Hezbollah rally in Lebanon

Sept. 28....(Ha Aretz) Chanting "death to Israel" and "death to America," more than 100,000 of Lebanese marched Friday through the streets of Beirut to demonstrate support for Palestinians as the intifada enters its third year. Smaller anti-Israel demonstrations were held in other Arab capitals as well, with speakers also condemning the United States for backing Israel and for leading attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the war on terrorism. "No matter how much the world changes after Sept. 11, 'death to America' will remain our reverberating slogan," the leader of the militant Hezbollah group, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, said in his fiery address in Beirut. Hezbollah, which is on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations, called for Friday's demonstration, which was attended by several Lebanese and Palestinian officials. The black-turbaned Nasrallah urged Arabs and Muslims to support the Palestinian uprising, which, he said, "is heading toward victory." Echoing warnings made at other demonstrations, he also charged that any American attack on Iraq would be followed by attacks on Iran, Syria and other Arab states. "We say to the United States, we say to (Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon who is threatening Lebanon with war everyday, and we say to all the tyrants that we are a people who will never accept humiliation," he said. "Our enmity for the Great Satan is absolute. America knows no values, no morals or human rights," Nasrallah told tens of thousands who marched through the streets of Beirut. Nasrallah said only armed resistance could end Israel's occupation of Arab land. Unarmed resistance could not succeed against a "people ruled by wolves," he added. Nasrallah said the survival of the Palestinian uprising in the face of Israel's military might was a "victory and miracle". The Hizbollah cleric defied recent American threats to hunt down its guerrillas.

"We tell the U.S. administration, Israel and all the despots who are threatening us with death and humiliation...we are people who adore martyrdom." "We are people who await you everywhere and will continue to await you everywhere...until the end of time," added Nasrallah, Nasrallah, who opposes peace with Israel, urged Arabs to rally behind Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat despite political rifts over Arafat's signing of unilateral peace deals with Israel in 1993. He also called on Arabs to boycott American goods to punish the United States, which he said was waging a campaign to attack Iraq and could stretch its adventure to Syria and Lebanon.

Israel Thanks American Christians
(*An Israeli tribute to American Christians)
Sept. 27…..(Jerusalem Post) Despite a recent upsurge in Palestinian terror attacks and intelligence warnings indicating a possible suicide bomber might be headed toward the capital, the streets of Jerusalem were delightfully full yesterday as thousands took part in the city's annual Succot (Feast of Tabernacles) march. With color, pomp, and ceremony, marchers wound their way through the streets, spreading cheer and goodwill in a city that has seen more than its fair share of violence and grief since the start of the Palestinian terror campaign two years ago. Among those taking part in the festivities were thousands of Christian supporters of Israel, whose love for the country and its people was clearly on display. Hailing from dozens of nations around the globe, many of the pilgrims are visiting under the auspices of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, which has been organizing such events since it was launched in 1980. It serves as a refreshing reminder that although we are besieged by enemies at home, we still have plenty of warm and caring friends abroad who are willing to stand with us even in the most difficult of times. Indeed, even as the UN Security Council was busy condemning Israel for having the nerve to defend itself against Yasser Arafat's onslaught of terror, the Christian marchers helped to drown out the criticism emanating from the UN. The growing popularity of the annual Jerusalem march among Christians worldwide is a testament to the rising support Israel enjoys in various Christian quarters, particularly among Evangelicals in the United States. "No one outside the Jewish community has been more supportive of Israel than US Evangelical Christians, and they've just begun to get better organized." The reasons behind this groundswell of backing are linked both to our security predicament and the phenomenal growth of Evangelical Christianity, now said to number as many as 50 million people in America. Bible-believing Christians throughout the US hold firm views regarding the State of Israel's role in the divine plan for history and, more than ever before, they have begun to put their money, and their political clout, to work on its behalf. The sudden burst of Christian pro-Israel activity did not emerge out of thin air. It has been the hard work of Christian organizations such as the National Unity Coalition for Israel Bridges for Peace, the Christian Friends of Israel, and the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, have helped to educate numerous Americans about the importance of a strong US-Israel relationship, and it has become a leading voice for Israel in the halls of power in Washington. Having suffered so much from forced conversions at the hands of Christians throughout the past two millennia, it is hardly surprising that many Jews are apprehensive, even skeptical, about the sudden outpouring of love and support. But, while fending off missionary elements is certainly important and even necessary, it would be wrong to automatically dismiss all Christians as surreptitious soul-snatchers. There are undoubtedly those who use pro-Israel activities as a ruse for proselytizing, but there are also many deeply devoted Christian friends of Israel whose sincerity and commitment is beyond reproach, and whose only agenda is to live in accordance with God's promise to Abraham: "I will bless those that bless you and curse those that curse you." And when it comes to our Christian friends, it seems safe to say that they will most assuredly be blessed.

Arab Rally Condemns America!

Sept. 27….(Jerusalem Post) Chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans, hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in Arab capitals on Friday to mark the second year of the Palestinian uprising and warn against a U.S. attack on Iraq. "Allah is greater than America," about 400 to 500 worshippers chanted at the most respected theological center in the Muslim world, Al-Azhar mosque in Cairo. Speakers expressed solidarity with Palestinians and condemned Israel for its incursions into the territories, as well as the United States for backing Israel and for leading attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq as part of the war on terrorism. In Syria, more than 500 people marched silently through Damascus to protest what Ahmad Abdul-Karim, the head of the organizing committee, called "the world's silence over the massacres perpetrated against Palestinian children" and to support Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation. They burned Israeli and U.S. flags and a dummy meant to represent Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

Godless Americans' Plan March on Capitol Hill

Sept. 27….(Harpazo) Atheists, secularists and humanists from across the United States are planning a "Godless Americans March on Washington" this fall to protest what they see as the growth of religion in U.S. culture and government, especially since the election of George W. Bush and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. "We are participating in this march to reclaim the American nation as a secular nation because we feel it's being moved more and more to a religious nation," said Katherine Bourdonnay, a spokesperson for the Council for Secular Humanism. "While America has many religious roots, it was founded as a secular nation, with a distinct separation of church and state," she said. The Council for Secular Humanism is one of 71 organizations planning to participate in the Nov. 22 march. Others are African Americans for Humanism, American Atheists, Mind Over Madness, and the Atheist Alliance International. According to American Atheists, the march will be the first of its kind held in the nation's capital.

US Working to Unite Iraq into Jordan?

Sept. 27….(Stratfor) An idea to unite Jordan and Iraq in a pro-U.S. Hashemite kingdom after a U.S. war is being floated in diplomatic and opposition circles, reports Stratfor, the global intelligence company. The plan could be Washington's best scenario for ensuring a stable post-war Iraq. The idea of a central Iraq populated by Sunni Arabs joining with Jordan to form one Hashemite kingdom is being considered as one way to secure such gains. Such a plan reportedly was discussed at an unusual meeting between Crown Prince Hassan of Jordan and pro-U.S. Iraqi Sunni opposition members in London last July. The U.S. goal in Iraq may be to create a united Hashemite kingdom embracing Jordan and Iraq's Sunni areas. In a nutshell, the plan may involve uniting Jordan and Sunni-populated areas of Iraq under the rule of the current Jordanian regime. This could be done if Iraqi Sunni leaders appeal to King Abdullah with such a request, which has a weak but still legally valid justification, as Abdullah is the second cousin of the last Iraqi king, Faisal II, who was overthrown in 1958. The administration may be looking into the proposal because the current goal of replacing Saddam Hussein with a pro-U.S. Iraqi government still would not guarantee long-term U.S. control over the territory and its oil. First, it may become too hard for a new government in Baghdad to effectively control the whole country, even with U.S. troop support. An example is Afghanistan, in which the government of President Hamid Karzai still controls only the capital. Second, the new government's attempts to establish control over all of Iraq may well lead to a civil war between Sunni, Shia and Kurdish ethnic groups, with U.S. troops caught in the middle. The fiercest fighting could be expected for control over the oil facilities. But uniting Jordan and Iraq under a Hashemite government may give Washington several strategic advantages. First, the creation of a new pro-U.S. kingdom under the half-American Abdullah would shift the balance of forces in the region heavily in the U.S. favor. After eliminating Iraq as a sovereign state, there would be no fear that one day an anti-American government would come to power in Baghdad, as the capital would be in Amman. Current and potential U.S. geopolitical foes Iran, Saudi Arabia and Syria would be left isolated from each other, with big chunks of land between them under control of the pro-U.S. forces. Equally important, Washington would be able to justify its long-term and heavy military presence in the region as necessary for the defense of a young new state asking for U.S. protection, and to secure the stability of oil markets and supplies. That in turn would help the United States gain direct control of Iraqi oil and replace Saudi oil in case of conflict with Riyadh. As discussed in the Israeli media, the richest oil areas would go not to the Hashemite kingdom but to a widely autonomous Kurdish region that still could be formally a part of the Hashemite state. To make sure the Kurds will not upset U.S. ally Turkey by declaring an independent state, Washington would be able to deploy its forces into the Kurdish region, with new bases located just next to oil fields in areas such as Kirkuk. Washington then would be able to offer the new Hashemite kingdom as a model for other Arab states, combining what the Arab masses see as the advantages of a traditional monarchy with the benefits of a U.S. alliance. The potential combination of educated Iraqis, U.S. aid and military assistance, and oil revenues might help the new state become a beacon for the Arab world to follow.

Were more states to adopt this example, the geopolitical influence of both Saudi Arabia and Egypt would decline, making it easier for Washington to deal with them. In case of a future conflict with Saudi Arabia or Iran, U.S. forces would be in the ideal position to strike not only from sea but also from land by using new bases in the Hashemite kingdom and the Kurdish region.

Possible benefits for Israel and Jordan

The interest of Israeli experts and media to the Jordan-Iraq plan could be explained by the benefits Israel may get if the plan goes through. Iraq, arguably Israel's most determined foe, would be eliminated. Baghdad's end would deprive the Palestinians of much financial and other assistance, which could reduce the effectiveness of attacks against the Jewish state. King Abdullah would vastly expand his role and prominence in the region with a joint Hashemite state, becoming the second-most important U.S. ally after Israel. In addition to his huge territorial gains, he also would get a chunk of Iraqi oil. And Palestinians, who currently make up half of Jordan's population, would become a minority in the new state, with much less potential to stir up trouble. The plan may not be free of negative consequences for Washington, however. Iraq's Shia majority, whose anti-Hussein opposition seems currently divided between the United States and Iran probably would not agree to become a part of the new kingdom. Iran may interfere by urging Iraqi Shias to join with Tehran. Washington might counter by agreeing to attach the Shia Iraqi region to Kuwait, Israeli media speculates. Turkey, despite a U.S. military presence in Kurdish areas, still might have reservations about the plan. At this point, it does not seem that any decision has been made.

Iraq helped al Qaida develop Chemical Weapons

Sept. 26….(MSNBC) President George W. Bush's national security adviser, Condoleeza Rice accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime of sheltering members of the al-Qaida terrorist network in Baghdad and helping Osama bin Laden's operatives in developing chemical weapons. Condoleezza Rice's comments, are by far the strongest statements yet from the U.S. government alleging al-Qaida contacts with the Iraqi government. We clearly know that there were in the past and have been contacts between senior Iraqi officials and members of al-Qaida going back for actually quite a long time," Rice said. "We know too that several of the (al-Qaida) detainees, in particular some high-ranking detainees, have said that Iraq provided some training to al-Qaida in chemical weapons development." Previously, the widely held view has been that while Saddam and bin Laden both oppose the United States, their motivations are too different for them to work together. Saddam seeks secular power; bin Laden's drive comes from religious motivations and his opposition to the U.S. military presence in Saudi Arabia and the Arab world. But Rice said, "There clearly are contacts between al-Qaida and Iraq that can be documented. Rice said that much of the information is coming from al-Qaida operatives captured since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. This includes several senior leaders whom the U.S. alleges organized terrorist attacks. "No one is trying to make an argument at this point that Saddam Hussein somehow had operational control of what happened on Sept. 11, so we don't want to push this too far, but this is a story that is unfolding, and it is getting clearer, and we're learning more," Rice said. "And there are some al-Qaida personnel who found refuge in Baghdad."

Richard Butler: Israel is in Danger!

Sept. 26….(ABC) Former chief U.N. weapons inspector Richard Butler said today that his biggest fear was that Israel will be drawn into a war against Iraq and use its nuclear weapons. If the United States and its allies wage war on Baghdad, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could raise the stakes by attacking Israel, possibly igniting another Arab-Israeli war, Butler told a business conference in Hong Kong. "Prime Minister Sharon of Israel has said it will not be restrained, that it will respond (if Iraq attacks it)," Butler said. "My deepest fear in that context, if that occurs and the war escalates, is that Israel will use its nuclear weapons. "If that happens, the world would have been changed beyond recognition, and I would fear that if that happens the state of Israel would cease to exist."

FOJ Note: God will not allow the destruction of Israel. He will allow Israel to seek its security and peace with an imposter Christ, but ultimately God is going to save Israel from the world, and from their own-selves!

Hamas Bomb maker Killed by Israel

Sept. 26….(AP) An Israeli helicopter fired rockets into a car carrying Palestinian militants Thursday, killing at least two and wounding 35 bystanders. Israel said the target was Hamas' chief bomb-maker Mohammed Deif. Th Hamas bomber was atop Israel's most wanted list, and was apparently killed in the attack, but Hamas claims that he survived and is still alive. Israeli police officials said they had been informed by the military that Deif was killed and to prepare for revenge attacks. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, another Hamas leader, said the organization would take revenge for Thursday's attack in Gaza. "We will hit Tel Aviv. We will hit everywhere," he said. Deif, who escaped an Israeli air strike earlier this year and was wanted for 14 years, was considered the terror mastermind of Hamas. Israel says he has been involved in planning many of the suicide bomb attacks staged by the violent Islamic group.

Arafat Still Inflames Palestinian Youths


Sept. 26….(Reuters) Palestinian boys hold a poster of the Palestinians leader Yasser Arafat showing him standing in front of the Al Aqsa Mosque and reading in Arabic:" My Jerusalem and my people are not for bargaining and I am ready to sacrifice them until doomsday." We will take Jerusalem, and all of Palestine!


Russia Fears US Oil Companies Taking Over World's 2nd-Biggest Reserves

Sept. 26….(Independent) Oil companies from around the world are manoeuvring for the multibillion-dollar bonanza that would follow the ousting of Saddam Hussein. Russia is so concerned that it has been holding secretive talks with the Iraqi opposition to shore up its economic interests in the country which still owes Moscow $7bn dollars from Soviet times. With the second-biggest reserves in the world, Iraq's underdeveloped oilfields have become a key negotiating chip and a backdrop to talks between the US and the other permanent members of the UN Security Council – all of which have major economic stakes in regime change in Iraq. It has also given fuel to critics of America's war plans who say the desire for regime change is at least partly driven by economics. Oil industry experts say there is growing concern that America would dominate the Iraqi oil industry after Saddam. As a result, a number of oil companies have reportedly held talks with the Iraqi opposition to ensure they are involved in any future deals.

Iran Harboring Al Quada?

