PLO ambassador admits getting Jerusalem is step on road to destroying all Israel
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2423
Once the Palestinian Arabs have Jerusalem as their capital - and international efforts to bring this about are underway around the clock - they will be in a position to erase the rest of what will be left of Israel from the Middle East.
This candid confession was made last week by the PLO's so-called Ambassador to Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, as disclosed by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) and published in The Jerusalem Post Monday.
"The PLO is the sole legitimate representative [of the Palestinian people], and it has not changed its platform even one iota," Zaki said.
That platform, adopted by the Palestine National Council in 1973 and known as the PLO's "Phased Plan," is as follows:
1. Through the "armed struggle" (ie, terrorism), to establish an "independent combatant national authority" over any territory that is "liberated" from Israeli rule. (Article 2).
2. To continue the struggle against Israel, using the territory of the national authority as a base of operations. (Article 4)
3. To provoke an all-out war in which Israel's Arab neighbors destroy it entirely ("liberate all Palestinian territory"). (Article 8)
Speaking in 1993, just after it became public that the Oslo Accords had been drawn up and were being readied for signing, then PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat announced that the agreement "will be a basis for an independent Palestinian state in accordance with the Palestine National Council resolution issued in 1974.... The PNC resolution issued in 1974 calls for the establishment of a national authority on any part of Palestinian soil from which Israel withdraws or which is liberated." (Radio Monte Carlo, 1 September 1993)
Said Zaki Monday: "In light of the weakness of the Arab nation and the lack of values, and in light of the American control over the world, the PLO proceeds through phases, without changing its strategy. Let me tell you, when the ideology of Israel collapses, and we take, at least, Jerusalem, the Israeli ideology will collapse in its entirety, and we will begin to progress with our own ideology, Allah willing, and drive them out of all of Palestine."
Observers have noted, and Zaki understands, that by relinquishing their biblical heartland and the cradle of their nationhood - Samaria and Judea – including sole, sovereign control over its 3000-year-old capital, Jerusalem, the Jews will be self-severing themselves from their roots – something no nation can survive.
The birth of Palestine, Muslims know, will guarantee the death of Israel.
Iran - again - threatens to wipe Israel off the map
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2417
Iran will eliminate Israel from the face of the universe if Israel attacks Tehran, Iranian deputy chief of staff, Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, warned Tuesday, ratcheting up the war talk between the two countries as Tehran accelerates its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, and Israel believes it is running out of time to stop the Iranians from getting the bomb.
Ashtiani's threat, which made the top slot across the Israeli news media, comes days after Israeli Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer warned that "Iran will be wiped off the face of the earth if it dares to fire any missile at us."
Iran, the aggressor in this standoff, has frequently vowed to obliterate the Jewish state even as it pursues the means to do so.
Ben-Eliezer, who leveled the first real Israeli threat in response to the ongoing barrage of Iranian warnings refused to retract his comment:
"I do not regret the threats I directed at Iran and its leaders. I am sick of receiving threats to Israel's existence on a daily basis," he said, according to The Jerusalem Post.
Ashtiani also threatened the US presence in Iraq - a state the Iranians are eager to extend their hegemony to.
Washington already holds Iran directly responsible for killing and injuring untold numbers of American soldiers in Iraq.
It is widely expected that either America or Israel will soon strike at the Iranians' nuclear facilities.
Washington Opens Diplomatic Door to Tehran
http://www.debka.com/article.php?aid=1344
Certain prominent Americans have undertaken secret colloquy with Tehran and may be preparing to go public and make it official, with the administration’s blessing.
DEBKAfile’s Washington sources name them as Thomas R. Pickering, former ambassador to Moscow, the UN and Israel, William Luers, former envoy to Venezuela and the Czech Republic, and Jim Walsh, a New York Republican Congressman.
They have been quietly encouraged by Rice, defense secretary Robert Gates and influential quarters in the US military and intelligence elite, who are anxious to avert a US-Iranian military clash in the eight months remaining to the Bush presidency and cut the ground from under a possible US or Israel attack on Iran.
They hope direct dialogue with Tehran will act as the groundwork for an understanding between the next US president and Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. It is seen also as stealing some of the thunder from the Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s offer to talk to the Iranians, and arm Republican candidate John McCain with a non-binding option on Iran for his campaign.
The American undercover conversations with Iranian officials have been going on for some time in Geneva, Switzerland, to explore common ground on Iran’s nuclear program.
Last month, the three emissaries produced a working paper called “A Solution for the US-Iran Nuclear Standoff.”
It proposed bringing Iran’s uranium enrichment program under a multinational consortium including Iran and other governments, such as France and Germany, who would participate in managing and operating the program within Tehran. This would solve the US-Iranian nuclear standoff, ensure that Iran stops short of producing weapons-grade fuel and lift the threat of international sanctions.
President Ahmadinejad was quoted as endorsing the multilateral solution. Although his perception is likely to be different from an American or European version, the paper’s authors believe those differences could be resolved in negotiations.
A serious setback to relations came from Tehran’s intervention in the Iraqi government’s crackdown this month on militias in the southern Basra province and rocket attacks in Baghdad. (DEBKA-Net-Weekly 343 of April 4 published details). Iran’s position as the greatest threat to Iraq was highlighted by Iraq commander Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker in their testimony to Congress last week - to the point that al Qaeda scarcely rated a mention.
President George W. Bush commented on April 11 that if Iran continues to help militias in Iraq “then we’ll deal with them.” But he also reaffirmed his disinclination for war and preference for diplomatic solutions. “You can’t solve these problems unilaterally. You’re going to need a multilateral forum,” he said.
This testimony and the president’s remarks did not set to rest the Washington cliffhanger over whether the president will opt for military action against Iran after all, before he leaves the White House, or stick to quiet diplomacy and relegate the Iran nuclear headache to his successor.
Bush’s immediate reaction confirmed the latter view: Without prior notice, he sent Petraeus and Crocker to Riyadh. Last week, there was talk of a limited US military action against the Iranian command centers directing, training and army Iraq’s militias. Now, the commander-in-chief was instructing the top Americans in Iraq to persuade the Saudis to blaze the way for Arab rulers to throw their support behind the Maliki government in Baghdad. The object of this exercise was to offset rather than challenge Iranian influence in Baghdad.
A diplomatic, multilateral course appeared to have been set in motion for dealing with Iranian troublemaking in Iraq - if not its nuclear defiance.
But the opposite signal came a day later in an interview the US president gave Bill Kristol, editor of the conservative Weekly Standard. The conclusion Kristol drew was that the hearing (given by Petraeus and Crocker) was “less an argument for getting out of Iraq than going into Iran.”
Asked whether he thought there was a chance of Bush ordering a military strike against Iran before the end of his tenure, Kristol replied: “We didn’t really talk about that, in all honesty, directly. I don’t think it’s out of the question.”
Clearly, President Bush is leaving everyone guessing up to the last second about which way he will jump.
Diplomacy is meanwhile in motion – whether relevant or not to the president’s ultimate plans.
The former US president Jimmy Carter’s plan to travel to Damascus and meet Syrian president and Hamas politburo leader Khalad Meshaal drew automatic reproof from the US State Department and Secretary Condoleezza Rice. He began his trip in Israel Sunday, April 13, before heading for Syria.
However, the 84-year old Carter’s Damascus venture could fit in with the White House’s broader “multilateral” strategy with regard to Iran. His own party, the Democrats, frown on it. Barack Obama, who is ready to talk to Iran, said sternly Saturday, April 12: “I would not meet with Hamas unless it recognized Israel, renounced terror and abided by previous agreements. I don’t think conversation with them is useful.”
