Egyptian troops training in Texas:Secretive U.S. technology to help find Hamas weapons tunnels

HERZLIYA, Israel-Egyptian troops are undergoing training in Texas on the use of American military technology to uncover Hamas weapons smuggling tunnels, WND has learned.A top Egyptian intelligence official told WND the Egyptian troops arrived in Texas in recent days, where they have been undergoing private courses on the use of proprietary, secretive U.S. technology that makes use of sonar and certain frequencies to locate underground tunnels along the Egypt-Gaza border.Also, the intelligence official said a team from the U.S. Army's Corps of Engineers recently arrived in the Egyptian Sinai desert, bringing the advanced machinery with them.The Army has been aiding Egyptian troops in locating the tunnels.One of Israel's main goals for its offensive was to halt Hamas' ability to smuggle weapons across the Egypt-Gaza border.Israel is negotiating an international monitoring mechanism it hopes will stop Hamas from smuggling weapons from neighboring Egypt into Gaza. But previous international monitors stationed along the Egypt-Gaza border fled their duty and repeatedly failed to stem Hamas' weapons smuggling.The monitors were stationed at the border following Israel's 2005 evacuation of the Gaza Strip.The Israel Defense Forces reportedly destroyed 60 to 70 percent of an estimated 600 smuggling tunnels between Gaza and neighboring Egypt.Hamas sources speaking to WND claim the actual number of tunnels is closer to 1,300. The sources claimed Hamas was working to change the method of its weapons smuggling to rely more on sea shipments and less on smuggling tunnels.Earlier this week, the Associated Press reported from the Egypt-Gaza border that just hours after Israeli troops withdrew from the border area, the smuggling tunnels were back in business, used by locals to bring in supplies.The AP also reported hundreds of workers in southern Gaza labored to repair dozens of tunnels dug under tents or fake greenhouses.
By Aaron Kleim

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/?pageId=86866

As in the days of Noah.....

Suspected U.S. missile strikes

Two suspected U.S. missile strikes in Pakistan are apparently the first strikes of Barack Obama's administration...

Musharraf on US Strikes

OBAMA WAR:"18 Killled During Suspected U.S. Drone Strikes in Pakistan... "

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan-Suspected U.S. missiles killed 18 people on the Pakistan side of the Afghan border Friday, security officials said, the first attacks on the al-Qaida stronghold since President Barack Obama took office.At least five foreign militants were among those killed in the strikes by unmanned aircraft in two parts of the frontier region, an intelligence official said without naming them. There was no information on the identities of the others.Pakistan's leaders had expressed hope Obama might halt the strikes, but few observers expected he would end a tactic that U.S. officials say has killed several top al-Qaida operatives and is denying the terrorist network a long-held safe haven.The United States has staged more than 30 missile strikes inside Pakistan since August last year-a barrage seen as a sign of frustration in Washington over Islamabad's efforts to curb militants that the U.S. blames for violence in Afghanistan and fears could be planning attacks on the West.Pakistan publicly protests the strikes in the northwest as violations of its sovereignty that often kill civilians and undermine its own campaign against terrorists that have also launched bloody attacks on domestic targets.But many observers believe the government secretly agrees with the tactic and may provide intelligence on the targets, noting that Islamabad's admitting to assisting the attacks would be politically damaging.The first attack Friday took place in the village of Zharki in North Waziristan, when a single drone fired three missiles in the space of 10 minutes, the security officials said.The missiles destroyed two buildings, killing 10 people, at least five of whom were foreign militants, the officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.Hours later, a second missile struck a house in South Waziristan, killing eight people, the officials said, giving no more details.The United States does not acknowledges firing the missiles, which are believed to be mostly fired from drones operated by the CIA and launched from neighboring Afghanistan.According to an AP tally based on accounts from Pakistani security officials, at least 263 people - most of them alleged militants - have been killed in the strikes since last August...

Associated Press Writers Munir Ahmad and Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Ishtiaq Mahsud in Dera Ismail Khan contributed to this report

By CHRIS BRUMMITT

To read more go to:

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20090123/D95T436O0.html

As in the days of Noah...

Obama phones British, Canadian and Saudi leaders

WASHINGTON-President Barack Obama has phoned the leaders of Canada, Britain and Saudi Arabia.White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Friday that Obama had talked that morning with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, British Prime Minster Gordon Brown and Saudi King Abdullah.Obama plans to make his first international trip as president to Canada, a key ally that shares a border with the United States. The trip will keep with tradition, with most U.S. president making Canada their first stop.Britain and Saudi Arabia also are longtime allies of the United States. Earlier this week,Obama talked with Israeli, Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian leaders about the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_foreign_leaders_1
As in the days of Noah....

Obama's Agenda

Roe v. Wade Costs 45 Million Babies Their Lives

Thirty-six years ago today, the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion on demand. Since then, more than 45 million preborn babies have been aborted.It's been a long road, but life advocates will never give up the fight.In 1980, the Supreme Court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which restricted federal funding of abortions except when the life of the mother was threatened. “Public funding of abortion is a hot issue," said Carrie Gordon Earll, senior bioethics analyst at Focus on the Family Action. "Americans didn’t want their tax dollars used to fund abortions then, and they don’t now.”In 1989, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld portions of a Missouri pro-life law prohibiting the use of public facilities for abortions. Three years later, the court upheld key provisions of a Pennsylvania law that included mandatory waiting periods and parental consent for minors. “These incremental laws are key components to reduce abortions and save lives," Earll said.Fast-forward to 2007, when the Supreme Court upheld a ban on partial-birth abortion-the first time the court allowed a ban on a specific abortion procedure.Unfortunately, many of the pro-life victories could be lost if Democrats in Congress pass the Freedom of Choice Act, which could reverse all state and federal pro-life laws.

TAKE ACTION

Read more about the Freedom of Choice Act, and sign a petition opposing it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION

The aftermath of Roe v. Wade.

http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000009152.cfm

As in the days of Noah....

Republican Lawmakers Defend Life on House Floor

While the new occupant of the Oval Office and his team already have began working to exercise monumental "change" throughout America, pro-life lawmakers are standing up in support of the most vulnerable.“We are on the side of justice, we are on the side of the innocent and the defenseless, and we are on the side of equal dignity for every human life," Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said on the House floor Wednesday.Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., has reintroduced the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would deny federal funding to Planned Parenthood."Many Americans fail to recognize the largest abortion provider in America is also the largest recipient of federal taxpayer dollars through Title X," he said. "This should not be."Pence said he is optimistic."It is accurate to say that life is losing in Washington, D.C., but I believe life is winning in America," he said. "I believe there is a moral reawakening in America.”Other life advocates from the GOP also spoke out on the House floor, including: Reps. Doug Lamborn, Colo.; Chris Smith, N.J.; Scott Garrett, N.J.; Bob Latta, Ohio; Michelle Bachmann, Minn.; David Roe, Tenn.; Jim Jordan, Ohio; Paul Broun, Ga.; Jeff Fortenberry, Neb.; and Mark Souder, Ind.
TAKE ACTION

If your representative made a statement for life, please thank them.
By Matthew Morgan

http://www.citizenlink.org/content/A000009154.cfm

As in the days of Noah....

