Lieberman to Speak at the GOP Convention?
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/419550.aspx
CBNNews.com - Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman says he will speak at the Republican convention if John McCain wants him too.
Lieberman has been one of McCain's biggest backers.
The former Democrat and McCain see eye-to-eye on the war in Iraq and many other issues.
Lieberman is a former Democratic vice presidential running mate, making his appearance at the GOP convention a major turnaround.
CBN News reporter David Brody asked Lieberman if he would be at the event.
"Well, it's not clear yet but you might just see me there," he said. "I'm not going to go to spend all my time attacking Barack Obama. I'm going to tell them all why I am for John McCain and in some sense I hope in doing so, I may convince some Independents and Democrats who may be watching or listening out there that they too should vote for John McCain."
Sources close to the McCain campaign told CBN News that decisions on who will speak at the convention have not been made.
McCain Camp Casts Obama As Empty Celebrity
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/obama_empy_celebrity/2008/07/30/117631.html
AURORA, Colo. — Republican presidential candidate John McCain opened up a new line of attack on Democratic rival Barack Obama on Wednesday, labeling him a celebrity without the strength to bring change to Washington.
McCain's campaign launched a new television advertisement to run in key battleground states called "Celeb" that uses images of U.S. celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton and Obama's speech in Berlin last week to accuse Obama of being all talk and little action.
"Is he ready to lead?" it asks.
At the same time, McCain described himself as an independent-minded politician with a history of bucking authority and said Obama has shown little more than strong speaking skills.
"The bottom line is that Senator Obama's words, for all their eloquence and passion, don't mean all that much, and that's the problem with Washington," McCain said.
McCain took direct aim at Obama's chief selling point, that he represents change Americans are searching for ahead of the November 4 election.
"Sen. Obama doesn't have the strength to speak openly and directly about he will address the serious challenges that confront America. How will he be strong enough to really change Washington?" he said.
McCain's negative turn came as his campaign senses a chink in Obama's armor following the Democrat's European tour, which did not appear to give Obama a noticeable bounce in the polls, despite drawing a crowd of 200,000 in Berlin.
It is a strategy that carries some risks with Americans weary of partisan sniping. The Obama campaign has said stepped-up criticism from McCain as not in keeping with his pledges to maintain a civil debate.
"On a day when major news organizations across the country are taking Senator McCain to task for a steady stream of false, negative attacks, his campaign has launched yet another. Or, as some might say, 'Oops! He did it again,"' said Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor.
But the McCain camp, frustrated by what it sees as a U.S. news media's lavish attention on Obama, said it considered the Democrat's Europe trip fair game.
Campaign manager Rick Davis told reporters on a conference call that Obama's swing through Europe, with its focus on media, was "much more something you would expect from someone releasing a new movie than running for president."
"And so I think it's fair game to say that we're only focused on representing what we see as an important element of the Obama strategy, which is to create a fan base around the world that allows him to get a lot of media attention and avoids him having to address the important issues of our time," Davis said.
The McCain camp eagerly directed reporters to an opinion article in The Washington Post that described Obama as acting as if he were already president.
McCain, 71, took pains to promote his own record, saying he had often found himself at odds with the unpopular administration of President George W. Bush, particularly on government spending and the Iraq war.
The latest energy bill in the U.S. Congress, he said, includes "big giveaways to Big Oil but nothing" to free American from its dependence on foreign oil.
"Time and again, I've heard politicians, pundits and pollsters warn me that my position on this or that issue would cost me the presidency. But I don't answer to them," he said.
White House 'Compassion in Action' Roundtable Highlights Efforts to Address Needs of our Nation's Veterans
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07446.shtml
WASHINGTON, (christiansunite.com) -- The White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives (OFBCI), joined by U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake, today convened a Compassion in Action policy roundtable titled, "Serving Those Who Have Served: The Vital Role of Faith-Based and Community Organizations." Hosted by OFBCI Director Jay Hein, the roundtable highlighted the important work of local nonprofits working to address the challenges of men and women who have served our Nation in uniform and explored ways to further expand partnerships with these organizations.
Keynoting today's event, Secretary Peake highlighted ways the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) engages America's faith-based and community organizations and volunteers to more effectively meet the needs of America's 24 million veterans and their families. He indicated that President Bush's Faith- Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) has enabled VA to expand and develop new partnerships with service organizations through efforts like the expanded Grant and Per Diem program, which now supports 8,000 beds for veterans in faith-based and community service residential programs. The number of faith-based and community organizations funded through this program to serve homeless veterans between 2002 and 2007 rose from 176 to 506, a 287 percent increase.
"Today, VA provides more services to veterans most in need in more communities thanks to our growing partnerships with non-profit organizations -- President Bush's "Armies of Compassion" dedicated to housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, putting the jobless to work and easing troubled minds," Secretary Peake said. "The President's Faith-Based and Community Initiative enables VA to fully engage America's non- profits in addressing and meeting the needs of our veterans in the communities where they live. It enables us to share resources with grassroots service organizations in new, effective and exciting ways."
Secretary Peake also noted that the number of homeless veterans is dropping as a result of collaborative partnerships with faith-based and community organizations. As of last year, the Department estimates that the number of homeless veterans was cut nearly in half over just five years. Partnerships with organizations like Goodwill Industries and others represented at today's roundtable are helping to build more stable lives for veterans of all ages who face challenges like homelessness, disabilities and transition to civilian life.
"In communities across our country, organizations of compassionate Americans offer a helping hand to veterans struggling to get back on their feet," said OFBCI Director Jay Hein. "We lift up these organizations, learn from their leadership and explore new ways to extend their reach into the lives of our Nation's veterans."
Joining with the VA in efforts to help address the needs of our Nation's veterans by engaging the nonprofit sector are Federal agencies that provide critical services including food stamps, substance and mental health treatment, housing assistance and job preparation and placement assistance. Moreover, organizations participating in today's event including Catholic Charities, Lilly Endowment, the Maryland Center for Veterans Education and Training, McGuire Outreach Ministry, Way Station, Inc., and others represent the thousands of dedicated community organizations across the country that help enhance government efforts to provide significant resources to veterans and their families.
