. Strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all those who participated in the attack on Muslims," al-Zawahri said. "Monitor the targets, collect money, prepare the equipment, plan with precision, and then-while relying on God-assault, seeking martyrdom and paradise."Al-Zawahri said attacks should not be limited to places in Israel and the Palestinian territories."Today there is no room for he who says that we should only fight the Jews in Palestine," he said. "Let us strike their interests everywhere, just like they gathered against us from everywhere.""Let them know that they will get blood for every dollar they spend in the killing of the Muslims, and for every bullet they fire at us, a volcano will turn back on them," he said, referring to American military aid and other ties to Israel. "They cannot expect to support Israel, then live in peace while the Jews are killing our fugitive and besieged people."Israeli officials declined to comment on the new tape.Al-Zawahri also referred to the publishing of the cartoon seen as insulting Islam's prophet. The cartoons, which sparked deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006 after they were first published, were reprinted last month."They will never be able to insult and make a mockery out of our Prophet, peace and prayers of Allah upon him," al-Zawahri said.The Egyptian-born Al-Zawahri accused Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of colluding with Israel in the siege of Gaza. Egypt has sealed its border with the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group Hamas took over the territory last year.He said Mubarak "repeats the same dirty role" as the Lebanese Phalangists-a Christian militia that was allied with Israel in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and was blamed in the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the Beirut camps of Sabra and Shatila."The roles are the same, even if the faces change-the same betrayal even if the names have changed," said al-Zawahri.Ben Venzke, head of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors al-Qaida message traffic, said in an e-mail that the "direct use of language and sense of urgency" in al-Zawahri's call for attacks-alongside bin Laden's audiotapes last week-"is cause for concern that al-Qaeda may be moving closer to executing a large-scale attack against EU, American and/or Jewish interests."But Venzke said it's difficult to predict because in the past, attacks sometimes came more than a year after an al-Qaida threat.In his audiotape posted on the Web on Thursday, bin Laden said, "Palestine cannot be retaken by negotiations and dialogue, but with fire and iron."There has been little sign in the past of direct involvement by al-Qaida militants in Israeli-Palestinian violence, though Israeli officials and the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have warned that the terror network's presence in the area is quietly growing.With the latest messages, al-Qaida may be responding to impatience among its sympathizers over the lack of direct al-Qaida involvement in the Palestinian issue. Supporters have frequently posted messages on Islamic militant Web forums asking when the group will carry out attacks inside Israel.The increased focus on the Palestinian issue also reflects the terror network's desire to show it is up to date on the latest events in the region, even as al-Zawahri, bin Laden and other leaders are believed to remain in hiding in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.The Israeli assault in Gaza was heavily covered in Arab media, particularly Arab satellite TV news networks such as Al-Jazeera, which aired footage of casualties and damage from Israeli strikes in the Mediterranean coastal strip.The fighting has hampered a new round of peace talks launched at a conference hosted by the U.S. in November. The Bush administration has been pushing the two sides to sign a peace deal by the end of the year.Al Qaida No. 2 urges attacks on Israel,US
CAIRO, Egypt-Al-Qaida deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on Muslims in a new audiotape released Monday to strike Jewish and American targets in revenge for Israel's recent offensive in the Gaza Strip.The al-Zawahri tape came on the heels of a message from Osama bin Laden, who called for a holy war to liberate the Palestinian territories. Together, the two messages appeared to be a more direct push by the terror network's leadership to use widespread anger over the Gaza violence to whip up support.Israel's weeklong offensive in Gaza ended in early March. It was launched in an attempt to put down Palestinian militants firing rockets against nearby the Israeli town of Sderot and city of Ashkelon. The Israeli assault killed more than 120 people, including many civilians. Three Israelis also were killed.Bin Laden and al-Zawahri have frequently referred to the Palestinian cause in their past messages, but usually in broader terms of liberating Jerusalem and denouncing Israeli violence. Their latest calls for attacks, however, had a more immediate and urgent tone.The string of messages has raised concerns that al-Qaida could be planning new attacks in the West-or is seeking to inspire its sympathizers to carry out violence. In another message last week, bin Laden warned of a "severe" reaction against Europe after Danish papers published a cartoon seen as insulting Islam's Prophet Muhammad.The authenticity of the 4 minute, 44-second audiotape could not be independently confirmed. But the voice resembled that of al-Zawahri on previous audio and videotapes confirmed to be his. It was posted on an Islamic militant Web site where al-Qaida usually releases its statements, and a banner advertising the tape had the logo of al-Qaida's media arm, Al-Sahab."Muslims, today is your day. Strike the interests of the Jews, the Americans, and all those who participated in the attack on Muslims," al-Zawahri said. "Monitor the targets, collect money, prepare the equipment, plan with precision, and then-while relying on God-assault, seeking martyrdom and paradise."Al-Zawahri said attacks should not be limited to places in Israel and the Palestinian territories."Today there is no room for he who says that we should only fight the Jews in Palestine," he said. "Let us strike their interests everywhere, just like they gathered against us from everywhere.""Let them know that they will get blood for every dollar they spend in the killing of the Muslims, and for every bullet they fire at us, a volcano will turn back on them," he said, referring to American military aid and other ties to Israel. "They cannot expect to support Israel, then live in peace while the Jews are killing our fugitive and besieged people."Israeli officials declined to comment on the new tape.Al-Zawahri also referred to the publishing of the cartoon seen as insulting Islam's prophet. The cartoons, which sparked deadly riots across the Muslim world in 2006 after they were first published, were reprinted last month."They will never be able to insult and make a mockery out of our Prophet, peace and prayers of Allah upon him," al-Zawahri said.The Egyptian-born Al-Zawahri accused Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak of colluding with Israel in the siege of Gaza. Egypt has sealed its border with the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian militant group Hamas took over the territory last year.He said Mubarak "repeats the same dirty role" as the Lebanese Phalangists-a Christian militia that was allied with Israel in Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war and was blamed in the massacre of Palestinian refugees in the Beirut camps of Sabra and Shatila."The roles are the same, even if the faces change-the same betrayal even if the names have changed," said al-Zawahri.Ben Venzke, head of IntelCenter, a U.S. group that monitors al-Qaida message traffic, said in an e-mail that the "direct use of language and sense of urgency" in al-Zawahri's call for attacks-alongside bin Laden's audiotapes last week-"is cause for concern that al-Qaeda may be moving closer to executing a large-scale attack against EU, American and/or Jewish interests."But Venzke said it's difficult to predict because in the past, attacks sometimes came more than a year after an al-Qaida threat.In his audiotape posted on the Web on Thursday, bin Laden said, "Palestine cannot be retaken by negotiations and dialogue, but with fire and iron."There has been little sign in the past of direct involvement by al-Qaida militants in Israeli-Palestinian violence, though Israeli officials and the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have warned that the terror network's presence in the area is quietly growing.With the latest messages, al-Qaida may be responding to impatience among its sympathizers over the lack of direct al-Qaida involvement in the Palestinian issue. Supporters have frequently posted messages on Islamic militant Web forums asking when the group will carry out attacks inside Israel.The increased focus on the Palestinian issue also reflects the terror network's desire to show it is up to date on the latest events in the region, even as al-Zawahri, bin Laden and other leaders are believed to remain in hiding in the Afghan-Pakistan border region.The Israeli assault in Gaza was heavily covered in Arab media, particularly Arab satellite TV news networks such as Al-Jazeera, which aired footage of casualties and damage from Israeli strikes in the Mediterranean coastal strip.The fighting has hampered a new round of peace talks launched at a conference hosted by the U.S. in November. The Bush administration has been pushing the two sides to sign a peace deal by the end of the year.
Tropical storm kills 12 in Bangladesh
DHAKA-A tropical storm swept parts of Bangladesh, killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 200, media reports said on Sunday.The storm, packing winds of up to 100 kph (60 mph), hit nine districts in north and northeastern Bangladesh, the reports said.Heavy rain and hail damaged rice and other crops across thousands of acres (hectares), agriculture officials told reporters.It flattened thousands of huts and several schools.Tropical storms and tornadoes are common in densely populated Bangladesh, killing hundreds of people every year.A cyclone in November last year, the worst since 1991, killed more than 3,300 people, made millions homeless and destroyed around 1 million tonnes of rice, the country's main staple food.As in the days of Noah....