Abortion Film '22 Weeks' Disturbs, Exposes

WASHINGTON-"22 Weeks" has the images and sound effects of a horror flick, but it isn't one. Instead, it's based on a true account of a woman who sought a late-term abortion but found herself living a nightmare.In the 25-minute featurette, Angela, played by Natalie Wenninger, wakes up in her motel room covered in blood. She rushes to the clinic where she had been injected with a needle the day before to abort her baby 22 weeks into her pregnancy. She’s bleeding profusely and is having contractions but is left alone in a dirty room at the clinic. Something is wrong.Earlier in the film, we find a much different Angela at the EPOC Clinic in Orlando, Fla., as she is midway through the second trimester of her pregnancy. There, Angela is presented with two options: the suction method or an injection to the baby's heart.She chooses the latter, convinced by employees that the procedure will not cause the baby any pain. She would simply have a stillborn birth the following day. To her, the suction method is a monstrous act.After the procedure, she is met by a group of pro-life advocates outside the clinic. When one Christian tries to convince her to save the baby, Angela replies, "God was never raped."While there a several uncomfortable moments when Angela experiences some complications, the shocking scene near the end comes as she has given birth to her baby on a toilet."He's alive!" Angela screams, shocked that the baby was not dead like the employees had assured he would be when born.But the mother is even more horrified when the employees, who respond slowly to her cries, deny the baby is living, do not help her and lock her in the bathroom."He's alive and they won't help me!" Angela tells her friend on the phone. "I don't want this anymore ... I made a mistake! Call 911!"As Angela waits for help, she holds the baby close to her, telling her son, "I'm so sorry" and "I love you so much," and wishing she had another chance.When the ambulance arrives at the clinic, the employees try to turn them away, insisting that no one placed a 911 call."22 Weeks" is based on an article by World Net Daily, which published the true testimonies of the real mother,Angele, in 2005.And while what was depicted in the film was horrifying enough, Angele said what actually happened was even worse.The baby, whom Angele had named Rowan, died 10 minutes after the 911 call by her friend due to negligence. The doctor, Jim Perper, who administered the injection, was not prosecuted.Angele, who has not released her last name, attended the free screening of the film at Union Station's Phoenix Theaters in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as another way of going public with her experience.The film, which was completed in August 2008, has only been shown in around seven cities in the United States as well as Puerto Rico, where producer Ángel Manuel Soto is from. This was his first film.Soto, who has partnered with pro-life organizations BornAliveTruth.org and Operation Rescue to promote the film, hopes awareness of the movie and the disturbing practices at abortion clinics will spread by word of mouth."This is really happening ... [even] this very day despite the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act," said Jill Stanek of BornAliveTruth.org at the Washington screening.With limited resources and funding, Soto is largely relying on viewers to get the word out and show the film, which was available for DVD purchase at the screenings. Requests for screenings can also be made at the film's website 22weeksthemovie.com.After being moved to tears, viewers at the Washington screening expressed their willingness to help. One viewer, who said she had an abortion, told Soto she would show the film to her church of 20,000 members.Another encouraged Soto to get the film in the hands of President Barack Obama, who is pro-choice. "Since he (Obama)'s advocating abortion, he should watch it,"noted the viewer, who said she will write a letter to the president. Obama and his pro-abortion decisions were indirectly mentioned in a scene in "22 Weeks," but Stanek, whose organization had publicized last year Obama's pro-abortion record, said the message of the film is not a political one.
By Lillian Kwon
Christian Post Reporter
http://www.22weeksthemovie.com/

http://christianpost.com/Entertainment/Movie/2009/01/abortion-film-22-weeks-disturbs-exposes-22/index.html
As in the days of Noah....

March For Life 2009 Washington D.C.

"We chose this song to inspire mothers who are considering abortion to remember you are Loved, and pro-lifers who are fighting for the unborn to remember all is possible with God.We just got home from Washington D.C. and the March this year was AMAZING!! There were more people there than we have ever seen! Estimates were at over 500,000!! And so many were college students. In a city where 2 days ago we inaugurated the most pro-abortion president in our history it was truly awe-inspiring to see so many people gather in the name of LIFE!
We marched with Team Sarah.Go to:http://www.lifehq.org/ for more"

PS:I decided to post this video,cause illustrates exactly what happened at the March for Life in DC.Thanks GOD there are more in America that are PROLIFE than those that want to kill the unborn...Praise God for that.Keep these group and others like it in your prayers.And of course....Pray for BHO's salvation.
As in the days of Noah...

Pro-Lifers Converge in D.C. for Massive Rally

Abortion opponents march in front of the Supreme Court in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009, during the annual March for Life.(Photo: AP Images / Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON – Thousands gathered on Thursday in the nation’s capital for the annual March for Life rally that seeks to turn attention back to the abortion issue following the media lovefest that was President Barack Obama’s inauguration.“I do not believe the pro-life movement has failed overall, in the sense that what we have been doing is wrong, or that what we have been aiming for is hopeless,” said Maria McFadden Maffucci, editor of the Human Life Review, in response to critics who say the pro-life movement had made little progress under staunch pro-life President George W. Bush.“I believe that pro-life individuals have failed to make the protection of the unborn an actual priority,” Maffucci contended in the statement issued by the Westchester Institute for Ethics and the Human Person.“The current election was not ‘about’ abortion; many who voted for Obama voted for him in spite of, not because of, his position on abortion.”Many groups are visiting Capitol Hill this week to convey their opposition to abortion, including Heartbeat International, a Christian association of more than 1,000 pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies and medical clinics that offer help to struggling mothers.The association plans to introduce women who rejected abortion as well as their saved children to members of Congress this week to share how pregnancy centers are good for America. “Members of Congress need to hear from the women we serve. I am grateful they have such positive things to say about pregnancy center help,” said Heartbeat President Peggy Hartshorn.“Children are America's greatest natural resource, and our elected officials need to preserve the bond between mother and child,” she said. “Our families and the future of our country are strengthened by the life-saving work of pregnancy centers."Hartshorn said the Heartbeat network saves about 2,000 babies a week from abortion with its more than 25,000 volunteers and $125 million a year in charitable support.“We are not here looking for a bailout,” she stated. “Without any financial gain, Heartbeat’s network serves women with unexpected pregnancies.”Other pro-life events being held this week include a door-to-door initiative to inform people about abortion by the group Organized for Life, and a National Service for the Pre-born that was held inside the new U.S. Capitol Visitor Center Thursday morning. Dozens of clergies and pro-life leaders attended the indoor event.“This year’s Pre-born Service is more important than ever,” noted the Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action in the nation’s capital. “We now have an administration that threatens to reverse all the pro-life gains of the last eight years. We must be a strong witness to the Gospel of Life in the midst of the Congress.”The March for Life rally, Pre-born Service, and other pro-life events mark the 36th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide on Jan. 22, 1973. Members of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod reported that they were also among the thousands participating in the pro-life rally.A March for Life West Coast rally will take place in San Francisco Saturday afternoon where more than 25,000 people are expected to participate.

