Huckabee: In It To Win It
http://www.click2houston.com/politics/15456811/detail.html
HOUSTON -- Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee told a full room of Houston-area supporters that he is not giving up, no matter what, KPRC Local 2 reported Friday.
"I've always believed competition is what breathes, creates excellence. Lack of competition creates meritocracy," said Huckabee.
Although the former governor of Arkansas and preacher is far behind Sen. John McCain for the Republican nomination, Huckabee promised he would be in it to win it.
"There is no other purpose in the presidential race but to win it despite people suggesting there maybe some ulterior motive. I assure you there is not," said Huckabee.
Huckabee said the Super Bowl proved that all underdogs have a chance.
"Nobody thought the New York Giants would beat the Patriots. We didn't come here just to spend time. We came to win the election Tuesday," he said.
Many believe McCain has the GOP nomination wrapped up, but Huckabee still has hope.
"I think we're going to surprise people expecting us to lose. They'll be the ones surprised. Things could turn any given day. Anything can happen in an election," said Huckabee.
Huckabee says Texans can make difference for him Tuesday
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/APStories/stories/D8V4C2B00.html
After getting a brief lassoing lesson at the Fort Worth Stockyards on Friday, GOP presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee just couldn't get the hang of it.
He tried in vain several times to get the rope around a plastic longhorn head attached to a hay bale. Even Huckabee's wife, Janet, and the instructors — men in 1890s garb who re-enact Wild West shootouts for tourists — were able to achieve success.
"OK, so you're laughing at me. So you think John McCain can do this better?" Huckabee quipped, drawing laughs from the crowd of about 200 supporters and onlookers.
These days, Huckabee is questioning a lot about the Arizona senator — especially his status as the all-but-certain Republican nominee, although he has an almost insurmountable lead.
Huckabee said he hopes that by winning the Texas primary Tuesday, he will keep McCain from getting the delegates required to become the GOP presidential candidate. Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island also have primaries Tuesday.
"It's obvious that there's some question marks about just how many delegates there are. What we do know is if we can win Texas next week, it probably keeps this thing going, and that's what we're counting on," said Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister.
Huckabee said that's why he has been campaigning heavily through Texas, where social conservatives make up the bulk of the Republican primary voters. Huckabee opposes abortion, gay marriage, an assault-weapons ban and an immediate removal of troops from Iraq.
"It's just very important for us to make sure that conservatives and pro-life, pro-family people who want strong protection at the borders, who really do want to see this country have a policy that reflects, I think, the conservative values not just in Texas but America — that we have that for the whole Republican party," he said.
Huckabee brought his longshot candidacy to Houston on Friday night, adding his signature to a "fair tax" petition central to his tax reform plan that would eliminate federal withholding taxes in exchange for a consumption sales tax.
"It's clearly the most effective economic stimulus package we could have," he told reporters before addressing a Harris County GOP Reagan Day dinner.
He also reiterated his insistence not to bow out of the race before McCain secures the 1,191 delegates needed to become the party's nominee.
"Nobody has that yet," he said. "In something that really matters, you play it to the very end."
Overall, McCain has 939 delegates to Huckabee's 245.
Huckabee's intense push in Texas has him scheduled for stops Saturday in Laredo, College Station and Austin. He's to return Sunday to Houston, then hit the Dallas area. Monday he's in Dallas, Abilene, Midland, San Antonio and back to Houston.
At a Friday morning rally in Lubbock, Huckabee played a bass guitar with a band for about 300 supporters, then shared his message of tax reform and conservative values.
"We want people to realize they have a voice," the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal reported Friday in its online editions. "They have a choice, and their vote really is going to matter on Tuesday."
McCain Seeks Distance From Pastor
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_pastor/2008/02/29/76843.html
PHOENIX -- John McCain is refusing to renounce the endorsement of a prominent Texas televangelist who Democrats say peddles anti-Catholic and other intolerant speech.
Instead, the Republican presidential candidate issued a statement Friday afternoon saying he had unspecified disagreements with the San Antonio megachurch leader, John Hagee. Hagee endorsed him at a news conference Wednesday in San Antonio.
"However, in no way did I intend for his endorsement to suggest that I in turn agree with all of Pastor Hagee's views, which I obviously do not," McCain said in the statement.
His campaign issued the statement after two days of criticism from the Democratic National Committee, the Catholic League and Catholics United.
Democrats quoted Hagee as saying the Catholic Church conspired with Nazis against the Jews and that Hurricane Katrina was God's retribution for homosexual sin, and they recited his demeaning comments about women and flip remarks about slavery.
"Hagee's hate speech has no place in public discourse, and McCain's embrace of this figure raises serious questions about John McCain's character and his willingness to do anything to win," said Tom McMahon, executive director of the Democratic National Committee.
McCain was pressed on the issue Friday morning in Round Rock, Texas. Hagee "supports what I stand for and believe in," McCain said.
"When he endorsed me, that does not mean that I embrace everything that he stands for and believes in," McCain said. "I don't have to agree with everyone who endorses my campaign."
He added that he was "proud" of Hagee's spiritual leadership of his congregation at the 17,000-member Cornerstone Church.
The Catholic League and Catholics United called on McCain to reject the endorsement.
"By publicly addressing this issue, you will reaffirm to the American public and to Catholics that intolerance and bigotry have no place in American presidential campaigns," Chris Korzen, executive director of Catholics United, wrote McCain in a letter sent Thursday.
McCain's response to the two days of criticism stood in contrast to his rapid denunciation of a radio talk show host who denigrated Barack Obama, repeatedly using Obama's middle name, Hussein, and calling him a "hack, Chicago-style" politician.
McCain immediately apologized and said he repudiated the statements of the radio host, Bill Cunningham, while warming up a Cincinnati crowd for McCain on Tuesday.
"Any comment that is disparaging of either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama is totally inappropriate," McCain said at the time.
Look Out Sin City! A Revival's Coming
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/330332.aspx
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Can anything good come out of a place called 'Sin City'? Well, Christians in Las Vegas, Nevada say there's a whole lot more than gambling going on, and they're hoping it will soon spread to the rest of the nation.
A City on Fire
When thinking of Las Vegas, the last thing that probably comes to mind is churches - but believe it or not this city is home to a number of on-fire congregations that believe their city is ripe for revival.
Pastors Paul and Denise Goulet of International Church of Las Vegas say this city of 1.5 million people is much more than gamblers and partiers on the strip. They say what's happening here is nothing short of revival.
Pastor Paul said, "I like to say we're not praying for revival…we're in revival. Because if I'm winning the lost, if I'm helping the poor; if I'm educating the uneducated, if I'm reaching the un-reached, I'm in revival."
Last fall, the Goulets helped sponsor The Call Las Vegas when more than 10,000 people packed the Thomas and Mack Center for 12 hours of prayer and fasting for the city.
"This is my home. I want to see something change. I want to see prostitutes turn to Christ, I want to see the lost and the lonely just open up their arms and say, I want God. This is not a city that's been forgotten," Las Vegas resident Ashley Woods said.
"I want to see casinos become these massive houses of prayer. Crazy right? And I want people to come to here to get healed instead of to gamble!" said another resident.
"This has been called sin city and we know that we are here to cause the sins of the city to go away," Pastor Troy Martinez of East Vegas Christian Center said.
Martinez says his church is uniquely situated with a panoramic Vegas view.
"We consider ourselves the East Gate.and in the Old Testament, the sins of the city would be led out of the East Gate into the wilderness and beyond," he said.
Strange Bedfellows
Martinez recently teamed up with the mayor's office to tackle serious issues such as homelessness, crime, and the huge Methamphetamine problem.
CBN News was there as Martinez and Mayor Oscar Goodman made a public service announcement to help the more than 15,000 homeless across the city.
The alliance between the faith community and the mayor - a Jewish attorney once famous for defending members of the mafia - may seem like an odd one. But Goodman says it makes perfect sense.
"I think it's great - because government can only do so much. We only have so much money. We only have so much manpower," the mayor said. "This gives us a whole new set of eyes and ears and brains who are able to address these issues - these social issues - which are endemic in a community and resolve them. So I think it's a great partnership."
Martinez says since they've been working with the city, gang murders have dropped dramatically and violent crime has gone down about 43 percent in targeted areas.
"They called us the Christian Crime fighters." he said.
What Happens in Vegas, Doesn't Stay
One commercial has almost become the city's motto? You know the one… "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.?" Paul and Denise say that sentiment is simply not true.
"Because if someone comes here and get a sexual disease, guess what? People are going to hear about it when they leave town. If someone comes here and loses all their money and loses their home - it doesn't stay in Vegas - it's a fantasy. Everything that happens here goes home with them."
What they really hope does go home with people -- is a touch from God.
"They come here to our conferences or to our church, they get touched and they go back and change their world," said Pastor Denise.
Martinez said, "I've been speaking out for years that a great revival would come to this city - and when it happens here, it's not going to stay here. What happens in Vegas will touch the world!"
