Daniel 12:4   But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end ...

Remember ...And never forget 9/11

Barak coming back?
Jerusalem Newswire 2006/12/31
Ehud Barak, Israel’s prime minister from 1999 to 2001, and notorious for offering unprecedented concessions to the Palestinian Arabs, is preparing to make a comeback.   Sunday saw Barak launch his bid for the leadership of the Labor Party. ...

Messing Up the Middle East
New America Media 2006/12/31
...Fratricidal fighting is threatening to engulf, or already engulfing, the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iraq. Both Syria and Iran could soon be next, torn apart by attacks Israel is reportedly planning on behalf of the U.S. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Jordan Baathists pledge loyalty to Saddam deputy
The Jerusalem Post 2006/12/31
A previously unknown group of Iraqi Baathists pledged allegiance to Saddam Hussein's fugitive deputy Izzat Ibrahim and named him the "legitimate president of Iraq," a statement issued by the group said Sunday. ..."In the name of Baghdad's Citizens Gathering, we pledge allegiance to Gen. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri as the legitimate president of Iraq and the chief of the armed forces," said the statement. ...

Iraq's Muslim Extremists Lay Ground for Taliban-style Rule
Assyrian International News Agency 2006/12/30
...Very little is known about Baghdadi. It is not yet clear whether the name Abu 'Umar al-Baghdadi is an alias for Abdallah Rashid Salih al-Baghdadi, the head of the Mujahidin Shura Council. Three possible traits of Abu 'Umar Baghdadi can be inferred from a recent 22-minute audio-taped statement issued by Abu Hamzah al-Muhajir, alias Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the al-Qa'ida leader in Iraq: that he has attained some education in Islamic religious studies, that he has been an active member of the insurgency, and that he is of Hashemite descent. In the statement posted on the internet on November 10, al-Muhajir pledges allegiance to "the venerable shaykh, the brave hero, the Qurayshi Hashemite, who is of a Husayni origin, the Amir of the Faithful, Abu 'Umar al-Baghdadi … to hear and obey, by putting at your disposal and direct orders 12,000 fighters, who constitute the army of al-Qa'ida, who pledge to die for the sake of Allah."   By taking a unilateral initiative to declare an Islamic state without even consulting other insurgent groups, community dignitaries or tribal chieftains in the areas it lays claim to, the Mujahidin Shura Council has been true to its exclusivist salafist ideology. ...

Jumblatt warns of 'Coup in Due Time' in Lebanon
yaLibnan 2006/12/28
..."We have many steps (to undertake), and everything will be (carried out) in due time," Jumblatt told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Fouad Siniora Tuesday.   "Then, we will see who will achieve victory? The evil forces or the forces of love and good," Jumblatt added. ..."We must not forget the security coup and the Syrian regime never had or never will have mercy on us," Jumblatt complained. ...Jumblatt on Monday called Syrian President Bashar Assad the "Damascus tyrant." ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Olmert to European Union: ´Yes´ to Abbas, ´No´ to Assad
Arutz Sheva 2006/12/28
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told European Union (EU) countries and foreign ministry officials that Syrian President Bashar Assad "is up to his neck in activities in support of terrorism" and therefore cannot be considered a part of peace negotiations. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Olivier Guitta: Plan B: Syria’s forgotten — but dangerous — nuclear program
The Examiner 2006/12/28
...new reports show that Damascus is up to no good. Indeed, while world attention is rightly focused on the nuclear capabilities of Iran and North Korea, Syria has been quietly — but quickly — advancing its own secret nuclear program. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Syria: The mullahs' plan B?
American Thinker 2006/12/28
...contributor Olivier Guitta has a fascinating article in The Examiner newspapers today concerning Syria's possible role as an alternative nuclear site for Iran.

...while world attention is rightly focused on the nuclear capabilities of Iran and North Korea, Syria has been quietly - but quickly - advancing its own secret nuclear program.   The first signs appeared in 2003 when the Russian Foreign Ministry inadvertently revealed that a Russian-Syrian agreement for the delivery of a nuclear power plant in an undisclosed Syrian location had been signed. ...

? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Egyptian, Jordanian oppositions protest trade with Israel
The Jerusalem Post 2006/12/28
...Figures published recently by the Israel Export & International Cooperation Institute indicate a 19 percent increase in Israeli industrial exports to Arab countries between January and September 2006, compared with the same period in 2005.   According to the institute's figures, Israeli industrial exports to Egypt have grown by 36% and exports to Jordan have increased by 12.5% this year. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

King checks on citizens' conditions cordoned by snow
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/27
...King Abdullah on Wednesday phoned Major General (GS) Awwad Saleem Masaid Director-General of Civil Defence during which the King checked on preparation of the Civil Defense to deal with impacts of weather condition prevail in the Kingdom, which led to falling of snow and caused closure of some roads.   The King ordered Armed Forces personnel to help Civil Defense apparatus rescue the citizens besieged by snow. ...
A benevolent king?

King orders distributing stoves to school buildings
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/27
King Abdullah II on Wednesday ordered distributing stoves to school building during winter time to be used in classrooms in various parts of the Kingdom to provide school children with the appropriate class school environment, particularly in areas of cold weather. ...this generous gesture by the King emanates from his keenness to secure healthy teaching situations and to provide better conditions for school children. ...
A benevolent king?

Gesture to ourselves
Haaretz 2006/12/27
...Israeli-Palestinian relations are the key to preventing further radicalization in the Middle East, as King Abdullah II of Jordan said this week, but the conflict is still languishing at the stage of gestures. In the absence of a determined leadership, it is the brigade and battalion commanders who are determining how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict looks in daily life; every checkpoint and roadblock and dirt pile and concrete cube is another brick in the wall of hatred. Reducing the number of checkpoints is a gesture not to the Palestinians, but to ourselves.

Olmert: Assad up to his neck in terror activity
yNetNews 2006/12/27
...Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told European Union and other ambassadors Wednesday that “Israel is certainly interested in conducting negotiations for peace with Syria ,” but added that Damascus’ actions indicate that its peace overtures are ‘not serious.’   The prime minister further added that Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime supports Hizbullah, destabilizes Lebanon, protects Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders and maintains close ties with Iran, which calls for Israel’s destruction. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Hamas to US: we don’t want state, but destruction of Israel
Judeoscope 2006/12/27
...The PA government sitting under chairmanship of premier Ismail Haneyya on Tuesday declared rejection of an American proposal to establish a Palestinian state with temporary borders within two years.   Haneyya described such plans as an unacceptable intervention in Palestinian internal affairs, adding that Washington should recognize the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights including establishment of a fully-sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, release of all prisoners and return of refugees.   He then renewed his welcome to the Jordanian initiative that aims to bring him together with PA chief Mahmoud Abbas in Amman, and stressed the brotherly relations between the Palestinian and Jordanian peoples. ...

Terror groups use cease fire to form guerrilla armies
Palestinians enhancing capabilities, working to mimic Hezbollah warfare
WorldNetDaily 2006/12/27
Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups have been using a cease-fire agreed to last month to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip and build Hezbollah-like guerilla armies to confront the Jewish state, according to the Israeli Defense Forces.   "In another few months, in the Gaza Strip we will have to deal with military capabilities of the terror organizations that we haven't been familiar with until now," said Sami Turjeman, head of the IDF's operations department. ...

King, President Mubarak discuss developments in the region
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/26
...King Abdullah II and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak discussed development of political events in the region.   During a telephone call on Tuesday, the two leaders discussed current efforts at the Arab and international scenes to revive peace talks between the Palestinians and Israelis and means of supporting the Palestinian people to foster their unity and strengthen their internal front. ...

