McCain Viewed as Best Choice for Economy
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_best_for_economy/2008/06/13/104470.html
Republican presidential candidate John McCain's tax policies have given him an edge as the better man for the economy, various Wall Street experts said at this week's Reuters Investment Outlook Summit.
But, against a backdrop of job losses and deteriorating home values, Wall Street is backing McCain's Democratic rival, Barack Obama with cold, hard cash.
McCain plans to extend the Bush administration's tax cuts, eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax, and slash corporate taxes. Obama, who has derided the Arizona senator's plans, has pledged to raise taxes on the wealthy and introduce a broad range of refundable tax credits.
"My personal opinion is I would argue that McCain is probably the better candidate for the economy and that is more or less because of his tax policies," James Caron, head of global rates research at investment bank Morgan Stanley in New York, said at the Reuters Summit this week.
"In this environment that we're in right now, the last thing you want to have is higher taxes and taking money out of the consumers' pockets," he added.
David Bianco, chief U.S. strategist at UBS Investment Research, told the summit that Wall Street would welcome McCain with open arms. "My view is that McCain is better for the market," Bianco said.
"The market will respond to McCain corporate tax cuts," said participant Alan Ruskin, chief international strategist at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Wall Street may like McCain but it is betting on the Democratic senator from Illinois.
The securities and investment industry has given more campaign contributions to Obama than any other candidate, totaling nearly $7.91 million and exceeding McCain's $4.15 million.
And Corporate America as a whole likes the Democrats.
For the first time in a generation, most major U.S. business sectors are donating more campaign money to Democrats than to Republicans, according to a political fund-raising watchdog group.
Six of 10 business sectors tracked by the Center for Responsive Politics had given more money to Democrats as of late April in all federal races, marking a shift over the past year with profound implications for Republicans.
That said, prominent Wall Street economist Henry Kaufman said it is too soon to formulate who would move the economy in the right direction.
"Both of the two candidates thus far have not expressed in detail their financial and economic programs," he said.
But Kaufman, president of financial consulting firm Henry Kaufman & Co, quickly added: "I was a little bit dismayed when Senator McCain said flippantly that he does not know too much about economics but carries Alan Greenspan's book under his arm. That does not encourage me."
All told, U.S. stock markets will do well regardless of who takes the White House, one strategist said.
"It is worth noting that in every presidential election year since World War Two, the S&P 500 has posted a gain in the fourth quarter, as the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the election fades, with the only exception being 2000," said Jeffrey Kleintop, chief market strategist at LPL Financial.
In 2000, the result of the White House race between Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Al Gore was uncertain for weeks.
McCain Slams Supreme Court on Terrorist Detainees
http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/mccain_detainees/2008/06/13/104446.html
Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday sharply denounced a Supreme Court decision that gave suspected terrorist detainees a right to seek their release in federal courts.
"I think it's one of the worst decisions in history," McCain said. "It opens up a whole new chapter and interpretation of our constitution."
McCain is one of the authors of the 2006 Military Commissions Act which set up procedures for the handling of detainees. The act denied the detainees access to federal courts.
The Supreme Court on Thursday said that provision of the law violated the constitution.
McCain on Thursday said he had not read the ruling and reserved his criticism. But on Friday, speaking to about 1,500 people at a town hall meeting in Pemberton, N.J., he attacked the decision, saying the law he helped write "made it very clear that these are enemy combatants, they are not citizens, they do not have the rights of citizens."
The issue could be potent for McCain, who often encounters questions from audiences about how he would go about selecting potential justices for the court. McCain often cites Chief Justice John Roberts as the type of justice he would nominate. On Friday he especially praised him for his dissent in the detainee case.
McCain spoke to reporters after the town hall, accompanied by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who helped him write the military commissions law.
"What happened yesterday was unprecedented," Graham said. "Americans are going to be shocked to find that that mastermind of 9-11, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, now has the same legal standing as an American citizen."
Principal Criticized Over Islamic Presentation
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/392399.aspx
CBNNews.com - A Texas principal is under fire after allowing a controversial presentation on Islam at her public school.
Friendswood Junior High principal Robin Lowe let the Council on American Islamic Relations speak on Islam May 22.
They talked to nearly 900 students about the religion without the approval of the administration or parents.
Parents packed into a recent school board meeting to discuss the event.
Some support the principal, but others are very concerned that a group like CAIR could make such a presentation without the school's permission.
"She is not being hung out to dry as some have suggested she has proven herself to be a first class educator and she does not deserve to be vilified," Friendswood Superintendent Trish Hanks said. "I am deeply concerned that an organization like CAIR was allowed access to our school."
Principal Lowe has asked to be reassigned to an administrative position.
Stop Making 'Sex Seekers' Out of Youth
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07295.shtml
MEDIA ADVISORY, (christiansunite.com) -- The Centers for Disease Control has released the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report (YRBS). This report shows the numbers of youth risk behaviors, including sexual risk behaviors, which shows a slight increase in the number of sexually active teens.
"While opponents to sexual integrity education blame abstinence programs for these numbers, I think it's high time they took a look in the mirror," said Leslee Unruh. Studies show that abstinence education is far out-funded by condom-only education and others confirm this fact showing that condom education is taught in more classrooms than abstinence education. Most parents are actually shocked to learn that the programs promoting sex outside-of-marriage out-fund abstinence-until-marriage programs by a rate of nearly $12 to $1. Yet, these programs promoting sex outside-of-marriage continue to be funded with little oversight or peer reviewed evaluations to demonstrate their effectiveness. "I challenge condom and contraceptive programs to conduct the same rigorous studies of their programs as abstinence programs do," said Leslee Unruh.
Opponents to abstinence education like Dr. Laura Berman blame the increase in sexual activity on, "kids learning skewed messages about what sex is," and "they are confused about what virginity means," and "I think part of the problem honestly is the abstinence only model." So they blame the increase in sexual activity on abstinence programs that promote sexual integrity through teaching self control while their programs promote teaching youth graphic sexual messages at an even earlier age. Why is this so confusing for them? You teach youth how to have sex and they will become sexually active. You teach them how to abstain, and reinforce that message consistently, and they will abstain. "The only skewed message our youth receive is the one that teaches them they have no self-control, teaches them how to have sex and ultimately puts their lives at risk. We need to stop making 'sex seekers' out of youth," according to Leslee Unruh.
Unruh concludes, "Abstinence education teaches love; condom only education teaches lust. Let's do the right thing for youth by raising the bar for their sexual health from lust to love. Let's provide them the tools they need for self-control, to withstand the pressures, reject sexual advances, form healthy relationships and protect their bodies and their minds 100%."
U.S. Justice Department's Record of Enforcing Obscenity Laws Disappointing, but Latest Obscenity Prosecution Proves Most Adults do not Accept the Proliferation of Obscenity
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07293.shtml
NEW YORK, (christiansunite.com) -- Yesterday, a federal District Court jury in Tampa, Florida convicted "Max Hardcore," a California based pornographer, of 10 counts of distributing obscene materials. And, as St. Petersburg Times staff writer Abbie VanSickle observed in a May 31 article: "In terms of finding a conservative community sympathetic to prosecutors," Tampa was not "an obvious choice" because of the area's ties to adult entertainment. MIM President Robert Peters had the following comments:
"It is unfortunate that during the past seven years much more hasn't been done at the Federal level to curb distribution of obscene materials. Contrary to propaganda promoted by the pornographers and their allies in the press, obscenity crimes are not 'victimless.' Among other things, the explosion of obscenity has ruined marriages, morally corrupted children and contributed to sex crimes against both children and adults. It has also undermined the right of all Americans to live in a decent society.