Comoros warns rebel island of attack
MORONI-Comoros helicopters dropped leaflets on rebel Anjouan island on Monday, saying a military assault was imminent and telling locals to stay at home, a source close to the military said."The National Development Army informs all inhabitants that it will be in Anjouan in the coming days or, more likely, the coming hours," read the French-language leaflets, one of which was seen by Reuters.Backed by the African Union (AU), the national government of the coup-prone Indian Ocean archipelago has threatened for weeks to land on Anjouan and topple its local leader, Mohamed Bacar, who clung to power in an illegal election last year.AU forces had taken to the sea from nearby Moheli island, but had not yet assaulted Anjouan, the source, who asked not to be named, told Reuters.Analysts say the African Union may be hoping to score a relatively easy victory against Anjouan to earn some international prestige to offset the failures of its struggling peacekeeping missions in Sudan and Somalia.After suffering some 20 coups or coup attempts since independence from France in 1975, Comoros is trying to shrug off a history of instability and inter-island bickering.Also on Monday, all air and sea links were cut to Anjouan and Moheli, where national Comoros and AU troops have joined forces, said Mohamed Bacar Dossar, director of the president's cabinet in charge of defense."Preparations are well under way," he told Reuters.To read more go to :
As in the days of Noah....
WHAT,COULD YE NOT WATCH WITH ME ONE HOUR...???
"Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane,and saith unto the disciples,Sit ye here,while I go and pray yonder.
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Then saith he unto them,My soul is exceeding sorrowful,even unto death:tarry ye here,and watch with me.
And he went a little farther,and fell on his face,and prayed,saying,O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples,and findeth them asleep,and saith unto Peter,What,could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray,that ye enter not into temptation:the spirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying,O my Father,if this cup may not pass away from me,except I drink it,thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again:for their eyes were heavy.
And he left them,and went away again,and prayed the third time,saying the same words.
Then cometh he to his disciples,and saith unto them,Sleep on now,and take your rest:behold,the hour is at hand,and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise,let us be going:behold,he is at hand that doth betray me."
MAtthew 26:36-46
And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee,and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
Then saith he unto them,My soul is exceeding sorrowful,even unto death:tarry ye here,and watch with me.
And he went a little farther,and fell on his face,and prayed,saying,O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
And he cometh unto the disciples,and findeth them asleep,and saith unto Peter,What,could ye not watch with me one hour?
Watch and pray,that ye enter not into temptation:the spirit indeed is willing,but the flesh is weak.
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying,O my Father,if this cup may not pass away from me,except I drink it,thy will be done.
And he came and found them asleep again:for their eyes were heavy.
And he left them,and went away again,and prayed the third time,saying the same words.
Then cometh he to his disciples,and saith unto them,Sleep on now,and take your rest:behold,the hour is at hand,and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
Rise,let us be going:behold,he is at hand that doth betray me."
MAtthew 26:36-46
Cheney voices doubts on Hamas-Fatah reconciliation
JERUSALEM-U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said on Monday he did not believe Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would agree to reconcile with Hamas until the Islamist group gave up control of the Gaza Strip.Cheney spoke to reporters following a breakfast meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and a day after Abbas's Fatah faction and Hamas issued a declaration in Sanaa agreeing to resume dialogue under a Yemeni fence-mending initiative."My conclusion from talking with the Palestinian leadership is that they have established preconditions which would have to be fulfilled before they would ever agree to a reconciliation, including a complete reversal of the Hamas takeover of Gaza," said Cheney, who later flew on to Ankara.Cheney, who paid a three-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories to try to push Israeli-Palestinian peace talks forward, met Abbas in the occupied West Bank on Monday shortly after the declaration was issued in the Yemeni capital.The Yemeni initiative calls for the "Palestinian situation" to return to the way it was before June, when Hamas Islamists wrested control of the territory of 1.5 million people from secular Fatah in fighting in June.The West Bank-based Palestinian leadership made clear in a statement after the Sanaa declaration was issued that it continued to demand, as part of any renewed dialogue with Hamas, that its rival give up control of the Gaza Strip.Hamas rejected that position, saying articles of the Yemeni plan were up for negotiation.Hamas opposes Abbas's U.S.-brokered peace talks with Israel, which the United States hopes can lead to a Palestinian statehood deal before President George W. Bush leaves the White House in January.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
Iran inflation keeps pressure on Ahmadinejad
TEHRAN-Ali Daryani is embarrassed at the inflationary pain he is passing on to his customers."Sometimes we have to change the price stickers three times a day because of inflation," the 42-year-old Tehran grocer said.Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad survived this month's parliamentary election without a big blow to his prestige, even if his core support base among a broad conservative camp shrank.Now the president's opponents in the Islamic Republic, both from the reformist minority and the victorious conservatives, could force him to rein in populist spending policies seen as partly to blame for inflation hovering around 19 percent.Since Ahmadinejad swept to power in 2005 promising to spread Iran's oil wealth to the people, soaring world oil prices have swelled national revenues, but economists say colossal subsidies and presidential handouts have predictably fuelled inflation.Ahmadinejad is basking in support from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei for his tough nuclear stance, but his economic record may dent his chances of re-election next year.Iranians are cushioned by a vast array of costly subsidies, but runaway prices still hit the pockets of ordinary consumers."The prices of rice, meat, fruit and everything else have gone up," complained Baqer Gabai, a 54-year-old retired teacher, in Tehran's Mohseni Square. "The price of chicken has doubled in six months, but my income has not changed a bit."To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
Indonesia left deep imprint on Obama family
JAKARTA-A small group of Indonesians in their late 40s who attended the same elementary school in central Jakarta recently gathered for a reunion and to pledge their support for an absent former classmate:Barack Obama.Obama's late mother came to Indonesia with her young son in the late 1960s to join her second husband knowing next to nothing about the huge, developing Southeast Asian nation.While her son left after four years to study in Hawaii, for the Kansas-born mother of the Democratic Party presidential hopeful the relationship with Indonesia was to grow into a lifetime affair.Eschewing many of the cocktail parties and golf-type events in the expatriate community, friends said she tried to dig deep into the local culture and made many Indonesian friends."She wasn't the typical expat, who just experienced Indonesia from behind the windows of a chauffeur-driven limousine," said author and columnist Julia Suryakusuma, who became a friend of Obama's mother Ann Dunham in 1981.For a six-year-old Obama too, the chaotic tropical nation clearly had an impact when he arrived with his mother, then 24, from Hawaii to join his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro.He recounts in his book "Dreams from My Father" being amazed to find the house they moved into on the outskirts of Jakarta had a collection of exotic animals including a monkey, birds of paradise, a cockatoo and even several baby crocodiles...To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
Saudi announces low-level delegation to Arab summit
DAMASCUS-Saudi Arabia said on Monday it would be sending low-level representation to this week's Arab League summit in Damascus, confirming fears that an Arab rift over Lebanon could undermine the annual meeting.The Saudi permanent representative at the Arab League said he would represent his country at the summit, meaning that influential King Abdullah (picture left)and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal would be staying away from the Damascus meeting.Saudi Arabia blames Syria for the failure of Damascus-allied Lebanese opposition forces to reach a deal with the Lebanese government and end political deadlock which has prevented the election of a new president for four months."I will head Saudi Arabia's delegation to the summit," Ahmad bin Abdelaziz Qattan told reporters after a meeting of Arab League representatives in the Syrian capital."We meet today without a president in Lebanon due to the continued and unjustifiable delays in the election.We look forward to an effective Syrian role in achieving a Lebanese national reconciliation," Qattan told the meeting.Lebanon's political crisis was expected to hit the level of turnout at the March 29-30 summit. The Arab League expects no last-minute breakthrough in the political deadlock, the chief of the pan-Arab organization said."What we have not succeeded in building in the last several months I don't think we will succeed in doing in the next 24 hours," Amr Moussa told Reuters.Lebanon's parliament speaker Nabih Berri indicated on Sunday he would put off for the 17th time a session, this time scheduled for Tuesday, to choose a president due to a lack of progress toward ending the political deadlock.To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL2444647920080324
As in the days of Noah.....
PESTILENCE WATCH:Salmonella cases top 200 in Colorado
ALAMOSA, Colo.-The number of suspected salmonella cases linked to an outbreak in this southern Colorado town topped 200 Sunday.Of 216 reported cases so far, 68 have been confirmed by lab results, public information officer Jim Shires said. Nine people have been hospitalized, but only one was believed to still be in the hospital, Shires said.Shires is part of a nine-person incident management team from Jefferson County that arrived to help Alamosa officials respond to the outbreak, which health officials said may be caused by the municipal water system.Officials planned to flush the water system with a chlorine solution in stages beginning Tuesday morning.Health officials told residents to stop drinking and cooking with tap water last Wednesday, after tap water samples tested positive for bacterial contamination. Since then, city officials have worked to coordinate distribution of bottled water.Gov. Bill Ritter declared a public health emergency Friday, freeing up $300,000 in aid and activating the Colorado National Guard to help distribute safe water.While the city water system is being flushed, residents will not be able to use tap water, even if it is boiled, to brush teeth, wash dishes, cook or drink. The flushing process could take several days.State health and emergency officials have worked with dozens of companies to provide residents with bottled water, but Shires said they hope to save most of the bottles for schools. He urged residents to bring large containers to distribution centers around town to be filled with safe water.As in the days of Noah....
