Biblical countries, in the news.

[nChrist]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother, I got sick listening to much of the news media coverage about this war. It seems that nearly everything is in favor of terrorists and Israel is demonized. This evil world of ours is turning inside out.

We both already know that much worse is yet to come, but the Holy Bible has already declared the winner, and nothing the news media says will mean anything. Much of the world doesn't know or believe that JESUS CHRIST is coming again. HE will come in GREAT POWER AND WRATH, and JESUS CHRIST will be the uncontested winner. We also both know that the entire world can't destroy Israel, regardless of how hard they try. We know that because the Holy Bible tells us so. Israel will be restored and JESUS CHRIST Himself will claim the Throne of David in Jerusalem and rule and reign over the earth for 1,000 years.

GOD has promises that HE will fulfill to Israel, and they will be perfectly fulfilled at HIS appointed time. There will be ONLY one super power on earth, and HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST. HE is the anointed KING of Israel, and HE will most definitely claim HIS CROWN. This might sound ironic to some because we already know that JESUS CHRIST is the KING OF KINGS of HIS Heavenly Kingdom.

BUT, there is more in the Holy Bible. We should all know that JESUS CHRIST has not yet forced all things to come under subjection to HIM, but the Holy Bible promises that HE Will. We should also know that the devil and forces of evil are running loose, getting worse and worse by the minute. The Holy Bible promises that JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF will crush the forces of evil and lock the devil away for 1,000 years. This hasn't happened yet, but it will. IT'S A PROMISE OF GOD, and it MUST come to pass.

So, the forces of evil can brag all they want in this day and time, but their future is in the fires of hell.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hebrews 11:1-3 NASB  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

[Shammu]

Syria President Assad Threatens War
Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2006 10:26 a.m. EDT

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad says his country is prepared for war with Israel and warned that the Golan Heights would be seized "by Syrian hands.”

In an interview with the Egyptian publication Al-Usbu after the ceasefire in Lebanon went into effect, Assad declared: "Syria has been prepared and ready since the first day of the war . . .

"We and the resistance (Hezbollah) read clearly that the day of confrontation was definitely approaching. The current war is five years old, and there were widespread preparations for this day.”

Assad said he is convinced that steps toward peace "have fallen off, and that the Golan will be liberated by Syrian hands.”

Asked what the expected results would be if Israel launched an attack against Syria, Assad said: "If Israel acts with adventurism and enters into a war with Syria, this will be the beginning of a heavy price that it will pay.”

Assad said Hezbollah’s conflict with Israel marks "a new stage in the history of [the Arab] nation, and he remarked ominously: "To this day no one in American intelligence or Israeli intelligence knows what the true capabilities of the resistance are.”

The Syrian government daily Al-Thawra claimed Hezbollah had achieved a military victory over Israel, which "forced the Americans to make huge diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing [the victory] from being translated into a new political reality.”

On Tuesday, Germany’s foreign minister abruptly canceled a planned visit to Syria after Assad gave a speech ridiculing Israel’s military offensive in Lebanon and warning against disarming Hezbollah.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier had already boarded a plane in Jordan for the flight to Syria when he canceled the trip, saying Assad’s speech was "going in completely the wrong direction” on the need for peace in the region.

Syria President Assad Threatens War

[Rookieupgrade1]

Hello Dreamweaver,

Brother, I got sick listening to much of the news media coverage about this war. It seems that nearly everything is in favor of terrorists and Israel is demonized. This evil world of ours is turning inside out.

We both already know that much worse is yet to come, but the Holy Bible has already declared the winner, and nothing the news media says will mean anything. Much of the world doesn't know or believe that JESUS CHRIST is coming again. HE will come in GREAT POWER AND WRATH, and JESUS CHRIST will be the uncontested winner. We also both know that the entire world can't destroy Israel, regardless of how hard they try. We know that because the Holy Bible tells us so. Israel will be restored and JESUS CHRIST Himself will claim the Throne of David in Jerusalem and rule and reign over the earth for 1,000 years.