President Bush's Faith-Based and Community Initiative (FBCI) is built from the conviction that the most effective way to address our communities' great needs is to draw upon the unique strengths of every willing community and faith-based partner. He launched the FBCI upon taking office in January 2001, to strengthen America's nonprofit sector and extend its work in partnership with government. Since January 2007, the OFBCI has convened monthly Compassion in Action policy roundtables to discuss issues of interest faith- and community-based organizations and highlight honor the successes of dedicated Americans helping their neighbors in need.
For more information on the OFBCI and the President's compassion agenda, visit: www.whitehouse.gov/government/fbci/.
Tennessee church shooter angry at 'liberals' - police
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/tennessee.church.shooter.angry.at.liberalspolice/21074.htm
A man who opened fire inside a church, killing two people with a shotgun hidden in a guitar case, was frustrated at being unable to find a job and blamed liberals and gays, police said on Monday.
"It appears that what brought him to this horrible event was his lack of being able to obtain a job, his frustration over that, and his stated hatred of the liberal movement," Knoxville Police Chief Sterling Owen told reporters of Sunday's incident at Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church.
Suspect Jim Adkisson, 58, who was being held on $1 million bond, had previously worked as a mechanical engineer in several states. He described his violent plans in a four-page letter found at his home, which also explained that his age and "liberals and gays" taking jobs had worked against him.
Another recent setback was that Adkisson's allotment of government-issued food stamps had been reduced, Owen said.
The church outside Knoxville, Tennessee, where some 200 people were watching a children's play at the time, had been in the news recently for its "liberal stance," Owen said.
Adkisson did not appear to belong to any organized groups and had no immediate family, Owen said. He did not appear to be targeting anyone, though he may have avoided shooting at children, he said.
Adkisson purchased the 12-gauge shotgun from a pawn shop about a month ago and brought it into the church inside a guitar case, Owen said. Police found 76 shotgun shells, along with another gun belonging to the suspect.
"I don't think he expected to leave there alive, and were it not for the hasty actions of some of the other people in the sanctuary there may have been more fatalities," Owen said.
The suspect fired three blasts before being subdued by congregants.
Killed was Greg McKendry, 60, a church member who apparently stood in front of the gunman and shielded others from a shotgun blast. Linda Kraeger, 61, among seven others who were wounded, died a few hours later.
There have been several church shootings in the United States in the past few years, including a 24-year-old man with a grudge against Christians who attacked a missionary training center and a megachurch in Colorado in December, killing four people before being wounded and killing himself.
Preacher Arrested in Church After Wife's Body Found in Freezer
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,394925,00.html
A small-time evangelist was arrested during a church service Monday after police found a body in his freezer believed to be his wife, a mother of eight.
Anthony Hopkins, 37, is charged with murder and incest after being arrested at a church in Jackson, Ala., during a revival. He was in the Mobile County jail Wednesday awaiting a bond hearing and appointment of an attorney.
Police told MyFOXGulfCoast.com that no one reported Hopkins' wife, 36-year-old Arletha Hopkins, missing. Then authorities heard Monday from a relative who reported years of sexual abuse, which sparked the investigation, according to the TV station.
The body was discovered covered in a freezer in a utility room during a police search of the home in Mobile.
Police await results of forensic tests to determine the cause of death, but Mobile Police Chief Phillip Garrett said authorities believe it is Hopkins' wife. The freezer was moved to a forensics lab.
Garrett said Hopkins was arrested at the revival in the Inspirational Tabernacle Church of God in Christ in rural Clarke County, where Hopkins has roots.
"They run in, and they had their guns out," pastor Beverly Jackson told MyFOXGulfCoast.com. "I didn't know what was going on. I though it was the alarm system had gone off.”
Jackson told reporters that Hopkins told her he was a single parent because his wife had died in childbirth.
Garrett said Hopkins, the father of six of his wife's eight children, has been charged with rape and sodomy in a separate case involving a female relative and could face more charges involving another relative.
Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said the children who lived with Hopkins — who ranged in age from 3 to 19 — have been taken into protective custody by the Department of Human Resources.
"Obviously, this situation has been an ordeal for them," Steve Giardini of the Child Advocacy Center told MyFOXGulfCoast.com. "But they're certainly better off than they were, there's no question about that."
Garrett said the Hopkins children were home-schooled. He said Hopkins "kept to himself," and apparently moved from place to place. Neighbors called him "Rev." because he attended church so often, loading the children into a van.
Police said he preached at various churches and did not appear to be affiliated with a particular denomination.
At the church in Jackson, Hopkins was delivering a message about forgiveness that drew encouraging "amens" from the congregation.
Clarke County Sheriff's Chief Investigator Sgt. Ron Baggett said he listened through the church door before assisting in the arrest about 10 p.m. Monday. About 25 people were in the congregation at the time.
Neighbors of the preacher are shocked by the news.
“We sit here all the time and never thought something like that would happen," neighbor Dascher Parker said.
Out-of-State Gay Marriage Closer in Massachusetts
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/massachusetts_marriage/2008/07/29/117395.html
BOSTON - Massachusetts lawmakers cleared the way for out-of-state same-sex couples to marry in the state by voting on Tuesday to repeal a 1913 law that banned marriages not considered valid in the couples' home states.
Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat whose daughter has come out as a lesbian, has said he plans to sign the repeal measure.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved the repeal by a vote of 118-35. The state Senate approved it earlier this month.
"While we'll never get complacent, we're getting close to the point where the question of marriage equality in Massachusetts is settled," said Marc Solomon, executive director of MassEquality, a statewide group that promotes the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
"You'll never get everyone to vote your way, but 118 to 35 is getting close," he said.
Massachusetts in 2004 became the first U.S. state to permit legal marriages of same-sex couples, but then-Gov. Mitt Romney, a Republican, told state officials to obey the 1913 law, which dates back to a time when some American states banned interracial marriages.
