U.S. Puts Onus on Palestinians to Stop Terror
Expressing sympathy with Israel's decision to respond militarily after a series of attacks, the Bush administration demanded that Yasir Arafat take steps to stop the violence. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Wakf Repairing Bulging Portion of Temple Mount Wall
Adnan Husseini, Wakf director, advised that 20 percent of the repair work is completed on the bulge in the outer southern wall of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, where the Wakf have been constructing a mosque for the last five years. Dr. Eilat Mazar, a member of the Committee Against the Destruction of Antiquities on the Temple Mount, declared that those who were responsible for destruction on Temple Mount are now working on the southern wall. The committee "has been decrying Wakf work there for two years." Submitted for your abomination in the holy place files.

Israeli Troops Storm Arafat Compound
Israeli troops stormed Yasser Arafat's headquarters complex Friday and shelled a building where the Palestinian leader took cover in a windowless room — the opening shot in a large-scale military campaign in response to anti-Israeli attacks that killed 30 people in three days. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Suicide Bombing at Jerusalem Market
A female suicide bomber detonated explosives at the entrance to a Jerusalem supermarket Friday afternoon, killing herself and two other people, police and rescue workers said. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Israel to Isolate Arafat and to Call Up Troop Reserves
Israel's Cabinet early Friday decided to isolate Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat and agreed to call up troop reserves to deal with an increase in Palestinian terror attacks, a cabinet minister said. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Arabs: The Fight Should And Will Go On
In offering Israel terms for peace with Arab states Thursday, Arab leaders also encouraged Palestinians to keep fighting. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Warmer Seas Menace World's Coral
The Great Barrier Reef here is protected by one of the world's best-managed marine parks. But scientists worry that official vigilance and sound management are no help in guarding against a major threat that the reef faces in the future: the warming of the world's oceans as a result of climate change. Submitted for your fear for the future and death of the oceans files.

Saudi Peace Appeal Is Offset By Bickering
Crown Prince Abdullah ibn Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia made a broad appeal Wednesday to the Israeli public to trade land and a Palestinian state for peace with all the Arab nations, but his words were offset by calls from other Arab leaders for continued militancy, bickering among the Arab states themselves and a suicide bombing in Israel. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Passover Massacre
CNN reports that at least 20 people were killed and more than 170 injured Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a hotel in Netanya, Israel, as the Jewish observance of Passover began. An Israeli spokesman called the terror attack a "Passover massacre" and said the government would use all "necessary measures" to stop more attacks. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

A Day of Mourning for Afghan Quake Victims
Afghanistan is observing a day of mourning for the hundreds of people killed in a series of earthquakes in the foothills of the Hindu Kush. Submitted for your quake files.

Suicide Bomber Kills 7, but Envoy Presses On
Despite a suicide bombing Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian negotiators met with American envoy Anthony C. Zinni to try to hammer out a cease-fire. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

U.S. Might Pursue Qaeda and Taliban to Pakistan Lairs
The commander of American ground forces in Afghanistan said Wednesday that U.S. troops might cross the border into Pakistan to pursue Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters. Submitted for your war files.

Car Bomb Kills 8 Near U.S. Embassy in Lima
At least eight people were killed and dozens injured Wednesday when a powerful car bomb exploded across the
street from the U.S. Embassy in Peru. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Suicide Bomber Kills At Least 7 in Israel
An attack by a suicide bomber on a bus in northern Israel killed at least seven people and wounded 30 others Wednesday morning, a police spokesman said. The attack came hours after Palestinian officials said they are committed to a "peace option." The militant Islamic Jihad group claimed responsibility for the 7:10 a.m. blast on a highway south of the town of Afula. The explosion burst the sides of the pink-and-white bus and sent passengers flying. Despite the blast, a crucial round of cease-fire talks was expected to take place later Wednesday in the presence of U.S. mediator Anthony Zinni. Palestinian security officials have said a cease-fire declaration is possible after the meeting. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Coalition Forces Under Fire in Afghanistan
Nearly a day after declaring victory in a sustained battle with Taliban and al Qaeda forces, coalition forces came under attack overnight in the eastern Afghan town of Khowst, a U.S. Central Command spokesman said Wednesday. Submitted for your war files.

