Digest Home |
2001 |
May, 2001
Court OKs testimony via satellite
Muslims lose bid to stop autopsy
Brits seek to ease Iraq sanctions
Security Council visits Africa
UN releases $760 mln in compensation
Census: More single moms head homes
Report: Holocaust panel spent $30 mln
Legislator Condemns Darwin Theory As Racist
Britain Set To Keep Ban On Religious Broadcasting
House Passes Overseas Abortion Rule
Study Links Abortion, Race And Lower Crime
Court Rules Students Can Pray At Graduation
French Senate Passes Anti-Sect Law
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] 54 Countries to Take Part in Nuclear Emergency Exercise
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:00:19 -0400
--------
54 Countries to Take Part in Nuclear Emergency Exercise
VIENNA, Austria, May 16, 2001 (ENS) - As part of ongoing international
collaboration to deal with possible nuclear emergencies, on May 22 and 23
an extensive international nuclear emergency exercise will be carried out in
France.
The activities will be based on a French national exercise at the Gravelines
nuclear power plant located in the north of France, close to the Belgian
border near Dunkirk. The Gravelines site has six pressurized water reactors,
each providing 910 megawatts of electrical power.
The exercise will involve a simulated incident at a fictitious unit on this site
with the possibility of an environmental impact. Participants may have to
decide on measures to protect the public based on actual weather conditions
at the time of the exercise.
Third in an ongoing annual series, the Gravelines exercise is jointly
sponsored and coordinated by five international organizations, the European
Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the OECD Nuclear
Energy Agency, the World Health Organization, and World Meteorological
Organization.
The 54 countries participating worldwide will follow their own actual national
emergency response plans and procedures, using their own emergency
response centres, and will share information and co-ordinate response
activities.
The main objectives of the exercise are to test existing national and
international procedures and arrangements for responding to a nuclear
emergency, co-ordinate the release of information, and assess the
effectiveness of advisory and decision making mechanisms.
Following the exercise, each participating organization will undertake an
evaluation in order to further improve emergency preparedness.
Full Story
http://ens-news.com/ens/may2001/2001L-05-16-02.html
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Rock God - Indians Worship Stone 'Monkey'
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:05:56 -0400
--------
Rock God - Indians Worship Stone 'Monkey'
The Associated Press
BANGALORE, India, May 15 Hundreds of people in the
southern state of Karnataka have begun worshipping a huge
rock that slipped off a truck while being transported to a
temple in a neighboring state, district authorities said
Monday.
The single-piece rock, weighing more than 100 tons, was
being taken to Tamil Nadu to be carved into an idol of the
monkey-god Hanuman, a prominent Hindu deity. The statue was
to be installed in a temple at Thiruvallur, 60 miles north
of Madras, capital of Tamil Nadu.
The rock fell off the 96-wheel trailer a couple of miles
near Hassan, 280 miles west of Madras.
Holy Rock of Hanuman
Believing it to be holy, villagers in the area began
worshipping the huge rock before it could be sculpted into a
statue of Hanuman. Hindu priests chanted prayers and applied
vermillion paste to the rock to consecrate it. Villagers
began lighting oil lamps and making flower offerings to the
stone.
However, temple priests in Thiruvallur want the rock to be
returned to them and have sought the help of engineers to
supervise reloading the rock back on to the truck, said B.P.
Kaniram, deputy commissioner of Hassan.
The rock, which resembles a small hillock, was donated by a
quarry owner to the temple authorities. The priests at
Thiruvallur temple plan to have the rock sculpted into a
five-faced bust of Hanuman, said a police constable who did
not wish to be identified.
The temple has yet to receive permission from government
authorities to transport the rock on the busy national
highway, police said. The trailer truck can travel only 3
miles a day, and the operation involves clearing the highway
of all traffic to allow it to pass.
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/world/DailyNews/hanuman010515.html
via: End_Times_News@yahoogroups.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Russia-EU summit gets underway in Moscow
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:08:03 -0400
--------
Russia-EU summit gets underway in Moscow
MOSCOW, May 17 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin kicked off a Russia-
EU summit in the Kremlin on Thursday with trade, security, the environment
and EU expansion topping a packed agenda, news agencies reported.
EU leaders were expected to push Moscow to finalise a nuclear waste clean-
up pact, and Russian officials predicted tough exchanges on Russia's
economy, Chechnya and press freedom.
The 15-nation European Union was represented at the summit by Prime
Minister Goran Persson of Sweden, current holder of the Union's rotating
presidency, European Commission President Romano Prodi and top EU
foreign envoy Javier Solana.
Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and other
senior officials were present for Russia.
Russian officials said Moscow would listen to EU leaders, but Russia's
recovery from the August 1998 financial crisis meant the country was now in
a position to robustly defend its stance on press freedoms, economic reform
and its 20-month crackdown in separatist Chechnya.
02:43 05-17-01
http://www.reuters.com/news.jhtml
via: Third_Watch@yahoogroups.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Intel creates chip with cell phone, computer components
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:09:32 -0400
--------
Intel creates chip with cell phone, computer components
SAN FRANCISCO, May 16 (AFP) - Computer chip giant Intel said Thursday
it has succeeded in creating a computer chip that includes the core circuitry
of a cell phone and a hand-held computer etched into its surface.
The components are embedded onto a single silicon wafer using a single
manufacturing process, the company said.
Traditionally, these different components are incorporated separately in a
cell phone or hand-held device, and manufactured and assembled in different
plants.
The company said the cell phone circuits will be five times more powerful
than existing, stand-alone cell phone circuits, while consuming a fraction
of the battery power required for today's devices.
The company hopes the chip will power next-generation ultraportable
hand-held computers and cell phones with fast Internet connections, a market
the depressed computing industry has been rushing to capture.
"Within the next five to 10 years, we should not be surprised to see devices
such as wearable computers or even video watch phones become widely
available," said Ron Smith, senior vice president of Intel's wireless
division. "We believe Intel's new process technology will extend this
trend."
Intel, based in Santa Clara, California, was to unveil the chip at its
developers forum in Amsterdam Thursday.
http://english.hk.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/technology/afp/article.html?
s=hke/headlines/010517/technology/afp/Intel_creates_chip_with_cell_phone_
_computer_components.html
via: Third_Watch@yahoogroups.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Some IDF officers not fully implementing new attack policy
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:10:35 -0400
--------
Some IDF officers not fully implementing new attack policy
Aaron Lerner Date: 17 May 2001
Israel Radio military correspondent Carmela Menashe reported this morning
that some senior officers do not agree with the new, more active approach
that the IDF is implementing against the PA. Under the new policy, Israel
takes action against the sources of Palestinian terror attacks - including
the offices, command centers and support facilities. Until the old policy,
Israel limited itself to returning fire at the specific location under
attack while under attack so that Palestinian forces essentially were
exposed to risk only while they were actually engaged in an attack against
Israel. (The few times that an Israeli attack extended beyond the immediate
area Israel gave advanced warning and/or attacked when the facilities were
empty).
These officers believe that the new policy serves to raise the level of
violence.
Menashe noted that these officers decline to share their views in meetings
and instead opt not to fully implement the orders that they receive.
Menashe's report did not provide any type of information about the
backgrounds or areas of responsibility of these officers - nor an impression
as to how common this is.
Curiously, Menashe's news that there are IDF officers who opt to decide on
their own not to fully implement orders without even trying to discuss the
matter in established forums was not considered by Menashe or the people
running the news program, to be worthy of follow up with comments from
politicians and reserve officers.
The item was not mentioned in the 8:00 AM news.
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-5480092
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6750750 subscriber 4811
Website: http://www.imra.org.il
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Unmarried cohabitants of opposite sexes denied benefits applying to same-sex couples
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:21:48 -0400
--------
Cohabitating Couple Can't Claim Coverage
Unmarried cohabitants of opposite sexes are denied application of a
Domestic Partnership Benefit Program applying to same-sex couples
Dateline: 05/16/01
In a case that presents a fascinating twist on the movement toward
homosexual rights, a federal appellate court in Chicago ruled yesterday that
an unmarried, opposite-sex couple cannot claim constitutional violations by
their exclusion from a Domestic Partnership Benefit Program applying to
certain same-sex couples employed by the Chicago Board of Education.
The ruling in Irizarry v. Chicago Board of Education allows the Board to
continue to grant qualifying same-sex couples certain benefits traditionally
allowed only married couples, while denying the same benefits to unmarried
couples of the opposite sex who would otherwise qualify but for the fact they
are not of the same sex, i.e., so-called cohabitating couples.
The case presents an odd juxtaposition of social interests: The plaintiff, a
school employee in a male-female relationship with a 20-plus year
cohabitation history, found herself supported in her claims by a homosexual
rights coalition (known as The Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund)
against the liberal-leaning Board of Education's efforts to promote
acceptance of gays and lesbians in society by attracting gay and lesbian
school employees and teachers through their Benefit Program.
This case also presented well-known jurist, Judge Richard Posner of the 7th
Circuit Court of Appeals, with an opportunity to craft an opinion on the
subject he loves best - jurisprudence of social policy through economic
theory. (Judge Posner doubles as a law school professor and has written
several books and articles on law and economics, and is regularly
considered a potential Supreme Court candidate by conservative interests.
You might recall as well that Judge Jackson appointed Posner as mediator
in the Microsoft case.) He writes in an insightful and entertaining style. Judge
Posner's opinion is worth reading if only to gain some insight into his rather
delightful mind.
Ms. Irizarry, an employee of the Chicago public schools, hoped to force the
district to extend its Domestic Partnership Benefit Program to her long-time
cohabitant, the father of her children. They had, of course, never married. Her
partner would have qualified under the program but for the fact that they were
not of the same sex.