Japan—on the Rise Again
TheTrumpet.com 2006/12/26
...Adding prestige to Japan’s rising sun on the international front, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has called on that nation to become more heavily involved in the most volatile theater of international relations, the Middle East. Channel NewsAsia reported December 19 on what the Jordanian monarch wants on his agenda with Abe during their upcoming first meeting: “Abdullah said he wants to discuss what Jordan and Japan can do jointly for the conflict-battered region ….” ...King Abdullah referred to Japan as not only probably the region’s strongest donor “socially and economically,” but also “probably the most honest broker for the Middle East.” ...
? Daniel 11:21 ...but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries

Jordan to host a meeting to renew talks regarding Palestinian unity government
Aljazeera 2006/12/26
...the Jordanian government invited Haniyeh to visit Jordan and take part in a tripartite meeting comprising himself, Abbas and King Abdullah II of Jordan. The meeting will endeavor to bridge the domestic Palestinian gap so as to contain the crisis and investigate the possibility of forming a unity government. ...

U.S. Plans to Found Palestinian State in 2007
Zaman Online 2006/12/26
The U.S. administration reportedly plans to found a Palestinian state with provisional borders by the end of 2007 ...this state would be created in accordance with the principles laid out in the “Road Map.” ...

PM demands deeds from Assad
The Jerusalem Post 2006/12/26
...Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the Kadima faction he wanted to begin negotiations with Assad, but not without preconditions. ..."If they stop the violence, stop supporting Hamas and Hizbullah and break the horrible bond they have with Iran, I have no doubt we can start a diplomatic process and I have no doubt that we want this," Olmert said. "I would advise Assad to refrain from making bombastic statements without a plan behind them, and instead to take the real steps we all want that could lead to a diplomatic process." ...

Israeli spies divided over Syria's peace overtures
Scotsman.com 2006/12 26
Israelis are puzzling over the prospect of peace with Syria after their two foreign intelligence agencies gave dramatically different assessments of recent diplomatic overtures from Damascus.   While the Mossad spy service said Syrian President Bashar Assad had no genuine interest in peace talks, Israel's Military Intelligence said it believed Assad was ready to negotiate if this leads to the return of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. ...

Muslims "Lagging Behind" (and other news stories/commentary)
Daniel Pipes 2006/12/25
...The fundamental malaise of modern Islam is a sense that something has gone wrong with Islamic history. The fundamental problem of modern Muslims is how to rehabilitate that history: to set it going again in full vigour, so that Islamic society may once again flourish as a divinely guided society should and must ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

Report: U.S., European Officials Visit PA Training Base in Jordan
Arutz Sheva 2006/12/25
American and European officials have visited a training base for Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces loyal to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Reuters News Agency reported. A coordinated effort between the United States and the PA, with the agreement of Israel, has placed approximately 1,000 PA troops in Jordan for training prior to being deployed in Gaza. ...

A Role For Egypt and Jordan
Israel Insider 2006/12/25
Jordan's King Abdullah II reaffirmed his support for a Palestinian state on condition that it does not spur an influx of West Bank Arabs into his country. "Jordan will not accept an unjust settlement of the issue, nor will Jordan accept any settlement that comes at its expense," the king told Jordan's Parliament on Nov. 28. ...

Prime Minister Meets Palestinian President
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/25
Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit stressed on Jordan's firm stand and the efforts exerted by His Majesty King Abdullah II to move the peace process forward according to the peace process and through the direct negotiations that will lead to achieving the ambitions of Palestinians in establishing their independent state on the national soil. ...

Olmert Says He Wants to Renew Peace Talks with Syria
Voice Of America 2006/12/25
...Mr. Olmert said the two countries could arrive at dialogue if Syria stops its support for Islamic terror groups, including Hamas that heads the Palestinian Authority and Hezbollah in Lebanon. He also demanded that Syria sever what he called "its appalling connection with Iran." ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots

Majali meets Jordanian-Korean Friendship committee
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/24
Speaker of the House of Deputies Abdel Hadi al-Majali said Jordan under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah II has been exerting tremendous efforts in its drive to establish comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to redirect the region’s potentials to development and growth in stead of wars and fighting. ...