Churches to Hold Web Focus Day 27 April
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06924.shtml
WHEATON, IL -- "How can we use this new-fangled Interweb thing to share the good news? " Christians often ask. A worldwide 'web evangelism focus day' is helping to provide answers. Sunday 27 April has been designated as Internet Evangelism Day. Churches can download free materials from the Internet Evangelism Day website, enabling them to create a short presentation within their activities on that day. A PowerPoint, video clips, drama scripts, music and handouts can be used to create a customized program lasting from one minute to 50.
Churches who have already used these materials are excited. "This is a huge help for small churches such as ours," writes a church leader from California.
One surprising aspect that the IE Day team emphasize: web evangelism is for anyone, not just the technically gifted. "There are many ways to share your faith online, without any technical background at all," says IE Day Coordinator Tony Whittaker.
Christian leaders are also enthusiastic: "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," says Dr. John Stott.
Churches can start planning their focus day now. More information: InternetEvangelismDay.com
Free Church Website Tool Released
Internet Evangelism Day is also a year-round resource about online outreach. It explains many ways that Christians can share the good news, including through church websites. Churches often find it difficult to create a site that will engage with outsiders in their area.
"How can our church website help us reach out into our community?"
A new online tool has been released by IE Day, which provides churches with a free 15-page evaluation report. Users assess their own website by answering 55 simple questions in the tool questionnaire. Their customized report is immediately displayed online, ready to print or save. Its recommendations are tailored with specific practical suggestions, based on the questions that were ticked. View the evaluation tool here: InternetEvangelismDay.com/design
A church site which has been prioritized for non- Christian visitors can be remarkably effective in reaching the community. "Week in, week out, more visitors turn up at our church on a Sunday because of the website, than anything else," writes one growing church in London UK.
The tool also provides the parable 'A Tale of Two Golf Clubs' (which is available to republish) to illustrate the principles of effective church websites: www.InternetEvangelismday.com/golf
Church leaders have welcomed this new resource:
"This competent evaluation tool provides a valuable service to churches that will help them strengthen their effectiveness in outreach through the Internet." - Dr. Sterling Huston, Director, North American Ministries, Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
"This checklist is an invaluable tool to identify critical areas for improvement. Every church should study this regularly and act on it!" - Gary McClure, LifeWay Ministries.
Interviews: www.InternetEvangelismDay.com/publicity
Photos: www.InternetEvangelismDay.com/photos
Leaders supporting: www.InternetEvangelismDay.com/supporting
More article ideas: www.InternetEvangelismDay.com/free- articles
Seven questions to ask every ministry leader
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/seven.questions.to.ask.every.ministry.leader/17128.htm
Good people, who love the Lord, aren’t thinking through what God has called them to do. Ministry is too important to be done haphazardly.
We have a lot of haphazard ministry being done in our churches around the world. Good people, who love the Lord, aren’t thinking through what God has called them to do. Ministry is too important to be done haphazardly. We can’t just say, “I’ll give it my best shot!” We need to think through what the ministries in our church are all about. Our ministries must be good stewards of all they’ve been given. For that to happen, we’ve got to plan ministry strategically.
There are seven important questions that need to be answered when you’re planning an effective ministry. These are questions for any healthy ministry – whether it’s your music ministry, greeters, small group leaders, or any other ministry team.
1. Why are you here?
Every ministry in your church should have a clear idea of what it’s all about. Each one needs a purpose statement. You develop that statement by asking two questions: What is the business of this ministry? And what is none of this ministry’s business?
What’s the business of Saddleback? We attract members, teach them to worship God, develop them to Christlike maturity, and mobilize them for ministry in the church and a life mission in the world. We do that in each stage and segment of their lives. If something doesn’t fit within that mission statement, we don’t do it.
Every ministry within your church needs a purpose statement like that. Ask each ministry: What do you do and what do you not do?
2. What purpose of the church does your ministry fulfill?
Every ministry in your church should be tied to at least one of the five purposes of the church. Is this ministry designed to exalt Christ (worship)? Is it designed to reach out to the community (evangelism)? Is it designed to deepen relationships within the church (fellowship)? Is it designed to build people into Christian maturity (discipleship)? Is it designed to serve the needs of the church family (ministry)?
As a pastor, you need to make sure that each of your ministries does one of these five things. If it doesn’t, your church doesn’t need to be doing it.
3. Who are you trying to reach?
You need to figure out who your ministry is trying to reach – the Community, the Crowd, the Congregation, the Committed, the Core, or the Commissioned. Ministries trying to reach the Community are evangelistic in nature. Ministries that serve those during weekend services are focused on the Crowd. Ministries focused on church members will work with the Congregation. Ministries that help people grow spiritually will center on the Committed. Ministries that meet the needs of people within the church or try to get people involved in the ministry of the church will focus on the Core. And the ministries that help those who’ve committed to be involved in missions (the P.E.A.C.E. Plan for us at Saddleback) will need to focus on the Commissioned.
You need to know who your ministry is trying to reach. The Community has different needs than the Committed. The Congregation has different needs than the Core. Knowing who your ministry is trying to serve will influence how the ministry operates.
4. Where do you believe God is calling your ministry to be in six months?
This is the stage where your ministry leaders dream. Where would they like to see the ministry six months from now? If your ministry leaders can’t think about the future, they aren’t ready to lead the ministry. Ask your ministry leaders to get away with God and talk to him about the ministry’s future.
5. How does your ministry do what it has been called to do?
Did you know that your body has nine systems in it? When any one of those systems gets out of order, it’s called an illness or disease. The church (the body of Christ) has systems in it as well. And for us to be healthy our systems have to work properly. How do your ministries do what they’ve been called to do? Ask your ministry leaders to think and pray about how to do ministry more effectively.
6. Who can you partner with to do what God has called you to do?
Your ministry leaders need to constantly be on the watch for people who can join them in ministry. Ask your ministry leaders to begin praying for at least one person who should be joining their ministry team.
Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Pray for laborers.” Ask your ministry leaders to begin praying for more laborers.
7. In what way do you serve people?
Your ministries should serve the people in your community. Are you meeting physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual needs (or a combination thereof)? All of those needs are valid. Part of understanding the identity of your ministries is to know how each of them serves people. Then look for ways you can add value to the services those ministries provide. In other words, look for ways each of your ministries can do a better job providing for the physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual needs of the community.
Archbishop Kidnapped; Calls for Prayer
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/331121.aspx
BAGHDAD - Gunmen kidnapped a Chaldean Catholic archbishop Friday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, police and the church said, in another attack targeting Iraq's small Christian community.
The gunmen killed three people who were with Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho after he ended a Mass at a nearby church, said Iraqi Brig. Gen. Khalid Abdul Sattar, a spokesman for the Ninevah province police.
An aide to Iraq's Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, leader of the church, said he did not know who was behind the kidnapping of the 65-year-old archbishop.
"We pray for his release as soon as possible," said Archbishop Andreos Abouna. "This act of abduction against a Christian clergy member will increase our fears and worries about the situation of Christians in Iraq."
The Chaldean church is an Eastern-rite denomination that recognizes the authority of the Pope and is aligned with Rome. The Vatican said in a statement the fact that the gunmen knew Rahho had been celebrating a religious rite indicated the kidnapping was premeditated.
Pope Benedict XVI asked the church "to unite in fervent prayer so that reason and humanity prevail among the authors of the kidnapping, and that Monsignor Rahho is returned quickly to the care of his flock," the statement said.
Rabban al-Qas, the bishop of the northern Iraqi cities of Irbil and Amadiyah, said the church was especially concerned because Rahho has health problems. He did not elaborate.
"This abduction is one in the series of kidnappings carried out by terrorist groups against the Christians," al-Qas said.
Last year's International Religious Freedom Report from the U.S. State Department noted that Chaldean Catholics comprise a tiny minority of the Iraqi population, but are the largest group among the less than 1 million Christians in mostly Muslim Iraq.
Since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, Iraqi Christians have been targeted by Islamic extremists who label them "crusaders" loyal to U.S. troops.
Churches, priests and business owned by Christians have been attacked by Islamic militants and many have fled the country.
Last June, the pope expressed deep concern about the plight of Christians caught in the deadly sectarian crossfire in Iraq and pressed President Bush in a meeting to keep their safety in mind.
"Particularly in Iraq, Christian families and communities are feeling increasing pressure from insecurity, aggression and a sense of abandonment," Benedict said at the time.
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki also pledged last fall to protect and support the Christian minority.
Though most of Iraq has witnessed a decrease of violence over the past six months, the U.S. military regards Mosul as the last urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq, and is engaged in a campaign with Iraqi forces to root out extremists from the city 225 miles northwest of Baghdad.
In an interview with AsiaNews, a Vatican-affiliated missionary news agency, in November, Rahho said the situation in Mosul was not improving and "religious persecution is more noticeable than elsewhere because the city is split along religious lines."
"Everyone is suffering from this war irrespective of religious affiliation, but in Mosul Christians face starker choices," he told the news agency.