Sept. 26….(MSNBC) U.S. intelligence has detected a suspected al-Qaida training camp in a remote area of eastern Iran along the border with Afghanistan. Overhead imagery shows what appears to be a training camp complete with a terrorist obstacle course and a rifle range, much like those al-Qaida used in Afghanistan to train for assassinations. It is hard to determine how much, if any, official cooperation there has ever been between al-Qaida and the Iranian government. Documents and testimony in the East Africa embassy bombing trials indicate that some in the Iranian government, among its clerics and in the terrorist organization Hizballah have had contacts with high-ranking members of al-Qaida, including at least one meeting involving Osama bin Laden. Historically, there appear to have been exploratory talks and some action involving Iranian officials and al-Qaida years ago, but there also is evidence of a deterioration and outright hostility between the two sides by the end of 1999. Testimony in the East Africa embassy bombings trial, concluded last year, lays out connections between al-Qaida and the Iranian government, an unidentified senior Iranian religious leader and Iran's most favored terrorist group, the Hizballah, during the early 1990s. But there is also significant evidence that al-Qaida worked with the Taliban in anti-Iran operations in the late 1990s. Specifically, the transcript of the trial shows that as early as 1998 the United States was aware that on “various” occasions during the early to mid-1990s, high-ranking al-Qaida members met with Iranian officials and that bin Laden himself met with the leader of its terrorist surrogate, the Hizballah, to “cooperate against the perceived common enemy,” the United States. Iran and Hizballah may have provided weapons and weapons training to al-Qaida and its ally, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad in other attacks on American interests.

Muslim Terrorists Kill Christians in Pakistan

Sept. 25….(AP) Islamic militants killed seven Christians in Pakistan yesterday. The Christians were tied up in chairs with their hands behind their backs and their mouths taped before being shot point-blank in the head, according to Karachi Police Chief Kamal Shah. All 7 of the dead were Pakistani Christians. The attack was the latest in a string of violent attacks against Christians and Westerners, who have been increasingly targeted since Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's decision to crack down on Islamic extremist groups and join the U.S. war against the Taliban and al-Qaida in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistani Information Minister Nisar Memon condemned the attack, saying “We are particularly sad about the killings in Karachi because the terrorists have targeted unarmed Christian civilians.”

Iran Developing New Missiles

Sept. 25….(Ha Aretz) Iran, like Iraq is accused by the United States of developing weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them, an now has begun the mass production of a new surface- to-surface missile. Iran inaugurated a production line for the Fateh A-110 surface-to-surface missile, which has a range of 200 km (130 miles) as well as an anti-ship missile and 35-mm anti-aircraft shells. U.S. President George W. Bush has labeled Iran part of an "axis of evil" accusing it of seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction and sponsoring terrorism. Iran has developed a range of missiles, tanks and jet fighters mainly with the help of Russia, China and North Korea. The United States has urged those countries stop arms cooperation with the Islamic Republic.

FOJ Note: Russia and China continue to build an anti-American network in the Middle East!

Iraq: Carter and Mandela Can Mediate

Sept. 25….(FOJ) Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz says that Saddam Hussein is prepared to invite Nelson Mandela and former US President Jimmy Carter to act as impartial monitors of UN inspectors when they begin searching Iraq for nuclear and chemical weapons next month. In a cunning ploy to delay an Allied military strike against Iraq, Saddam wants the former South African and American presidents to head a jury of 12 internationally respected 'wise men' to fly to Iraq and shadow the inspections process. The effect would be to deny America the chance to invade on the grounds that the inspectors were being impeded. Mandela and Carter have both expressed misgivings about the American invasion plans.

Palestinians Favor an Islamic State

Sept. 25….( Ha Aretz) Recent opinion polls show that slightly more than half of the Palestinian residents of the territories favor a religiously-ruled Islamic religious state as a future independent Palestine, rather than a secular-based state as envisaged by Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. The polls could indicate a significant shift in popular support away from Fatah, long the formal representative voice of the Palestinian people, and towards the militant Islamic Hamas. It is also reported that Hamas has launched a recruiting program on the Internet, aimed at persuading Palestinian women to become "jihad fighters" and to spur them to encourage their sons to take part in suicide attacks. In a related poll, slightly more than 70 percent of Palestinians would support Iraq if it is attacked by the US. The survey also found that 51.3% of Palestinians think suicide attacks within the Green Line should continue.

US Will Send Aid to Promote Moderate Islam

Sept. 25….(Middle East News Line) President George Bush has determined that the United States must use foreign aid to promote moderate Islam. The assertion was contained in the National Security Strategy document released by the White House last week. The document said the United States must help moderate Islamic regimes fight extremism. "The war on terrorism is not a clash of civilizations," the report said. "It does, however, reveal the clash inside a civilization, a battle for the future of the Muslim world. This is a struggle of ideas and this is an area where America must excel."

FOJ Note: America needs to promote Christianity in the Muslim world, not more paganism!

Jews March to The Temple Mount

Sept. 25….(FOJ) In spite of the fact that the Temple Mount is off limits to Jews, The Temple Mount Faithful Movement once again conducted their annual march to the Temple Mount. This week in Jerusalem the group carried with them a large model of the Temple, and the holy vessels which have been reconstructed for use in the Third Temple, and the priestly garments which the priests will wear. Together with the Sukkot prayers and the Hallel Psalms, the sound of the trumpets and the shofar were carried to the holy hill. Also the two cornerstones which have been anointed for the Third Temple, as of last Sukkot are laying not far from the Temple Mount overlooking the location of the Holy of Holies. The Temple Mount Faithful Movement is preparing to lay them for the Third Temple someday soon.

Pope, EU Call For End to Arafat Siege

Sept. 25….(Ha Aretz) The stalemate over the siege of the Muqata, the Ramallah headquarters of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, remained Tuesday as the Palestinians stuck to their refusal to provide Israel with a list of the estimated 200 people inside the last remaining building in the Palestinian Authority compound demolished by IDF bulldozers and tanks over the weekend. Meanwhile, Pope John Paul called for an end to the violence and the siege around Arafat's compound! The pope's call was issued by Vatican spokesman, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, who said the Pope was worried by Israel's "grave attack" on Arafat's compound and had urged Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to "suspend such actions that compromise the already faint hopes of peace in the region." The tersely worded message to Sharon was sent in a letter by Vatican Secretary of State Angelo Sodano. "The Holy Father will continue to defend the right of all peoples to live in peace within secure boundaries and in a climate of reciprocal respect," his statement added.

Time For Bold Clarity
Commentary by: Hal Lindsey

Sept. 25….(Hal Lindsay) The U.N. is terrified at the prospect of having to pass a resolution condemning Saddam Hussein for ignoring 16 previous resolutions. It required a visit from the President of the United States to remind them that Saddam was ignoring them. Kofi Annan knew why the president was coming. To save face, he mentioned Iraqi violations in his opening remarks. Annan then said Saddam was the second-worst threat to global peace in the world today. Annan listed Iraq second because, in his view, Israel was number one.

US Demands Israel Withdraw from Ramallah

Sept. 25….(Reuters) Israel stood defiant on Wednesday against pressure from Washington to lift a siege of Yasser Arafat's compound that could hurt U.S. efforts to contain Middle East tensions ahead of possible war with Iraq. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government did not respond publicly to a U.S. request to abide by a U.N. resolution calling for an immediate end to the six-day-old siege of the Palestinian president's headquarters. But Israeli diplomatic sources said Israel had no intention of complying. "The first interest of Israel is to protect the safety of her citizens and not to comply with the kind of anti-Israeli decisions made at the U.N. almost traditionally," one senior Israeli source said. Israel is demanding Arafat surrender 50 wanted militants it says are among some 200 Palestinians in the compound. Arafat has refused to hand anyone over or provide a list of people inside. Asking Israel to heed the U.N. resolution, Washington called the Israeli operation in Ramallah "unhelpful" to international and internal efforts to persuade Arafat to carry out security and anti-corruption reforms in his Palestinian Authority

Arafat, Bin Laden and Hussein Linked!

Sept. 25….(Debka) A three-man Palestinian cell from Ramallah, who trained in Iraq with Iraqi instructors in the execution of strikes against Israeli targets, and in the company of al Qaeda terrorists have been discovered and arrested. Their papers and admissions link Yasser Arafat, Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden in a collaborative relationship for the pursuit of terror. The intelligence gleaned shows that Col. Tawfiq Tirawi, chief of West Bank General Intelligence and one of Arafat's most trusted aides, (presently hiding out in Arafat's compound) and another Palestinian terror executive, Mohammad Abbas, known as Abu al-Abbas, team together to head up the Baghdad-based Arab Liberation Front. From 1991, they have been meeting regularly in Amman, which is halfway between the West Bank and Baghdad, to trade directives, intelligence, funds and messages between their respective bosses. (Arafat and Hussein) Abu al-Abbas is better known for hijacking the Achille Lauro pleasure craft in 1985 in an operation ordered by Arafat, who also ordered the throwing of wheelchair bound American Jew Leon Klinghoffer overboard into the sea. Tirawi's importance to Arafat is such that Arafat is willing to see his government compound in ruins rather than hand his senior aide over with his pockets full of incriminating secrets. Arafat asked Saddam Hussein to eliminate Abu Nidal, claiming he was on the point of passing to American parties in the Persian Gulf evidence of the three-way partnership-for-terror forged by Arafat, Saddam and bin Laden.

Al Qaeda Planning Another Attack?

Sept. 24….(London Times) American Taliban John Walker Lindh has told FBI interrogators that Osama bin Laden had planned a three-phase attack on America and its allies and dispatched 50 al-Qaeda members on suicide missions the summer before the Sept. 11 attacks. The attacks on New York and Washington in which airliners were flown into buildings was only the first phase. Lindh asserted that a senior al-Qaeda commander told him the second phase would be even worse and would make the U.S. “forget about the first attack,'' and the third would “finish America.'' Justice Department officials have warned that dozens of sleeper cells, with hundreds of members, may be quietly plotting the next attack from within our border.

Israel and US May Spar if Iraq Attacks

Sept. 24….(Jerusalem Post) Barring a massive number of Israeli casualties from an Iraqi strike, senior US administration officials appear united in their opposition to an Israeli counter-strike on Baghdad. That across-the-board opposition suggests a row between Israel and the US is brewing and that Israel could face a similar choice to the one it faced in 1991 acceding to the demands of its number one ally or acting according to what it perceives are its national security interests. "I think that's what it will come down to, at least there's a risk that it will come down to it depending how the thing plays out," a senior administration official said when asked about the possibility of a showdown between the US and Israel. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney oppose Israeli involvement primarily for operational reasons, according to administration sources, while the State Department objects because of the impact it could have on Arab sentiment toward the US and Arab support for the war. The US is promising Israel advance warning. And it is permitting Israel to link its Arrow anti-missile system to US radar to give Israel a quicker response time to any potential Iraqi Scud missile attack. American legislators spoke out in unison against an Israeli retaliation against Iraq, saying it could lead to a wider Israeli-Arab war and fuel anti-American sentiment. Senator Joseph Biden (D-Delaware) speculated that US embassies would be burned to the ground in the Arab world.

Blair: Saddam has Weapons of Mass Destruction

Sept. 24….(Ha Aretz) British Prime Minister Tony Blair presented his case against Iraq to the British Parliament today. Blair said that Iraq has military plans for the use of chemical and biological weapons and has the ability to launch them at 45 minutes notice. President Saddam Hussein directly controls chemical and biological weapons and has acquired "significant quantities" of uranium from Africa. Blair's report included a map which showed that Iraqi weapons now being developed could reach Israel, the whole of the Middle East, Greece and Turkey. Iraq has retained up to 20 al-Hussein missiles with a range of 650km (400 miles), capable of carrying chemical or biological warheads, and is working to increase the range of other missiles. Evidence points to the fact that Saddam Hussein has succeeded in acquiring enough uranium to make a primitive nuclear bomb.

Israel Stunned by US inaction at UN

Sept. 24….(Jerusalem Post) Israel stood alone on Tuesday over its siege of Yasser Arafat's headquarters, jolted by rare U.S. criticism of its bid to isolate the Palestinian leader by confining him to a command compound it has largely levelled. Turning the tables on its ally, Washington introduced a draft resolution in the U.N. Security Council on Monday calling on Israel to stop destroying Palestinian installations in Ramallah. The unusual move appeared to signal White House impatience with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as it prepares for possible war with Iraq and contemplates the damage his actions might cause U.S. efforts to win Arab support for the campaign. The U.S. draft resolution asked Israel "to cease measures in and around Ramallah, including the destruction of Palestinian civilian and security infrastructure, that aggravate the situation and that do not contribute to progress on comprehensive Palestinian civil and security reforms." It also demanded the complete cessation by all sides of "all acts of violence, including all acts of terror" and asked the Palestinian Authority to bring to justice those responsible for "terrorist acts." Sharon, in broadcast remarks on Monday, signaled that a military move in the Gaza Strip against the Islamic organization Hamas might follow the siege. Hamas claimed responsibility for one of last week's bombings.

UN Condemns Israel Again

Sept. 24….(Arutz) The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution late last night condemning Israel and demanding that IDF troops pull back from Yasser Arafat's Ramallah compound. The United States abstained in the voting and called the resolution one-sided. US Deputy Ambassador to the UN James Cunningham, said that the resolution was "flawed, in that it failed to explicitly condemn those who provide the terrorists with political cover, support and safe haven in perpetuating the conflict in the Middle East." Israel's UN Ambassador Yehuda Lancry was disappointed that the US didn't veto the resolution outright. He told Israel radio that the US didn't vote against the resolution so it would not strain relations with European partners as the US seeks support for action against Iraq. Herbert Zweibon, Chairman of Americans For a Safe Israel (AFSI), calls the United Nations a "cesspool of bias controlled by third world states." 'We have seen the hatred spewed out at Israel by the UN at the Durban Conference, and the inordinate number of anti-Israel resolutions formed by these nations united against Israel. Surely this UN cannot be expected to deal justly in regard to "ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict"' read an AFSI statement.

Syria: UN Must Act on Israel, not just Iraq

Sept. 23….(Ha Aretz) Syria called on the United Nations on Monday to rein in Israel and its military action against Palestinians, saying that conflict deserved as much attention as the global body is giving to Iraq. "The Palestinian problem is issue number one in the world for the United Nations and the Security Council in particular. Since the foundation of the United Nations, no issue has had this many resolutions about it," Syrian Information Minister Adnan Omran said. Omran urged the United Nations to "salvage" its resolutions that aim at settling the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying the Security Council's role was crucial because it was also being invoked to justify a possible U.S. strike on Iraq. "It is extremely urgent and necessary that the Security Council shoulder its responsibility and salvage the dignity of the resolutions it has taken, particularly since we now hear the U.S. administration justifying its decision to attack Iraq by saying it is to force Iraq to respect UN resolutions."

Iraq May Strike at Israel First

Sept. 23….(Debka) Military sources point to the potential danger of Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein attempting to turn the tables on an American military offensive against his regime by stealing a leaf from the Bush administration's newly enunciated pre-emptive first-strike strategy. The threat of an Iraqi military strike makes the date closer that the Americans are to a launch-date for their overt war against Baghdad. Washington admitted Saturday, September 21, that a detailed Pentagon plan containing the military options for deposing Saddam had been delivered to the White House in early September. Intelligence sources report that special forces units from the United States, Britain, Turkey, Jordan are already operational inside Iraq. The operation by Israeli forces over the weekend to dismantle Yasser Arafat's compound have revealed further information that Arafat's intelligence machine, which runs his terror arms, namely Fatah, Tanzim, Force 17 and the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, is partially manipulated and financed by Saddam Hussein's military intelligence. Arafat's associate terror arms, such Hamas, Jihad Islami, Popular Front, are controlled and funded by Saudi and Syrian interests and the Hizballah. Iraqi military intelligence is strongly present behind the scenes. The factor most troubling to US war leaders and the Israeli government is the information that Saddam has managed to smuggle a set of chemical and biological weapons to Arafat's operatives, especially the ones commanded by General Intelligence chief Tawfiq Tirawi, who doubles as al Aqsa commander. It is also feared that Iraq has been allowed to plant its undercover agents, armed with weapons of mass destruction, including even radiological devices, among Arafat's terror cells. Smashing this Palestinian-Iraqi connection and its hub in Ramallah is regarded by the Americans and Israelis as the key to preventing Saddam mounting an unconventional warfare attack from Arafat's terror base, and not only just against Israel.