Part 2: Analysis of the case
While not limited to homosexuals per se, the Program only applies to certain
cohabitants of the same sex. Ms. Irizarry could get her partner covered by
benefits, the school board argued, simply by marrying him, whereas same-
sex couples do not have that option. The district also argued that it hoped to
foster tolerance and inclusion among students and society at large by
attracting same-sex couples into its employ, but that it at the same time did
not wish to foster heterosexual cohabitation. Ms. Irizarry claimed, primarily,
a denial of equal protection.
The question for the court was whether this disparate treatment of couples
on the basis of the sexes of cohabiting partners was rational. Judge Posner
pondered several social and economic ramifications of the policy and
considered various studies of familial relationships from a social policy
perspective. He found that Lambda was more interested in undermining
marriage than in supporting heterosexual cohabitation, for example.
Judge Posner envisioned one argument against the rationality of the program
that had not even been presented by the plaintiff:
The least rational feature of the board's policy, though not emphasized by the
plaintiff, is that although domestic-partner benefits are confined to persons of
the same sex, the partners need not be homosexual. They could be
roommates who have lived together for a year and own some property jointly
and for want of relatives are each other's "sole domestic partner," and if so
they would be entitled to domestic-partner benefits under the board of
education's policy. To distinguish between roommates of the same and of
different sexes, as the policy implicitly does, cannot be justified on the
ground that the latter but not the former could marry each other!
Ultimately, even though he doubted the effectiveness of the policy in the big
picture of things, he concluded that the school board had rational reasons for
crafting the policy the way it did. The cost of an expanded Program was a
big factor. The desire of the Board to avoid inquiring into the actual sexual
preferences of its employees was another. In the end, Posner deferred to the
Board's determination of the "social statement" that it desired to make even
if the program was not (yet) widely used by same-sex couples. The Board
will be free to encourage same-sex relationships among employees and the
public at large while discouraging even long term cohabitation type
relationships:
True, it is no longer widely popular to try to pressure homosexuals to marry
persons of the opposite sex. But so far as heterosexuals are concerned, the
evidence that on average married couples live longer, are healthier, earn
more, have lower rates of substance abuse and mental illness, are less likely
to commit suicide, and report higher levels of happiness--that marriage
civilizes young males, confers economies of scale and of joint consumption,
minimizes sexually transmitted disease, and provides a stable and
nourishing framework for child rearing ... refutes any claim that policies
designed to promote marriage are irrational. The Chicago Board of Education
cannot be faulted, therefore, for not wishing to encourage heterosexual
cohabitation; and, though we need not decide the point, the refusal to extend
domestic-partner benefits to heterosexual cohabitators could be justified on
the basis of the policy favoring marriage for heterosexuals quite apart from
the reasons for wanting to extend the spousal fringe benefits to homosexual
couples.
http://law.about.com/newsissues/law/library/weekly/aa051601a.htm?PM=n30
51701a
http://law.about.com/newsissues/law/library/weekly/aa051601b.htm
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Document: Comment of Israel on Fact-Finding Committee
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:23:36 -0400
--------
Document: COMMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL ON THE
REPORT OF THE SHARM
EL-SHEIKH FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE
(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website www.mfa.gov.il)
Senator George J. Mitchell
Chairman
Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee
Washington, DC
15 May 2001
22 Iyar 5761
Dear Senator Mitchell,
On behalf of the Government of Israel, I would like to thank you and the
members of the Committee for the dedication and care with which you
undertook your sensitive task.
Israel appreciates the efforts of the Committee and considers that its
Report provides a constructive and positive attempt to break the cycle of
violence and facilitate a resumption of direct bilateral negotiations for
peace on the basis of reciprocity.
Enclosed please find the comments of the Government of Israel on the Report
of the Sharm el-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee.
Sincerely yours,
Dan Naveh
++++
COMMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL ON THE REPORT OF
THE SHARM EL-SHEIKH
FACT-FINDING COMMITTEE
1. In responding to the request of the Sharm El-Sheikh Fact-Finding
Committee for comments on its Report dated April 30, 2001, the Government
of Israel wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the distinguished
members of the Committee for the evident care with which they have gone
about the delicate task of providing an assessment of the events since late
September 2000. Israel considers that the Committee's Report provides a
constructive and positive attempt to break the cycle of violence and facilitate
a resumption of bilateral negotiations for peace.
2. Israel welcomes, in particular, the unqualified call for an unconditional
cessation of violence, the establishment of a meaningful cooling off period
and the resumption of negotiations.
3. Amongst other elements worthy of note in the Committee's Report are:
* the visit by Mr. Sharon to the Temple Mount did not cause the violence;
* the PA must "make an all-out effort to enforce a complete cessation of
violence and be clearly seen by the Government of Israel as doing so";
* both sides must make clear that violent demonstrations will not be
tolerated;
* the condemnation of firing by Palestinian gunmen;
* terrorism is condemned. "The PA should make clear through concrete
action to Palestinians and Israelis alike that terrorism is reprehensible and
unacceptable, and that the PA will make 100 per cent effort to prevent
terrorist operations and to punish perpetrators. This effort should include
immediate steps to apprehend and incarcerate terrorists operating within the
PA's jurisdiction";
* "the immediate resumption of security co-operation is mandatory";
* "The PA should resume co-operation with Israeli security agencies to
ensure that Palestinian workers employed within Israel are fully vetted and
free of connections to terrorists and terrorist organisations";
* "the PA [should] institute and enforce effective standards of conduct and
accountability";
* the call for the preservation and protection of holy places.
4. The written statements to the Committee made by the Government of
Israel observed that the outbreak of Palestinian violence was not a
spontaneous act but rather reflected a strategic decision on the part of the
Palestinian leadership to achieve results through violence that could not be
achieved through negotiations - negotiations in which the Palestinian side
adopted inflexible and uncompromising positions.
5. Furthermore, Israel's statements noted as the cause of the violence a
number of basic and serious respects in which the Palestinians have failed
to meet the undertakings that they gave in no less than eleven agreements
concluded with Israel since the Oslo peace process began in 1993. The
continuing violence is yet further evidence of the failure on the part of
the Palestinian side to adopt the measures they committed themselves to in
the agreements with Israel.
6. Israel's statements pointed to such aspects of Palestinian activity as
the targeting of Israeli civilians both in direct attacks and by
indiscriminate bombings; the illegal spread of weapons amongst Palestinians;
their use in attacks on Israeli security forces; the failure of the
Palestinian Police to restrain such attacks and, indeed, their active
involvement in them; the release of terrorist detainees; the continuance of
hostile propaganda and incitement to violence, not least that directed at
Palestinian children from the earliest age; the involvement of children in
episodes of violence, often using them as a screen for offensive weapon fire
from Palestinian snipers sheltering behind them; and the denial of access
to, attacks on, and destruction of Jewish Holy Sites. The Palestinian
leadership continues to instigate and direct such hostile activities.
7. Israel values the important work of the Committee and its important
contribution to the effort to end the violence and rebuild trust between the
sides. At the same time, it remains gravely concerned at the continuation,
and even escalation, of the conflict. The indiscriminate terror attacks
against innocent civilians have intensified. Mortars continue to be fired at
civilian communities. A significant indication of this escalation was the
recent seizure by the Israel Navy of a vessel carrying large quantities of
illegal weapons and ammunition, including Katyusha rockets, anti-aircraft
missiles, mortars and mines to the Palestinian Authority, just days
following the submission of the Report to the sides.
8. Israel's statements, in reference to the Palestinian violence, provided a
detailed description of the life threatening circumstances facing the Israel
Defense Forces on a daily basis in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This
has not been a civilian uprising but rather an ongoing situation in which
Israeli forces are coming under intensive live-fire attack. The statements
gave full and careful explanations of the methods used by Israel in dealing
with such attacks and outbreaks of violence, stressing that the violence was
not initiated by Israel and that Israeli actions were exclusively responsive
to Palestinian attacks. Needless to say, the security measures adopted by
Israel would have been unnecessary had the Palestinian violence come to an
end. Israeli security personnel have acted, and continue to act, according
to the highest ethical standards, military orders and a well defined chain
of command, all in the most difficult conditions.
9. Over the recent months Israel has been confronted with Palestinian
attempts to achieve political goals through the use of violence and terror.
Terror is the very antithesis of the peace process. It indiscriminately
targets innocent civilians. The Israeli people who, having gone a long way
for the sake of peace have been repaid with terror and violence. The
frustration of the Israeli people is understandable.
10. The Committee also suggested corresponding or reciprocal action by
Israel pursuant to the cessation of violence. Israel is giving careful and
immediate consideration to these matters, some of which have already been
proposed by Israel in its statements and even unilaterally implemented.
Subject to the principle requirement that the Palestinian Authority first
brings all violence to an end followed by a meaningful cooling-off period,
Israel is ready to resume negotiations within the framework of the signed
agreements between the sides and on the basis of reciprocity. Israel wishes
to note that the cessation of violence by the Palestinian side should be
accompanied by concrete measures on the ground which are capable of
appraisal, such as the prevention of terror activities and the arrest of
terrorists. Israel is confident that a clear decision by the Palestinian
leadership in this regard will result in full and effective implementation
of such measures on the ground.
11. Israel welcomes the Committee's statement that the parties "should
reaffirm their commitment to existing agreements and undertakings and
should
immediately implement an unconditional cessation of violence". In this
light, Israel must recall that the question of the settlements is a matter
that, together with, principally, Jerusalem, refugees, and borders, has
specifically been agreed by Israel and the Palestinian side as one for
treatment in the permstatus negotiations. There is nothing in the bilateral
agreements between the two sides that suggests that the question of
settlements is to be regarded as one that could be separated from the others
and unrelated to the overall solution of those other problems. Indeed, the
Committee itself noted that the issue of settlements is one of the core
issues to be negotiated between the sides. The outcome of such
negotiations,
in which each side has legitimate positions and claims, should not be
prejudged.
12. On the substance, it must be recalled that it is already part of the
policy of the Government of Israel not to establish new settlements. At the
same time, the current and everyday needs of the development of such
communities must be taken into account.