In June, California, the most populous U.S. state, began marrying same-sex couples. It issues marriage licenses to couples from other states.
Opponents of same-sex marriage said the vote amounted to an attempt to impose gay marriage on other states.
"Just after California allowed out-of-state same-sex couples to marry, it appears our legislators are suffering from 'gay marriage envy' in pushing to repeal this protective measure," said Kris Mineau, president of the Massachusetts Family Institute. "Their arrogance and folly are doing terrible harm to marriage laws across the country and eroding the people's right to define marriage."
'DOUBLE STANDARD'
Legislators who voted for the repeal described the move as a matter of fairness, noting Massachusetts for decades had ignored the law when heterosexual couples sought to marry in the state.
"This law has not been enforced, looked upon or even talked about ... it should not be allowed to prevent gay and lesbian couples and their families from taking part in what is rightfully and legally theirs," said Paul Loscocco, a Republican who voted in favor of the repeal. "This law has applied a double standard to certain couples and it needs to be repealed."
Opponents of the effort said allowing out-of-state same-sex couples to wed in Massachusetts could leave them in legal limbo.
"If the 1913 law is repealed, we would be leading ourselves into a legal nightmare," said Rep. John Lepper, a Republican who voted against repeal.
He cited the example of a couple who married in Massachusetts and later moved to Rhode Island. They now wish to divorce, but the neighboring state will not grant one since it does not recognize same-sex marriage and Massachusetts will not grant it since the people are no longer residents of the state.
The Church Fathers on the Antichrist, Part 2
http://www.fulfilledprophecy.com/commentary/the-church-fathers-on-the-antichrist-part-2-wh/
The popular pretribulation rapture teaching claims that Christians will be snatched off the earth before the Antichrist’s reign. But this four-part series looks at writings from some of the earliest and most respected church fathers, showing their belief that Christians will have to go through the persecution of the Antichrist.
Justin the Martyr
Justin the Martyr was a Christian apologist (defender of the faith), born in Rome, who wrote about the middle of the second century. He had been a pagan philosopher who converted to Christianity. According to tradition, he was martyred for his faith.
Justin clearly believed that Christians would be persecuted by the Antichrist, as is evident from the following excerpt. But he thought the Antichrist’s persecution would not defeat true Christians — who were already undergoing severe persecution in his day. Here’s what he said on this topic in chapter 60 of his work titled, Dialogue With Trypho:
He [Christ] shall come from heaven with glory, when the man of apostasy [Antichrist], who speaks strange things against the Most High, shall venture to do unlawful deeds on the earth against us the Christians, who, having learned the true worship of God from the law, and the word which went forth from Jerusalem by means of the apostles of Jesus, have fled for safety to the God of Jacob and God of Israel; and we who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons,—our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage,—and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified; and sitting each under his vine, i.e., each man possessing his own married wife. For you are aware that the prophetic word says, ‘And his wife shall be like a fruitful vine.’ Now it is evident that no one can terrify or subdue us who have believed in Jesus over all the world. For it is plain that, though beheaded, and crucified, and thrown to wild beasts, and chains, and fire, and all other kinds of torture, we do not give up our confession; but the more such things happen, the more do others and in larger numbers become faithful, and worshippers of God through the name of Jesus.
Ehud Olmert will step down after his party picks successor in two months
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5479
The announcement was made in a special broadcast to the nation from the prime minister’s Jerusalem residence Wednesday night, July 30. Olmert said he would not interfere in his Kadima party's primary vote for his successor, the first round of which takes place Sept 18 followed by a run-off if necessary on Sept. 24.
He promised a smooth transition of government to whoever Kadima elects to ease the formation of an alternative government. The prime minister said he would then devote himself to clearing his name and proving his innocence of the half dozen corruption investigations pending against him. He admitted that public and political pressure had forced him to take this step.
Four ministers have declared their candidacy in the vote to replace him, Tzipi Livni, foreign affairs, Shaul Mofaz, transport, Avi Dichter, internal security and Meir Sheetrit, immigration. However, the next government is unlikely to survive long and Israel may face a general election later this year or early 2009.
Livni, Mofaz and defense minister Ehud Barak were in Washington when the prime minister made his announcement. Livni cancelled a news conference she had scheduled.
Olmert spoke bitterly of having to contend with constant attacks on his probity while responsible for the nation’s most fateful decisions. I am proud to live in a country where the prime minister is not above the law,” he said, “but neither should he be beneath it.” He declared he had satisfactory answers to all the charges against him and was sure the truth would see the light.
While he defended his record during two and a half years in office, most political observers agree that Ehud Olmert will go down as one of Israel’s least competent prime ministers.
He leaves a country beset with an accumulation of daunting security and social problems, the most prominent being the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran, the mounting strength of Israel’s declared enemies, the Syrian armed forces, Lebanon’s Hizballah and the Palestinian Hamas.
Israel-Palestinian relations are in limbo.
The incomes gap between Israel’s rich and poor has grown wider.
There is a pervasive sense of depression and insecurity under a government that neglects the issues that matter most to the people, from security to the availability of education and housing, care for the infirm and aged and a grave shortage of water.
Bush Calls Olmert to Comfort Israeli on Decision to Resign
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,394981,00.html
WASHINGTON — President George W. Bush has phoned embattled Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to extend his warm wishes.
A White House spokesman said Bush talked with the Israeli leader Wednesday just before Olmert announced in Israel that he will resign in September. Spokesman Gordon Johndroe said Bush intends to work closely with Olmert until that time, and wishes him well.
Johndroe says Bush has appreciated Olmert's friendship, leadership and work for peace.
Olmert is resigning amid police investigations of corruption allegations against him. The probes have raised doubts about Olmert's ability to strike a peace deal with Palestinians this year, as Bush wants, and his resignations increases those doubts.
