Wednesday, December 31, 2003

MEMRI: Egyptian and Arab Press Reactions to the Attack on Egypt's Foreign Minister inside Al-Aqsa Mosque
From the sample given, only one Arab news organ carried anything resembling praise for the attackers--and an Egyptian took strong exception to that. Most of the reaction has been negative, and to the effect that the attackers of the Egyptian foreign minister ought to be ashamed of themselves. But one has to wonder whether the Egyptian and Arab press would be expressing such attitudes prior to the capture of Saddam Hussein.::Submitted for your wild man in the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

WHO: China Sending Suspected SARS Samples
AP reports, "China has agreed to send samples from a suspected SARS patient to a foreign laboratory for testing after repeated Chinese tests failed to confirm whether he has the virus, the World Health Organization said." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files on the spread of SARS.
MEMRI: Al-Qa'ida Leader Calls for Attacks on Americans in Iraq Rather Than on the Saudi Government in Saudi Arabia
The message involved could be straight out of the Koran, a fact that most Western news organs have been studiously ignoring.::Submitted for your wild man in the desert with his hand against every man [Genesis 25] files.
MEMRI: The Birth Pangs of Iraqi Sovereignty
Dr. Nimrod Raphaeli asks: Will it work?::Submitted for your wild man in the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Monday, December 29, 2003

Gadhafi Armed Al-Qaida with Bio-Chem Weapons
WorldNetDaily reports, "Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi provided al-Qaida with chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction before changing heart and agreeing to destroy his arms program..." :: Submitted for your Wars and Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6) and Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files.
MEMRI: Assessing Islamist Web Site Reports Of Imminent Terror Attacks In The U.S.
The head of MEMRI examines three sites purporting to be Islamic militant sites. Two he rejects as blow-hard fakes, but the third, he warns, could be real.::Submitted for your wild man in the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Sunday, December 28, 2003

MEMRI: Palestinian Authority Sermons 2000-2003
Once again, the wild man in the desert raises his hand against every man [Genesis 25]. These "Palestinians," lacking any historical claim to the land they demand, now make a series of outrageous statements that have propaganda value and serve few other purposes.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Saturday, December 27, 2003

Iran Fears Quake Toll Could Hit 40,000
AP reports, "Relatives and rescuers used everything from bare hands to bulldozers Saturday to retrieve victims of a powerful earthquake...The destruction was so all-encompassing that a reliable death toll in the city of 80,000 was still unavailable. Most people were asleep when the earthquake, which the U.S. Geological Survey measured at magnitude 6.6, struck at 5:28 a.m. Friday. The Interior Ministry estimated the death toll at 20,000 but officials in the region said it could be double that amount." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.
China Suspects First SARS Case Since July
AP reports, "China on Saturday announced its first suspected SARS case since July, saying the patient was hospitalized in the southern province where the virus is believed to have originated." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
MEMRI: Increased Palestinian Adherence to Right of Return Following the Geneva Initiative
The disputed part of the "Geneva Initiative" is its seventh article, which is deliberately vague. How often have we seen that before, in legal instruments that men have drafted?::Submitted for your covenant with many [Daniel 9:27] files.

Friday, December 26, 2003

The Golden Report - High Mass for Christ in Bethlehem!
Jerry Golden comments on Christmas in Bethlehem and the rich--and ugly--ironies of Bethlehem's situation. These include the empty chair with the keffiya for Yasser Arafat and the very circumstance of Bethlehem being under Muslim rule of a sort.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 14] files.

Tuesday, December 23, 2003

MEMRI: Arab Columnists Envy Georgia's Political Revolution: Tbilisi Spring, Arab Winter
Many of them ask whether Islam and democracy are "contradictory." They probably don't realize that Islam and democracy are indeed contradictory.::Submitted for your wild man of the desert [Genesis 25] files.
Mob attacks Egyptian FM at Al-Aqsa
Haaretz reports, "Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher was briefly hospitalized yesterday after being attacked by Palestinians during a visit to the Temple Mount." :: Submitted for your Temple Mount (Matthew 24:15; 2 Thess.2:4; Daniel 9:27) files.
Emergency Declared After California Quake
AP reports, "Aftershocks rattled central California Tuesday as crews tallied damage from a magnitude-6.5 earthquake that killed two people, injured dozens and badly damaged the business district of this wine country town." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.