By Jennifer Riley--Christian Post Reporter

· Pro-Life Rallies, Prayers Kick Off
· Pro-Lifers Mark 25th Sanctity of Human Life Day
· Pro-Lifers Double Efforts as Obama Era Begins

http://christianpost.com/Society/Family_issues/2009/01/pro-lifers-converge-in-d-c-for-massive-rally-22/index.html

As in the days of Noah....

WASHINGTON-In a long-expected move, President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.Liberal groups welcomed the decision while abortion rights foes criticized the president. Known as the "Mexico City policy," the ban has been reinstated and then reversed by Republican and Democratic presidents since GOP President Ronald Reagan established it in 1984. President Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but President George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office.The policy bans U.S. taxpayer money, usually in the form of U.S. Agency for International Development funds, from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalize abortion or promote it as a family planning method.The Democratic official and senior U.S. official who disclosed the plans did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt Obama's announcement.Obama was expected to sign the executive order at a low-key event, one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.The move was not a surprise as both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will oversee foreign aid, had promised to do away with the gag rule during the presidential campaign. Clinton is to visit the U.S. Agency for International Development, through which much U.S. foreign aid is disbursed, later on Friday. Obama has spent his first days in office systematically signing executive orders reversing Bush administration policies on issues ranging from foreign policy to government operations. But, save for ending the ban, Obama has largely refrained from wading into ideological issues, perhaps to avoid being tagged a traditional partisan from the outset after his campaign promises to change "business as usual" in the often partisan-gridlocked capital.Rather, Obama has chosen to focus initially on issues in which there is consensus across the political spectrum and support from the public, such as closing the prison camp for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to making government documents more accessible.In a move related to the lifting of the abortion ban, Obama also is expected to restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA) at his earliest opportunity, probably in the next budget. Both he and Clinton made this a campaign issue.The Bush administration had barred U.S. money from going to the fund, contending that work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization. UNFPA has vehemently denied that it does.Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant."Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.Anti-abortion groups criticized the move."President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.
By LIZ SIDOTI and MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writers

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_go_pr_wh/obama_abortion_ban

As in the days of Noah...

Obama stares Down Politico:"NOT THE TIME FOR QUESTIONS"

Access issues concern those covering Obama...

Media already frustrated?

Gibbs accidentally outs secret White House briefers...

News Media Spar With Obama Over Lack of Transparency

Transparency? Not So Much, Say Reporters Left Out of Obama's Second Oath

PS:The "DEAR LEADER" is already getting nervous around people that actually DARE to asking him questions whenever they meet him,as an informal-off the record thing...That which would be "normal"around any other president turns to be a "PROBLEM" around BHO...Well I think the media had a brush with REAL SOCIALISM...."You guys(media)are not allowed to ask ANY questions UNLESS the DEAR LEADER says so...BTW,He will also tell you WHEN to BREATH TOO...!!!!

As in the days of Noah...

Obama Becomes Irritated, 'Stares Down' Reporter During Press Corps Visit

WASHINGTON-President Obama paid a surprise visit to members of the White House press corps on Thursday evening when he walked through their working area of the West Wing, but when he was confronted with a question by one of the journalists he quickly became agitated.According to reports, when Politico's Jonathan Martin asked the president about his nominee for deputy Defense Secretary, William Lynn, Obama refused to answer, saying he was not there to take questions."I came down here to visit. I didn't come down here-this is what happens. I can't end up visiting you guys and shaking hands if I am going to grilled every time I come down here," the president said.Pressed further by the Politico reporter about his Pentagon nominee, Obama turned more serious, putting his hand on the reporter's shoulder and staring him in the eye."Alright, come on" he said, with obvious irritation in his voice. "We will be having a press conference at which time you can feel free to [ask] questions. Right now, I just wanted to say hello and introduce myself to you guys - that's all I was trying to do," politico.com reported.The situation came to a close when a cameraman in the room declared: "I'd like to say it one more time: 'Mr. President.'"The nominee in question, William Lynn, is a former lobbyist for defense contractor Raytheon, a pick Obama made in contradiction to his much-heralded anti-lobbying rules.Obama was willing to field lighter questions, though. Yes, he's discovered the gym in the White House residence. No, he hasn't played basketball yet on the outdoor White House court because it's been too cold.The president's walk-through came without notice, causing a bit of a wild scene. Reporters started running toward him, wary of missing a single word. When one reporter who hadn't spotted Obama yet asked what everyone was rushing toward, another one responded: "The big guy."Obama made it to the back of the briefing room, in a narrow hallway, where he shook hands."I gotta say, it's smaller than I thought," the president said as he looked around for the first time.He introduced himself to those whom he didn't already know from the long campaign trail and said it would take a little while to learn everyone's name.The president then continued on, walking by the media outlets' booths on the same floor.Obama asked about the reasoning behind why certain media outlets had work space where they did. When he got an answer involving the intricacies of press corps protocol, Obama responded: "This is worse than the Middle East here-who's sitting where and all that stuff."As he walked through the area where journalists have lunch, Obama noticed a pair of vending machines that dispense soda and junk food."Looks like you have some healthy snacks, guys," Obama said.Then he walked through the basement quarters, where several other news outlets set up shop. He said that was smaller than he expected too.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/01/22/obama-suprises-white-house-press-corps-visit-briefing-room/
As in the days of Noah....

Obama Tours White House Press Room But ‘Flashes Irritation’ When Asked a Question

"I came down here to visit. See this is what happens. I can't end up visiting with you guys and shaking hands if I'm going to get grilled every time I come down here."