Moussa: Arabs to Back Mideast Land-For-Peace Plan
The Arab League will back a land-for-peace plan at its upcoming summit in an effort to halt spiraling violence in the Middle East, the organization's Secretary-General Amr Moussa said Tuesday. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Nuclear litter of Soviet days raises fears of 'dirty bombs'
Six months ago, they were mere Cold War trash: hundreds of small radioactive power generators scattered across the Soviet Union decades ago and largely forgotten. But in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, these aging but potentially lethal devices are being viewed in a troubling new light: as possible components in a weapon to be used in a terrorist strike. This IHT report submitted for your rumor of war and fear for the future files.

Sudan Government Amputated Christian's Hand for Alleged Theft
The Sudan government amputated the right hand of a Christian Sudanese member of the Kakwa tribe from South Sudan, according to Open Doors reports. He was arrested in May of 2000, convicted and sentenced for allegedly stealing car parts. Reports by World Organization Against Torture (OMCT) indicate the man was not represented in court; in fact, he should not have been punished under Islam law as he is a Christian. According to Compass news source, this action proves that the Sudan regime is exacting harsh Muslim punishments against both Christians and Muslims now. Submitted for your persecution files.

Cheney Ready To Meet Arafat
CNN reports that U.S. Vice-President Dick Cheney says he would be willing to meet Yasser Arafat, providing the Palestinian leader implements a cease-fire brokered last year by CIA chief George Tenet. Nice strategy though, he expresses willingness to meet Arafat after leaving Jerusalem. So, it appears that it is time (again) for Arafat to step up to the plate, or risk further alienating the Americans and being denied permission to attend the Arab summit by Sharon. Arafat is in a box that only he can get out of, let's see what he does. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Operation Anaconda Ends
CNN reports that Operation Anaconda -- the largest U.S.-led ground offensive since the Gulf War-- ended as American and Canadian forces pulled out of the Shah-e-kot region in eastern Afghanistan, the head of coalition forces in Afghanistan said Tuesday. Submitted for your war files.

Feds Break Up Computer-Porn Ring
The FBI said Monday it had shut down an Internet-based child-pornography ring with criminal charges against 86 people in 26 states. Those sought or already arrested included two Catholic priests, six other clergy members, a school bus driver and at least one police officer. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

UK Sending Infantry to Afghanistan
Britain announced Monday it will deploy an infantry battle group of 1,700 in Afghanistan, its largest military deployment for combat operations since the Gulf war. Submitted for your war files.

At Least 6 Die in Southern Floods
A second day of heavy rain in the hills of Kentucky and Tennessee triggered floods and mudslides Monday that destroyed dozens of homes and forced some to flee by boat as water lapped at the rooftops. Submitted for your fearful events files.

Israel Begins Withdrawal Amid U.S. Truce Effort
Israel began to withdraw troops overnight from recently occupied Palestinian areas in a move which could serve as a precursor for a new U.S.-brokered truce effort to end 18 months of bloodshed. President Bush told reporters in that Zinni was "optimistic we are making some progress in the Middle East" after the envoy hosted talks between Israeli and Palestinian security chiefs which paved the way for the pullout. Let's just hope Israel is not the only party making compromises to secure this truce. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Hopes Rise for a Mideast Truce, Despite Attacks
Two terror attacks in Israel and heavy gunfire in Bethlehem on Sunday marked the fourth day of Gen. Anthony C. Zinni's shuttle diplomacy.

U.S. Mideast Envoy Makes Progress in Truce Mission
Israeli and Palestinian field commanders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip held surprise talks in a sign that U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni was making progress in a violence-plagued cease-fire mission. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Islamabad Church Attack Kills 5
At least five people, including two Americans, have been killed and scores injured following a grenade attack on a Christian church in the diplomatic quarter of the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Submitted for your persecution files.

Saudis Warning Against Attack by U.S. on Iraq
The New York Times reports that the Saudi crown prince Saturday joined the chorus of very public Arab warnings to Washington about its talk of possible military action to oust Saddam Hussein. In every Arab capital he has visited, Cheney has encountered an Arab desire to directly link American efforts to resolve the Mideast conflict to Arab support for an attack on Iraq. He found the same linkage in his visit to Saudi Arabia. Arab leaders have made it clear that there is no support for an attack on Iraq without first resolving the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Submitted for your rumor of war and battle for Jerusalem files.