13. The international community should reject outright any attempt to
interpret the Committee's Report as a legitimization of violence and terror.
There should be clear support for the Committee's call for an "unconditional
cessation of violence". As soon as it has become clear that the Palestinian
Authority has brought the violence to an end and there has been a meaningful
cooling-off period, Israel is ready to resume negotiations. The speed at
which negotiations can be resumed is not, however, a matter for Israel
alone.
14. Despite the events of the past months, Israel remains committed to
peace
and is hopeful that positive steps will be taken so that this goal, which
has been a central pillar of every Israeli government since its founding
fifty-three years ago, can be realized.
15. Israel recalls Chairman Arafat's letter to Prime Minister Rabin of
September 9, 1993 in which he stated that:
"The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful
resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all
outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through
negotiations."
The principle of the peaceful settlement of disputes is the cornerstone of
the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians. It has been recognized
and supported by the international community. Israel calls on the
Palestinian side to renew this fundamental commitment, to immediately
abandon the path of terror and violence so that the sides may resume
negotiations for the benefit of the Israeli and Palestinian people.
16. Israel recognizes the need for a rebuilding of trust and confidence
between the two sides following several months of armed hostilities. It is
prepared to do its part to contribute to this process and has already
adopted unilateral measures to improve the situation. Israel fully supports
the Committee's opinion that negotiations should "manifest a spirit of
compromise, reconciliation and partnership" and calls on the Palestinian
side to act in this spirit. Israel will continue to study the Report closely
with a view to assessing how it might assist in opening a pathway back to
bilateral negotiations within the framework of the signed agreements.
15 May 2001
22 Iyar 5761
--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Beijing readies China Sea exercises
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:27:31 -0400
--------
May 17, 2001
Beijing readies China Sea exercises
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
China is preparing to conduct large-scale military exercises in the
South China Sea from Hainan island and on Woody Island, where China is
building up its forces for power projection.
Defense officials said preparations for the exercises, including
amphibious warfare drills, were detected by U.S. intelligence agencies over
the past two weeks.
"We´re seeing preparations," said one official. He said it is not known
when the maneuvers will begin.
A second official said: "There are some indications of amphibious
exercise planning by the South Sea Fleet," as China calls its naval forces
in the region.
The Chinese military was observed sending an advance team recently to
check Woody Island in preparation for upcoming exercises, the officials
said.
A third official said the military movements were "unusual" and include
ground, air and naval forces on Hainan island and units on the mainland in
southern China.
However, other officials said the preparations so far do not appear
threatening or even worrisome.
Woody Island, the main island of the disputed Paracel island chain
south of Hainan, is close to the area where the U.S. Navy EP-3E surveillance
plane collided with a Chinese F-8 interceptor on April 1.
China´s military conducted a massive 11-day search effort for the
pilot, Wang Wei, who apparently died after the collision in waters near the
Paracels, which China calls the Xisha Islands.
The U.S. military routinely monitors Chinese military maneuvers. In
1996, Chinese war games near Taiwan were thought by the Pentagon to be a
possible prelude to military action against the island.
China´s effort to extend its military power further into the South
China Sea is believed to be a cause of the April 1 confrontation between the
EP-3E and the F-8 jet.
China claims sovereignty over the area 200 miles from its shore, a
position disputed by the United States, which recognizes only the
internationally accepted 12-mile territorial limit.
China detained the 24 American crew members of the aircraft for 12 days
and is still holding the high-tech aircraft.
The Chinese government is demanding that the United States halt all
maritime surveillance flights, a position rejected by the Bush
administration.
The White House has said the flights to monitor Chinese military
activities are part of a broad regional security strategy.
According to Pentagon officials, China´s military is building up its
forces to be able to conduct military operations further from its shores. It
has converted more than 20 B-6D bombers to aerial refueling tankers and has
based some of its air-refuelable jets on Hainan.
Military exercises have been carried out in the past on Woody Island.
It is viewed by Pentagon analysts as the key strategic base for future power
projection.
U.S. intelligence agencies photographed construction of fuel storage
tanks on Woody Island in early 1999. The long runway and fuel depot are
believed to be for future Chinese long-range flight operations, either
reconnaissance or combat.
Woody Island, which Vietnam owned until 1974, is strategically located
south of Hainan island. Pentagon officials said the Chinese could use it as
a base for conducting military operations against the Philippines, Taiwan or
Vietnam.
Tensions between China and the Philippines have increased in recent
months over Chinese activities in the Spratly Islands, an island chain close
to the Philippines where China also has been increasing its military
presence.
Richard Fisher, a specialist on the Chinese military with the Jamestown
Foundation, said he believes the upcoming Chinese exercises are linked to
the recent surveillance aircraft incident.
"First and foremost, this would be a response to the recent incident,"
said Mr. Fisher, a former aide to Rep. Christopher Cox, California
Republican.
"It also would serve to remind the Vietnamese of China´s expansive
South China Sea claims, and also would be aimed at Manila -- to warn the
Filipinos against a revived alliance with the United States."
As for Woody Island, Mr. Fisher said the outpost has become a "secret
aircraft carrier" in the South China Sea for China.
Preparations for the Chinese war games coincide with the start of a
major U.S. military exercise in Thailand known as Cobra Gold.
The U.S.-Thai-Singapore military exercise began Tuesday and will
continue through May 29.
This year´s exercises for the first time include Singaporean troops and
observers from Australia, South Korea, France, Malaysia, Indonesia,
Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.
U.S. Special Forces commandos also are in Thailand training Thai
government anti-drug forces, in areas close to China´s border.
China´s military has been linked by congressional investigators to
illegal drug trafficking in Burma.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20010517-73308886.htm
via: Third_Watch@yahoogroups.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] EU condemned over planned 'snoop laws'
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:29:13 -0400
--------
May 16, 2001
EU condemned over planned 'snoop laws'
The EU has been accused of wanting powers denied to repressive regimes
By BBC News Online technology correspondent Mark Ward
Be careful to whom you talk on the net or phone; soon law enforcement
agencies could win sweeping powers to scrutinise the electronic
communications of every European.
Proposals are being put forward to the European Union to make
communications
companies keep records of all phone calls, e-mails, faxes and net use for
seven years, just in case police forces need to search them during criminal
investigations.
Civil liberty groups and net watchdogs have condemned the plans and said
the
laws, if passed, would give law enforcement agencies powers denied to
repressive regimes.
But opposition to the plan is growing as Data Protection Commissioners,
business groups and human rights watchdogs unite to fight the proposals.
Watching the web
Statewatch, a civil liberties and state monitoring group, has been leaked
documents that reveal the EU is being lobbied to rip up existing data
protection and telecommunications legislation and replace it with laws that
give sweeping "snooping" powers to police forces.
Under the proposals, net service companies, telecommunication firms and
mobile phone operators would be forced to keep the records of every call
made, e-mail sent or website visited for seven years.
Law enforcement agencies such as police forces, customs agents and
intelligence services would also get free access to trawl through the data
when investigating any crime.
Current EU legislation forces law enforcers to get permission every time
they want to tap electronic communications or search for evidence during
investigations. The existing laws also restrict the amount of time that
communications firms can keep data before it has to be destroyed.
'Route map'
"Authoritarian and totalitarian states would be condemned for violating
human rights and civil liberties if they initiated such practices," said
Tony Bunyan editor of Statewatch.
"The fact that it is being proposed in the 'democratic' EU does not make it
any less authoritarian or totalitarian."
Previous attempts to pass laws to grant the sweeping powers have been
defeated thanks to objections from Data Protection Commissioners and
public
outcry. The UK Data Protection Commissioner has said of previous proposals
that they would lead to "disproportionate general surveillance of
communications".
Caspar Bowden, director of internet think tank the Foundation for
Information Policy Research, said the laws would give the police a "route
map" of the people anyone associated with, their contacts and sources and
would significantly erode civil liberties and privacy.
The proposals are also likely to encounter stiff opposition from businesses
reluctant to bear the cost of setting up huge archives to store the data
should the police ever want too look at it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1334000/1334371.stm
via: Third_Watch@yahoogroups.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] US Air Force grants awards for Israeli airborne laser research
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:30:18 -0400
--------
US Air Force grants awards for Israeli airborne laser research
May 22, 2001 GEOSTRATEGY-DIRECT
The U.S. Air Force has awarded contracts to several U.S. firms for
research and development of applications for an airborne laser. In all, $23
million worth of contracts was awarded in the latest round.
Georgia Technology Applied Research Corp., based in Atlanta, was
awarded
a $4.5 million contract. Raytheon Electronic Systems, Tucson, Ariz, was
awarded a $1 million contract. Textron Systems, Wilmington, Mass., was
awarded a $13 million contract.
"Each contract provides for research and development support in the area
of aircraft directed energy laser applications," a Defense Department
statement said.
The contracts are expected to be completed in 2006. The airborne laser
is expected to begin partial deployment by 2008.
Meanwhile, an Israeli study has formulated a model to ensure the
effectiveness of airborne laser weapons being developed by the United
States.
The model was completed by a group of scientists from Ben-Gurion
University who worked on a project for the U.S. Air Force. The air force has
been developing the airborne laser for use against ballistic missiles.
The Ben-Gurion University study developed a model that factored air
turbulence and suspended aerosol particles in determining the broadening of
a laser beam. The wider the beam the weaker and less effective the laser
weapon.
Natan Kopeika, a professor who heads the Ben-Gurion team of
researchers,
said that until now scientists focused solely on turbulence in laser beam
broadening. The result was that scientists and engineers working on laser
weapons developed optics that factored turbulence and ignored aerosol blur.
Airborne lasers are being developed to destroy missiles from either a
high-flying plane or a satellite at a distance of up to 1,600 kilometers.
The Ben-Gurion University study was financed by the U.S. Air Force's ABL
program.