Why oath was retaken

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. administers the oath of office to President Barack Obama a second time in the Map Room of the White House January 21, 2009 in Washington, DC. Today was the president's first full day in office.(Pete Souza/The White House via Getty Images)

When Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts and President-elect Barack Obama flubbed the oath of office on inauguration day, WND was pilloried for prominently noting the problem.
"Oh, come on," wrote one emailer. "This is just being nitpicky. Your antipathy for Obama is showing in your willingness to jump on him for everything."Yet, one day later, Roberts and Obama agreed to repeat the oath of office – this time in a more private setting and following the specific requirements of the U.S. Constitution. Maybe paying strict attention to the Constitution isn't nitpicky after all?Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution stipulates the exact 35 words of a proper oath of office: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."Since some of those words were transposed and left out of the original oath on the day of inauguration, Roberts feared the matter could become a point of contention. Twice before in American history presidents Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge needed to repeat their oaths because of similar mistakes.I'm glad someone still takes at least part of the Constitution seriously. Unfortunately, another part of Article II, Section 1 was completely trampled upon during the 2008 election process and right up through the swearing in ceremony. That is the issue of whether Obama is indeed, as the Constitution requires, a "natural born citizen." Perhaps he is, perhaps he isn't. Perhaps we'll never know, because no controlling legal authority has ever required proof and publicly affirmed its validity.Again, when such issues were raised, many have suggested it's simply nitpicking.But the Constitution either means precisely what it says or it doesn't. If we're going to fudge on such simple, straightforward matters as eligibility requirements for the president and oaths of office, where does the fudging end?And, conversely, if it is so critically important to recite the specific and exact 35 words of the oath of office as delineated in the Constitution, why was it not important to establish Obama's eligibility beyond any shadow of a doubt?Should this matter now be dropped?Or should it be relentlessly pursued?What would happen now if it were determined that Obama was not, in fact, constitutionally eligible to become president? It's certainly not a simple matter like restating the oath.On the other hand, because of the enormous potential for raising a constitutional crisis, should the American people just sweep the matter under the rug?These are the tough questions we have been left with by Obama and all those in authority who allowed this question of eligibility to fester for so long.Once again, they provide us with some practical arguments for taking the Constitution seriously and literally in all matters. The Constitution is the bedrock of our system of governance. It is the tie that binds our nation together. It is the foundation for the rule of law in America.There is nothing frivolous about its requirements.There is nothing nitpicky about adhering to them.So, I'll ask the pointed question one more time: "Where's the birth certificate?"Maybe we need a national movement of people asking the same question in venue after venue – anywhere and everywhere the new president appears. Maybe we need rallies on the National Mall where ordinary Americans bring copies of their birth certificates and display them proudly with accompanying signs that say: "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."Do we need a national uprising of the American people simply to get the Constitution observed and taken seriously and literally?It seems like a lot to ask.Yet, on the other hand, is there a more important national cause?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86828

As in the days of Noah...

Obama retakes oath of office:'The Constitution is clear that its 35 words must be spoken exactly'

Barack Obama has retaken the oath of office that was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at the ceremonial inauguration yesterday.Legal experts had suggested the move because of the multiple stumbles and flubs at the original event.Obama ended up transposing the word "faithfully" during his inauguration in Washington. When he should have said he would "faithfully execute the office of president of the United States," he instead said he will "execute the office of president of the United States faithfully." WND previously reported on the flub, and the following video reveals the circumstances:

Roberts began administering the oath by stating the president-elect's name, but Obama cut him off before he could finish."I Barack …" Obama eagerly chimed in before Roberts could complete the first sentence.Obama then allowed Roberts to continue."I Barack Hussein Obama do solemnly swear that I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully," Roberts said."That I will execute …" Obama said.Roberts repeated, " … faithfully the office of president of the United States.""The office of president of the United States faithfully," Obama said."And will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God," he finally finished.According to a Fox News report, Roberts went to the White House late today and administered the oath, correctly, to Obama. Also present were a pool reporter and a White House photographer.The Associated Press reports, "The president said he did not have his Bible with him [for the second oath], but that the oath was binding anyway."
Josh White of the Washington Post said the oath of office is required of a new president "before he can execute his power."And he noted, "the Constitution is clear that its 35 words must be spoken exactly.""He should probably go ahead and take the oath again," Jonathan Turley had told the Post.The professor of constitutional law at George Washington University said without doing that, "there are going to be people who for the next four years are going to argue that he didn’t meet the constitutional standard."According to the chief of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel during Ronald Reagan's presidency, Charles Cooper, a mistake in the oath should be fixed.The newspaper said two previous presidents, Chester A. Arthur and Calvin Coolidge, both repeated the oath later because of similar mistakes."Out of a super-abundance of caution,perhaps he should do it again,"Akhil Reed Amar,a Yale professor,had suggested.Retaking the oath, however, will not answer the multiple questions about Obama's eligibility that have been raised in a long list of lawsuits filed over his election in November.The lawsuits allege in various ways Obama does not meet the "natural born citizen" clause of the U.S. Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which reads, "No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President."Some allege his birth took place in Kenya, and his mother was a minor at the time of his birth – too young to confer American citizenship. They argue Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr., was a Kenyan citizen subject to the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom at the time and would have handed down British citizenship.There also are questions raised about Obama's move to Indonesia when he was a child and his attendance at school there when only Indonesian citizens were allowed and his travel to Pakistan in the '80s when such travel was forbidden to American citizens.One California lawsuit, on which the United States Justice Foundation is working, was filed on behalf of presidential candidate Alan Keyes and others, and describes the potential damage an ineligible president could create."Should Senator Obama be discovered, after he takes office, to be ineligible for the Office of President of the United States of America and, thereby, his election declared void," argues a case brought on behalf of Keyes, "Americans will suffer irreparable harm in that (a) usurper will be sitting as the President of the United States, and none of the treaties, laws, or executive orders signed by him will be valid or legal."A number of the arguments have reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which so far has declined to give any of the cases a hearing.However, another conference before the justices is scheduled on the dispute Friday. The case is brought by Orly Taitz, a California lawyer.Taitz said her arguments rest on precedents from both the California Supreme Court, which years ago removed a candidate for president from the ballot because he was only 34, and the U.S. Supreme Court's affirmation of the ruling. The Constitution requires a president to be 35.She also raised the issue of the concealment of Obama's records."Obama has refused to submit certified copies of any of his original long form 'vault' birth certificates in Hawaii to any public officer or to any Petitioner. Relevant records in Kenya have also been officially restricted," she said. "Obama has sealed all educational records which might reveal his stated citizenship. These include Punahou High School, Occidental College, Columbia University, and Harvard Law School."Obama has claimed in his autobiography and elsewhere that he was born in Hawaii in 1961 to parents Barack Hussein Obama Sr., a Kenyan national, and Stanley Ann Dunham, a minor. But details about which hospital handled the birth and other details provided on the complete birth certificate have been withheld by Obama despite lawsuits and public demands for release.WND senior reporter Jerome Corsi went to both Kenya and Hawaii prior to the election to investigate issues surrounding Obama's birth. But his research and discoveries only raised more questions.The biggest question was why, if a Hawaii birth certificate exists as his campaign has stated, Obama hasn't simply ordered it made available to settle the rumors.The governor's office in Hawaii said there is a valid certificate but rejected requests for access and left ambiguous its origin: Does the certificate on file with the Department of Health indicate a Hawaii birth or was it generated after the Obama family registered a Kenyan birth in Hawaii?
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86729
As in the days of Noah....