Greatest experiment ever in particle physics nears countdown
GENEVA-In a vast circular underground tunnel below the French-Swiss border, the final pieces of a gigantic machine are being set in place for an extraordinary investigation into the infinitely small at CERN: Europe's atom-smashing laboratory.If things go according to plan, the greatest experiment in the history of particle physics could unveil a sub-atomic component, the Higgs Boson, which is so tantalising that it has been called "the God Particle."The "Higgs," named after a British physicist, Peter Higgs, who first proposed it in 1964, would fill a gaping hole in the benchmark theory for understanding the physical cosmos.Other work on the so-called Large Hadron Collider (LHC) could explain dark matter and dark energy-strange phenomena that, stunned astrophysicists discovered a few years ago, account for 96 percent of the Universe.It could shed clues on the mystery of how the Universe came to be.And it may determine whether, as some physicists believe, space-time holds dimensions other than our own."We are standing on the shoulders of giants. But we want to know better and we want to know more," said a leading CERN investigator, Juergen Schukraft.A gamble costing six billion Swiss francs (almost six billion dollars, 3.9 billion euros) that has harnessed the labours of more than 2,000 physicists from nearly three dozen countries, the LHC is the biggest, most powerful high-energy particle accelerator ever built."It's fantastic. It's like a baby, only it doesn't take nine months to be born, but 19 years," enthused Daniel Denegri, whose Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) detector is bidding to be first to snare the Higgs.In July or possibly August, the LHC will start its work, initiating a cautious programme of tests before cranking up to full intensity.In October, CERN (officially called the European Organisation for Nuclear Research) will invite heads of state and government to an official inauguration.Beams of hydrogen protons will whizz around at near-light speed in opposite directions until, bent by powerful superconducting magnets, they will smash together in four bus-sized detector chambers, where they will be annihilated at temperatures hotter than the Sun.Swathed within the chambers are arrays of delicate sensors which will track the wreckage from the smash-up-the shower of quarks, muons, pions and other exotically-named members of the sub-atomic bestiary.Data from these collisions will then be sifted by a massive computer farm above ground, which will send the most promising events on "The Grid," a miniature World Wide Web.The Grid comprises 11 institutions around the world that specialise in high-energy physics, which in turn will hand on the information to physics departments in universities.Each partner has agreed to give up space on its computers to store and pool data and analyses, which thus opens up an unprecedented global computational resource.A quiet dread felt by all the researchers at CERN is that a team in Chicago, working at the legendary Fermilab, might grab the elusive Higgs first, using an ageing accelerator, the Tevatron, which is due to be phased out in 2010."It will take us a year to get the whole thing the LHC working," cautions Schukraft.Even so, the competition is fierce but not cut-throat.The United States-and Fermilab itself-are enthusiastic partners in the LHC, and in the small world of particle physics, everyone knows everyone else and friendships run deep, cutting across borders, ethnicities and nationalisms."At CERN, everything co-exists here, the very big and the very small.The Pakistanis work alongside Indians and Palestinians alongside Israelis.Physics is one throughout the world," noted Denegri.As in the days of Noah.....
ALL SHALL BE OFFENDED BECAUSE OF ME THIS NIGHT...
"Then saith Jesus unto them,All ye shall be offended because of me this night:for it is written,I will smite the shepherd,and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.
But after I am risen again,I will go before you into Galilee.
Peter answered and said unto him,Though all men shall be offended because of thee,yet will I never be offended.
Jesus said unto him,Verily I say unto thee,That this night, before the cock crow,thou shalt deny me thrice.
Peter said unto him,Though I should die with thee,yet will I not deny thee.Likewise also said all the disciples."
Matthew 26:31-35
Tibet officials vow tight security for Games torch
BEIJING-China vowed strict security for the Olympic torch relay through restive Tibet on Monday as protesters tried to disrupt the torch lighting in Greece, clouding Beijing's hopes of the relay symbolizing national unity.Unidentified demonstrators tried to interrupt the torch-lighting ceremony while the Beijing Games organizing chief was speaking.The protesters were quickly detained.Chinese state media made no mention of the brief incident. Beijing has stepped up its drive to rally support for the Games in response to international attention on Tibet. But Monday's protest in Greece was a sign of China's challenges to come as the torch circles the globe.China blames the recent unrest on the Dalai Lama, Tibetan Buddhism's spiritual leader. "The political monk's statement of supporting the Beijing Olympic Games has been proven a lie; his followers boycotted the torch relay and resorted to violence in Lhasa and elsewhere," the official Xinhua news agency said of the Dalai Lama.The government has also sought to contain dissent elsewhere.On Monday, a Chinese court sentenced an unemployed factory worker to five years in jail on charges of inciting subversion.Yang Chunlin's sister said he was jailed because of essays he posted online that were critical of China's parliament and the ruling Communist Party.To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSPEK26733920080324
As in the days of Noah....
Democracy comes to kingdom of Bhutan
THIMPHU-Bhutan brought down the curtain on a century of absolute monarchy Monday, as the king's subjects went to the polls to elect the remote Himalayan nation's first democratic government.The landmark vote was proposed by Bhutan's royal family to peacefully transform the small Buddhist kingdom, wedged in the mountains between massive neighbours India and China, into a constitutional monarchy.But the country's young Oxford-educated sovereign, King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, is expected to retain strong influence over the running of the country-which has long boasted that its goal is "Gross National Happiness".Despite the election excitement, many people here view the concept of democracy with some alarm, and the king made a last-minute pitch to his people at the weekend to try to get them to take part.His appeal seemed to have worked, as an election commission official reported more than 60 percent turnout by early afternoon in the capital Thimphu, where long queues were seen at polling stations before voting closed."This is the first time I'm voting," said Lhamchum, a smiling 68-year-old housewife who turned up with nine family members to cast their ballots.The switch to democracy is a major step for Bhutan, which is about the size of Switzerland and is one of the most insular countries on the planet.Before the king's dynasty took over in 1907, the country was divided up into countless local fiefdoms. It had no roads, telephones or currency until the 1960s, and only allowed television in 1999.The landlocked country, which calls itself "The Land of the Thunder Dragon", was also never colonised. For centuries the Bhutanese relished their isolation, maintaining a barter economy and allowing few foreigners to visit.The educated elite have traditionally dominated politics, and indeed only university graduates were allowed to stand for the 47 seats in the new National Assembly.The candidates represented two parties, the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) or Bhutan United Party and the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which campaigned on the slogan: "Service with Humility: We Walk the Talk."Both parties promised to stick by the royal concept of Gross National Happiness, but also pledged to boost growth and develop roads and other infrastructure.Election officials at polling stations handed out badges reading "I voted in the National Assembly Elections 2008.""We are very excited. It's a very proud moment for us because of the way democracy has started. We didn't have to fight for it," said Tshewang Tashi, a 41-year-old civil servant.Pema, a 28-year-old teacher, said the idea of democratic change was good news-but still somewhat troubling."We are very happy. Sometimes we worry because it's a new system. We don't know if the prime minister will serve like the king," she said.Tsherap Dorji, 25, said Bhutan's "sovereignty and security" would be safer if the king had remained in full control.The kingdom's move to democracy began in 2001 when former king Jigme Singye Wangchuck handed over daily government to a council of ministers and finally stepped down in favour of his son in late 2006.An election commission spokesman said the vote counting had started. The official results are due on Tuesday.As in the days of Noah....
Pakistan parliament elects Gilani as PM
ISLAMABAD-Pakistan's parliament Monday elected a staunch aide of slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto as the country's new prime minister, setting up a showdown with US ally President Pervez Musharraf.Yousuf Raza Gilani, a former parliament speaker who spent five years in jail under Musharraf's regime, won the position as expected with a big majority from Bhutto's party and its allies in the incoming coalition government.MPs chanted "Long Live Bhutto!" and "Go, Musharraf, Go!" as the result was announced. Bhutto's teenage son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, sitting in the public gallery, wiped away tears and then shook hands with Gilani."Today, democracy has been restored thanks to the great sacrifice of Benazir Bhutto," the 55-year-old Gilani, wearing a dark suit and tie, said in his first speech to parliament."I invite all political forces to join us because the country is facing such a crisis that a single man cannot save it," he said.Gilani won 264 votes in the 342-seat lower house of parliament, while pro-Musharraf candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi secured 42 votes. There were several abstentions.Musharraf, who seized power in a military coup in 1999, is set to swear in the new prime minister on Tuesday.Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) emerged as the biggest party from the February 18 vote and formed a coalition with the party of former premier Nawaz Sharif and two smaller groupings after routing Musharraf's allies.Bhutto was assassinated in a suicide attack at an election rally in December.The coalition is headed for a confrontation with Musharraf after vowing to reinstate sacked judges who could challenge the president's grip on power.Musharraf deposed the chief justice and dozens of other judges under a state of emergency in November, when it looked like the Supreme Court might overturn his October re-election as president."If we have to make this country successful then we will have to make parliament supreme, we will have to respect the constitution and uphold the rule of law," Gilani said.A senior member of Sharif's party said earlier that several of the judges who remain under detention, including former Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, would be free as soon as Gilani is sworn in.Gilani himself was in prison for half a decade on corruption charges, which he said were cooked up by Musharraf's regime to discredit him. His spell in prison won him respect within the PPP's ranks.The charges dated from his time as speaker during Bhutto's second term in power from 1993 to 1996.He was also a minister during her first term from 1988 to 1990. There is speculation that Gilani will be a stop-gap premier until Bhutto's widower Asif Ali Zardari, who is not an MP,becomes eligible to stand for the post by contesting a by-election in May.But local daily The News quoted Zardari as denying this, saying that he is not interested in the job and that Gilani would be prime minister "for five years and not for three months."A Pakistani court earlier Monday acquitted Zardari of involvement in the 1996 murder of a retired judge, the latest in a string of cases against him that have been dropped in the past month.Musharraf on Sunday pledged his full support to the new coalition, hailing the start of what he called a "real democratic era" in the country, which has been plagued for months by violence linked to Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. In the latest militant attack, 100 people were injured when insurgents blew up 36 tankers supplying fuel to US and NATO troops in neighbouring Afghanistan.http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080324/ts_afp/pakistanpolitics_080324134056;_ylt=Ah5F6uEuBzvYX1P5MMRyR2uFOrgF
As in the days of Noah....