"While the U.S. Air Force is gathering atmospheric data over Korea and
the Persian Gulf, we are interested in parallel information closer to home,"
Kopeika, who presented a paper at an aerospace symposium in Florida last
month, said. "By the time the initial ABL aircraft will be operational, in
about 2005, we expect to be a lot more knowledgeable about laser-weapon
broadening in our region."
Israel has been interested in sharing technology from the ABL program.
The U.S. Army and Israel are cooperating in the development of the Tactical
High Energy Laser and the two sides are considering development of a mobile
airborne laser.
Kopeika said his team of researchers would need years to develop a
reliable model that predicts beam widening. Such a model would take into
account surface weather and aerosol layers during various seasons as well
as
high-altitude winds and cloud layers.
--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] UN: Terrorists obtain elements of nuclear bomb
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:31:12 -0400
--------
UN: TERRORISTS OBTAIN ELEMENTS OF NUCLEAR BOMB
WASHINGTON [MENL] -- Terrorist organizations around the world have
succeeded in obtaining elements for the construction of a nuclear bomb.
Middle East Newsline -
http://www.menewsline.com/stories/2001/may/05_17_5.html
A United Nations report said the organizations have obtained the material
from nuclear reactors in the former Soviet Union. The report said the
terrorist groups have been leading clients of traffickers in smuggled
nuclear goods.
As a result, the UN said, more than 100 terrorist groups are now capable of
developing an atomic bomb. The report, first disclosed by the London-based
Guardian daily, said worldwide smuggling of radioactive materials has
doubled since 1996.
--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Israeli warning makes Assad quit Egypt
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:34:47 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
Israeli warning makes Assad quit Egypt
IDF choppers hit Jenin 'mortar factory' and Jabalya
offices of Preventive Security
Ha'aretz Staff
Arab sources late last night said Syrian President Bashar Assad cut short a
trip to Egypt because of Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer's stark
warning earlier in the day that Syria should cease backing Hezbollah attacks
on Israeli positions on the northern border.
Egyptian sources said Assad and his host President Hosni Mubarak
discussed the situation on the northern border before deciding to head for
home.
Assad arrived earlier in the day on a planned visit to Egypt to discuss the
regional crisis.
First reports from Sharm after Assad boarded his plane unexpectedly
suggested a difference of opinion on how to end the crisis between Israel and
the Palestinians had ended in a quarrel. Mubarak has indicated previously
his desire to bring Assad into the Jordanian-Egyptian initiative outlining a
process for halting the violence and resuming negotiations.
But Arab commentators reporting on the talks said the two knew they would
disagree and that Ben-Eliezer's remarks on the Golan may have been the
reason for his sudden departure for Damascus. Last night, attack helicopters
fired rockets at Palestinian police buildings in the West Bank city of Jenin
and Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City last night, and in Mishor Adumim
a quick-witted factory worker prevented a Palestinian-made hand grenade
from exploding inside the building.
The Jenin helicopter attack hit a Palestinian Authority building where
weapons and mortars were made, said the IDF spokesman. There were no
immediate reports of injuries. Senior military sources said there had been
"intensive efforts" in recent days to prepare mortars in the building for
launching against settlements in the West Bank and over the Green Line.
The sources said two weeks ago Palestinians tried firing a mortar at Kadim,
an isolated settlement near Jenin, but the launch did not work. Last
Saturday, a helicopter attack killed one of the mortar crew, a Palestinian
policeman. Two members of Tanzim, whom the IDF says were involved in
making the mortars, were seriously wounded.
In Gaza, at 8:30 P.M., half an hour before the Jenin attack, helicopters fired
four rockets at a security forces compound in the refugee camp, where about
60,000 Palestinians live. At least 10 people were wounded by shrapnel,
including two children, Palestinian doctors said. Palestinian police closed off
the area and kept people away.
The attack on Mohammad Dahlan's Preventive Security Services knocked
down a second story wall and blew a large hole in the roof. Wrecked furniture
was scattered around the structure. Two other Palestinian units located in
the compound were not targeted.
The army said the air strike followed a number of Palestinian attacks planned
and carried out from the compound. After inspecting the damaged building,
Dahlan said "Israel's government is waging war against the Palestinians. This
is a part of the continuous aggression against our people."
Also yesterday, 14-year-old Muhammad Salim was killed by Israeli troops
near the Netzarim junction. According to some Palestinian sources, the boy
was wearing a schoolbag and was walking past the junction when he was
shot.
In Mishor Adumim, Shimon Vazna heard a strange noise in the secretary's
office at the Takal factory where he works and when he went to investigate
found the plant secretary holding a hand grenade she said someone had
thrown through the window.
Vazna grabbed the grenade and threw it out the window, then ran outside
where another worker reported seeing three Palestinians running away.
Vazna and the other man jumped in a car and raced after the three, who by
then had reached the laundromat area of the industrial zone. On the way,
they contacted police, and on arrival at the laundromat, they cornered the
Palestinians until police arrived.
Police said they found more grenades on the three Palestinians. Sappers
called in to neutralize the weapons said the grenades were Palestinian
made.
In another incident, on Tuesday night, IDF troops took over a Palestinian
building ten meters outside the Kfar Darom settlement in Gaza, after a
mortar hit one of the homes in the settlement, destroying a bathroom.
Nobody was injured in the house.
Palestinian sources said the building taken over at the scene included both
an office of the Palestinian Housing Ministry and a cheese factory, the only
one in the Palestinian-controled part of the Gaza Strip.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119581
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Peres vows no more land expropriation
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:39:37 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
Peres vows no more land expropriation
The U.S. Administration this week began an internal review of the report by
the Mitchell Commission of Inquiry. President George Bush chaired a
session of his National Security Council devoted to the international report on
the violence in the territories.
By Aluf Benn
Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent
The U.S. Administration this week began an internal review of the report by
the Mitchell Commission of Inquiry. President George Bush chaired a
session of his National Security Council devoted to the international report on
the violence in the territories.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell coordinated preliminary American
reviews of the report, which calls for a settlement freeze, an end to
Palestinian violence, a period of confidence building, and resumed peace
talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Israel rejects the settlement freeze portion of the report, as well as criticism
of IDF force used against Palestinian demonstrations. Powell has said the
report is an "excellent" basis for a new diplomatic initiative in the regin.
Sources in Jerusalem suggest the U.S. will not adopt the report in its
entirety, and will seek a solution to what Israel regards as the most
problematic issue - the call for a freeze on settlements, including any
"natural growth" development.
Meanwhile, the Palestinians have formally accepted the Mitchell Report in its
entirety - and insist that it be implemented as a package deal, without any
changes.
In the discussions Powell held previous to yesterday's session of the NSC,
two possible solutions were raised. The first was to adopt Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres' formula, which says that no new land will be expropriated for
settlement growth, and natural growth would be measured by demography,
meaning births and marriages, rather than geography, meaning physical
expansion.
The second option raised in Powell's discussions was a total settlement
freeze for a set period of time, possibly three or six months, as a confidence
building measure by Israel. But a source close to the U.S. administration
said Washington would more likely choose the "Peres formula" because it is
unlikely Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would accept any freeze and
Washington is not interested in a confrontation with Sharon at this stage.
Israel opposes a settlement freeze, sticking to the government guidelines
that explicitly state there will be no new settlements built but that "the
ongoing current needs" of the settlements must be taken care of. According
to the Israeli approach, the settlements can only be discussed in final status
agreement talks.
The Administrations is considering stepping up its involvement in the
peacemaking efforts with a visit by Powell to the region next week after his
African tour. But inside the administration there is concern that a Powell visit
at this stage may be wasting the ammunition of his prestige when the region
is so troubled. Palestinian sources said yesterday that Powell will meet
Arafat next week in Paris.
A second alternative is to send a lower-ranking official to the region. One
possibility the former Senator and Northern Ireland mediator George Mitchell
himself. He headed the international commission established by the Sharm
el Sheikh Forum in October 2000, which originally convened to try to halt the
violence in its early days.
But the Bush administration is wary of Mitchell, a Democrat and a close
associate of former president Bill Clinton. Another possible envoy might be
Edward Djerajian, the former American ambassador in Damascus and Tel
Aviv, now a senior fellow at the Baker Institute at Rice University. But the
former ambassador has already turned down a full time position as Powell's
assistant on Near East affairs, and may not want to immerse himself in a job
that holds out little chance of gratitude from anyone.
A third option is a reconvening of the Sharm forum - Israel, the PA, the U.S.,
the EU, the UN, Jordan and Egypt - but at a lower working level than the last
time the forum met, in order to begin negotiations about implementation of
the Mitchell Report.
Mitchell denies settlements-terror equation
Mitchell yesterday vehemently rejected accusations that the report made an
equation between settlements and terrorism. In a letter to Abraham Foxman,
head of the Bnai Brith Anti-Defamation League in Washington, Mitchell
rejected Foxman's accusations, which echoed Israeli charges, that the
Mitchell Report had equated Israeli settlements to terrorism, or even drew a
link between them.
"We recommended more than 15 steps for the parties to take to rebuild
confidence between them," wrote Mitchell. "But there is no mutual
connection between our recommendations and we believe that the timing and
arrangements of the steps should be determined by the parties."
Referring to Foxman and others' charges that the report draws a parallel
between the settlements and terrorism, Mitchell, and former senator Warren
Rodman, the other American on the international panel, wrote to Foxman
that they "categorically reject any attempt to attribute to us an opinion we do
not hold and does not appear in our report."
According to the two former senators, "the immediate goal must be a
cessation of violence. Our recommendations call for the sides to reaffirm the
existing agreements between them and ... unconditionally end the violence."
"Our view that the settlements are an obstacle to a solution to the conflict,"
say the two senators, has been part and parcel of successive U.S.
administrations "for the past 25 years."
Kofi Annan favors Mitchell
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan yesterday wrote to President Bush calling
on Washington to adopt the Mitchell Report, including the call for a freeze on
settlements.