"But unlike the Clinton Administration, the Bush Administration has enforced obscenity laws against a growing number of commercial distributors of obscene materials. Yesterday's victory was the second jury conviction that the Justice Department has won against a California based hardcore pornographer in the past eight months. California is still the "porn capital" of the world.
"Those who defend hardcore pornography, whether in court or in the court of public opinion, point to the proliferation of this material as 'proof' that everyone is viewing it or that people think it is acceptable. The porn defenders overlook a number of factors including the fact that much if not most pornography is consumed by a relatively small percentage of individuals of all ages who are hooked on it. Furthermore, just because a person, whether by mistake or deception or out of curiosity or at a weak moment, views pornography does not mean he or she approves of it.
"In Hamling v. United States, the Supreme Court also recognized that the mere fact that hardcore pornographic materials are available in the nation or in a community does not "make them witnesses of virtue" or prove that similar materials at issue in a criminal obscenity trial are acceptable under community standards and therefore legal to disseminate.
"In 1997, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008, Morality in Media commissioned a national market research firm to ask various questions about enforcement of federal obscenity laws. Depending on the question asked, the percentages of adults (18 and over) that expressed support for enforcement of these laws ranged from 75% to 82%. The 2008 opinion poll question was worded as follows:
"'During the past 15 years, hardcore pornographic materials have proliferated in the form of videotapes and DVDs sold in sexually oriented and mainstream video stores, films distributed on cable, satellite and hotel TV systems, and still pictures and video disseminated on the Internet. Were the next president to do all in his or constitutional power to ensure that federal obscenity laws are enforced vigorously against commercial distributors of hardcore pornography, would you support or oppose the President in this matter? Would you be strongly (support/oppose) or just somewhat (support/oppose)?'"
In response to this question, 75% said they would support the President; 19% said they would oppose.
In 2006, MIM also commissioned the same firm to ask this question: "Do you consider it to be morally acceptable to view pornographic websites and videos?" In response, 21% said, "Yes;" 73% said, "No."
"According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for 2006, about 225 million Americans were 18 and older; which means that in 2006 about 45 million adults thought it was OK to look at porn. So it should come as no surprise that so much pornography is now consumed in the United States.
"But if the 2006 opinion poll results were a reasonably accurate reflection of how adult Americans think, about 180 million adults didn't think looking at porn was acceptable. So it should come as no surprise that juries will convict obscenity distributors, when given opportunity to do so.
"Unquestionably, the material at issue in the Tampa trial was somewhat 'extreme,' but today, most hardcore pornography is either degrading to women, violent or just plain sick."
Virginia Supreme Court Buys Time on Miller Case
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07294.shtml
WASHINGTON, (christiansunite.com) -- The Virginia Supreme Court temporarily avoided locking horns with the state of Vermont today. The Commonwealth's highest court did not rule on the merits of a case which would have determined whether Virginia will respect the Federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), Virginia's Marriage Affirmation Act (MAA), and Virginia's own constitution, or whether it will allow the state of Vermont to redefine marriage and family in the Commonwealth.
The Vermont Supreme Court had granted Janet Jenkins, the former lesbian partner of Lisa Miller, parental rights over Miller's daughter Isabella, even though Jenkins has no relationship to the little girl and is neither an adoptive nor a biological parent.
In 2006, Virginia decisively passed (with 57 percent of the vote) a constitutional amendment designed to protect families against this exact type of attack. That amendment specifies that Virginia "shall not create or recognize" "civil unions" or "same-sex marriages" from other states, nor can it recognize rulings which stem from such "unions" (like Vermont's custody ruling).
Today, the Virginia Supreme Court determined that since the MAA and Virginia's constitutional amendment were not before the court of appeals in this specific proceeding, it could not rule on those issues at this time.
Matt Barber, Policy Director for Cultural Issues with Concerned Women for America (CWA), said, "Although we had hoped for a more definitive ruling today on the key issues in question, we're optimistic that ultimately the state of Virginia will defend its laws, its constitution and the federal DOMA and tell Vermont to keep its 'civil unions' to itself. As these issues make their way back through the system, we're confident that ultimately God's natural design for marriage and family will prevail."
Jan Robey, State Director for CWA of Virginia, said, "Aside from the legal ramifications of this ruling, I am most concerned with a 6-year-old girl who is being exploited by 'gay' activists. What is the motivation behind this agenda? It has not been in the best interest of Isabella. What is best for Isabella is that she be raised in a Christian home by her biological mother."
Concerned Women for America is the nation's largest public policy women's organization.
Legal Groups Try to Halt Gay Marriages in CA
http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/392308.aspx
CBNNews.com - On Monday, June 16 at 5:01 p.m., gay marriage will be legal in California.
That reality has Christian legal groups trying a variety of eleventh-hour tactics designed to halt the marriages.
Virginia-based Liberty Counsel has filed a petition with the California Court of Appeal, requesting it to stay the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Last month, the California Supreme Court denied a petition to stay its May 15 ruling which legalized same-sex marriage in the state. Liberty Counsel had asked for a stay, pending the outcome of the California marriage amendment on the November ballot.
The amendment states: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
The Sacramento-based Campaign for Children and Families is also urging California county clerks to ignore the Supreme Court's ruling in light of Proposition 22. More than 60 percent of voters approved this statute in 2000. It defines marriage as between a woman and a man.
Clerks in Kern County and Butte County said recently that they will no longer perform wedding ceremonies, arguing that they don't have enough resources to marry both homosexual and heterosexual couples.
The Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund says it's providing legal counsel to Kern County Clerk Ann Barnett and will defend any clerk who has a right-of-conscience objection to same-sex marriage. Barnett has not said publicly that she has such an objection.
The Campaign for Children and Families is also urging California county governments to pass ordinances prohibiting same-sex marriage licenses, arguing that the counties can make ordinances that do not conflict with state statutes.
A study this week by UCLA's Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation and the Law forecasts 50,000 California gay couples will marry in the next three years along with 68,000 out-of-state gay couples.
The study also estimates that those weddings will generate $64 million in state tax revenue, $9 million in marriage license fees for counties and more than 2,000 jobs.
It predicts gay couples will spend $684 million on cakes, photographers and other wedding services over the next three years.
Southern Baptists confront prevailing 'lostness'
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/southern.baptists.confront.prevailing.lostness/19495.htm
INDIANAPOLIS – Ending their annual meeting on an encouraging yet challenging note, Southern Baptists were called to make their impact on "the lostness that remains" around the world.
"And that lostness is massive," said International Mission Board president Jerry Rankin.
Rankin urged Southern Baptists Wednesday evening to "go tell the world love has come" and to "go tell the story of Jesus" as he passionately presented the annual report of the Southern Baptist Convention's international mission agency.
Southern Baptist churches are supporters of one of the largest mission efforts in the world. Today, there are over 5,300 missionaries working with people groups in 184 countries, according to the IMB report. The number of new believers jumped 28 per cent to 609,000 in the last year and more than 25,000 new churches were started. Additionally, there were 567,413 new believers in discipleship training last year.