Obama takes second Presidential oath

Palestinians in Gaza Reopen Smuggling Tunnels

Smugglers are back at work in Gaza's tunnels, days after Israel called a halt to its bombing campaign. While some tunnels are used to bring in weapons, many are used to bring basic goods into Gaza despite an Israeli blockade...

Peace in Middle East Now Virtual

As the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas continues to hold, a new computer game dealing with the complexities of Middle Eastern politics has come on the market...

Hamas Says Obama Will Make Same 'Mistakes' as Bush

DAMASCUS, Syria-Hamas said Thursday that President Barack Obama's position toward the Palestinians does not represent change and will lead to the same mistakes as his predecessor, shortly after the new leader made his first public comments on the Gaza crisis since his inauguration.Obama said the cease-fire that recently ended the three week Israeli offensive in Gaza can only hold if Hamas stops firing rockets, Israel completes its withdrawal from Gaza and the U.S. and its allies support an anti-smuggling system that prevents the militant Palestinian group from rearming.Israel withdrew the last of its forces from Gaza on Wednesday, a day after Obama succeeded former President George W. Bush. Palestinian officials say the fighting in Gaza killed some 1,300 people. Beirut-based Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan(picture left) dismissed the new president's comments, saying "Obama is still on the same path as previous leaders and also will make the same mistakes as Bush that ignited the region instead of bringing stability." "Obama is insisting on not bringing any change even though his campaign slogan promised to bring change," Hamdan told Al-Jazeera television in an interview. "I don't think this is a very successful step toward dealing with the region, and this will mean the next 4 years will be a failure for the region."The spokesman said Obama should have talked about the need for Israel not to attack Gaza rather than for Hamas to stop its rocket fire.Israel launched its devastating air and ground assault on Dec. 27 to try to halt rocket fire from Gaza. Both sides ceased fire on Sunday, but significant challenges remain to achieve a sustainable peace, including reconciling the two main Palestinian factions,Hamas and Fatah. Hamas called Thursday for reconciliation with supporters of Fatah leader Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas but insisted on pursuing "resistance" against Israel.The condition appeared to preclude any agreement with Abbas, who seeks a peace deal with Israel and whose moderate Fatah faction was not among the groups that backed the statement by eight Damascus-based radical Palestinian factions including Hamas.Hamas seized control of Gaza from Fatah by force in 2007 and Fatah set up a rival Palestinian government in the West Bank. It has been conducting peace talks with Israel for more than a year.The eight factions said they will reject any political reconciliation deals that hinder the "continuity of the resistance" against Israel, a condition Fatah is sure to reject.Israel had no immediate comment.
By AP

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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481684,00.html

As in the days of Noah....

Gadhafi proposes joint state of 'Isratine'

Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi proposed on Wednesday that Israelis and Palestinians should join in a single democratic state that he has called "Isratine."Gadhafi said the single-state solution is in Israel's interests because it would always face strife in the Middle East. He said that he supported the right of Jews to remain, but said that the world should give up on a solution that involves separate states."If you want to preserve this group, the Jews as an ethnic group, Palestine is not really the right place. The Middle East is a sea of Arabs," he said. "Take them to Alaska or Honolulu or the Hawaiian islands or the Pacific islands and they can live peacefully in an isolated setting."Gadhafi was speaking to an audience of Georgetown University students by videoconference. He also said that Osama bin Laden should be given a chance to make peace. He said that bin Laden has shown signs that he is open to dialogue. He recommended that Obama seek an opening with the terrorist leader who is considered enemy number one in the United States for ordering the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks."I think Osama bin Laden is a person who can be given a chance," he said in Arabic through an interpreter. "Maybe he wants peace."Relations between Libya and the United States have warmed since Gadhafi renounced terrorism in 2003 and gave up efforts to develop nuclear weapons. The move ended years of international isolation, though Gadhafi denied in his rambling address that his country had ever been isolated.The talk with students was organized by the university's contemporary Arab studies center and two student groups.In a statement issued before the talk, Georgetown University President John DeGoia said that he supported the invitation to Gadhafi,but he also harshly criticized the Libyan leader."He is, frankly, a dictator known for decades of shocking brutality, state-sponsored terror, supporting violent insurgents in other countries and, in recent years, positive actions like destroying the country's weapons of mass destruction and voicing opposition to al-Qaida," he said.Georgetown said that the decision had been criticized by Libyans in exile and family members of the victims of the 1988 Pan Am airplane bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland that killed 270 people. Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing and agreed to compensate family members and those of a 1986 attack on a disco in Berlin.Asked by a student if he would apologize to family members during the videoconference, Gadhafi demurred."My son, my son, this file has been closed," he said."There is no sense in grave digging."Gadhafi also said that Libya was suffering from the rapid fall in global oil prices and is discussing nationalization of foreign oil assets."We hope that the prices will go up again, say to $100 a barrel, so that this idea would be discarded, to stop this idea of calling for nationalization," he said.

By AP

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292931344&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

As in the days of Noah...