Israel Demolishes Arafat Headquarters

Sept. 23….(Jerusalem Post) Yasser Arafat on Monday rejected Israel's demand that he provide a list of everyone holed up with him in his besieged office, Palestinian cabinet minister and negotiator Saeb Erekat said. Erekat spoke after Palestinians and Israelis held their first face-to-face contact in the five-day standoff in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Meanwhile Israeli troops maintained their siege of Arafat's office, the only building left standing where he is holed up with about 200 aides and security guards. The UN Security Council was to convene today to discuss the Israeli operation against Arafat. European and Arab states demanded flatly that Israel end its siege. Israel has demanded twenty known terrorists that are being harbored by Arafat. Among them is Tawfik Tirawi, the Palestinian intelligence chief for Arafat.

OPEC Sounds Oil Alarm

Sept. 23….(Reuters) Major oil importing nations sounded the alarm for global energy security Sunday but OPEC producers said they could not guarantee to quell a speculative oil price spike driven by war fever. With a second Gulf War threatening just as the world economy struggles for growth, there is plenty of spare oil around, but no-one seems ready to use it. Top officials representing 60 oil producing and consuming nations at the International Energy Forum in Osaka this weekend point to ample extra capacity in OPEC and huge strategic reserves held by big importer countries. But neither side will commit to releasing their oil to cool a price rise if U.S. war threats against Iraq send crude, already at $30-a-barrel, still higher. "The problem with war is that stocks get built up and then, when its over, the stocks are unleashed," said U.S. consultant Gary Ross of PIRA Energy. OPEC's next meeting is on December 12, by which time it may know more about U.S. plans for Saddam.

Warning to Saddam: We will use Nukes!

Sept. 20….(UPI) America will NUKE Baghdad if Saddam Hussein dares unleash weapons of mass destruction. The chilling warning to Iraq was revealed by former Tory Premier John Major, who led Britain in the 1991 Gulf War. During that conflict, allied forces were armed with “battlefield” nuclear weapons and prepared to use them in a counter attack, he said. Saddam was privately warned his capital would be obliterated if he used weapons of mass destruction against allied troops or Middle East targets, including Israel. Senior security sources last night confirmed Saddam has been warned AGAIN of the consequences if he breaks the ban on using terror weapons. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld laid out a warning to Saddam Hussein's forces Thursday: think very carefully before using chemical or biological weapons on the battlefield against U.S. soldiers. "If he says go, the people who do it better think very carefully if that's the way they want to handle their lives," Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee. On the day when President Bush sent a resolution to Congress asking for its endorsement to use all means necessary to force Iraq to comply with U.N. orders to disarm, Rumsfeld fended questions from a committee with serious questions about the way ahead. Central to some senators' concerns is whether Saddam will order the use of weapons of mass destruction if the United States attacks. Bush's stated intention of "regime change" may tempt Saddam to the most desperate measures. Rumsfeld, however, said he believes the people in charge of the weapons may be persuaded not to use them. Rumsfeld believes Saddam is so unpopular many of his regular troops can be counted on to surrender or defect if there is a war. Vast numbers surrendered in the Persian Gulf War, he pointed out. Meanwhile, Israel is deploying many of its Arrow anti-missile batteries along the eastern front zone.

Bush Outlines Pre-Emptive Policy

Sept. 20….(AP) President Bush served notice on Friday that the U.S. will shift its military strategy away from the deterrence that characterized the Cold War era, and toward pre-emptive action against terrorists seeking weapons of mass destruction. "The United States can no longer solely rely on a reactive posture as we have in the past," Bush wrote. "We cannot let our enemies strike first." That means taking action against hostile forces like Iraq, he said, even when multinational groups like the United Nations balk. "As a matter of common sense and self-defense, America will act against such emerging threats before they are fully formed," he wrote in "The National Military Strategy for the United States of America." "While the United States will constantly strive to enlist the support of the international community, we will not hesitate to act alone, if necessary, to exercise our right of self-defense by acting preemptively against such terrorists," he added, "to prevent them from doing harm against our people and our country." "We do not use our strength to press for unilateral advantage," he wrote. "We seek instead to create a balance of power that favors human freedom." A different enemy now: The September 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon showed the nation a different enemy and forced change on U.S. military strategy. Unlike the Soviet Union, suicidal terrorists cannot be deterred. "Enemies of the past needed great armies and great industrial capabilities to endanger America," Bush wrote. "Now, shadowy networks of individuals can bring great chaos and suffering to our shores for less than it costs to purchase a single tank." Among the goals, Bush said, is "supporting moderate and modern government, especially in the Muslim world, to ensure that the conditions and ideologies that promote terrorism do not find fertile ground in any nation."

Bush Meets With Russian Foreign Minister

Sept. 20….(Reuters) President Bush met today with Russia's foreign and defense ministers, hoping to coax Moscow into joining his campaign against Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Moscow and Washington, main players in any U.N. Security Council action against Iraq, are at odds over Iraq. Russia wants to give Saddam another chance to submit to U.N. inspectors looking for nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said yesterday that U.N. arms inspectors could "easily determine" whether or not Iraq was pursuing weapons of mass destruction. Russia has supported the Iraqi position since Saddam Hussein sent a personal letter to UN Secretary General Anan, stating that UN weapons inspectors may return on one condition, namely that inspections be limited to military sites. Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji, whose country also has a Security Council veto, said on Friday that Iraq should let weapons inspectors in without conditions, but gave no hint about China's attitude toward a new Security Council resolution.

Bush and Russian Leaders Discuss Iraq

Sept. 20….(AP) President Bush met today with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, center, and Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov, left foreground, in the Oval Office. Bush is hoping to win Russian backing for a U.N. resolution on Iraq and is aggressively courting Russia's foreign and defense ministers at intimate meetings with his top aides and in some personal face to face meetings in the Oval Office. President Bush long is also expected to discuss implementation of a landmark treaty cutting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals. Russia, a key member of the UN Security Council is considering support for Iraq in the event that Iraq has invited weapons inspectors to return to complete the UN sanctioned inspections. Russia may seek a trade-off on the Iraq question, as Russia has strategic problems of its own in Chechnya. Russia is also invested deeply into Iraq oil development.

Rumsfeld to Israel: Don't Retaliate to Iraqi Attack

Sept. 20….(Jerusalem Post) US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has urged Israel not to respond militarily to an Iraqi strike, saying in a rare public statement on the issue, it would be in Israel's "best interests" not to get involved. During a hearing on Wednesday in the House Armed Services Committee, Representative Joel Hefley (R-Colorado) commented, "If we attack Saddam, he showed in the Persian Gulf War that he'll send missiles to Israel. If he sends dirty bombs to Israel, I don't think we can restrain Israel this time." (Israel has publicly stated that it will defend itself this time) Rumsfeld responded by saying that there is no question that Iraq's neighbors will be "vulnerable," but "there's also no doubt in my mind but that it would be in Israel's overwhelming best interests not to get involved." Until now, senior US officials have largely avoided public statements on the question of Israel's involvement in the potential war. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and other senior Israeli officials, fearing that the power of the threat of Israeli reprisal was eroded by the lack of response to Iraqi Scud missiles in 1991, have pledged that Israel will respond this time to any Iraqi attack. Israel has won assurances from the Bush administration that it will receive adequate advance warning of any US military offensive.

Syria More Dangerous than Iraq!

Sept. 20….(CBN) Syria has long been considered one of the top sources of terrorist activity in the world. And CBN News has obtained new evidence that shows Syria is expanding its military capabilities as well. President Bush put rogue states on notice. "Any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime," Bush said in September of last year. In January of this year he said, "We must prevent the terrorist regimes who seek chemical, biologic or nuclear weapons." If it wanted to, Syria could offer the council some interesting intelligence on international security, since Damascus hosts many of the world's worst terrorist groups. Ten are Palestinian groups like Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who are arming suicide bombers in Israel. Others are Lebanese groups like Hezbollah and Amal, who have been attacking Israel's northern border and have kidnapped or killed scores of Americans. Despite that, Syria never made it into the President's "Axis of Evil." But Syria continues to work against American and Israeli interests. Syrian leader Bashar Assad claims Israel commits terrorism, while at the same time, calling the Palestinian murder of Israeli women and children a "legitimate right." The Syrian foreign minister said publicly at the United Nations that, "We support the Palestinian Intifada morally and financially." And on Iraq, Syrian President Assad is working to sabotage U.S. efforts to build an Arab coalition against Saddam, calling instead for Arab solidarity against Washington. Assad has been touring Arab nations to boost that solidarity and to reject what he calls American blackmail and threats against Baghdad. The U.S. Congress considers Syria to be a serious problem, but the Bush administration wants Congress to lay off efforts to intervene. Congress is considering a bill that would place sanctions on Syria for sponsoring terrorism, and also for occupying Lebanon and persecuting Christians in that tiny Middle Eastern country. The bill's sponsor, House Majority Leader Dick Armey, says Syria must foster security instead of terrorism. "The U.S. National Commission on Terrorism reported last year that the Syrian government 'still provides terrorists with safe haven, allows them to operate over a dozen terrorist training camps in the Syrian-controlled Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, and permits the Iranian government to re-supply these camps,'" Armey said. The Bush administration opposes the congressional bill because it says Syria has provided critical intelligence on Al Qaeda.

Saddam Hussein: President Bush Seeks World Control

Sept. 20….(UPI) Iraqi President Saddam Hussein Thursday denied his country had rejected "unjust" U.N. Security Council resolutions for 12 years, but said it was instead "confronting evil" in the form of the U.S. quest to control Middle East oil and the world. Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly, said: "I was instructed by the president to convey to you, in the allotted time, excerpts of a letter he addressed to the General Assembly" and devoted about the next 15 minutes to the letter.

"By confronting evil for 12 years now, Iraq has not been only defending its own patriotism, but rather it acted as if it were defending your own patriotism," Saddam said in the excerpts read by Sabri, referring to the sanctions regime and the inspections for weapons of mass destruction Baghdad has resisted. "It has been acting on your behalf without being assigned to do so. "In targeting Iraq, the United States administration is acting on behalf of Zionism which has been killing the heroic people of Palestine," Saddam said. "The U.S. administration wants to destroy Iraq in order to control the Middle East oil, and consequently control the politics as well as the oil and economic policies of the whole world. "If it succeeded, God forbid, it would dictate on you what each country needs for its economic development, what quantities of oil it is allowed to buy and at what prices, along with other conditions," the Iraqi president told the assembly's annual debate, through Sabri. Saddam called U.S. President George W. Bush's speech to the world body last Thursday "noisy propaganda" that was a "narrow minded view" of the security problems suffered since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. However, Saddam called it "a good sign that the United States has resorted, for the first time after the end of the Cold War, to the General Assembly to put forward one of its problems, after years of disregard to the weight, effect and opinion of others." He also criticized Bush for delivering a poorly organized speech and having "jumped to the issue of Iraq without any introduction or acceptable progression." He said that when the Bush administration realized Washington should seek the backing of the international community before attacking Iraq and that "the world did not believe the lies it tried to propagate to link Iraq to the September events, it changed the issue and began to shed crocodile tears on international law and the necessity to comply with the resolutions of international legitimacy, saying that Iraq is not complying with Security Council resolutions, especially with regard to U.N. inspectors." On Monday, Sabri sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan saying Baghdad would accept the international inspectors back "without condition." However, after a meeting with Annan Wednesday, Sabri said he had asked Annan to ensure the inspectors respect Iraqi sovereignty and security, a theme repeated in the letter excerpts he read to the assembly Thursday. In the past, these have been words Baghdad has used to invoke its right to bar U.N. inspectors entering certain areas, such as "presidential sites," of which there are scores that cover many acres both within and outside the capital city.

CIA Training Palestinian Terrorists

Sept. 19….(Prophecy Update) The United States, in its blind ambition to help establish a democratic state for Palestine has launched a training program for Palestinian security officers that is in essence a training facility for Palestinian terrorism. The PA police force is receiving training in security tactics from the CIA. Israel has objected to the participation of at least 100 PA security officers enrolled in the course. Israel has information that the officers have been involved in terror attacks on Israeli civilians. Yasser Arafat has threatened to ban PA participation in the training course, and cease governmental reform unless he can choose the officers involved. The two-week CIA course will basically teach PLO terrorists how to be more deadly in their sniper fire, more destructive with explosives and more effective in their interrogation and torture techniques.

IDF Enters Arafat's Ramallah Compound

Sept. 19….bulletin 2:30pm(Jerusalem Post) IDF tanks entered Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's headquarters compound on Thursday, after a suicide bomber blew himself up on a Tel Aviv bus. An official inside the compound said the IDF tanks had advanced to the area of a helicopter landing pad outside Arafat's office building. Arafat's office is in a central section of a large building, protected by piles of sandbags. Israel has held Ramallah under siege for most of the year, with tanks breaking into the city-block-sized compound several times, destroying some of the buildings. Arafat has been confined to the building most of the time since last December. The incursion came as Israel's Cabinet met in special session to consider a response to the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, the second such attack in Israel in two days after a six-week lull. Hardline Israeli Cabinet ministers have called for expulsion of Arafat from the West Bank. Only time will tell if that becomes a reality.

UN May Upset Bush's War Plans

Sept. 19….(FOJ) The United Nations looks to be more and more likely to throw into disarray America's war plans on Iraq by introducing a timetable for weapons inspections that could give Saddam Hussein a breathing space of almost 12 months. The extended timetable, which would allow the inspectors first to deploy in Iraq and then to begin and complete their complicated mission, could exhaust the patience of Washington, and leaving Saddam deciding when and where inspections occur. And considering the makeup of the membership of the Security Council, that may be the intent. Russia, China, and France oppose any military action against Iraq.

Another Suicide Bomb Downtown Tel Aviv

Sept. 19….(Ha Aretz) At least six people were killed and close to 60 injured, some of them seriously, when another suicide bomber exploded himself on a bus travelling on Tel Aviv's Allenby Street today. It was the second such attack in two days. The blast went off during lunch hour while the bus was driving on Allenby Street, in the heart of a crowded restaurant and business district. One witness said he saw bodies being hurled from the bus. "There were arms and legs on the ground. It was absolute horror," said Shmuel Salomon, who owns a restaurant in the area. Both the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, the Al Quds Brigades, and the Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas leader said he did not know who was behind the attack but said that he welcomed it. "The Zionists are paying for the crimes and terrorism of their leaders and they should know that we are the real owners of this land and we would never give it up," he said.

FOJ Note: Please take note of the sudden rise in suicide attacks in Israel just as the US is lobbying the UN for action against Iraq. Yasser Arafat supported Saddam Hussein in 1991, and will support him now!

Russia Sells Missiles to Sudan, Syria, Libya

Sept. 19….(World Net) The United States has concluded that Russia is continuing to sell missiles and rocket-propelled grenades to such countries as Libya, Sudan and Syria. The State Department has identified a series of state-owned Russian companies as selling the weapons to the three Arab countries over the last two years. U.S. officials said the Moscow government ignored repeated warnings to halt the sales of the conventional weapons. Officials said Tula Design Bureau of Instrument Building sold anti-aircraft and anti-tank missiles to Libya, Sudan and Syria. The State Scientific Production Enterprise Bazalt exported grenades. Another company cited was Rostov Airframe Plant 168. Last week, the State Department announced sanctions on the three Russian companies but avoided penalties on the Russian government. Under the sanctions, the three firms will not be able to trade with the United States. Industry sources said the sanctions will have no affect on the activities. Libya, Sudan and Syria are among the seven countries that the United States has designated as state sponsors of terrorism. The others on the State Department list are Cuba, Iran, Iraq and North Korea.