King congratulates Christian Communities on Christmas Day
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/24
...During a meeting on Sunday with the Council of Head of Churches and representatives of Christian communities in Jordan King expressed his sincere wishes to all members of the Christian communities who have contributed to the building of the country. “Such an occasion embodies the shared values of loveliness, sympathy and tolerance between adherents of Islam and Christianity,” King Abdullah said ...

Israel Must Combat Lethal Terminology
Arutz Sheva 2006/12/24
Once again, Israel is falling into its usual trap - ignoring the insidious nature of Arab propaganda terminology. Despite the quickly discredited Baker-Hamilton Iraq Study Group report, Israel will once again be under the gun to retreat from the Golan Heights and the associated Shabaa Farms. The false terminology "Israeli-occupied territory" once more rears its ugly head; in this case, referring to the Golan and the Shabaa Farms, rather than to Judea, Samaria and Gaza. ...

Olmert Meets Abbas, Agrees to Thaw $100 Million in Frozen Funds
Arutz Sheva 2006/12/24
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert met with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas Saturday night and agreed to release $100 million in tax revenue and ease travel restrictions for PA Arabs.    Wearing smiles, shaking hands and kissing each other on the cheek, Olmert and Abbas began the first official talks held between Israel and the PA in more than two years. ...

Olmert Says He Weighs Prisoner Releases
Forbes 2006/12/24
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted Sunday that he might release some Palestinian prisoners in coming days, telling his Cabinet "the time has come to show flexibility and generosity," ...

2007 critical year: Jordan king
Trade Arabia 2006/12/23
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned chances were running out for peace in the Middle East, with 'disastrous' consequences in store unless progress is made in the first half of the new year. ...'I believe that the window of opportunity is diminishing and it won't be long before we can say that the futures of the Palestinians are gone,' he told the Japan Institute of International Affairs.   '2007 is a very critical year, and if we don't create a process to move forward in the next six or seven months, then I don't think we ever will. And the outcome of that will be disastrous for all of us, Israel included.' ...'If we don't move forward, I fear we will find ourselves in a situation where we will never have a two-state solution,' he said.   'Therefore we will never have peace between Israelis and Palestinians, therefore we will never have peace between Israelis and Arabs, and therefore we will condemn our region for another decade or two of violence, which none of us can afford.' ...
The king is now pushing hard for 'peace', more so than he ever has, and it appears to be coming to a crescendo this next spring.

Chairman of JICRC congratulates Christians
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/23
...Tamimi, in the congratulation letter sent to Christian community, which Petra received a copy it, said Jordanian people, in their faith and exertion to spread values of justice, peace and right of coexistence certainly deserved to be a good example to be emulated, and set a good model, which embodied a true and mutual love. The values descended from heaven and our Hashemite leadership emphasized it, till Jordan sets a unique example in tolerance, coexistence and human rights and becomes a home for justice, security.
Establishment of peace in Israel and Jerusalem, and coexistence of Jews, Muslims, and Christians on temple mount will truly be a unique example of tolerance and coexistence, albeit short lived.  However, scripture tells us that there must be a catching away (of New Creatures in Christ) before the man of sin is revealed to the world at large.
2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4) Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5) Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6) And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7) For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8) And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9) Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Japanese PM, Jordan king aim to promote peace in Mideast
The China Post 2006/12/23
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Jordanian King Abdullah II reaffirmed their commitment to cooperate to promote peace in the Middle East ...

Iran's nuclear program prompts UN sanctions, as Israel threatens military strikes
The Market Oracle 2006/12/23
Iran, seemingly on course to become the next state to acquire nuclear weapons, due to perceived security risks from the USA and Israel, just as before India went nuclear because of China, and Pakistan because of India. Israel is believed to have gone nuclear during the late 1970's as a result of a joint nuclear programme with the South African Apartheid regime, as a deterrence against the Arab states. ...