In his letter, Annan wrote that he appreciated the emphasis the report put on
the need to cease all settlement activity, the call for a maximum effort to
restrain the violence, as well as the report's emphasis on "the economic and
social crisis" in which the Palestinians find themselves.
Annan called the Mitchell Report "fair and balanced" and called for "full
implementation of the recommendations, which together with the Jordanian-
Egyptian initiative could help build a bridge back to the negotiations for a
comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East," based on UN
Security Resolutions 242 and 338.
Sharon to Europe
Prime Minister Sharon is slated to go to Europe in the first week of June, his
first European trip since taking office. He is schedule to meet first with
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Berlin on June 5, and from there go
to Brussels to meet with the Belgian leadership, which takes up the rotating
presidency of the European Union on July 1. His third stop is Paris where he
will meet with President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.
The European swing comes at a time of mounting European criticism of
Israeli policies regarding the Palestinians. On Monday, a session of senior
EU and Israeli officials meet to discuss the current trade agreements
between Israel and the EU. The Europeans want to implement the trade
treaties only on products from inside the Green Line, meaning that products
from the settlements would not benefit from tax and customers free status in
the EU. Israel has promised to provide the EU with a list of products next
month.
The Europeans want to step up their involvement in the region, with Xavier
Solana, the EU's foreign policy czar due to submit a report at the end of the
month on strengthening the EU's position in the Middle East.
Schroeder has promised Peres that Germany will guarantee the financing of
construction of a power station and a desalination plant in Gaza, while
France has stepped up its own involvement in the region after a brief period of
disengagement following the Israeli elections in February. French Foreign
Minister Hubert Vardine issued calls this week to both Palestinians and
Israelis, telling the Palestinians that it's time for them to understand that
"Israel's existence is clear and an inalienable right," and that they should
"understood the unique Israeli fear and their deep need for security." He
called on Israelis "to try to overcome the fear, and understand the despair
and expectations of the Palestinians."
The current president of the EU, Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lind,
yesterday used the EU's parliamentary podium to call on Israel to begin
withdrawing from settlements, which she called "violations of international
law and a serious obstacle to peace."
She said the EU is adopting the Mitchell Report and the Jordanian-Egyptian
initiative, which both called for a full freeze on settlement activity. She also
noted the Mitchell Report calls for an end to the IDF practice of using live
ammunition to put down demonstrations.
She called on Israel to hand over taxes it collected from the Palestinians and
has been withholding since the start of the Intifada, claiming that as money
used for the PA payrolls, some of it would be going to security forces
actively involved in the violence.
"Prime Minister Sharon was elected because of his promise to restore
security. But the results are the exact opposite," she said. "The conflict
intensifies, the military effort increases and Israel is demonstrating a
willingness to enter Palestinians territories and attack Syrian targets in
Lebanon. The security situation has simply deteriorated."
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119580
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] UN plans to reduce presence in Lebanon
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:40:59 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
UN plans to reduce presence in Lebanon
By Shlomo Shamir
Ha'aretz Correspondent
The United Nations Security Council is expected to approve Secretary
General Kofi Annan's recommendation to reduce the size of UNIFIL in
southern Lebanon, despite strong opposition from the Lebanese government
and Israeli reservations.
The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon has been in place since June
1978 and currently has 4,500 troops. Annan's recommendation would shrink
it to 3,600 troops now and to 2,000 by summer 2002.
Lebanon has led an intensive campaign at UN headquarters in New York
against reducing the force. Senior officials, headed by the Lebanese
ambassador to the UN, Selim Tadmuri, warned that any cuts in the size of
the peace keeping force would be a "serious step" undermining stability.
The Lebanese government argues that any reduction in the force will prevent
the United Nations from carrying out its mandate in full. According to its
mandate, UNIFIL is meant to oversee the withdrawal of the IDF from southern
Lebanon, restore peace and security and assist the government of Lebanon
to restore its authority in southern Lebanon.
Israel's reservations regarding the planned reduction in the UN force stem
from the argument that the UN still has to carry out the last two aspects of
the mandate it was assigned.
Ambassador Aharon Yaakov said yesterday "there is a serious degree of
hypocrisy in the Lebanese position. Lebanon, with Syria, is responsible for
the force's failure to implement its mandate.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119583
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Army airlifted Lieberman and family out of settlement home
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:42:24 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
Army airlifted Lieberman and family out of settlement home
By Yossi Verter
Ha'aretz Political Correspondent
National Infrastructure Minister Avigdor Lieberman was evacuated from his
home late last month after the Shin Bet received information that Palestinian
snipers had surrounded his house.
Channel Two last night reported that Shin Bet security forces arrived with
jeeps at Lieberman's house in the West Bank settlement of Nokdim, near
Bethlehem, at 4 A.M. and evacuated his wife and children. Lieberman
insisted on remaining in the house.
But two hours later, a helicopter and several armored jeeps arrived at the
house, and hustled Lieberman into the helicopter, which took him straight to
the government compound in Jerusalem. He arrived just in time for the
weekly Cabinet meeting.
Commenting on the event, Lieberman said that he did not, and still does not,
fear for his life.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119584
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] New bill will ban terrorist sympathizers from Knesset
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:44:40 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
New bill will ban terrorist sympathizers from Knesset
State prosecutor mulls charges for MK Ahmed Tibi
By Gideon Alon
Ha'aretz Knesset Correspondent
The Knesset plenum yesterday approved in a preliminary reading a bill
preventing the election to the Knesset of any person or party supporting a
terrorist organization or enemy state.
The private member's bill, initiated by MK Yisrael Katz (Likud), is a direct
continuation of a Knesset row which occured two days ago, when MK
Ahmed Tibi (Ta'al) verbally attacked Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff
Shaul Mofaz from the podium.
"He is a fascist and is responsible for the murder of children and the murder
of Palestinian policemen," Tibi exclaimed, sparking a barrage of heated
reactions from MKs on the right. Tibi was ejected from the Knesset following
repeated efforts to bring him to order.
In response to Tibi's assault on the chief of staff, State Prosecutor Edna
Arbel will examine whether there is room to initiate an investigation against
the Ta'al MK.
The coalition chairman, MK Ze'ev Boim, sent a recording of the raucous
Knesset session to Arbel so that a detailed transcript of Tibi's charges
against Mofaz can be examined.
Boim described Tibi's statements as: "a mad escalation in the verbal
extravagances of the Arab MKs."
Some 40 MKs from the coalition parties voted in favor of the bill, while 19
voted against. These were the MKs of Meretz and the Arab parties and MK
Collette Avital of the Labor Party. MKs Ophir Pines-Paz and Eitan Cabel
(Labor) abstained.
MK Katz introduced his bill with an attack on the Arab MKs whom he
accused of identifying with the Hezbollah and the Hamas.
"Whoever supports Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the Hezbollah and the Tanzim
[Palestinian paramilitary groups], and is in this house, will not be allowed to
run for the next Knesset elections," Katz said.
"There are Tanzim in the territories and there are political Tanzim in the
Knesset. We saw the temporary leader of the political Tanzim, Ahmed Tibi,
stand here and attack the chief of the IDF who is defending the citizens of
the country from this Tanzim," Katz added.
Katz described Tibi and other Arab MKs as, "leaches who suck the blood of
Israeli democracy" and said that they should be eradicated using legal
means.
This in turn resulted in yet another loud response from the Arab MKs. MK
Issam Makhoul (Hadash) accused Katz of, "trying to instill political terror,"
calling him a "thug" and "a little [Joerg] Haider."
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) asked the Knesset security officer yesterday to
end Tibi's security detail saying that, "there is no room for special security
for a provocateur."
MK Taleb A Sana (United Arab List) described the passing of the Katz bill as
a new peak in racism within the Knesset and accused Katz of conducting a
political witch-hunt against Arab MKs.
Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit said that the state had the right to protect itself
against those who wish to destroy it, but warned that preventing parties from
running in the elections is a radical step and would cause serious damage to
the right to political representation and equality.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119585
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Russian TV channels bid for Israeli station
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:48:23 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17, 2001
Russian TV channels bid for Israeli station
By Lily Galili
Ha'aretz Correspondent
Rumors that two of Russia's official television channels have joined forces to
bid for the tender for Israel's first Russian-language television station have
sparked criticism among the Russian immigrant community.
One channel, RTR, is an official government station, while the other, ORT -
which is described as a "social" channel - is in fact a mouthpiece for the
Russian government.
Both channels are directly influenced by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two channels will probably own 25 percent of the new Israeli station.
Another partner in the company is business magnate Lev Levayev, who is
closely acquainted with Putin.
Putin himself recently said on another station, NTV - owned by businessman
Vladimir Gusinsky, until its recent take-over by the national gas company -
that Russia must influence the huge communities of Russians living abroad
and that television is the best way to do this.
Both channels are currently broadcast in Israel on cable and are very popular
with Russian-speakers. Israel's new Russian-language channel, however,
describes itself as offering a home-grown alternative to the cable channels.
Israeli journalist Emma Slotnikova said the possibility that official Russian
stations may soon be operating Israel's new Russian-language channel is a
"dangerous step."
She went on to say that, "I do not believe that the first Russian-language
channel in Israel should be owned by a foreign country, even if President
Putin likes Jews. In spite of all my feelings for Russia, we cannot remain
apathetic. The Israeli Russian channel, for which we have all waited for 10-
years, was meant to be an answer for Russian immigrants watching the
foreign channels, and here they come through the back door!"
Other immigrants were concerned about Putin's possible influence on the
content and political leanings of the programming. MK Joseph Partizky
(Shinui) is demanding that the Knesset Economics Committee discuss the
matter at once. He says that even though it would be impossible to prevent
the partnership between the two stations, a "Wall of China must be build
between the owners and the program content."