FOJ Note: Russia continues to supply and arm the Axis of Evil, and the very nations that the Bible indicates will join Russia in an assault on Israel in the Last Days.

Pope John Paul: Give Saddam a Chance

Sept. 19….(FOJ) Pope John Paul II stepped into the debate over Iraq, and the potential war with America. Saddam's offer to allow weapons inspectors to return to Iraq seems to satisfy the Pope. John Paul hailed the "goodwill" of Saddam and urged world leaders to listen to the Iraqi leader.

US Congress Will Pass Resolution on Iraq

Sept. 18….(AP) President Bush taken aback by Iraq's offer to let U.N. arms inspectors return with the condition that inspections be limited to military sites sought congressional leaders pledges to pass a resolution soon backing tough action against Baghdad. Congressional leaders pledged to pass a resolution soon backing tough action against Baghdad. Washington wants the Security Council to give the inspectors stronger powers than in the 1990s, when they complained that the Iraqis hindered and deceived them in their search for weapons of mass destruction. Iraq accused them of spying for Washington. On Tuesday the UN Security Council was split between governments which wanted to accept the Iraqi offer, and the US position. Words of welcome for the Iraqi decision came on Wednesday from Pope John Paul, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Iraq's neighbors Iran and Syria, all expressing the hope that Baghdad's action had removed the risk of conflict. A front-page editorial in the official Syrian daily Tishreen said the Iraqi move "has cut off the road ahead of those hotheads in the United States who are planning to drown the region in blood and destruction." Many Arabs complain of what they see as U.S. hypocrisy in enforcing Iraqi compliance with U.N. resolutions while failing to implement Security Council decisions on Israel's military occupation of Arab land.


President George W. Bush met in the Oval Office September 18, 2002 with: Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, Vice President Dick Cheney, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, and House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt.


Israel Favors Action Against Saddam

Sept. 18….(FOJ) As America's forlornly searches for allies in its war against Saddam Hussein, one nation seems to have been taken for granted and scarcely noted, but yet has leant its unconditional support to an attack on Iraq. That nation is the nation of Israel. While the rest of the world debates the wisdom of a U.S. attack on Iraq, Israel has no need of a debate. Ironically enough, the consequences of an American assault on Iraq holds far more repercussions for Israel than any other nation in the world. Logic would seem to indicate that Israel would be more nervous about a war in Iraq than anybody else. Iraq and Iran have pledged to wreak havoc on Israel if America chases the ghosts of international terrorism to their borders. Saddam Husssein hints that he will seek the destruction of Israel if America comes calling against him. Yet, Israel remains firmly entrenched in supporting America in the removal of Saddam. That begs the question: If Israel, which will almost certainly be attacked by Iraq favors American intervention, why is the rest of the world so reluctant to confront Iraq and terror? The answer of course is that the whole world, except for America simply doesn't care if Israel is wiped off the face of the earth.

Suicide Bombing in North Israel

Sept. 18….(Jerusalem Post) Yet another Palestinian suicide bomber has blown himself up this afternoon at a busy intersection outside the Israeli-Arab city of Umm el Fahm, killing 1 person and wounding 3 others. It was the first suicide attack in Israel in six weeks. The blast went off during afternoon rush hour on the Wadi Ara Highway, outside Umm el-Fahm. The bomber detonated his explosives while standing on the highway, after police approached him because he was suspiciously weaving between trucks on foot. A passerby said the body of the terrorist was simply cut in two. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office, said that "Palestinian terrorists have once again set out on a bloodletting of the Israeli public." It was the first suicide attack since Aug. 4th.

Nukes Missing From Ukraine

Sept. 18….(UPI) Two hundred nuclear warheads have gone missing in a country suspected of selling high tech arms to Iraq. This terrifying revelation will certainly heighten fears that Saddam Hussein could be just one step away from having all the ingredients of an atomic bomb. The warheads, which were reported to have vanished from the former Soviet republic of Ukraine, contain enough highly-radioactive plutonium to destroy every capital in Europe and North America several times over. An opposition leader in Ukraine, which has a long history of selling radioactive materials, said that allegations of missing warheads had been confirmed in an investigation by the chaotic country's parliament. Both Iraq and Osama Bin Laden's Al Qaeda network are known to have tried to obtain atomic bomb components from Ukraine.

US, Russia, EU, UN Promise a Palestinian State

Sept. 18….(World Watch) The United States and its key global partners in Middle East peacemaking agreed Tuesday to try to establish a provisional Palestinian state by next year. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan cautioned that in proposing a "road map" to settlement of more than a half-century of conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors, the leaders based their goal on hope as well as security. Secretary of State Colin Powell, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller of Denmark and other European Union leaders joined Annan in an agreement on a three-stage "roadmap" to achieving peace in the Middle East, including a declaration of Palestinian statehood with provisional borders by 2003. After holding closed-door talks Tuesday morning, Quartet leaders US Secretary of State Colin Powell, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, EU representative Danish Foreign Minister Per Stig Moeller, and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov announced plans to implement a permanent peace plan in the Middle East by 2005. After their initial meeting yesterday, the Quartet also met with foreign ministers from Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The plan outlined in the communique has three phases, with the aim of a final settlement between Israel and the Palestinians by 2005. According to the Quartet plan, the first phase includes Palestinian security reform under US and regional auspices; an Israeli military withdrawal to positions held in September, 2000; and support for "free, fair, and credible elections early next year" in Palestinian areas. The second phase, which is scheduled to begin in mid-2003, "should focus on the option of creating a Palestinian state with provisional borders and based on a new constitution," said Annan. The final phase, to be implemented from 2004 to mid-2005, includes permanent status talks and a final peace agreement between the two sides.

Saddam Attaches Conditions to Inspections

Sept. 17....(FOJ)Saddam Hussein's dramatic promise to allow unfettered weapons inspections turned out to have strings attached. Iraq made a surprise offer late last night to provide "unconditional access" to United Nations inspectors, raising hopes of a peaceful outcome to the Gulf crisis. But today it emerged that the offer only applied to military bases,which could let Saddam hide chemical and biological arms stockpiles elsewhere.

An Arab League spokesman said only military sites were covered because it would take 10 years for inspectors to examine civilian buildings, which would divert the UN's attention from making Iraq obey its resolutions. "If the US really wants to resolve this dispute it will welcome Saddam's offer," he added. A senior European Union official implied that the US was now out of line with Saddam's offer, saying: " The question now is whether the Americans will take 'yes' for an answer."

The UN “Security” Council

Sept. 17….(FOJ) The United States is presently taking its complaints against Saddam Hussein before the UN Security Council. Barring a veto from among the 5 permanent members of that body, (Russia, China, France, Great Britain, and the USA) America will likely proceed with its war on Saddam. The UN Security Council has primary responsibility under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of “international peace and security”. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters. There are presently 5 permanent veto-wielding members on the council with 10 rotating members. Recently the UN has begun discussion on the matter of expanding the Security Council from 5 permanent members to 10. Could the UN Security Council develop into the mechanism whereby the 10 Kings of Revelation 17:12 and Daniel 2:41-42 will eventually submit their authority for world security unto the Antichrist? We know from Daniel's prophecy that the makeup of this structure is partly iron (dictatorships) and partly clay. (democracies) Daniel further informs us that this conglomerate of kingdoms will not “cleave” to each other, and that three of the 10 will be subdued in some kind of action. When we envision the prophecy of II Thessalonians 5 that Israel will be “guaranteed security” by this Last Days apparatus, we may find that we are already staring it in the face. The ongoing power-struggle within the Security Council regarding terrorism and oil access would seem to fit that scenario, especially in light of the current situation in the Middle East.

Under the Charter, the functions and powers of the Security Council are:

1. to maintain international peace and security in accordance with the principles and purposes of the United Nations;

2. to investigate any dispute or situation which might lead to international friction;

3. to recommend methods of adjusting such disputes or the terms of settlement;

4. to formulate plans for the establishment of a system to regulate armaments;

5. to determine the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression and to recommend what action should be taken;

6. to call on Members to apply economic sanctions and other measures not involving the use of force to prevent or stop aggression;

7. to take military action against an aggressor;

8. to recommend the admission of new Members;

9. to exercise the trusteeship functions of the United Nations in "strategic areas";

10. to recommend to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary General and, together with the Assembly, to elect the Judges of the International Court of Justice.

Palestinians Questioning Arafat's Leadership?

Sept. 17….(Jerusalem Post) Many Palestinians say they no longer are willing to put up with Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's absolute rule. The swing in public sentiment is a turning point in the history of a people largely shaped by one man. An August poll suggests that a large majority of Palestinians, as much as 69 percent want a Prime Minister, while as many as 44% want to retain Arafat as a public figurehead. Just a year ago, any talk about Arafat relinquishing some power would have been inconceivable and treasonous. It is thought that the ultimatum issued to the Palestinians in June by US President George W. Bush replace Arafat or forget about statehood seems to have had an effect. The consensus issue among Arafat critics is that he runs official corruption, which many say Arafat condones as a way of maintaining control.

Iraq Stalling for Time?

Sept. 17….(NY Post) U.S. intelligence officials fear that Saddam Hussein may have concocted a doomsday plan that would use the Al Qaeda terror network to attack America with Iraqi-provided biological weapons. Such weapons could include easily involve concealed briefcase bio-bombs. Saddam could provide al Qaeda or other terror groups with easy-to-conceal biological agents that could be smuggled into U.S. and Israeli cities. Officials believe Saddam is treading carefully, trying to beat back the Bush administration's "regime change" policy through the United Nations and trying to deny the United States a pretext to invade. Furthermore, Iraq could produce nuclear weapons within months using pirated German equipment and uranium smuggled from Brazil, according to a dissident Iraqi nuclear scientist, Dr Khidir Hamza. Dr. Hamza who was science adviser to the Atomic Energy Establishment and later helped to start and direct Iraq's nuclear bomb programme before he defected in 1994, claims that Saddam could be in a position to make three nuclear weapons within the next few months, if he has not already done so. Dr Hamza gave warning that UN inspectors would be useless because even if they were given “unfettered access” because they would find it far more difficult than before to detect the nuclear assembly line. “The beauty of the present system is that the units are each very small and in the four years since the inspectors left they will have been concealed underground or in basements or buildings that outwardly seem normal

Iraq Agrees to Weapons Inspections

Sept. 17….(CNN) In a letter handed over to the United Nations on Monday, Iraq said it would allow the return of U.N. weapons inspectors "without conditions" to "remove any doubts Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction." "The Government of the Republic of Iraq is ready to discuss the practical arrangements necessary for the immediate resumption of inspections," Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri wrote. Sabri hand-delivered the letter in a meeting Monday evening with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Amr Moussa, the secretary-general of the Arab League. I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions," the letter said. "The Government of the Republic of Iraq has based its decision concerning the return of inspectors on its desire to complete the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and to remove any doubts that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction."

Aziz: US has no Reason for War

Sept. 17….(Reuters) Iraq said Tuesday it had robbed the United States of any reason to wage war by agreeing to re-admit U.N. arms inspectors but U.S. and British officials were deeply skeptical about the move. Iraq said the decision to let U.N. inspectors resume their hunt for weapons of mass destruction, suspended in 1998, should stop any U.S. plans for an assault on the oil rich Gulf state. "All the reasons for an attack have been eliminated," Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said in Baghdad. But a senior U.S. official called Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a "proven liar" and said the latest twist was not enough to get him off the hook. And Britain, Washington's main ally, warned against letting Saddam ridicule the world community again by playing diplomatic games. When U.N. inspectors began their search in Iraq for weapons of mass destruction -- chemical, biological and nuclear -- after the 1991 Gulf war, Baghdad was accused repeatedly of adopting "cheat and retreat" tactics, thwarting the inspectors' work. Most Arabs welcomed the Iraqi move, but hopes of averting a war were tempered by fears that it was a foregone conclusion. "This is the beginning of a process of easing the tensions," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher said. Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who has said a U.S. strike would "open the gates of hell" in the Middle East, also welcomed Iraq's decision. Aziz said Iraq was ready to work out an inspection plan with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and said the U.S. and British response had revealed their "true (negative) intentions toward Baghdad." "The United States has no pretexts or genuine reasons to justify its aggression against Iraq," he said, accusing the two nations of coveting Iraq's oil wealth and seeking to divide the Middle East.

Moscow Planned Nuclear Strike on Israel in 1967

Sept. 16….(Rapture Ready) Russia had planned a nuclear strike on Israel during the six-day Arab-Israeli war in the Middle East in 1967 in anticipation of the landing of US troops on Syrian coast. The Soviet submarine K-172 under the command of Nikolai Shashkov, armed with nuclear missiles was at that moment in the Bay of Sidra and had orders to surface and strike at the Israeli coast if Americans landed troops on the Syrian shores. Former Soviet Navy Captain Nikolai Cherkashin says the K-172 submarine had eight nuclear missiles on board, which would have completely destroyed the tate of Israel, he said. Cherkashin is author of the book about the Captain of K-172, "The Man Who Was to Liquidate Israel".

FOJ Note: Amazing how history and current events are pointing inevitably to a cataclysmic confrontation in the Middle East. Bible prophecy foretells that Russia will indeed invade Israel in the Last Days.

Arab Trade With U.S. Drops By 26%

Sept. 16….(Middle East News Line) The United States reports a sharp drop in trade with Arab states since the Al Qaida suicide attacks on New York and Washington more than a year ago. Officials said much of the drop in trade was the result of rising anti-American sentiment in the Middle East over the past year. This included a boycott in such countries as Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Deputy Assistant Commerce Secretary Molly Williamson said U.S. trade with the Middle East has dropped by between 20 and 26 percent over the last year. She said U.S. trade with the Middle East prior to Sept. 11, 2001 was $65 billion. "It would be irresponsible to say there was no impact on trade relations between the United States and the region as a result of Sept. 11". "The impact has been profound."

The New World Religion Forming?

Sept. 16….(Harpazo) Millions of Americans were justifiably shocked and outraged over the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals' notorious ruling on the Pledge of Allegiance. "Can our courts really have sunk this low?" people asked. This ruling was a continuation of an ongoing subversive campaign aimed at expunging all mention of God and all Christian symbols from the public sphere. Judicial activists have ordered our students not to invoke the Almighty's name in prayer on school property. Posting the Ten Commandments on classroom walls is also supposedly a major no-no. Traditional Christmas carols with religious themes are out, as are Nativity scenes. Christmas and Easter vacations have been de-Christianized to, respectively, winter and spring breaks. Many textbooks have dropped the traditional "Christocentric" dating system of B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini, In the Year of Our Lord) in favor of B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era). Many Christians concerned about this trend are looking hopefully to the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the 9th Circuit's ruling, as it has done with some of that court's previous radical rulings. Even if that were to happen, developments at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (also known as Earth Summit II) could ultimately undo any Supreme Court reversal. If the Earth Summiteers have their way, American kids will no longer be able to pledge allegiance to "one nation, under God," but they will be able to pledge to "One World, under Gaia," that is, Mother Earth. (Queen of Heaven) They could soon be bowing before the pagan "Ark of Hope," and reverently intoning the text of the new UN Earth Charter. California's 9th Circuit Court Judge J. Clifford Wallace was among the jurists attending the Johannesburg Summit's Global Judges Symposium. That meeting was hosted by several Globalist institutions with a pronounced hostility toward the United States. The participants pledged to "apply new legal instruments in keeping with the principles of “sustainable development," and the international "Rule of Law." One of the documents designed to advance this process, the long-awaited Earth Charter, was formally unveiled to the world at the Johannesburg summit.

The Reason America is on Alert!