Clinton Hails New Era of Diplomacy

Hillary Clinton signalled her plans to take back power, authority and funds from the Pentagon as she was greeted by hundreds of cheering US diplomats on her first day as secretary of state on Thursday.In scenes of jubilation at the state department’s headquarters in Foggy Bottom, Washington, she hailed “a new era for America” and an emphasis on diplomacy and development-an approach backed by Robert Gates, US secretary of defence.“There are three legs to the stool of American foreign policy: defence, diplomacy and development,” Mrs Clinton told her audience, which spilled over from the building’s cavernous main lobby. “I will do all that I can, working with you, to make it abundantly clear that robust diplomacy and effective development are the best long-term tools for securing America’s future.”After serving as first lady, senator for New York and presidential candidate, Mrs Clinton began her latest role in public life by grabbing hands and posing for photos, while inspiring her new employees with promises of a break with the ways of the Bush administration.“We are not any longer going to tolerate the kind of divisiveness that has paralysed and undermined our ability to get things done for America,” she said, in a reference to many diplomats’ complaints of being ignored by the previous administration. “We need to collaborate, and we need to have a sense of openness and candour in this building.”Her comments were warmly welcomed. “I feel like I’m a star-struck teenager-don’t you?” one diplomat said to her neighbour.And in introductory remarks, Steve Kashkett, vice-president of the American Foreign Service Association, hailed Mrs Clinton and President Barack Obama for having “decried the neglect that the foreign service and the state department as a whole have suffered in recent years”.He added: “No one knows better than the people in this room and our colleagues posted all over the world how true that is.” In a sign of the new administration’s focus on diplomacy, Mr Obama was due to call on Mrs Clinton at the state department later yesterday, together with James Jones, his national security adviser, just a day after Mrs Clinton had been confirmed and sworn in to her new post.Although some of the crowd compared Mrs Clinton’s reception to that of Colin Powell, the former secretary of state, her comments marked a break with the Bush administration, particularly the first term, when Donald Rumsfeld’s Pentagon largely marginalised Mr Powell’s Department of State.At her confirmation testimony last week Mrs Clinton set out the administration’s plans to shift back aid programmes from the defence department to the state department.Her goal is to align such support with diplomatic initiatives and, on occasion, make it conditional on other countries complying with US political objectives.“The disparity of resources is such that when you’ve got more than 10 times the resources going to the defence department than you have going to the state department and foreign aid, the defence department has been, in effect, recreating mini-state departments,” she told the Senate foreign relations committee.Diplomats complain that the Pentagon now controls a fifth of all US aid funds.Despite a tradition of turf wars between the Pentagon and the state department, Mr Gates himself has warned against the “creeping militarisation” of foreign policy, while caustically remarking that the US has more members of marching bands than foreign service officers.Mrs Clinton has emphasised that the new administration will tie aid in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to political conditions such as reducing sectarianism, fighting against corruption and moving against al-Qaeda.
By Daniel Dombey in Washington
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dd5e25e-e8b3-11dd-a4d0-0000779fd2ac.html
As in the days of Noah....

Clinton Confirmed as Secretary of State

U.N. assesses Gaza damage

UN calls for durable Gaza cease-fire

The UN Security Council on Wednesday called for the temporary cease-fire in Gaza to be turned into a durable truce with guarantees to prevent arms smuggling and to ensure that all border crossings are permanently reopened.A press statement, drafted by Britain and France, that was agreed to by all 15 council members welcomed Sunday's unilateral cease-fires by Israel and Hamas following the 22-day offensive that Israel launched on Dec. 27 in an effort to halt years of rocket fire by Hamas on its southern communities and arms smuggling into Gaza.The council expressed "grave concern" at the humanitarian situation in Gaza, where over 1,300 people were killed and many buildings and neighborhoods were destroyed, and urged the unimpeded delivery of aid throughout the territory.The Security Council emphasized the need to fully implement the legally binding resolution adopted by the council on Jan. 8 which "stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza." It also calls on UN member states "to intensify efforts to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable cease-fire and calm, including to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained re-opening" of border crossings.The resolution was approved by a vote of 14-0 with the US abstaining, but the United States supported Wednesday's press statement.Former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said at the time of the Jan. 8 vote that the United States "fully supports" the resolution, but abstained because it wanted to see the outcome of Egyptian mediation that was taking place to achieve a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.The Security Council on Wednesday expressed "strong appreciation" for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's efforts to support implementation of the Jan. 8 resolution.Ban briefed the council just before it issued the statement on his Mideast trip aimed at stopping the fighting in Gaza and rocketing of southern Israel. The secretary-general attended the meeting, but his statement was read by Undersecretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe because he lost his voice on the trip.Ban said the unilateral cease-fires and Wednesday's withdrawal of Israeli troops were important achievements "but conditions are still fragile, and much more remains to be done on both the humanitarian and diplomatic fronts." "I look to Egypt and others to continue vitalefforts to seek understandings and mechanisms to ensure that a durable and sustainable cease-fire is quickly put in place," he said.The secretary-general said he also looked to regional and international leaders, including the Arab League, the Quartet of Mideast peacemakers - the US, the UN, the European Union and Russia - as well as the Security Council "to come together to contribute to and help sustain these guarantees and arrangements" that prevent arms smuggling and ensure the reopening of Gaza's border crossings.Pascoe told reporters afterward that diplomatic efforts are continuing on these key issues which are essential to a lasting cease-fire.Ban stressed that "for any sustainable political progress to occur and for Gaza to properly recover and rebuild, Palestinians must face the challenges of reconciliation."The Security Council statement on Wednesday encouraged "tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation" and stepped up efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace with Israel.Riyad Mansour, who represents the Palestinian Authority at the UN told reporters, said that Palestinians "were united in the field against Israeli aggression.""The biggest lesson of this war and aggression against us (is that) we need to be immediately united so that we can form national unity or national reconciliation cabinet to address the monumental task of ... healing the wounds in Gaza and the reconstruction of Gaza ... and also preparing for having elections as early as possible - for both presidential and parliamentarian elections," he said."We need unity today more than any other moment in our recent history because we cannot deal with all the things that we have to deal with divided," Mansour stressed. "If that division (is) to continue it would entrench the division between Gaza and the West Bank and would be a huge blow against our dream and aspiration of having a contiguous, viable Palestinian state in all the areas that Israel occupied in 1967 including east Jerusalem."Ban reiterated his anger at the "outrageous attacks against UN facilities" in Gaza, including several schools and the UNRWA compound in Gaza City. He said he expects "a full explanation of each incident" from Israel, and that those responsible be held accountable.He said he will "decide on appropriate follow-up action" after receiving a report on Israel's inquiry from Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, which appeared to step back from earlier UN demands for an independent inquiry.Mansour said the Palestinians view that statement by Ban to contain many things including legal proceedings "to bring all Israeli criminals who committed all these atrocities against us and against UN agencies to justice."
By AP/UN
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232292931478&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
As in the days of Noah...