He thus lined up with the Bush administration and the official line of the Middle East Quartet line on the Palestinian terrorist group.
Carter, however, appears to be going with the Bush flow: Is he beating a path to Iran’s allies and proxies, Syria, Hamas, and even Hizballah, to generate an amicable environment for administration diplomats to forge an understanding between Washington and Tehran? Or striking out on his own.
Joint Chiefs Boss: Iran Biggest Threat
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/joint_chiefs_iran/2008/04/15/88254.html
Iran is likely to be the top challenge for the United States over the next five years, the top US military officer said Tuesday, adding that a way should be found to open a dialogue with Tehran.
Admiral Michael Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran "is at the heart of a great deal of discontent and disruption and instability in that part of the world.
"So I have expectations that Iran will remain front and center certainly for at least the next three to five years," he said, responding to questions after a speech at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank here.
Mullen added that all options needed to be kept on the table, but "I am not arguing that that is where the next conflict occurs."
"And I would hope that in the future we could figure out a way to dialogue with them to figure out a way ahead. We've done that in the past with our enemies. We should be able to do that as well," he said.
President George W. Bush has rejected wide-ranging talks with Iran unless it first halts a uranium enrichment program that Washington suspects is part of a drive to acquire nuclear weapons.
But the United States has engaged Tehran in three rounds of ambassador level talks specifically on Iraq, and has agreed to a fourth round if the Iraq government can arrange it.
Mullen's comments follow angry charges by Washington that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Quds Force is deeply involved in arming, funding and training armed Shiite groups.
They fought government troops to a standstill in the southern Iraqi port of Basra last month, which Mullen said "really highlighted the Iranian influences in ways that some of us had not seen before as directly as occurred in that part of Iraq.
"It certainly got a lot of people's attention. And it was across the board," he said.
Separately, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told reporters: "Lord knows we found stashes and stashes of weapons in Basra a couple of weeks ago that were clearly provided by the Iranians."
"And Lord knows that the rockets and the missiles that have been falling upon the Green Zone, attacking and killing not just US personnel there, but Iraqis ... that those are provided by the Iranians."
The Green Zone is the heavily fortified area of downtown Baghdad where the US and British embassies, as well as the Iraqi prime minister's office, is located.
Source: U.S. Strike on Iran Nearing
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/iran_nuclear_strike/2008/04/14/87887.html
Contrary to some claims that the Bush administration will allow diplomacy to handle Iran’s nuclear weapons program, a leading member of America’s Jewish community tells Newsmax that a military strike is not only on the table – but likely.
“Israel is preparing for heavy casualties,” the source said, suggesting that although Israel will not take part in the strike, it is expecting to be the target of Iranian retribution.
“Look at Dick Cheney’s recent trip through the Middle East as preparation for the U.S. attack,” the source said.
Cheney’s hastily arranged 9-day visit to the region, which began on March 16, included stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Turkey, and the Palestinian territories.
Tensions in the region have been rising.
While Israel was conducting the largest homefront military exercises in its history last week, Israel’s National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer warned Tehran about expected attacks on the Jewish state.
“An Iranian attack will prompt a severe reaction from Israel, which will destroy the Iranian nation,” he said.
He predicted that in a future war, “hundreds of missiles will rain on Israel,” but added that Iran “is definitely aware of our strength.”
In addition to long-range missiles Iran has been developing to strike Israel, Israel’s military strategists see the Iranians using terror groups they back like Hamas operating from Palestine and Hezbollah from Lebanon to launch attacks.
Iran has supplied Hezbollah with an arsenal that now contains “tens of thousands of missiles,” according to the Washington Post.
Israel’s recent war exercises, including preparations for chemical and biological weapons attacks, drew a sharp response from Syria which held its own military drills. The Syrian government accused Israel of preparing for a war which Damascus predicted would be begin anytime between May 1 and the end of June.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently told foreign journalists that Israel needs to confront the threat posed by Iran. Privately he has been telling associates his number one priority is have the Israeli military strike Iran if the U.S. is unwilling.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz disclosed that Israel is concerned that North Korea has transferred technology and nuclear materials to Iran to aid Tehran’s secret nuclear weapons program.
Iran remains intransigent to international pressure that it offer full transparency relating to its nuclear program. On Sunday the head of Iran’s nuclear program “abruptly canceled a meeting with the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, dealing a blow to the U.N. monitor's efforts to investigate allegations that Iran tried to make nuclear arms, an agency official said,” according to an AP report.
“But a senior diplomat had told the AP that IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] head Mohamed ElBaradei likely planned to use the meeting with Gholam Reza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's nuclear program, to renew a request for more information on allegations Tehran had tried to make atomic arms.”
A number of signs indicate that, contrary to the belief President Bush is a lame duck who will not act before he leaves office, the U.S. is poised to strike before Iran can acquire nuclear weapons and carry out the threat of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to “wipe Israel off the map”:
According to intelligence sources, the administration now rejects the National Intelligence Estimate report issued in December that asserted Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program in late 2003.
The French daily Le Monde reported in March that newly surfaced documents show that Iran has continued developing nuclear weapons. In late 2006, U.S. intelligence reportedly intercepted a phone conversation in Iran’s Defense Ministry in which the nuclear weapons program was discussed.
The commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, Admiral William Fallon, resigned in March amid media reports that he broke with President Bush’s strategy on Iran and did not want to be in the chain of command when the order comes down from the President to launch a strike on the Islamic Republic.
Democrats suggested he had been forced out because of his candor in opposing Bush’s Iran plans, and Esquire magazine contended that Fallon’s departure signaled that the U.S. is preparing to attack Iran.
According to a Tehran-based Iranian news network, Press TV, Saudi Arabia is taking emergency steps in preparing to counter any “radioactive hazards” that may result from an American attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The Saudi newspaper Okaz disclosed that the Saudi government has approved nuclear fallout preparations, and the Iranian network reported that the approval came a day after Cheney met with the kingdom’s high-ranking officials, further stating that the U.S. “is now informing its Arab allies of a potential war.”
The American commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, has stepped up criticism of Iran, telling Congress last week that Iranian support for Shiite militias posed the most serious threat to Iraq’s stability. He told senators : “Iran has fueled the violence in a particularly damaging way.” Last week, the U.S. said Iran was providing insurgents with missiles that were killing Americans and hitting targets within the U.S. occupied Green Zone in Baghdad.
MSNBC Commentator Pat Buchanan said Petraeus’ remarks to Congress lay the groundwork for a U.S. attack on Iran.
President Bush said in a speech at the White House on April 10 that Iran, along with al-Qaida, are “two of the greatest threats to America.”
He said Iran “can live in peace with its neighbors,” or “continue to arm and train and fund illegal militant groups which are terrorizing the Iraqi people … If Iran makes the wrong choice, America will act to protect our interests and our troops and our Iraqi partners.”
He later told ABC News that if Iran continues to help militants in Iraq, “then we’ll deal with them.”
Members of Congress are said to have been briefed by the administration about the rising Iran threat.
Iran did little to cool tensions when it announced that it had begun installing 6,000 new centrifuges at its uranium enrichment plant in Natanz.
Centrifuges can enrich uranium to a low level to produce nuclear fuel or a high level for use in weapons.
The announcement of the new centrifuges by President Ahmadinejad came on April 8, Iran’s National Day of Nuclear Technology, which marked the second anniversary of Iran’s first enrichment of uranium.
Iran already has about 3,000 centrifuges operating in Natanz, and the new announcement was widely seen as a show of defiance to international demands to halt a nuclear program that the U.S. and its allies insist is aimed at building nuclear weapons.