Sept. 16….(Debka) US President George W. Bush and his top military and intelligence advisers are clearly convinced by the evidence in their hands that America faces an existential peril. One piece of evidence is the solid intelligence the FBI is holding that 40 al Qaeda men are heading for the United States by ship bearing weapons of mass destruction. US federal agencies have been haunted by the seemingly phantom group ever since they were tipped-off last May that Osama bin Laden's men was aiming for Santa Catalina, an island 35 km south of Los Angeles. The group may have already stolen into the country or changed direction for another port. The fear of unconventional weapons of terror stealing into America is only one element of the sense of encompassing peril in store. A nightmarish standoff of the type familiar to movie thriller fans has certainly entered the minds of Washington's decision-makers. It goes something like this: One morning, a spokesman of the ruling Iraqi Baath Revolutionary Council issues a statement: Iraqi secret agents are in place at two or three key centers in America, or strategic locations in America, Britain and Israel, armed with suitcases containing nuclear devices or deadly viruses, smallpox, anthrax etc. Then comes the ultimatum: Bush is given 12 or 24 hours to go public before the UN General Assembly and revoke his war plans for Iraq, or else an irreversible order goes out to the agents to release the suitcases' deadly contents. Hard intelligence data reaching Washington raises the distinct possibility of Iraqi agents, or Iraq-trained Palestinian terrorists, being concealed somewhere on the West Bank or hiding in an Israeli Arab community, armed with exactly such suitcases. Their penetration and concealment will have been facilitated by Yasser Arafat and his Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. The Bush administration fully acknowledges that America is in grave existential peril, even without facing a potential Iraqi military invasion. President Bush greatly fears that an American move against Iraq will compel the Arab world to gang up on Israel. There is a lot of nervousness in Washington over the association Saddam Hussein and Yasser Arafat have developed and that together with the Syrian Hezbollah they will use their weapons of mass destruction to threaten Israel as much as America.

Iraq May use Planes Against Israel

Sept. 16….(Ha Aretz) Western intelligence analysts say that Iraq has readied a number of its long-range conventional aircraft for "one-way missions," carrying non-conventional payloads and targeting cities in Israel. According to the analysts, the Iraqi air force has managed to prepare a number of its Soviet-made Tupolev-16 and Sukhoi-25 aircraft for suicide missions against Israel, which would be equipped with a "dirty bomb" (radiological weapon) as a possible payload. The passenger planes equipped with dirty bombs would employ trained suicide pilots as did the attacks on America. British and American troops have already been deployed in western Iraq, in order to prevent such an attack on Israel, in the event that America launches its anticipated campaign to oust Hussein.

In Iraqi War Scenario, Oil Is Key Issue

Sept. 16….(Washington Post) A U.S.-led ouster of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein could open a bonanza for American oil companies long banished from Iraq, scuttling oil deals between Baghdad and Russia, France and other countries, and reshuffling world petroleum markets, according to industry officials and leaders of the Iraqi opposition. Although senior Bush administration officials say they have not begun to focus on the issues involving oil and Iraq, American and foreign oil companies have already begun maneuvering for a stake in the country's huge proven reserves of 112 billion barrels of crude oil, the largest in the world outside Saudi Arabia. The importance of Iraq's oil has made it potentially one of the administration's biggest bargaining chips in negotiations to win backing from the U.N. Security Council and Western allies for President Bush's call for tough international action against Hussein. All five permanent members of the Security Council, the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China have international oil companies with major stakes in a change of leadership in Baghdad. France and Russia have oil companies and interests in Iraq. Indeed, the mere prospect of a new Iraqi government has fanned concerns by non-American oil companies that they will be excluded by the United States, which almost certainly would be the dominant foreign power in Iraq in the aftermath of Hussein's fall. Representatives of many foreign oil concerns have been meeting with leaders of the Iraqi opposition to make their case for a future stake and to sound them out about their intentions. Since the Persian Gulf War in 1991, companies from more than a dozen nations, including France, Russia, China, India, Italy, Vietnam and Algeria, have either reached or sought to reach agreements in principle to develop Iraqi oil fields, refurbish existing facilities or explore undeveloped tracts. Most of the deals are on hold until the lifting of U.N. sanctions. While the Bush administration's campaign against Hussein is presenting vast possibilities for multinational oil giants, it poses major risks and uncertainties for the global oil market, according to industry analysts. Access to Iraqi oil and profits will depend on the nature and intentions of a new government. Whether Iraq remains a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, for example, or seeks an independent role, free of the OPEC cartel's quotas, will have an impact on oil prices and the flow of investments to competitors such as Russia, Venezuela and Angola. Russian oil companies such as Lukoil have a major financial interest in developing Iraqi fields, the low prices that could result from a flood of Iraqi oil into world markets could set back Russian government efforts to attract foreign investment in its untapped domestic fields. That is because low world oil prices could make costly ventures to unlock Siberia's oil treasures far less appealing. The “Future of Iraq Group”, a task force set up at the State Department will meet in early October with U.S. and Russian at an energy summit in Houston, at which more than 100 Russian and American energy companies are expected to attend. Russia carries a $8 billion debt that Iraq ran up with Moscow before the Gulf War. The Houston ummit may determine whether or not Putin will support U.S. action in Iraq depending on if he can get private assurances from Bush that Russia "will be made whole" financially. Although the volumes have dwindled in recent months, the United States was importing nearly 1 million barrels of Iraqi oil a day at the start of the year. Even so, American oil companies have been banished from direct involvement in Iraq since the late 1980s, when relations soured between Washington and Baghdad. Hussein in the 1990s turned to non-American companies to repair fields damaged in the Gulf War and Iraq's earlier war against Iran, and to tap undeveloped reserves, but U.S. government studies say the results have been disappointing. While Russia's Lukoil negotiated a $4 billion deal in 1997 to develop the 15-billion-barrel West Qurna field in southern Iraq, Lukoil had not commenced work because of U.N. sanctions. Iraq has threatened to void the agreement unless work began immediately. Last October, the Russian oil services company Slavneft reportedly signed a $52 million service contract to drill at the Tuba field, also in southern Iraq. A proposed $40 billion Iraqi-Russian economic agreement also reportedly includes opportunities for Russian companies to explore for oil in Iraq's western desert. The French company Total Fina Elf has negotiated for rights to develop the huge Majnoon field, near the Iranian border, which may contain up to 30 billion barrels of oil. But in July 2001, Iraq announced it would no longer give French firms priority in the award of such contracts because of its decision to abide by the sanctions.

The removal of Saddam Hussein and the end of sanctions that likely would come his ouster, portends that oil companies such as ExxonMobil and ChevronTexaco as well as Russian, Chinese, and French companies would seek to develop the lucrative Iraqi reserves. "There's not an oil company out there that wouldn't be interested in Iraq," one analyst said.

Iran and Syria Say Israel at Root of Mideast Tension

Sept. 16….(Ha Aretz) A military attack against Iraq will solve none of the Middle East's problems because Israel, and not Iraq is the main cause of the current tensions in the region, Iran's official news agency IRNA states. Kamal Kharrazi, speaking to German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said the current tensions in the Middle East had their root in U.S. support for Israeli repression of Palestinians. The Iranian position is that the global campaign against terrorism should be focused on terminating its roots which lie in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he said. "The American strategy in this regard is totally illogical and a military attack will not only solve none of the problems but rather escalate tensions in the region," Kharrazi added. Instead of attacking Iraq, the rights of the Palestinians should be upheld, Kharrazi said. Meanwhile, Iran on Friday called accusations made by U.S. President George W. Bush against Iraq, including the possession of chemical weapons, "nothing new." "Iran had issued the same warnings long before Mr. Bush did," former President Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani said during a Friday prayer service in Teheran. Iran was a victim of Iraqi chemical weapons attacks during the final phase of the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. More than 14 years after the UN brokered cease-fire, Iranian soldiers and civilians are still dying from the effects of those attacks, Iran claims. Syria said on Sunday "blind bias" was behind threats against Iraq at a time when Israel violates UN resolutions, possesses nuclear weapons and uses U.S. weapons against Palestinians under occupation. "Why should the world request Iraq to adhere to Security Council resolutions, while Israel is allowed to be above international law?" Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq Shara told the UN General Assembly in New York. "We see no justification for igniting a new war in the Middle East. We strongly believe that striking Iraq, which no longer occupies the lands of others, while keeping silent about the Israeli occupation represents blind bias and a distorted vision of the real situation," he added. U.S. President George W. Bush told the United Nations last week that it must enforce UN resolutions against Iraq or unspecified action would be unavoidable. U.S. officials say ousting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is the best solution. Arab countries say they oppose the use of force against Iraq but Shara's speech was the strongest statement in New York so far of the Arab view that U.S. policies towards Iraq and Israel, a U.S. ally, show a double standard. Shara said the world was in a state of confusion and tension because of "an increasing tendency towards practices that are characterized by unilateralism and an appetite for hegemony over the fortunes of others," a reference to the role of the United States as the most powerful country. But he confined direct criticism of Washington to its refusal to stop giving Israel arms used against Palestinians. "It is indeed odd that the United States considers Israel acting in self-defense in occupied territories that are acknowledged to be occupied by Security Council resolutions which the United States played a role in drafting," he added. Washington's main argument against Iraq is that it is developing weapons of mass destruction and may hand them over to extremists for use against the United States. But Shara said: "It is regrettable that some parties only focus on certain Arab or Muslim countries, ignoring in the meantime the nuclear arsenal that Israel possesses."

Israel is reported to have 200 nuclear warheads but Israeli officials refuse to confirm or deny their existence. Syria repeated an Arab offer to make the Middle East a region free of weapons of mass destruction, provided that Israel also agrees and opens its nuclear plants to inspection. Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Mubarak al-Khalifa later joined the call for inspections in Israel. "We call upon the United Nations to press Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty.”

Tareq Aziz: Iraq Will "Teach US Lesson" If Attacked

Sept. 14 (Arabic Foreign Press) Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said Baghdad would "teach (the Americans) a lesson" if they attacked and Iraq did not accept the conditions spelled out by US President George W. Bush in his UN speech. But Aziz, in remarks to Dubai-based Saudi MBC television, excerpts of which were made available to AFP ahead of broadcast at 1500 GMT, said the Iraqi leadership had yet to formulate Baghdad's "final positions" on the current standoff over its alleged pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. "Iraq does not accept Bush's conditions. He wants to control Iraq, he wants Iraq's oil, he wants to protect Israel," Aziz charged on Friday. However, he added that he would not spell out Iraq's "final positions" on the current standoff, since "Iraq has a leadership that meets and decides" policies.

US and UN Diplomatically Dueling over Iraq

Sept. 13….(AP) President Bush, and Secretary of State Colin Powell met with Central African leaders at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York today. President Bush told reporters during the meeting that he expects the United Nations to act as soon as possible on a resolution to set a firm deadline for Iraq to disarm from its programs for producing weapons of mass production. The UN has instead tried to bring the Israeli question to the forefront of the discussions on the Middle East. Iraq today said that it will not allow UN inspectors back into the country.

Iran Prepares for War with America

Sept. 13….(Geostrategy) Iran has reported that its military has drafted plans to repel any U.S. attack on the heels of a campaign against Iraq. Iranian officials said the military's plans already have undergone simulations and exercises to ensure their feasibility. They said the Iranian military has proposed coordinated efforts by its army, navy and air force to form a rapid-response unit. Iran has held a series of exercises over the last four months. Most of the exercises were held along Iran's border with Iraq. One military scenario simulated that the United States would launch an attack along the Iranian-Afghan border to flush out al-Qaida insurgents. Washington has accused Tehran of harboring hundreds of al-Qaida members who fled from Afghanistan. Some of the exercises simulated attacks using nuclear weapons against US military forces. Iran says that it is preparing its forces for warfare involving tactical nuclear weapons in the case America doesn't stop its insurgency in the Middle East with Iraq. Iranian army commander Maj. Gen. Mohammed Salimi said "The contexts of the plan to confront American threats by moving ground, air and naval forces of the army and carrying out drills, tests and war games have been prepared." "The American threat is not a new thing," Salimi said, and we must prepare to confront America.

FOJ Note: Iran is also building nuclear/wmd weapons facilities with the assistance of Russia. This scenario shows that the Russia-Persian alliance is pointing toward the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39. Added to this scenario is the announcement recently that Libya may acquire nuclear weapons before any other Arab country. ( The geo-strategical chess game going on with Iraq is small in comparison to the reality that many other Arab nations in coordination with Russia and China are also developing nuclear/WMD) programs.

U.S to Give PA Millions

Sept. 13….(FOJ) President Bush is considering granting the Palestinian Authority an extra 70 million dollars in foreign aid to repair the damages inflicted upon West Bank infrastructure during the Palestinian uprising. The U.S. already donates 100,000,000 dollars per year to the PA, as it has since the outset of the Oslo principles for peace. Never mind that most of the donated monies never serve the purpose for which it was intended, and never mind that Yasser Arafat instigated the Intifada war, and the ongoing terrorist war that resulted in the damage to Palestinian Buildings. In addition, it was reported yesterday that the U.S. and the World Bank have agreed to pay $35 million to start a new investment guarantee fund to support PA investment projects, of which the American taxpayer will fund another $20 million. All of these millions of dollars go to a corrupt government that encourages its people to support Saddam Hussein and march to chants of “death to America”. What an investment!

UN Urges Israel-Palestine Settlement before Iraq

Sept. 13….(Jerusalem Post) At the opening of the UN General Assembly Thursday, world leaders preoccupied by possible US action against Iraq, September 11, the global war on terrorism, and internal problems, still found time to weigh in on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who opened the session, described the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a prime threat to world peace, and listed the Middle East as the first of four major problem areas in the world, followed by Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Asia, where tensions are high between India and Pakistan. Urging the international community to sponsor a peace conference without delay, Annan said member states must "set out a road map of parallel steps: steps to strengthen Israel's security, steps to strengthen Palestinian economic and political institutions, and steps to settle the details of the final peace agreement." "We can reach a two-state solution only if we move rapidly and in parallel on all fronts. By listing the Middle East first on his list, Annan appeared to be endorsing the view held by Arab and most European leaders that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should be solved before the world moves against Iraq. Israeli and US leaders argue that ousting Saddam Hussein's dictatorship would hasten democracy in the Middle East; at the very least, it would cut off Palestinian terrorists from a major sponsor. Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush devoted just one paragraph to the Middle East in his 25-minute speech at the UN yesterday, essentially reiterating a June 24 speech given in Washington in which he expressed his disappointment with the Palestinian Authority and urged the Palestinian people to elect a new, democratic leadership. "In the Middle East, there can be no peace for either side without freedom for both sides," Bush said. "America stands committed to an independent and democratic Palestine, living side by side with Israel in peace and security. Like all other people, Palestinians deserve a government that serves their interests and listens to their voices. My nation will continue to encourage all parties to step up to their responsibilities as we seek a just and comprehensive settlement to the conflict," he said. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who is slated to address the assembly next week, said in a statement after the speech that he agreed with Bush's vision of a two-state solution. He also welcomed Bush's emphasis on Iraq's threat to world order, noting that Israel has already been attacked by Saddam Hussein.

UN Security Council Next Battleground in Iraq

Sept. 12….(Worthy News) As President Bush takes his case against Sadam Hussien before the UN General Assembly today, Great Britain and the United States stand in a position to muster enough votes to deliver a United Nations ultimatum to Iraq, provided that they can convince Russia not to veto such a move. Britain is expected to sponsor a Security Council resolution as early as next week giving Iraq a four to six-week deadline to readmit weapons inspectors. But first President Bush will make his case at the opening of the annual UN General Assembly on Thursday, challenging the world body to take decisive action to prevent Iraq acquiring weapons of mass destruction.

The nations on which the vote will depend:

The Security Council comprises five veto-wielding permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected for a two-year term. A resolution must get nine positive votes and no vetos to pass into international law.