Cash-short Palestinian PM seeks World Bank lifeline
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/cashshort.palestinian.pm.seeks.world.bank.lifeline/21058.htm
Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has appealed to the World Bank to help him secure emergency financing to bridge a shortfall in donor funds and pay public workers, Palestinian and European sources said on Tuesday.
Fayyad is seeking a so-called comfort letter from the Washington-based international lending agency to obtain short-term private bank funding, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The unusual appeal underscores the extent of the Palestinian Authority's budget crisis despite billions of dollars in aid pledged last year to support a U.S.-backed peace drive.
The Palestinian Authority's workers are due to be paid in the first week of each month. Any delay would be embarrassing for Fayyad's Western-backed government, formed a year ago in the occupied West Bank after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian officials expressed hope that the World Bank would provide the written assurances sought by Fayyad.
The World Bank, which manages a donor trust fund for the Palestinian Authority, said it was in "active discussions" with several donor countries to replenish the fund.
A World Bank official said the Washington-based institution had transferred $108 million of donor funds to the Palestinian Authority this year, in addition to another $40 million from the bank.
The official did not mention the guarantee but said the World Bank expected to raise $120 million for the trust fund.
The State Department said the United States had already surpassed its $555 million in pledged support for 2008 to the Palestinian Authority and urged other donors help out.
"It has been clear for some time that the Palestinian authority faced a serious and imminent budget crisis," the State Department said. "We continue to urge all donors to maximize their budgetary support for the Palestinian Authority during this critical time."
Many Arab states have not met their financial commitments despite pressure from Washington, which has sought to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his negotiations with Israel by directing Western aid to Fayyad's government while denying funds to Hamas's administration in the Gaza Strip.
HAMAS PAYS GAZA WORKERS
Workers in Gaza say Hamas, which receives support from Iran and other Islamist allies, has been paying salaries on time despite the Western boycott, imposed over Hamas's refusal to recognise Israel and renounce violence after the Islamist group won 2006 parliamentary elections.
European officials said private banks have started asking for greater assurances before providing loans to Abbas's Palestinian Authority because of the uncertainty over donor funds. Fayyad could face a similar shortfall in future months unless donors pay their commitments on schedule, they added.
Palestinian Planning Minister Samir Abdallah said salary payments may be a few days late. "We have a solid commitment that this serious crisis will be solved soon," he said.
Palestinian and European sources said Fayyad asked the World Bank on Sunday for the letter to assure private banks that over $80 million in Kuwaiti money deposited in a World Bank trust fund would reach Palestinian Authority coffers by August 15.
Palestinian and Western officials said Kuwait had sent the money to the World Bank trust fund, used to help finance Palestinian Authority operations. But it takes some two weeks for money deposited with the Bank to reach the Palestinian Authority due to the lending agency's oversight procedures.
Donor countries pledged $7.7 billion to the Palestinians at a December conference in Paris aimed at supporting Abbas's peace talks with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.
Only a fraction of that money has materialised and most of it has been earmarked for projects. This means Fayyad cannot use it to pay salaries or meet government expenses.
Abdallah said Fayyad's government, also hit by the dollar's weakness against the Israeli shekel that is used to pay Palestinian salaries, is asking donor countries to convert project financing into direct budget support.
"We cannot continue with our reform plan and economic revival without budget support," he said.
U.S. to Israel: Iran Attack Still On Table
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/Israel_Iran_WMD_defense/2008/07/30/117398.html
WASHINGTON -- The United States will soon link Israel up to two advanced missile detection systems as a precaution against any future attack by a nuclear-armed Iran, Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak said on Tuesday.
The allies are also in advanced talks on upgrading Israel's Arrow II ballistic shield, though they disagree over whether it should incorporate an American interceptor missile, Barak said after meeting U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates.
Washington has been leading efforts to curb Iran's atomic ambitions through sanctions, mindful of Israel's threats to resort to military strikes if it deems diplomacy a dead end.
Barak told reporters that the Israeli and U.S. governments "see eye to eye on the need to keep all options on the table ... though we may not agree on each and every detail."
"It's important the Americans understand our position, and I think that they understand it a lot better after this visit," said Barak, who was one of the more vocal Israeli critics of a U.S. intelligence report last year that concluded Iran had shelved a military nuclear program in 2003.
Barak declined to give details on whether Israel, which is believed to have the Middle East's only nuclear arsenal, would be prepared to take on Iran alone. Iran denies seeking atomic weapons and has vowed to retaliate for any attack.
The dispute has fed speculation in the global financial markets about a possible confrontation between Iran and Israel or the United States. That helped push oil prices to record highs earlier this month.
Signalling willingness to focus on defensive measures, Barak said he had secured the Pentagon's agreement to post a powerful radar, known as the forward-based X-band, in Israel "before the new (U.S.) administration arrives" in January.
Built by Raytheon Co, the system has been described by U.S. officials as capable of tracking an object the size of a baseball from about 2,900 miles (4,700 km) away. It would let the Arrow engage an Iranian Shehab-3 ballistic missile about halfway through what would be its 11-minute flight to Israel.
A senior U.S. Defence official confirmed the United States was looking to deploy the X-band system to Israel.
"We're stationing our system there so it may benefit them," said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity when discussing high-level talks.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said: "Like the Israelis, we see the Iranians racing to build a ballistic missile capability and so we are working to help the Israelis fortify their defences as quickly as possible."
'LONG-DISTANCE THREAT'
Barak said the United States will also increase Israel's access to its Defence Support Program (DSP) satellites, which spot missile launches. Israeli officials say past access to the DSP has been on a per-request, rather than constant, basis.
"In a few months, Israel will be stronger and more prepared in the realm of protection against long-distance threats," he said.
Israel announced last year that Arrow, a project funded largely by the United States, would be upgraded. The envisaged Arrow-III would be capable of shooting down missiles at greater atmospheric heights -- a safeguard against nuclear fallout.
Israeli and U.S. officials this month voiced differing assessments on when Iran might acquire advanced S-300 anti-aircraft systems from Russia. The S-300s would complicate any pre-emptive air strikes on Iran's nuclear sites.