Protests At Olympic Torch Ceremony
Pro-Tibet demonstrators have disrupted the Olympic torch-lighting ceremony for the 2008 Games.Two protesters ran onto the field at Ancient Olympia while Liu Qi, president of the Games' organising committee, was giving a speech. Both were detained.Lhadon Tethong, director of Students for a Free Tibet, said both men were taken to the local police station."One of our colleagues saw them being dragged by about 20 police through town," he said.When the incident took place, China state TV cut away to a pre-recorded scene, preventing Chinese viewers from seeing what was taking place.Commentators on Chinese TV never mentioned the incidentDespite causing a distraction, protesters failed to derail proceedings entirely. International Olympic Committee chief Jacques Rogge was among the crowd who watched an actress dressed as a high priestess used a convex mirror to light the flame. "I think it's always sad when there are protests, but they were not violent and that's the most important thing," he said afterwards.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged China to speak to the Dalai Lama as part of a "more sustainable policy" for Beijing on Tibet.The demonstrations follow riots against Chinese rule in Tibet and neighbouring provinces.They claimed the lives of 18 civilians and a police officer in Tibet's regional capital, Lhasa, and four other civilians in nearby Sichuan province, according to the government.Exiled Tibetans say as many as 130 died.China is now planning to impose strict security measures as the torch is carried through Tibet to Mount Everest in order to crack down on any protests that could upset the symbolic show of national unity.Sky News' China correspondent Peter Sharp said Chinese Olympic organisers must be worried about having their thunder stolen by the protests following the disruption of the ceremony."The headlines tomorrow will once again will be about Tibet and China's human rights record," he said."I think they're going to have to get used to it, because over the route taken by the torch we could be seeing protests every day."The Chinese government must be bracing itself for an unending focus of very, very damaging publicity in the run-up to the Games."However Liu Weimin, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in London, told Sky News he was confident the protesters would not disrupt the torch's progress around the world."The situation in Tibet is now under control, so I don't think it will cause difficulties," he said.He insisted that Chinese authorities had exercised restraint and avoided the use of lethal weapons when repressing the protests.He also defended China's human rights record."I think everybody who has been in China can't deny that the Chinese people are enjoying more and more human rights," he added.China has blamed the unrest on Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, alleging he has conspired to wreck the country's Olympics.The Dalai Lama has rejected the claim, saying he does not oppose the Beijing Games.The torch relay will travel across Greece, ending at the Panathinaiko Stadium, the site of the first modern Olympic Games in 1896.After the handover ceremony in the stadium, the Olympic Flame will arrive in Beijing on March 31 before heading on a round-the-world tour for four months.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1310393,00.html
As in the days of Noah....
THE MASTER SAYS:MY TIME IS AT HAND.....
"Then one of the twelve,called Judas Iscariot,went unto the chief priests,
And said unto them,What will ye give me,and I will deliver him unto you?And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus,saying unto him,Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
And he said,Go into the city to such a man,and say unto him,The Master saith,My time is at hand;I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
Now when the even was come,he sat down with the twelve.
And as they did eat,he said,Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
And they were exceeding sorrowful,and began every one of them to say unto him,Lord,is it I?
And he answered and said,He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,the same shall betray me.
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
Then Judas,which betrayed him,answered and said, Master, is it I?He said unto him,Thou hast said.
And as they were eating,Jesus took bread,and blessed it,and brake it,and gave it to the disciples,and said,Take, eat;this is my body.
And he took the cup,and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament,which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say unto you,I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
And when they had sung an hymn,they went out into the mount of Olives."
Matthew 26:14-30
And said unto them,What will ye give me,and I will deliver him unto you?And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
And from that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus,saying unto him,Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?
And he said,Go into the city to such a man,and say unto him,The Master saith,My time is at hand;I will keep the passover at thy house with my disciples.
And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover.
Now when the even was come,he sat down with the twelve.
And as they did eat,he said,Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
And they were exceeding sorrowful,and began every one of them to say unto him,Lord,is it I?
And he answered and said,He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish,the same shall betray me.
The Son of man goeth as it is written of him:but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed!it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
Then Judas,which betrayed him,answered and said, Master, is it I?He said unto him,Thou hast said.
And as they were eating,Jesus took bread,and blessed it,and brake it,and gave it to the disciples,and said,Take, eat;this is my body.
And he took the cup,and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying,Drink ye all of it;
For this is my blood of the new testament,which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
But I say unto you,I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine,until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.
And when they had sung an hymn,they went out into the mount of Olives."
Matthew 26:14-30
Nigerian Christians have asked the world to pray for them on Good Friday as they face the growing threat of Muslim violence.
“If the radical Islamic agenda succeeds in Nigeria—where African Christianity is most vibrant—Islam could swallow a continent. We desperately need intervention from God.”The world’s attention is usually focused on Israel during the Easter holiday, when thousands of holiday pilgrims visit the tomb where Jesus rose from the dead in Jerusalem. But in Nigeria, where the spreading of the gospel has alarmed Muslims, Christians are asking the world to pray with them as they seek justice for a senseless murder that occurred one year ago this Friday.On March 21, 2007, in the Nigerian state of Gombe, a 32-year-old schoolteacher named Christiana Oluwasesin collected books and school bags from her high school class and placed them in the front of the room so she could administer a test. A Muslim girl accused the teacher of desecrating her copy of the Quran, and all the students began to shout “Allahu Akbar!” (“God is great!”). They soon started a riot.Some teachers came to Christiana’s aid and rushed her to the principal’s office for safety, but by that time more students had joined the ruckus. The mob demanded that Christiana be released to them. When she was, the teenagers hit her with an iron club, stripped her naked and beat her until a 12-year-old boy slit her throat with a knife. The students then soaked her body with gasoline and set her on fire.Christiana was a Spirit-filled Christian who had been outspoken about her faith in Jesus.Her two young children-a 3-year-old girl and a 10-month-old boy-are now left in the care of her husband, Michael.His last memory of his wife was of her burnt remains, which had been taken to a morgue in Gombe.Eyewitnesses of the incident said the Muslim students actually tried to kill Christiana’s baby as well, but an unidentified woman smuggled the child off school property by concealing him under her clothes.No one ever found the copy of the Quran that was supposedly desecrated by Christiana.The incident sparked outrage in Nigeria, at least among believers in the southern region of the country where Christianity is dominant. People were appalled that 12- and 13-year-olds could commit such a heinous act of violence against their own teacher. It soon became obvious, after independent investigations, that Christiana’s murder was totally motivated by religious prejudice. She joined the growing list of Nigerian Christians who have been martyred in the last several years by radical Muslims.Leading the outcry against Christiana’s death is Ladi Thompson, a pastor in Lagos who says the Muslim-dominated government of Nigeria has not handled the incident with fairness. He says the police offered halfhearted protection to the teacher, the judge handling the case has not sought justice, and government officials have not stepped in to arrest the perpetrators.Says Thompson: “We will give ourselves no rest until justice is done. We will fan the flames of conscience back to life at all levels of governance in this country.”Thompson, also a Pentecostal, directs The Macedonian Initiative, an organization that offers legal support and other types of aid to Christian victims of religious violence in northern Nigeria—where hundreds of churches have been burned by Muslim mobs. Many pastors and church members also have been killed or maimed by Muslim fanatics in the region.Four years ago, when I traveled with Thompson to the northern city of Kaduna, I interviewed many Christian victims of religious violence. When I saw Thompson this week in Lagos, he explained that he has issued an urgent appeal to Christians all over the world to pray for Nigeria on Good Friday, March 21. He’s asking that we all stand in solidarity with the Nigerian church, praying that God will defend believers from terror and that the Nigerian government will pursue justice.“The Gombe case should be considered the bullet head that will open the way for a revaluation of human worth in Nigeria,” the pastor said.I am linking arms with my Nigerian brothers, and I ask you to do the same this Friday. When one part of Christ’s body is suffering, we all suffer. If the radical Islamic agenda succeeds in Nigeria—where African Christianity is most vibrant—Islam could swallow a continent. We desperately need intervention from God.I am also asking that you contact Nigeria’s acting ambassador to the United States, Usman A. Baraya. One of our own African sisters has been martyred, yet the Nigerian government is ignoring the tragedy, hoping that the international community will eventually forget it. We cannot ignore Christiana’s senseless death. Please cry out for justice.