Israeli Cabinet: Gaza's Arabs are lying to pressure Israel
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2419
Hamas lies, distorting the facts; the press spreads those lies without checking the facts, the world swallows the lies without doubting the reports, and Israel is charged with doing those things Hamas accuses it of doing, and is condemned.
The latest version of this deception merry-go-round has the international community jumping all over Israel for its "cruel" and "inhumane" treatment of Gaza's Palestinians, from whom the Jewish state is accused of withholding fuel and other supplies, creating a "humanitarian crisis."
In the latest propaganda pulse out of Gaza, Ynetnews Monday cited unnamed "sources" asserting that the Strip's four universities have been forced to close because the "fuel shortage," due to Israel's clampdown, which now prevents students from traveling to their campuses from different parts of Gaza [a sliver of territory just 24 miles long and seven miles wide - Ed].
Ynetnews said that, according to estimates by the Palestinian Energy and Natural Resource Authority, shortages would soon be felt in other areas of civilian life, including in the hospitals, where the "pending humanitarian crisis" would trigger another explosion of popular rage like the one which purportedly led "desperate" Palestinian Arabs to tear down the border between Gaza and Egypt.
At its weekly meeting Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet heard how, even as it cried to the world about the fuel shortage to Gaza, Hamas last week launched a terrorist attack against the Nahal Oz fuel depot from where gas is supplied to Gaza, killing two Israeli civilians and wounding two others.
There is NO crisis in Gaza, Israel's leaders insist.
Interior Minister Meir Shitreet said "the crisis is artificial; a Hamas lie intended to pressure the international community" into pressuring Israel.
"The State of Israel has permitted the steady and continuous flow of fuel into the Gaza Strip in recent weeks," Israel's Foreign Ministry said in an official statement, which spelled out that 2,200,000 liters of diesel fuel was being transferred weekly through Nahal Oz to the Gaza Strip power plant, and that unlimited quantities of cooking gas were being supplied.
Defiantly, Hamas is mocking Israel, cutting off the hand that has been feeding its people and then crying crocodile tears because the supply has suddenly diminished.
Despite this, in the almost bizarrely humanitarian way in which Israel is fighting its war in Gaza, the head of the Israeli Defense Ministry's Diplomatic-Security Bureau, Maj. Gen. [Res.] Amos Gilad, said Sunday Israel has ways of monitoring the real situation in Gaza and would not allow the situation to reach crisis levels.
And Defense Minister Ehud Barak Monday night ordered the resumption of diesel fuel shipments to the Gaza power station.
Meanwhile electricity supplied by Israel and Egypt has been flowing into Gaza without hindrance, despite the terrorism and incessant Kassam rocket fire.
Hamas gearing to 'explode' out of Gaza into Egypt
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2418
The "Palestinian" terror group Hamas is preparing to explode out of the Gaza Strip, blowing up the border fence with Egypt and shooting any Egyptian forces that get in their way.
This is according to the Egyptian daily, Al-Ahram, which Monday quoted "reliable" but unnamed "Palestinian sources" as saying that Hamas clerics had issued a special "fatwa" (sanction or command) making it "permissible" to kill any Egyptian soldiers who tried to stop them.
The Jerusalem Post picked up and published the story Tuesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Tuesday afternoon Israel is preparing for a "Palestinian" breakout.
Hamas has already planted bombs along a four kilometer stretch of the border, according to the Al-Ahram report, which will be detonated at the same time as Hamas fires mortars into Egypt and fires directly into Egyptian troops.
Members of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood are preparing to help Hamas carry out its "blast and invade" strategy that will see hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs flooding the Sinai, as they did back in January.
The primary aim of the invasion is apparently to drive home the "desperate suffering" of Gaza's Arabs and thereby shake the rest of the international community into turning up pressure on Israel, forcing it to end its "siege" of Gaza.
Israel has imposed a partial and periodic embargo on Gaza to try and bring an end to the terrorism that has seen thousands of rockets fired from the Strip against Israeli communities in the south.
IDF takes out high-ranking Gaza terrorist
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2420
The Israel Defense Forces Monday night successfully eliminated the senior northern Gaza leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), Ibrahim Alba, Monday, minutes after three Kassam rockets were launched from the Strip towards Israeli targets.
Alba was just stepping out of his car when a missile fired by the Israeli Air Force struck home.
Three bystanders were reportedly injured, claim "Palestinian" sources.
According to IDF sources, the arch terrorist has been responsible for rocket attacks as well as terrorist infiltrations that ended in the wounding of Israeli soldiers.
Israeli intelligence reportedly knew Alba to be planning another attack in a few days, possibly during the Passover Holiday that starts Saturday evening.
Israel National News reports that the IDF fired on a Gaza terrorist cell Tuesday morning after spotting it preparing to fire a Kassam rocket towards an Israeli community.
Israeli Arab MP says he represents Palestine, not Israel
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2424
An Arab citizen of Israel and member of the Israeli Knesset (parliament) Monday listed himself as a representative of "Palestine" at a high-profile conference in Qatar.
Ahmed Tibi listed himself on the registry at the Doha Forum, which was attended by an Israeli delegation headed by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, as heading up a six-man team from Palestine - a state which never has, and still does not exist, but which the international community headed by the US is working to create on ancient Jewish lands.
At the conference, Tibi smeared the country that had elevated him to position of lawmaker, comparing it to formerly racist South Africa where blacks were banned from any participation in the political process.
"Israel is an apartheid state," he publicly told Livni - who during her keynote address had expressed support for the establishment of democracies in the Middle East. How could she then talk of democracy, he sneered?
According to Ynetnews, the foreign minister deftly exposed Tibi's lie: "The very fact that you are an Israeli Knesset member, that you are the deputy speaker of the Knesset as a matter of fact, who represents 20 percent of Israel's population, that you are here and that you can say anything you please – that is the proof that Israel is a democratic nation," she said, responding from the podium.
Back home in Jerusalem other members of Knesset expressed outrage at Tibi's treachery, and threatened to have him disciplined, even calling for him to be "exiled" to the Palestinian Authority's current "capital," Ramallah.
MK Avigdor Lieberman who chairs the Israel Our Home Party, described the Israeli Arab as "a fifth column – in every sense of the word.
"Tibi should transfer from the Israeli Knesset to the Palestinian Authority's parliament in Ramallah," he charged. "He is using his position as an MK to inflict harm upon the State of Israel and destroy it from within, as is proven by this case."
The deputy minister of foreign affairs, Majalli Whbee, said the time had come for Tibi, who has a long track record of duplicity and disloyalty to Israel, to decide which country he represents.
"It is Tibi's right to stand for the country or entity of his choosing, but he cannot be a member of one nation's parliament while representing another at international conventions," Whbee said, announcing his intention to refer the matter to the Knesset Ethics Committee for disciplinary action.
Despite the uproar Tibi, once an official advisor to PLO arch terrorist Yasser Arafat, knows from past experience that he is not in any danger of losing his seat in the Knesset.
Israel's Jewish parliamentarians have always lacked the will to oust their Arab colleagues despite repeated and brazen displays of perfidy by a number of them.
Carter comes to rehabilitate Hamas
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2422
Former US President Jimmy Carter arrived in the Middle East Monday on a journey he hopes will pave the way for the terror-group Hamas' acceptance in the western world.
Hamas, which is covenantally-committed to destroying Israel, has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Since brutally seizing control of the Gaza Strip last year, the group has felt the squeeze of international displeasure, and has been beating around for ways to break the boycott against it without admitting defeat. Its goal is to be able to more deeply entrench itself while continuing its terrorist war against Israel.
Carter's visit will help.
The "peacenik president" has spurned appeals by Israel and other concerned parties that he not meet in Damascus with Hamas arch-terrorist Khaled Meshaal.