GOD has promises that HE will fulfill to Israel, and they will be perfectly fulfilled at HIS appointed time. There will be ONLY one super power on earth, and HIS NAME IS JESUS CHRIST. HE is the anointed KING of Israel, and HE will most definitely claim HIS CROWN. This might sound ironic to some because we already know that JESUS CHRIST is the KING OF KINGS of HIS Heavenly Kingdom.

BUT, there is more in the Holy Bible. We should all know that JESUS CHRIST has not yet forced all things to come under subjection to HIM, but the Holy Bible promises that HE Will. We should also know that the devil and forces of evil are running loose, getting worse and worse by the minute. The Holy Bible promises that JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF will crush the forces of evil and lock the devil away for 1,000 years. This hasn't happened yet, but it will. IT'S A PROMISE OF GOD, and it MUST come to pass.

So, the forces of evil can brag all they want in this day and time, but their future is in the fires of hell.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Hebrews 11:1-3 NASB  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the men of old gained approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

Amen!

oh and........


RIGHT ON!!

[Shammu]

Russia Tries to Draw Ex-Soviet States Closer
By Sergei Blagov
CNSNews.com Correspondent
August 17, 2006

Moscow (CNSNews.com) - At a summit of former Soviet states, Russia has agreed to settle a dispute with neighboring Ukraine over natural gas prices, which contributed to a split between the two former allies.

Moscow also used the event to further strengthen its economic relations with countries in its neighborhood, where some ex-Soviet states have moved away from its influence and towards the West.

A damaging disagreement over prices for gas supplies from Russia to Ukraine early this year saw Russia cut off gas, a move that also had a ripple effect on European countries whose gas supplies from Russia travel across Ukrainian territory.

Ukraine's new, pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich told journalists Wednesday that the two countries had now agreed on prices for Russian gas until the beginning of 2007.

Agreement came during talks between Yanukovich and his Russian counterpart, Mikhail Fradkov, who said Russia would pump 24.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas into Ukraine's storage facilities by the end of the year.

Many observers saw the dispute as part of an attempt by Russia to punish its neighbor for drifting out of its orbit and towards the West under President Viktor Yushchenko.

The president was forced recently to offer the premiership to his rival, Yanukovich, to end a long-running political crisis in Ukraine.

Yanukovich met with Fradkov at the Black Sea resort of Sochi, on the sidelines of a meeting of the Eurasian Economic Community (EEC), an organization formed in 2001 whose aim is to boost economic cooperation between Russia and its neighbors that was lost when the Soviet Union disintegrated.

It comprises Russia, Belarus and the Central Asian states of Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Ukraine, Armenia and Moldova attended are currently observers.

President Vladimir Putin and other leaders discussed plans to create a customs union that would unite all of the EEC states.

Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev told a news conference that by October or November, a fledgling customs union would be in place, comprising a core of three nations - Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Others are expected to follow later.

Moscow wants to see the EEC continue to expand. Last January it gained its sixth full member, Uzbekistan, the most populous of the four Central Asian republics.

As with other post-Soviet blocs, Russia dominates the EEC. It has a 40 percent vote in the grouping, and also funds 40 percent of its budget.

In another important development Wednesday, Uzbekistan confirmed its return to another post-Soviet grouping, the Collective Security Treaty. Uzbekistan was a member of the CST, but withdrew in 1999 when its relations with the West were improving.

After strong U.S. and European criticism of a 2005 clampdown in the city of Andijan, President Islam Karimov ended his short-lived dalliance with the West and moved back towards Moscow.

The CST links Russia with the Central Asian "stans" as well as Belarus and Armenia.

Russia Tries to Draw Ex-Soviet States Closer

[Shammu]

Lebanese Army Begins Deployment in Southern Lebanon
By Julie Stahl
CNSNews.com Jerusalem Bureau Chief
August 17, 2006

Jerusalem (CNSNews.com) - The Lebanese army crossed the Litani River and began deploying its forces in southern Lebanon on Thursday, but in a development that may rupture the ceasefire, Hizballah is refusing to give up its weapons.

According to U.N. resolution 1701, which has halted fighting between Israel and Hizballah -- at least for the time being -- the Lebanese government has committed itself to deploy its army in southern Lebanon with the help of an international force.