Nadav Palti, who is involved in preparing the tender, yesterday refused to
answer questions on the matter. "When we want to respond, we will
respond," he said. "In the meantime, all those connected with the matter are
prohibited from speaking about it," he added.
http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/article.asp?mador=14&datee=5/17/01&i
d=119567
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Europe gaining ground on internet dominance
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 13:50:56 -0400
--------
EUROPE GAINING GROUND ON INTERNET DOMINANCE
European Internet growth is still steadily on the rise at the same time
that growth in the U.S. online population seems to have leveled off,
according to international research firm Ipsos-Reid. "Though the U.S. still
by far has the largest single user base, non-Americans now outnumber
Americans on the Internet by a clear margin," says the report. "Europe is
poised to become the leader of the next Internet generation. With southern
Europe finally catching up with Northern Europe in terms of Internet usage
and Europe's greater acceptance of wireless applications, you have a
potential Internet market that promises to be as, if not more important
than America's." The U.S. share of global users shrank from 40% to 36%
over
the last year, and will continue to drop as the Internet grows far faster
in other parts of the world. (InternetWeek 16 May 2001)
http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010516S0006
via: "NewsScan" <NEWSSCAN@NEWSSCAN.COM>
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: messynews@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] CRISIS UPDATE FROM CFI - 17/05/01
From: Stafford's Mail
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 19:14:44 +0100
--------
Ps 46:4-5
4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. NKJV
Shalom dear friends,
Remember the above Psalm in the midst of the worsening news. Attitudes
continue to harden, hatred grows, war approaches and people die but
God's purposes remain eternal.
Blessings Stafford
=====================================================
CRISIS UPDATE FROM CFI - 17/05/01
Israeli helicopter gunships bombarded Palestinian security posts in
the Gaza Strip and Samaria last night, the third air strike in a week.
In the Gaza Strip, at least 14 Palestinians were wounded when four
rockets hit a security compound in the Jabalya refugee camp. The
missiles blasted walls, shattered windows and left burned and broken
furniture. Chanting "Long live death" and "Revenge, revenge, revenge,"
around 5,000 residents of the camp encircled the damaged building,
shaking their fists in the air in defiance. The compound belongs to
Palestinian Preventive Security headed by Mohammed Dahlan, who Israel
accuses of being directly involved in planning terrorist attacks.
Among others, Dahlan is said to be behind the bombing of an Israeli
school bus in Gaza a few months ago, that killed two teachers are
maimed several children. "This is part of the aggressive war carried
out against us and our people by Sharon and his military generals in
order to defeat our people," Dahlan told reporters. "Anyone who thinks
Palestinians will succumb to this aggression is deluded." The Israeli
army said it targeted the compound because several shooting incidents
and other attacks against Israelis were planned and carried out in the
area.
In Palestinian-ruled Jenin in Samaria, two Israeli helicopters fired
at least seven missiles at the city's main police headquarters. The
attack caused a power outage in the city of about 30,000 people. No
casualties were reported. The army said the building had been "used to
manufacture weapons and mortar bombs." "The army spokesman emphasizes
that the army will continue to fight Palestinian terror and will do
everything in its power to protect Israeli citizens and soldiers," a
statement said. Palestinian security sources said the Jenin attack
appeared to focus on the so-called "Scientific Committee," which is
responsible for maintenance of Palestinian police weapons.
Palestinians denied the army account that the building was used to
make weapons. "This is a lie. The Israeli army doesn't need an excuse
to launch its aggression against us," said Palestinian lawmaker Jamal
Shati. In subsequent violence, a fierce gun battle erupted between
Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militiamen near Palestinian-ruled
Kalkilya, also in Samaria. There were no reports of casualties. Early
today, Israeli tanks and bulldozers entered Palestinian territory,
carrying out a brief operation in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza.
There were exchanges of fire before the Israelis withdrew.
The violence comes amid efforts to arrange a meeting between Secretary
of State Colin Powell and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat during
Powell's trip to Africa and Europe from May 22 to 30. "We would like
to have a meeting if we can," State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said. "We're looking at maps, time zones, schedules, flight
times, getting information together to see if it might be possible."
The meeting would be Arafat's first with a senior US official since
Powell met him in Ramallah in February during a Middle East tour. US
officials have shunned Arafat because of his failure to heed calls to
end the violence, but the Bush administration has been urged by both
Israel and the Palestinians to get more involved in efforts to end the
violence. "We are engaged. We are active. You've seen all the
secretary's phone calls, all the president's meetings, all the
diplomatic activity from our ambassador and our consul general and
other representatives in the region," Boucher said.
Powell told a congressional committee this week that the time has come
to follow up the diplomatic openings. "Some new tools are now on the
table. At this point we need to pursue the opportunities that are
provided by the Mitchell report and the Egyptian-Jordanian initiative,"
Powell said. Both the Mitchell report and the Egyptian-Jordanian plan
call for a cease-fire in exchange for a freeze on Jewish settlement
activity, a demand sharply opposed by Israel. A freeze on construction
in the settlements would be "a reward for Palestinian violence,"
Foreign Minister Shimon Peres said in a statement. However, Peres said
Israel agreed with the Mitchell report's sequence of stopping violence,
enacting confidence-building measures, holding a cooling-off period
and then resuming peace talks. Peres, a longtime dove and architect of
the failed Oslo Accords, said differences on the issue of settlements
can be resolved and suggested that the Mitchell report be a
springboard for resuming peace talks. But Palestinian Information
Minister Yasser Abed Rabbo said the report must be accepted as a
package, and "neither side should be permitted to selectively apply
only those recommendations favorable to it." In an article in the "New
York Times, Abed Rabbo wrote, "Every new brick laid in Israeli
settlements is transformed into a stone of Palestinian defiance."
This crisis update is a service of CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL. It is
normally written by David Dolan, who is currently out of Israel on a
speaking tour. In his absence, it is being provided courtesy of
israel today magazine. For more information about this monthly news
magazine, visit their web site at: www.israeltoday.co.il
David Dolan's latest book, ISRAEL IN CRISIS: WHAT LIES AHEAD? and his
previous two books may be ordered by phoning 888-890-6938 in North
America, or by e mail at: resources@yourisraelconnection.org, or by
visiting his web site at www.ddolan.com
____________________________________________________
CHRISTIAN FRIENDS OF ISRAEL web site: www.cfijerusalem.org
><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><> ><>
Stafford's Mail <STAFFORDSIMMONDS@NTLWORLD.COM>
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist <BPRLIST@YAHOOGROUPS.COM>
Subject: [bprlist] Fwd: A Comet's Life: SPACE.com Update for Thursday, May 17, 2001
From: "Patt A."
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 17:16:49 -0700 (PDT)
--------
spacenews@SPACE.COM wrote:
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 14:17:43 -0400
Subject: A Comet's Life: SPACE.com Update for Thursday, May 17, 2001
Today on SPACE.com -- Thursday, May 17, 2001 -- http://www.space.com/
In today's issue:
-------------------------------------
Today in Science/Astronomy:
* A Comet's Life: Icy Adventure From Birth to Death
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/comet_linear_010517-1.html?Enews=y
A detailed analysis of a comet that broke apart last summer has provided direct evidence to support the idea that the ingredients for life on Earth arrived in a comet.
* How Did Jupiter Get So Big?
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/jupiter_origins_010517-1.html?Enews=y
Before the discovery of planets in other solar systems, scientists thought Jupiter formed slowly, like a mammoth gaseous pearl around a solid center, but one researcher now believes the birth of planetary giants takes only a short time -- maybe even centuries.
* Bubble-Blowing Baby Star Baffles Astronomers
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/space_bubble_010516.html?Enews=y
A baby star has been spotted blowing bubbles, confounding researchers who say young stars are not supposed to know how to do this. If the finding holds up after further observations, it could alter theories about how stars form and evolve, and even how planets like ours develop.
* Heavy Hydrogen Measure Supports Big Bang
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/deuterium_bang_010516.html?Enews=y
A new, more precise measurement of the amount of deuterium, or heavy hydrogen, in the universe backs up previous work and the Big Bang theory for the origin of the universe.
* ESA Introduces Gaia to Next-Generation Astronomers
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/astronomy/esa_gaia_010517.html?Enews=y
Dozens of young scientists from all over Europe have gathered this week at Les Houches in Savoie, France, for intensive briefings on ESA's next star-mapping satellite, Gaia.
------------------------------------
Share Your Space
Forward this newsletter to your friends!
---------------------------------
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions $2 Million Sweepstakes - Got something to sell?
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Infobeat News items (5/17/01)
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:52:32 -0400
--------
*** Court OKs testimony via satellite
MIAMI (AP) - A federal appeals court approved the use of a two-way
live satellite transmission for an Argentinean couple to testify
against their accused robber in Miami. "I guess it's welcome to the
21st century," Ed Griffith, spokesman for the Miami-Dade County
prosecutor's office. Wednesday's decision by the 11th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals came in the case of Pedro Mielniczuk and Perla
Scandrojlio, who were robbed when they got lost near Miami
International Airport while returning a rental car. Before heading
home to Argentina, Scandrojlio identified David Harrell as the
attacker in a photo lineup. By the time the case came to trial,
however, Scandrojlio was sick and the couple wasn't willing to
return to Florida to give essential testimony.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407172277
*** Muslims lose bid to stop autopsy
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - An autopsy is scheduled Thursday for a
4-month-old boy despite objections from his Muslim parents who say
the procedure goes against their religious beliefs. Muhammad Tahir
Ali died early Tuesday at Atlantic City Medical Center and
authorities said the death may be suspicious. His parents, Sabina
Devine and Musa Ali, refused to allow an autopsy, saying their
religious beliefs prohibit autopsies and require that a body be
buried within 72 hours of death. Medical experts testified before
Superior Court Judge George Seltzer that there was enough evidence
to suggest that the child could have been suffocated or abused.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407172837
*** Brits seek to ease Iraq sanctions
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - In a major policy shift expected to get U.S.