I have come here "to promote peace in the region" he said doggedly, arrogantly.
"If Israel is ever going to find peace with justice concerning the relationship with their next-door neighbors, Hamas will have to be included in the process."
This is music to Hamas' ears.
In an exclusive WorldNetDaily report Monday night, senior Hamas spokesman Ahmed Youssef was quoted as calling Carter "a noble person" who would indeed help Hamas to "engage with the world community."
"Carter can achieve something no one else can. He is open-minded and has a very noble cause to come and meet with all people," said Youssef, according to WND.
The one-time peanut farmer was, Youssef said craftily, the only one "who really understands the (Israeli-Palestinian) conflict and knows what is needed to achieve peace."
Hamas' Charter spells out that only by erasing Israel from the Muslim Middle East will peace come to the region.
By his actions since Camp David in 1978, Jimmy Carter is seen by many in Israel to clearly concur.
Jimmy Carter Lays A Wreath at Arafat's Tomb
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/Jimmy_Carter_arafat/2008/04/15/88064.html
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter laid a wreath of red roses at the grave of Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat during a visit to the West Bank City of Ramallah on Tuesday.
"He and Mrs. Carter and his son Jeff wanted to pay their respects to President Arafat," Carter's trip director Rick Jasculca told Cybercast News Service. But the former president didn't make any comments there, he said.
Dubbed the "godfather of terrorism," Arafat was linked to the deaths of two American diplomats in the Sudan in 1973 -- one of many terror acts laid at his feet. (See earlier story)
Twenty years later, Arafat became the first PLO leader to sign a peace agreement with an Israeli Prime Minister -- Yitzhak Rabin -- in 1993. He was considered Israel's peace partner (although many Israelis never believed it) until the beginning of the violent Palestinian uprising in September 2000. Arafat managed the terror war against Israel until his death in 2004.
U.S. officials have emphasized that Carter is visiting the Middle East as a private citizen and not as a representative of the U.S. government.
On Tuesday, the Israeli government refused Carter's request to visit Hamas-controlled Gaza. The former U.S. leader has angered the Israeli government over plans to meet Hamas's top leader, Khaled Mashaal, in Syria on Friday.
Most visiting American dignitaries -- including President Bush -- have avoided Arafat's tomb. Michaela Schweitzer-Bluhm, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem that handles Palestinian affairs, told Cybercast News Service that no active U.S. Executive Branch member had ever laid a wreath on Arafat's grave.
Carter first met Arafat in 1990, when Arafat was leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. According to a New York Times report, Carter praised Arafat as a peacemaker.
Years later, Carter led an international team in observing the first Palestinian Authority elections that gave Arafat the presidency. (Carter also observed the 2006 elections that brought Hamas an overwhelming parliamentary majority.)
Arafat was the most frequent visitor to President Bill Clinton's White House. President Bush also dealt with Arafat at the beginning of his presidency, but after the Palestinian leader lied to Bush in early 2002 about a huge shipment of Iranian weapons bound for the P.A., he was shunned until his death in November 2004.
On Tuesday, Carter also had lunch with a dozen or so Palestinian civil society leaders and had what was described as a "wonderful round table" discussion with Palestinian youths that he and his wife enjoyed immensely, said Jasculca.
As President Carter travels around the Middle East he is "eager to hear viewpoints" about peace and the peace process. "Instead of talking, he's doing a lot of listening," said Jasculca.
Israel caves on Qumran
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2421
Israel's Ministry of Tourism has reportedly just succumbed to pressure from the British Advertising Standards Authority to remove a photo of the Qumran Caves from a travel promotion encouraging Britons to visit Israel.
The caves, famous for the 1940s discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, are not in Israel but are "actually located in the Palestinian territories" the ASA scandalously declared.
As such Israel was misleading the readers of the advertisement.
Interestingly, the main scroll discovered at the site was the oldest known copy of the Jewish biblical book of Isaiah, which thousands of years ago foretold the return of the Jews to this land, including to Qumran - ancient site of a Jewish sect.
A kibbutz located at the site of the caves was founded in the Mandate period, before the existence of any organization or entity known as "the Palestinians." It was only evacuated because of the threat that Arabs would murder its Jews.
At best the site is on disputed territory that has a rich Jewish, and absolutely no "Palestinian," past.
Nonetheless, while The Jerusalem Post said Israel was "forced" to remove the offending photo, according to a report in Ynetnews Monday the Tourism Ministry quickly gave in, replacing the picture with one of the Masada fortress.
One ministry official did slam what was described as the ASA's increasingly anti-Israel attitude. He pointed out that the Palestinian Authority's maps designate all the land of Israel - including pre-1967 Israel - as "Palestine."
Israel watchers chalked down another propaganda success to the Palestinian Arabs.
U.N. Security Council Calls for Hezbollah to Disarm
http://www.newsmax.com/international/un_lebanon_israel/2008/04/15/88229.html
UNITED NATIONS -- The U.N. Security Council called Tuesday for the disarming of Hezbollah and other militias in Lebanon along with greater progress toward a cease-fire and a solution to the conflict between Lebanon and Israel.
A statement adopted by consensus by the 15-member council reiterates its commitment "to the full implementation of all provisions of Resolution 1701" which ended the 34-day war between Israel and Hezbollah in August 2006.
That resolution reiterates a call for the disarming of all militias and bans arms transfers to them. It calls on the government to secure its borders and entry points "to prevent the entry into Lebanon without its consent of arms or related materiel."
It also calls for Israel and Lebanon to support a permanent cease-fire and long-term solution based on full respect for the U.N.-drawn Blue Line along their border, security arrangements to prevent the resumption of hostilities, and the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon so "there will be no weapons or authority in Lebanon other than that of the Lebanese state."
The statement noted the progress and concerns expressed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in his latest report on the issue. Ban highlighted in March that Israel says Hezbollah is rearming and has an arsenal that includes 10,000 long-range rockets and 20,000 short-range rockets in southern Lebanon.
The report did not confirm Israel's claim, but Ban reiterated his concern about Hezbollah's public statements and persistent reports pointing to breaches of a U.N. arms embargo. He also expressed concern at "the threats of open war against Israel" by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
In a report in late October, Ban drew attention to alleged breaches of the arms embargo and the transfer of sophisticated weapons from Iran and Syria _ both strong backers of Hezbollah _ across the Lebanon-Syria border. Syria disputed the claim.
U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said negotiations on the "good, acceptable" statement took time because it involved different countries inside and outside the Security Council
"With regard to the implementation, I think there are pluses and minuses there," he said. "We would like to see more progress on disarming militias."
Made in China: Wholesale Persecution
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07075.shtml
WASHINGTON -- Human rights activists in London, Paris and San Francisco are aggressively protesting the human rights violations of host nation China as the Olympic torch progresses across the world towards the games in Beijing.
Political figures like Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi have echoed media coverage featuring the Tibetan cause, but there has been a de-emphasis or failure to cover Chinese oppression against Christians and the forced abortion and sterilization of thousands of women in eastern China. According to the testimonies recorded by the Chinese human rights activist Chen Guangcheng, forced abortion takes place up until the eighth month of pregnancy and frequently includes killing babies who are born during the process. Chen was arrested for exposing the forced abortions and sterilizations and has been serving a four year, three month sentence.
On April 3, 2008, Chinese activist Hu Jia was sentenced to prison for 3 '?? years. Mainstream media focused on his role as an AIDS and environmental activist, but photos of Hu provide a bigger picture of the young Buddhist blogger. A Washington Post photo of Hu Jia shows him wearing a t-shirt with a photo of Chen, whose oppression he chronicled as it was taking place.