More than 40 Members of Chinese House Church Alliance Detained in Inner Mongolia; South Korean Minister also Missing
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06923.shtml
XILINHAOTE CITY, Inner Mongolia -- China Aid has learned that the President of the Inner Mongolia Branch of the Chinese House Church Alliance, Wang Dawei, was detained along with more than 40 co-workers on Wednesday, February 20, 2008.
The leaders were in the 3rd day of a Bible study when more than 100 Police officers from the State Security Bureau and members of the Religious Affairs Bureau disrupted the meeting and detained the ministers. Police officials also confiscated the offering collection and more than 30 boxes of Bibles and other Christian literature. Security Bureau members then searched the personal residence of Wang Dawei later on in the afternoon. The leader of the meeting, a South Korean minister, was also detained during the incident, his whereabouts remain unknown.
The intensity of persecution amongst members of the Chinese House Church Alliance continues to increase as the Beijing Olympics draw near. This latest incident highlights the hypocrisy of Chinese officials who promote a "Harmonious Society" while simultaneously persecuting innocent and patriotic citizens such as Wang Dawei and others. We urge the Chinese Government to release these Christians and remain consistent with its own rhetoric on Religious freedom and rule of law.
For more information contact:
Wang Dawei: 1-375-419-7497
Wang Dawei's Daughter: 1-394-794-1911
Chinese Embassy in Washington DC
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Washington D.C. 20007
Tel: (202) 338-6688, (202) 588-9760
Fax: (202) 588-9760
CAA has also learned that Xinjiang businessman Zhou Heng was released in his acquittal on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. Charges against Mr. Zhou have been dropped.
In recent news, CAA has been informed that, Ms. Dong Shanshan and Ms. Xu Yuanyuan, were released by the Chinese Government in the afternoon of February 21, one day after CAA reported the case to the media. According to an interview with the two Christian ladies with CAA, both were taken away by officers from the State Security Bureau of Nanyang City, Henan province on Feb 18. They were interrogated about their work in the Chinese House Church Alliance. The interrogators told them before their release that they felt pressured because of "lots of international news media reporting about the arrest." Both of them have returned home safely and thankfully.
Update from Algeria
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06920.shtml
Last week, Christian leaders in Algeria requested prayer following several recent incidents that threaten the religious rights of Algerian Christians (see www.persecution.net/news/algeria4.html for more details).
One of these incidents was the case of three believers accused of insulting Islam. A written sentence for this case was expected on February 12. According to a February 14 report from Middle East Concern, however, the sentence was not issued. Local believers have not heard when the verdict is expected.
In another incident causing concern for Christian ministry in the country, on January 30 the tribunal of Oran city sentenced a priest to one year in prison for leading a prayer service in a private home in late December.
Father Wallez was accused by Algerian authorities of conducting religious ceremonies among Cameroonian migrants in a place not designated for such purposes. He was the first victim convicted of violating a legislation approved in March 2006 regarding the exercise of the practices of non-Muslim worship in Algeria. The tribunal issued the sentence and subsequently commuted it to parole.
Christian Couple Beaten and Chased from Mosque in Ethiopia
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06919.shtml
On February 10, Jemmal Abdo (30) and his wife, both Muslim converts to Christianity, were beaten and chased out from a mosque where they both worked in the capital city of Addis Ababa, according to VOMC sources.
Two months ago, Jemmal and his wife both came to faith in Christ. Soon after their conversion, one of Jemmal's friends saw him talking with Christians and told the imam of the mosque. On February 10, Jemmal and his wife were interrogated in the mosque during a meeting called by Muslim leaders in an attempt to persuade the couple to recant their faith.
The couple refused to do so, even after the leaders offered them higher positions and salaries if they denied Christ. The couple was then beaten and dragged out of the mosque. Jemmal and his wife were able to flee to a new location for safety.
Pray for the recovery of Jemmal and his wife, who were injured in the attack. Ask God to strengthen them by His grace as they stand in their new found faith in Christ (Philippians 1:29).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in Ethiopia, go to www.persecution.net/country/ethiopia.htm.
Kenya tragedy a warning to churches
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/kenya.tragedy.a.warning.to.churches.world.reformed.head/17126.htm
The crisis in Kenya should serve as a warning to churches to be prophetic leaders in their communities, says the head of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.
The last few months of violence and bloodshed in Kenya should serve as a warning to churches the world over to be prophetic leaders in their communities, the President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) told Christian leaders earlier in the week.
Rev Clifton Kirkpatrick was addressing a joint assembly of the Caribbean and North American Area Council (CANAAC) of WARC and the Caribbean and North American Council for Mission, which met this week in the capital of Guyana, Georgetown.
“Failure to be about the work of breaking chains of injustice has put things at the boiling point in Kenya,” he told assembly delegates. “Kenya is an important warning to us of the consequences of waiting too long for our churches to be about ministries of integrity, justice and reconciliation.”
President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who accused Kibaki of stealing the 27 December elections, signed a power-sharing agreement in Nairobi on Thursday, to the relief of ordinary Kenyans who broke out onto the streets dancing and singing. It is hoped that the deal will finally close the door on months of riots and horrific ethnic violence, which have left at least 1,000 people dead and another 300,000 displaced from their homes.
Under the deal, a prime minister’s office will be created for Odinga, and two deputy prime ministers‘ posts, one for each of the two parties in the coalition.
The 45-year-old constitution, disliked by many Kenyans because of its concentration of power in the presidency, will also come under review in the coming months.
Rev Kirkpatrick, who is also stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (USA), said that a lack of integrity in public life, the need for land reform, and a deep gap between rich and poor had all contributed to the crisis in Kenya.
The fact that Kenya’s churches were divided along ethnic lines meant that they had also been part of the country’s recent problems, he asserted, a feeling also voiced by representatives of Kibaki’s and Odinga’s parties to a World Council of Churches delegation at the end of January, which included Rev Kirkpatrick.
The delegation‘s appeal for Kenyan churches to be full partners in the mediation process met a cool response from the parties‘ representatives who complained that the churches in Kenya had “failed” the country by taking partisan positions.
The churches “need to heal themselves first”, they said.
Rev Kirkpatrick added, “This is a wake up call for Kenyan churches – and for us. It is clear for the Kenyan churches that if there is going to be a future for their people, churches must take prophetic leadership for integrity, justice and reconciliation. The same is true for us in our settings.”
Israel Prepares for Gaza Invasion
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/331175.aspx
Israel's Army said it is ready, if needed, for a ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The past two days, Hamas terrorists have launched dozens of rockets from Gaza into Israel, and thousands more Israelis are now within rocket range.
Israel's air force struck at rocket launching positions in Gaza Friday, trying to stop Hamas from firing on Israeli towns.
The Israelis are ready for a possible ground invasion in the coming weeks.
A growing number of Israelis want their government to send in the military.
A father of four from the town of Sderot was killed Wednesday, and on Thursday, Hamas expanded its reach to the coastal city of Ashkelon, sending a dozen larger grad rockets into the city of 120,000 people.
Friday, officials there activated a "code red" warning system, which gave residents perhaps 40 seconds to flee incoming rockets.
Israel's defense minister Ehud Barak said his country must prepare to go back into Gaza to deal with the Hamas threat. Defense officials said they might wait one or two weeks for better weather, which helps the Israeli air force.
Airstrikes against Hamas positions have killed at least 31 Palestinians this week, including some children. Israel warns there will be more of the same if the rocket barrage continues.
Israel Warns of Unleashing 'Holocaust' in Gaza if Rocket Attacks Continue
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,333849,00.html
Israeli leaders warned Friday that the army may unleash a “holocaust” on the Gaza Strip if Islamists there do not end their daily barrages of rockets, the Times of London reports.
"The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves," Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Matan Vilnai said.
Israel was forced to activate a rocket warning system in the Gaza Strip to protect Ashkelon, a city of 120,000 people, from Palestinian rockets.
Vilnai’s deployment of the word appeared to show Israel’s growing frustration that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza refuse to curb their attacks, despite heavy tolls inflicted in Israeli air strikes and tank raids, the Times of London reports.
Ashkelon was hit by several Grad rockets fired from Gaza on Thursday, a sign of the widening scope of violence between Israel and Hamas militants in Gaza. One hit an apartment building, slicing through the roof and three floors below, and another landed near a school, wounding a 17-year-old girl.
Located 11 miles from Gaza, Ashkelon had been sporadically targeted in the past but never suffered direct hits or significant damage.
In Gaza, thousands took to the streets on Friday in funerals for the dead of the past days. Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas government in Gaza, addressed a crowd of around 2,000 Hamas supporters at Friday prayers, his first public address after nearly a month and a half during which he and other Hamas officials have largely remained out of sight because of fears Israel could assassinate them.
"You are mistaken if you thought that targeting buildings, ministries and police stations is going to stop our work," Haniyeh said, directing his comments at Israel. "We will work under trees, in tents and in the streets."
"It will be sad, and difficult, but we have no other choice," Vilnai said Friday, referring to the large-scale military operation he said Israel was preparing to bring a halt to the rocket fire.
