Reading between the lines, and thinking outside the box . . .
On Wednesday, Pope Benedict XVI received in audience Danilo Turk, president of the Republic of Slovenia. The talks provided an opportunity to examine a number of matters concerning the current international scene, in particular the situation in the Balkans, also in the light of the Slovenian presidency of the EU.
At a bilateral level, mention was made of the good relations that exist between Slovenia and the Holy See, as well as of a number of unresolved questions between the State and the Church and the desire to promote their satisfactory solution.
Harlot dogs returning to their Mom's vomit...
Protestant churches in recent years have increasingly turned to the rite to increase spirituality and devotional preparation for Easter Sunday among their members.
The Italian Mafia crime organization is believed to have invested hundreds of millions of euros in Germany, the weekly Die Zeit newspaper quoted an Italian chief public prosecutor as saying Wednesday. A major portion of Mafia investments are in real estates and government bonds, the Italian judicial official added.
A house fire in Germany that took the lives of at least 9 Turkish residents has the country increasingly on edge, amid speculation that the blaze was the result of racially motivated arson. A great deal is indeed at stake if, as the Turkish and German media are increasingly speculating, the deadly fire was a racially motivated arson attack.
Germans and Turks alike worry that the country is a social tinderbox, and the Ludwigshafen fire the match that could set it alight.
Fear of antiwar militants in the leftist opposition and her own coalition dictated Chancellor Merkel's refusal to send troops to southern Afghanistan, German legislators and security officials said. Analysts said Merkel's caution, if not unwillingness, to provide leadership over the issue of Berlin's role in Afghanistan was damaging Germany as an ally and reliable partner.
Nine to Nineveh...
John McCain said he had canceled a planned meeting with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and an address at a German security conference so he can concentrate on wrapping up his campaign. He had been scheduled to address an international security conference on the future of NATO in Munich on Saturday.
[Europress] / [Russopress]
The rush by EU leaders, within hours of the election result, to approve a mission to the breakaway province of Kosovo and to demand that Serbia sign a cooperation agreement with the bloc by February 7 caused the euphoria over Tadic's victory to rapidly evaporate. It has provoked a political crisis that could lead to the collapse of the Serbian government.
Russia's ambassador to the EU warned EU capitals against recognising the self-proclaimed state of Kosovo, as the move "would create a serious precedent from the point of view of international law," and could cause a rift in Russia-EU relations.
(And: NATO urges calm)
The international law and the rule of law within countries are two essential values of our civilisation. Though imperfect, they are so far the only barrier capable of limiting arbitrary rule and minimizing the law o jungle in international relations. The situation around Serbian province of Kosovo is one current example of their violation.
It's difficult to decide which will go over the edge first, Lebanon or Gaza. Maybe both at the same time, hand in hand, and - if you believe Israel - with a gentle shove from Iran. Bets are on Gaza to explode first.
But more ominously, Israel claimed that, along with the weapons, Iranian-trained Hamas guerrillas came across at the same time - presumably to operate the new weapons.
Israel knows too that Hamas would like to drag Egypt into it. And, who knows, it might work.
To defend against Israel's coming attack!...
Syria, aided by Russia and Iran, in recent months has been furiously acquiring rockets and missiles, including projectiles capable of hitting the entire state of Israel, according to Jordanian and Israeli security officials speaking to WND.
A Jordanian security official said one of the main reasons Damascus did not retaliate after Israel carried out its Sept. 6 airstrike inside Syria allegedly targeting a nascent nuclear facility was because Syria's rocket infrastructure was not yet complete.
The official said after the Israeli airstrike, Syria picked up the pace of acquiring rockets and missiles, largely from Russia with Iranian backing, with the goal of completing its missile and rocket arsenal by the end of the year.
Where in the World is OBL? (video)
Here's the new trailer for Morgan Spurlock's upcoming documentary 'Where in the World is Osama bin Laden?'
If Morgan Spurlock has learned anything from over 30 years of movie-watching, it's that if the world needs saving, it's best done by one lone man willing to face danger head on to take it down, action hero style. So, with no military experience, knowledge or expertise, he sets off to do what the CIA, FBI and countless bounty hunters have failed to do: find the world's most wanted man.
Failistan?...