'All my staff at the church have been killed - they disappeared'
Times Online 2006/12/23
Christians in the Middle East have paid a high price for the Iraq war, the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad and the Pope’s controversial remarks about Islam.   Egyptian Copts, Iraqi Chaldeans and the Palestinian Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant communities have faced violence and even death at the hands of their Muslim neighbours. ...“All my staff at the church have been killed,” he said. “They disappeared about a year ago and we never saw them again. Of the rest of my congregation, most say they have been targeted in some way or have had letters delivered with bullets in them. People forget, or the Islamic groups don’t realise, that Christianity was in the Middle East before them and therefore they see Christians as being part of ...

Olmert, Abbas Hold Surprise Talks in Jerusalem
National Public Radio 2006/12/23
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas held talks today in Jerusalem in a surprise meeting. The Israeli side agreed to some steps to bolster the embattled Palestinian leader. ...

With over 1.5 million tons of uranium ore in over 1,400 uranium mines, Iran started a global yellowcake race that only the US is ignoring.
JonChristianRyter.com 2006/12/23
...As the reemerging Soviet Union builds its own yellowcake stockpiles Iran disclosed that it now has over 1,400 uranium mines within its territory, and has no need to shop around for yellowcake for its uranium enrichment program. ...Just as Pakistan is selling nuclear bomb-making technology to its Islamic neighbors, Iran intends to be the supplier of yellowcake to the Muslim world. Their determination to become a nuclear power has launched a yellowcake race in Asia. Iran successfully produced yellowcake in this past summer.
COMMENT: The equation is more complex than this. CHINA is DESPERATELY short of uranium. They are going to any lengths to lock up supplies. (Watch the futures market!) China & Iran will become even more firmly ensconced in their bed.
Article and comment contributed by Bob Anderson.

Stealth candidates: unofficially officially in the race
JonChristianRyter.com 2006/12/23
...Speaking bluntly, in a real presidential election, no one in their right mind would vote for Obama. That would be like voting for the guy who just moved in down the street from you, that you wave to from time to time but don't know a thing about. That's Obama. He's been a US Senator for about 100 days, give or take a week. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim while admitting that he was once a Muslim, mitigating that damning information by saying that, for two years, he also attended a Catholic school. Obama's father, Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. was a radical Muslim who migrated from Kenya to Jakarta, Indonesia. He met Obama's mother, Ann Dunham—an white atheist from Wichita, Kansas—at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Obama, Sr. and Dunham divorced when Barack, Jr. was two. Obama's spinmeisters are now attempting to make it appear that Obama's introduction to Islam came from his father and that influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya immediately following the divorce and never again had any direct influence over his son's education. Dunham married another Muslim, Lolo Soetoro who educated his stepson as a good Muslim by enrolling him in one of Jakarta's Wahabbi schools. Wahabbism is the radical teaching that created the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad on the industrialized world. Since it is politically expedient to be a Christian when you are seeking political office in the United States, Obama joined the United Church of Christ to help purge any notion that he is still a Muslim—which, ideologically, he remains to this day. ...
Contributed by Bob Anderson.

Iran Presides over Coalition of Extremists
MEMRI 2006/12/22
...Iran presides over a confederation of extremists comprising Hassan Nasrallah's Hizbullah in Lebanon; Muqtada Al-Sadr's militia, known as Jeish al-Mahdi (the Mahdi Army) in Iraq; and Bashar Al-Assad's Syria - Iran's principal ally, and Iran's subcontractor for guiding and arming Hizbullah, and for providing the political and financial support for the Hamas Islamic ovement in Palestine. [1] Syria is also the headquarters for a variety of small terrorist groups. Its borders serve as the main crossing channel for terrorists feeding the ranks of the suicide bombers of Al-Qa'eda in the Land of the Two Rivers, established by Abu-Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi in Iraq, and for Iraqi Sunni elements active in Iraq. Muwaffaq Al-Rubai'i, Iraq's National Security Adviser, accused Syria of harboring in Damascus the leader of Ansar Al-Sunna organization who "directs the terrorist activities against our people in Iraq." Al-Rubai'i also claimed that 90 percent of terrorists use the Damascus airport before crossing the border into Iraq. [2] ...