backing, Britain has proposed lifting U.N. sanctions on civilian
goods entering Iraq but toughening enforcement of the decade-old
arms embargo against Saddam Hussein's government. In editorials
written before British officials spoke about the proposal, Iraqi
newspapers rejected the suggested changes. The Al-Qaddissiya
newspaper ruled out any U.N. resolution that "America tries to pass
under any pretext." The British proposal, which is being
incorporated into a Security Council resolution, was developed in
consultation with Washington and is part of a broader review of Iraq
policy by both countries, a British official said Wednesday. A draft
will be circulated to Security Council members next week, he said.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407171766
*** Security Council visits Africa
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) - An extraordinary foreign mission by
the U.N. Security Council got started Thursday in its effort to help
end a devastating 2-1/2-year-old war in Congo. The delegation plans
to push leaders of the warring parties to follow through on an
agreement to withdraw foreign forces and start reconciliation within
Congo, but the nine-day visit is unlikely to have a quick impact,
diplomats said. "Don't look for immediate, dramatic results," said
Britain's U.N. ambassador, Jeremy Greenstock. "This is part of a
continuous process." The group, with envoys from 12 of the 15
Security Council members, held a "brainstorming" session Thursday
morning with former Botswana President Ketumile Masire, who is in
charge of arranging talks among Congolese factions on the future of
their country.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407171371
*** UN releases $760 mln in compensation
GENEVA (AP) - The United Nations panel overseeing compensation for
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait distributed $760 million in funds Thursday
- the lion's share to Kuwait. A statement said that $604 million of
the money released would go to the Kuwaiti government, with the rest
going to offset losses incurred by corporations, including $142
million for Kuwaiti businesses. The commission also paid out
compensation totaling just over $2 million to 13 U.S. companies, and
made other large payments to corporations in Germany, Japan and
France.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407171955
*** Census: More single moms head homes
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - The economics of divorce drove Misty Hall to
leave her house in eastern Kentucky and move with her daughter to a
small town with public housing. Her job as a medical billing clerk
keeps up the rent on their subsidized apartment, but after five
years, Hall and her daughter are still there, and home ownership
seems a dream. "The hardest challenge is financial," said Hall, 26.
"I'm blessed to have a good job." Hall's moves followed two trends
of the 1990s in Kentucky: The number of women raising children
without a husband at home increased by more than 20%, according to
2000 census figures released Thursday. And becoming a single parent
usually entailed a lowered standard of living.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407166096
*** Report: Holocaust panel spent $30 mln
LOS ANGELES (AP) - An international commission created to resolve
Holocaust-era insurance disputes has reportedly spent more than $30
million on salaries, hotel bills and newspaper ads while
distributing only $3 million to claimants. Internal documents
obtained by the Los Angeles Times show that the International
Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims realizes it is coming
under fire. The documents show that since 1998 the commission has
held at least 18 meetings with up to 100 participants at hotels in
London, Jerusalem, Rome, Washington and New York. The commission is
a private organization created in 1998 by U.S. and European
insurance regulators, Jewish organizations and European insurers
flooded by a lawsuits for allegedly failing to pay valid claims
lodged by Holocaust survivors or their heirs.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=407167766
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Daywatch items (5/17/01)
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:52:32 -0400
--------
Legislator Condemns Darwin Theory As Racist
LOUISIANA -- A state lawmaker is condemning Charles Darwin's
theory of evolution as racist, and she wants the disclaimer in
textbooks of the state's schools. State Rep. Sharon Weston
Broome, D-Baton Rouge, is pushing a House resolution against the
theory based on concerns over race, not religion.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010514b.shtml
Britain Set To Keep Ban On Religious Broadcasting
LONDON -- Independent Christian broadcasters in Britain are
incensed that the government has excluded them from a forum on
the future of religious broadcasting in the country, where a ban
on national religious broadcasting has been in place for the past
ten years.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010514e.shtml
House Passes Overseas Abortion Rule
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to preserve
President Bush's ban on foreign aid to groups offering abortion
counseling or services. The provision, which passed 218-210, was
attached to an $8.2 billion State Department reauthorization bill
still being debated on the House floor.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010516a.shtml
Study Links Abortion, Race And Lower Crime
A controversial study linking a reduction in crime during the
1990s with legalized abortion two decades earlier has been
published in one of the nation's foremost scholarly journals.
Pro-life groups and some African-American organizations denounced
the study, referring to it in terms of "prenatal racial
profiling" and "eugenics".
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010516b.shtml
Court Rules Students Can Pray At Graduation
A federal appeals court has upheld a Florida school board's
policy that allows prayer at graduation ceremonies. The court
handed an 8-4 ruling last week, reaffirming its earlier decision
that Duval County's 1993 policy does not violate the separation
of church and state.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010516c.shtml
French Senate Passes Anti-Sect Law
Human rights groups around the world have expressed dismay at
anti-sect legislation passed by the French Senate on May 3 that
many feel could open the door to religious discrimination in
Europe.
Full Story: http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010516e.shtml
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Woman guilty in death of unborn baby
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:52:32 -0400
--------
WOMAN GUILTY IN DEATH OF UNBORN BABY
CONWAY, South Carolina, MAY 17, 2001 (Zenit.org).- For the first time, a
woman in the United States has been found guilty of homicide for taking
drugs during pregnancy, an advocate for the defendant claimed.
Regina McKnight, 24, was convicted Wednesday and sentenced to 12 years
in prison for killing her unborn child by using crack cocaine during her
pregnancy, the Associated Press reported.
The case could allow prosecutors to charge women with neglect under other
conditions, such as smoking during pregnancy, contended Wyndi Anderson,
executive director of the South Carolina Advocates for Pregnant Women.
The state Supreme Court ruled in 1996 that a viable fetus is considered a
child and mothers can be charged with abuse if they took drugs after their
unborn child was able to live outside the womb.
McKnight´s baby was stillborn in 1999 at 35 weeks. She is the mother of
three other children and is two months pregnant. McKnight´s lawyers said
they will appeal the case.
ZE01051721
http://www.zenit.org
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Security Council to discuss UN force in territories
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:54:30 -0400
--------
Thursday, May 17 2001 20:20 25 Iyar 5761
(18:05) Security Council to discuss UN
force in territories
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to
convene a "closed consultation meeting" tonight to
discuss the continuing violence between Israel and the
Palestinians, according to a New York-based UN
spokesperson.
The 15 Security Council members will convene
informally this evening to debate IDF operations, Israel's
alleged assassination policy, and the Palestinian
Authority's request to deploy an international force in the
territories.
There is no formal resolution up for debate.
A coalition of Arab states requested that the Security
Council meet at this time, the UN spokesperson said.
Israel has attempted to prevent the meeting on
procedural grounds.
The United States representative, currently serving as
president of the council, said yesterday that the US
opposes the PA request for an international observer
force, Army Radio reported.
http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/05/17/LatestNews/LatestNews.26402.ht
ml
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] U.N. panel now aims to banish groups
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:57:45 -0400
--------
May 17, 2001
U.N. panel now aims to banish
groups
By Betsy Pisik
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
NEW YORK -- The U.N. oversight committee that
booted the United States from the U.N. Human Rights
Commission is trying to ban several private human rights
advocacy groups from participation in the United Nations.
Those targeted include
Freedom House, the Baptist
World Alliance, the Simon
Weisenthal Center and the Family
Research Council.
"First, they silenced the United
States´ voice on the human rights
commission. Now, they are going
after U.S.-based human rights
advocacy groups," said Freedom
House President Adrian
Karatnycky.
The effort is being orchestrated in a 19-nation
subcommittee of the 54-nation U.N. Economic and Social
Council (Ecosoc), which has become increasingly polarized
between democratic nations and others such as Sudan, Sierra
Leone, China and Cuba.
The subcommittee is responsible for accrediting
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and renewing
accreditation every four years. Accreditation is needed for
NGOs to participate in U.N. discussions.
Accusations that the United Nations is targeting private
human rights groups come at a time of growing congressional
impatience with the world body.
The House last week voted to withhold $242 million in
U.N. dues next year unless the United States gets back its
seat on the U.N. Human Rights Commission. In a secret vote
by the full Ecosoc committee this month, the United States
lost its seat for the first time ever.
Freedom House, an NGO group founded by Eleanor
Roosevelt in 1941, lately has upset Russia by questioning its
military actions in Chechnya, angered the Chinese with
criticism of religious intolerance, alienated Cuba by pressing
for freedom of speech and enraged Sudan by challenging its
bid for membership in the Security Council on human rights
grounds.
All four governments are represented on the NGO
subcommittee, and each has challenged Freedom House and
other prominent human rights groups in their efforts to either
win accreditation or renew existing credentials.
"It is inappropriate," said Robert Maginnis, vice president
for policy of the Washington-based Family Research Council,
whose application for accreditation has been deferred for the
third time. "We are a pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family
organization that has shown a commitment to human rights,"
he said.
At an Ecosoc subcommittee hearing last week, Mr.
Maginnis said, the Family Research Council representative
"was on the hot seat for an hour and a half" defending the
group´s positions against abortion and sex trafficking.
The subcommittee recommends which groups should be
recognized to participate in U.N. forums and meetings. The
recommendations then are forwarded to the full Ecosoc
committee for a vote.
Longtime observers say it´s getting harder for bona fide
human rights advocates to win accreditation with the current
composition of the Ecosoc subcommittee.
They note that Russia will challenge any group criticizing
its actions in Chechnya, China will automatically block any
group that characterizes Tibet or Taiwan as independent of
Beijing and Cuba opposes any group that criticizes the
Castro regime.
Last week, for example, Cuba´s representative accused
Freedom House of lending its accreditation badges to Cuban
dissidents.
Beijing´s representative criticized the group for failing to
say in its reports that Taiwan is a province of China.
Joanna Weschler of Human Rights Watch said that
repressive governments were emboldened two years ago,
after Sudan successfully won the ouster of Christian
Solidarity, the group that buys and then liberates Sudanese
slaves.