"We're getting close to using our full strength. Until now, we've used a small percentage of the army's power because of the nature of the territory," Vilnai told Army Radio on Friday.
Israel does not intend to launch a major ground offensive in the next week or two, partly because the military prefers to wait for better weather, defense officials said. But the army has now completed its preparations and informed the government it's ready to move immediately when the order is given, the officials said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
After Thursday's rocket attacks on Ashkelon, Israel activated its "Code Red" rocket warning system there. The system picks up incoming rockets and sounds an alarm in the target area, giving residents time — a few dozen seconds, in Ashkelon's case — to scramble for cover.
Until now, the Palestinian rocket squads have largely targeted Sderot, a small town near Gaza. Ashkelon, a major population center only 25 miles from Israel's heart in Tel Aviv, was caught unprepared, its mayor said Friday.
"It's a city of 120,000 people, with large facilities — a huge soccer stadium, and a basketball stadium, and a beach. No one is ready for this," Roni Mehatzri told Israel Radio.
On Friday, dozens of soldiers in orange berets from the Israeli military's Home Front Command arrived in Ashkelon and hung posters around the city instructing residents on what to do in case of a rocket attack.
Despite past rocket hits in Ashkelon, Israel hesitated to activate the "Code Red" system there because officials didn't want to send 120,000 people running for shelter every time a rocket was launched in the direction of the city.
The army is now considering installing more radars near Ashkelon so that the system will be able to better analyze the course of an incoming rocket and warn only the residents of the target neighborhood, rather than the whole city, defense officials said.
The barrage of Iranian-made Grads directed at Ashkelon on Thursday came on the second day of a spike in violence in Gaza. On Wednesday morning, Israel killed five Hamas militants, including two rocket masterminds, in an airstrike on a minivan. Later in the day, a Palestinian rocket killed an Israeli civilian, a 47-year-old father of four, in the town of Sderot.
Hamas, an Islamic group with close ties to Iran, has ruled Gaza since coming to power in a violent takeover there in June, 2006.
A Palestinian civilian wounded in an airstrike on Thursday died Friday, Palestinian medical officials said.Since Wednesday, 32 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli missile strikes, including 15 civilians, among them eight children, according to Palestinian officials. The youngest was a 6-month-old boy, Mohammed al-Borai, whose funeral was held Thursday.
The army said it was targeting rocket squads, and blamed militants for operating in populated areas. AP photos showed rockets being launched from densely populated areas in northern Gaza.
Israeli troops and tanks were in action Friday in northern Gaza, according to Palestinian witnesses and the military, and Israeli aircraft continued to pummel targets in the coastal territory. One attack near the town of Jebalya wounded five people, including two children and their grandmother, according to Dr. Moaiya Hassanain of Gaza's Health Ministry. The military said it carried out strikes targeting areas used by rocket squads.
After prayers, thousands marched in towns across Gaza waving the flags of Hamas and other militant groups. Some children at the protests wore white clothes stained with red paint to resemble blood.
Militants fired several rockets into Israel on Friday morning, the military said. One scored a direct hit on a house in Sderot, lightly wounding one person, according to the Israeli rescue service Magen David Adom.
Egypt's powerful intelligence chief called off a visit to Israel next week because of the spike in violence, an Israeli defense official said Friday. Omar Suleiman, who often serves as an envoy for Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, was set to meet with Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, to discuss border issues and an Israeli soldier held by Hamas militants in Gaza.
Egyptian officials were not immediately available for comment.
Thousands of Gazans Protest Over Deadly Israeli Raids
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/gaza_protest_israel/2008/02/29/76895.html
GAZA CITY -- Tens of thousands of Gazans on Friday protested against Israeli raids that killed more than 30 Palestinians, as Israel mulled a ground operation to stop rocket fire from the Hamas-run territory.
The demonstrators poured into the streets throughout the impoverished and isolated territory in response to Hamas calls to denounce the air strikes, whose victims include several children.
"They've killed my right to childhood," read a sign held by a child, clad in a red-stained white funeral shroud, who attended a large rally in the northern town of Jabaliya.
Among the protesters in Gaza City was Khalil al-Hayyah, a Hamas leader who lost a 25-year-old son in an air strike Thursday.
"We will never recognise Israel, even if it assassinates all our leaders and kills our children," he shouted to the crowd.
A senior Hamas official told worshippers at a Gaza City mosque that the coastal strip which the Islamists have ruled for more than eight months was facing war.
"Gaza today faces a real war, a crazy war led by the enemy against our people," said Ismail Haniya, the premier in a Hamas-led government which Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas fired after Hamas seized control of Gaza.
Haniya lashed out at the US administration, which he claimed backs the Israeli attacks by portraying them as "legitimate self-defence." He also accused the Arab world of "encouraging the Israeli aggression" through its silence.
Abbas meanwhile expressed concern at what he called the "dangers of an Israeli escalation" in the Gaza Strip, his office said in a statement received by AFP.
He urged Israel to cease its attacks on the territory and also called on Palestinian militants to stop rocket attacks on Israel.
"It is in the interest of the Palestinian people not to give Israel any pretext to continue its aggression," Abbas said.
The 57-member Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also condemned the Israeli raids and urged the United Nations to rein in the Jewish state.
But Israeli Deputy Defence Minister Matan Vilnai warned his country "will not shy away from any action" to halt the near-daily rocket fire from Gaza.
"By intensifying the rocket fire and extending their reach they are bringing onto themselves a worse catastrophe as we will use all means to defend ourselves," Vilnai told army radio.
Vilnai's spokesman took strong exception to media reports that quoted the minister calling for a "Holocaust" in Gaza. "The minister used the Hebrew term 'shoah' which means 'catastrophe' and in this context does not refer to the 'the Shoah' -- the Holocaust," said Eytan Guinsburg.
Defence Minister Ehud Barak said earlier Israel was considering the possibility of launching a widescale ground operation in Gaza.
A Palestinian civilian died on Friday of wounds sustained the previous day in an Israeli strike, bringing to 31 the number of people killed in the raids since early on Wednesday, including six children, medics said.
On Friday 13 people, six of them children, were wounded in separate Israeli strikes in Gaza, medics said.
Israel says its strikes target rocket-launching sites. Gaza militants have fired more 125 rockets at Israel since Wednesday, according to the Israeli army.
The attacks from Gaza injured a handful of people and killed a civilian who became the first Israeli to die since May as a result of the near-daily rocket fire.
The violence has overshadowed the Israeli-Palestinian peace process which was revived at a US-hosted conference in late November but has made little progress since.
The latest escalation around Gaza flared early on Wednesday when an Israeli strike killed five Hamas militants in the southern town of Khan Yunis. In retaliation, the Islamists launched a barrage of rockets into southern Israel.
Several of the rockets hit the coastal city of Ashkelon, raising fears inside Israel that Gaza militants are receiving longer-range projectiles and fuelling calls for a ground operation.
A five-month incursion in 2006 -- conducted after Gaza militants seized an Israeli soldier in a cross-border raid -- killed several hundred Palestinians but failed to stop the rocket fire.
The chief of Israel's left-wing Meretz party, Yossi Beilin, said Hamas had offered a truce around Gaza over the past two weeks but the overtures had been rejected by the Israeli leadership, which brands the movement a terror outfit.
'Peace where there is no peace'
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/329270.aspx
JERUSALEM, Israel - According to Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, if the Bush administration doesn't make good on its promise to broker a Mideast peace agreement, the opportunity will be lost forever.
Abbas' remarks followed a private meeting with Jordanian King Abdullah in Amman.
If U.S. President George Bush's pledge "to make 2008 the year to broker peace, then there will never be any future chances to achieve this goal," Abbas told reporters at a press conference in Amman.
"[The US] must understand it is to play an active role, not just as a supervisor, by intervening directly to help make peace," Abbas said.
"[Israel also must] stop escalating the situation in the Palestinian territories and stop all attacks in the Gaza Strip, including firing missiles there," said the PA chairman.
Abbas made no mention of the daily Kassam rocket and mortar fire on southern Israeli communities, which are the reason for the IDF's (Israel Defense Forces) operations in Gaza.
Nor did he talk about how the IDF's counter-terror operations in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) have caught numerous suicide bombers before they could carry out their deadly missions.
Last month, PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said talks between Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams are moving far too slowly to produce a peace accord by year's end.
And Syrian ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha, also thinks prospects for a negotiated settlement during Bush's tenure in office are dim.
Before leaving for a visit to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Monday, Moustapha told The Associated Press that last November's U.S.-sponsored Middle East peace summit was merely "an exercise in public relations."
According to the Syrian ambassador, certain officials in the Bush administration believe "chaos is constructive in the region."
While Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni have both been very upbeat about the prospects for a negotiated settlement within the Bush administration's time frame, they too are beginning to have their doubts.
Speaking with Japanese business leaders in Tokyo yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said he is no longer sure they'll achieve the timetable announced at the Annapolis meeting.