Despite growing numbers, millions have yet to hear the Gospel.
As of October 2007, there are 2,086 unreached people groups with populations greater than 100,000, according to the IMB report. Although the mission agency is interacting with 616 of those unreached groups, 641 are still without missionary engagement.
Parts of South America remain unreached even though Southern Baptist missionaries have been dispatched to the continent for more than 100 years.
"There are 41 cities in our region that have more than 1 million inhabitants. There's incredible lostness in those cities," said Dickie Nelson, IMB regional leader for South America, according to Baptist Press.
While aiming to advance the Gospel even further across the globe, Southern Baptists are also pushing a bold new evangelism initiative at home in North America – a mission field that is also becoming increasingly lost, as Geoff Hammond, president of North American Mission Board, described it.
This week, NAMB, the domestic mission agency of the Southern Baptist Convention, launched the National Evangelism Initiative, challenging the denomination to share the Gospel to every person in North America by the year 2020.
"Just like a GPS device gets people to their destinations, NAMB’s GPS will help Southern Baptists reach their destination, which is every believer sharing, every person hearing by 2020," Hammond said in his report.
The initiative is called God's Plan for Sharing and can be contextualised to any mission field. It encourages Southern Baptists to pray, engage in witnessing, sow the Gospel, and ultimately see a harvest of people responding to the Gospel. The evangelism effort is also compounded with a media campaign in which television, radio, print and Internet ads will tell millions who Southern Baptists are.
Rankin reaffirmed his conviction that Southern Baptists are the people whom God has called to spread the Gospel around the world.
The two-day annual Southern Baptist Convention meeting, aptly themed "Fulfilling The Mission", was held at the Indianapolis Convention Center and concluded June 11. Next year's meeting will take place June 23-24 in Louisville, Kentucky.
UNICEF Partners With Islamic Charity Linked to Terror Groups
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,366319,00.html
An Islamic charity with ties to Al Qaeda and the Taliban is now collaborating with an unlikely new partner: UNICEF, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund.
UNICEF has signed a “memorandum of understanding” with the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO), a Saudi charity of massive scope that keeps branches in more than 20 countries and has over 100 offices worldwide.
According to UNICEF, it will be teaming with the charity’s domestic Saudi branch to “promote children’s rights, health, equality and education,” in the oil-rich kingdom — but the organization has been doing more than just charity work.
The U.S. Treasury Department has designated the IIRO’s branches in the Philippines and Indonesia as terrorist entities for funding and supporting terrorist groups that have killed hundreds in East Asia. The Philippine branch was founded by Usama bin Laden’s brother-in-law, Muhammad Jamal Khalifah, and has long had ties to Al Qaeda.
The U.N. itself says that both the Indonesian and Philippine branches of IIRO are tied to Al Qaeda and the Taliban, and has singled them out for an asset freeze, arms embargo and travel ban on members of the groups.
But that hasn’t stopped the U.N. from recognizing the Saudi office as a legitimate relief group, nor has it stopped UNICEF — or other U.N. agencies — from working with it in the past.
According to Chris de Bono, UNICEF’s chief of media, “UNICEF does not and will not engage with” the two East Asian branches. Its new partnership is with the main Saudi branch only, and UNICEF will coordinate relief primarily for children living within Saudi Arabia, de Bono said.
The U.S. government also noted the distinction between the head office and the international branches.
“We are monitoring the situation closely, but we also understand the difference between the IIRO main headquarters and its branches,” Carolyn Vadino, deputy spokeswoman for the U.S. mission to the U.N., wrote in an e-mail to FOX News.
“It is the two branches in question that are designated and have ties to terrorists and at this time we have been assured that they are separate entities,” Vadino wrote.
But some critics are not convinced the distinction is so clear.
“We have to look a lot harder at whether or not an organization that’s headquartered in one country is really disconnected from operations which bear the same name in other countries and are referred to as branches,” said Anne Bayefsky, senior editor of Eye on the U.N., a watchdog group.
According to the Treasury Department, the head of the IIRO’s Eastern Province branch has been directly funding the two terror-tied branches — straight from his office in Saudi Arabia.
Abd Al Hamid Sulaiman Al-Mujil, who runs the Eastern Province branch, has been called the “million dollar man” for his support of Islamic militant groups, and the Treasury Department says he has provided donor funds directly to Al Qaeda.
According to UNICEF, there isn’t yet a financial relationship with the IIRO, but joint programs launched in the future could change that. That has some critics worried about a potential for money to make its way into the wrong hands.
“The risks involved in funding terror are sufficiently great that UNICEF officials and other U.N. officials who accredit this organization are called upon to assure themselves that there are no ties,” said Bayefsky.
The IIRO's Indonesia branch was discovered by FOX News to still be operating despite being on the U.N.’s own terror list. Questions to the Indonesian mission to the U.N. have gone unanswered.
And while UNICEF’s Gulf-area office vetted the Saudi charity’s domestic office in June, it would not confirm whether it had investigated the Eastern Province branch or its sources of financing.
Bayefsky told FOXNews.com that even such vetting might not be enough.
“One has to remind oneself over and over again that the United Nations has no definition of terrorism,” she said. “It’s very hard to investigate and object to links to terrorist groups when you don’t know what [terrorism] is."
Ireland rejects treaty in blow for EU
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/ireland.rejects.treaty.in.blow.for.eu/19525.htm
Irish have voters rejected the European Union's Lisbon treaty, putting plans to overhaul the bloc's institutions in peril and humiliating Ireland's political leaders.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern conceded the vote shortly after midday on Friday as tallies from around the country showed the treaty had been defeated in an overwhelming number of constituencies.
"It looks like this will be a 'No' vote," Ahern told RTE television. "At the end of the day for a myriad of reasons the people have spoken."
The Lisbon treaty was itself an effort to resurrect EU reforms that were torpedoed by French and Dutch voters in 2005.
This time Ireland was the only country to entrust its voters with a referendum. The "No" vote means a country with fewer than 1 percent of the EU's 490 million population could doom a treaty painstakingly negotiated by all 27 member states.
The Lisbon treaty envisages a long-term president of the European Council of EU leaders, a stronger foreign policy chief and a mutual defence pact. Fourteen countries have already ratified the treaty in their national parliaments.
But while Ireland ranks in surveys as one of the EU's most pro-European states, opponents say the treaty reduces small countries' influence and gives Brussels new foreign and defence policy powers that undermine Ireland's historic neutrality.
With more than 864,000 votes counted, official returns from Thursday's vote showed "No" leading 53.85 percent to 46.15 percent.
EURO FALLS
The euro fell to its lowest level in over a month against the dollar after the first reports suggesting a "No" victory.
EU leaders meeting in Brussels next week will have awkward questions for Ireland's Prime Minister Brian Cowen.
Some expressed hope that Ireland would still find a way to sign on to the pact.
"Ireland will for sure find a way to ratify this treaty," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters.
French officials have said work on the treaty could continue. France assumes the rotating EU presidency in a matter of weeks and was supposed to be in charge of setting up the new system which would take effect at the start of the year.
The British government, which faces a strong Euro-sceptic political opposition that has demanded its own referendum, has said plans to ratify the treaty would go on regardless.
But Mary Lou McDonald, a member of the EU parliament from Ireland's nationalist Sinn Fein party, which helped lead the victorious "No" campaign, said it would be impossible for Irish leaders to wriggle out of the referendum result.