Violence Threatens Mideast Mission
CNN reports that the U.S. diplomatic effort in the Middle East is on thin ice after violence threatened to sink a proposed trilateral meeting between Israelis, Palestinians and visiting U.S. envoy Anthony Zinni. While the proposed meeting was being discussed, a gunman opened fire in Kfar Saba, a town north of Tel Aviv, wounding at least nine people -- one critically, two seriously -- Israeli police said. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Jordan to US: Attack on Iraq Would Be Disaster
Jordan's King Abdullah has warned the United States against attacking Iraq, saying the stability of the Middle East cannot withstand such a war while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is also raging. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Zinni Conducts Shuttle Diplomacy
A U.S. mediator shuttled between the Palestinian and Israeli leaders Saturday, trying to bring the two sides together for face-to-face talks on a cease-fire that would halt nearly 18 months of Mideast violence. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Israeili Tanks Complete West Bank Pullout
Israeli forces early Friday completed pullouts from four West Bank cities but continued to surround Palestinian territories without going into them, the Israel Defense Forces said. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Anderson Indicted Over Enron
The Justice Department charged Arthur Andersen LLP with obstruction of justice Thursday for shredding Enron Corp. documents. This white collar crime submitted for your wickedness increases files.

U.S. peace envoy arrives in Israel as fighting rages
Anthony Zinni, the senior U.S. envoy to the Middle East, arrived in Israel on Thursday to try to pull the Israelis and Palestinians apart after some of the biggest operations and greatest bloodletting of their long struggle.

UN Vision of Palestinian State
The U.N. Security Council has approved a resolution that for the first time endorses "the vision of" a Palestinian state which exists alongside Israel. The resolution, the first the United States has introduced since Yasser Arafat launched his war of terror in September 2000, was approved by 14 of the 15 council members. Syria, which wanted a hardline resolution against Israel, abstained. The resolution "demands immediate cessation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction." It also affirms "a vision of a region where two states, Israel and Palestine, live side-by-side within secure and recognized borders."

Israel raises stakes with tank attacks
Israel unleashed its deadliest offensive in 20 years Tuesday as thousands of troops and well over 150 tanks and armored vehicles roared into the main Palestinian city in the West Bank and attacked two refugee camps, plunging the area further into chaos 48 hours before the scheduled arrival of an American special envoy. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Israel Kills 30 Palestinians in Major Offensive
Israeli forces killed 30 Palestinians Tuesday in their biggest offensive in the West Bank and Gaza since Israel conquered the territories in the 1967 Middle East war.

Blair Backs Wider War on Terrorism
On his way to the Middle East, Vice President Dick Cheney heard strong support Monday from British Prime Minister Tony Blair for widening the U.S.-led war on terrorism to keep weapons of mass destruction out of hostile hands. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Mideast Diplomacy On The Move
As the Israel Defense Forces continued Monday to crack down on the "terrorist infrastructure" in the West Bank and Gaza, Palestinian and Israeli officials prepared to meet later in the day to discuss how to quell the latest wave of violence. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon signaled a new willingness to pursue cease-fire negotiations, even as Israeli forces pounded Palestinian targets following weekend terror attacks that left 13 Israelis dead. I have to say, I like this new approach. Perhaps Sharon has taken a page from Arafat's playbook, and learned how to say one thing while doing another. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

Six Months Later
As the sun rose over the United States on September 11, 2001, no one could have imagined the terror that would unfold that day. Six months later, with the U.S. military at war, Americans look back on the day that changed the nation and the world. A CNN report submitted for your war and fearsome events files.

Sun Micro Unveils Digital Identification Offering
Sun Microsystems Inc. will announce on Tuesday combined software, hardware and services to help corporations build a system to manage the identity of employees, customers and others accessing their network. The Sun Open Net Environment Platform for Network Identity will allow organizations to provide single sign-on to disparate applications, as well as authenticate users and authorize transactions. Are you authentic? Submitted for your mark of the beast files.

Arabs want Cheney's focus on Mideast crisis
As Vice President Dick Cheney heads for the Middle East, Arab foreign ministers meeting here appealed urgently Sunday for U.S. and European intervention to tamp down Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Eye on Iraq, Bush to set out war's next phase
President George W. Bush will describe his broad strategy for the next stages of the war on terrorism Monday, six months after the attacks on New York and Washington, suggesting that he may pursue the terrorist network of Al Qaeda even inside countries that do not ask for an American presence. Submitted for your war files.