Afghanistan risks becoming a failed state if NATO troops do not defeat the Taliban, boosting Islamist extremism worldwide, a study said, also warning that the West lacked resources.
"This is a critical week for the alliance. There is a big question over countries' ability to sustain operations for what is now coming to a 7th year, and that is a weakness in NATO which perhaps it had not forseen when it set out on this venture. At the moment (the Afghan government) is being led by the nose. If it is undermined every time it takes a decision by its international allies, that reduces its authority across the country."
(And: NATO Afghan rift deepens)
(German press: Germany ends special Afghan role)
A Pakistani Army helicopter crashed yesterday in the country's northwest, killing 3 generals and 5 other soldiers. The area has been the scene of intense fighting between Pakistani forces and armed rebels.
The cutting of multiple undersea cables in several different locations hundreds of miles apart continues to arouse suspicion and stir speculation. It seems that the activity represents, at the very least, a warning shot across the bows of certain Middle Eastern and Asian nations, and may even signify the imminence of a major geopolitical event.
Some questioned whether Iran has been completely cut off from the net. Although the internet traffic report shows the main routers as off, Iran and surrounding countries have satellite links and access to older power lines they used to use, before optical fibre cables were introduced.
Thousands of refugees who fled weekend fighting in the Chadian capital have arrived in Nigeria after a gruelling journey through Cameroon and are camping in the open in remote border towns.
President Ahmadinejad's decision to acquire 4 German guard dogs has come under scrutiny from religious leaders. Ayatollahs in Qom, are upset that the leader can have the dogs, brought to Tehran at a cost of approximately $161,040 each, when ordinary citizens are barred from taking their own domestic pets on the streets because Islam considers dogs to be impure.
Iran is testing an advanced centrifuge at its Natanz nuclear complex -- a move that could lead to Tehran enriching uranium much faster and gaining ability to build atom bombs. It was not known how successful the "dry runs" with the new machines had been or when they might be test-fed with uranium gas for enrichment. Iran had no immediate comment.
Iranian FM on...
The historical proposal of the Islamic Republic of Iran over the past recent decades for a "Middle East free of Weapons of Mass Destruction" is a clear indication of our peaceful desire for the region.
The Islamic Republic of Iran is the only point from Delhi to Istanbul that international community can rely upon to defuse crises and threats that have beset this vast region as the direct result of the failure or big powers, especially major European states, to accept their international responsibility.
It is already clear the Iranian president's upcoming visit to Iraq will not be just a regional event. This is a visit by the leader of US enemy #1 to the country that is practically controlled by the US. In general, Ahmadinejad's intention to go to Baghdad and his tour last year of several Arab countries show that Iran is seriously revising its policy in the region.
In order to understand Iran's role, it is enough to look at its relations with neighbors. Since time immemorial, Iran has not had close friends in the region. It has always asserted itself as the regional leader and resisted any encroachments on this status. The Persians fought Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turkomans and the British. Now Iran is a pain in the neck for the United States.
Daniel Ellsberg, perhaps the country's most famous whistleblower, fears that before the Bush administration leaves office, it will try to attack Iran. Bush could use an incident that is blamed on Iran as a means to begin a war with them.
Ellsberg is worried Congress has not put forth an effort to demand it be informed before an attack on Iran should occur. The Senate has virtually endorsed the president's power to begin a war with Iran.
The American public, and media in general, have not picked up on the urgency surrounding a pending war with Iran, Ellsberg says. For over 2 years, Sy Hersh and others have been writing detailed articles stating operational plans against Iran are being updated to the minute, so that within hours or a day they can be implemented.
False flag nuclear attack on US cities shatters American government, followed by martial law police state. Iran and North Korea are blamed and NUKED. Back on the air Feb 12th on CBS.
Sibel Edmonds is the FBI translator turned whistleblower who decided to go public late in 2002 and has been seeking to tell her story about high level corruption in the United States government involving Turkey and Israel.
What makes her story particularly compelling is that the corruption relates to the theft and sale of US defense secrets, most particularly nuclear technology. Many of the officials involved are apparently the same neoconservatives who cooked the books to enable the rush to war against Iraq and who are continuing to urge more wars in the Middle East, most notably against Iran and Syria. Several of them are close allies of John McCain.
Why should Sibel be heard? Mostly because her story, if true, involves corruption at the highest levels of government coupled with the sale of secrets vital to the security of the US.