"This is a moment of democratic truth here. Do you listen to the people or don't you?"
The treaty had the backing of the three main political parties in Ireland, which has prospered under EU membership. Farmers groups, businesses and many labour unions also backed it.
On polling day bookmakers were still taking bets giving it overwhelming odds to pass.
It wasn't the first time Irish voters have shocked the EU. They almost wrecked the bloc's plans for eastward expansion in 2001 by rejecting the Nice treaty, but the government staged a second referendum in which that pact passed. The government has said it is not considering a re-run this time around.
Irish voters reject EU treaty
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jun/13/ireland?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront
Ireland today decisively rejected the Lisbon treaty on European Union reform, plunging the project into chaos.
Humiliated at the polls, the Irish prime minister, Brian Cowen, admitted the country's no vote had been a potential setback for Europe.
The European commission president, Jos̩ Manuel Barroso, said he believed the treaty was still "alive", but was immediately contradicted by Luxembourg's prime minister, Jean-Claude Juncker Рthe longest serving leader in the EU - who said the Irish vote meant it could not enter into force in January 2009 as planned.
Less than 1% of the EU's 490 million citizens appear to have scuppered the deal mapped out in Lisbon that was meant to shape Europe in the 21st century.
Ireland was the only one of the 27 EU member states obliged to hold a referendum on the treaty.
The official figures from the counts in 43 constituencies revealed that 53.4% of voters had rejected the document, while 46.6% voted in favour – a difference of 109,164 voters.
Cowen will now have to travel to the Luxembourg summit and explain to his European counterparts how his country sunk the reform project.
Flanked by grim-faced cabinet ministers at government buildings in Dublin, Cowen stressed that Ireland "does not wish to halt progress of Europe".
He refused to answer questions about the treaty, and specifically whether he thought it was now dead. "We have to absorb what happened. There is no quick fix but the government will respect the wishes of the Irish people.'
In an apparent hint that some way may be found to save the Lisbon deal, Cowen said: "I am extremely mindful of our European partners. We must not rush to conclusions. The union has been in this situation before."
For the Irish government and its new prime minister, the electorate's rejection of the treaty was an embarrassing defeat. All three of Ireland's main parties had called for a yes vote.
Barroso said EU leaders would consider their response at a summit in Luxembourg next week.
"I believe the treaty is not dead and we should now try to find a solution," he said, noting that 18 of the bloc's 27 nation states had already endorsed it.
The British foreign secretary, David Miliband, said the result should be "respected and digested".
Politicians in Dublin were stunned by the size of the margin in favour of the disparate no campaign, which comprised a vocal, well-funded free-market ginger group, the ultra-Catholic right, Sinn Fein and the far left.
They were also surprised at the hostility to the EU reform deal in Irish constituencies that have gained so much in European largesse. In the two constituencies of Donegal, for instance, two-thirds of voters said no to Lisbon. The biggest no vote was in Dublin South West, which saw a 65.1% majority.
Ireland may have enjoyed a net gain of €40bn from Europe since it joined what was then the EEC in the mid-1970s, but its voters were concerned about the loss of sovereignty, possible tax harmonization and a threat to the country's neutrality.
Some 53.1% of the electorate turned out to vote in the referendum, which Ireland was obliged to hold under its 1936 constitution. The turnout was higher than for the last two referendums on the now defunct Nice treaty.
Richard Bruton, the deputy leader of Ireland's main opposition party, Fine Gael, which backed the treaty, laid part of the blame for the defeat at the door of leading EU figures.
He criticised Barroso for what he claimed was his "lack of clarity" on issues such as tax harmonisation. One of the no camp's main lines of attack was to claim the Lisbon deal would result in Ireland having to give up its special low capital tax status, which has been held up as a significant factor in attracting foreign investment and fuelling the so-called Celtic Tiger.
"There was also the problem of the obscurity of the treaty. Those who draft such documents should be able to make them easy to ready for ordinary people," Bruton said.
Joan Burton, of the Irish Labour party, said the treaty had been too obscure and had confused and frightened voters.
"Although there was a lot of misinformation by the no camp in this campaign, the message from this result is that whenever the EU draws up a treaty they should make it intelligible to ordinary people. That was of the biggest problems of this campaign – thousands and thousands of people couldn't even understand what the treaty was about."
The bitter divisions caused by the treaty were visible at the count in ugly scenes involving the finance minister, Brian Lenihan, and members of a radical anti-abortion campaign group known as Coir, which opposed the treaty on the grounds that European law could supplant Irish bans on, among other things, abortion – a scenario the Irish government consistently said was impossible during the campaign.
As the minister attempted to speak to a television news crew, he was surrounded by Coir activists who screamed at him and sang "No, no, there's no no no, there's no Lisbon", to the tune of the song No Limit.
When Burton attempted to intervene, she was spat at. Lenihan, who had been trying to say that he expected the no camp to win, was harangued to the point where he was forced to leave the building.
Politicians accused Coir, which used to be known as the extreme anti-abortion group Youth Defence, of employing "fascist tactics".
About this articleClose This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Friday June 13 2008. It was last updated at 19:47 on June 13 2008.
The EU's options should Ireland reject the Lisbon Treaty
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1213183942.19
(BRUSSELS) - Will it paralyse the European Union or result in Ireland being cast aside?
While the European Commission insists there is no "plan B" should Ireland reject the Lisbon Treaty on Thursday, experts suggest that the EU does have a number of more or less palatable options.
FORCE IRELAND TO CHANGE ITS MIND
It worked with the Irish once, so why not try it again? In 2001, voters spurned the Nice Treaty which paved the way for enlargement into eastern Europe, but endorsed a modified version a year later which took into account its grievances, notably concerns about military neutrality.
The tough part is knowing what changes to make, given the main objections raised by the 'No' camp, to issues such as legalising abortion, changes to the tax system and cuts in farms subsidies, to name a few.
The treaty would then need to be adopted quick fire to be ready in time for the goal set by EU leaders -- the European Parliament elections next year.
RENEGOTIATE THE LISBON TREATY
No EU leader appears ready to renegotiate this treaty of reforms, which is itself is the skeleton and vital organs of the draft constitution that was torpedoed in referendums in France and the Netherlands three years ago.
But the past shows that the EU does not shy away from re-opening even the thorniest of texts. This could happen again given wide-spread discontent with the Nice Treaty, which by focusing on enlargement, failed to address the need for more fundamental reform.
FORGE AHEAD USING THE NICE TREATY
If no way can be found to have a quick re-vote, EU countries could decide to limp along using Nice. That means most decisions by unanimity, which is far more difficult to achieve with 27 members than it was for the 15 nations that drafted the old text.
Poland and Spain would continue to benefit from the way votes are shared between countries, and the influence of the European Parliament -- the EU's only elected body -- would remain marginal.
And any new nations that join -- Croatia is likely to enter in 2010 -- will upset the balance, with voting rights having to be recalculated.
CUT IRELAND ADRIFT FROM THE EU
This option would revolve around negotiating with Ireland its withdrawal from all the political aspects of European Union not connected to the common market and the euro single currency.
Some suggest it is similar to what Denmark did after rejecting the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, and then obtaining opt-outs on defence policy and monetary union.
While no one is talking about it, Ireland could also choose to leave the EU, although the only mechanism foreseen for such a move is contained, ironically, in the Lisbon Treaty.