By Lee Grady is the editor of Charisma. He returns this week from Nigeria after hosting the African Woman Arising conference in Lagos.
You can send a letter to the Nigerian Embassy (nigeriaembassyusa.org) at
3519 International Court, NW,
Washington, D.C. 20008.
For more information about The Macedonian Initiative, go to
As in the days of Noah...
Media Spreading 'Gospel of Godlessness,' says Watchdog
A media watchdog says that from broadcast to print, the news media seems to be spreading a “gospel of godlessness” to the American public through its imbalanced coverage of atheism.Only eight percent of Americans are atheist, according The National Cultural Values Survey conducted for the Culture and Media Institute in December 2006.But after noticing the ascendancy of atheism in stories on religion, Media Research Center's Culture and Media Institute sought to answer whether the news media gave atheism the same degree of scrutiny as Christianity and other faiths.After reviewing stories in 2007 that featured atheism or presented atheist viewpoints, the group found that the media not only gave atheism a more prominent voice in its coverage but also a favorable and even positive report."Whether deliberately or not, the news media did not subject atheism or atheists to the same skepticism to which they subject Christians and Christianity," concluded CMI, according to a recent report compiled for Christian Broadcasting Network."By airing unchallenged interviews and predominantly reporting positive-toned features, the news media effectively promoted atheism."From the 105 atheist-themed stories that CMI reviewed, eighty percent had a positive tone while 20 percent were neutral. Surprisingly, no feature stories were negative.The report also showed that only 54 percent of atheist-themed stories included a religious counterpoint compared to the 71 percent of the Christian-themed stories that included atheist counterpoints.Of the three leading news magazines – Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News and World Report - reviewed for the report, Newsweek gave the most coverage on atheists, with a little over half of its issues featuring atheism stories or commentaries by atheists.The most striking example of Newsweek's imbalanced coverage, according to the report, was a story it ran in its May 14 issue, detailing Christopher Hitchens' critique on a book about Mother Teresa’s spiritual struggles, entitled "Come By My Light." Hitchens is the author of "God is Not Great." For television networks, CMI examined ABC, CBS and NBC. The group found that ABC gave the most enthusiastic coverage on atheism stories, leading other networks by covering the topic 25 times last year, compared to 16 for CBS and 11 for NBC.One notable segment that ran on ABC's "Nightline" featured an atheist group that set up a Web site called "Blasphemy Challenge," in which they dare people to commit what the Bible terms the “unforgivable sin” of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. The segment, which aired May 9, led to a full program featuring a debate about the existence of God. In another segment, the network also covered an atheist convention in Baltimore, Md.While CMI acknowledged in the report that the media is not obligated to give equal treatment to all religions, it said the failure to subject atheist to the same scrutiny as Christianity suggests a "deplorable double standard."The report implored reporters and journalists who cover atheism to present the topic fairly and accurately."If reporters use prominent atheists to offer opposing views on religion themed stories, they should – in equal measure – invite leading believers to provide perspective on stories about atheism," the report advised."Journalists who look at America’s majority religion through a skeptical prism should equally apply their critical faculties to atheism."As in the days of Noah....
Muslim's Cross-Less Jesus Film Draws Mixed Reactions
A new film on Jesus, told from an Islamic perspective, has drawn mixed reactions from the Christian community over its claim that Jesus did not die on the cross but was replaced by Judas Iscariot.“The Messiah”-written, produced and directed by Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh-was filmed in the Islamic Republic of Iran with Iranian actors to portray how Muslims understand the life of Jesus based on the teachings of the Qur’an and the Gospel of Barnabas-a book not included in the Christian Bible and in which the Prophet Mohammed appears.The movie features two endings-the Muslim and Christian version of Jesus and the cross-and has won an award at Rome’s Religion Today Film Festival for generating interfaith dialogue.Dr. Emir Caner, dean of the College at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and a former devout Muslim, recommends Christians to view both versions of the crucifixion account and ask themselves several questions:• When was Jesus replaced, according to the Qur’an?
• Why did the disciples not recognize that the man they were following was replaced before the cross
• Why did the mother of Christ not recognize that her son was not present on the Cross
• What was the alleged purpose of Allah in deceiving the crowd, including the disciples and Mary, into thinking Christ was being crucified
Caner, who is also a professor of history, said he believes that in the end the film should be welcomed.“Perhaps Muslims and Christians will recognize that the Qur’an only offers sparse speculation into one of the most noted events in history while the Bible gives meticulous detail into the historic events of the day,” Caner wrote to The Christian Post in an email Thursday.“It is a new day when the public is once again willing to discuss religious issues with eternal significance.”For most of “The Messiah,” Jesus is depicted similarly to versions made in the West – light complexion, brown hair and performing miracles, according to Variety magazine.But where the Muslim version diverges is at the end where the disciple Judas Iscariot miraculously transforms into the likeness of Jesus and is crucified in his place.[[[[[[[[[[“He (Jesus) is not the son of God and was never the son of God. He is a prophet and he was not crucified, that somebody was crucified in his stead,” Talebzadeh claimed, according to CNN.]]]]]]]]]]]The director said his goal in making the film was to show both Muslims and Christians their common and different beliefs in Jesus and to generate conversation between the two groups who in recent years have been pitted against each other.“When you show this information (Christian view of Jesus) to the common people, they don't know. Ninety percent of the Muslims in Iran don’t know about this,” Talebzadeh said.Dr. Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair of the department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, said he has not seen the film but commented that Islam is “very respectful” of Jesus. He noted that the Qur'an has almost 100 verses on Jesus.“The bad news is he is not the son of God, he didn’t die on the cross and because he didn’t die, he didn’t rise from the dead,” Habermas said to The Christian Post. “The good news is he is a great prophet, he is sinless, he is virgin born and he did miracles.” Habermas, who recently returned from a debate with a Muslim in England, said the idea that Jesus did not die on the cross for the salvation of mankind is based on surah 4:157-158 that says Jesus was not crucified.He emphasized that the Qur’an does not say that Judas took Jesus’ place but only that he was not crucified. The interpretation of Judas dying in place of Jesus is only one of several popular Muslim explanations for why Jesus did not die on the cross.But not all Christians are happy with the film. One blogger, who goes by the pen name “Dan Goldfinch” in his web log at WordPress.com, argues that not only the Bible but history also declares that Jesus was crucified.“Jesus didn’t come to earth for mere respect,” wrote the Ohio-based preacher. “If Jesus has not been crucified then he has not been resurrected. If Jesus has not been resurrected from the dead, then Christians are without hope. We may as well party it up if Christ has not been Resurrected from the dead.”Goldfinch further said that what the Qur’an does not understand and explain is that man’s sin must be dealt with and if it is “not dealt with in the death of Christ then we, and all of humanity from the beginning until the end, are simply obligated to be 100 percent obedient to the law.”“So if there is no death of Christ as this man is purporting in his film, then exactly how will we be saved from our sins?” the Christian blogger asked.Director Talebzadeh meanwhile sees the film as an Islamic response to “The Passion of the Christ,” the 2004 blockbuster of self-professed Catholic Mel Gibson. Although the Iranian filmmaker praised Gibson’s movie, he said it was “wrong.”“The Messiah,” with over 1,000 actors and extras, was one of the largest film productions in Iran, according to Variety magazine. It is the first movie to portray Jesus both from the Muslim and Christian perspective.The film has already been released in Iran and will soon be available on the Internet, according to CNN.