Gates said in a July 9 briefing that the systems would not be in Iranian hands "any time soon" while Israeli Defence officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, predicted first delivery of the systems as early as September.
Pentagon press secretary Morrell said Gates was referring to a complete, deployable system reaching Iran - which does not preclude the possibility of ancillary equipment arriving sooner.
Morrell said last week the Pentagon did not expect Iran to have the system this year.
Iran announced in December that it would buy an unspecified number of S-300s. Russia denied that there was any such deal.
Iran will not step back from nuclear path – supreme ruler
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5478
“If Iran takes one step back, the arrogant powers in the world would take one step forward,” said Iran’s supreme ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a sermon Wednesday, July 30. He spoke three days ahead of a deadline given by the six world powers for his government to give “a reasonable” answer to their incentives for suspending uranium enrichment.
DEBKAfile: Ayatollah Khamenei’s statement, broadcast by Iran’s national TV, if it represents Iran’s final position, will have the effect of breaking up the six-power front against Iran’s nuclear program. This may have been his desired effect. Russia and China are expected to take exception to the harsh economic penalties favored by the US and most of Europe.
“It is totally wrong and baseless to think that any retreat from our righteous positions would change the policies of the arrogant powers,” Khamenei said.
The deadline was laid down at talks in Geneva on July 19 between Iran’s nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili and diplomats from five powers in the presence of a US official. When Jalili arrived without an answer, the diplomats gave Tehran another two weeks to come up with a reply to the offer of a freeze on sanctions in return for a freeze on enrichment. Ayatollah Khamenei’s statement, broadcast by Iran’s national TV, may represent Iran’s final position.
Afghan Journalist Jailed for Blasphemy Faces Death If Convicted, Danger If Acquitted
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,394522,00.html
An Afghan journalist who printed a translation of the Koran in a Persian dialect is on trial for blasphemy and could face the death penalty if convicted. But with threats from various powerful groups, he could face the same fate even if acquitted.
Ghaws Zalmay was arrested last November trying to flee to Pakistan after Afghanistan’s Senate backed a group of powerful Sunni clerics who were calling for his arrest. He was scheduled to have a third hearing in a Kabul court on Wednesday.
Zalmay, who was a spokesman for the Attorney General and head of Afghanistan's Journalists' Union at the time of his arrest, was charged with 13 counts of blasphemy. He is accused of having "written his own Koran" in Dari, one of Afghanistan's official languages. His two brothers and a friend were imprisoned, too, charged with helping him flee.
Following Zalmay's arrest, there were demonstrations and calls for his death, including from former Prime Minister Ahmadshah Ahmadzai, a warlord and opponent to President Hamid Karzai in the 2004 presidential elections.
Now, as Afghanistan struggles with its nascent judicial system, Zalmay’s case — and others like his — are putting the country’s experiment with democracy to the test.
Most disputes and cases in Afghanistan are settled by tribal councils or by the arbitration of village elders.
"Only 20 percent of cases go to courts," said Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. "This indicates that people don’t trust the courts and the judicial system."
Faced with sensitive charges and strong disapproval from powerful groups, Zalmay didn’t have a lawyer to represent him at his arraignment and went defenseless for three months before an attorney named Abdulqawi Afzali took his case.
"Defending him sort of meant that the lawyer was approving of the charges, so no one wanted to do it," Afzali said in an exclusive interview with FOXNews.com.
Afzali is from Legal Aid Organization of Afghanistan, a nongovernmental group that provides legal assistance to Afghans. Upon taking up Zalmay’s defense, Afzali first secured the freedom of the suspect's two brothers and friend.
Then he began fighting the bigger battle, disputing the charges against Zalmay. Among other things, he must prove that Zalmay didn’t claim to be a prophet — a charge that almost certainly would bring the death penalty.
But the strongest charge, Afzali said, is that of intentionally trying to harm Islam by promoting wrong interpretations of Islamic views on homosexuality, alcohol and begging, among other things.
According to Afzali, Zalmay didn’t translate the Koran; he merely published a translation by someone else — Ghodratolla Bakhtiyarinejad, an Iranian-born Shiite cleric said to be living in the United States. Because of this, Afzali said, he is confident his client will fend off charges.
Cases in primary courts are normally required to finish within two months, but Zalmay’s case has dragged on for eight. Affairs became complicated when, about a month ago, authorities arrested Qari Mushtaq, a mullah, for endorsing the translation. Mushtaq was also referred to the same court, and was given a month’s time to prepare his defense.
With Zalmay, Mushtaq and the owner of the publishing house all facing separate charges in conjunction with the same case, adjudication is expected to drag on even longer. When Afzali asked Zalmay if he wanted to lodge a petition of objection against the delay, Zalmay refused. His client, Afzali explained, has received too much media attention because he was a journalist and TV personality.
And so even as the Afghan Senate has now softened its stance and asked the clerics to reconsider their call for Zalmay’s death, things have not improved much. There have been numerous threats from various Afghans — some high-profile warlords, some powerful clerics — against Zalmay’s freedom.
Even though another journalist accused of blasphemy was sentenced to death just a few weeks ago, Afzali is positive about Zalmay's chances. So far, he said, the case has been fair and the trial has been open to the media. His greatest worry is what may happen to Zalmay if he is acquitted.
"If the court acquits Zalmay, his life is in danger outside the prison," Afzali said. The judge, who is aware of the risks Zalmay faces in the event of a possible acquittal, is also feeling the weight of the situation. "The judge knows about the dangers, so he is concerned too."
Outcry over Pakistani court ruling on forced conversion of Christian girls
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/outcry.over.pakistani.court.ruling.on.forced.conversion.of.christian.girls/21073.htm
The head of CLAAS UK, Nasir Saeed, has condemned the ruling of a Pakistani court earlier this month upholding the alleged kidnapping and conversion of two pre-teen Christian sisters, and the forced marriage of the elder sister.