Italy Sends Soldiers to Its Cities to Fight Crime
http://www.newsmax.com/international/italy_crime/2008/06/13/104382.html
ROME -- Italy's defense chief says 2,500 soldiers will be deployed to some Italian cities to help fight crime.
Defense Minister Ignazio La Russa said Friday the soldiers will back up police. After six months, the deployment will be evaluated.
Premier Silvio Berlusconi's government is waging a security crackdown to improve safety.
Some soldiers will go to Naples, where they will guard plants processing mountains of garbage. Neapolitans have taken to burning garbage in the streets to protest uncollected trash. It is not clear which other cities will receive soldiers.
Tree Grown From Ancient Seed Found in Jewish Fortress
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,366145,00.html
Scientists have grown a tree from what may be the oldest seed ever germinated.
The new sapling was sprouted from a 2,000-year-old date palm excavated in Masada, the site of a cliff-side fortress in Israel where ancient Jews are said to have killed themselves to avoid capture by Roman invaders.
Dubbed the "Methuselah Tree" after the oldest person in the Bible, the new plant has been growing steadily, and after 26 months, the tree was nearly four feet (1.2 meters) tall.
The species of tree, called the Judean date, (Phoenix dactylifera L.), is now extinct in Israel, but researchers are hoping that by reviving the plant they may be able to study its medicinal uses.
"The medicinal plants from this region are very important because they are historically mentioned in the Bible and the Koran," said Sarah Sallon, director of the Louis L. Borick Natural Medicine Research Center at the Hadassah Medical Organization in Jerusalem, which initiated the experiment to grow the tree as part of its Middle East Medicinal Plant Project.
"The Judean date was very valuable and very famous, not just as a source of food but as a source of medicine," Sallon said. "When I heard there were ancient seeds found in the archeological dig, I thought it would be interesting to see if we could try to grow them."
Carbon dating of the seeds found at Masada revealed that they date from roughly the time of the ancient fortress' siege, in A.D. 73. The seeds were found in storage rooms, and appear to have been stockpiled for the Jews hiding out against the invading Romans.
"They were buried under mounds of debris on the top of the archaeological site of Masada," Sallon told LiveScience. "The Jews all committed suicide rather than give in to the Romans, and the Romans pretty much destroyed the site after that. It was more or less left for the next 2,000 years."
The seeds were excavated about 40 years ago, along with skeletons of those who died during the siege. Since then, the seeds had been languishing in a drawer until Sallon and her team decided to attempt to grow them anew.
They turned the project over to plant specialist Elaine Solowey at the Arava Institute of the Environment in Kibbutz Ketura, Israel.
She pretreated the seeds in fertilizers and hormone-rich solution, and then planted them. So far, Methuselah is the only one to sprout.
Though a few trees have been planted from seeds that are rumored to be older than the Masada ones, the Methuselah tree holds the record for the oldest directly-dated seed to be germinated.
Scientists determined its age from control seeds taken from the same batch, and from shell fragments from the sprouted seed itself.
Beyond being exciting as a piece of history literally come to life, Sallon said, the new date plant may hold the key to rediscovering ancient healing techniques.
"When we look at ancient sources and Hebrew texts, the dates were used for all kinds of things — pulmonary problems, tuberculosis, dysentery, cancer. We think of it today as just a food. But in fact the date wasn't just a food."
Olmert government set to self-destruct?
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2486
The unraveling of Israel's coalition government accelerated Wednesday and Thursday, after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert surrendered to pressure from within his own Kadima Party, giving the green light to the holding of primaries that are likely to see him ousted from the leadership.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Labor Party leader and Defense Minister Ehud Barak followed hard on the tail of Olmert's reversal by issuing an ultimatum Thursday threatening to vote for new elections on June 25 if the prime minister refuses to step down.
"We prefer governmental stability, and if we can build a government that appeals to us in this Knesset, we will consider establishing it together," the leftist daily Ha'aretz quoted Barak as saying.
"If not, we will go to elections."
But Kadima members were scrambling to ensure their supporters that the dreaded elections - which polls say would see their party dealt a serious blow and a new government installed under the likely leadership of Likud Party Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu - will not happen now.
Barak's threat was simply political maneuvering, charged Kadima MK Tzahi Hanegbi. "As defense minister, he is well aware of the sensitive strategic issues that are on the government's table" and so would not really bring about its collapse. However, he could now "approach his colleagues who urge him to leave the government, and tell them that he set an ultimatum for Kadima."
As for Kadima, "We have set the primaries in motion, and early elections are now off the agenda," Hanegbi claimed.
Analysts expect Kadima will hold its primaries in early September.
Meanwhile the Likud Party insists that it will push for those early elections, which it would like to see take place in November, by calling for this Knesset's dissolution in a bill it plans to submit next week.
Another coalition partner, the ultra-orthodox Shas Party, has pledged to support that bill.
Poll: Most Israelis against truce with Hamas
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2485
The majority of Israelis oppose their government agreeing to a ceasefire with the Gaza-based Hamas terrorist organization unless abducted IDF soldier Gilad Schalit is released as part of the deal.
More than 50 percent are against a deal even if it includes Schalit.
This is the message sent by a poll, the results of which were published Thursday, shortly after news that the Olmert government is considering entering into such an agreement.
According to a report in The Jerusalem Post, the survey showed that Israelis are increasingly wary that Hamas, which is committed to Israel's destruction, would only use a cease-fire to regroup and rearm.
As far as these people are concerned, a truce would only postpone an inevitable confrontation.
Analysis: Hamas gets set for suicide bombings, cross-border incursions
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5346
Israeli military leaders foresee a sharp escalation in the violence emanating from Gaza in the coming days, DEBKAfile’s military sources report. This week, the Palestinian Hamas mobilized several suicide bombers for missions to crash the Israeli border and seize Israeli civilian or military locales under the cover of scores of missiles and rockets.
Three attempts Thursday, June 12, were thwarted by Israeli forces. But Hamas’ mounting audacity highlights what many military experts are openly calling the bankruptcy of the static defensive tactics, restricted to the border fence, employed by defense minister Ehud Barak and chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi.
At some point, they expect Hamas will manage to break through.
Senior officers at the IDF Southern Command comment that, instead of beating Hamas back from the Gaza-Israeli border, the last six months have seen Israel forces fighting to hold the line against constant Hamas bludgeoning and its upgraded weaponry from Iran and Syria.
Two weeks ago, scores of Hamas mortar teams began pounding Israeli villages with newly-delivered 120mm shells; armor-plated vehicles have been handed out to suicide bombers for smashing through the border fence on their way to multiple-death operations. Southern Command officers note that official references to a looming “major terrorist attack” from Gaza are meant to disguise the real threat: Hamas is building up for an invasion and the seizure of an Israeli military position or civilian location. If this goes on, Hamas may realize its ambition to be the first armed Arab force to snatch a piece of sovereign Israeli territory, the officers warn.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that several weeks ago, Hamas units began practicing cross-border incursions under the tutelage of Hizballah instructors, who flew in from Beirut to Cairo and made their way to the Gaza Strip, with the full knowledge of the Egyptian authorities.
A mobile legion of suicide, mortar, anti-tank and anti-air units are now standing by several hundred meters from the Israeli border. The anti-air weapons have not so far gone into action. The Israeli military has been held back from bombarding them so far because they are embedded in urban districts.