Caner, who is also a professor of history, said he believes that in the end the film should be welcomed.“Perhaps Muslims and Christians will recognize that the Qur’an only offers sparse speculation into one of the most noted events in history while the Bible gives meticulous detail into the historic events of the day,” Caner wrote to The Christian Post in an email Thursday.“It is a new day when the public is once again willing to discuss religious issues with eternal significance.”For most of “The Messiah,” Jesus is depicted similarly to versions made in the West – light complexion, brown hair and performing miracles, according to Variety magazine.But where the Muslim version diverges is at the end where the disciple Judas Iscariot miraculously transforms into the likeness of Jesus and is crucified in his place.[[[[[[[[[[“He (Jesus) is not the son of God and was never the son of God. He is a prophet and he was not crucified, that somebody was crucified in his stead,” Talebzadeh claimed, according to CNN.]]]]]]]]]]]The director said his goal in making the film was to show both Muslims and Christians their common and different beliefs in Jesus and to generate conversation between the two groups who in recent years have been pitted against each other.“When you show this information (Christian view of Jesus) to the common people, they don't know. Ninety percent of the Muslims in Iran don’t know about this,” Talebzadeh said.Dr. Gary R. Habermas, distinguished research professor and chair of the department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University, said he has not seen the film but commented that Islam is “very respectful” of Jesus. He noted that the Qur'an has almost 100 verses on Jesus.“The bad news is he is not the son of God, he didn’t die on the cross and because he didn’t die, he didn’t rise from the dead,” Habermas said to The Christian Post. “The good news is he is a great prophet, he is sinless, he is virgin born and he did miracles.” Habermas, who recently returned from a debate with a Muslim in England, said the idea that Jesus did not die on the cross for the salvation of mankind is based on surah 4:157-158 that says Jesus was not crucified.He emphasized that the Qur’an does not say that Judas took Jesus’ place but only that he was not crucified. The interpretation of Judas dying in place of Jesus is only one of several popular Muslim explanations for why Jesus did not die on the cross.But not all Christians are happy with the film. One blogger, who goes by the pen name “Dan Goldfinch” in his web log at WordPress.com, argues that not only the Bible but history also declares that Jesus was crucified.“Jesus didn’t come to earth for mere respect,” wrote the Ohio-based preacher. “If Jesus has not been crucified then he has not been resurrected. If Jesus has not been resurrected from the dead, then Christians are without hope. We may as well party it up if Christ has not been Resurrected from the dead.”Goldfinch further said that what the Qur’an does not understand and explain is that man’s sin must be dealt with and if it is “not dealt with in the death of Christ then we, and all of humanity from the beginning until the end, are simply obligated to be 100 percent obedient to the law.”“So if there is no death of Christ as this man is purporting in his film, then exactly how will we be saved from our sins?” the Christian blogger asked.Director Talebzadeh meanwhile sees the film as an Islamic response to “The Passion of the Christ,” the 2004 blockbuster of self-professed Catholic Mel Gibson. Although the Iranian filmmaker praised Gibson’s movie, he said it was “wrong.”“The Messiah,” with over 1,000 actors and extras, was one of the largest film productions in Iran, according to Variety magazine. It is the first movie to portray Jesus both from the Muslim and Christian perspective.The film has already been released in Iran and will soon be available on the Internet, according to CNN.
PS:How come there are not christians rioting and this producer's website shut down like they did with Geert Wilders's....???I wonder...?
How is it that muslims can make a movie and even say a blasphemy and christians are quiet about it....?And nobody protests.....?Can you all see the double standard here.....?
The truth is-much for the dismay of this producer and director- that Jesus INDEED ROSE on the third Day.....!!!Judas was not in his place....that's an invention of the devil....But only the Holy Ghost can lead them to all truth....
As in the days of Noah...
Presidential Message: Easter 2008
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."John 11:25
Laura and I send greetings to all those celebrating the joyful holiday of Easter.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ reminds people around the world of the presence of a faithful God who offers a love more powerful than death.Easter commemorates our Savior's triumph over sin, and we take joy in spending this special time with family and friends and reflecting on the many blessings that fill our lives.During this season of renewal, let us come together and give thanks to the Almighty who made us in His image and redeemed us in His love.
On this glorious day, we remember our brave men and women in uniform who are separated from their families by great distances. We pray for their safety and strength, and we honor those who gave their lives to advance peace and secure liberty across the globe.
Happy Easter. May God bless you, and may God bless our great Nation.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Laura and I send greetings to all those celebrating the joyful holiday of Easter.
The Resurrection of Jesus Christ reminds people around the world of the presence of a faithful God who offers a love more powerful than death.Easter commemorates our Savior's triumph over sin, and we take joy in spending this special time with family and friends and reflecting on the many blessings that fill our lives.During this season of renewal, let us come together and give thanks to the Almighty who made us in His image and redeemed us in His love.
On this glorious day, we remember our brave men and women in uniform who are separated from their families by great distances. We pray for their safety and strength, and we honor those who gave their lives to advance peace and secure liberty across the globe.
Happy Easter. May God bless you, and may God bless our great Nation.
GEORGE W. BUSH
As in the days of Noah....
Easter Messages Touch on Pressing World Concerns
Easters messages this year touched on pressing world issues, ranging from the war in Iraq to environmentalism.In a radio address Thursday, as he spoke of the "gift that took away death's sting," President Bush asked the public to pray for American troops in Iraq and to remember the lives that were sacrificed in working toward freedom."These brave individuals have lived out the words of the Gospel: 'Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,'" he said. "And our nation's fallen heroes live on in the memory of the nation they helped defend."The president had remarked in a speech for the war's fifth anniversary that the progress in Iraq has been "undeniable" and credited the surge for "a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror."Religious freedom was at the heart of Pope Benedict XVI's observance of Good Friday in Saint Peter's Basilica. While he did not mention China by name, the Pope spoke of "living martyrs" who suffer for their faith just before a Chinese woman carried the cross during the Way of the Cross procession at the Coliseum, the Associated Press reported."We find ourselves united on this day, at this hour, and in this place, which reminds us about your so many servants who, centuries ago, amid the roars of hungry lions and the shouts of the amused crowd, let themselves be ripped apart and fatally attacked for loyalty to your name," he said in a prayer.For the patriarchs and heads of churches in Jerusalem, Easter was a call to those involved in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israeli society to demonstrate "faith in more positive terms."The group called on leaders in Palestine and Israel to change the violent means of security and on those elsewhere to join in the effort of ensuring peace."You too are responsible with us for restoring in it the joy of the Resurrection so as to lift the burdens of death, hatred, Occupation, Security Walls and the fear of taking the risk of peace," read the Jerusalem church leaders’ statement."Do whatever you can and please involve your governments too to assume their responsibilities for the peace of this land."The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, spoke of caring for the environment as a way of serving one another’s neighbors and thereby showing love for God."We are beginning to be aware of the ways in which our lack of concern for the rest of creation results in death and destruction for our neighbors," she stated in her Easter message."We cannot love our neighbors unless we care for the creation that supports all our earthly lives."Other messages, while not touching upon a specific plight in today’s world, reminded believers of the hope that they have been called to hold on to and proclaim of.“God is not hidden, but present through suffering, sorrow, and death,” stated the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, in his Easter message.While “this world’s violence and suffering-so pervasive, so needless, so relentless-haunt every human community and life,” Hanson reminded believers that “from that first day of resurrection onward, God has been raising up messengers of salvation, heralds of peace, and testifiers of the promised glory.”“You are a witness of the hope to come,” he continued.“Quite simply, Christ is your life, my life, our life. You have no other than this One who lives resurrected in you.”And, like all the Easter messages this year and every year, Hanson exclaimed, “Christ is risen! Alleluia!http://www.christianpost.com/article/20080323/31634.htmAs in the days of Noah....
Muslims in Qatar Uneasy Over First Easter Service at Christian Church
"A Christian should not be in the holy areas...."To watch this video go to:
As in the days of Noah....
A VERY PRECIOUS OINTMENT....
"Now when Jesus was in Bethany,in the house of Simon the leper,
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment,and poured it on his head,as he sat at meat.
But when his disciples saw it,they had indignation,saying,To what purpose is this waste?
For this ointment might have been sold for much,and given to the poor.
When Jesus understood it,he said unto them,Why trouble ye the woman?for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
For ye have the poor always with you;but me ye have not always.
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body,she did it for my burial.
Verily I say unto you,Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world,there shall also this,that this woman hath done,be told for a memorial of her."
Matthew 26:6-13
There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment,and poured it on his head,as he sat at meat.
But when his disciples saw it,they had indignation,saying,To what purpose is this waste?
For this ointment might have been sold for much,and given to the poor.
When Jesus understood it,he said unto them,Why trouble ye the woman?for she hath wrought a good work upon me.
For ye have the poor always with you;but me ye have not always.
For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body,she did it for my burial.
Verily I say unto you,Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world,there shall also this,that this woman hath done,be told for a memorial of her."