IRD Director of Religious Liberty Programs Faith J.H. McDonnell commented,
"Chinese activists and dissidents realize that we must confront China's Communist government on behalf of all who are being repressed and persecuted, even when Western protestors only see China's injustice towards a few choice groups.
"The forced abortion and sterilization of Chinese women, many who are arrested and brutalized by China's family planning bureau, is not a popular topic for liberal human rights activists. Perhaps it hits too close to home.
"Chinese dissidents and activists like Hu Jia don't pick their human rights issues like items from a salad bar - they fight for the freedom of all. It does not do justice to the cause of freedom when Americans and other Westerners vocally and vigorously speak out only about China's human rights violations in Tibet, but not the persecution of Christians."
China: CNN, Cafferty Are 'Vicious,' 'Malicious'
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/china_cnn_Cafferty/2008/04/15/88213.html
BEIJING -- China demanded an apology from CNN on Tuesday after network commentator Jack Cafferty called the country's leaders a "bunch of goons and thugs" and said its products were "junk."
It was the latest flare-up after Beijing accused Western media of bias in its reporting following violent protests in the Tibetan capital last month. Atlanta-based CNN has been singled out by some Chinese who say overseas news outlets are smearing Beijing.
"We are shocked and strongly condemn the vicious remarks by Cafferty," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said. "We solemnly request CNN and Cafferty himself take back the malicious remarks and apologize to the Chinese people."
Cafferty made the remarks during an appearance on CNN's daily political news program, "The Situation Room," that aired April 9, according to a transcript posted on CNN's Web site.
He was speaking about the U.S. trade deficit with China when he said, according to the transcript, "We continue to import their junk with the lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food and export, you know, jobs to places where you can pay workers a dollar a month to turn out the stuff that we're buying from Wal-Mart."
"So I think our relationship with China has certainly changed," he continued. "I think they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years."
Network spokeswoman Edie Emery at CNN headquarters in Atlanta pointed out that Cafferty made a clarification Monday on "The Situation Room."
"I was referring to the Chinese government, and not to Chinese people or to Chinese-Americans," Cafferty said, referring to the 'goons and thugs' comment, on Monday's program.
Some Chinese at home and abroad have denounced Western media for what they claim are slanted reports about the unrest in Tibet that unjustly criticized Beijing in its crackdown.
The recent protests in Tibet against five decades of Chinese rule have been the largest and most sustained in almost two decades. They also have fueled protests that have disrupted the global torch relay for this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.
Putin agrees to head Russia's biggest party
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/putin.agrees.to.head.russias.biggest.party/18033.htm
President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to lead Russia's biggest political party, a move that will bolster his power after he steps down as Kremlin leader next month.
United Russia, which controls the lower house of parliament, created the post of party chairman specially to offer to Putin. Delegates at a party congress in Moscow immediately endorsed the appointment unanimously.
"I accept the invitation of the party. I am ready to take on myself the additional responsibility and head the party," Putin told them, to cheers.
"I promise to do everything to strengthen the influence and authority of the party and to use its potential for the good of the country's development."
Putin said he would serve as prime minister and take the party leadership after his protege, Dmitry Medvedev, is sworn in as president on May 7.
The move comes closer to solving Russia's biggest political riddle: How much influence will Putin have under President Medvedev?
Russian prime ministers usually play second fiddle to the president but analysts said the post of party chairman gives Putin extra clout as a future premier and indicates he will be a big political player for years to come.
"Basically, Medvedev will not be able to rule without Putin's agreement," said Alexei Pushkov, a professor of international relations and a leading journalist.
"Putin does not want to be what we call a technical prime minister in Russia, a person who can be removed in 30 seconds if the president wishes to do so; he wants to be a prime minister with his own power base."
CONTROL OF DUMA
Putin took the newly created job of party chairman for four years, giving him control of the Duma for the same period.
United Russia won 315 of the 450 seats in the State Duma (lower house of parliament) last December. Its two-thirds majority is enough to change the constitution or to start impeachment proceedings against the president.
Putin said the party - which rejects comparisons with the monolithic Soviet Communist Party - would have to reform itself to clear out "people who pursue only their own interests and personal advantage".
Medvedev told delegates that Putin's acceptance of the post of party chairman would help cooperation with the legislature, and that Putin had long been the informal leader of the party.
But the president-elect turned down an offer to join United Russia, saying it would be "premature" and that the head of state should not be directly associated with one party.
The two men enjoy a close personal relationship, forged over nearly two decades of working together, but diplomats have questioned whether they will be able to stop their respective teams from indulging in turf wars.
From the tsars through Communist times, Russia has long been accustomed to a single, all-powerful leader, and many analysts doubt whether a double-headed system of government can function effectively.
Opinions differ on whether Putin's plan is to shore up Medvedev - a 42-year-old lawyer who has never held elected office and is viewed with suspicion by Kremlin hardliners - or to control him.
Sergei Markov, a political analyst and United Russia member of parliament, told reporters at the congress:
"It (the appointment as party chairman) strengthens Putin's political weight as national leader. Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is leader of the state and of the Russian Federation, but the political leader of the country remains Putin."
Christians Attacked in Andhra Pradesh, India
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07078.shtml
Church pastors and members of the Manna Ministry in Krishnapuram, Andhra Pradesh were beaten by a group of 20 Hindu militants on April 2, according to a report from Global Council of Indian Christians on April 8.
The Christians were returning from an evangelistic outreach when their car was stopped by the attackers. One of the ministry's leaders, Pastor Gopal, sustained se rious injuries. The militants also tore up the Christians' evangelistic tracts.
Ask God to heal Pastor Gopal. Pray that Indian Christians will continue to share the gospel with boldness despite their suffering (Acts 4:29-31).
For more information on the persecution facing India's Christians, go to www.persecution.net/country/india.htm.
Turkey: One year after the Malatya murders, it's time to address the causes
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/turkey.one.year.after.the.malatya.murders.its.time.to.address.the.causes/18021.htm
Turkish Protestants are this week commemorating the deaths one year ago of Necati Aydin, Tillman Geske and Uður Yüksel. On 18 April 2007, the three - two Turks and a German national - were brutally murdered in their office in the south-eastern town of Malatya. The murders left behind grieving families, a community in fear and a country with mixed emotions about the incident.
The trial of the five alleged killers of Aydin, Geske and Yucel - finally begun late last year in Malatya - drags on. But it raises numerous questions as to who else was involved in planning or inciting this terrible attack.
In its January 2008 report of violations of the human rights of the Protestant community, Turkey's Alliance of Protestant Churches described 2007 as a "dark year" for the community. The motivation to compile such a report was to draw attention to the community's problems and provide concrete information for those concerned for the protection of human rights. Sadly, Turkish media coverage of the report was minimal.
The report includes a long list of incidents of alleged violations of human rights and provides a chilling insight into the hardships and attacks this group is subjected to.
First of all, it is interesting to note that all the incidents were committed by non-State actors, not by the State as such. This of itself indicates enormous societal intolerance against Protestants in Turkish society. Yet this does not relieve the State of its obligations to protect the life, liberty and freedom of religion or belief of its citizens.
Secondly, as well as the horrendous murders in Malatya, the list includes many other attacks against members of this community or their places of worship. These include seven attacks on church buildings (ranging from attempts to burn the building to throwing stones), four threats to kill church leaders, one plot to murder a church leader, and two attempts to kidnap a church leader and his 11-year-old son.
The report stresses that this list contains only those incidents where the victims were willing to come forward. It also acknowledges that many other incidents occur, where people are not prepared to make a public complaint for fear of being exposed.