Monday, December 22, 2003

MEMRI: Al-Qa'ida Magazine Debates Attacks in Saudi Arabia - Proposes More Attacks in the U.S. will Boost Support
Interestingly, they're beginning to rethink the notion of biting the hand that's been feeding them for the last seventy years.::Submitted for your wild man of the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Friday, December 19, 2003

The Golden Report - Who is this Ariel Sharon?
Jerry Golden angrily denounces him as a traitor to everything he has said he stood for, and a follower of expediency rather than plain Scripture--Old or New Testament, it makes little difference, because arguably Sharon, with his willingness to dismantle settlements, violates both.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 14] and stumblingblock [Zechariah 12] files.
Tiny transmitters give retailers, privacy advocates goosebumps
USA Today reports, "Say hello to RFID: radio-frequency identification. If you don't know about it already, you're going to. Because, depending on who you ask, RFID technology is either a giant can of WD-40 on the wheels of commerce and inventory, or a spawn of the evil military-industrial complex that (still) plans to enslave us all." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on commerce technology.
MEMRI: Saudi Columnist: 'America is a Liberator and not an Occupier... Bush will Go Down in Arab History as the Liberator of Baghdad'
The columnists has harsh words for the Arab critics of the Americans. His column asks where his fellow Arabs were when Saddam was in power and why they criticize the Americans now for doing what was needed.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Thursday, December 18, 2003

Sharon Gives Ultimatum on Peace Deal
AP reports, "Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Thursday that Israel was willing to move some Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip but delivered an ultimatum that Palestinians had only a few months to make peace or Israel would impose its own solution." :: Submitted for your Covenant with Many (Daniel 9:27) files.
Asia Health Authorities Ready for Return of SARS
Reuters reports, "Hospitals have customized anti-SARS plans, multinational manufacturers in China have stockpiled surgical masks and thermal scanners map the body temperature of arriving air passengers in Singapore." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
Moderate Quake Hits Northwestern Japan
AP reports, "A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7 rattled northwestern Japan Friday, the Meteorological Agency said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries." :: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.
MEMRI: Conspiracy Theories Surrounding Saddam's Capture
Nimrod Raphaeli, a MEMRI regular, discusses the various conspiracy theories that the Arabs are already spinning after the capture of Saddam Hussein. This illustrates the extent to which people will willingly believe a lie [2 Thess. 2] when the truth hurts. When the Rapture [1 Thess. 4:16-18] takes place, and especially when the Trumpet Judgments [Revelation 8-9] befall the earth, you will hear conspiracy theories that will make even this look tame in comparison.

Wednesday, December 17, 2003

Ebola Death Toll in Africa Now at 29
AP reports, "The fifth outbreak in two years of the deadly Ebola virus in a remote area of central Africa has so far killed 29 people, the U.N. health agency said Wednesday. But the outbreak appears to be coming under control, with no one currently sick in northwest Republic of Congo..." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
MEMRI: Assassination Attempt on Editor of Kuwaiti Dailies - Allegations of Syrian Involvement
Are battle lines drawing themselves even among Arabs?::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Tuesday, December 16, 2003

Human Clone Experiment Repeated Successfully
Reuters reports, "The only researchers to publicly show that they have cloned a human embryo said on Tuesday that they had successfully repeated the experiment, growing an embryo to the 16-cell stage." :: Submitted for your Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files on human cloning.
MEMRI: The Arab Media Reaction to Saddam's Arrest: Part II
The second day of post-arrest reaction brings more joy from Iraq, more sour grapes from elsewhere in the Arab world (except Kuwait and some of the London Arabic dailies), and in one case, a sharp rebuke by an Iraqi columnist against a critical Egyptian minister.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Monday, December 15, 2003