Missiles Destroy Arafat's Office
Israel strickes back. Israeli helicopters fired missiles early Sunday at Yasser Arafat's seaside office building in the Gaza Strip, destroying it, witnesses said. No one was at the compound, an important symbol of Palestinian self-rule. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Palestinian Suicide Bomber Kills 12
A Palestinian suicide bomber transformed a crowded garden cafe into a mass of maimed bodies and upturned, blood-covered furniture Saturday night, killing at least 12 people in an attack across the street from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's walled compound. Hours later, the Israeli air force destroyed Yasser Arafat's empty seaside office building in the Gaza Strip. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Cheney To Tackle Middle East Issues On 12-Nation Trip
The Bush administration served blunt notice Friday that new U.N. weapons inspections for Iraq would not necessarily head off a confrontation between Washington and Baghdad, as Vice-President Cheney stars what used to be called a goodwill tour, but could now probably best be called a war rally tour.

U.S. Senate Approves Resolution Backing War
The Senate passed a bipartisan resolution Friday expressing support for President Bush and the war on terrorism. This is still far short of a formal declaration of war, which is required by the U.S. Constitution. Submitted for your war files.

Anthrax Scare Could Have Been Scarier
The rapid use of antibiotics by thousands of people cooled the hot spots in last fall's anthrax-by-mail terrorist attacks, holding down the inhaled infections and deaths, researchers say.It could have been much worse than the 11 cases of inhaled anthrax and the five deaths, said Ron Brookmeyer, first author of a study appearing Friday in the journal Science."We found that the antibiotics cut the cases by half," said Brookmeyer. "That's good news. They were able to have a rapid response with the antibiotics and limit the disease." Submitted for your pestilence and rumor of war files.

Sharon's U-Turn Amid Carnage
Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Friday he is willing to negotiate with Palestinians on a cease-fire even as violence in the region rages -- a major shift from his previous demand for a seven-day period of calm before any such talks could begin. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Pentagon Lists Nuclear Targets
The Pentagon has informed Congress that it is devising contingency plans for the use of nuclear weapons against a number of countries that pose threats to the United States. The report said the Pentagon needs to be prepared to use nuclear weapons against China, Russia, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Libya and Syria, according to the newspaper. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

War:Mideast Death Toll Hits 17-Month High

War:New Troops Join Fierce Afghan Fight

War:Operation Anaconda Uses New Weapons

Wickedness:Bishop Submits Resignation for Abuse

Wickedness:Yates Interview Tape Played at Trial

Wickedness:Hit-And-Run Victim Stayed Trapped

Pestilence:Congo Says Cholera Outbreak Under Control

Fear/Future:Signs of New El Nino Strengthen

CWM:U.S. Mideast Envoy Faces Long Odds

CWM:Sharon Drops Demand After Day of Mideast Blood

CWM:Arab Peace Plan Draft Is Specific

Global Village:Report: Half Billion People Have Home Net Access

Battle4Jerusalem:Palestinian Guerrilla Hits Israelis

Battle4Jerusalem:Mideast Death Toll Hits 17-Month High

Puzzling X-Rays From Jupiter
Astronomers using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory have spotted a mysterious pulsing x-ray beacon near the north pole of the giant planet. Submitted for your signs in the stars files.

UFOs Over Yugoslavia
Authorities are investigating after hundreds of people in a Montenegrin village reported seeing a cluster of giant UFOs. Submitted for your signs in the heavens files.

Bush Looks For End Of Mideast Violence
With the escalation of bloodshed in the Middle East, President Bush is working "very hard to find a way to somehow break" the cycle of violence before it spills over into a wider conflict, White House press secretary Ari Fleischer said Wednesday. As the day ended, the White House announced that Bush is sending Anthony Zinni back to the Middle East to try to secure a cease-fire. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem and covenant with many files.

U.S. Military: Battle Will Continue As Long As Needed
The United States has no time frame for the operation in eastern Afghanistan, where al Qaeda and Taliban fighters have waged a fierce battle against allied fighters in the past several days, an Army spokesman said Thursday. "It'll go as long as the Taliban don't surrender, or until they're all dead," said Maj. Bryan Hilferty. Submitted for your war files.

Strong Quake Rocks South Philippines
A strong pre-dawn earthquake rocked the southern Philippines on Wednesday, causing at least eight deaths, forcing thousands to evacuate a tidal wave zone and bringing destructive tremors to several rural towns. Submitted for your quake files.