Saba Younis, aged 13, and her sister, Anila Younis, 10, were reportedly kidnapped on 26 June from Chak Sarwar Shaheed whilst on their way to their uncle’s house. Their abductors claimed that Saba voluntarily entered into the marriage and that both girls had agreed to convert to Islam.
Pakistan’s Christian community was left stunned when a district court judge in Muzaffargarh dismissed a petition by the parents to regain custody of their daughter on the grounds that the two sisters had “converted in a legitimate manner to Islam” and that Saba's marriage was legitimate.
The abductors are believed to be part of a gang involved in abducting women and young girls for trafficking and prostitution. According to reports, the police refused to take any action against the culprits but have instead made threats against the family for making a complaint. The local Muslim councillor has also failed to take any action against the culprits.
Mr Saeed said that the abduction and forced conversion of Christian girls was becoming increasingly common in Pakistan as a result of discriminatory laws, growing religious hatred towards Christians, and fundamentalism in Pakistan, where Christians make up only two per cent of the population.
He said the latest court ruling was a “miscarriage of justice”.
“This case sheds light on the suffering of Christians who live in Pakistan as second class citizens,” he said. “What kind of justice is this? The international community should take this seriously.”
Pakistan’s courts have previously come under fire for failing to act in cases involving the kidnapping and forced conversion of a minor Christian girl.
In 1998, three sisters, Nadia Masih, 15, Naima Masih, 13, and Nabila Masih, 11, were abducted in New Phagwari, Rawalpindi, allegedly by local police, who claimed that the girls had willingly converted to Islam and could therefore no longer remain in the custody of their Christian parents. This claim was upheld in court after a judge ruled that the girls could not be returned to their parents unless they also converted to Islam.
Regarding the latest case, Mr Saeed said that Saba and Anila should be released and returned to their parents immediately. He also called for action against the police for failing to register the kidnapping, as well as the judges, abductors and the Muslim priest held responsible for converting the minor girls to Islam.
The Pakistani Government should, Mr Saeed said, pass legislation to stop more forced conversions of non-Muslim girls to Islam “before the situation gets out of control”.
He also reminded the Pakistani Government of its obligations under international law to protect women and children and uphold religious freedom.
“Nothing less than justice and the release of the girls will be accepted,” he said.
Mr Saeed is due to discuss the case in a meeting with the Deputy High Commissioner of Pakistan on Thursday.
CIA Cites Pakistan Spy Agency's Ties to Militant Groups
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,394245,00.html
The Bush administration suspects rogue elements in Pakistan's spy agency are helping militants stage attacks from the tribal region bordering Afghanistan, a U.S. counterterrorism official said Wednesday.
Top CIA and U.S. military officials recently traveled to the country to press their concerns about the apparent ties with Pakistani officials.
Pakistan Army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas denied accusations of any official Pakistan complicity with terrorist groups, calling them "unfounded and baseless," but he confirmed to The Associated Press that CIA Deputy Director Steven R. Kappes and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met earlier this month with Pakistani generals, including Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the army chief. The meeting, first reported by The New York Times, occurred July 12.
That high-level meeting comes five months after Pakistan elected a new civilian government to replace Gen. Pervez Musharref, a U.S. ally who seized power in 1999. It also comes as a top Pakistani official publicly rejected giving the U.S. military authority to enter the tribal regions to attack terror networks itself, and shortly after a devastating attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul that Afghan and Indian officials claimed was done with the help of Pakistan's intelligence service.
The United States has grown increasingly frustrated as al-Qaida, the Taliban and other militants thrive in Pakistan's remote areas and in neighboring Afghanistan, and has asked that U.S. troops be allowed to strike at terror networks. The new regime says it prefers to negotiate a new peace agreement with militant groups in the relatively ungoverned region, which is about the size of Maryland.
U.S. officials have long suspected members of Pakistan's intelligence service support or turn a blind eye to tribal warlords who have built extensive criminal networks in the semiautonomous western border area. They traffic in narcotics, weapons and consumer goods, launch attacks on Pakistani and Afghan targets, and they support terrorist groups like al-Qaida.
The U.S. counterterrorism official said some Pakistani intelligence officers' support for the Jalaluddin Haqqani network — associated with both the Taliban and al-Qaida — is of particular and long-standing concern. He emphasized, however, that it has not been determined that Pakistan officially supports those groups or provides direct succor to al-Qaida.
"The Pakistani government and the (intelligence service) are not monolithic," the official said, suggesting rogue elements within the agencies are helping militants. He spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information relating to a critical ally.
Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., a member of the House Intelligence Committee who travels frequently to Pakistan, said the Kappes-Mullen meeting is unlikely to have an effect on the Pakistani government.
Rogers said with every change in U.S. military, civilian, and intelligence leadership these high-level meetings occur and the results are always the same: the terrorist threat from the tribal area remains unchanged.
"We just have never pushed the envelope with these people as much as we needed to and could have," he said.
The counterterrorism official said there is a concern that if Pakistan puts too much pressure on the militants or allegedly rogue officers, the result could be destabilizing to the government itself.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Pakistan realizes that confronting terrorists along the Pakistani-Afghan border is "a common fight and a common threat." He said that "every indication" shows that the new Pakistani government "understands that and is committed to that fight. Is there a need to do more? Yeah, there's a need to do more."
Asked if the U.S. government is confident that Pakistan's government is in control of what the intelligence agency does, McCormack said, "As far as I have been told, there is not an issue there. I'm not aware of anything, any reports that the Pakistan government, the civilian government is not committed to the fight against terrorism."
Getting the Pakistani government to crack down on intelligence officers with links to tribal militants is difficult for several reasons. The tribal areas have never been fully under the control of Pakistan. Moreover, elements within the Pakistani government see utility in having strong tribal militias as a security buffer against Afghanistan, with whom the country has long-standing tensions, the counterterrorism official said.