Matthew 26:6-13
Dutch anti-Islamic film's Internet site suspended
An American network provider Sunday said it had suspended a website that Dutch MP Geert Wilders had reserved to post his anti-Islamic film, which has sparked wide condemnation and fears of a backlash."Network Solutions has received a number of complaints regarding this site that are under investigation," the provider said a message posted on the Internet. Although his website is offline, Wilders on Sunday insisted he still wants to put the movie "on the internet quickly" but did not specify how.He also told the Dutch ANP news agency that he would not allow anyone to see the film before it was broadcast.Until Sunday,his site (www.fitnathemovie.com) had shown the cover of a Koran on a black background with the text: "Coming soon: Finta".Network Solutions said it investigating whether the website conforms to its guidelines, saying it cannot allow "any material in violation of any applicable law."This includes material deemed harassing, hate propaganda, threatening, harmful or "otherwise objectionable."The service provider also cites technical reasons for possibly taking the site offline including "excessive use of services which shall impair the fair use of other Network Solutions customers".Far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders plans to release a movie attacking Islam and the Koran, despite complaints from religious groups and warnings that it could provoke violent protests around the world.Wilders said in November that the 15-minute film would show the Koran was a "fascist book", a claim which has already drawn complaints from several Muslim countries, including Pakistan, Indonesia, Egypt, Iran and Afghanistan.No one has seen the film in its entirity yet but a Dutch paper which has seen some of the opening images from the film, said it shows the cover of the Koran and then images of "a decapitation in Iraq, a stoning in Iran and an execution in Saudi Arabia, where sharia (Islamic law) is applied".Dutch officials have unsuccessfully urged him to drop the project, fearing a repeat of the violent protests that erupted in many countries when European newspapers printed cartoons mocking the Prophet Mohammed.Wilders has said that he will release the film "before April 1", posting it on the Internet because he cannot find a broadcaster willing to carry it.Computer experts have warned that controversy surrounding the movie could cause network mayhem once it is put online, if too many people try to view it at the same time.Wilders has repeatedly stated that the content of his film will not violate Dutch law.On Friday a Dutch Muslim association filed a legal claim asking a court to appoint a panel of censors to view the film before it is aired in order to see if there is a reason to ban it.The court is set to deliver its ruling next Friday but Wilders has said that he would try to release the film before than to avoid having to show it to censors.Dutch film-maker and polemicist Theo Van Gogh was murdered by an Islamic extremist in Amsterdam in 2004 after he made a short film attacking Islam's treatment of women.http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080323141957.a7tdblt6&show_article=1&catnum=0
PS:I wonder what about the hundreds of thousands of ISLAMIC websites that promote jihad and hatred against humankind...???Who is gonna shut those down....huh...????This is ridiculous and of course Europe and America are bowing down to extreme islamic fascism....
As in the days of Noah...
U.S. Attacks on Al Qaeda Spike
The United States has stepped up its use of pilotless planes to strike at Qaeda targets along Pakistan's rugged border area, a measure that in the past drew protests from President Pervez Musharraf but now has his government's tacit approval. Since January, missiles reportedly fired from CIA operated Predator drones have hit at least three suspected hideouts of Islamic militants, including a strike last Sunday on a house in a South Waziristan village called Toog.The surge began after visits to Pakistan at the beginning of the year by senior U.S. officials, including intelligence czar Mike McConnell, CIA director Gen. Michael Hayden and Adm. William Fallon, who recently resigned as commander of the U.S. forces in the region. Some news reports said at the time that Musharraf had "rebuffed" U.S. proposals to step up combat operations inside Pakistan. But U.S. officials and Pakistani sources, who asked for anonymity discussing sensitive information, said the recent wave of Predator attacks are at least partly the result of understandings the high-level visitors reached with Musharraf and other top Pakistanis, giving the United States virtually unrestricted authority to hit targets in the border areas.One former official said that the United States has been relying on its own intel to uncover terror targets because Pakistani intelligence agencies are weak on espionage in the tribal areas. By contrast, U.S. forces have a heavy presence on the Afghan side of the border. Bruce Riedel, a retired CIA expert on the region, said that a new wave of terrorism inside Pakistan—there were 62 suicide attacks last year, after just six in 2006—has forced Musharraf and the new military chief, Gen. Ashfaq Kayani, to acknowledge that the same extremists threatening Americans now also pose a growing threat to Pakistan's internal security. Another reason for the rise in Predator strikes, according to a current U.S. official: Washington fears that any newly formed civilian government in Pakistan will be more hostile to U.S. operations there than Musharraf's current regime. Time to act, in other words, may be running out.At least one top Qaeda operative has been killed in the Predator strikes. After a missile hit a home in North Waziristan in late January, reportedly killing 10 militants, U.S. officials confirmed that among the dead was Abu Laith al-Libi, a top field commander who was believed to be a liaison between Qaeda's fugitive leaders and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan. The CIA declined to confirm or comment on any of the reported attacks, but three current and former U.S. officials, who also asked for anonymity, said that the one-per-month strike rate is definitely higher than in previous years.As in the days of Noah...
Long road ahead before peace between Taiwan and China
TAIPEI-An end to the more than half a century of hostility and tension between Taiwan and China may be in the offing with the election of a more China-friendly president for the island, but progress will be slow and tortuous.The opposition Nationalist Party's Ma Ying-jeou won in a landslide on Saturday against an opponent who had tried to use recent bloody protests in Tibet to scare people into not voting for Ma.The Democratic Progressive Party's Frank Hsieh said Taiwan risked becoming another Tibet if Ma, with his more pro-China views, won.Though that strategy backfired, Ma now has to try and reach out to China, but without being seen to compromise Taiwan's security."They (China) remain the greatest security threat," Ma told a news conference on Sunday. "Taiwan's identity has to be respected, and we have to negotiate with each other on equal footing."What I can promise voters is that we will not negotiate the issue of unification and we will not support de jure independence, " he added, speaking in fluent English. "And we will oppose the use of force across the Taiwan Strait."But Ma said he would not consider talking peace with China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own, until Beijing removes missiles aimed at Taiwan.The two sides have been run separately since 1949, when defeated Nationalist forces fled to Taiwan at the end of a civil war. China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah...
Singapore says detains Jemaah Islamiyah member
SINGAPORE-Singapore has detained a member of the militant Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah who had trained at al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan and was being groomed for a JI leadership position, the government said on Sunday.Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement it issued a detention order for JI member Rijal Yadri bin Jumari on March 20 under the Internal Security Act, which allows for detention without trial.The JI has been blamed for several deadly bombing attacks in Southeast Asia, including the 2002 bombings that killed more than 200 people on Indonesia's resort island of Bali.The Ministry of Home Affairs' said 27-year-old Rijal was arrested outside Singapore in February with the cooperation of regional authorities. It did not say where or how he was caught."At the time of his arrest, Rijal was known to be working with some foreign JI elements to discuss regrouping and reviving the JI's clandestine network," the statement said.It said Rijal was a member of the JI's "Al-Ghuraba" cell, set up by the group's leadership to develop young members, and that he was schooled at the JI's madrasahs."He was one of several students talent-spotted by the JI to be groomed to become a future leader in the JI organization," Singapore said.According to the ministry's statement, the JI leadership sent Rijal to Afghanistan in 2000 to undergo military training at al Qaeda's Camp Farouq in Kandahar and also at a training facility in Kabul at the arrangement of al Qaeda."His training included weapons-handling, explosives, surveillance and guerrilla warfare. Rijal met Osama bin Laden on a number of occasions," the statement added.To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL234758820080323
As in the days of Noah...
PESTILENCE WATCH:Brazil military will combat dengue outbreak in Rio
BRASILIA-Brazil's military will help fight an outbreak of dengue fever in Rio de Janeiro, the defense ministry said at the weekend, after the disease killed 49 people and made more than 30,000 ill this year.Public hospitals in the northern and western districts of the city were overwhelmed by the number of patients seeking treatment at the weekend. Many complained about long delays.The defense ministry said Army, Air Force and Navy commanders would propose an action plan to Defense Minister Nelson Jobim as early as Monday on how to combat the disease in the famous beach and port city.Jobim said on Friday the armed forces may set up field hospitals in the city.Health officials confirmed on Sunday that a 12-year-old boy died of dengue, bringing the death toll to 49 people this year, according to the Globo Online news agency.More than 30,000 people have fallen ill with the disease this year, state health officials said on Thursday.Rio de Janeiro Health Secretary described the outbreak as an epidemic,according to the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.Dengue is a viral disease spread by the Aedes mosquito and there is no vaccine or drug to treat it.As in the days of Noah...