"Complaints are rare, but they are increasingly growing
and intensifying," said Ms. Weschler, who said that Human
Rights Watch was denied accreditation for several years in
the early 1990s.
Freedom House´s Mr. Karatnycky praised the U.S.
counselor on Ecosoc, Richard Williams, for battling to renew
the group´s accreditation.
But Mr. Maginnis of the Family Research Council, which
is applying for accreditation for the first time, said he wishes
U.S. delegates would have defended his group more
vigorously against what he views as political attacks.
"Because we are . . . perceived to be aligned with the
Bush administration, and given the situation on the human
rights commission and the backlash against President Bush,
we were a handy whipping dog to go after," he said.
A State Department official said problems arose with the
Family Research Council´s application for accreditation.
"They´re hung up on procedural issues. There are no
substantive objections within the committee," said the official,
who spoke on condition of anonymity
But some characterize procedural objections as a fig leaf
to hide an attempt to stifle criticism of human rights abuses.
"The complaints against us are largely procedural, like the
allegation that we improperly obtained a certain translation
service for a meeting in Geneva," said Michael Goldfarb,
Freedom House´s spokesman.
"They are seizing on alleged technical infractions as a
means of censuring organizations. At heart, it´s really a
freedom of speech issue. There seems to be a climate of
stifling open legitimate and substantive debate of important
human rights issues and abuses," he said.
Several groups, such as the Simon Weisenthal Center and
Baptist World Alliance, didn´t even realize that their
applications were in danger of being rejected.
"I suspect they only want more information," said George
D. Younger, the U.N. representative for the Baptist World
Alliance. "Our operations are transparent and not politically
motivated."
The group, based in McLean, Va., represents 162,000
churches in 116 countries.
"To the credit of the U.N. system, the staff are extremely
sympathetic to NGOs, and the Secretary-General [Kofi
Annan] stresses the importance of hearing the views of civil
society," said Mr. Karatnycky. "But the members of Ecosoc
are another story."
http://www.washtimes.com/world/20010517-2367676.htm
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Slangster gets biblical in rhyming Cockney
From: "research-bpr" <RESEARCH-BPR@PHILOLOGOS.ORG>
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 20:59:50 -0400
--------
Slangster gets biblical in rhyming Cockney
London - And so Jesus made a Jim Skinner for five thousand geezers with
just five loaves of Uncle Fred and two Lillian Gish.
Sound kind of familiar? That's the biblical story of the miracle of the loaves
and fishes - couched in the finest Cockney rhyming slang.
Seeking to bring the Bible to those who don't usually read it, London teacher
Mike Coles has translated some of the best-known biblical tales into the
colourful language of east London for the first time. And he's got the Church
of England's blessing for his endeavour.
The book went on sale on Wednesday at an exhibition of Christian resources
at Esher, west of London.
"I hope that my book, which is based on material compiled for my pupils, will
enable people of all ages to enjoy reading Bible stories in a very down-to-
earth way," said Coles, head of religious education at Sir John Cass Church
of England high school in Stepney, east London.
"I also hope that it will help God's word reach out to those who wouldn't
normally read the Bible at all because they see it as outdated or dull," he
said.
To translate the fishes-and-loaves example: a Jim Skinner is dinner, Uncle
Fred is bread and Lillian Gish is, naturally enough, fish. Geezer is Cockney
for a man, or a person.
In the biblical account, Christ miraculously feeds thousands with just a little
bread and a few fishes.
Coles' book includes a verse-by-verse translation of St. Mark's Gospel and
nine stories from the Old Testament, such as the tale of Noah - who built a
"bloomin' massive nanny" (shorthand for nanny goat, or boat) and David, who
killed that "massive geezer" Goliath with a slingshot.
The story of creation is titled, "Would You Adam and Eve (believe) It?" and
Abraham takes his son Isaac up the "Jack and Jill" (hill) when God insists
that the boy be sacrificed.
In a foreword to the book, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey applauded
it for "taking the Bible out of the formal church setting, and putting it back
into the marketplace, into the streets where it originally took place.
"This version puts energy and passion back into the stories," he added. "If it
manages to get people reading the Bible who would not normally do so, then
it has achieved an invaluable work."
Coles said that he fell in love with Cockney rhyming slang when he moved to
east London 15 years ago.
When he started using it in lessons, he found that his pupils responded well,
and the idea of a Bible story book was born.
Coles said he has had a handful of letters from traditionalists "who think the
King James Version is the only proper one, but when I write back to explain,
they usually understand."
"This is not a replacement (to other versions), it's just an alternative," he
said.
The book is being sold at mainstream and Christian bookstores in Britain,
and has already sold 5 000 copies at six pounds (about R72) each. - Sapa-
AP
Published on the Web by IOL on 2001-05-16 17:35:05
http://www.iol.co.za/general/newsprint.php3?art_id=qw990027305154B216
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] MALLOWS
From: ruby
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 23:14:36 -0400
--------
Who's got some more info about mallows, particularly those of the Middle
East or found in the Bible? And what might mallows symbolize?
Job 30:4 Who cut up mallows by the bushes, and juniper roots for their
meat.
I got the following from Britannica On-line:
mallow
any of several flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae,
especially those of the genera Hibiscus and Malva. Hibiscus species
include the great rose mallow (H. grandiflorus), with large white to
purplish flowers; the soldier rose mallow (H. militaris), a shrub that
grows to a height of 2 metres (6 feet); and the common, or swamp, rose
mallow (H. moscheutos).
Several Malva species are cultivated in gardens, especially the musk
mallow (M. moschata), growing up to 1 m high, with rose-mauve or white
flowers in summer, and high mallow (M. sylvestris), the leaves and
flowers of which have been used medicinally. Another musk mallow, the
abelmosk (Abelmoschus moschatus, or Hibiscus abelmoschus), is widely
cultivated in tropical Asia for its seeds.
The marsh mallow (Althea officinalis), a perennial plant native to
eastern Europe and northern Africa, is naturalized in North America,
especially in marshy areas near the sea; its root was formerly processed
to make marshmallow confections.
________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
You have really hit the nail on the head! Thank you for sharing your
spiritual insight with us. Although I am quiet, I do very much enjoy and
appreciate everything you send to the list. Many blessings to you and yours.
Sincerely in Christ Jesus,
Sharon Beverly
>From: Pam
>Reply-To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
>Subject: [bprlist] Who Are "Christians"?
>Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 10:52:38 -0400
> This might be of interest to you, and the list. Praise the Lord!
>----
>Who Is A ‘Christian´?
>
>Acts 11:26
>"And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch."
>
>Disciples
>
> Webster´s New Word Dictionary, 1973, gives two definitions for
>‘disciples´:
>1. A person who follows another as his teacher or leader.
>2. Any of the early followers of Jesus.
>
> Since none of us can claim to be an ‘early follower´ of Jesus, I think
>any person, who claims to be a ‘Christian´, must have Christ as their
>teacher and leader. It follows, I think, that anyone who follows ‘the
>teaching of Christ´ must believe that He is the teacher, or leader, they
>are following. Further, in order to understand what is being taught,
>they must, I think, have a text book, or text books, of some kind. The
>‘text book´ I use is the Bible. I believe the New Testament was given
>to us by Our Teacher, Jesus Christ, and since He frequently refers to
>the Old Testament, which was given by God, I think we must use it, also,
>in our studies. Praise the Lord!
>
> In the world, today, we have many ‘Christian´ denominations: Anglican,
>Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc. Members of each of these denominations
>claim to be ‘Christians´. The denominations adhere to a ‘doctrine´ that
>was introduced by some one, or some group, and the members of a
>denomination are required to follow the doctrine of their denomination,
>in addition to following the teachings of Jesus Christ. However, this
>puts the members of a given denomination in the position of being a
>disciple of the founder, or leader, in addition to being a disciple of
>Jesus Christ. They are forced to try to serve two masters but, Matthew
>6:24 and Luke 16:13, tell us: "No man can serve two masters: for either
>he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the
>one, and despise the other." Praise the Lord!
>
> From the above, I must conclude that, in any given denomination, there
>will be some members who are seeking to serve God and some who are
>seeking to serve the denomination of which they are members. There must
>be some, in every Christian denomination, who are ‘Christians´,
>followers of Jesus Christ, and ‘others´, call them what you will. The
>voice of God, speaking from the cloud, tells us Jesus Christ is His Son
>and instructs us to ‘hear Him´. (Matthew 17:5; Mark 9:7 and Luke 9:35)
>Therefore, in order to serve God, who is the Master of all, the
>Christian must ‘hear Him´, must be taught by Jesus Christ, not by anyone
>else. Praise the Lord!
>
>God Bless you. Charlie Baker.
>
>
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
========
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Who Are "Christians"?
From: jbonner
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 09:20:05 EDT
--------
In a message dated 5/17/01 8:54:13 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
:
<< The denominations adhere to a ‘doctrine´ that
>was introduced by some one, or some group, and the members of a
>denomination are required to follow the doctrine of their denomination, >>
My understanding of these doctrines is that they simply give a personal
interpretation of what the scripture says. Each person must decide for
himself which interpretation rings true in his heart and mind. Some believe
baptism is a faith issue available only to the adult/youth convert. Others
see it as a sign like Jewish circumcision marking a person as part of the
family of faith. There are proof texts for each. These beliefs do not
effect ones salvation, but make for a body of belief where members of a
church can be united in their mission. Denominations are not bad. Abusers
of power and authority are bad. That is where any church government becomes
unchristian. So, what is a christian: a disciple, ie. follower and student
of Christ. This can be done in any denomination.
Yours in Christ,
Jane
************************
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE from BPR, send a blank message to:
bprlist-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
Bible Prophecy Research
URL: http://philologos.org/bpr
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Please be advised that this domain (Philologos.org) does not endorse 100 per cent any link contained herein. This forum is for the dissemination of pertinent information on an end-times biblical theme which includes many disturbing, unethical, immoral, etc. topics and should be viewed with a mature, discerning eye.