The third striking feature of the report is that, with few exceptions, the authorities have not been able to find the perpetrators. The report calls on the Government and State institutions to take a proactive attitude to the "lynching campaign" directed against the Protestant community, whose members are mainly people who have converted to Christianity from Islam.
But it is not only Protestants who have suffered violence. This year a Catholic priest, Fr Adriano Franchini, was stabbed by the 20-year-old R.B. in Izmir, though thankfully the priest survived. The statement of R.B. at the start of his trial on 9 April is a striking testimony to the causes of violence against Christians in Turkey. He testified that he had observed that after the murders in 2006 of the Catholic priest Fr Andrea Santoro and in 2007 and of the Armenian Turkish journalist Hrant Dink, the alleged killers were received as heroes. R.B. thought he would become a hero like them.
R.B. also said that he was inspired by the popular television series "The Valley of Wolves", which in some episodes portrayed Christian missionaries in Turkey as enemies of the nation. His statement confirms that he sees his act as a commitment to nationalism (see Hurriyet 9 April 2008
hurarsiv.hurriyet.com.tr/goster).
A number of church leaders had already complained about the broadcast of this series both to the public prosecutor and to the RTUK (Radio Television Supervisory Organ), regarding it as incitement to hatred. However, the prosecutor did not regard it as constituting a crime, while the RTUK took a long time to issue a warning to the producers and the channel which broadcast it.
The current President of the Alliance of Protestant Churches, Zekai Tanyar, warns that in the past year Protestants, particularly in smaller cities and towns, have felt intimidated by rising intolerance against their community. He says they are reluctant to go to the police when they receive anonymous threats or face what can only be described as discrimination in their dealings with public authorities: they fear they will only draw more attention to themselves and, in any case, will not succeed. Only in some cases where there have been serious attacks on church buildings and serious threats to the lives of church leaders, as referred to in the Alliance's report, has the State provided protection.
A number of churches have instead hired private security companies, while others make sure they lock the doors during worship services. While they are thankful for the cases where the State has provided protection, they are also troubled by the constant reminder of the need for such protection against potential attacks. Inevitably, questions are raised. Why is police protection needed for a place of worship, where it ought to be possible for the fundamental right to freedom of religion or belief to be exercised without interference by anyone? Why should a church leader need round-the-clock protection wherever they are? How long will such protection be needed? Increased worries about security have also frightened church members when coming to worship services with their families and children.
According to Tanyar, the Protestant Churches' concerns and expectations are no different than in 2006, before the Malatya murders, as the conditions have not changed. He acknowledges that the necessary changes will need a long time to take effect. Securing freedom of religion or belief for all belief communities requires work on many different fronts; it has political, legal and societal aspects. Creating conditions conducive for a tolerant society - where not only Protestants, but a wide range of groups that are distinct from the dominant or majority of the population will be tolerated - will take a long time.
Tanyar also notes that, for many months, the Government has been held up by successive crises in domestic politics, such as the problems around lifting the ban on the wearing of headscarves by female university students and the recent lawsuit aiming to close down the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP). Like many other reforms, legal steps that need to be taken for better protection of everyone's freedom of religion or belief are postponed, while the government deals with what it regards as more urgent matters. However, concrete steps must be taken in this direction, otherwise this goal can never be achieved.
But despite the progress that has been made in the legal sphere, even the steps that have been taken are sadly incomplete. The long-promised new Foundations Law does not allow Muslim or non-Muslim religious communities to legally exist as themselves, and so they are not themselves allowed to own their own places of worship. As Dilek Kurban of the Istanbul-based TESEV Foundation noted, the Law is "incompatible with the principle of freedom of association, which is guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights, the Constitution and the Treaty of Lausanne".
Tanyar is clear that, as a community, the Protestant Churches do not wish to become simply a tool for the political ends of various groups. In this context he points to politicians who exaggerate the level of missionary activities and numbers of those who have converted to Christianity as a result of these activities. Such politicians do this to reinforce criticism of the Government which has enacted legislation making spreading a religion a legal activity.
Amid all these debates, it seems that the small Protestant community's own voice is not heard by the Turkish public and state officials. There is no forum or tool whereby the community could effectively respond to allegations, or take part in a meaningful discussion, involving all Turkish citizens, that might contribute to clarification and allow for the Protestant perspective to be heard. In addition it lacks the resources to respond to everything that is said in public about it. The voice of Turkey's other smaller religious communities also needs to be heard by our fellow Turks.
While it is difficult to remain hopeful about what the future might hold for Turks in general and religious or belief communities in particular, it is vitally important to continue to strive for better protection of freedom of religion or belief. In this context I believe four concrete steps which would have the effect of better protection for all belief communities are essential.
The first step in the right direction would be for relevant state officials and institutions to engage in dialogue with leaders of believers of both religions that have existed in Turkey for centuries and those groups that are new. This would of course also include atheists and agnostics, as freedom of religion or belief is also a right for non-believers. Such a dialogue would enable individuals and communities to voice the difficulties they encounter in the exercise of their right to freedom of religion or belief. It would also send a strong message to Turkish society that the secular State is "equally close to all religions", as the authorities like to proclaim. Such a dialogue would also enhance the prestige and societal acceptance of groups that now face intolerance.
The vital second step would be to engage in long-term educational efforts to foster pluralism, the equality of individuals with different religions and beliefs, and a culture of democracy that would encourage and teach discussion of different ideas without resorting to violence. This would also include reforms in public education of religion which would bring it up to a standard reflecting true freedom of religion for all non-Muslim groups, as well as various groups within Islam such as the Alevis. Extreme nationalism is a major obstacle to this within the educational system.
Thirdly, there is in Turkey great controversy around the term "missionary activity." Some use it as a negative term, while others recognise that everyone being able to share their beliefs in a non-coercive way is inseparable from everyone's freedom of religion and belief.
In 2005 a parliamentary motion was brought to the Ministry of Interior about missionary activities in Turkey. The response of the then Minister of Interior Abdulkadir Aksu named three groups as engaging in missionary activity: Protestants, Jehovah's Witnesses and Baha'is. He stated that this activity is watched closely in the interests of national security - even
though this is in international law an unacceptable reason to limit freedom of religion and belief.
Sadly, such comments are common from both politicians and officials. So Turkish society needs to discuss what is meant by "missionary activity": if it is different from exercising one's religion or belief, and maybe examine what is proper and improper proselytism. It is my opinion that Turkey would gain much from a genuine public debate on this, based firmly upon respect for pluralist democracy and tolerance.
Finally, the fourth important step - and one that needs to be taken immediately - is for the state to enact measures to remove imminent threats of attacks against places of worship and religious leaders. Doubtless finding and punishing the perpetrators of previous attacks would have a deterrent effect on those who contemplate further such attacks. The authorities must strongly condemn such threats and attacks and do their utmost to enforce laws protecting members of belief communities who are vulnerable to such attacks. It is important that such attacks are condemned by the whole of society, so that the perpetrators will not have the perception that they will be received as heroes by a significant group in
society.
If Turkey wishes to seen as a republic genuinely committed to a secular pluralist democracy, it is necessary for our government to: have an open public dialogue with all religious communities, as well as non-believers; initiate long-term educational efforts to foster pluralism and the equality of all citizens; have a public discussion on what missionary activity actually means in a pluralist democracy; and, most urgently, take steps to remove imminent threats of attacks against places of worship and religious leaders, as well as punish those who have committed attacks. For if we do not, we will not have started to genuinely address the causes of the three murders whose first anniversary we are marking this week.
Prosecution Sought Over Anti-Quran Film
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/357716.aspx
GENEVA - Islamic countries used a meeting of the U.N.'s top human rights body on Tuesday to demand the prosecution of a Dutch lawmaker whose anti-Quran movie has sparked Muslim protests.