"We have a desire to reach an agreement in the year 2008, but I am not sure we will make it," Olmert said, adding that Israel "was determined to make a giant step forward to end this dispute once and for all."
Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, overseeing the government during Olmert's four-day visit to Japan, expressed similar skepticism to the Jewish Agency's Board of Governors Tuesday.
"We expect the international community to respect the fact that the negotiations are bilateral," Livni said.
"There is no need to try to push us to compromise on things that we're unable to compromise on. I don't know if we will reach agreements -- or when," she said, adding that "there is also a price in doing nothing."
Livni criticized people who justify acts of terror by trying "to understand the motivations of terrorism." Such rationale doesn't yield solutions, she said.
It seems the broadest efforts by the Olmert government, undergirded by the Bush administration, to negotiate a peace settlement with the Palestinians are faring no better than the Camp David Peace Accords in July 2000, which heralded the second intifada (armed Palestinian uprising) in September of that year.
Jordanian King: Mideast Peace to Be Set Back Decades Minus U.S. Help
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,334170,00.html
Jordan's King Abdullah II warned Friday that unless a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian agreement is reached during the Bush administration's final months, the chances for a lasting Middle East peace could be "set back, perhaps for decades."
We are in the best possible position to resolve 60 years of conflict between Israel and Palestine," Abdullah told an audience at Princeton University. "It will be two or three years before a new American president will be willing to look at the Middle East."
Bush leaves office in January.
Abdullah's message was similar to one he delivered to a joint session of Congress last year and is what he will likely tell Bush when he meets with him at the White House on Tuesday.
Abdullah said resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is more important to the future of the Middle East than any other issue, including the war in Iraq. By agreeing soon to allow a Palestinian state, he said, Israel could quickly gain diplomatic and trade relationships with 57 countries that now refuse to deal with it.
Key for the Palestinians in any peace deal is Israel's return to pre-1967 borders, the right of return of refugees and their descendants, and the status of Jerusalem — all issues that have derailed peace efforts before.
Abdullah's comments came as Israel's deputy defense minister threatened a major offensive if rocket attacks on Israel continue from the Gaza Strip. Israeli armaments targeted Palestinian rocket operations in Gaza, leaving 15 wounded, including four children, according to Gaza officials.
Abdullah, 46, took the throne in Jordan in 1999 after his father, King Hussein died. Like his father, he is seen as a moderate in the Middle East.
On Thursday, Abdullah met with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the situation in the region.
U.S. Dismisses Hezbollah Criticism Over Ships
http://www.newsmax.com/headlines/Hezbollah_Criticism_ships/2008/02/29/76896.html
WASHINGTON -- The United States on Friday shrugged off pro-Syria Hezbollah's criticisms of the deployment of a US warship to waters off Lebanon and insisted the show of force meant to promote stability.
"On Hezbollah's concerns, I would express some of our own concerns with Hezbollah's actions. So I'll just leave it at that," White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe told reporters.
Johndroe sidestepped questions about comments from Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, who said Friday that his Western-backed government did not ask Washington to send the USS Cole guided-missile destroyer to the area.
"We have regular consultations with Prime Minister Siniora and his government, as well as our allies, both in the immediate region, as well as in Europe on the situation in Lebanon," said the spokesman.
"There's constant communication at various levels. But let's be clear: The purpose of the US Navy ships in the eastern Mediterranean is a show of support for regional stability," amid Lebanon's political crisis, he emphasized.
"I know we share with Prime Minister Siniora a desire for the situation in Lebanon to be resolved, and resolved by the Lebanese people," said Johndroe.
"We did not ask anyone to send warships," Siniora said in a speech during a meeting with Arab ambassadors that was broadcast live on television, adding that no US warship was in "Lebanese waters."
Before Friday's speech Siniora also summoned the US charge d'affaires to ask her for "clarifications" about the dispatch of the USS Cole, a government source told AFP.
Lebanon has been without a president since last November amid political feuding between the Western-backed ruling parliamentary majority and the opposition, backed by Syria and Iran.
U.N. Iran Sanctions Delayed by OPEC Block
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/_Iran_Sanctions_Delay/2008/02/29/76812.html
UNITED NATIONS -- White House plans to install a new round of sanctions against Iran for its refusal to suspend a controversial uranium enrichment program hit a roadblock Thursday.
Washington had expected the 15-member Security Council to agree on the final wording of a draft resolution Thursday evening, with a formal vote on its adoption Friday. Thursday evening, the first word of delay came from U.S./U.N. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad who told reporters, "We will vote on the resolution Saturday."
That "revised" game plan has now been unexpectedly shelved. Rather than reach a consensus, Indonesia (a non-permanent member) raised new questions about the validity of any additional sanctions. Those "concerns" were echoed by Libya, Vietnam and South Africa.
Iran has insisted its nuclear program is for "peaceful" purposes. The U.S., backed by France and the UK, contend the program could easily be diverted for military use and wants it stopped. The Council had set a deadline for Iran to comply. It was over six months ago.
Not only has Iran defied the Council, but expanded its prohibited activities, says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA-UNatomic watchdog). While Washington is believed to be "receptive" to some minor "adjustments" on the tone of the resolution, the U.S. and the otherperm-5 members (UK, France, Russia and China) are expected hold firm on the issue of sanctions itself.
Council diplomats tell NewsMax that the U.S. has the required 9 yes votes and no veto to get new sanctions approved. UK diplomats tell NewsMax that at least 11 members will vote yes, but will still try to boost the yes votes more as a symbolic, than substantive effort.
It was also pointed out that Indonesia and Libya, two of the Council members who have stalled the U.S. effort are, like Iran, OPEC members. Vietnam and South Africa are both net oil importers and their economies have been hard hit by the rapid rise in energy prices, diplomats pointed out.
It is suspected that Iran has been dangling subsidized energy contracts to get some Council members to vote no on new sanctions. For the last week, Iran's U.N. mission has been lobbying hard behind the scenes to thwart the Council's actions. This has included several private "lunches" with reporters to put forward Iran's position.
The net result has been a collective effort by the Council Perm 5 to put the sanctions to a formal vote and let the "group of 4" vote no, if they so wish. With a formal vote now expected early next week, Iran will see new import-export controls on items that could have anuclear-military application. New restrictions will be imposed on Iranian banks, as well as on the travel of certain Iranian officials.
Iraq OKs Execution of 'Chemical Ali'
http://www.newsmax.com/international/iraq/2008/02/29/76813.html
BAGHDAD -- The Saddam Hussein henchman known as "Chemical Ali" for gassing thousands of Kurdish civilians is due to hang within the month, following the endorsement of his death sentence Friday by Iraq's presidential council. But even survivors were notably subdued about the news in a nation weary of violence and suffering.
The agreement among Iraq's three-member presidential council _ President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, along with the Sunni and Shiite vice presidents _ eliminated the last barrier before Ali Hassan al-Majid can be executed.
The presidential council spared the lives of two other Saddam aides, in what was seen as a possible attempt to appease minority Sunnis. The two men _ Hussein Rashid Mohammed, former deputy director of operations for the Iraqi armed forces, and former defense minister Sultan Hashim al-Taie _ are in U.S. custody, as is al-Majid.
The date of the execution will be determined by the Iraqi government.
A cousin of Saddam who once was an army motorcycle messenger, al-Majid rose to become a general and served as defense minister from 1991-95. He was among the most important figures in the former regime's inner circle, and was known as one of the most merciless.
Al-Majid, al-Taie and Mohammed were sentenced to death in June after being convicted of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for their part in Operation Anfal _ a 1987-88 crackdown on the Kurdish region that killed nearly 200,000 civilians and guerrillas.
Witnesses testified that Iraqi government forces attacked women and children, burned crops, killed livestock and forced civilians into detention camps.
Hundreds of Kurds danced in the streets last June when al-Majid was sentenced to death.
But on Friday in Halabja, a city near the Iranian border that was the scene of a notorious gas attack that killed an estimated 5,000 civilians, news that al-Majid's sentence is to be carried out was greeted with relief but not joy.
"I am glad to see Chemical Ali hanged at last and I am psychologically relieved to see the person who killed thousands of my people being punished at last," said 43-year-old Aras Abdi, who lost 12 relatives in the Halabja attack.
"On the other hand, the execution will not improve our lives. We have been neglected by the Kurdish regional government."
Another Halabja resident, Kamil Mahmoud, said he still has trouble breathing as a result of the attack.
"I was afraid that I would die without seeing Chemical Ali punished for his crimes," said Mahmoud, who lost eight family members to the gas. "But thanks to God, the time has come for Ali to see his shameful end."
Nearly five years after Saddam was toppled in the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, sectarian and insurgent violence persists.
According to an Associated Press count, at least 729 Iraqis were reported killed through Thursday in February, up from at least 610 Iraqis killed in January. At least 29 U.S. troops were killed in February, down from 40 the month before.
On Friday, gunmen kidnapped Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Paulos Faraj Rahho as he left Mass, police said. Ninevah provincial police Brig. Gen. Khalid Abdul-Sattar said the attackers also killed three people who were with the prelate.