Permanent members:

United States: Main proponent of the need for military force

United Kingdom: Likely to sponsor an Iraq resolution

France: President Chirac proposes a two-step approach, with a first resolution giving Iraq a three-week deadline to readmit inspectors, to be followed by a second resolution, if necessary, authorising military force

Russia: The single most important vote. The United States and Britain must persuade Russia, a firm opponent of military action, not to use its veto to block a resolution

China: Considered likely to abstain because it rarely makes use of its veto power on issues that do not directly involve its national interests. President Bush meets President Jiang Zemin in Texas next month before the latter leaves office and the Chinese may not want to jeopardise that meeting

Non-permanent members:

Bulgaria: A European Union candidate nation that tends to vote with other EU nations

Cameroon: A poor, non-aligned African nation that has succumbed before to US pressure

Colombia: The beneficiary of a large US aid programme, with a newly elected right-wing President, is considered likely to vote with the United States

Guinea: Another African nation that may win promises of US aid in exchange for its vote

Ireland: A traditionally pro-UN nation that is expected to support a UN approach agreed by the five permanent members

Mauritius: An African nation vulnerable to pressure from the United States

Mexico: Likely to back the United States on such a high-stakes vote because of President Fox's personal friendship with President Bush

Norway: Also likely to vote for a UN approach agreed by the large powers

Singapore: Likely to vote with the majority

Syria: Almost certain to oppose a resolution that could allow US military action, because of Arab solidarity

Kofi Annan: International Parley On Mideast

Sept. 12….(Reuters) U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan challenged President Bush's policies on Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his opening address to the U.N. General Assembly today. Annan stressed that while any country had the right to fight back when attacked, only the United Nations could authorize the use of force in cases that go beyond straightforward self-defense. Kofi Annan said the war against international terrorism can only be legitimate if approved by the Security Council. Mr. Annan also said, "when one is trying to deal with a broader threat to international peace and security, there is no alternative but to go through the UN". His office took the unusual step of releasing his speech late on Wednesday, before President Bush speaks today. Anan addresses the 190-member assembly minutes before Bush speaks on Thursday morning. The United States has come under fire from many of its European and Arab allies for echoing Israel's insistence that the Palestinians must change their leaders and stop all violence before progress can be made on the Mid-east peace front. Annan, however, said a widely accepted vision of a two-state solution to the conflict, could be reached "only if we move rapidly and in parallel on all fronts." "We must return to the search for a just and comprehensive solution, which alone can bring security and prosperity to both peoples, and indeed to the whole region," Annan added. "The ultimate shape of a Middle East peace settlement is well known. It was defined long ago in Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338, and its Israeli-Palestinian components were spelt out even more clearly in Resolution 1397: land for peace; an end to terror and to occupation; two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side within secure and recognized borders.

PA Ministers Forced to Resign

Sept. 12….(FOJ) During a stormy session of the PA parliament, Yasser Arafat ordered the resignations of most of the ministers. The largely corrupt and inefficient government will continue however until new elections to be held on January 20, 2003. The controversy in the PA body arose over charges of corruption in Arafat's cabinet. With the forced resignations, Arafat maintains his original cabinet at the helm. Analysts expect that Arafat will replace the entire PA legislature with his own PLO terrorist infrastructure. The PA parliament saw 51 of its 85 members voting for democratic reforms, but the dissolution of the parliament leaves Arafat with the upper hand. Arafat ended his speech by quoting the Koran: “The downtrodden of the world will inherit the earth and rule it alone.” (a Jihadi reference to the total destruction of Israel)

Iraq: God is Punishing America!

Sept. 11….(Washington Post) Iraqi newspapers marked the anniversary of Sept. 11 with banner headlines describing the terrorist attack as "God's Punishment" against America, and ordinary Iraqis also voiced anger at a country they fear might be preparing an invasion of their country. The state-owned weekly Al-Iktisadi covered its front page Wednesday with a photograph of a burning World Trade Center tower and a two-word headline in red: "God's Punishment." Iraqi vice president threatened today to engulf the United States in a wider conflict if his country is attacked, urging Arabs outside Iraq to respond by striking at U.S. interests all over the world. "We categorically believe that the aggression on Iraq is an aggression on all the Arab nations," Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said at a news conference in the Jordanian capital, Amman. He called on "all Arab and good people to confront the interests of the aggressors, their materials and humans, wherever they are." The Iraqi official said the lesson the United States should have drawn from Sept. 11 was that its policies inspire hatred. Many Arabs have linked Sept. 11 to a sense in the Mid-east region that Washington unfairly sides with Israel and that its Iraqi policy hurts Arabs. At a rally in support of Iraq in the Gaza Strip today, Sheik Ahmed Yassin, the founder of the militant Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, accused the United States of "launching a war against Arabs and Muslims in the name of fighting terrorism. Demonstrators waved photos of the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, and vowed to help defend Iraq if it was attacked.

American Rally for Israel

Sept. 11….(FOJ) On October 11, just one month from today, Christian America will gather by the thousands in Washington D.C. to demonstrate their solidarity with the chosen nation of God. Israel stands at the forefront of the war on terrorism. Israel has fought the war on terror for over 50 years. Now, particularly since September 11th of last year, America finds itself drawn into that epic fight. Much of the world is marching to a drumbeat of hatred vented towards Israel, and because America has stood in defense of Israel, America now hears the echoes of the world's chant, “Death to America”. America and Christians in particular must stand up for Israel.

Israel Commemorates September 9-11

Sept. 11….(Jerusalem Post) Israel joined America today in commemorating the one-year mark of the terror attacks on America. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will lead the state's official ceremony at his office. Sharon shared his thoughts about last year's suicide attacks during the weekly cabinet meeting. He said, "Thousands of civilians from many countries lost their lives in the attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. They were perpetrated by terrorists who had lived in the US and who used the freedoms that this great democracy affords its citizens in order to attack it. Our hearts are with the innocent victim's families and with the American people. I hold US President George Bush in the highest esteem for the true leadership that he showed in understanding the great historic challenge facing him. Israel, which has been engaged in a war against murderous terror since its independence to this very day, knows that there is no compromise in the war against terror. Any display of weakness in the battle against terror is destined to claim a heavy price."

Ironically, Yasser Arafat and the PA security forces are on top alert in an attempt to prevent any form of “celebration” of the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to information received by some PA officials, Palestinian activists in a number of cities and villages are planning celebrations marking the attacks on America. Last September 11th outbursts of joy took place in east Jerusalem, Ramallah, Jenin, and the Gaza Strip. Last year's expression of support included the distribution of sweets in the streets of the Palestinian Authority after the attacks, as well as mass celebrations in which shots were fired in the air as a mark of joy. Adults and children were seen waving pictures of bin Laden in Palestinian streets. In addition, last September leaflets were distributed in the Palestinian Authority emphasizing the importance of Jihad and calling on Muslims to stand up and take pride in their victory over the United States.

UN Warns Of Al Qaida Attacks On Israel, U.S.

Sept. 11….(Middle East News Line) The United Nations has warned of a massive Al Qaida attack on Israel or the United States. A draft report by the UN Monitoring Group on Al Qaida said the Islamic insurgency group remains a threat despite the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan and operations throughout the Persian Gulf and North Africa. The report said Al Qaida has managed to regroup and is preparing to strike again "at its leisure." The monitoring panel, established by the UN Security Council, asserted that Al Qaida has shrugged U.S.-led efforts to freeze its assets. The draft report said the movement has access to significant financial resources. Currently, the report said, Al Qaida is planning a new round of attacks against its opponents. The draft, obtained by several news organizations and expected to be released this week, asserted that Israel and the United States are believed to be Al Qaida targets.

U.S. to Move Central Command HQ to Qatar

Sept. 11….(Fox) Soon after President Bush's speech to the United Nations on Thursday, where he will lay out the case for ousting Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, U.S. Central Command headquarters will start moving from Tampa, Fla., to an air base in Qatar. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters will start shifting people and equipment to Qatar beginning Friday. The moving of the headquarters to the Persian Gulf is a very visible sign that the U.S. military is preparing for future operations against Iraq. Qatar is situated about halfway along the west coast of the Gulf, and recent improvements to the air base there have been significant. The base has been in the use of the U.S. military throughout Operation Enduring Freedom, the name given to the campaign in Afghanistan - hosting a large amount of fighter jets, reconnaissance aircraft and several thousand American troops.

LA: Prayer Can't Invoke Christ

Sept. 11….(LA Daily News) A state appeals court Monday upheld a lower court ruling that the Burbank City Council may not begin meetings with sectarian prayers such as one that invoked the name Jesus Christ. Rubin and Roberto Alejandro Gandara, a supporter of strict church-state separation, sued the city of Burbank after a minister delivered a prayer invoking the name of Jesus Christ before a council meeting in November 1999.

America Remembers September 9-11

Sept. 11….(CNN) With heads bowed, voices quieted, America is remembering last September. Not only in New York but in many other parts of the United States and the world, the first of several commemorative moments of silence is being observed at 8:46 a.m. ET, the time at which American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the World Trade Center's North Tower a year ago. By the thousands they've gathered, construction workers, firefighters and police officers, the families and friends of victims and people who simply want to be close to the spot where officials now say 2,801 people lost their lives in the cataclysmic terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. President Bush and the first lady attended a worship service on Wednesday morning before going to a Pentagon ceremony. "Sept. 11 is a day we are never going to forget — are we?" the Rev. Luis Leon asked the congregation. "But it did not break us. They have bloodied us but they did not break us." Bush leaned forward and slowly nodded his head in agreement. A marble marker at the site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania commemorates the phrase "Let's roll," voiced by passenger Todd Beamer as he and other the passengers corralled the hijackers shortly before the plane crashed.

Arafat and Bin Laden are Same

Sept. 11….(Jerusalem Post) Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says that Osama Bin Laden and PA Chairman Yasser Arafat are one-in-the-same in the eyes of Israelis and Americans. During an interview this morning with Israeli Army Radio Netanyahu said that contrary to the reporter's statement that the United States views Bin Laden as a terrorist and Arafat as a leader, fighting for his people's rights, America is Israel's partner. Netanyahu said that maybe in parts of Canada or Britain people are partial to Arafat, but this is not the case in America. "Since the Sept. 11 attacks," Netanyahu said, "the US and Israel have been fighting the same battle against terrorism."

Syria Warns US Congress

Sept. 10....(Ha Aretz) Syria warned on Tuesday that it would not bow to U.S. pressure as Congress prepares to debate a law that might punish Damascus for supporting radical Palestinian groups and Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas. In a front-page editorial, Syria's official state-run al-Ba'ath newspaper said renewed U.S. pressure was aimed at reshaping the region according to Israeli interests. "The pressures Syria faces now, either through Israeli threats or the questionable actions of the American Congress to pass what is called the Syria Accountability Act, will not alter Syrian resolve," al-Ba'ath said. "Threats, provocations and shows of force in the hope of changing the Syrian position or gaining concessions allowing the region to be redrawn and its fate to be decided according to American-Israeli plans will fail. A draft law before Congress called the Syria Accountability Act threatens sanctions against Syria for backing the Hezbollah guerrilla group and hosting Palestinian groups such as Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Washington deems those groups "terrorists" and includes Syria on a list of "state sponsors of terrorism", but Syria defends them as legitimate resistance to Israel. Damascus has also raised U.S. anger for siding with Iraq in its standoff with the United States.

Weeping Madonna Statue in Australia

Sept. 10....(UPI) A statue of the Virgin Mary bought by an Australian tourist in Thailand eight years ago is drawing thousands of pilgrims to the small coastal town of Rockingham, just south of Perth, following reports it is weeping yellowish fragrant tears. On March 19th, St. Joseph's feast day the statue's eyes began dripping an oily rose-scented liquid. "That brought me to tears," says Patty Powell who owns the Madonna statue. "My maternal instincts kicked in and I was overwhelmed with sadness. "I could see why it was crying. The message to me is that the world is in so much turmoil." The "tears" were noted again during the Feast of Corpus Christie and again on Aug. 14. It has been weeping ever since, attracting at first hundreds of people to her home and now thousands to Rockingham's Our Lady of Lourdes Church, where pilgrims go come to touch the oil. Powell said that people have been mopping up the oil with wads of tissues. "Sick people are coming, hoping for a cure. A lot of them cry when they see the statue. They are really moved," she said. Perth Archbishop Barry Hickey, has seen the statue, said the sight of Mary weeping had already had powerful spiritual effects by calling people back to God. "It is just a very emotional and wonderful feeling to witness the tears of Mary through the statue", he said. FOJ Note: (1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits)

Vatican: No War on Iraq Without UN

Sept. 10….(AP) Military action against Iraq should only be undertaken if the United Nations authorizes it, so says the Vatican's foreign minister. In an interview with the Italian Catholic newspaper L'Avvenire published Monday, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran also warned the international community of the consequences that a war might have on both the Iraqi population and the stability of the whole region. "We can't impose the law of the jungle," Tauran was quoted as saying by L'Avvenire. "Obviously we can't fight evil with evil." "Should the international community conclude that the use of force is opportune and justified, this should only happen with a decision made in the framework of the United Nations," the archbishop said. He added that it should be undertaken only "after assessing the consequences for the Iraqi people, as well as the repercussions that it could have on the countries in the region and on world stability."

Saddam Working on Nuclear Weapons

Sept. 10….(CNN) The United States has evidence that Saddam Hussein is working on a nuclear weapons program, according to Vice President Dick Cheney, who warned of a "possible marriage" between the Iraqi leader and terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda. In an interview with CNN's John King, Cheney said Saddam has pressed ahead with developing weapons of mass destruction since U.N. weapons inspectors last visited Iraq in 1998. "He's been free to continue to improve his chemical weapons capability," Cheney said. "We know he has succeeded in improving his biological weapons capability. And we're confident that he has also begun, to try to acquire a nuclear weapon." Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Prime Minister from 1996 to 1999, earlier told a news conference that the world would be making a mistake if it failed to support the U.S.-led effort to oust Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Saddam must be stopped before he acquires nuclear weapons, Netanyahu said. "I think the entire world, and certainly the entire democratic world, should be worried about a regime that knows no bounds on the use of force," Netanyahu said. "To wait until this tyrant develops nuclear weapons would be a big mistake."

Muslim Book Predicts End of US

Sept. 10….(Jerusalem Post) A booklet that anticipates the destruction of the US by 2004 has become a best seller in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip. The author of the 32-page publication is Salah Eddin Abu Arafeh, a young Muslim preacher from Jerusalem. The booklet and a similar videotape prepared by the author have embarrassed the Palestinian Authority, which has ordered its security forces to prevent any form of celebration marking September 11. Palestinians in Ramallah said yesterday there is a huge demand for the booklet and tape. Last year, PA security forces confiscated tapes from cameramen who covered the celebrations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip immediately after the September 11 attacks. Abu Arafeh says his study was conducted following the attacks in Washington and New York. The booklet is entitled “The Koran Anticipates the Destruction of the US” and the Sinking of the American Army.

Iran Brands US and Britain as Axis of Evil

Sept. 9....(UPI) Iran's foreign minister accused the United States today of supporting terrorist groups. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi told reporters that his country had documents which showed the Bush administration was organizing terrorist groups to confront the Iranian Islamic republic. It is regrettable to see that the United States has branded Iran as part of an "axis of evil", while in fact Tehran's efforts and its positive role in Afghan developments are a point of praise, while America and Great Britain are the axis of evil on the world, " Kharrazi said. America and Great Britain conducted air raids on Iraq over the weekend. The Iranian foreign minister also denied that Iran was harboring Al Qaida terrorists, a point that Secretary of State charged Iran with last week.

Islam: Death to America!