But the media remains silent in spite of considerable efforts to get them on board and provide some coverage of her very serious charges. The silence has been deafening, suggesting that other forces are at work.
It looks like the pledged delegates – that is, delegates won fair and square in a primary – are going in their majority to Obama, while the "super-delegates" – party bigwigs appointed by the Powers-That-Be – could give the nomination to Hillary.
This could set up a situation where the party Establishment defies the apparent will of the voters and crowns Hillary in a super-delegate "coup." One can almost feel the resentment, disappointment, and building anger that will rise up and smite the Democrats if and when this occurs.
War, war, war is all McCain talks about or cares about, and his savaging of Romney over who is more pro-surge and bloodthirsty during the last debate showed why the voters will reject him in the end: he came across as an angry old man, and downright dangerous.
For the neocons, their winter of discontent may end with the nomination of 2 essentially pro-war, safely pro-interventionist candidates for the presidency: McCain and the Clintons. For the Bushies, "the clouds that low'r'd upon our house" would be lifted – the White House retained, the war resumed and the Mesopotamian project started by Dubya revived.
For the voters, the winter of their discontent will only deepen, come November – adding further volatile possibilities to a year of political tumult
Paranoid Protestant Playing Politics...
Evangelical Christian leader James Dobson has not endorsed a candidate for the Republican nomination, but he declared he would sit out the general election if Sen. John McCain becomes the GOP winner. "I am convinced Sen. McCain is not a conservative and, in fact, has gone out of his way to stick his thumb in the eyes of those who are. He has at times sounded more like a member of the other party."
Germans have a long tradition of following US elections closely, and most major newspapers and TV news channels here have a handful of reporters on the campaign trail. While people on the streets of Berlin had varying opinions on which candidate is best-suited to lead the US, most favored Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama -- and all agreed that this year's election is particularly crucial because it represents a chance for major political change in America and the world.
(Interview: "Next president will demand more from Europe")
"The wrath of God is the only way I can describe it," Gov. Phil Bredesen of Tennessee said after surveying the damage by helicopter. "I'm used to seeing roofs off houses; houses blown over. These houses were down to their foundations, stripped clean."
Loose Change: Final Cut (video)
With the former Italian President saying it is well known within the intelligence community that 9/11 was a CIA and Mossad Op, and the Prime Minister of Japan and his cabinet being questioned about Insider Trading and the implosion of World Trade Center 7 by the opposition party, global interest in 9/11 truth is exploding.
Yesterday was a moderately good day for equity markets, but the credit markets are in deep trouble.
The FT has a great quote from a credit analysis who said: "I despair at times at why the equity markets can't see how serious the credit crunch is. They just trade off the day-to-day news flow."
Another credit analyst is quoted as saying that the credit bubble is in the process of unwinding, and turning into a vicious cycle.
In a separate article, the FT quotes the CEO of accountancy firm PwC that the global credit crisis will spread beyond the financial industry, as many industrial companies also invested in asset-backed securities. So prepare for worse to come.
To finance its deficits, America looks to the kindness of foreigners to continue to accept the outpouring of dollars and dollar-denominated debt. The dollars are accepted, because the dollar is the world's reserve currency.
If the world is unwilling to continue to accumulate dollars, the US will not be able to finance its trade deficit or its budget deficit. As both are seriously out of balance, the implication is for yet more decline in the dollar's exchange value and a sharp rise in prices.
If the US government cannot balance its budget by cutting its spending or by raising taxes, the day when it can no longer borrow will see the government paying its bills by printing money like a Third World banana republic. Inflation and more exchange rate depreciation will be the order of the day.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to hold an emergency meeting concerning the recent fluctuations the dollar rates. He has summoned the Finance Minister, the Industry, Trade and Labor Minister,the Governor of the Bank of Israel, and several other Finance Ministry officials to the meeting, which is the first of its kind in years.
The emergency meeting was called after falling dollar rates – which have lost 15% in the last 3 months – have prompted industry heads to declare layoffs are imminent
Gulf states including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will be forced to revalue their currency pegs this year following the dollar's declines and the Federal Reserve's interest-rate cuts, Bear Stearns has said.