The resolution also prohibits any weapons in southern Lebanon except for those held by the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

Lebanese trucks and tanks were seen heading south on Thursday, and one force reached the town of Marjayoun, less than five miles from the Israeli border.

Lebanese General Charles Shikhani, head of the forces in the Marjayoun area, said the army should be deployed along the Israeli-Lebanese border within 24 hours.

The Israeli army confirmed on Thursday that it had indeed begun the process of handing over the area to UNIFIL and the Lebanese army.

"The process will be carried out in stages and is conditional on the reinforcement of UNIFIL forces and the ability of the Lebanese army to take effective control of the area," the army said.

"The deployment of the Lebanese army in southern Lebanon is one of Israel's diplomatic aims and one of the goals of the IDF operation in southern Lebanon," the army said.

According to a statement, Israel will continue to defend its forces in southern Lebanon until the responsibility if fully in Lebanese and UNIFIL hands. Afterwards, Israel will deploy on the Israeli side of the internationally recognized border, it said.

But already there are violations of the U.N. resolution, Israel said.

The Lebanese cabinet has decided that Hizballah will not be disarmed in southern Lebanon. Instead, it will refrain from openly carrying its weapons.

"The weapons of the resistance [Hizballah] are the only ones, of all Arabs, that succeeded in standing up to Israel and defeating it. No one can take away the weapons of the resistance, certainly not by force," pro-Syrian Lebanese President Emile Lahoud said.

His comments are almost identical to those made by Hizballah leader Hassan Nasrallah earlier this week.

Lahoud, who headed the cabinet meeting, said that the army would "be for all the Lebanese.""

But that's not the only violation, Israel said. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni met with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York on Wednesday and told him that Israel is expecting the release of its two soldiers, who were abducted by Hizballah on July 12 in a cross-border attack, triggering the 34-day war.

"The fact that the kidnapped soldiers have not yet been released by Hizballah constitutes a clear violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, and I expect that the international community [will] continue to work for their immediate release," Livni told Annan according to a statement released by her office.

Annan also agreed to Livni's request to meet with the families of the kidnapped soldiers, the statement said.

Lebanese Army Begins Deployment in Southern Lebanon

[Shammu]

Invoking Hizballah, Sudan's Leader Vows to Defeat Any UN Force
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
August 16, 2006

(CNSNews.com) - Amid calls for the U.N. to deploy peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region by October 1, the country's Islamist leader has vowed to emulate Hizballah in Lebanon and rout any incoming force.

"We oppose the deployment of American, British or other forces imposed by the Security Council," Sudan's state news agency quoted President Omar al-Bashir as saying in an address to the North African country's armed forces.

"We are determined to defeat any forces entering the country just as Hizballah has defeated the Israeli forces," he said, echoing the view expressed by Syria, Iran and Hizballah itself that the recent conflict in Lebanon had ended in victory for the terrorist group.

The Sudan Tribune said Bashir also has reaffirmed Sudanese "solidarity" with the Lebanese and Palestinians.

The U.N. estimates that more than 200,000 people have been killed in Darfur since fighting erupted between the government and several rebel groups in 2003. Two million more have been displaced, and both rebels and notorious government-sponsored militias have been accused of abuses against civilians.

The government and one rebel faction signed a peace agreement last May, but the violence has continued - and in some ways has worsened, with rebel groups fracturing and turning on each other as well, leading to a worsening humanitarian situation, according to aid groups.

A small, underfunded African Union (A.U.) force has been monitoring the agreement, but the organization wants to hand over to a U.N. force by October.

Last week, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack reaffirmed that the U.S. backed the A.U. position and was "pushing hard at the U.N. and elsewhere to try to make that happen."

The force envisaged by U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan will largely come from African and Asian nations, with support from developed countries.

Annan said in a report to the Security Council that a U.N. mission would need between 15,300 and 18,600 troops, depending on the required deployment speed and levels of troop density.

He said the force would focus primarily on protecting civilians, including the large number of internally-displaced people currently living in camps.