Obama puts foreign policy in focus

Saudi prince urges US to be even-handed

A prominent member of the Saudi royal family is warning the Obama administration that failure to alter US attitudes towards the Arab-Israeli conflict radically would threaten the kingdom’s “special relationship ”with the US and could force Riyadh to abandon its own support for a peaceful resolution of the dispute.In an article in Thursday’s Financial Times, Prince Turki al-Faisal, former Saudi intelligence chief and former ambassador to Washington, says that if the US wants to continue playing a leadership role in the Middle East and maintain its strategic alliance with Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, it “will have to drastically revise its policies vis-à-vis Israel and Palestine”Writing days after the end of Israel’s three-week Gaza offensive, he says the Bush administration, which supported the onslaught, had left a “sickening legacy in the region”. And while Saudi Arabia has so far resisted Iranian calls to lead a “jihad” against Israel, “ eventually the kingdom will not be able to prevent its citizens from joining the worldwide revolt against Israel”.The prince-writing before President Barack Obama made his comments on the Arab-Israel conflict last night-holds no official position in the Saudi government at the moment but his views reflect the mounting frustrations within the al-Saud royal family and the apparent need to exert immediate pressure on the Obama administration for a more even-handed Middle East policy.Mr Obama has signalled a readiness to work for peace between Arabs and Israelis and called Palestinian, Israeli, Jordanian and Egyptian leaders on his first day in office in an effort to help consolidate Gaza’s fragile ceasefire.Saudi Arabia, under intense pressure during the Gaza conflict, has been eager to assert its leadership role in the region and underline that it has not been standing by while Palestinians suffer.Last week King Abdullah warned that the Arab peace initiative that he had sponsored in 2002-offering Israel normal relations with the whole Arab world if it withdrew from all lands occupied in 1967-was still on the table, but would not there remain forever.The statement came after weeks of turmoil in the Arab world as the images of Gaza fuelled widespread outrage, embarrassing Saudi Arabia and other states that have been committed to peace negotiations yet have little to show for their efforts.The pressure intensified when Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, the Iranian president, wrote to King Abdullah asking him to take action to end the Israeli offensive.In his FT article, Prince Turki calls on Mr Obama to address the “disaster” in Gaza and its “causes” and to condemn Israel’s “atrocities” against Palestinians, not only Hamas’s firing of rockets at Israel. He appeals to the US president to “strongly promote” the Arab peace initiative.The prince’s article recalls the letters that King Abdullah, as crown prince, sent to George W. Bush in 2001, warning that the kingdom would review relations with the US unless the administration adopted a forceful push for Middle East peace.The letters rang alarm bells in Washington but were soon overshadowed by the September 11 attacks, which involved a group of Saudis.It was only after Riyadh launched its own campaign against terrorism two years later and started addressing the root causes of radicalism that ties with the US improved again.

By Roula Khalaf in London

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/651ad470-e8dc-11dd-a4d0-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

As in the days of Noah.....

Obama vows he'll 'aggressively' seek Middle East peace

Calling for border crossings into Gaza to be opened with "appropriate monitoring" to alleviate the humanitarian problems following Operation Cast Lead, US President Barack Obama declared on Thursday his intention to pursue peace between Israelis and Palestinians.To that end, he announced during his first visit to the State Department that new envoy George Mitchell would soon be dispatched to the region to help ensure the cease-fire holds and to move forward on working with Israelis and Palestinians."Let me be clear: America is committed to Israel's security. And we will always support Israel's right to defend itself against legitimate threats," Obama said. "No democracy can tolerate such danger to its people, nor should the international community, and neither should the Palestinian people themselves."He praised Egypt's role in helping to end the violence, and indicated that America would be committed to ending arms smuggling into the Gaza Strip."Just as the terror of rocket fire aimed at innocent Israelis is intolerable, so, too, is a future without hope for the Palestinians," he then added. "Our hearts go out to Palestinian civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water, and basic medical care."To that end he called on Israel to open the border crossings and on the Palestinian Authority - helped with funds and support through an international donors conference - to a play a role along with the international community in monitoring the access points."It will be the policy of my administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as between Israel and its Arab neighbors," he said.The subject of Israeli-Palestinian peace was the first foreign policy issue Obama addressed in his trip to the State Department, which came on the day Hillary Clinton assumed office following her Senate confirmation Wednesday. She also introduced a second envoy, Richard Holbrooke, who will serve as point man on Afghanistan and Pakistan.Obama was criticized even before taking office for remaining silent during the recent Gaza violence, and the Mitchell announcement - coupled with his remarks on the subject - seemed a bid to demonstrate that he is now fully engaged in the issue after relieving himself of the shackles of the transition period."We have come to the State Department today to send a very clear message that we will reinvigorate American diplomacy," declared Vice President Joe Biden, who accompanied Obama on his first meeting with Clinton at her new headquarters.Mitchell, for his part, said the long-term conflict "demands our maximum effort no matter the difficulties, no matter the setbacks. The key is the mutual commitment of the parties and the active participation of the United States government.""Nowhere is a robust diplomatic approach needed more," Clinton said, referring to the Middle East, Afghanistan and Pakistan, stressing the role that diplomacy and development would play under her watch.Clinton also spoke to both Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas by telephone.Olmert congratulated Clinton on her new position and told her Israel was interested in continuing to advance the Middle East peace process and intended to increase humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza.He also stressed Israel's commitment to preventing terrorism and arms smuggling into the Strip.Abbas told Clinton he would work with the new US administration for a comprehensive peace settlement in the Middle East. A statement from his office said Clinton and Obama would work to create a Palestinian state and to alleviate the suffering of Gaza's residents.Jordan's King Abdullah also congratulated Clinton on her new role, pressing the importance of launching serious and effective peace negotiations, according to the Jordanian Embassy.Israel's ambassador to the US, Sallai Meridor, welcomed the news of Mitchell's role, saying in a statement, "Israel holds Senator Mitchell in high regard and looks forward to working with him on taking the next steps towards realizing a future of peace and security for Israel and her neighbors."Earlier in the day, Obama signed orders to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center within a year and to ban the harshest interrogation methods. At the State Department, Obama said the United States "will not torture" as it detains terror suspects and works to keep the country safe.
AP contributed to this report.
By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER, JPOST CORRESPONDENT IN WASHINGTON
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232643726975&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
As in the days of Noah...

Obama to pursue Middle East peace

Obama urges Israel to open Gaza borders; Stark break from Bush-era policy on Middle East...

