To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Infobeat News items
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:03:14 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

*** French storm repairs may take years

PARIS (AP) - Devastating storms that swept through Europe a week ago
caused so much damage to France's electrical system that it could
take three years to fully restore it, the chairman of the national
electricity company said Wednesday. Immediate repair work would cost
around $770 million, EDF Chairman Francois Roussely said. "It's a
catastrophe without precedent in Europe," Roussely said. "For a good
part of 2000, and without doubt still in 2001, our electricity system
will be fragile, we will have more failures, the quality of our
product will suffer." Finance Minister Christian Sautter said it was
too early to give a complete estimate but it would run to more than
$5 billion. Storm victims are to be given a delay in filing income
taxes and special deductions for those in difficulty, Sautter said.
See http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563071128-765
*** Also: French reactors flooded by storms, see
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563069382-41f

*** Rivals gather at Holy Land synod

JERUSALEM (AP) - Setting aside their power struggles, heads of the
world's Eastern Orthodox churches assembled in Jerusalem Wednesday
for the biggest Orthodox synod in the Holy Land, and the first in 60
years. In a show of unity, 14 clergymen with miters, robes and heavy
golden crosses hanging from their necks gathered around a large table
in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Jerusalem's walled Old City.
Only one leader of the world's 15 Orthodox churches, out because of
an illness, did not attend the two-hour meeting where church history
was reviewed and the transition to the future discussed. No
resolutions were passed before the religious leaders posed for a
group photo. The host, Greek Orthodox Patriarch Diodoros I of
Jerusalem, made a passing reference to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, saying after "many painful adventures" residents of the
Holy Land were on their way to reconciliation. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563067778-4ff

*** Y2K doomsayers say they were wrong

CHICAGO (AP) - They were ominous. They were shrill. And now some of
the most prominent Y2K doomsayers are ready to admit it, to a point:
They were wrong. After helping to stoke widespread fear of financial
catastrophe striking when the world's computers turned over to "00"
New Year's Day, two economic whizzes now acknowledge that a global
recession doesn't look likely after all. But they insist they're
happy to have erred. "I'm just totally stunned," says Dennis Grabow,
an investment banker who has been forecasting a Y2K meltdown for two
years from his downtown Chicago office. Grabow's Chicago-based
Millennium Investment Corp. has been dispensing its Y2K-calamity
investment strategy to clients with $20 billion under management. See
http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2563072302-49a

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - US may offer Israel defense treaty
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 09:06:32 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

US may offer Israel defense treaty

By David Makovsky

WASHINGTON (January 5) - The Clinton administration is waiting to hear
whether Prime Minister Ehud Barak is interested in a US-Israel defense
treaty as part of an overall peace package among Israel, Syria, and the
Palestinians, according to sources familiar with US thinking.

The US does not want to propose the idea to Israel if it feels it will be
turned down, the sources said.

Yet, there is an assessment that President Bill Clinton would support the
idea if this would clinch peace deals, win public support in Israel for a
referendum, and gain public backing in the US. There is also a belief among
sources on Capitol Hill that the idea will also win backing from conservative
Republicans, who like the idea of putting relations with Israel on a footing
based more on military cooperation rather than foreign aid. A defense treaty
requires ratification by two-thirds of the Senate.

The sources said a US-Israel defense treaty would be in keeping with
Barak's repeated public commitments that peace with Syrian will bolster, not
diminish Israeli security. Since the first Oslo agreement was signed in 1993, Clinton
himself has repeatedly publicly pledged to "minimize the risks of peace" to
Israel.

Since the Six Day War, US officials have entertained the theoretical
possibility of a US-Israel defense treaty as part of a comprehensive peace.

The idea of a US-Israel defense treaty was raised in December 1995 by then
prime minister Shimon Peres, who spoke to US officials of the need for a
"Clinton plan" as part of a peace with Syria. As envisioned by Peres, such
plan would include a US-Israel defense treaty and a regional security pact
involving the US, Israel, and those Middle East countries which have made
peace.

At the same time, there has been opposition to a defense treaty from
elements in the Israeli security establishment. It has been focused on questions of
whether such a treaty would constrain Israel's freedom to maneuver
militarily, since an Arab retaliation could automatically trigger US
intervention. Some also wonder whether such a defense treaty would also
constrain Israeli arm sales to countries such as China, which have disturbed
Washington.