Rogers believes the motivations also include money and family ties: intelligence officers are recruited from the tribal areas as well as the settled part of Pakistan. Tribal ties often trump national identity, and tribal criminal networks enrich themselves from smuggling and benefit from minimal government pressure.
According to Rogers, neither the Pakistani military nor the locally recruited Frontier Corps is trained, manned or equipped to assert control over the tribal area. He said it could take 15 years to achieve the needed competence and professionalism.
In the meantime, he favors direct engagement with the tribe, rather than relying on Pakistan to address the problem.
"We need to have friends in the tribal areas, not just Islamabad," Rogers said.
Al-Qaeda terrorist accuses Saudi king of trying to 'spawn new religion'
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/alqaeda.terrorist.accuses.saudi.king.of.trying.to.spawn.new.religion/21025.htm
One of al-Qaeda’s most prominent members took a shot at Saudi Arabia’s king Monday, accusing him of wanting to “spawn a new religion” and issuing a call to kill him for having betrayed Islam.
In a video message posted on several Islamic websites, Afghanistan terrorist Abu Yahya al-Libi strongly criticised the recent inter-faith meeting that drew Islamic, Jewish, and Christian leaders to the city of Madrid.
"The Prophet (Muhammad) ordered us to drive unbelievers from the Arabian Peninsula,” he said, according to Italy-based Adnkronos International. “Today, the Saudi royal family is destroying our Islamic tenets by showing Muslims it is possible to spread Christian principles.
"By sitting side by side in public, they are taking part in the Crusader campaign,” Libi added.
It has been nearly two weeks since Saudi Arabia hosted the high profile inter-faith meeting in Spain’s capital city to highlight the shared heritage of Jews, Christians and Muslims as children of Abraham and to ease tensions between the three faith groups.
At the conclusion of the conference, religious leaders issued a joint statement asking the UN General Assembly to call a special session to help foster dialogue between “followers of religions, civilisations and cultures” and prevent “a clash of civilizations”.
"Terrorism is a universal phenomenon that requires unified international efforts to combat it in a serious, responsible and just way," representatives at the three-day World Conference on Dialogue said in their final statement, according to Agence France-Presse.
"This demands an international agreement on defining terrorism, addressing its root causes and achieving justice and stability in the world."
In his opening address, Abdullah had exhorted to attendees how extremism rather than religion should be blamed for history’s conflict.
"My brothers, we must tell the world that differences don't need to lead to disputes," the Saudi king said through a Spanish interpreter, according to The Associated Press. "The tragedies we have experienced throughout history were not the fault of religion but because of the extremism that has been adopted by some followers of all the religions, and of all political systems."
More recently, Abdullah, a Sunni Muslim, has been making efforts to present oil-rich Saudi Arabia as a force for moderation in the Middle East, despite the kingdom's adherence to the strict Wahhabi interpretation of Sunni Islam and its religious restrictions at home.
In November, he met with Pope Benedict XVI, marking the first meeting ever between a pope and a reigning Saudi king.
At a gathering of Muslim scholars, clerics and other figures in the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia in June - Abdullah urged representatives of all the monotheistic religions to “meet with their brothers in faith”.
“If God wills it, we will then meet with our brothers from other religions, including those of the Torah and the Gospel ... to come up with ways to safeguard humanity," he said, according to the state-run Saudi Press Agency.
Abdullah’s efforts have been generally welcomed in Israel and by the Jewish community, as well as in the Arab world. Some, however, remain skeptical given the fact that religious practice is so restricted in Saudi Arabia that even certain Muslim sects, such as Sufis and Shiites, face discrimination, while conversion by a Muslim to another religion is punishable by death.
Meanwhile, there are those, such as Libi, who see Abdullah as a betrayer of Islam.
"The call for a rapprochement of religions issued by the [Saudi] tyrant ... is not a spontaneous call ... but is an integral part of the overt Crusader war against Islam and Muslims ... God's enemies only want us to abandon our religion," Libi said in the video posted Monday, according to Reuters.
"This in fact is a call to turn one's back on Islam and ... to look for commonalities with Judaism and Christianity so whatever the three agree on would become the new modern religion which would be allowed to be propagated," Libi said.
The al-Qaeda member accused Abdullah of throwing “those fighting for Islamism” into jail and fraternising “with those who have offended the Prophet, notably the adulator of the Cross, the Vatican's Pope".
Libi also attacked other Muslim religious leaders, claiming they have colluded in inter-religious dialogue by sitting alongside exponents of other faiths
He concluded the message with a call to kill Abdullah for having betrayed Islam.
Prostitutes Delivered Through Thai Ministry
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/411412.aspx
BANGKOK, Thailand - Thailand is well-known worldwide for its sex industry.
Ministries report they talk with prostitutes from as many as 15 different countries every day, and most of them would like to escape the sex trade.
Jen was 19 when she became a prostitute.
She was angry at her father who left her family for another woman. And even though she was sad to see her mother forced into prostitution to survive, Jen soon followed in her footsteps.
"We work together in the bar. I have to wear a swimsuit and dance and many men look," she explained. "My friends give me alcohol, and it makes me feel better because I'm drunk. But after, it makes me sad and I cry."
Poverty forces most Thai girls into prostitution. Thai culture also plays a role, because daughters sometimes are forced to provide for their families while the sons serve as Buddhist monks.
Buddhists believe that boys who become monks for a period of time earn credits for their parents in the next life.
That puts pressure on the girls to earn the money to support their families - even to the point of selling their bodies.
Annie Dieselberg, a Christian missionary, has listened to dozens of girls tell their stories.
"There are approximately 20,000 in prostitution in the area and we believe God wants to reach out to every one of them," she said. "Very often women who are new in the bar (and) scared find a lot of comfort sitting with us to talk with us, and there's someone who really cares to listen about her family, fears and concerns."
*Original broadcast July 18, 2008.
Dieselberg established Nightlight Ministry to enable women and children to escape sexual exploitation and empower them to live and work in the community.