Syria Chief Backs Saudi Peace Plan as Mideast Boils
Syria expressed support on Tuesday for a Saudi peace proposal for the Middle East as violence surged in the area. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Qaeda Weaving New Web, E-Mails Suggest
Newly detected Internet traffic among Al Qaeda followers, including intercepted e-mail messages, indicates that elements of the terror network may be trying to regroup in remote sanctuaries in Pakistan near the Afghan border, government officials say. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Bush Rejects Stronger Role In Mideast
President Bush rebuffed appeals from visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak yesterday for heightened U.S. involvement in calming Middle East violence, repeating the long-standing American position that it is the Palestinians who must first clamp down on militant activities. While praising Egypt's traditional role in Middle East peacemaking, Bush also politely dismissed Mubarak's offer to host a summit between Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as secondary to the immediate task of stemming the bloodshed. Bush took a similar view of a proposal forwarded by another key Arab leader, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, under which Arab countries would open normal relations with Israel in return for a full Israeli withdrawal from land occupied since the 1967 war. Bush welcomed the "vision for a more peaceful tomorrow" while making clear that he has other priorities for today. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

General: Hundreds of al-Qaida Killed
U.S.-led coalition troops have gained the upper hand after killing at least half the al-Qaida and Taliban forces holed up in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan in the biggest joint offensive in the war, the U.S. commander said Wednesday. Submitted for your war files.

Arab-Israeli Battle Reaches 'Point Of No Return'
Amid the deadliest eruption of violence between Israelis and Palestinians in a generation, the two sides pounded each other with missiles, bombs, rockets and bullets Tuesday as the fighting reached a new plateau of lethality - and, perhaps, a chilling new clarity. This IHT article submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

U.S. Puts Ground Troops In Thick of Battle
In launching a ground offensive in the dead of winter in some of the harshest terrain in Afghanistan, the U.S. military seems bent not only on crushing a pocket of Al Qaeda fighters but also on sending a broader message: It is willing to put troops in harm's way as it prosecutes the war on terrorism. This IHT report submitted for your war files.

Mideast Violence Spinning Out of Control
A Palestinian armed with an assault rifle, grenades and a knife killed three Israelis and wounded 25 at a Tel Aviv restaurant Tuesday, triggering a day of revenge attacks without end in the Middle East. Israel retaliated for a dizzying array of Palestinian attacks by launching air raids in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A sharply rising death toll prompted talk of open warfare and increased the urgency of international peace efforts. Subitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Sniper Kills 10 More Israelis
Taking aim from a hilltop, a sniper killed 10 soldiers and civilians at a checkpoint Sunday in the deadliest of a two-day string of Palestinian attacks that killed 21 Israelis. Israel sent tanks and helicopters on retaliatory raids that hit several Palestinian Authority security targets, killing four Palestinian policemen, while Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his Cabinet weighed additional military action. Following the weekend bloodletting, Sharon huddled with senior government ministers and security officials and his office issued a statement just before midnight saying that the inner security Cabinet had approved military plans for ongoing attacks on Palestinian targets. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Israel Strikes After Terror Attacks
Israeli helicopters and tanks attacked Palestinian targets in the West Bank in response to a series of weekend terror attacks by Palestinian militant groups linked to Yasser Arafat that have killed at least 20 Israeli citizens. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Bombing Continues In Eastern Afghanistan
U.S. aircraft continued bombing al Qaeda and Taliban targets in eastern Afghanistan Sunday, the U.S. Army said, in a joint coalition campaign with Afghan forces described by U.S. military sources as the largest offensive in
the country this year. Submitted for your war files.

Violence Spreads To Rural India
India's worst religious riots in more than a decade appear to have subsided although there are reports that looting and clashes between Hindus and Muslims had spread to rural parts of the western state of Gujarat. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

U.S. Uses Sensors Amid Al Qaeda Nuclear Fear -Report
Fearing Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network may be making progress in obtaining nuclear weapons, the Bush administration has been placing sophisticated radiation sensors at U.S. border positions and key locations around Washington, the Washington Post reported on Sunday. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Mubarak Visits, Seeks Active U.S. Role in Mideast
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak arrived in Washington on Saturday to persuade the United States to play a more active role in Middle East peacemaking based on a new Saudi peace initiative. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

Israel Missiles Hit Police HQ After Suicide Attack
Israeli helicopter gunships fired five missiles at a Palestinian police station in the West Bank town of Bethlehem on Sunday, setting it ablaze after a suicide bomber killed nine people in Jerusalem. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Jerusalem Bombing Kills at Least 9
A Palestinian suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive Saturday among ultra-Orthodox Jewish worshippers as they poured into the streets following sundown prayers at the end of the Sabbath. At least nine people, including several children, were killed, and more than 30 wounded. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Backup U.S. Government In Place
Nearly six months after the September 11 attacks, a backup government of federal agency officials is on standby at bunker locations outside Washington as a precaution against a catastrophic strike on the nation's capital. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Violence Escalates in India
Fresh religious violence has flared in western India as Hindu mobs stalked and burned Muslims in their homes, pushing the death toll from separatist attacks in the past week towards 300. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