An aide to Iraq's Chaldean cardinal said he did not know who seized the 65-year-old archbishop in Mosul, a northern city which the U.S. military considers an urban stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq. Pope Benedict XVI called for Rahho's release, saying the kidnapping was an "abominable" attack.
Al-Majid would be the fifth former regime official hanged for alleged atrocities during Saddam's nearly three-decade rule.
Saddam also had been a defendant in the so-called Anfal trial, but he was hanged Dec. 30, 2006, for ordering the killings of more than 140 Shiites after a 1982 assassination attempt against him.
Prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi, who said he had received word of the decision from the presidential council, said there was a legal basis for executing "Chemical Ali" but not the other two officials.
An appeals court upheld the verdicts against the three men in September. But they were put on hold after Sunni leaders, including Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, launched a campaign to spare al-Taie. Officials said al-Hashemi refused to approve the execution of al-Taie and Mohammed because he considered them career soldiers who were following orders.
President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, had also refused to sign the order against al-Taie, a Sunni who signed the cease-fire that ended the 1991 Gulf War.
Many Sunni Arabs saw al-Taie's sentence as evidence that Shiite and Kurdish officials were persecuting their once-dominant minority and as a sign of Shiite influence over the judiciary.
Few had sympathy for al-Majid, however.
"Hassan al-Majid is renowned for his brutality," said Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh, a Kurd. The case, he said, "shows that justice delayed is better than no justice."
Turkish Troops Withdraw From Iraq
http://www.newsmax.com/international/turkey_iraq/2008/02/29/76806.html
ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Truckloads of weary and unshaven Turkish troops returned Friday from Iraq as Turkey ended an eight-day cross-border offensive against Kurdish rebels, meeting U.S. demands for a quick campaign.
Washington and Baghdad welcomed the move, but Turkey warned that the forces would return if necessary.
A key test of the effectiveness of Turkey's ground incursion could come in the weeks ahead with the arrival of spring, the traditional start of the fighting season of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. In the past, guerrillas have taken advantage of the melting snows and infiltrated Turkey from bases in Iraq, and any surge in PKK attacks could trigger another tough response from the Turkish military.
"It is very clear that an established group like the PKK will not be eliminated with one or two more cross-border operations. Turkey needs pinpoint operations against the group's leadership, like Israel's operations against Palestinian groups," said Sinan Ogan, head of the Turkish Center for International Relations and Strategic Analysis in Ankara.
Moreover, the discrimination and poverty that triggered the Kurdish insurgency in Turkey in 1984 persist, although the government has taken steps in recent years to ease restrictions on Kurds as part of its bid to join the European Union. The PKK's power has dwindled since its 1990s heyday, and Europe and the United States consider it a terrorist group, but it still enjoys support in the country's predominantly Kurdish southeast and some urban centers.
The PKK has tempered its demands over the years, initially calling for an independent state and later for autonomy in the southeast and cultural rights. The conflict has killed up to 40,000 people.
Turkey's first major incursion into Iraq for about a decade reflected the sensitive nature of its alliance with the United States, which provided intelligence to the Turkish military but sought a short campaign to preserve the relative calm of the mostly Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The troop withdrawal came a day after President Bush and Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Turkish leaders they should end the offensive as soon as possible.
"Any influence, either foreign or domestic, on this decision by the Turkish Armed Forces is out of the question," the Turkish military said. "Terrorist activities in Iraq's north will be observed in the future and no threat against Turkey from this region will be allowed."
Gen. Yasar Buyukanit, the military chief, said it was "pure coincidence" that the withdrawal was announced one day after Gates issued his appeal during a visit to Ankara, Dogan news agency reported.
"This decision was made because the operation had reached its targets," Buyukanit said. "When the U.S. defense secretary stepped into Turkey, the withdrawal had been partly realized."
CNN-Turk television quoted Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying: "Everything has been realized according to the plan. No civilian has been harmed in the operation."
Firat, a pro-Kurdish news agency, quoted PKK officials as saying the Turkish withdrawal was made under pressure from Kurdish militants and that it amounted to a victory for the rebels. Senior rebel commander Murat Karayilan congratulated his fighters, the agency said.
Turkey, which barred U.S. troops from using its soil as a springboard to invade Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 2003, had expressed frustration with Washington and the U.S.-backed Iraqi government for their perceived failure to crack down on the PKK.
In Washington, National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Turkey's incursion "was a targeted and relatively short operation."
"But I would certainly expect that in the future, that unless the PKK gives up terrorism, that we're going to have to continue to work with the Turks and the Iraqis to go after them," Johndroe said.
Iraqi authorities had said they do not support the PKK but objected to Turkey's military action. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, himself a Kurd, welcomed the end of the incursion.
"This withdrawal indicates the credibility of the Turkish government's statements that the military operation is limited and temporary," his office said in a statement.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, also a Kurd, credited the U.S. with playing an "instrumental" role in pressing Turkey to leave.
The Turkish military said the operation targeted 300 rebels in Iraq's Zap region, and 240 of them were killed. Turkish losses stood at 27. The PKK has disputed Turkey's estimate of slain rebels, and independent confirmation of the toll in the remote area is virtually impossible. Turkey has previously said there were up to 3,800 PKK militants in northern Iraq, and as many as 1,500 inside Turkey.
"Without a doubt, it is impossible to render the entire terrorist organization ineffective with an operation in only one region. However, it is shown to the group that Iraq's north is not a safe area for terrorists," the military said.
The military said commando units, airborne troops, tanks and armored personnel carriers were used in the operation, and F-16 warplanes and long-range artillery pounded suspected rebel positions. It said troops, trained for winter warfare, took the PKK by surprise. However, there had been reports prior to the incursion that many PKK rebels had dispersed, fearful of an attack.
Soldiers in trucks driving through the border town of Cukurca and into Turkey's interior on Friday gave thumbs-up signs. Some had camouflage paint on their faces, wore snow boots and woolen caps, and held machine guns.
Despite Turkey's avowal that its only target was the PKK, one analyst speculated that Turkey also delivered a warning to Iraqi Kurds who run a virtual mini-state in northern Iraq. Turkish officials fear their separatist aspirations could inflame similar sentiment among Turkish Kurds, who only recently were awarded limited cultural rights such as Kurdish-language courses and television broadcasts.
"They made a point _ they can do what they want in that region," Aliza Marcus, author of "Blood and Belief: the PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence," said of Turkey's leadership. "The message to Iraqi Kurds is: 'Be careful. We are here.'"
Suicide Attack Kills 35 at Pakistan Funeral
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/331317.aspx
PESHAWAR, Pakistan - A suicide attacker blew himself up at a funeral Friday for a slain policeman in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley, killing at least 35 people including the officer's 16-year-old son.
It was the deadliest attack in the country since the Feb. 18 parliamentary elections. And it was the bloodiest in the Swat Valley since militant followers of a pro-Taliban cleric grabbed control of large parts of the scenic corner of Pakistan's restive northwest.
President Pervez Musharraf sent in thousands of troops in November to reassert government control over the valley. The army says it has retaken most of Swat, but attacks persist and the leader of the uprising, Mullah Fazlullah, remains at large.
About 800 people, including police officials and civilians, were at a government high school for the funeral of senior police officer Javed Iqbal.
Iqbal, the deputy police chief of the Lakki Marwat district, and his driver were killed in a roadside bomb Friday morning. By the time his body was brought to his hometown of Mingora for the funeral, night had fallen.
"Because it was dark, the suicide bomber was able to mingle among the people easily," said Shahbuddin, an assistant inspector of police who was at the funeral.
The explosion occurred just as the pallbearers lifted the coffin to carry it toward the grave, said Shahbuddin, who only uses one name. One of the pallbearers was Iqbal's 16-year-old son Ghazan, who was killed.
"As the coffin was lifted I moved toward the gate but suddenly a big explosion took place, which dashed me against the gate ... It was hell. Everybody was crying for help," said Shahbuddin, who was slightly injured.
Dr. Fazal Wahab of Saidu Sharif Hospital said 35 bodies had been counted and 62 people were wounded. "We have treated a large number of injured, some in very critical condition," he told The Associated Press.
Taliban militants have stepped up attacks and taken control of tracts of northwestern Pakistan bordering Afghanistan in the past several years. Last week, a roadside bomb killed 12 people at a wedding party in Swat, once a popular tourist retreat known for its mountain scenery.
Fazlullah leads a banned extremist group that sent reinforcements for the Taliban when U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan in late 2001.
In Swat, he took up arms in July, calling for holy war against the government, and sent thousands of followers to seize a string of towns, scattering outgunned police and erecting "Taliban station" signs outside former police stations.
The uprising was a shocking reflection of how Musharraf's government had lost control of swaths of the conservative northwest.
Musharraf, a valued U.S. ally in the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban, has faced calls to resign since his Muslim League-Q party was soundly defeated in the parliamentary elections. He has refused to step down.