Twice a week, the staff and volunteers of Nightlight come to these bars and befriend the girls. They offer them a choice to leave prostitution, have decent jobs where they are valued as women.
By faith and with little capital, Nightlight started a jewelry making business to give women in prostitution an alternative way to earn money. It also gives them an opportunity to change their lives.
A kind-hearted man bought Jen's contract from the bar, and she began working as a jewelry maker at Nightlight Design Company Limited.
A few months later, her mother also left the bar for a job at Nightlight.
Here, Jen and her mother, together with other women are also given life skills training and are taught English.
More important is the spiritual nourishment they get from the morning devotions and discipleship classes.
As they know more about God, the women experience healing, deliverance from their past and forgiveness.
"I prayed to God one time and said, 'God I want to say sorry to my dad, but I don't know how. God tell me and make my father call me,'" Jen remembered. "I got to hug him and I said 'Dad, I love you' and he said 'I love you too.' He hugged me and cried."
Today, Jen has been promoted to assistant business manager of Nightlight Design.
She is also finishing a business computer course at a university, and her mother is studying for a Bachelor's degree in Bible school by correspondence.
Three years into the business, Nightlight Design and its employees continue to flourish.
"We now have 72 women and it's not the size that matters it's the faith," Dieselberg said. "We believe that God wants every woman in prostitution to be shown a way out."
Christian Literature Confiscated, Believer Detained in Shandong Province, China
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07449.shtml
(christiansunite.com) - Last week it was reported that Pastor Zhang Zhongxin was sentenced to two years "re-education through labour" in the city of Jining, Shandong province on June 4. Several members of his church have since come under fire from authorities, according to a July 21 report from China Aid Association.
On July 14, Chinese officials along with an "anti-cult group," seized Bibles and other religious literature from Mr. Lu Xiaoai. That same day, the police broke into the home of Mr. Li Dali in the district of Rencheng and confiscated Christian materials. Also, police detained Mr. Lian Dehai and raided his home for Christian materials.
Pray for the release of Mr. Dehai. Pray that these Christians will continue to stand firm in their faith in the face of pressure and intimidation (Acts 5:29).
For more information on the persecution of Christians in China, go to www.persecution.net/country/china.htm.
China's Christians Face More Persecution
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/419530.aspx
CBNNews.com - The Beijing Olympics are now eight days away, but as China prepares for the games, Christians are facing more persecution.
Religious freedom activists say the Chinese government is cracking down on house churches in the name of Olympic security.
For more on the situation for Christian house churches in China, watch Michael Cromartie with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Activists say the Chinese government has jailed bookstore owner She Wee-Hahn, fearing he may stir up trouble during the games.
And Wee-Hahn is not alone.
"Everything is far from okay in China and the wall is still there when it comes to individual liberties and human rights," Congressman Zach Womp explained.
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus and freedom activists say the Chinese government has raided numerous house churches, beaten pastors and interrogated Christians in an effort to avoid any Olympic trouble.
"Repressive measures targeting religious communities have a long history in China, but new measures put in place to maintain so-called social harmony during the Olympics raise the prospect that China will continue to step up repression during and after the games," one activist said.
President Bush is now turning up the heat. Tuesday, he met with five freedom activists, including Pastor Bob Fu.
"It seems that the more persecution there is the more believers," Fu said.
The pastor says Chinese Christians cannot be ignored. With numbers as high as 100 million, believers are now part of the culture. And they're patriots.
"Ironically, when those house churches were attacked in May in Beijing, many of them were holding prayer meetings to pray for their leaders, to pray for a successful, peaceful harmonious Olympics," he said.
Bush promised to take human rights concerns to Beijing. Next week he'll meet with China's president and attend the opening ceremonies.
China to Stifle Internet Access During Games
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/419414.aspx
CBNNews.com - The Chinese government is making strong efforts to stifle the flow of information in and out of China during the Olympic games.
Just days before the Beijing games begin, foreign-owned hotels were warned by the government that they face the prospect of "severe retaliation" if they refuse to install government software that can spy on Internet use by hotel guests.
Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., released a translation of the document allegedly distributed to the hotels by China's Public Security Bureau.
"These hotels are justifiably outraged by this order, which puts them in the awkward position of having to craft pop-up messages explaining to their customers that their Web history, communications, searches and key strokes are being spied on by the Chinese government," Brownback said at a news conference.
Brownback said several international hotel chains confirmed receiving the order from China's Public Security Bureau.
The hotels are in a bind, he said, because they don't want to comply with the order, but also don't want to jeopardize their investment of millions of dollars to expand their businesses in China.
Journalists Web Sites Blocked
Organizers of the Chinese games are also relenting on another promise to drop blocks on Internet sites in the Main Press Center, where journalists from all over the world will come to report on the progress of the Olympics.
Reporters will have a tough time trying to get information for political and human rights stories. It is these types of articles that China's government dislikes.
The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that Web sites such as Amnesty International or any search for a site with Tibet in the address could not be opened at the Main Press Center. The center will be the work home to about 5,000 print journalists when the games start Aug. 8.
"This type of censorship would have been unthinkable in Athens, but China seems to have more formalities," said Mihai Mironica, a journalist with ProTV in Romania. "If journalists cannot fully access the Internet here, it will definitely be a problem."
When bidding for the opportunity to host the games seven years ago, Chinese officials said the media would have "complete freedom to report."
And in April, Hein Verbruggen and Kevan Gosper - senior IOC members overseeing the games - said they'd received assurances from Chinese officials that Internet censorship would be lifted for journalists during the games.
Gosper, however, issued a clarification Tuesday, saying the open Internet extended only to sites that related to "Olympic competitions."
"My preoccupation and responsibility is to ensure that the games competitions are reported openly to the world," Gosper said.
"The regulatory changes we negotiated with BOCOG and which required Chinese legislative changes were to do with reporting on the games," Gosper added, using the acronym for the Olympic organizers.
"This didn't necessarily extend to free access and reporting on everything that relates to China," he said.
No comments:
Post a Comment