Study: 1950's Nuclear Fallout Worse Than Thought
Radioactive fallout from 1950s above-ground nuclear weapons testing spread farther than researchers previously realized and most increased cancer rates in the United States, according to a scientific report. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Yates: Wife Seemed Normal on Day of Killings
Days before his wife drowned their five children, Andrea Yates's screams woke her husband in the middle of the night, Russell Yates testified Thursday. But he also said he noticed nothing unusual about his wife's behavior on the morning the children died. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

Israel Pushes Into Refugee Camps
In an effort to root out terrorists in the West Bank, Israel on Friday continued its largest assault on Palestinian refugee camps since the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict began. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Arafat Calls U.S. Peace Role Crucial
Calling a new Saudi peace initiative a "very strong platform" for a comprehensive Middle East peace, Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian leader, said Thursday that its chances for success depended on immediate U.S. support. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

U.S. Iraq Attack Weeks Away?
A major U.S. ground assault on Iraq is only three or four weeks away, according to the intelligence news agency DEBKA-Net-Weekly. According to DEBKA, Special Forces units are already making discreet probes into Iraq from Turkey in anticipation of the main offensive. An American airlift is ferrying into Turkey large army units, as well as air bomber and fighter reinforcements from the American Masirah air base in Oman, the service reports. Extra anti-missile Patriot missile units are being deployed in Kuwait, Oman, Israel and Turkey. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Doomsday Clock Moved Ahead
The hands of the Doomsday Clock, a symbolic gauge of the threat of nuclear annihilation, were moved for the first time in nearly four years Wednesday because of the Sept. 11 attacks, increasing tension between India and Pakistan and other threats. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, which keeps the clock, set the hands at 11:53, two minutes ahead of the time it has had since 1998. Stephen Schwartz, publisher of the Bulletin, said the board originally defined "midnight" as nuclear war. In recent years, however, it has been redefined as the use of nuclear weapons anywhere on earth, he said. It was the 17th time the clock has been reset since it debuted in 1947 at the same position it was set to Wednesday. The Sept. 11 attacks combined with evidence that terrorists were attempting to obtain the materials for a crude nuclear weapon should have served as a wake-up call to the world. He said the world has focused on short-term security rather than solving long-term problems. Submitted for your fear for the future files.

Evening Star Returns After Winter Hiatus
Brighter as seen from Earth than any other star or planet, Venus will reappear in the evening sky in the coming weeks --after seeming to vanish behind the sun. Submitted for your signs in the heavens files.

Resistance to Missionaries in Afghanistan is 'Formidable'
"Being Muslim for a millennium," Afghanistan appears to some as "a God-given opportunity for missionary work," an American charity worker told the AP. But Islam's roots run deep in Afghanistan and resistance would be formidable. To many traditional Afghans, proselytizing threatens the (very) fiber of daily life where religion is an intrinsic part, the AP reported. Last fall, Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, aid workers with Shelter Now International, were arrested and held for weeks by the ruling Taliban for allegedly proselytizing to win Afghan converts to Christianity. Islamic law prescribes death for Muslims who convert to other religions. However, a Baptist spokesman said, "We believe the Bible mandates that we look for any opportunity we have to share our faith." The interim government has shown no sign of liberalizing the Islamic law, and an interview with a prominent cleric, Mullah Sardar Agha Akhwanzada, disclosed, "Personally I don't think it matters whether people come and preach...but converts should not get the death penalty." Kandahar's Mullah Naeem stayed his ground, "likening missionaries to snakes, and endorsing capital punishment for converts." Submitted for your gospel preached to all files.

Seven Dead In West Bank Violence
Fighting that broke out as Israeli forces moved into Palestinian West Bank territories Thursday has resulted in the deaths of six Palestinians and an Israeli soldier, according to the Israeli army and Palestinian security sources. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

Surge In Anti-Semitic Crime Worries French Jews
For nearly a decade, anti-Semitic violence in France had become fairly rare. But, according to this IHT report, for more than a year the country has witnessed a wave of attacks on Jews. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

E.U.: Sharon Ready to Meet Saudis
AP reports that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told an EU envoy Tuesday he was willing to meet Saudi officials, publicly or behind the scenes, to explore their proposals for an overall Mideast peace, the European diplomat said. Submitted for your covenant with many files.