MEMRI: The Arab Media Reaction to Saddam's Arrest: Part I
It had to come sooner or later. While the Iraqi press turns out to be jubilant at his capture, other Arab news organs dwell chiefly on the cowardly manner of his surrender, which is a tremendous shame to the honor of any individual Arab. Some Arabs suggest that Saddam has brought shame upon them all.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Sunday, December 14, 2003

The Golden Report - The Whole Truth Nothing But The Truth So Help Me God. Please.
Jerry Golden discusses where Israel now stands as regards end-times prophecy, and where the rest of the world, seduced as it would appear to be by oil, stands as regards Israel.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 12, 14] files.
Saddam Hussein Captured in Iraq Hideout
AP reports, "Without firing a shot, American forces captured a bearded and haggard-looking Saddam Hussein in a dirt pit across a river from one of his former palaces near his hometown of Tikrit, ending one of the most intensive manhunts in history." :: Submitted for your Wars and Rumors of War (Matthew 24:6 and Isa. 14:16 is also noteworthy here) files on the war in Iraq.
Companies Test 'Contactless' Credit Cards
AP reports, "The familiar process of buying something with a credit card - handing the plastic to the clerk or swiping it yourself, then waiting for approval and signing the receipt - could be headed the way of the mechanical brass cash register. For more than a year, MasterCard and American Express have been testing 'contactless' versions of their credit cards. The cards need only be held near a special reader for a sale to go through - though the consumer can still get a receipt." :: Submitted for your Mark of the Beast (Rev 13:16-18) files on commerce technology.
European Constitution Summit Collapses
AP reports, "The European summit to forge a constitution for a united, post-Cold War Europe collapsed Saturday after leaders failed to agree on sharing power within an expanded European Union...French President Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder spoke of a core group of countries pressing ahead with closer integration - a scenario others warned would divide the union." :: Submitted for your Ten Kings (Rev 17:12-14) and/or Final Beast (Rev. 17:8) files.
Scientists Warn of Coming Flu Pandemic
AP reports, "As bad as this year's flu season is, it hasn't brought the worldwide outbreak known as a pandemic. But experts warn that a pandemic is coming, it's just a question of when." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.

Thursday, December 11, 2003

French Report Backs Ban on Veil, Skullcap, Cross
Reuters reports, " France should ban Muslim veils, Jewish skullcaps and large Christian crosses from its public schools, while creating new holidays to respect holy days of minority religions, an official report saidThursday...Former Socialist Education Minister Jack Lang criticized the commission's proposals for not banning all religious symbols." :: Submitted for your Persecution (Matthew 24:8) files.
Flu Spreading in U.S. But Not Scary Yet -Officials
Reuters reports, "The flu is spreading across the United States and the government is concerned enough to buy up 250,000 available doses of vaccine to make sure it goes to those who need it most, officials said on Thursday...But the influenza season is not especially serious yet and has not reached the level of an epidemic..." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
MEMRI: Al-Shatat: The Syrian-Produced Ramadan 2003 TV Special
Here we go again--yet another accusation that the Jews, led the world over by the Barons Rothschild, rule the world as a secret government. It would be funny were it not so sad, and pathetic did the stakes not involve life and death.::Submitted for your Jacob's Trouble [Daniel 9:24-27] files.

Wednesday, December 10, 2003

EU Spars Over Fine Print in Constitution
AP reports, "The vision of an integrated Europe capable of rivaling the United States on the global stage is at stake in this week's battle over the European Union's first-ever constitution...The constitution, drafted by a 105-member convention, reshapes EU institutions to avoid gridlock after the 15-nation bloc takes in 10 new members on May 1...the constitution would create new positions of an EU president and foreign minister to speak for all 25 nations in world forums... a political entity with a population of 450 million accounting for one quarter of the world's economic output - bigger and richer than the United States." :: Submitted for your Ten Kings (Rev 17:12-14) and/or Revived Rome (Rev. 17:8) files.
MEMRI: Arabic Daily: Al-Qa'ida Preparing Big Operation to Coincide with Eid Al-Adha [Feast of the Sacrifice] on Feb. 2, 2004 - New Bin Laden Tape Will Explain Details
How reliable this information is, is anyone's guess, seeing that we've seen such threats from Al-Qa'ida before that have come to nothing. But a big strike to coincide with the Mulim Hajj, or pilgrimage, would be in keeping not only with Osama bin Laden's attitude but also with the real spirit of Islam--platitudes about "religions of peace" notwithstanding.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.
The Golden Report - Another look around!
Jerry Golden once again examines the Middle East geopolitical situation. His conclusion: that the nations of the world are employing double standards and largely acting for commercial gain.::Submitted for your Fall of (Commercial) Babylon [Revelation 18] files.