Muslim baptized by pope says life in danger
VATICAN CITY-A Muslim author and critic of Islamic fundamentalism who was baptized a Catholic by Pope Benedict said on Sunday Islam is "physiologically violent" and he is now in great danger because of his conversion."I realize what I am going up against but I will confront my fate with my head high, with my back straight and the interior strength of one who is certain about his faith," said Magdi Allam.In a surprise move on Saturday night, the pope baptized the 55-year-old, Egyptian-born Allam at an Easter eve service in St Peter's Basilica that was broadcast around the world.The conversion of Allam to Christianity-he took the name "Christian" for his baptism-was kept secret until the Vatican disclosed it in a statement less than an hour before it began.Writing in Sunday's edition of the leading Corriere della Sera, the newspaper of which he is a deputy director, Allam said: "... the root of evil is innate in an Islam that is physiologically violent and historically conflictual".Allam, who is a strong supporter of Israel and who an Israeli newspaper once called a "Muslim Zionist," has lived under police protection following threats against him, particularly after he criticized Iran's position on Israel.He said before converting he had continually asked himself why someone who had struggled for what he called "moderate Islam" was then "condemned to death in the name of Islam and on the basis of a Koranic legitimization".His conversion, which he called "the happiest day of my life," came just two days after al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden accused the pope of being part of a "new crusade" against Islam.To read more go to:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL238305320080323
As in the days of Noah....
THE SON OF MAN IS BETRAYED TO BE CRUCIFIED....
"And it came to pass,when Jesus had finished all these sayings,he said unto his disciples,
Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover,and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Then assembled together the chief priests,and the scribes,and the elders of the people,unto the palace of the high priest,who was called Caiaphas,
And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty,and kill him.
But they said,Not on the feast day,lest there be an uproar among the people."
Matthew 26:1-5
Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover,and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.
Then assembled together the chief priests,and the scribes,and the elders of the people,unto the palace of the high priest,who was called Caiaphas,
And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty,and kill him.
But they said,Not on the feast day,lest there be an uproar among the people."
Matthew 26:1-5
Fatah and Hamas sign reconciliation deal
SANAA-Rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a Yemeni-sponsored deal on Sunday promising to revive direct talks after months of hostilities, but differences remained over the future of the Gaza Strip and West Bank.The office of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Fatah leader, said Hamas must accept to end its control of the Gaza Strip before any dialogue could take place."We, the representatives of Fatah and Hamas, agree to the Yemeni initiative as a framework to resume dialogue between the two movements to return the Palestinian situation to what it was before the Gaza incidents," a declaration issued by the two delegations after talks in Sanaa said.The Sanaa Declaration, signed by Hamas negotiator Moussa Abu Marzouk and Fatah official Azzam al-Ahmed, also affirmed the "unity of the Palestinian people, territory and authority".The Yemeni initiative calls for the situation in Gaza to return to the way it was before Hamas seized the territory in June after routing forces loyal to Abbas.The violence left Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank and entrenched divisions as the two movements vied for power and influence among the 4 million Palestinians in the two areas separated by Israel."We regard the signing today of the Sanaa Declaration as a new beginning and the start of a new stage," said Abu Marzouk, whose party won parliamentary elections in January 2006.As in the days of Noah...
Christians celebrate Easter, pope calls for Tibet solution
PARIS-From the foothills of the Himalayas to a rain-soaked Saint Peter's Square, Christians around the world celebrated Easter Sunday amid messages of renewal, peace and hope.At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI called for "solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good" in Tibet, the Middle East and Africa during his traditional Easter message.Tens of thousands of pilgrims turned out to hear the "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message, sheltering from the pelting rain under a sea of umbrellas in the flower-bedecked Saint Peter's Square."How can we fail to remember certain African regions, such as Darfur and Somalia, the tormented Middle East, especially the Holy Land, Iraq, Lebanon, and finally Tibet, all of whom I encourage to seek solutions that will safeguard peace and the common good,"said the Roman Catholic pontiff. In Britain, the leader of the world's Anglican communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, warned that "comforts and luxuries" would eventually run out, and that civilisation in its current form would collapse."We as individuals can't contemplate an end to our acquiring, and we as a culture can't imagine that this civilisation, like all others, will collapse and that what we take for granted about our comforts and luxuries simply can't be sustained indefinitely," he said.As the faithful marked the resurrection of Jesus Christ after his crucifixion on Good Friday, worshippers found ways to celebrate this holiest date in the Christian calendar in even the most difficult circumstances.In Jerusalem, Christian pilgrims from around the world flocked to celebrate Easter in Jerusalem's Old City where many believe Jesus to have been resurrected after his crucifixion."It's great to be here where it happened," Manuella Anduku of the Philippines told AFP as she attended a chaotic service inside one of Christianity's most revered sites. "It seems more real."In China, the Tibetan Catholic Church in Cizhong, a Christian enclave on the threshold of the Himalayas, saw its Easter services curbed after anti-Chinese riots in Lhasa caused the region's deadliest tensions in two decades.As a result, the tiny community of less than 1,000 souls-snuggled amid picturesque mountains in an overwhelmingly Buddhist area-has been affected by the recent unrest where it matters the most for them: religion.In Australia, Anglican Archbishop Phillip Aspinall, focused on the environment."We've had the longest drought on record really oppressing communities in Australia, and yet just recently in many places we've received long-awaited rain," he said.In Seoul, some 20,000 Christians held a non-denominational Easter service in front of city hall, raising money for victims of an oil spill last December.Throughout Germany, thousands of pacifists took part in some 90 Easter weekend demonstrations that included a bicycle ride demanding German troops pull out of Afghanistan.In Afghanistan itself, Canadian soldiers deployed through NATO received chocolate Easter eggs, although no chaplain was available to hold a mass at their base camp.In Russia, Catholics-a minority in the mainly Orthodox Christian country-celebrated Easter at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Moscow.The Eastern Orthodox Church, which still uses the Julian calendar rather than the Gregorian calendar, holds its Easter on April 27.
In Latin America, Roman Catholic priests in Colombia appealed for prayers on behalf of hostages held by the Marxist-inspired Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
As in the days of Noah....
Cheney hears Palestinian complaints
RAMALLAH, West Bank-Palestinian leaders asked Vice President Dick Cheney on Sunday to pressure Israel to halt settlement construction and voiced other complaints that deflated Cheney's hopeful words about Mideast peace.Palestinians had little expectation their meetings with Cheney, a strong defender of the Jewish state, would produce anything concrete. While that was the case, the Bush administration did get another chance to nudge the two sides toward an agreement before President Bush leaves office in January. The Palestinians, too, had another shot at expressing their frustrations.The vice president said neither side should pass up this latest opportunity for an accord despite rancor over Israeli settlements and the retaliatory attacks from each that have disrupted negotiations intended to lead to Palestinian statehood. "This can be done, and if all concerned stay at the work, success will be achieved," Cheney said, striking a hopeful tone on Easter Sunday during his first vice presidential visit to the Palestinian territory. After talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem, Cheney flew to the West Bank by helicopter, touching down at Mahmoud Abbas' presidential compound near the grave of longtime Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, who died in 2004.Abbas met Cheney at the end of a long red carpet and they walked between two rows of presidential guards. Palestinian officials said there were no breakthroughs in Cheney's talks with Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, and that Cheney essentially paid a courtesy call, repeating U.S. positions.Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide, said Abbas cited the need for calm in the West Bank and Gaza, and said Israel must halt settlement expansion."I can't say that Mr. Cheney brought anything new in his visit, but he reiterated President Bush's vision and commitment to having an independent Palestinian state," Erekat said.Cheney's visit was part of the administration's strategy to keep the pressure on negotiators. Bush visited the region in January and returns in May, while Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came this month and is back in April.Israel has pursed peace with Abbas, a moderate Palestinian in control of the West Bank. Hamas militants wrested control of the Gaza Strip in June from Abbas-allied forces. Hamas has pounded southern Israel with rockets; Israel has retaliated with attacks in Gaza."Peace and stability will not be achieved through a settlement expansion or the setting up of checkpoints around towns and villages, and the military escalation against Gaza, nor the incursions, continuous incursions into West Bank villages and towns, as well as the arrest which led to more than 11,000 prisoners in the Israeli jails," Abbas said, detailing Palestinian complaints."We also reiterate our condemnation and rejection for the firing of missiles being launched from Gaza against Israel," he said after meeting Cheney.Cheney said a peace deal will mean "painful concessions" by both sides, and require the will to defeat those who are committed to violence and refuse to accept the other side's right to exist."Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians," Cheney said. "They also kill legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people."In an apparent response to Cheney, a Hamas leader in Gaza, Mahmoud Zahar, said: "This is part of the American policy and this is part of the war crimes committed by this administration. ... Sooner or later the criminals will be punished."On Cheney's 10-day trip to the Mideast, talks with leaders have focused on oil, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran.Before his diplomatic mission, Cheney began Easter Sunday with a peaceful prayer and the singing of "Amazing Grace" at a tiny chapel in Jerusalem with an arched ceiling of stones.Heading into a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres,Cheney said the U.S. was dedicated to doing all it could to advance the peace process.He said the administration also was "actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region-not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States as well."It was clear that Cheney was referring to Iran. Peres was more specific, saying declarations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made against Israel cannot be ignored.Late Sunday, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Cheney that Iran's military buildup"is endangering the stability of the region and the entire world" and that no option should be taken off the table concerning Tehran's nuclear program, according to a statement from Barak's office.
As in the days of Noah....
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