Friday afternoon, a bitter row burst into the open over in the Israeli government over responsibility for the deterioration on the Gaza front.
Defense minister Ehud Barak charged that were it not for Kadima’s preoccupation with its approaching leadership primary, a truce would have been in place in Gaza ages ago. (The corruption allegations against prime minister Ehud Olmert have forced his party to seek a replacement.)
Kadima’s Yitzhak Ben-Israel, a close Olmert associate, shot back: Barak is responsible for the impossible situation in the South. He is hoping to camouflage his failure by a phony deal with Hamas.
Woman wounded in massive Hamas missile attack
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2483
An Israeli woman was moderately wounded when "Palestinians" in the Gaza Strip unleashed wave after wave of missiles against the southern part of Israel Thursday afternoon.
The 51-year-old was hit by shrapnel when one of more than 60 fired mortars and rockets scored a direct hit on a collective farm infirmary.
Missile explosions reportedly ignited fires in a number of places, and Ashkelon declared a state of emergency after rockets -including at least one Grad-type missile - exploded in the city and on its beaches.
Kibbutz residents in the area were ordered to stay in security rooms and bomb shelters.
Hamas victory barrage?
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2484
Hamas claimed credit for more than 60 rockets and mortars that pulverized southern Israel Thursday afternoon, one day after the Israeli government announced it was inclined to agree to a truce with the group.
The Gaza-controlling terrorist organization originally said it had launched the barrage in "retaliation" for what it said was an IDF attack on a Gaza Strip home earlier in the day.
A simultaneous large scale terrorist attack at the Gaza "border" fence was thwarted by the IDF, reported the Ha'aretz news website.
According to The Jerusalem Post, a powerful blast had ripped through a two-story house reportedly belonging to a top Hamas commander, killing three people and injuring 20 more. Hamas officials said the house belonged to one of their top commanders.
But a Hamas leader later acknowledged that it may have been a terrorist "work accident" that nearly destroyed the building. Dozens of "Palestinian" terrorists have been killed unintentionally over the years while mishandling explosives meant to be used against Israel, Ha'aretz said.
Observers wondered whether Hamas had used the explosion as a pretext to launch a final massive attack before a ceasefire with Israel goes into effect.
By so doing, the terror group would underscore its purported "victory" over Israel, boosting its popularity among the Palestinian Arabs.
Hamas bomb-maker caused blast that killed 9 Palestinians in Gaza
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5345
A spokesman of the Hamas military wing confirmed Friday, June 13, that the blast which leveled a large house in Beit Lahiya Thursday was caused by work on explosives being prepared for a major terrorist attack (“Special Jihad Strike”) in Israel at the home of regional commander Ahmed Hamuda. He survived the huge blast, but his baby daughter was killed along with 8 high-ranking Hamas activists.
55-years after an Arab abducted her, Jewish woman finally coming home
http://www.jnewswire.com/article/2487
In a moving story reported in the Israeli press Thursday, an Iraqi Jewess kidnapped from her home 55 years ago, finally escaped and is making her way to Israel, where she will join the surviving members of her immediate family.
According to Ynetnews, Hannah Menashe was 21-years old, already married to a Jewish man, and on the verge of making aliyah (immigrating to Israel) with her parents and seven siblings, when an Arab neighbor abducted her and she "disappeared off the face of the earth."
The kidnapper, who reportedly knew of the family's imminent departure, had taken a fancy to Menashe and wanted to keep her for himself.
He forced her to renounce her Judaism and to raise his children.
Only after he died was Menashe able to flee Iraq. She found her way to an Israeli consulate in Europe and told them she was Jewish and wanted to join her family in Israel. Her parents have already passed away, but the Interior Ministry contacted her siblings and verified her story.
She is expected to arrive in Israel any day now, much to the uncontainable excitement of her brothers and sisters.
Marine Acquitted of Haditha Charges; Judge Defers Decision on Crucial Motion and Delays Trial in LtCol Chessani Case
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07291.shtml
ANN ARBOR, MI, (christiansunite.com) - Last night, a jury panel of seven officers acquitted Marine 1st Lieutenant Andrew Grayson of all charges involving accusations that he covered-up the killings of 24 Iraqis in Haditha on November 19, 2005. The verdict caused spectators in courtroom on the vast Camp Pendleton Marine facility to erupt in cheers.
After his acquittal, Lt Grayson made comments about LtCol Jeffrey Chessani, one of the two remaining defendants in the Haditha cases, saying he was "one of the most steadfast menî..c He led by example and he knew the difference between right and wrong." LtCol Chessani is being defended by the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Richard Thompson, President and Chief Counsel of the Law Center, observed, "The government ordered these Marines to the front lines, they ordered them to attack the insurgentsî..c Marines, risking their lives, followed those orders without hesitation; their reward Ñü criminal prosecution. There must be some righteous person in the chain of command that will say î..eenough is enough.'"
Earlier in the week, in another courtroom on the same Marine facility as Grayson's trial, two days of motion hearings were concluded in the government's case against LtCol Chessani, one of the Marine's most effective combat leaders and the highest ranking officer charged in the Haditha incident. In that case, Military Judge, Col Steven Folsom deferred his decision on a crucial defense motion to June 16th, and delayed the actual trial until July 21st.
In May 2008, Col Folsom ruled that he found evidence of unlawful command influence (UCI). Courts consider UCI the mortal enemy of military justice. The judge's finding was based upon the evidence that Generals Mattis and Helland, who controlled the disposition of LtCol Chessani's case, were impermissibly influenced by Marine lawyer Col John Ewers, one of the investigators of the Haditha incident from the beginning. He was permitted to attend at least 25 closed-session meetings in which Chessani's case was discussed.
As a result of that ruling, the burden shifted to prosecutors to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that (1) the facts alleged by the defense are untrue; (2) the facts alleged do not constitute unlawful command influence; or (3) the unlawful command influence will not affect the proceedings. In short, court decisions on unlawful command influence require the military judge to avoid even the "appearance of this evil" in his courtroom.
To meet their burden, earlier this week, prosecutors presented the testimony of General Mattis and Col Ewers. Conspicuously absent was the testimony of General Helland.
In what might be a hint of his ruling, earlier in the week Col Folsom asked what remedies to the UCI problem both sides recommended. Robert Muise, one of the TMLC defense attorneys, asked the military judge to dismiss the case with prejudice (meaning the case could not be recharged against LtCol Chessani). The prosecution asked for a less severe remedy.
The crucial Unlawful Command Influence motion, which was the focus of this week's hearing, was filed by the Thomas More Law Center. Law Center attorneys Robert Muise and Brian Rooney, both former Marines, wrote and argued the Unlawful Command Influence motion on which yesterday's decision is based. The two TMLC attorneys, along with two detailed Marine lawyers, LtCol Jon Shelburne and Captain Jeffrey King, are defending LtCol Chessani.
The criminal charges against LtCol Chessani stem from a house-to-house, room-by-room battle four of his enlisted Marines engaged in on November 19, 2005 after being ambushed by insurgents in the town of Haditha, Iraq. Even though LtCol Chessani immediately reported the events of that day to his superiors, including the death of 15 noncombatant civilians caught in the crossfire, nobody in LtCol Chessani's chain of command believed there was any wrongdoing on behalf of the Marines.