U.S. to Weigh Computer Chip Implant
AP reports that a Florida technology company is poised to ask the government for permission to market a first-ever computer ID chip that could be embedded beneath a person's skin. For airports, nuclear power plants and other high security facilities, the immediate benefits could be a closer-to-foolproof security system. But privacy advocates warn the chip could lead to encroachments on civil liberties. The implant technology could someday mean no more easy-to-counterfeit ID cards nor dozing security guards. Just a computer chip — about the size of a grain of rice — that would be difficult to remove and tough to mimic. Other uses of the technology on the horizon, from an added device that would allow satellite tracking of an individual's every movement to the storage of sensitive data like medical records, are already attracting interest across the globe for tasks like foiling kidnappings or assisting paramedics. Applied Digital Solutions' new "VeriChip" is another sign that Sept. 11 has catapulted the science of security into a realm with uncharted possibilities — and also new fears for privacy. Submitted for your mark of the beast files.

Full Moon Wednesday to Be Brightest of Year
According to this Reuters report, when the moon is full on Wednesday night it will be just about as close to Earth as it gets in its elliptical orbit. As a result, it will appear 9 percent wider than normal and shine 20 percent more brightly, and as as result, it will be the brightest full moon of the year. Submitted for your signs in the moon files.

Spy in the Sky Could Make Drivers Pay
Reuters reports that Britain's motorists could be charged for using busy roads with satellites monitoring their every move under plans to be announced by the government's transport czar on Monday. This has no real bearing on topics that usually fall under the mark of the beast updates, but it does say quite a lot about the kind of surveillance society that is emerging that in time may make the mark less problematic for a population already conditioned to accept the loss of personal privacy.

New Clues Suggest Bin Laden Is Alive on Afghan Border
Administration officials say they have indications that Osama bin Laden is alive and still moving around on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. What are these indications? You will have to read (and trust) the New Yorks Times to find out. P.S. It's just a rumor of war.

Any Strike On Iraq By U.S. May Be A Year Away
IHT reports that despite rhetoric from the Bush administration indicating that a military move against Iraq could be imminent, the military reality is that it could take a year before the U.S. is ready to launch a coordinated assault likely to destroy Iraq's potential for weapons of mass destruction and replace Saddam Hussein. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Arafat Travel Restrictions Eased
CNN reports that Israel agreed Sunday to ease restrictions placed nearly three months ago on Yasser Arafat, allowing the Palestinian leader to freely move about Ramallah, but not leave the West Bank city without special permission. Far from thanking the Israeli government for this concession, the Palestinians protested that the Israeli action did not go far enough and promptly canceled security meetings scheduled for next week. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

It has been a while since I last posted. Newsblogger is still down, which was one of the tools that made this easy to do. As you know, this is not the primary Prophecy News web page, it was just an experiment in blogging. It was to be a daily blog, but as you can see, it's become more like a monthly blog. I do hope to post more frequently, and to sort of catch up, here is an assortment of news headlines, in no particular order:

Wired: Games Elevate Hate to Next Level

AP: Group: Chinese Christians Detained

NYT: Israelis Weighing Arafat's Release

NYT: Priest in Child Abuse Case Sentenced to 9 to 10 Years

NYT: Bush Urges Freedom of Worship in China

NYT: Sharon Has Plan for Buffer Zones to Protect Israel

AP: Powell: Saudi Offer Worth Pursuing


AP: 24 Die As Mideast Violence Flares

AP: Microsoft Program Tracks User Habits

AP: U.N. Chief Calls for Mideast Effort

CNET: EarthLink, Nextel Join Liberty Alliance

Wired: Scanning Tech a Blurry Picture

Reuters: Motorola Offers Mobile Internet Content, Services

Suicide Bombing Kills 2 Israelis
A Palestinian suicide bomber set off an explosion at a shopping center in a West Bank Jewish settlement late Saturday, killing two Israelis and wounding 26, Israeli police said. Israel responded by striking at Palestinian targets in Nablus early Sunday with helicopter gunships and warplanes. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files.