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and other members of the U.N. Human Rights Council said the Netherlands should adopt laws against religious defamation.
"We recommend to the government of the Netherlands that it must ... initiate prosecution against the author" of the movie "Fitna," Pakistan's representative Masood Khan told the 47-nation council.
The anti-Quran film by right-wing legislator Geert Wilders triggered street protests in Pakistan, Malaysia and Indonesia, and calls in other countries to boycott Dutch goods, when it was posted on a Web site last month.
In his film, Wilders couples verses from the Quran with images of the terror attacks on New York, Madrid and elsewhere, and shows footage of imams saying Islam should dominate the world.
The Dutch government has said it disagrees with the harsh, hateful tone of the film, but insists Wilders has a constitutional right to air his views. The U.N. secretary-general and U.N. agencies have condemned the film. EU foreign ministers have sharply rejected its views.
Nebahat Albayrak of the Dutch delegation told council members that the public prosecutor was investigating whether the film breaks any laws.
Egypt criticized a recent ruling by a Dutch court that the views expressed by Wilders did not exceed the legal boundaries against inciting hatred or violence.
The Hague District Court last week said the lawmaker's right to free speech and role as a politician allow him to freely voice his criticisms of radical Islam and the Quran.
"This ruling may suggest that the judiciary is out of touch with the relevant international and regional obligations and jurisprudence in the field of human rights," said Omar Shalaby of the Egyptian delegation to the U.N. body.
Iran, which called the movie a "vivid example of Islamophobia and incitement to religious hatred," said the Netherlands should strengthen its rules against defamation of religions and Islamophobia. Iran is not a member of the council but can speak as an observer.
The Netherlands was among the first 16 countries to be examined during a two-week meeting of the council, which will be repeated three times a year until all 192 members of the United Nations have been scrutinized.
The council replaced the discredited Human Rights Commission two years ago. It has no enforcement powers, but is supposed to act as the world's moral conscience on human rights.
Divorce, Unwed Parenting Costing Taxpayers
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iuTtMqpA67mShlnRq6X-30UVC62QD90236N00?CFID=1013470&CFTOKEN=b28542253c5d3a63-54C4041E-D3F6-875F-59443E1671E09BDD
NEW YORK — Divorce and out-of-wedlock childbearing cost U.S. taxpayers more than $112 billion a year, according to a study commissioned by four groups advocating more government action to bolster marriages.
Sponsors say the study is the first of its kind and hope it will prompt lawmakers to invest more money in programs aimed at strengthening marriages. Two experts not connected to the study said such programs are of dubious merit and suggested that other investments — notably job creation — would be more effective in aiding all types of needy families.
There have been previous attempts to calculate the cost of divorce in America. But the sponsors of the new study, being released Tuesday, said theirs is the first to gauge the broader cost of "family fragmentation" — both divorce and unwed childbearing.
The study was conducted by Georgia State University economist Ben Scafidi. His work was sponsored by four groups who consider themselves part of a nationwide "marriage movement" — the New York-based Institute for American Values, the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, Families Northwest of Redmond, Wash., and the Georgia Family Council, an ally of the conservative ministry Focus on the Family.
"The study documents for the first time that divorce and unwed childbearing — besides being bad for children — are costing taxpayers a ton of money," said David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values.
"We keep hearing this from state legislators, 'Explain to me why this is any of my business? Aren't these private matters?'" Blankenhorn said. "Take a look at these numbers and tell us if you still have any doubt."
Scafidi's calculations were based on the assumption that households headed by a single female have relatively high poverty rates, leading to higher spending on welfare, health care, criminal justice and education for those raised in the disadvantaged homes. The $112 billion estimate includes the cost of federal, state and local government programs, and lost tax revenue at all levels of government.
Reducing these costs, Scafidi said, "is a legitimate concern of government, policymakers and legislators."
While the study doesn't offer formal recommendations, it does suggest that state and federal lawmakers consider investing more money in programs intended to bolster marriages. Such a program has been in place in Oklahoma since 2001; Texas last year earmarked about $15 million in federal funds for marriage education.
"Because of the very large taxpayer costs associated with high rates of divorce and unwed childbearing, and the modest price tags associated with most marriage-strengthening initiatives ... programs even with very modest success rates will be cost-effective," the study says.
But Tim Smeeding, an economics professor at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University, who was not involved in the study, said he's seen no convincing evidence that the marriage-strengthening programs work.
"I have nothing against marriage — relationship-building is great," he said. "But alone it's not going to do the job. A full-employment economy would probably be the best thing — decent, stable jobs."
He also noted the distinctive problems arising in black urban areas where the rate of single-mother households is highest.
"A high number of African-American men have been in prison — that limits their future earning potential and makes them bad marriage partners, regardless of what kind of person they are," Smeeding said. "A marriage program doesn't address that problem at all."
Another expert not connected to the study, University of Michigan sociologist Pamela Smock, suggested that bigger investments in education would pay long-term dividends — improving economic prospects even for children from fragmented, disadvantaged families.
"Providing a global number doesn't give us anything to go on," said Smock, who was skeptical of the study's $112 billion estimate.
"We're now nearing 40 percent of kids in America born out of wedlock," she said. "I can't fathom that those marriage programs, even with increased investment, are going to reduce that."
Blankenhorn said it was "fair criticism" to note that the study made multiple references to marriage-strengthening programs while not proposing other strategies for reducing the cost of family fragmentation.
"Maybe we should have been more ecumenical," he said. "Let everybody have their say. Let's try things out. ... Nobody knows exactly the strategies which are going to work."
Pope Addresses KofC-Sponsored Conference on Outreach to Those Hurt by Divorce and Abortion
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07076.shtml
ROME -- Meeting with members of the International Conference "Oil on the Wounds: A Response to the Aftermath of Divorce and Abortion," held at the Pontifical Lateran University and co- sponsored by the Knights of Columbus and John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family, Pope Benedict XVI told the international group of experts and attendees Saturday that both abortion and divorce harm many people, while he applauded pastoral and social initiatives that reach out to those harmed by both.
"Abortion and divorce...bring great suffering to the lives of so many people of so many families and of society," the pope said. Pope Benedict applauded initiatives of loving mercy to help those harmed, saying: "I convey my profound appreciation for all those social and pastoral initiatives which center around reconciliation and the care of the persons which have been wounded by the drama of abortion and divorce. Those, together with so many other ways to provide help, are the essential elements of building a 'civilization of love' which, today more than ever, constitutes the need of humanity."
Many children are deeply affected and often harmed by the divorce of their parents, and a great number of women and men experience emotional pain and psychological effects as a result of their experience with abortion, according to the international panel of experts, who have studied these issues, and came together at the Rome conference to discuss pastoral solutions to those affected.
Speakers came from more than half a dozen countries, including several from Italy and the United States.
The conference was held April 4-5 at the Pontifical Lateran University. On April 5, the conference participants met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.
"As an organization founded to protect families, we think it is absolutely necessary for society to take note of the effects of divorce and abortion, two things that do the most damage to the integrity of families in our society," said Knights of Columbus Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who served as moderator of the opening session of the conference. "It is our hope that this conference - and the pope's message of encouragement - will spur a greater ministry within the Catholic Church to these children whose stable family structure has been shattered, and to these parents, who grieve the abortion of their unborn child - often in isolation and silence."
Speakers on divorce include Prof. Rafaela Iafrate from the Centro Ateneo Studi e Ricerche sulla Famiglia in Milan; Elizabeth Marquardt, author of the book Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce and researcher Joan B. Kelly, who has done groundbreaking research on the subject, and is co- author of Surviving the Breakup: How Children and Parents Cope with Divorce.