A leading opponent to such a treaty has been former national security
adviser David Ivry, recently appointed ambassador to the US.

With the talks with Syria still going on, it may take considerable time
before Barak's views on this highly sensitive subject can be ascertained.

It remains unclear whether a treaty would constrain Israel's maneuverability,
defense sources in Washington counter. They point out that factors
constraining Israel are based on broader geopolitical forces, unrelated to
Israel's contractual responsibilities.

Sources in Washington said enhanced defense cooperation with the US was
one of three pillars guiding Defense Ministry Director-General Amos
Yaron during his meetings at the Pentagon two weeks ago. Yaron
established a working group with Franklin Kramer, US assistant secretary of defense for
international security affairs, to discuss Israeli defense needs in the event
of a Golan deal.

The two other pillars that Yaron discussed were military redeployment and
early warning and mobile strikes against Syria in the event of a surprise
attack by Damascus.

State Department spokesman James Rubin denied reports that Yaron
brought an appeal for a security package totaling $17 billion. Defense
sources insist that Yaron put no price tag on the ideas that he put forward during his
Pentagon talks.

Officials did confirm a Ha'aretz report that Yaron did mention the
possibility of two new wings of Apache helicopters, Black Hawk helicopters,
new Hercules cargo planes, three AWACS planes, tanker aircraft, and a
ground station for downloading real-time information from US satellites.

Jerusalem Post
1/5/00
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/01/05/News/News.1013.html

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Fonda becomes a born-again Christian
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 09:13:19 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

Fonda becomes born-again Christian
Split with Ted has spiritual roots, say friends

By Joseph Farah © 2000 WorldNetDaily.com

The separation between media mogul Ted Turner and his wife,
Jane Fonda, was prompted in part by Fonda's stunning embrace of
"born-again" evangelical Christianity, sources close to the
couple tell WorldNetDaily.

The split was announced yesterday in a statement, which
indicated the couple remains "committed to the long-term success
of our marriage." The two have been married since Dec. 21, 1991.

Friends say the path of Fonda's spiritual conversion began two
years ago when her chauffeur began witnessing to the actress
about his faith in Jesus Christ. At first, Fonda was reportedly
troubled by those conversations. Later, she began to welcome
them and attend church with her chauffeur.

"Her faith is very real, very deep," said one insider. "Of
course, with any celebrity conversion, the pressures can be
enormous, But she is serious about her faith and regularly
attends Bible study and church."

Full story:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/bluesky_exnews/20000106_xex_fonda_become.
shtml

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Jailer suspended for praying with inmates
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2000 12:04:03 -0500

From: owner-bpr@philologos.org

From The Morrock News Digest
http://morrock.com

WEDNESDAY :: JANUARY 5, 2000 :: EMAIL EDITION

JAILER SUSPENDED FOR PRAYING WITH INMATES: Beverly Zebrowski, a
deputy at the Hillsborough County (Fla.) jail, says she was just
doing what her religious liberties allow when she prayed
together with inmates. Jail officials saw it differently,
suspended her, and said they'd fire her if she kept it up. Now,
though, Zebrowski has signed an agreement that she won't violate
the department's policy on prayer again, and Sheriff Cal
Henderson says she won't be fired. Zebrowski says that although
she disagrees with the policy she'll "honor the sheriff's wishes
because he's a good person." (Thanks, John David Powell)

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To: bpr-list@philologos.org (BPR Mailing List)
Subject: [BPR] - Space commander says Pentagon needs to test laser weapon against satellites
From: bpr-list@philologos.org(BPR)
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 12:48:50 -0500

From: "Moza" <moza7@netzero.net>

Jan. 6, 2000

Space commander says Pentagon needs to test laser weapon
against satellites

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Pentagon needs to conduct more test-
firings of a laser at orbiting Air Force satellites in order to
better understand how an enemy might disrupt American
satellites in time of war, the commander-in-chief of U.S. Space
Command said today.

Full story:
http://www.flatoday.com/space/explore/stories/2000a/010600d.htm

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