However, months later, a Time magazine story instigated by an insurgent propaganda agent, caused Pentagon officials to order the largest investigation in the history of the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS). As a result, LtCol Chessani, now faces dismissal (an officer's equivalent of a dishonorable discharge), loss of retirement, and imprisonment of up to 3 years.
According to press reports, 1st Lt Grayson's attorney, Joseph Casas, said he believed the verdict could influence pending prosecutions. "I think it sets the tone for the overall whirlwind Haditha has been. It's been a botched investigation from the get-go, " he said. "I believe in the end all of the so-called Haditha Marines who still have to face trial will be exonerated."
The Thomas More Law Center defends and promotes the religious freedom of Christians, time-honored family values, and the sanctity of human life through litigation, education, and related activities. It does not charge for its services. The Law Center is supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, and is recognized by the IRS as a section 501(c)(3) organization. You may reach the Thomas More Law Center at (734) 827-2001 or visit their website at www.thomasmore.org.
Iraqi Prime Minister Says Security Agreement With U.S. at 'Dead End'
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,366308,00.html
BAGHDAD — Iraq's prime minister said Friday that talks with the U.S. on proposals for a long-term security pact have reached an impasse over objections that Iraq's sovereignty is at stake, but held out hope that negotiators could still reach a compromise plan.
In his strongest comments yet on the debate, Nouri al-Maliki echoed concern by Iraqi lawmakers that the U.S. proposals would give Washington too much political and military leverage on Iraqi affairs.
"The first drafts presented left us at a dead end and deadlock," he told reporters in Amman, Jordan. "So, we left these first drafts and the negotiations will continue with new ideas until the sides reach a formula that preserves Iraq's sovereignty."
The security agreement would provide a legal basis for the presence of U.S. forces in Iraq after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of this year. Failure to strike a deal would leave the future of the American military presence here to the next administration.
U.S. negotiators offered new proposals this week after Iraqi lawmakers expressed outrage over the direction of the negotiations, claiming that accepting the U.S. position would cement American military, political and economic domination of this country.
"Any agreement that infringes on Iraq's sovereignty and its components will be dismissed and will not be acceptable," he added, promising any deal would be presented to Iraq's parliament for final approval.
"It is a negotiation process that will continue until we reach a common ground that is acceptable by the Iraqi and the other sides," al-Maliki said. "So, I see no reason to be worried about the possibility that Iraq will be chained by agreements. The Iraqi politicians are aware of the importance of sovereignty."
Al-Maliki's remarks reflected deep misgivings about the deal, which also has been denounced by Tehran. The Iraqi premier, a Shiite, is close to the predominantly Shiite Iran.
But a senior government adviser, Yassin Majid, sought to temper the comments, saying a preliminary draft had been rejected but there were "some alternative ideas still on the negotiating table" that would be presented at an upcoming meeting.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad stressed the pact was important for Iraq's security.
"U.S. discussions with the government of Iraq on arrangements for a long-term strategic partnership and security relationship continue," embassy spokeswoman Mirembe Nantongo said. "Those discussions are based on the fundamental principal of U.S recognition of and respect for Iraq's sovereignty."
"We remain hopeful, as do our Iraqi government partners, regarding a successful conclusion to these negotiations," she added in an e-mailed statement.
The mounting criticism has raised doubt that a deal could be reached before the U.S. presidential election in November. The issue also has taken on importance among Iraq's fractured political parties as they prepare for provincial elections expected in the fall.
An aide to Iraq's pre-eminent Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged negotiators to protect the national interest during a Friday sermon in the holy city of Karbala.
"Iraq's sovereignty and economy must be protected," Ahmed al-Safi told worshippers. "The Iraqi negotiators must be up to the responsibility and should have a unified point of view."
Hundreds of followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also rallied against the agreement in Karbala.
And Sadrist cleric Sheik Dhia al-Shawki accused the United States of trying to cement its foothold in the Middle East, calling the agreement a dangerous project for Muslims.
"This agreement is a project of domination and control," he said during his sermon in Baghdad's Shiite stronghold of Sadr City. "The Americans are calling for it to protect their interests in the Middle East and keep security of Israel and make it the biggest power in the region."
The outrage has fueled tensions that already were high amid clashes between U.S.-Iraqi forces and Shiite militia fighters.
Al-Sadr issued a new statement Friday calling for restraint in an apparent bid to exert control over his Mahdi Army militia fighters.
The cleric, who is believed to be in Iran, said the militia will continue to resist U.S.-led forces in Iraq but fighting should be limited to a select group.
"Weapons will be in the hands of this group exclusively and will only be directed at the occupier," he said, using standard rhetoric for the American forces in Iraq in a statement read after Friday prayers in the southern city of Kufa.
He warned those who disobey will be "disowned by me."
Continued fighting despite several cease-fires called by al-Sadr has raised questions about how much control he maintains over various militia factions.
U.S. troops killed five suspected Shiite gunmen and detained two others Friday during a raid near Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, the military said.
Iraqi police spokesman Capt. Muthanna Khalid said two civilians, including a woman, also were killed and three others wounded after they were caught in the crossfire.
The U.S. military said it had no reports of civilian casualties.
Analysis: Taliban steps up suicide attacks, breaks 1,150 inmates out of Kandahar main prison
http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5348
In a striking switch in tactics, Afghanistan’s Taliban have chalked up a series of successful operations against US-led coalition forces climaxing Friday night, June 13, in a blow-out which freed all 1,150 prisoners, including 400 Taliban inmates from the main jail in the southern Afghanistan town of Kandahar.
They used a truck laden with explosives to blow out the Sarposa jail’s entrance, killing all the officers inside the police post and shaking the southern Afghan city, A suicide bomber blasted a hole in the back of the prison and rockets were fired during a 30-minute battle.
A Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi, said 30 insurgents on motorbikes and two suicide bombers had carried out the attack after two months of preparation.
DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources report each bike had two riders, one driving and the second firing anti-tank RPGs and automatic guns. This style of attack is practiced by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards elite squads and the Lebanese Hizballah.
Insurgent forces waiting outside the prison led the freed prisoners to Kandahar bases in the South and possibly to Pakistan. Not a single inmate was left in Sarposa prison.
This was the most brazen Taliban operation since its attempt to assassinate President Hamid Karzai at a public ceremony on April 27 - also in Kandahar. They were believed to have gained the cooperation of local Afghan military and intelligence elements loyal to Taliban.
The Afghan insurgents’ change of tactics was clearly apparent in the last ten days. Instead of head-on engagements with US, British and other NATO troops, the Taliban have switched to suicide attacks, often using bomb cars and roadside bombs, which aim for maximum fatalities when used against military convoys and foot patrols. These tactics are commonly employed by al Qaeda in Iraq.
A car bomb exploded earlier Friday against an American convoy in the eastern town of Marco Bazaar. The Taliban claimed to have killed 9 American soldiers. This was denied by the coalition command. In the last few days, Taliban suicide bombers killed five members of a British paratroop unit in Helmand province.
Azerbaijan: Baptist pastor faces new prison sentence
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/azerbaijan.baptist.pastor.faces.new.prison.sentence/19509.htm
Baptist former prisoner of conscience Zaur Balaev, who was freed on 19 March after being held for nearly a year for leading his congregation, was summoned and threatened with a new prison term in early May, he told Forum 18 News Service on 12 June from his home village of Aliabad in the north-western region of Zakatala in Azerbaijan.