Sept. 9....(UPI) A year after Sept. 11, thousands across the Islamic world perceive their religion to be under assault and may take up arms against the United States. An Islamic conference entitled "The Islamist movement after the events of September 11th is being held in Cairo, Egypt this week and several of the speakers warned against an upcoming conflict between the West and Islam. The actual events of Sept. 11 were ignored in favor of the subsequent US campaign in Afghanistan, threats against Iraq and continued support of Israel. "The issue is no longer about bin Laden or the Taliban," said Mahfouz Azzam, an Islamist intellectual and relative of bin Laden lieutenant Ayman Zawahri. "It is about dismantling the Arab world." He said the United States is trying to "change Islam from within" by pressuring governments to close Islamic charities and alter school curriculums. Conference organizer Al Zayat stressed that the anger in the Arab world stemmed from American policies, not from any particular animosity towards Westerners in general. "Americans should ask themselves why they were targeted, why there are feelings of anger by Muslims," he said. "Why aren't these feelings directed towards Europe as well? The answer is the policies of America".

"Temple Mount Still too Volatile

Sept. 9....(Jerusalem Post) Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who visited the Temple Mount 2 years ago to demonstrate to Israeli's that the mount was in fact off limits to Jews, a visit which saw the Palestinian uprising ensue, has stated that the Temple Mount is still too volatile of an issue to permit the visitation of Jews. Sharon said; "Times are too tense to allow Jews to visit the Jerusalem Temple site, and in this matter we must use wise judgment.'' "When the situation quiets, we will visit there again, but I don't think we need to make demonstrative steps at this time."

Arafat Speaks to PLC

Sept. 9....(Reuters) Palestinian President Yasser Arafat said Monday peace with Israel was still possible despite two years of violence, and repeated his condemnation of attacks on Israeli and Palestinian civilians. The peace of the brave is still ahead of us and is not behind us," Arafat told lawmakers in the West Bank city of Ramallah. "After 50 years of struggle and bloody suffering, enough is enough. Enough of the struggle and enough bloodshed." Arafat said he condemned "every act of terror against Israeli civilians," but did not say explicitly that the attacks must be halted. He stopped short in his policy speech to a rare session of the Palestinian parliament of echoing a call last week by his top security official, Interior Minister Abdel Razzak al-Yahya, for a complete halt to all attacks against Israelis. Our national interest is to preserve international support for our legitimate right to resist the military and settlement occupation," Arafat said, referring to areas of the West Bank and Gaza Strip still under Israeli control. Arafat then went on to reaffirm plans for elections in January. His aides have said he will run for re-election, and opinion polls show him the clear favorite to win. Referring to the first anniversary of September 11 attacks in New York and Washington, Arafat said: "The Palestinian people stand strongly against all forms of terrorism, whether conducted by a state or a group or individuals."

Temple Mount Still Off Limits

Sept. 7....(Jerusalem Post)Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said today that the times are too tense for the opening of the Temple Mount for Jews. Palestinians rioted after Sharon entered the Temple Mount on Sept. 28, 2000, claiming he was reinforcing Israel's claim to the site. Sharon said, "When the situation quiets, we will visit there again, but I don't think we need to make demonstrative steps at this time." Sharon also insisted that there would never be any negotiations or contacts with Yasser Arafat again. "Arafat has for decades directed a strategy of terrorism and the cruelest acts of murder,"' Sharon said. "What kind of peace partner could he be? What would we talk about with him?

Hezbollah the “A-Team of Terrorists”

Sept. 6….(Ha Aetz) A top U.S. diplomat called the Iranian backed and Syrian led Hezbollah terrorist organization the most dangerous terror group in the world. Saying the United States will have to go after the group he called "the A-team of terrorists." Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage said, "We're going to go after these terrorists one at a time”. Like al-Qaida, blamed for the September 11th attacks on the United States, Hezbollah is on the State Department's 2001 list of "designated foreign terrorist organizations,” and is a major threat to security along Israel's northern border.

U.S. and Israel: Libyan Nuclear Threat

Sept. 6….(Ha Aretz) The U.S. agrees with Israeli assessments that Libya has renewed its efforts to acquire a nuclear bomb, and that those efforts have been stepped up since 1999, when the UN sanctions on the country were removed. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said this week that Libya is energetically seeking to develop a nuclear weapon. Israel believes that Libya is trying to acquire fissionable material for nuclear weapons through centrifuges, but that it is a slow process. Experts say that Libya may be cooperating with North Korea and Pakistan in the effort. America and Israel each suspect that the Libyans are getting aid from Iraqi experts.

FOJ Note: Libya will be allied with Russia-Persia in a Tribulation era assault on Israel. Ezekiel 38:3-5 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet:

Arab League: “Gates of Hell” over Iraq!

Sept 5….(Jerusalem Post) Arab League chief Amr Moussa said Today that an American strike against Iraq would "open the gates of hell" in the Middle East! Arab states declared their allegiance to Iraq Thursday, saying at the end of an Arab League meeting that US threats against Baghdad were threats against the whole Arab world. In a final communique at the end of the two-day meeting, Arab foreign ministers registered their "total rejection of the threat of aggression on Arab nations, especially Iraq, reaffirming that these threats to the security and safety of any Arab country are considered a threat to Arab national security." Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told reporters that all the Arab governments had expressed their "total rejection of the aggressive intentions of the United States." Several Arab states had earlier expressed solidarity with Iraq but also called on it to allow in UN weapons inspectors as a way to defuse the crisis. Thursday's Arab League resolution was a diplomatic victory for Iraq, which had sent senior Iraqi officials to Arab capitals in recent weeks to mobilize support in the face of increasing speculation the United States would attack. A leading Iraqi newspaper said the United States was "attempting to target Iraq as a first step toward controlling the whole Middle East region."

Jews Rally for Opening of Temple Mount

Sept. 5….(Arutz) Nearly 2,000 Jews showed up last night at a special rally on behalf of the holiest site in Judaism: the Temple Mount. The participants demanded that Prime Minister Sharon finally open the site to Jewish visitors. "For two years we have waited for the Prime Minister," MK Uri Ariel told the crowd. "We talked with him, and received promises from him, but nothing has happened. In the name of the People of Israel, we turn from here to the government and to the man who stands at its head, and say: This is your primary obligation! Whoever does not fulfill this primary obligation will not receive the confidence of the nation. There is no justification for us, with the great army, police, and security forces that we have, not to be in full sovereignty over the Temple Mount. We beseech you Mr. Prime Minister to open the Temple Mount so that the Jewish nation will be sovereign there! Deputy Minister of Absorption Yuli Edelstein also spoke: "We often lately ask wryly if the Temple Mount is truly in our hands or not. My answer is this: The Temple Mount is in our hearts! We must always remember this, and if it truly is in our hearts, then it must be in our hands as well."

FOJ Note: Israel has never exercised true sovereignty over the Temple Mount since recapturing it in 1967. Truly it remains that Israel lacks faith in God for their security, for they greatly fear the Arab world rising up in Jihad should they exercise actual control of the Temple Mount. Sadly, the Jews will enter into a covenant with “one” that will guarantee their security, in exchange for the right to enjoy a presence on the Mount. The “Times of the Gentiles” (gentile domination of the mount) will continue until Israel learns to mourn for Jesus Christ! In the meantime, the Temple Mount figures prominently in the Last Days schemes of Satan.

Sadam Hussein: A Leech on his People

Sept. 5….(FOJ) As the U.S. weighs the prospect of an assault upon Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein, it is worth noting that the Iraqi people have little or no voice in the affairs of their nation. Saddam lives detached from public venue, and utilizes the treasure of Iraq for his personal agenda. Besides manipulating the revenue of Iraqi oil to build up his weapons of mass destruction program, Saddam Hussein has built numerous palatial complexes for himself. Pictured here is a U.S. State Department satellite photo of a large Presidential complex outside Baghdad, which was built while UN economic sanctions were still enforced against Iraq and mostly served only to stifle the daily lives of the Iraqi people. The 15,000 dollars he pays Palestinian suicide bombers to kill Israeli's is mere chicken feed for Saddam. It makes you wonder why he can't spend some money on his own people. The construction of his new Al Salam Palace was recently completed in 1999. It is only one of many palaces that Saddam currently enjoys at the expense of his own people.

IDF Thwarts Palestinian Car Bombers

Sept. 5….(Arutz) The attached picture shows an Israeli soldier as he reaches out to hold a Palestinian child's hand as her family passes by the Kalandia checkpoint on the outskirts of Ramallah. The Israeli checkpoints have become a routine necessary inconvenience for all as the Israeli police try to detect would be suicide/car bombers. Just last night Israeli soldiers thwarted Palestinian terrorists to carry out a mega-terror attack within the pre-1967 borders of Israel. Inside one of the cars was a 600-kilogram bomb, fuel, and a cellular phone attached to a battery and other bomb-making devices. Another car with two Arab drivers was also discovered carrying a 1,300-pound car bomb, as well as 2 barrels with fuel and metal fragments. A cell phone, which was to have set off the charge, was attached. It was the largest car-bomb ever discovered by checkpoint soldiers.Israel is bracing for a possible new wave of attacks by Palestinian militants during the Jewish New Year holiday, which begins at sundown Friday. The Palestinian terrorists like to strike during Israel's holiest feast periods.

U.S. Prepared for Attacks on Iraq

Sept. 5….(Geostrategy) The United States continues its military buildup in and around the Persian Gulf with analysts estimating up to 100,000 troops within striking distance of Iraq, according to Geostrategy, the global intelligence news service. U.S. military sources and analysts said Washington has sent tens of thousands of soldiers and military personnel to Gulf Arab states, Central and South Asia and the Levant. They said the force includes at least 1,000 military planners who have prepared for a rapid airlift of forces in case Washington decides on a war against Iraq. The Washington-based Center for Defense Information said the United States maintains 8,000 troops in Afghanistan with several thousand more aboard naval ships in the Arabian Sea. More than 20,000 additional soldiers are deployed in Gulf Arab countries. Moreover, more than 1,000 military planners, logistics experts and support specialists have been deployed in command posts throughout the Persian Gulf, the report said. They are in real-time contact with U.S. Central Command headquarters in Tampa, Fla., by video teleconferencing, satellite imagery and data link and have drafted plans to ship up to 200,000 tons of heavy weapons and other equipment to the region.

The center said the United States could also use military bases in Egypt and Jordan for an attack on Iraq. Currently, the U.S. 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is exercising with Jordanian forces and the center did not rule out that the maneuvers comprise a cover for pre-positioning forces at well-sited forward staging posts.

Bush Begins Iraq Case with Congress

Sept. 5….(Washington Post) Calling Saddam Hussein a "serious threat," President Bush said Wednesday he would seek approval from Congress about taking action against Iraq and vowed to make the case against the Iraqi leader on the international stage as well. "At the appropriate time, the administration will go to the Congress to seek approval necessary to deal with the threat," Bush said at a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House. In making the administration case for a "regime change" in Iraq, Bush said he invited British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Camp David for talks this Saturday. He also planned discussions with other world leaders, including the presidents of France, Russia and China. And Bush said he would talk about Iraq in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly on September 12. Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, said Bush made a "convincing case" for taking military action against Saddam, and he predicted both Congress and the American people would support such a move. In his comments, Bush stopped short of saying the United States would launch a military strike against Iraq, but he made it clear he wanted something done about Saddam. Doing nothing about Saddam Hussein is not an option for the United States," Bush said. The President plans to have the current congressional session consider a vote on the Iraq matter in early October, thus lending more credit to the rumors of an attack on Iraq in late November.

(The Presidents message to Congress)
Dear Mr. Speaker:
America and the civilized world face a critical decision in the months ahead. The decision is how to disarm an outlaw regime that continues to posses and develop weapons of mass destruction, despite its own promises over the last decade and despite the condemnation of the world. Since September 11, we have been tragically reminded that we are vulnerable to evil people. And this vulnerability increases dramatically when evil people have access to weapons of mass destruction. America intends to lead the way to make certain that the Saddam Hussein regime is not able to threaten anyone in the world with the world's most devastating weapons. I am in the process of deciding how to proceed. This is an important decision that must be made with great thought and care. Therefore, I welcome and encourage discussion and debate. The Congress will hold hearings on Iraq this month, and I have asked members of my Administration to participate fully. Doing nothing in the face of a grave threat to the world is not an option. At an appropriate time and after consultations with the leadership, I will seek congressional support for U.S. action to do whatever is necessary to deal with the threat posed by Saddam Hussein's regime. The Congress can play an important role in building a national consensus for action. We must not allow an outlaw regime that incites and uses terror at home and abroad to threaten the world by developing the ultimate weapons of terror. The months ahead will be important ones and the civilized world must come together to deal with the threat posed by the Iraqi regime.

Sincerely,
George. W. Bush

Temple Mount Collapse Ramifications

Sept. 4….(Daniel Pipes) The Temple Mount in Jerusalem, holiest spot on earth for Jews and ranking up there in sanctity also for Christians and Muslims - may soon come partly crashing down. Despite appearances, the 35-acre [14-hectar] Temple Mount plateau is not a natural formation but a man-made esplanade built centuries ago by stacking one large brick-like rock atop another. The moment of truth might come in November. That's the Ramadan holiday, when thousands of Muslim worshippers will aggregate in the mosque at Solomon's Stables. Their weight and movement could cause the southern wall to give way, causing yard-long rocks to come cascading down on them, possibly killing many. Judging by prior incidents in Jerusalem - the arson at Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969, the opening of a tunnel in 1996 - this disaster would lead at least to wide-scale fighting in Jerusalem and a heated international crisis. If things really went wrong, it could precipitate a wave of violence in Europe and a full-blown Arab-Israeli war. It could also complicate the war on Iraq, obstruct the war on terrorism, and jump the price of oil and gas. At worst, it could unleash an end-of-days Messianism in three monotheistic religions, with unforeseeable consequences.

Europeans Say America at Fault for Sept. 11

Sept. 4….(FOJ) Last September after the horrendous atrocity committed by Muslim fundamentalists upon America, numerous Arab leaders stated that the attacks on America was America's own fault because it had a twisted foreign policy in the Middle East which tended to favor Israel. Now, a new poll shows that a majority of Europeans also think that US foreign policy is partially to blame for the September 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington. A survey of American and European attitudes towards foreign relations found that 55 per cent of respondents from six European countries agreed that US policy had contributed to the attacks. A mere 10 per cent of Europeans would support US military action in Iraq without backing from the UN and allies. The findings also showed that terrorism is a concern for more Americans than Europeans, with 91 per cent of those polled in the US citing international terrorism as a critical threat and only 65 per cent of Europeans identifying it as extremely important. A majority of Americans, 52 per cent, think that the US should remain the only world superpower, while 65 per cent of Europeans said that the European Union should become a superpower similar to the US. These polls reflect the idiocy that predominates in the thinking in so much of today's world. Blaming the victims is absolute nonsense.

Iran Plots Second Anti-US War Front Deploying Syria, Hizballah, Palestinians!