Pointing to the need to get Sudan's consent, Annan said "the United Nations has no
hidden agenda ... beyond the urgent need to help the population and prevent the crisis from spreading further."

It would be deployed to help the parties to implement the peace agreement, "not to occupy the country."

He urged Khartoum not to misrepresent the aims of the U.N. for political ends.

New York-based non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch says the Security Council should impose sanctions on senior Sudanese officials.

"The council should impose personal, targeted sanctions on top Sudanese officials responsible for preventing U.N. troops from being sent to Darfur," said the group's Africa director, Peter Takirambudde, in a statement Monday.

The statement suggested strongly that Bashir should be among those targeted, calling him "the most powerful actor" in a government that had "defied the Security Council for two years."

Currently only four individuals have been subjected to sanctions over Darfur. A travel ban and assets freeze were imposed last April against a Sudanese military officer, the leader of a pro-government militia, and two rebel commanders.

Invoking Hizballah, Sudan's Leader Vows to Defeat Any UN Force

[Shammu]

Lebanese general arrested after being filmed with IDF soldiers
By The Associated Press

A Lebanese general was ordered arrested Wednesday for appearing in a videotape drinking tea with Israeli soldiers who had occupied his south Lebanon barracks during their incursion of the country.

Brig. gotcha98 Daoud was summoned and ordered held for questioning, Interior Minister Ahmed Fatfat said in a statement. Daoud is commanding officer of the 1,000-strong joint police-army force that had positions in southern Lebanon and was based in Marjayoun.

Israeli troops seized the barracks there last week and held him and 350 soldiers for a day before allowing them to leave the occupied zone. The Lebanese garrison, which is lightly armed, did not resist the Israeli force which moved in armor into the base.

In the videotape, aired on Israeli television and carried by a Lebanese TV station Wednesday, Daoud was shown having tea with smiling Israeli soldiers and walking with them in the base courtyard.

Lebanon considers itself in a state of war with Israel, although it signed an armistice in 1949. To this day, Lebanon does not recognize Israel, and Lebanese law forbids any dealings with it.

In 2000, after Israel withdrew its army from southern Lebanon, those who worked for Israel were arrested tried and given jail terms ranging from a few months to several years. Those civilians who fled to Israel and later returned were also arrested and given prison terms.

Lebanon refuses entry to any foreigner who has an Israeli entry or exit stamp on his passport.

Lebanese general arrested after being filmed with IDF soldiers

[Shammu]

West Bank pullout may be next casualty

Julian Borger in Jerusalem
Wednesday August 16, 2006
The Guardian

One of the many casualties of the war in Lebanon will almost certainly be the Israeli government's plans to withdraw unilaterally from the West Bank.

Ehud Olmert's government has been weakened by intense criticism of its handling of the war and is in no position to force through its controversial "realignment policy" of unilateral withdrawal from Palestinian territory.

Hizbullah's unleashing of thousands of rockets from a border strip in Lebanon vacated six years ago by Israeli forces, coming soon after Hamas's use of rockets from the Gaza Strip, has created a political backlash against withdrawal.

Mr Olmert's hopes of pursuing his realignment policy appeared to have been delivered a fatal blow yesterday, with the leak of a government-appointed panel's report on its consequences. According to Ha'aretz newspaper, the committee found that a withdrawal would leave cities such as Tel Aviv vulnerable to rocket attacks from the West Bank.

"It is well known that as far as public opinion is concerned, unilateral steps are over already," said Avshalom Vilan, a Knesset member from the leftwing Meretz party. "They will not work. There is no majority for them in the Knesset at the moment or in the future."

He added that Palestinian militants might draw inspiration from Hizbullah and rely more heavily on rocket attacks against Israel.

Ghassan Khatib, the labour minister in the Palestinian Authority, confirmed that Hizbullah's perceived ability to survive an Israeli offensive for more than a month had strengthened Palestinian militancy.

"In public opinion, there is an increase in support for military solutions and resistance as a strategy rather than negotiations," Mr Khatib said.

Former prime minister Ariel Sharon founded the Kadima party specifically to carry out unilateral withdrawals from occupied territories and he led the pull-out from Gaza almost exactly a year ago. When Mr Sharon had a stroke in January and the Kadima leadership passed to Mr Olmert, he won an election on the pledge to do the same on the West Bank - a far more difficult task because of the much higher number of Jewish settlers and Israeli ambitions to hold on to a significant amount of the territory.

Yossi Alpher, an adviser to former prime minister Ehud Barak at the 2000 Camp David peace talks, said: "We have already been attacked across two internationally recognised borders, across which we withdrew unilaterally, and the West Bank won't even be an internationally negotiated border."

If the realignment policy has reached a dead end, it represents a serious threat to Kadima, which has largely been a single-issue party, and its coalition. If rightwing Kadima members start to defect to Likud, the government could fall apart.

While there is widespread agreement that realignment has hit a brick wall, it is far from clear what the government will do next. Mr Vilan said he hoped the impasse would lead to a resumption of dialogue with the Palestinian Authority over a negotiated withdrawal.

"Maybe it will accelerate negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians on the understanding that without it there can be no solution in Gaza or the West Bank," he said. "And also, because without doing so they will come to a dead end on their main policy, and I don't see how Kadima will survive without that political momentum."

Mr Khatib said there were growing fears among Palestinians that Mr Olmert and the Israeli army might try to rescue their reputations with a broad offensive against Hamas in Gaza. "People are worried because Israel might try to create victories on the Palestinian front after its difficulties on the Lebanese front," he said.

West Bank pullout may be next casualty

[Shammu]

Hariri accuses Assad of trying to sow strife
   
     

BEIRUT (AP) — The head of Lebanon's largest parliamentary block blasted both Israel and Syria in a fiery nationalistic speech Thursday to hundreds of supporters.

“The history of Israel is a black history, a hateful one, of destruction,” said Saad Hariri, in a speech praising the Lebanese army for moving into south Lebanon.

“Israeli attacks can destroy Lebanon [physically] but will not touch Lebanese unity,” Hariri said.

The son of slain former prime minister Rafiq Hariri, a top US ally, said Israel had a history of “living off the blood” of Palestinian, Lebanese and other Arab people.

Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Mark Regev, when asked about the Hariri speech, said: “Too often in the Arab world, people think that political legitimacy is attained by bashing Israel.” Regev had not heard the speech but was responding to a news account of the address that was read to him.

He also accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of trying to sow strife in the neighbouring country where it kept an occupation force for 29 years.

Hariri was responding to a speech Tuesday by the Syrian leader in which he accused Lebanon's anti-Syrian groups of allying themselves with Israel, which bombarded Lebanon for 34 days.

“The speech was an incitement for sedition in Lebanon.

“The Syrian president has hurt his position, Syria's and Lebanon's,” he said in a speech to supporters.

The United States has accused Syria of meddling in Lebanese affairs, and the UN Security Council has demanded Syria stop interfering.

In his speech, Assad attacked Israel and its prime supporter, the United States, and said US plans for a new Middle East have become an illusion following what he described as a victory by the Iranian and Syrian-backed Hizbollah against Israel in the July 12-Aug. 14 fighting.

Hariri, a strong backer of Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's government, called on Lebanese to rally behind the government of Lebanon.

He went on to attack Syria's domestic and regional policies.

“The Syrian regime is exploiting the blood of Qana and Gaza and Baghdad to bring sedition to Lebanon, Palestine and Iraq so that the Muhajereen palace now deserves to be called the 'Mutajereen' palace,” he said playing on words.

Muhajereen is the presidential palace in Damascus, while Mutajereen means exploiters.

That was a reference to Qana, where dozens of Lebanese civilians were killed in an Israeli air strike on July 30. Syria also was accused stirring up trouble in Iraq.

Hariri and his supporters have accused Syria's leadership of involvement in the late Hariri's assassination in 2005, an event that sparked mass protests in Lebanon and intensified international pressure that led Syria to withdraw its army from the country. Syria denied involvement although a UN investigation has implicated Syrian intelligence officials in the bombing that killed Hariri and 21 others.

Relations between Lebanon and Syria have plummeted since the Syrian troop withdrawal last year, with politicians in both countries leveling insults and accusations against each other.

However, that tension eased during the Israel-Hizbollah fighting as Syria hosted tens of thousands of Lebanese refugees, until Assad fired the new salvo in his Tuesday speech, drawing sharp condemnation from opponents in Lebanon.

Lebanese lawmaker and Druze political leader Walid Jumblatt, a staunch critic of the Syrian regime and an ally of the United States, said, nevertheless that he believed the US interest was primarily Israel's security.

“We don't want Lebanon — or south Lebanon specifically — to be a testing ground of preemptive wars by America and Israel against Iran and Syria or the otherway around,” he said at a news conference.

Jumblatt, a harsh critic of Hizbollah's alliance with Iran and Syria, said the Iranians were trying to improve their negotiating position over their nuclear programme “on the rubble of the [Lebanese] people”. Assad, he said, wanted “to avoid accountability through an international tribunal” in the Hariri assassination.

“This is the objective convergence between Ahmadinejad and Bashar Assad,” he said.

Hariri accuses Assad of trying to sow strife

[Shammu]

Al-Aqsa: We learned missiles subdue Israel

Abu Nasser, commander of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Nablus, encouraged by war results. 'Our brothers demonstrated what we have felt in recent years: Israel falling apart. Next time Iran will be in picture with missiles on Tel Aviv and it will be easier'
Ali Waked

The Palestinian terror organizations are looking north and are filled with satisfaction and hope for the next step.

"We learned from Hizbullah that the tools that make a difference are missiles. If achieve expertise in this field, we won't make do with the simple rockets we have. There is no doubt that we can subdue Israel ," Abu Nasser, a commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Fatah's military wing, told Ynet.

"Since the Gulf War, missiles were what brought Israel to the negotiation table. The withdrawal from Gaza was also a result of missiles. If we use them correctly in the West Bank, we will get rid of the IDF here too," Abu Nasser explained.

According to him, his organization wasn't surprised by what he defines "the defeat Hizbullah handed to Israel."

He continued on to say that "Hizbullah has been impenetrable in recent years, working quietly and successfully putting the IDF to sleep. If we adopt these operational patterns, there is no doubt that our turn will come. We learned that with faith and good preparation, you can defeat the Israeli military."

Abu Nasser is not ruffled by the IDF's threats to West Bank towns if they use missiles against Israeli cities. "They threatened to demolish Gaza and Lebanon and we saw that wasn't so terrible. The question is if we, the Palestinian organizations, can withstand the initial fire of Israel. If we succeed in prevent collapsing after the first hit – there is a chance we will win."

According to him, the inability to withstand the initial blow is what defeated the Palestinians in Defensive Shield.

"The operation in Lebanon is similar in scope in terms of the Israeli forces that participated to Operation Defensive Shield. There, except for the refugee camps Balata and Jenin, everything happened immediately. From Hizbullah we learned that if we build a proper defense system in bunkers, we will be able to sustain the fire in the initial days. There is no doubt that we too will succeed."

'Hizbullah showed Israel what an army is'  The success of the Israeli security forces to penetrate the terror organizations, which enables the thwarting of terror attacks in their planning stages, is in Abu Nasser's opinion another weak point of the Palestinian organizations in contrast with Hizbullah. "There is no doubt that we need to work on this issue because it explains, in my opinion, 90 percent of their success," he explained.

Abu Nasser claims that they can succeed if they mortally strike down the "army of collaborators" with Israel, just as Hizbullah hit the Southern Lebanese Army. "We need to dedicate a certain time period to cleansing our forces of collaborators. Then there won't be any force that can stand before us, although I won't say it's simple."

The Palestinian organizations conclude after the war in Lebanon that "it is possible to beat and even defeat the Israeli military," according to Abu Nasser.

"Hizbullah proved what we have already known and felt here in a number of opportunities. The Israelis are lying when they paint their military as unbeatable. A few hundred Hizbullah fighters showed them what an army is, and how to conduct a battle."

According to Abu Nasser, Nasrallah's organization still hasn't had its last word.

"From our acquaintance with them, there is no way they are going to disarm. The organization has strategic objectives and the current battle proves that if it will decide to initiate another battle – the road is paved. The next time Iran will be in the picture and missiles on Tel Aviv will be part of the game. When this happens, it will be a lot easier for us. We are proud of our brothers, the Hizbullah fighters. They are inspirational teachers that demonstrated everything we have been feeling in recent years – Israel is falling apart," he said.

Al-Aqsa: We learned missiles subdue Israel

[Shammu]

'Israel can only lose once'
by Hal Lindsey
Posted: August 18, 2006
Worldnetdaily © 2006

During one of Israel's many wars, Golda Meir offered this famous – and tragic – observation: "The Arabs can fight, and lose, and return to fight another day. Israel can only lose once." Golda's assessment became a truism of the Middle East up until now. And the jury is still out as to whether her assessment remains true to this day.

In the strange and surreal world that is the Middle East, Israel lost its war with Hezbollah. And while it remains intact at the moment, her enemies no longer view the Jewish state as invincible. History tells us that means the current cease-fire is a temporary condition at best, and that next time, Israel will be facing a lot more than an outlaw terrorist organization like Hezbollah.

On second thought, strike that. Hezbollah is only an outlaw terrorist organization in the eyes of the United States. Europe sees Hezbollah as a radical but legitimate political party that constitutes part of Lebanon's legally elected government. The United Nations has yet, in its long history, to come up with a definition of "terrorist," let alone outlaw one.

So let's rephrase it to say that Israel will likely face a lot more formidable enemy that just Hezbollah next time. And make no mistake – there will be a "next time." Israel, for the first time in its history, failed to meet a single one of its war objectives. It meekly accepted a substandard, U.N.-imposed cease-fire, leaving Hezbollah largely intact, Hassan Nasrallah unscathed; it failed to eliminate Hezbollah's arsenal of rockets; and, worst of all, it came home without the two hostages kidnapped by Hezbollah that prompted the war in the first place.

Until now, it had been an unshakeable article of faith that Israel was capable of imposing whatever outcome it deemed necessary against any Arab force. And, until now, Israel continued to press its military advantage until it had attained its stated goals.

That is no longer the case. After a month-long war, Israeli forces limped home as Hezbollah, Syria and Iran all claimed victory against the Jewish state. It was defeated by a newly invented international "law of proportionality" that dictates Israel cannot achieve a greater victory against its enemies than its enemies are capable of inflicting upon them.

Of course, such a ridiculous law could only be imposed against Israel. The United States did not use "proportional" force against the Taliban and al-Qaida in Afghanistan in 2002. Osama bin Laden used three commercial airplanes against the United States. The United States used every weapon in its formidable arsenal, with the exception of nuclear weapons, to bomb Afghanistan further into the Stone Age than it had already been.

Were the United States to subject itself to the law of proportionality, we would have sent 19 guys with armed with box knives to exact revenge for Sept. 11. Of course, it's stupid. But it evidently didn't sound as stupid when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed on to the idea and joined the U.N. in demanding a cease-fire that left Hezbollah armed, in place and able to re-arm, regroup and try again. Oh, Secretary Rice spoke great, swelling words about not maintaining the status quo, but when it got down to it, she folded up like a cheap lawn chair.

The "status quo" before Israel attacked Hezbollah had the armed terror group ensconced along Israel's borders, raiding Israeli territory at will, and killing and kidnapping any Israeli soldier within reach of its infiltrating forces, without fear of interference from the incompetent and unsympathetic UNIFIL forces ostensibly stationed there to ensure Israel's border security.

Following Israel's month-long war, Hezbollah remains intact, armed with long-range rockets, capable of attacking Israel at will without fear of interference from the UNIFIL forces still stationed there. The only difference is that Lebanon is dispatching a military force that it openly admits has no intention of either disarming Hezbollah or engaging it militarily if it decides to resume its previous infiltration or kidnapping tactics.

The U.N. has yet to put together a credible military deterrent, and so far, the only nations willing to contribute troops are overwhelmingly sympathetic to Hezbollah and Lebanon. The biggest contributor so far is France. Lebanon is a former French colony. And it is hard to imagine Paris engaging its ally to defend the Jews. France is among the most openly anti-Semitic nations in Europe.

Hezbollah acquired anti-tank weapons from Syria and Iran that decimated Israeli armor. Syria and Iran have both since claimed joint victory against Israel, along with Hezbollah, and have pledged to continue the conflict until Israel has been wiped from the map.

Hezbollah has demonstrated that total Arab defeat is not inevitable – and with this demonstration, Israel has lost its tremendous psychological advantage. If Hezbollah could hold the mighty Israeli juggernaut at bay, then the possibility that Israel could finally and decisively be wiped from the map of the Middle East by another pan-Arab army is once again feasible.

Hezbollah has emerged as a massive political force. Syria, marginalized in recent years, has re-emerged as a regional player as Hezbollah's patron. Hezbollah's victory represents a victory for Iran and the Shia. Hezbollah, a Shiite force, has done what others could not do.

This will certainly result in both Jordan and Egypt rethinking their own assumptions about the viability of another war of annihilation against Israel. In a sense, the Arabs have little to lose by taking the risk. If they win, they will have succeeded in reclaiming their lost honor in previous conflicts, with the added bonus of having rid the world of the Jewish cancer in its midst. And if they lose, they can once again count on the U.N. imposing a cease-fire in time for them to remain intact and viable.

One doesn't need a crystal ball to know that Syria and Iran will move quickly to exploit the advantage Israel's defeat at the hands of Hezbollah has given them.

This is exactly the outcome that both Damascus and Tehran had been hoping for, although they certainly didn't expect it. But now that it is a reality, Golda's words echo with haunting clarity. "The Arabs can fight, and lose, and return to fight another day. Israel can only lose once."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just like President Bush has said,  the terrorist can losee a bunch of times.  America can only lose once.  I have to agree with Hal  on this one.

[Shammu]

 Netanyahu Recruiting Ex-IDF Officers
03:27 Aug 20, '06 / 26 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Likud chairman and Knesset Member Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu has met with former IDF officers in recent weeks in an effort to recruit them to join the Likud, which received only 12 Knesset seats in the last election. Among those whom Netanyahu has contacted is former IDF Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon

A recent poll showed that if elections were held today, the Likud would win 20 mandates while the Kadima party led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert would remain static with 29 members.

Netanyahu Recruiting Ex-IDF Officers

[Shammu]

 U.S. Says Israel Reacted to Arms Smuggling
02:01 Aug 20, '06 / 26 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) The Bush administration said Saturday night that Israel's Saturday morning operation in eastern Lebanon was a reaction to arms smuggling from Syria, which the United Nations Security Council resolution prohibits. The U.S. did not criticize Israel.

U.N. envoy Terje Larsen said that Israel violated the resolution if media reports of the operation were correct but he added that Hizbullah also violated the agreement if it smuggled weapons.

U.S. Says Israel Reacted to Arms Smuggling

[Shammu]

 Saudi Arabia Signs $20 Billion Defense Deal With Britain
23:59 Aug 19, '06 / 25 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) Britain and Saudi Arabia have closed a $20 billion deal that will provide the oil kingdom with 72 Euro fighter jets, according to the Financial Times.

The value of the deal could double over the next 25 years if Britain's biggest defense manufacturer, BAE, maintains and upgrades the aircraft. Germany, Italy and Spain also build the jets and will benefit from the purchase.

Saudi Arabia Signs $20 Billion Defense Deal With Britain

[Shammu]

 Weather: Hottest of the Year
00:21 Aug 20, '06 / 26 Av 5766

(IsraelNN.com) The worst heat wave of the summer is headed toward Israel, where temperatures will start rising Sunday and reach a peak on Wednesday. No relief is expected before Friday.

The heat wave is unusual for the middle of summer and usually covers the country in spring and early fall. Temperatures at night will range from 23 Celsius (73 Fahrenheit) in the hills of the Galilee and 31 C (88 F) in Eilat. During the day, the thermometer will hit 43 C (109 F) in Eilat, 40 C (104 F) on Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) and in the mid-30s C (mid-upper 90s F) in the center of the country.

Weather: Hottest of the Year