"Haven't you learnt from your imprisonment?" Balaev quoted police officers as telling him. "Wasn't one prison term enough for you?" And, in what Balaev says was a clear threat, one officer added: "You may not be afraid, but you've forgotten you've got a wife, daughter and a son."
Balaev said the threats came from Kamandar Hasanov, the deputy regional police chief, and two of his colleagues in Hasanov's office in Zakatala.
"They didn't hit me but they were very crude."
Balaev said the police banned his church from meeting, a ban the congregation has defied. Police have continued to visit his church during worship services. "They realise they can't drive us out," he told Forum 18, referring to the fact that all the church members are local people. "But they observe us closely."
Hasanov denied to Forum 18 that he had threatened Balaev. "There were no threats," he told Forum 18 from Zakatala on 12 June. "Who said there were any threats and raids?"
He declined to say why the Baptist congregations in Aliabad cannot meet for worship without harassment.
"Call me back later," Hasanov said and put down the phone. He was not in the office later in the day.
Strongly backing Balaev and his congregation is Ilya Zenchenko, head of Azerbaijan's Baptist Union. "They used very bad threats against him," he told Forum 18 in the capital Baku in late May. "This must be reported. They definitely want to threaten him, telling him 'this is an Islamic country and Christians shouldn't be here'."
Balaev was arrested in May 2007 on charges of attacking five police officers and damaging a police car that he and his church insist were trumped up. He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment, but was freed under amnesty in March, perhaps as a result of international attention to his case.
The 44-year-old Balaev told Forum 18 his health suffered during his imprisonment. He said he was held for four months in an investigation cell together with some twenty other prisoners who smoked constantly and some of whom suffered from tuberculosis.
Like the overwhelming majority of Aliabad's inhabitants, Balaev is from the Georgian-speaking Ingilo minority, which was converted to Islam several centuries ago. The congregation he leads has existed for more than fifteen years and has repeatedly been barred from gaining state registration. Forum 18 believes it to be Azerbaijan's religious community that holds the record for the longest denial of registration.
Although police have not punished church members for continuing to meet, Balaev told Forum 18 that they have continued to visit services both of his congregation and of another Baptist congregation in the village led by Hamid Shabanov.
"They visited us three times and other congregations twice," Balaev complained. "Pastor Hamid was also summoned by the police and threatened." He said police scrutiny had been particularly intense during a visit some two weeks earlier by fellow church members from Baku. "Police asked them why they had come and what they were doing. They demanded to see their identity documents and wrote down their details."
Balaev reported that Christian literature confiscated from Pastor Shabanov a year ago has still not been returned.
After Balaev's release, church members accompanied by Zenchenko tried once more to have their signatures on the congregation's registration application officially notarised by Zakatala's notary. "But they absolutely refused to do this," Zenchenko told Forum 18. "This is how they have behaved for years."
Jeyhun Mamedov of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in Baku refused adamantly to discuss the threats to Balaev and harassment of his congregation and other religious communities in Zakatala Region with Forum 18 in his office in Baku on 21 May. However, he pledged to investigate the refusal of the notary to notarise the signatures on the registration application. Mamedov's telephone has gone unanswered every time Forum 18 has called since then.
Najiba Mamedova, Zakatala's notary, screamed down the phone at Forum 18 when it tried to find out why the notary's office is refusing to notarise the signatures on the registration application.
"You've been going on about this for years," she told Forum 18 on 12 June. "You're a provocateur. It's none of your business. Armenians have occupied Nagorno-Karabakh for more than 15 years and we've spent blood over it. One Karabakh is enough." When Forum 18 pointed out that the Aliabad Baptist church has no connection with Armenians and that its members are Azerbaijani citizens she angrily put the phone down.
In November 2004 Mamedova angrily threw Forum 18 out of her office during
a visit to try to find out why she was then refusing to notarise the signatures.
Numerous religious communities of a variety of faiths have been denied registration over recent years and children given Christian first names by their parents in Aliabad have been denied birth certificates by officials angry at their choice of name.
Myanmar Relief Continues Amid Difficulties, Hundreds Open to Christ
http://news.christiansunite.com/Religion_News/religion07292.shtml
YANGON, Myanmar (Burma), (christiansunite.com) -- Gospel for Asia/Believers Church relief teams in Myanmar (Burma) ministering among the battered survivors of Cyclone Nargis are reporting an incredible openness to the Gospel among the Buddhist survivors there.
But they also report a deteriorating situation with outside aid still not reaching those most in need, and increasing official resistance to those trying to help the suffering and dying people.
A correspondent with one of the GFA Compassion Services teams reports the following reaction among non-Christians to the relief efforts: "Buddha might be sleeping, for he is doing nothing for us, but Christians are everywhere, sharing from whatever they have," he wrote, quoting one of the storm's survivors. The correspondent joyfully reported that GFA's first delivery of medical and other relief supplies has been a great blessing.
"It was also a great recommendation for our church and ministry," he noted. "Our providing food and supplying drinking water to different affected areas was a tremendous testimony among both Christians and unbelievers."
The correspondent added that "people in Myanmar understand that the Christians are the people full of love."
And love, expressed through physical aid, prayer and sharing the hope found in Christ, are desperately needed in Burma today.
"Nowadays there is no peace at all inside the country," the correspondent wrote. "The officials have promised that they would allow relief donations to reach the people, but now they actively prevent it.
"In some areas, we had to stop our distribution of food and water because of the danger, but we will resume it when the time is better."
There have been reports of relief vehicles being commandeered by the military, and of older orphan boys being pressed into the army, even while victims stood by without food.
Recent news video from the Irrawaddy River delta showed human and animal bodies floating in the water, and no structures left standing for miles around.
"I understand that our God knows this entire situation," the GFA correspondent wrote, "and I pray every day for His help for His children who are without help."
News reports also show thousands of people being forced back to devastated villages, trying to stay alive on small portions of rice and rainwater, even as outside aid is being blocked.
But because GFA/Believers Church is an indigenous movement within Myanmar, and because of the high esteem in which Christians are held, the government has continued to allow the Compassion Services teams to bring much-needed aid to the survivors.
"Thank God that we are still allowed to bring aid to people," said GFA President K.P. Yohannan. "While the situation is very difficult, we are still able to minister in the midst of it."
One of the greatest needs in Myanmar is to take care of the thousands of orphans left by the storm. The GFA/Believers Church leader for Myanmar reports that the government has accepted his application to open an orphanage, "The Nargis Children's Home," to permanently provide for the 90 children now under his care. The children-50 boys and 40 girls-are all between the ages of 5 and 10.
"But there are more than 5,000 homeless children in just one small town where our team went with food packages," the leader added. "How many more homeless children will we find in other towns and villages?"
"That is why we will continue to reach out to the people of Myanmar," Yohannan commented. "And that is why I ask that Christians around the world continue to pray for the people of Myanmar and our missionaries who are tirelessly working to help them."
As the correspondent wrote from Burma, "In any way we can, we do as much as possible for the people. And we need your wonderful prayer on us."
"Helping rebuild all the lives damaged by the storm will take months, and probably years," Yohannan admitted, "but our people are committed to the task, no matter the difficulties. They will not abandon their fellow citizens in this time of great need."
Gospel for Asia is an evangelical mission organization based in Carrollton involved in sharing the love of Jesus across South Asia.
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