U.S. Softens Tone On 2 'Axis' Nations
Secretary of State Colin Powell, maintaining a tough tone on Iraq, said Sunday that covert action to oust President Saddam Hussein could not be ruled out, but he appeared to soften the administration's tone on North Korea and Iran, the other countries that President George W. Bush has described as making up an "axis of evil." Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Man arrested after bodies rotting found near crematorium
A man has been arrested in America after dozens of decomposing corpses were found near a crematorium he was working in. The bodies were found stacked in storage sheds and scattered in the woods behind it in Walker County, Georgia. Submitted for your wickedness increases files.

U.S. Has Not Ruled Out Any Options On Iraq
CNN reports that President Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said Thursday the United States is "not ruling out any options" in its approach with Iraq, saying Saddam Hussein's regime is a "problem" and that a new approach is needed. In a related development, the British Guardian Daily reported on Thursday that the Pentagon and the CIA have begun preparations for a military campaign on Iraq that would involve up to 200,000 U.S. troops. The newspaper said an attack could take place later this year. Submitted for your rumor of war files.

Arabs Deploy New Explosive Against Tank; 3 Israelis Die
Palestinian militants destroyed an Israeli tank on Thursday night, killing at least three soldiers and lightly wounding a fourth. This is a significant milestone, the first time the Palestinians have destroyed an Israeli tank. This incident, along with the recent Hamas missile attacks, have militarized the conflict. No longer is it suicide bombers attacking civilians, it's military to military. Submitted for your battle for Jerusalem files. And, if you are interested in a rumor of war, how's this one, Israeli Intelligence believes that al Qaida is implicated in the tank demolition, it's a method used before by the Taliban against the Russians, and there have been reports that al Qaida operatives have been moving from Afghanistan into Lebanon and Syria. The recent increase in both the frequency and sophistication of Palestinian attacks on Israel may reflect the presence of OBL agents in the region.

A lot has been going on lately, so let me do a quick roundup. In the Middle East, tensions remain high as Israel keeps Arafat under a virtual house-arrest, while Prime Minister Sharon met with President Bush in the Oval Office, where they both affirmed their commitment to the Mitchell Plan (covenant land for peace) and eventual Palestinian statehood; EU foreign ministers have weighed in, endorsing a plan by France to create a Palestinian state first and then go forward with the peace process (interesting approach, I wonder what would be left to negotiate if they did that?); and finally, amid all of the peace moves, Hamas renews threats of continued attacks. In the wars and rumors of wars department, civil war threatens Liberia, Iran does some saber rattling, and Turkey concedes that efforts to get Saddam to allow UN arms inspectors back in to prevent an American attack have failed, this coming days after Colin Powell said that America is quite prepared to go it alone should the international coalition against terrorism decide it has better things to do than back an allied attack on Iraq; and finally, the foreign minister of Afghanistan's ousted Taliban government, Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, surrendered to the country's new government and was quickly handed over to American forces.. In the pestilence department, an Ebola outbreak continues to rage in the Congo, AIDS remains a pandemic, tuberculosis is now a global epidemic, and we still don't know who was sending anthrax via the U.S. mail. In the persecution department, Abu Sayyaf released demands for the release of the Burnhams, an American missionary couple being held hostage by those Muslim terrorists in the Philippines. In the gospel preached to all department, controversy continues to rage over a new gender neutral translation of the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). Verily. Sale of Christian books continue to be boosted by the remarkable success of the Left Behind series of end times novel, now being marketed in comic book form. What next, action figures? And finally, in the mark of the beast department, Sun Microsystems wants to put digital IDs on consumer products so they can be more easily assimilated into the Net. Resistance is futile?

Resurgent Sun Peaks for Second Time
CNN reports that Solar Max isn't quite over yet. The sun has entered a second phase of major intensity during it's 11-year cycle of activity. Besides bathing the sky with colorful lights, solar radiation bursts can disrupt radio communications, damage satellites and knock out power grids. Submitted for your signs in the sun files.

They Want Their ID Chips Now
Wired reports that there is a lot of enthusiasm from some happy suburbanites to be the first on their block to be implanted with microchips that contain their personal information. VeriChip is the wave of the future. Submitted for your mark of the beast files.

Powell: Bush Mulling Iraq Options
It looks like the long rumored American attack on Iraq is still on the table. Polls show strong public support for expanding the scope of the war to include Iraq and one could make the case that attacking Iraq makes much more sense that the current American deployment to the Philippines. Certainly Saddam is more of a threat than Abu Sayyaf. He is also better armed. Submitted for your rumor of war files.