Tuesday, December 09, 2003

UN Predicts 9 Bln People by 2300, Many of Them Old
Reuters reports, "The human race could have 9 billion people by 2300, Japanese will live to 108, and Africa's population will explode while Europeans could dwindle, the United Nations predicted on Tuesday." :: Submitted for your Fear for the Future (Luke 21:26) files on overpopulation.

Moderate Earthquake Reported in Virginia
Submitted for your earthquake [Matthew 24] files.
MEMRI: Editor of Kuwaiti Daily: The U.S. is not going to Quit... It will Convert Poles of Jihadi Flags into Arrows to Pierce the Hearts of Terrorists
This is the strongest praise yet to come from an Arab voice in support of American efforts to clean out various rats' nests in the Middle East and elsewhere. This Kuwaiti editor basically is saying that if suicide bombing is all the terrorists have left, they're going to lose.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] and Armageddon [Revelation chapters 16 and 19] files.

Monday, December 08, 2003

The Islamic Plot to destroy both the Jew and the Christian
Jerry Golden zeros in on Islam's true purpose, as anyone can read in Islam's own foundational documents.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.
Ethiopian Journalist on the Detrimental Effects of Saudi Arabia's 'Poisonous Wahhabism' on His Country
From MEMRI. Also check out this article: Somali Muslim Journalist on the Detrimental Effects of Wahhabism on His Country.

What do those two articles have in common? Simply this: they show that the Saudis have been spreading their Wahabbi version of Islam far and wide, and not everyone even in the Islamic world appreciates that.

That said, the criticisms now coming from Ethiopia and Somalia ring just a trifle hollow. Wahabbi Islam happens to be as close to the Koran and the Hadith as any flavor of Islam I have recently seen. The criticisms in the two articles read like the sort of criticisms of, say, Torrey's Fundamentals that John Shelby Spong might write. One really has to consider the source--and I have no horse in a race between two varieties of lies.

However, I submit these now for your False Prophet [Revelation 13:8-18] files, because they illustrate a salient feature of life during the Tribulation: one "religion" for all the world's (lost) people to follow. As it happens, I don't expect it to be Islam--though many other commentators whom I know and respect do fear precisely that. But Revelation does tell us that one false religion is definitely coming.

Sunday, December 07, 2003

MEMRI: Syrian-Produced Hizbullah TV Ramadan Series' Video Clip of a 'Blood Libel'
The video is actually the twentieth episode of a TV series purporting to trace a centuries-old Jewish conspiracy, headed at present by the House of Rothschild. I have seen this video, and I warn all who read this: it is almost as graphic as any scene from the Tobe Hooper motion picture The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This is not a laughing matter. In fact it shows a darker reality that practically no world leader wants to say out loud--that the Red Horse of the Apocalypse [Revelation 6:3-4] is ready to ride, and that the Arab lands will be where that war starts.

Saturday, December 06, 2003

Murmurs of Peace in Mideast Emerging
AP reports, "After three years of violence and pessimism, there are signs of willingness to explore new avenues toward Mideast peace. Palestinian militant groups are considering ending attacks on Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has promised to make a major policy speech outlining new moves with the Palestinians. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell lent encouragement to a symbolic peace deal brokered by former officials." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files.

Friday, December 05, 2003

MEMRI: Leading Egyptian Liberal Ali Salem on the Struggle of Arab Intellectuals for Freedom
Ali Salem actually is talking about moving "from a state of war to a state of peace." In this article he plumps for an accommodation with Israel.::Submitted for your covenant with many [Daniel 9:27] files.
MEMRI: Leading Egyptian Feminist Dr. Al-Sa'dawi: Islam Should be Removed from the Egyptian Constitution as the Official Religion
Her interview illustrates a sentiment that would seem to be a threat to Islam--and the vitriolic reaction of some Egyptian clerics speaks volumes about the so-called "religion of peace."::Submitted for your False Prophet [Revelation 13:8-18] and Mystery Babylon the Great [Revelation 17] files.