President Barack Obama urged Israel on Thursday to open its borders with Gaza. The plea came in a speech that signalled the new US administration’s shift from Bush-era policy on the Middle East and the world as a whole. In a high-profile address on his second day in office, just hours after he signed an executive order to close the centre at Guantánamo Bay,Mr Obama proclaimed that the US would “actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians” in the wake of this month’s Gaza war.“The outline for a durable ceasefire is clear: Hamas must end its rocket fire: Israel will complete the withdrawal of its forces from Gaza: the US and our partners will support a credible anti-smuggling and interdiction regime, so that Hamas cannot re-arm,” the US president said.“As part of a lasting ceasefire, Gaza’s border crossings should be open to allow the flow of aid and commerce, with an appropriate monitoring regime, with the international and Palestinian Authority participating.”Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, also announced the appointment of George Mitchell, as the US special envoy for the Arab-Israeli conflict and Richard Holbrooke, former US ambassador to the United Nations, as representative for Afghanistan-Pakistan.The moves signalled another shift from the foreign policy of the Bush administration, which had resisted appointing a high-profile envoy for Middle East peace. Although Condoleezza Rice, who finished her tenure as secretary of state this week, brokered a 2005 deal to allow open border crossings to Gaza, access was often shut down, with Israel citing security concerns and Hamas launching rocket attacks.The issue is set to test the authority of the new administration as it begins to grapple with the Middle East conflict.Before Mr Obama gave his speech, an Israeli official said there would be tough conditions for any lifting of the blockade, which he linked with the release of Gilad Shalit, a soldier held captive by Hamas since 2006.“If the opening of the passages strengthens Hamas we will not do it,” the official said. “We will make sure that all the [humanitarian] needs of the population will be met. But we will not be able to deal with Hamas on the other side. We will not do things that give legitimacy to Hamas.”Under its ceasefire, Hamas has given Israel until Sunday to open the borders. Much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure has been destroyed during the three-week Israeli offensive and, without building materials and other supplies, there is little hope of rebuilding the water, sewage and power networks as well as private homes and key government buildings.But many foreign donors share Israel’s concerns that the reconstruction efforts should not be led by Hamas, or enhance the group’s legitimacy.“Let me be clear: America is committed to Israel’s security and we will always support Israel’s right to defend itself against legitimate threats,” Mr Obama said.But in comments referring to the Gaza conflict he added: “I was deeply concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our hearts go out to Palestinian civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water, and basic medical care, and who’ve faced suffocating poverty for far too long.”He called on Arab governments to “act on” the promise of a Saudi-led 2002 Arab peace initiative by supporting the Palestinian Authority headed by President Mahmoud Abbas “taking steps towards normalising relations with Israel, and by standing up to extremism that threatens us all.”

By Daniel Dombey in Washington and Tobias Buck in Jerusalem

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7cf745dc-e8ce-11dd-a4d0-0000779fd2ac.html

As in the days of Noah...

Hamas continues stealing humanitarian aid in Gaza

Jordan's Petra news agency reported on Tuesday that a shipment of humanitarian aid from the Hashemite Kingdom to the residents of the Gaza Strip was hijacked by Hamas.The aid convoy traversed Israel before entering Gaza via the Kerem Shalom Crossing near the Egyptian border.Shortly after entering Gaza, the trucks were ambushed by Hamas gunmen and forced to proceed to private warehouses where the contents were confiscated.The UN agency that was supposed to take possession of the aid for distribution has asked that all donors stop sending aid until it can resolve the issue of the seized convoy.Meanwhile, Israel can be expected to be blamed for the continuing and mounting humanitarian situation in Gaza.

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=18059

As in the days of Noah...

Obama Reaches Out for Mideast Peace Effort

President Barack Obama sought Wednesday to show an immediate U.S. engagement in the vexing Middle East peace process, calling four allies in the region and weighing in for the first time about the Gaza crisis...

Obama's Day One: Recession, War, Ethics

Diversity Chief Says France Heading 'Straight Into Apartheid'

PARIS-France's equality chief said Wednesday the country was heading "straight into apartheid" and toward a major social explosion unless changes are made rapidly.Yazid Sabeg issued a wakeup call to the French nation, which has already suffered major rioting from alienated immigrant youth in the country's social housing projects.He stressed that the current financial crisis will hit those suffering from discrimination and lack of opportunity most severely."We are creating a social civil war in this country," said Sabeg. "I believe that today we are digging a ditch that leads straight into apartheid."Sabeg spoke during a program on the Parliamentary Channel in which he responded to reporters' questions.Sabeg is the son of Algerian immigrants and is known for his efforts to bring equality to the workplace.President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed Sabeg in December to the newly created post of diversity and equality commissioner. He is to oversee a government action plan aimed at putting more ethnic minorities on TV screens, in political parties and in elite schools that lead to jobs in government and industry. Details of the plan are to be presented in March.said that France has been given four alerts over the past quarter-century, the latest in 2005 when fiery riots ricocheted through housing projects across France.French of immigrant origin, most often from Muslim North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa, fill the projects which ring major cities, and those who live there feel isolated from the mainstream. Many French had previously been unaware of the despair and anger locked up in the projects.Since the 2005 unrest, France has taken a series of measures, but anti-racist groups and experts say discrimination and lack of opportunity remain largely entrenched.Sarkozy gave broad outlines of the plan in December.On the agenda is making elite education more accessible to minorities by forcing schools to reserve 25 percent of their places for students receiving state aid.Among other measures, political parties will be asked to sign a "diversity charter" that could become a criterion for receiving public funds, and TV stations will be required to spell out diversity goals to the country's audiovisual watchdog.Businesses will be encouraged to accept anonymous resumes so that names and addresses don't keep candidates from a first interview.Sabeg, like Sarkozy, also wants researchers to be allowed to gather data on ethnic minorities — currently taboo in France which forbids the categorization of the population via ethnicity.

By AP

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481351,00.html

As in the days of Noah....

9/11 Families Outraged by Obama Call to Suspend Guantanamo War Crimes Trials

Family members of people killed on September 11, 2001, and in other terror attacks say they are outraged by President Obama's draft order calling for the suspension of war crimes trials of prisoners being held at Guantanamo Bay."To me it's beyond comprehension that they would take the side of the terrorists," said Peter Gadiel, whose son, James, was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11. "Many of these people have been released and been right back killing, right back at their terrorist work again."Obama's request on the first full day of his presidency came as a draft order was being prepared ordering the closing of the Guantanamo prison within a year. A judge responded by halting the case against a Canadian detainee accused of killing an American soldier in Afghanistan, issuing a 120-day continuance in the case."I see no reason why we should delay these proceedings. Let justice be served," said Jefferson Crowther, whose 24-year-old son, Welles, was killed in the Twin Towers after he saved the lives of several others.Critics blasted Obama's decision, which they said would delay justice in cases that have already been waiting for the better part of a decade."There is no need to suspend the military tribunals. There is no reason why Obama can't conduct a concurrent review at the same time that the military commission process is moving forward to render justice for the terrorists that have murdered thousands of people," said former Cmdr.Kirk Lippold, who lost 17 sailors during a suicide bombing attack on the USS Cole in 2000. A suspect in the case is being held at Guantanamo."It demeans their deaths because we seem to be more concerned with the rights of detainees than we are with the justice that is being denied to my sailors that were killed,"Lippold told FOXNews.com. Obama's request may mark the end of the system used by the Bush administration to try terror suspects. War crimes charges against 21 men are pending at Guantanamo, though the detainees may have to be moved to America or extradited, depending on the administration's plans for them.The Obama administration is calling for a systematic review of each detainee's case to determine who can be released and who cannot."It is in the interests of the United States to review whether and how such individuals can and should be prosecuted," says the draft order released on Wednesday...

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/01/21/families-outraged-obama-suspend-guantanamo-war-crimes-trials/

PS:YES,HE CAN....make make a mess the first day in office...Yes he can....Hope all that voted for him will be as happy as yesterday,when he starts taking our liberties from us....

As in the days of Noah....