Sept. 4….(Debka) Iran has drawn up an elaborate war plan of its own to counter the approaching US campaign against Iraq. Syria, Lebanon, the Hizballah and the Palestinians have been enlisted to provoke a massive confrontation with Israel that will serve as a second front and hamstring the US offensive. Syria's Bashar Assad shares Tehran's conviction that the installment of a pro-American regime in Baghdad is extremely dangerous, a direct threat to the Ayatollahs in Tehran, the Baath regime in Damascus, the freedom of operation of the Syria-based Palestinian terror groups and the very existence of the Lebanese Hizballah, Tehran's primary arm for overseas operations and intelligence. Iran's hardline spiritual leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei set up a supreme security council to formulate a plan to prevent or foil the American assault on Baghdad. Iranian planners proposed ordering the Hizballah to launch massive pre-emptive assaults against Israel on a scale bound to drag the Israelis into military retaliation against Syria, as well as Lebanon. This action, the Iranian tacticians believe, would lead the Americans to halt their war preparations. Even if they were well into their offensive, the Israel-Syrian war would stop the Americans in their tracks or slow them down. The reasoning in Tehran is that the Americans would not risk the rest of the Arab world - Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco and some of the Gulf Emirates, rushing to the aid of Syria and Lebanon against Israel, and sending the entire region up in flames. Iran has indeed dispatched its deputy foreign minister Sadr to Syria and Lebanon to bring its plan to fruition, in the event that the US attacks Iraq. Sadr began the week in Damascus in conferences with President Assad, the Syrian defense minister and army corps commanders including military intelligence and air force. He also met the heads of the Palestinian terrorist groups operating out of Damascus. Tuesday, September 3, Sadr arrived in Lebanon for a marathon round of talks with Hizballah secretary general Hassan Nasrallah. These talks were termed by Debka sources as operational-tactical, covering also Iran's plan for coordinating the field action among the various Syrian and Lebanese military and terrorist forces. Palestinian terrorists cell leaders were invited to Damascus to coordinate military plans with Hezbullah. It is reported that Hezbullah is planning to begin a series of operations along the Israeli-Lebanon border in order to make President Bush think twice before attacking Iraq.

FOJ Note: Focus on Jerusalem has warned of this very scenario previously. Bible Prophecy portends that Syria will hold a major key to the culmination of the Tribulational events. As I have often done in the past, I now advise readers of FOJ to pay close attention to impending events surrounding an American intervention in the Middle East against Iraq and the potential development of multiple fronts on Israel's northern border. Damascus is a major key in Bible Prophecy, and today is the headquarters of many of the terrorists organizations that President Bush has declared war on.

Assad Tells Palestinian Radicals to Shun Arafat

Sept. 4….(Debka) Informed Arab circles, including high Saudi and Egyptian officials, are wondering what lies behind an order the Syrian president Bashar Assad has just issued to the radical Damascus-based Palestinian “Fronts” to break off all operational ties with Yasser Arafat. Middle East sources say the directive applies to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front from the Liberation of Palestine; the Hamas and Jihad Islami, both of whom maintain headquarters in the Syrian capital, turned their backs on Arafat some time ago. The Palestinian leader finds himself ostracized, therefore, not only by the Americans and Israelis, but also by Syria and its Palestinian protégés. Furthermore, a fifth Palestinian group operating out of Damascus, Ahmed Jibril's Popular Front fro the Liberation of Palestinian –General Command, has fallen totally under Iran's thumb. According to our sources, the PFLP-GC has of late been reduced to no more than one of the Hizballah's operational arms that defers to Tehran rather than Damascus.

FOJ Note: Prhaps Assad's announcement id related to his Iranian connections mentioned in the article above.

Arafat Slammed by Former Cabinet Minister

Sept. 4….(Jerusalem Post) Former Palestinian minister Nabil Amer has sharply criticized Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat for failing to set up orderly institutions in the PA. In an article this week in the international Arab daily Al Hayat, Amer blasted Yasser Arafat of being responsible for the chaos in the West Bank. Amer said that Arafat's rejection of former U.S. president Bill Clinton's peace proposals resulted in the Palestinians losing everything they had achieved in the political process. Entitled "An open letter to President Yasser Arafat," Amer accused Arafat of turning a blind eye to the needs of the people. It is time for the Palestinians to take stock, he said. "Since the beginning of the internal conflict and as part of the struggle with the Israelis in negotiations, we have given up one of our most important weapons: Building institutions, and with the world's financial support. Amer, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, resigned as minister for parliamentary affairs shortly after Operation Defensive Shield, when Arafat rejected his proposal for general reforms. Until then he was one of the main defenders and spokesmen of the PA and Arafat.

Israeli's Regret Oslo Peace Process

Sept. 4….(Ha Aretz) A full nine years after the signing of the Oslo Declaration of Principles, it appears the Jewish Israeli public has a negative view of it regarding Israel's current international and security situation. The prevailing view is that from both standpoints, Israel's situation today would have been better if it had it not entered the Oslo process at all. The general assessment is that the Oslo process has had negative ramifications both for Israel's international status and for its security situation. Thus, 48 percent of Israeli's believe that if Israel had not entered the Oslo process, its situation today would have been better. On security, 59 percent believe the situation would have been better if Israel had not entered the Oslo process at all.

King Mohammed, Chairman of Al-Quds Committee Calls for Joint Action to Protect Holy City

Sept. 4….(Arabic News) Morocco's King Mohammed VI, chairman of al-Quds Committee, has called for a joint action to protect the holy city of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) which is at the core of the Middle East conflict. The Palestinian issue is fundamental to maintaining the sacred shrines in holy Al-Quds, he said. King Mohammed VI urged Islamic heads of state to conduct a joint action in the frame of their shared responsibility to save the holy city from the destruction danger looming on Islamic and Christian shrines and underlined the need to activate the implementation of the Al-Quds committee decisions. The Al-Quds committee, which is chaired by the Moroccan sovereign, comprises Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, Algeria, Egypt, Syria, Nigeria, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Guinea, Jordan, Lebanon and Senegal.

R

President Bush Will Address U.S. to Mark 9/11

Sept. 3….(Reuters) President Bush will mark the remembrance of Sept. 11 by visiting three terrorist attack sites, plans to start the observances in prayer and close them with a prime-time address to the nation. The White House on Tuesday released details of the president's Sept. 11 schedule, which will take him and first lady Laura Bush from a private morning church service in Washington, to a moment of silence observed at the White House at 8:46 a.m., EDT. That's the exact time that the first terrorist-hijacked jet slammed into the World Trade Center tower in New York. They will go from there to a ceremony at the Pentagon, which also was attacked on that fateful day. The president and Mrs. Bush will then journey to Shanksville, Pa., and lay a wreath in the field where Flight 93 crashed, presumably en route to another target in Washington. That afternoon, at 4:30 p.m., Bush will lay a wreath at Ground Zero, site of the former Trade Center towers in New York. At 9:01 p.m., he is to address the nation from New York.

Peres Calls on UN to Deal With Hizbullah

Sept. 3….(Jerusalem Post) Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres called on UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan to explain to Syria and Lebanon that they are responsible for curbing the Hizbullah attacks against Israel. Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer warned Syria that Israel will hold it responsible for the escalation on the northern border. The Israeli diplomat sent the Syrians a message via US envoy David Satterfield that there is a limit to Israel's tolerance and that Israel's current restraint is a strategic choice and not a sign of weakness. "Nothing happens on the northern border without Syrian authorization," Ben-Eliezer said. "I hope the Syrians heed our calls and stop the force of destruction known being perpetrated by Hizbullah.” Israel has fulfilled United Nations resolutions calling for the IDF to leave Lebanon, leaving no excuses for attacks to continue on the northern border. Prime Minister Hariri of Lebanon, a puppet of Damascus is reportedly tied to the financial assistance of al-Qaida being relocated in Lebanon under Syrian protection. Al-Qaida is looking for other locations, recognizing that Afghanistan is no longer viable, and has been accorded the red carpet welcome by Iran into the Syrian controlled Bekaa Valley. Confirmation of an al-Qaida presence in Lebanon with Syria's blessing could chill relations between Washington and Damascus. The US is already struggling to formulate a cogent policy toward Syria.

Arafat Playing Media Games Again

Sept.3 ….(Worthy) Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat and his PA-controlled media are apparently coordinating yet another media game in an attempt to inflame passions against Israel that accuses Israeli “war crimes” and “massacres against the Palestinian downtrodden people.” Arafat, while under pressure himself to conduct democratic reforms is twisting the bad-guy imagery upon Ariel Sharon as having torpedoed the Arab-Israeli Peace Process. Arafat and his top aides have called for an international investigation of what they refer to as “the outlaw Tel Aviv government,” and the Palestinian leaders also hinted strongly that they would not pursue negotiations with Israel nor initiate internal reforms of the Palestinian Authority until Israeli forces pull back entirely from areas ceded to the PA in the Oslo Accords. “The Israeli massacres are an attempt to destroy the “Peace of the Brave” that I set up with the late Prime Minister Rabin.” There exists a conspiracy by the Sharon Government to destroy the peace process and to ally itself with the extremist forces that killed Rabin.” The P.A. Arafat-controlled media have continued to paint the United States as a willing accomplice to the Israeli “murder” of Palestinian children and unprovoked attacks on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

Saudi Arabia Bans Israeli Goods

Sept. 3….(World Tribune) A political power struggle has prompted the Saudi kingdom to scrutinize all imports to ensure none of them originated in Israel. Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al Assaf has ordered banks to ensure that bills of lading meant for the kingdom did not pass through Israel. Al Assaf warned that products found to have originated or shipped through Israel would be confiscated and their owners would be severely punished.

Mandela Blasts Bush over US Policy on Iraq

Sept. 3….Nelson Mandela, the former South African president, on Monday attacked President George W. Bush's policy on Iraq, saying the US must not be allowed to take the law into its own hands. "What they are introducing is chaos in international affairs and we condemn that in the strongest terms", he said. "We are really appalled by any country, whether it is a superpower or a poor country, that goes outside the United Nations and attacks independent countries."

Mr. Mandela's comments came on a day of strenuous diplomacy on the fringes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development over the possibility of a US strike against Baghdad. US polls, meanwhile, continued to show support for a move to oust Mr Hussein. A Los Angeles Times poll found 64 per cent supporting a ground war against Iraq with 28 per cent opposed. Nearly 80 per cent believed Mr. Hussein supported al-Qaeda and 77 per cent believed US action against Iraq likely in the next 12 months

Palestinian Terrorists Reject Peace Plea

Sept. 3….(Reuters)Palestinian militant groups have rejected a call by the Palestinian interior minister for a complete end to attacks against Israel. Abdel Razak al-Yahiya on Monday said Palestinian violence was undermining the struggle for statehood and should be replaced by peaceful forms of resistance. But radical Palestinian groups have dismissed his appeal, saying armed resistance will continue as long as Israel remained in the West Bank. (Israeli land) Mr. Yahiya's call for an end to armed attacks was the furthest-reaching by a leading Palestinian since the Palestinian uprising began nearly 2 years ago. "All forms of Palestinian violence have to stop," the interior minister told Reuters news agency. "All resistance acts that are characterized by violence, such as using arms or even throwing stones, are harmful. I call for civil resistance within the framework of the political struggle," he said. But, in separate and joint statements on Tuesday, Palestinian terror groups at the forefront of attacks against Israel vowed to continue fighting. "There will be no end to resistance until the end of occupation," the al-Aqsa Brigades, an armed group linked to Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, told Reuters. Another group, Islamic Jihad, said it "will not pay attention to Yahiya's nonsense statements and will pursue resistance in all forms because this is what the Palestinian people want". They said they will not stop until their true goal is achieved...for them to have Israelis out of ALL the land from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. (which is ALL OF ISRAEL) That's the only reason they really call it Israeli 'occupation', because they don't want ANY Israelis on Israeli land at all. They want it for themselves. Well thank God we know the future through Scripture and Israel WILL be victorious with the One true God.

Al-Qaeda Claim Raises Tensions in Damascus

Sept. 3….(Financial Times) Khalled Aref, a leading official with Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian faction of Yassir Arafat, on Monday dismissed as a "malicious lie" a claim in an Israeli newspaper that up to 200 al-Qaeda militants had taken refuge in the Ain el Helweh refugee camp in southern Lebanon. Mr Aref said the rumor reflected a "conspiracy between the US and Israel to tear up the Arab world". The development is likely to reinforce Syrian unease about the US "war on terrorism", which Damascus feels is serving Israeli interests. Syrian leaders have noted recent statements from Israeli ministers supporting a US attack on Iraq. Relations between the US and Syria have increasingly soured over the US designation of Syria as a "state sponsor of terrorism" because it supports groups - including Hizbollah, the Lebanese resistance movement and militant Palestinian factions - that the US designates as "terrorist". Syria has consistently defended the right to use violence to "liberate" land occupied by Israel.

Iraq has Tons of Chemical Weapons

Sept. 3….(World Watch) As some in the Bush administration press the case for a pre-emptive strike against Iraq, weapons experts say there is mounting evidence that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has amassed large stocks of chemical and biological weapons he is hiding from a possible U.S. military attack. Washington's concern is that Iraq could supply those weapons to terrorist groups, as Iraq's ties to Middle East terror groups is well known. .N. weapons experts have said Iraq may have stockpiled more than 600 metric tons of chemical agents, including mustard gas, VX and sarin. Some 25,000 rockets and 15,000 artillery shells with chemical agents are also unaccounted for. Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said over the weekend the Bush administration is wrong about Iraq's weapons capabilities.

Jews Losing Demographics Battle in West Bank

Sept. 3….(Jerusalem Post) Figures published today in an Israeli government statistics yearbook show 60 percent fewer Israelis moved to the West Bank and Gaza Strip last year than in 2000. The figures show 2,600 Israelis moved to settlements in these areas in 2001. Some of decrease was attributed to a decline in immigration in the past year, because of the Palestinian violence. The Intifada was orchestrated to stem the tide of Israeli immigrants into the so-called occupied territories. Other figures showed a 1.5% rise in Israel's Jewish population in 2001, as compared to a 3.5% in the country's Arab population. Jewish women in Israel have an average of 2.6 children, while Muslim women in the country give birth to an average of 4.7. Jews currently comprise 77% of the Israeli population numbering about 6.6 million.

Russia Warns U.S. on Use of Force in Iraq

Sept. 2....(Reuters)Russia warned the United States on Monday that using force against Iraq would undermine stability in the region and complicate chances of settling the Iraqi issue. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking at a news conference alongside his Iraqi counterpart, said Russia had no evidence that Iraq posed any threat to U.S. security. He said there was no alternative to Iraq accepting the return of United Nations inspectors to determine whether Baghdad held weapons of mass destruction."Any decision to use force against Iraq would not only complicate an Iraqi settlement, but also undermine the situation in the Gulf and the Middle East.

Syrian President Urges Arabs to Unite

Sept. 2....(Harpazo) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is urging Arab and Muslim countries to unite in the face of US threats and "foreign conspiracies" as Washington prepares for a possible attack on Iraq. Iran's official IRNA newsagency said Assad reiterated Syria's opposition to any US military strike on Baghdad and called for "deeper unity and solidarity among Arab and Muslim countries in the face of American threats against the region."

Syria Has Allowed Hundreds of Qaida Men to Settle in Lebanon

Sept. 2....(Ha Aretz)Damascus has allowed some 150-200 Qaida operatives to settle in the Palestinian refugee camp Ein Hilwe near Sidon in Lebanon. The group, including senior commanders, arrived from Afghanistan through Damascus, Iran and directly to Lebanon. These Qaida operatives are responsible, among other things, for the latest outbreak of fighting inside the refugee camp, as part of their effort to take over the camp. These details and others have lately been gathered by various intelligence services. Among the new details now known: Mohammed Atta, the leader of the Qaida group that conducted the Sept. 11 airplane suicide attacks on the Twin Towers in New York, flying the first plane into the towers, visited Syria twice or three times. Osama bin Laden's son, Omar, left Syria together with his mother Nagwa, three weeks before the attack on the Twin Towers, after receiving anonymous instructions to do so. The son returned to Syria after 9-11, and has since visited twice more. Bin Laden's wife and son lived in the Alawite stronghold in Latakiya in an arrangement that gave refuge to bin Laden's close relatives. The two are not now in Syria.

Intelligence services have also managed to find detailed information about contacts between one of the leading Hezbollah military figures, Imad Mourghniyeh, and a Qaida operative in Sudan. There is no evidence yet of that relationship developing into continuing ties, but there is no doubt the meeting could not have taken place without Syrian intelligence knowing of it. ("Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap. ..... And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us." Isaiah 17:1 & 14 )

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