Thursday, December 04, 2003

Flu Outbreak Blamed for 11 Kids' Deaths
AP reports, "As a nasty flu outbreak spreads across the country, schools are reporting more empty seats as parents keep children at home to recuperate or to protect them. The flu is now being blamed for the deaths of at least six children in Colorado, three in Texas and one each in Oklahoma and New Mexico." :: Submitted for your Pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
The Golden Report - WE can't see the forest because of the trees.
Jerry Golden sees Europe becoming anti-Semitic--and suspects George W. Bush of treason--but in all this he sees prophecy unfolding. Specifically he sees the regathering of all the Jews back to Israel in preparation for the struggle over Jerusalem [Zechariah 12, 14].
MEMRI: Editor of Kuwaiti Daily: Syria's Secret Service is Behind the Iraqi Resistance
In other words, what we see as the Iraqi opposition is nothing more than the Syrian secret service operating hand-in-glove with Saddam Hussein. On the other hand, this editor doesn't have much respect for the Syrian operation. In fact, he says quite bluntly that it will fail, and that the Syrians will hurt no one but themselves.::Submitted for your war [Matthew 24:6] files.

Wednesday, December 03, 2003

White House: Geneva Accord May Be Useful
AP reports: The architects of a far-reaching proposed accord between Israel and the Palestinians campaigned for Washington's approval Wednesday, but the White House said President Bush's blueprint for a Mideast settlement still was the best formula. "The path forward to peace in the Middle East is the road map," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said, referring to the approach that has the endorsement of the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files on the search for Mideast peace.

Tuesday, December 02, 2003

MEMRI: Jewish Holy Books On Display at the Alexandria Library: The Torah & the Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Everyone knows that the so-called Protocols are an elaborate fraud. Everyone, that is, with the apparent exception of the Arab press. This would be funny were the stakes not so high.::Submitted for your struggle for Jerusalem [Zechariah 14] and your wild man of the desert [Genesis 25] files.

Monday, December 01, 2003

World Leaders Back 'Geneva' Mideast Peace Plan
Reuterrs reports, "World leaders past and present voiced firm support Monday for an unofficial Middle East peace plan shaped by regional "doves" but denounced as treason by both Israeli officials and Palestinian militants." :: Submitted for your Covenant With Many (Daniel 9:27) files.
Weather Hampers Rescue in Quake-Hit China
AP reports, "Rescue squads battled thick snow, treacherous roads and numerous aftershocks as they struggled to help the victims of a powerful earthquake that killed at least 11 people in northwestern China, official media reported Tuesday.:: Submitted for your Quake (Matthew 24:7) files.
Hopes Pinned on New Drug Plan on World AIDS Day
Reuters reports, "A global plan to rush life-saving drugs to millions of people with AIDS was launched on Monday amid warnings on World AIDS Day that the war against the disease was being lost." :: Submitted for your pestilence (Luke 21:11) files.
Annaqed (English Section) - News and Comments - Mahathir's Speech Encouraged Ignorance Among Muslims
The word Annaqed means "the critic" in Arabic. This article came to my attention, of course, through the good offices of the Middle East Media Research Institute. It is the first time that an American Muslim has squarely rebutted a hateful speech by a militant fundamentalist Muslim. But is this the sort of thing that a Christian can support? This critic actually dares challenge Allah to give another revelation to "abrogate" all the hateful anti-Jewish things that we all know that the Koran contains. In a Christian we would roundly criticize this sort of thing as not only putting God into a box but also, and worse, adding to the Bible [Revelation 22:18]. Tragically, those Koran passages will not go away, and they can only provoke war [Matthew 24:6. But that war will be a three-cornered war--among Christians in one corner, Muslims in a second, and secularists and "cafeteria religionists" both Christian and Muslim, in the third.