The Bank of England's rate-setting committee has cut interest rates to 5.25% from 5.5% amid signs that the UK economy is slowing down.
The European Central Bank has kept interest rates unchanged at 4%. High oil prices and an increase in the cost of food have buoyed inflation in the eurozone at a time when economic growth is seen to be slowing.
By keeping rates on hold for the 8th consecutive month, the Bank's reputation is under pressure. "It's credibility is at risk because the signs of pressure on the financial sector, signs of slowing growth in the eurozone and the expansive action by other world central banks."
In the latest example that the US dollar just ain't what it used to be, some shops in New York City have begun accepting euros and other foreign currency as payment for merchandise.
The increasingly weak US dollar, once considered the king among currencies, has brought waves of European tourists to New York with money to burn and looking to take advantage of hugely favorable exchange rates.
"Peak Oil" is morphing into "Peak Food"
Vulnerable regions of the world face the risk of famine over the next 3 years as rising energy costs spill over into a food crunch, according to US investment bank Goldman Sachs. "We've never been at a point in commodities where we are today," said Jeff Currie, the bank's commodity chief and closely watched oil guru.
"Over the next 18 to 36 months we are probably going into crisis mode across the commodity complex. The key is going to be agriculture. China is terrified of the current situation. It has real physical shortages."
"The political environment is extremely hostile. The world is looking like the 17th century under mercantilism when countries saw economics as a zero-sum game. They exported as much as they could to get gold, and erected enormous barriers. China looks like that, so does Russia, the Mid-East and most of Africa and Latin America."
Barton Biggs has some offbeat advice for the rich: Insure yourself against war and disaster by buying a remote farm or ranch and stocking it with "seed, fertilizer, canned food, wine, medicine, clothes, etc."
Biggs is no paranoid survivalist. He was chief global strategist at Morgan Stanley before leaving in 2003 to form hedge fund Traxis Partners. His message: Listen to markets, learn from history and prepare for the worst. "Events move much faster than anyone expects, and the barbarians are on top of you before you can escape."
Forget about graphs, charts and economic forecasts. Wary investors in Asia are turning to feng shui masters to tell them which way the markets will head in the Chinese Year of the Rat. Perhaps not surprisingly for investors already burnt by recent stock market slides, feng shui experts are predicting a gloomy year for shares.
Ecuador's Tungurahua volcano erupted Wednesday, spewing molten rock, smoke and ash into the air and prompting authorities to evacuate hundreds of villagers living on the shadow of the mountain.
Former CIA agent
Former American CIA agent and nuclear expert David Dastych has claimed that main nuclear arsenals of Pakistan, India, Britain, France, the USA, Russia and China are safe but nuclear proliferation could not be controlled now because it has completely slipped out of control.
He said some corrupt officials of the US defence and state departments were involved in the theft of US nuclear secrets which were sold to many countries including Israel and Pakistan. In an exclusive interview, he said Russian-made small neutron bombs are a real threat to world peace.
Before Zeus hurled his first thunderbolt from Olympus, the pre-Greek people occupying the land presumably paid homage and offered sacrifices to their own gods and goddesses, whose nature and identities are unknown to scholars today.
But archaeologists say they have now found the ashes, bones and other evidence of animal sacrifices to some pre-Zeus deity on the summit of Mount Lykaion, in the region of Greece known as Arcadia. The remains were uncovered last summer at an altar later devoted to Zeus.
Fragments of a coarse, undecorated pottery in the debris indicated that the sacrifices might have been made as early as 3000 B.C., the archaeologists concluded. That was about 900 years before Greek-speaking people arrived.
Material at the Lykaion altar "suggests that the tradition of devotion to some divinity on that spot is very ancient" and "very likely predates the introduction of Zeus in the Greek world." "We went from B.C. to B.Z., before Zeus."
Speaking of Jezeus...
In 1 Corinthians 7, the Apostle Paul lays down a very important rubric for all Christians: "Do not be unequally yoked." Traditionally, the church has understood this command to refer to marriage.
I must point out that one of the reasons the North American church has failed so miserably in its task to be "salt and light" is because it has unwittingly allowed itself to be compromised by being unequally yoked. How has it done this? By embracing 501(c)3 charitable tax status, that's how.
Now, invariably this issue raises the broader and more fundamental discussion on whether or not churches should be incorporated.
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