Jordan's king warns against fading Mideast peace
Middle East Online 2006/12/23
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Friday chances were running out for peace in the Middle East, with "disastrous" consequences in store unless progress is made in the first half of the new year. ...Abdullah made an impassioned call for the world to restore hope for Palestinians amid chaos in the Palestinian territories and elsewhere in the region.   "I believe that the window of opportunity is diminishing and it won't be long before we can say that the futures of the Palestinians are gone," ...

King Delivers Speech at Japan Institute of International Affairs
Jordan News Agency 2006/12/22
...King Abdullah stressed that the Palestinian issue is the core of conflict in the Middle East, pointing to the possibility of ending this conflict. The first step is a just settlement of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis starting from the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, Israeli withdrawal from all Arab territories occupied since 1967 and a sovereign, viable, and independent Palestine.   The second step, according to King Abdullah is ensuring sustainable peace, through combining security with vibrant economic growth ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand
1Thessalonians 5:3-4 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4) But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. ...
Revelation 6:1-2 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2) And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. ...
His father handed him a crown and it appears that he is riding a white horse of 'peace', and 'conquering the world' with his message. a bow but no arrows.

New Iraqi political alliance hits snag
CNN 2006/12/22
The creation of a moderate political alliance in Iraq appeared to have made no progress Friday and was further complicated by the Shiite leadership claims that radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr must not be excluded.   "President Bush is being misled," senior Shiite parliament member Ali al-Adeeb said in response to Bush's statement Wednesday that an emerging "moderate coalition" would marginalize those who "use violence to achieve political objectives." ...

Moussa: The devils live in the details of the Lebanon deal
yaLibnan 2006/12/22
Addressing reporters after his talks with Saniora, Moussa said: "we've reached the details, and devils live in details."   However, he said: "we've started solving some difficulties … we need to intensify the effort." ...Moussa on Thursday said Syrian President Bashar Assad gave his full support to the Arab League mediation to end the crippling political impasse.   "We are moving toward reaching a Lebanese reconciliation," Moussa said after meeting with Assad. He did not elaborate. ..."I feel relieved," Moussa told reporters. "What is important is to salvage the Arab world from the woes of divisions and threats of what we are seeing in the region." ...
Daniel 2:41-4 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes (Mohammad's Muslim Kingdom), part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided (divided by time as well as allegiance [Shia vs Sunni and more]); but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron (strong nations as well as political strength via oil), forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 2) And as the toes of the feet (the toes - present day, are of the feet - Mohammad's day - both Muslim) were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 3) And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another (the political situation in the Arab/Muslim world is a testament to that), even as iron is not mixed with clay. 4) And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed

Japan reaffirms Middle East commitment to King Abdullah
Moriel Ministries - MorielBeAlertBlog.blogspot.com 2006/12/22
Alert Focus: Antichrist
1 John 2:22
Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.
REUTERS - December 22, 2006 -- TOKYO -- Japan yesterday reaffirmed to Jordan’s visiting King Abdullah II its commitment to efforts promoting peace in the Middle East, the foreign ministry said. ...
Looks like some Jews have good eyesight.

What is a Hashemite
Moriel Ministries - MorielBeAlertBlog.blogspot.com 2006/12/22
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Hashemites or the Bani Hashim are the direct descendents of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), through his daughter Fatima and (her husband) his cousin Ali (the fourth, and last, "Rightly-Guided" Caliph of Islam). "Hashim" was the name of the great-grandfather of both the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and the Caliph Ali. The Hashemite family ruled, in various forms, over the Hejaz ...