The party of Benazir Bhutto - the opposition leader assassinated on Dec. 27 - was the biggest winner in the election, followed by the group led former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Leaders of the two parties hope to form a coalition that would give them the two-thirds majority necessary to impeach Musharraf or curtail his powers through constitutional amendments.
Musharraf came to power in a 1999 coup that ousted Sharif. Although Pakistanis initially welcomed Musharraf, he has become increasingly unpopular amid accusations he has trampled on democracy and the judiciary.
World Congress of Families Shocked by Vote to Legalize Euthanasia in Luxembourg
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06921.shtml
World Congress of Families Global Coordinator Larry Jacobs expressed "shock and dismay" over Tuesday's vote to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide in Luxembourg. Euthanasia is currently legal only in the Netherlands and Belgium.
"Europe is quickly slipping into a new Dark Age, in the words of Winston Churchill, 'made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science,'" Jacobs observed.
The Luxembourg parliament voted 30 to 28 to allow so-called consensual euthanasia, over the objections of Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker and his Christian Social Party.
Proponents are in the process of establishing "guidelines" for euthanasia in Luxembourg. While news sources have reported that the law would apply to the terminally ill, Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition says the bill would also allow individuals with "grave and incurable" conditions to be euthanized.
Obviously, a person can have a condition that's "grave and incurable," but not life-threatening.
"Euthanasia proponents always assure us that the act will be voluntary," Jacobs observed. "But the devil is in the details. Frequently, if a patient is unable to indicate consent, this life-or-death decision is made for them by a relative or a physician."
A 2005 report by the Dutch government concluded that in 2004 there were an estimated 550 killings of individuals who were comatose or otherwise unresponsive in the country.
The Luxembourg bill has gone through first reading. A final vote will come after procedures to implement the measure are devised.
"We hope parliamentarians will have second thoughts about unleashing this lethal measure on the people they serve," Jacobs declared.
The World Congress of Families supports the sanctity of human life, "from conception to natural death." This support is emphasized in the Warsaw Declaration adopted by over 3,000 delegates at World Congress of Families IV. "We call for all governing and political bodies... to protect every human being from conception to natural death, to stress the upbringing of children as the fundamental right of parents, to protect young people against demoralization, and to promote economic solutions that provide dignified living conditions to all families."
For more information on World Congress of Families, go to www.worldcongress.org . To schedule an interview with Larry Jacobs, contact Don Feder at (508) 405-1337.
The World Congress of Families (WCF) is an international network of pro-family organizations, scholars, leaders and people of goodwill from more than 60 countries that seeks to restore the natural family as the fundamental social unit and the 'seedbed' of civil society. The WCF was founded in 1997 by Allan Carlson and is a project of The Howard Center for Family, Religion & Society in Rockford, Illinois (www.profam.org). To date, there have been four World Congresses of Families - Prague (1997), Geneva (1999), Mexico City (2004) and Warsaw, Poland (2007).
Brazil's Church Lobbies on Stem Cells
http://www.newsmax.com/international/brazil_stem_cells/2008/02/29/76876.html
BRASILIA, Brazil -- Brazilian church officials urged the Supreme Court on Friday to reject embryonic stem cell research in the world's largest Roman Catholic country, a week before the justices rule on banning such research.
The case stems from a 2005 motion by then-Attorney General Claudio Fontelles, who argued that a law passed that same year allowing embryonic stem cell research is unconstitutional because it violates the right to life.
The measure opened the way for research with embryos resulting from in-vitro fertilization and frozen for at least three years. Scientists study embryonic stem cells in hopes of developing cures to diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, multiple sclerosis and diabetes.
But the process of isolating the cells results in the destruction of the embryo, which the Catholic Church and other groups say ends a human life.
"Our position is not against science," Archbishop Gerald Lyre Roach, president of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, said at a news conference Friday. "It is in favor of life."
He noted that the church supports adult stem cell research, which he described as "ethically acceptable."
Adult stem cells, which are harvested without destroying an embryo, can be used to recuperate damaged tissue. But scientists say they are less flexible than embryonic stem cells, which can develop into different types of cells.
"The church's position is a valuable one for its faithful," said University of Brasilia anthropologist Debora Diniz, a defender of embryonic stem cell research. "But it is not backed by science and should not become official state policy."
Dr. Alveda King: 'Planned Parenthood, Stop Using and Lying to My Family'
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06925.shtml
ATLANTA -- Dr. Alveda King, Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., today decried Planned Parenthood's use of her uncle's image and words on its website.
"Planned Parenthood is no stranger to deception. I know firsthand because prior to my abortion, a Planned Parenthood doctor told me that my baby was just a 'blob of tissue,'" said Dr. King. "Now, Planned Parenthood lies by trying to imply that my uncle, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would somehow endorse the organization today. He most certainly would not."
"Uncle Martin accepted an award from Planned Parenthood in 1966 when abortion was illegal in every state and before Planned Parenthood started publicly advocating for it," continued Dr. King. "In Planned Parenthood's own citation for Uncle Martin's prize, not only is no mention of abortion made, it states that 'human life and progress are indeed indivisible.' In 1966, neither the general public nor my uncle was aware of the true agenda of Planned Parenthood, an agenda of death that has become painfully obvious as the years have unfolded."
"Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., said, 'The Negro cannot win if he is willing to sacrifice the future of his children for personal comfort and safety,' and, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere,'" added Dr. King. "There is no way he would want his name or image associated today with Planned Parenthood, the group most responsible for denying civil rights to the over 45 million American babies killed by abortion, one-third of them African-American. There is no way my uncle would condone the violence of abortion, violence that Planned Parenthood has always tried to mask, which brings painful deaths to babies and can result in torn wombs, serious infections, and emotional devastation for their mothers. Let me be clear, Planned Parenthood must stop using and lying to my family and the entire community of humanity."
Priests for Life is the nation's largest Catholic pro-life organization dedicated to ending abortion and euthanasia. For more information, visit www.priestsforlife.org.
Mass. Abortionist Relinquishes License in Wake of Abortion Death Investigation
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06922.shtml
HYANNIS, MA -- Five months after killing 22- year old Laura Hope Smith during an abortion, Rapin Osathanondh has relinquished his medical license in the wake of a criminal investigation and disciplinary action by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine.
The Board had moved to suspend Osathanondh's license pending further investigation, declaring him to be a "risk to public safety." In a surprise move yesterday, Osathanondh instead permanently surrendered his license, and will not practice medicine again anywhere.
On Monday, the Boston Medical Examiner's office declared that the cause of Smith's death was "cardiac pulmonary arrest during anesthesia during a voluntary termination of pregnancy."
Calls to Osathanondh's clinic revealed that it is not accepting patients, but is referring women to other clinics.
Smith had sought an abortion from Osathanondh on September 13, 2007, at his office, Women's Health Center, in the Cape Cod town of Hyannis. Smith was placed under full anesthesia when only Osathanondh and a non-medical receptionist were present. When Smith suddenly stopped breathing, the receptionist phoned 911 but gave very little information to the dispatcher. Smith died later that day.
Ten days after Smith's death, Osathanondh met with Smith's mother, Eileen, and showed her medical records that caused her to believe that his negligence was responsible for Laura's death. Operation Rescue first broke the news of Laura's death, then worked with Eileen to apply public pressure to authorities so that Laura's death was not covered up.
"I feel like this was a group effort and you were part of it!" Eileen Smith told Operation Rescue after receiving news of Osathanondh's license surrender.
"While nothing can bring back Laura and her baby, we take great comfort in knowing that Osathanondh will never again hurt another woman or kill another innocent child," said Operation Rescue spokesperson Cheryl Sullenger. "We commend Eileen Smith on her tireless dedication to seeking justice for Laura, in spite of the personal grief and huge obstacles that she had to overcome.
"Most of the time authorities just want to sweep abortion complications and deaths under the rug, slap the abortionist on the wrist, and send him on his merry way. That certainly would have happened in this case if not for Eileen's determination and for groups like ours that kept Laura's death on the front burner."
About Operation Rescue
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Court Records Show Morrison Involved in Scheme to Suppress Planned Parenthood Criminality
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion06918.shtml
OLATHE, Kansas -- A brief and supporting documents filed in Johnson County District Court yesterday show proof that former Attorney General Paul Morrison had knowledge that Planned Parenthood had falsified abortion records prior to issuing a letter to the abortion group exonerating them of any wrong-doing last year. The brief also shows that concerns for patient privacy, which Morrison repeatedly floated in the media, were entirely without basis in fact.
The documents indicate that the Attorney General's office was involved in a scheme to suppress Planned Parenthood criminality and block any criminal prosecution.
The brief said that Judge Richard Anderson, who oversaw the redaction of abortion records in a previous abortion investigation, "was stunned that General Morrison would issue a clearance letter despite clear reason to be concerned about the authenticity of the documents produced" by Planned Parenthood. (Pages 30-31)
The court brief and attachments filed by District Attorney Phill Kline, are in response to a motion by Planned Parenthood to quash subpoenas issued by a Johnson County grand jury that is investigating them for illegal late abortions, the concealment of child rape, and other crimes.