On the topic of abortion, speakers include Vicki Thorn, founder of Project Rachel - an international network of outreach to parents with aborted children; Mother Agnes Mary Donavan, of the Sisters of Life in the United States; Dr. E. Joanne Angelo of Tufts University School of Medicine and Dominique Vandier, of the Association Agapa, in Paris, France.
The conference is the result of a discussion begun with several papers delivered by Carl Anderson last year at the Lateran University on these two topics. Anderson served as founding Vice President and first dean of the U.S. session of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington, DC.
Bill Calling for Castration of Sex Offenders Passes Louisiana Senate
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351386,00.html
BATON ROUGE, La. — The most serious sex crimes should be punishable by castration, with drugs or surgery, the Louisiana Senate voted on Tuesday.
The bill by Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, would give judges the option of imposing chemical castration on those convicted of sex crimes including aggravated rape, simple rape and indecent behavior with a juvenile. Chemical castration would be mandatory on second offenses, and the offender would have the option of choosing physical castration instead.
Senators voted 32-3 to send the measure to the House.
Chemical castration would involve treatment with the drug medroxyprogesterone acetate, with the aim of diminishing the offender's sexual impulses. Gautreaux amended the bill to add a provision that would bar such an offender from taking another substance — such as estrogen — that could counteract the effects of the castration drug.
The drug treatment would be mandatory on a second offense, though a medical expert would have to determine that the treatment would be effective.
Once ordered to undergo the treatment, the offender would have the option of physical castration — which Gautreaux said some offenders might prefer to avoid any drug side effects or in hopes of permanently curbing impulses that led to his offense.
Voting against the measure were Sens. Cheryl Gray, D-New Orleans, Robert Kostelka, R-West Monroe, and Derrick Shepherd, D-Marrero.
Also awaiting House debate is another Gautreaux bill that would prohibit sex offenders from wearing masks or costumes on most major holidays, and prohibit them from giving candy or other gifts to people younger than 18. The bill (Senate Bill 143) by Sen. Nick Gautreaux, D-Meaux, now goes to the House for debate. Violators could be jailed for a minimum of six months and a maximum of three years.
World's Leading Internet Evangelist Bill Keller 'Debates' Oprah, the High Priestess of the New Age Movement
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07077.shtml
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Liveprayer.com founder Bill Keller has engaged in a "high tech cyber debate" with the most powerful woman in the media, Oprah Winfrey, who Keller called "the most dangerous woman on the planet" in a recent FOX News appearance.
Keller, who reaches over 2.4 million subscribers worldwide every day with his Daily Devotional, and hundreds of thousands more on his "live" TV program seen now exclusively at LivePrayer.com ever Mon-Fri at 10pm EDT, has been exposing Oprah for years to his audience as a false prophet who is leading the souls of millions to hell.
Keller contends the New Age teachings Oprah promotes, lead people away from Biblical Truth and faith in Jesus Christ, which the Bible states is the only way to be saved. Keller has called these New Age teachings "spiritual crack," since they make people feel good for a short period, but leave them wanting more, and ultimately put them on a road to destruction.
Keller commented, "Oprah is free to believe whatever she wants. However, she claims to be a Christian, yet denies that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and the Bible is the only Truth. She clearly has no idea what being a Christian means, since she is being used as a tool of satan to lead the souls of men to hell with these New Age lies she promotes."
You can see this "high tech cyber debate" at: youtube.com/watch?v=3BjL4Y9UOpw
About Bill Keller
The press has crowned him the Dr. Phil of Prayer and the next big thing in mass media religion. Bill Keller is the host of Live Prayer with Bill Keller, the nation's only live call-in faith and values-based program airing exclusively on the internet. The program deals head- on with issues ranging from divorce, homosexuality, abortion, sexual abuse, pornography, drug addiction, radical Islam, race relations, spousal abuse, false prophets and more, from a conservative, biblical worldview. Live Prayer is unscripted and unedited, giving it a fresh and totally spontaneous approach to problem solving. The program can be seen live, Monday through Friday from 10PM to 11AM EST, and 24/7 through programs archived on LivePrayer.com. Live Prayer with Bill Keller is positioned to become the world's most-watched internet television broadcast. For information please visit www.liveprayer.com
About Live Prayer.com
In 1999, Keller launched LivePrayer.com, which has become the most successful online faith outreach in history. Since its inception, LivePrayer.com has responded personally to more than 60 million online requests for prayer. Additionally, Keller's Live Prayer devotional is received daily by nearly 2.5 million email subscribers, making Keller devotional one of the most read e-communications in the world. For information on where to watch Live Prayer in your area, visit www.liveprayer.com
Last Call for Program Entries for TBN Innovate Program Challenge
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07074.shtml
LOS ANGELES -- There is still time to submit new programs for the TBN Innovate Program Challenge. Program producers that are attending NAB in Las Vegas can schedule time to meet with one of TBN's program executives to discuss their pre- produced show. Appointments are still available.
NAB attendees are encouraged to set up meetings with TBN program executives in advance by emailing Joan Higley at jhigley@tbn.org. For more information visit www.tbnnetworks.com/innovate or www.tfwm.com/innovate.
The INNOVATE! contest inspires producers to rise to the top of their craft by submitting fresh, original ideas for high quality programming to air on TBN's four specialized networks - Smile of a Child, for viewers age 2 to 12; JCTV, for teens and young adults age 13 through 29; the Church Channel, for viewers who enjoy worship, teaching, and preaching; and TBN Enlace USA, for Hispanic viewers.
"TBN viewers have come to expect thought-provoking, well-written, and spiritually-charged programming that entertains and positively influences their lives," says Paul Crouch, Jr., Chief of Staff at TBN. "Last year's INNOVATE! contest confirmed to us just how much hidden talent is out there, just waiting to be uncovered," said Crouch.
INNOVATE! Program Challenge 2008 contest winner(s) will be unveiled by Crouch on TBN's popular Behind the Scenes program (date to be announced). The winning program(s) will premier on TBN and then begin airing on one or more of TBN's digital networks, which are picked up around the globe and seen by millions.
"TBN's unique brand of inspirational programming continues to fill an ever-increasing world-wide demand for powerful, engaging, faith and family- friendly content," says Crouch. "The TBN family of networks is continuously on the lookout for programs that will capture the imagination of our viewers, who have come to expect the very best offerings in faith and family-friendly fair."
"Producers wishing to submit programs can do so in one of two ways," says Joan Higley, TBN's Cable Affiliate Relations Manager. "Attendees of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, which runs April 14th through 17th, are invited to submit DVDs of their programs in person at the Technologies for Worship Pavilion in the Central Hall at the TBN Networks booth, C10442. Producers not attending the NAB can submit their program on DVD to The Ultimate TBN Networks Program Challenge, 2442 Michelle Drive, Tustin, CA 92780, by April 30th."
"In association with the INNOVATE! Program Challenge, Technologies for Worship Pavilion and Conferences is offering a free subscription to Technologies for Worship Magazine," says Higley. "TBN viewers wishing to sign up for a complimentary issue may do so by visiting www.tfwm.com/subscribepromocode, and entering the word INNOVATE! in the promotional code box."
TBN is the world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith network. Each day TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeals to people in a wide variety of denominations. Beginning in 1973 as a single UHF station in southern California, TBN now reaches every major continent via 65 satellites and more than 12,500 television and cable affiliates worldwide. In the United States, TBN is available to 92 percent of the total households. Its website receives more than 27 million visitors monthly. For more information on TBN, visit www.tbn.org.
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