Free Zones Corporation opens three recycling plants - Jordan
MEMAfn 2006/12/22
The Free Zones Corporation (FZC) announced this week the opening of three recycling plants to reduce waste and preserve the country's limited resources. ..."Protecting the environment is part of the corporation's responsibilities… it has allocated part of its land for establishing recycling plants and created an environment department in order to raise awareness on environment issues among investors and employees," FZC Director General Mahmoud Qteishat said during a workshop on environment and investment.   The plants were established at a cost of JD6 million with stakeholders from Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. ...
? Daniel 8:25 And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand

Gaza truce holds for third day despite clash
Middle East Times 2006/12/22
...Amid the tenuous calm, Jordan's King Abdullah II issued his latest appeal to jumpstart the dormant peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, warning of "disastrous" consequences unless progress was made in the first half of 2007.   "2007 is a very critical year, and if we don't create a process to move forward in the next six or seven months, then I don't think we ever will. And the outcome of that will be disastrous for all of us, Israel included," Abdullah said while on a visit to Japan, a major donor to the region. ...

Diplomacy: There goes the neighborhood
The Jerusalem Post 2006/12/22
...Jordan - according to government sources in Jerusalem - is as concerned about the deteriorating tensions in Gaza and the West Bank as is Israel. Likewise, Amman is very wary of Syria, and is not keen on seeing Israel do anything, such as negotiate with Damascus, that could let it break out of its international isolation.   Jordan has long-standing water issues with Syria regarding the flow of the Yarmuk, whose headwaters are in Syria but which is Jordan's most important water source. Tensions between the two countries were further strained earlier this year, following Jordanian allegations that arms for planned terrorist attacks inside the Hashemite kingdom were smuggled in from Syria. ...
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.

Is the Hatay Problem Solved?
Daniel Pipes 2006/12/22 (update)
January 10, 2005 ...Former foes Turkey and Syria signed a free-trade accord and said they had agreed to put their differences behind them during a visit Wednesday by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan, at the start of a two-day mission, and his Syrian counterpart Mohammed Naji Otri signed the deal, which had been under negotiation for several years. … A Turkish diplomatic source said Damascus lifted its reservations to signing the trade deal "after a certain accord" was reached on Turkey's sovereignty in the southern province of Hatay, formerly Alexandretta, on which Syria had claims. ...Dec. 22, 2006 update: Two years after the signing of this accord, the Syrian tourism ministry still shows a map that claims Hatay as an integral part of the Syrian Arab Republic.   Comment: Is Damascus playing the same game with Ankara that the Arabs do all the time with Jerusalem, that is, sign an agreement and then ignore it?
? Daniel 7:8 I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots
Continued justification for Assad's uprooting.
Article contributed by Bob Anderson.

Haniya wants new talks with Abbas on unity government
Combined Jewish Philanthropies 2006/12/22
Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya announced Friday he accepted calls by President Mahmoud Abbas to resume talks on forming a unity government between their respective Hamas and Fatah parties, officials in the premier's office said.   Officials close to Abbas, however, said that resuming the talks would only make sense if Hamas accepted the three conditions of the international community for ending a financial boycott of the Palestinian Authority.   These include recognizing Israel's right to exist, renouncing violence and accepting past interim Israeli-Palestinian peace deals that call for a two-state solution. ...

Olmert giving Abbas one last chance
yNetNews 2006/12/22
...Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is practicing restraint primarily because he wants to give Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas as much leg room as necessary to undertake the decisive and dangerous process that he kick-started last week. The process intended to remove control of the territories from Hamas hands and hand it over to Fatah. ...

Islamofascism on the march in Beirut
The Washington Times 2006/12/22
Hezbollah's aggressive campaign to topple the Lebanese government of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora is just the latest sign of the dark new realities of the Middle East: that Iran and Syria, the Shi'ite terror group's state sponsors, are on the offensive, emboldened by their successes in fomenting violence in Iraq and undermining U.S. popular support for the war there, and in waging a three-front proxy war against Israel without incurring any substantial retaliation ...