Kline is asking for the grand jury to be extended in light of Planned Parenthood's refusal to comply with the subpoenas for critical evidence.
The brief states that:
Judge Richard Anderson already certified that the records subject to the subpoenas had all identifying information removed, and that it "is not possible to identify any patient by reviewing the records." (Pages 54-56)
Planned Parenthood's own website indicated that their concern for "privacy" was so minimal that they routinely referred patient names and medical information to fundraisers for the purpose of extracting donations. (Pages 70-73)
Morrison repeatedly lied to the public about the security the records, indicating that he had to go on a 7-week "scavenger hunt" in order to locate all the copies. Those statements are completely contrary to a Kansas Bureau of Investigation report that indicates every record was exactly where the status report indicated that they would be. The KBI records indicate that all copies of the records were quickly accounted for. (Pages 62-67)
Morrison lied in a threatening "cease and desist" letter to Dr. Paul McHugh about having notified the psychiatry expert that he was still a witness in a potential case against George Tiller. (Pages 68-69)
Morrison resigned amid a sex scandal wherein he attempted to use his illicit lover to spy on Kline and his abortion investigations for the purpose of thwarting prosecutions.
"Planned Parenthood is playing a game of delay, hoping that the clock will run out on the grand jury. They are used to having the corrupt protection of former Attorney General Morrison, and are hoping that Attorney General Six will also jump into their back pocket," said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman.
Attorney General Stephen Six has come under fire for resisting a subpoena in another grand jury investigation of George R. Tiller. Six was granted a stay on the subpoena after he argued that privacy rights were a concern, even though the requested records also contained no possible way to identify patients. His arguments have given the impression that he is following in Morrison's footsteps.
"Given the corruption under Morrison and the appearance of impropriety by Six, there is a real urgency that the grand jury be allowed to access evidence and be given adequate time to conclude their investigation," said Newman. "Anything less must be viewed as obstruction of justice and evidence of corruption at the highest levels."
Operation Rescue is one of the leading pro-life Christian activist organizations in the nation. Operation Rescue recently made headlines when it bought and closed an abortion clinic in Wichita, Kansas and has become the voice of the pro-life activist movement in America. Its activities are on the cutting edge of the abortion issue, taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.
Jesus third most popular role model for children - poll
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/jesus.third.most.popular.role.model.for.children.poll/17113.htm
Jesus Christ has come third in a survey to find the top role model for children in Britain.
A family member took top place in the poll by Opinium Research asking Britons who their children should look up to, whilst the multi-millionaire maverick entrepreneur and part-time daredevil Richard Branson took second place.
Teachers, placed fourth, were more popular than former South African president and freedom fighter Nelson Mandela who came in fifth.
Surprisingly no sports stars, such as footballer David Beckham, made it into the top 10.
Diana, Princess of Wales was placed sixth and celebrity chef and healthy eating campaigner, Jamie Oliver came in number seven.
"Despite our obsession with celebrities and footballers it would seem they do not make the cut when it comes to top role models, with go-getters such as Branson and Jamie Oliver being the exception," said Mark Hodson, Head of Research at Opinium.
Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill was ranked eighth, American civil rights hero Martin Luther King ninth and Microsoft founder Bill Gates came 10th.
More than one in 10 people (12 per cent) chose the Virgin Group boss as the ideal role model for youngsters, and he was more popular with men than women.
Jesus lost out among younger people, with nearly double those over 55 years choosing him than those aged between 18-34.
Branson's Virgin empire encompasses planes, trains, automobiles, space travel, mobile phones and personal finance.
The bearded hippie-made-good was knighted in 2000 for services to entrepreneurship.
Brits either love or hate Branson. In 2002 he was ranked 85 in a BBC poll to find the top 100 British heroes, but a year later came 86th in Channel Four television's 100 Worst Britons.
Church group proposes European churches council to include Catholics
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/church.group.proposes.european.churches.council.to.include.catholics/17130.htm
The head of a Europe-wide group of Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant denominations has proposed the creation of a Council of European Churches that would include the Roman Catholic Church.
The President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Rev Jean Arnold de Clermont, put forward the proposal at a recent meeting of the CEC and European Catholic leaders, reports Ecumenical News International.
De Clermont, the recently retired president of the Protestant Federation of France, told the meeting, "I would... suggest that we find the ways and means to come out of our present institutional structures and set ourselves the task in the next 10 years of creating a Council of European Churches, bringing together Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants."
He said he was making the proposal based on his experiences at the Third Ecumenical Assembly, which brought together 1,500 Christians from the Orthodox, Protestant, Anglican and Roman Catholic traditions in Sibiu, Romania, for nearly a week of ecumenical discussions.
The CEC leader said that denominatinal leaders at Sibiu had allowed institutional and doctrinal barriers to cause them to abandon "any expectation of a patient resolute quest for unity".
"I had the feeling that I was hearing pleas justifying ecumenical stagnation, arising out of a desire not to expose oneself to challenges from others," said De Clermont.
"The status quo is all the more pleasant when it is between friends, but it does not seek full visible unity," he told the London meeting.
"It is not within our competence to make a decision without having a whole process of consultation with our churches," he said about his proposal for a Council of European Churches.
"But I would at least wish to check with you whether you consider that placing such a challenge before us would serve the cause of Christian unity."
The Caribbean Conference of Churches, the Middle East Council of Churches and the Pacific Conference of Churches are all regional church bodies which already include the Roman Catholic Church.
Euro Keeps on Climbing Against Dollar
http://www.newsmax.com/money/Euro_Keeps_on_Climbing_Ag/2008/02/29/76662.html
BERLIN -- The euro continued its rapid climb to new highs against the dollar on Friday, hitting $1.5238 in early European trading.
The dollar has been plagued by uncertainty about the course of the U.S. economy even after U.S. Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Ben Bernanke said Thursday that the American economy was not "anywhere near" the dangerous situation of the 1970s.
With the economy slowing and inflation rising, fears have grown that the country could be headed for the dreaded twin evils of stagnant growth and rising prices known as stagflation.
The euro's peak Friday was above the previous record of $1.5229 that it reached on Thursday.
In midmorning trading, the euro subsided slightly to $1.5203 from the $1.5215 it bought in late New York trading Thursday.
"The dollar looks set to finish the month with yet more downside pressure being heaped upon it," said Gary Thomson of CMC Markets in London.
The British pound fell to $1.9871 from $1.9926. The dollar dipped to 104.39 Japanese yen from 105.36 yen in New York the night before.
The euro topped $1.50 for the first time since its 1999 introduction early Wednesday, then surged above $1.51 after markets took comments from Bernanke as a sign that yet more U.S. rate cuts are on the way.
Lower interest rates can jump-start a nation's economy, but can weigh on its currency as traders transfer funds to countries where they can earn higher returns.
U.Va. research: Snake phobia hardwired
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080229/ap_on_sc/snake_phobia;_ylt=Amk82FSgHIDN.fWwa8tDanys0NUE
Two University of Virginia researchers believe that humans are genetically predisposed to be deathly afraid of snakes. Judy S. DeLoache, a U.Va. professor of developmental psychology, said she has a snake phobia, but wonders why. "The question was, where did that fear come from?"
She believes it's because snakes would have posed a significant threat to our ancestors, so a fear of snakes remains hardwired into human brains today.
DeLoache said an experiment she conducted with graduate student Vanessa LoBue proved that adults and preschool children have an extraordinary ability to quickly pinpoint snakes amid harmless distractions.
They conducted three experiments with 24 adults and 24 3-year-olds. Both groups were shown a large touch-screen computer monitor that displayed nine color photographs.
They asked half of the people to find the single image of a snake among non-threatening pictures of caterpillars, flowers or frogs. The second group was told to find the single photo of a single non-threatening item among eight images of snakes.
The researchers found that adults and children were much faster at discovering snakes than they were at locating non-threatening flora or fauna.
The finding that children saw the snakes as rapidly as adults is particularly fascinating, LoBue said, because preschool children tend to be fearless and are less likely to have had a negative experience with snakes.
DeLoache's and LoBue's findings will be published in the March issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
LoBue said she has found similar results when testing for an innate fear of spiders. Much like snakes, some spiders would have posed a deadly threat to pre-humans. That study is currently under peer review, she said.
"It's really neat," she said. "We have [a]...bias against snakes and spiders."
Virginia is home to three types of venomous snakes — copperheads, canebrake rattlesnakes and timber rattlers.
Julia Dixon, spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, thinks snakes have a bad rap, and said her agency spends time defending snakes.
"The general public out there thinks that the only good snake is a dead snake," Dixon said. But she notes that snakes are a key piece of the food chain because they eat mice, rats and other snakes.
Dixon said the easiest way to identify dangerous snakes in Virginia is to look into their eyes. Virginia's venomous snakes have vertical pupils, similar to a cat's eye, and harmless snakes have round pupils.
Either way, it is usually best to leave the snake alone, she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment