News, Prophecy and other

[Shammu]

England afraid to fly its own flag

Following threats by extremist Islamic group, several corporations, chain of pubs ban England flag
Modi Kreitman

Following warnings by extremist Islamic group al-Muhajiroun, in which the group said that the red cross in the England flag symbolizes the 'blood thirsty crusaders' and the occupation of Muslims, some of the largest companies in England have ordered their workers not to wave the flags.

The flag has recently appeared in England on everything from bikinis to cars, and sold in endless versions in stores.

But the Islamic protest forced some corporations, such as cable companies NTL, Heathrow airport in London, and even the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Agency to ban the flag in every form due to fears from reactions of Muslims.

The Sun tabloid newspaper has in recent days launched a campaign to bring back the flag, and has published a blacklist of companies preventing their workers from expressing their patriotism at work.

The Sun said that a large pub network has banned drinkers from entering with symbols of the national team.

The hero of the day is a two year-old toddler, who was thrown out with his parents from Leicester, because he wore the England team's uniform.

England afraid to fly its own flag

[Shammu]

Jihadists issue threat to UK

Islamist websites: 'The British government is playing with a dangerous fire, and the fire when played with will burn you or will give you a shock'
Yaakov Lappin

A new message appearing on a number of jihadi websites in the UK has warned the British government that "it is playing with a dangerous fire."

"Verily this Government needs to think carefully about the consequences of their action because they are playing with a dangerous fire, and the fire when played with will burn you or will give you a shock!" the message said.

The warning was first posted on the al-Ghurabaa website, and later reproduced on the Saved Sect website.

Both sites were created by followers of the Beirut-based cleric Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, who was banned from Britain shortly after the London suicide bomb attacks, and who declared that Britain was a "land of war" a number of months before the attacks.

The most recent message accused the British government of carrying on a "crusade" against Islam, and cited the recent arrest of Anjem Choudary, an outspoken deputy of Omar Bakri.

'Europe will pay'

Choudary was arrested after being accused of organizing demonstrations in February in London against cartoons depicting Islam's prophet, Muhammad.

During the protests, signs were held threatening terrorist attacks and murder. One sign held by a masked protester read: "Europe you
will pay, Bin Laden is on his way."

"Following the recent provocation and animosity towards the Muslims, and in particular the arrests of Anjem Choudary and Abdul Muhid at Stansted airport on May 5 and then the attempted distortion and accusations against them by certain sections of the media, it has become crystal clear that the British government is continuing in her crusade against Islam and Muslims and is working tirelessly to silence the voice of any sincere Muslim," the online warning stated.

The authors of the message lamented what they described as a clampdown on Islamic scholars, and claimed that the UK government pursued a policy whereby "any Muslim scholar who teaches Islam will be deported, arrested or threatened with that in order to silence the voice of Islam from being heard!"

The al-Ghurabaa website contains another section entitled "The crimes of the British government," where it accuses Britain of "terrorist acts and crimes against Islam," including being "the main cause of the destruction of the Islamic State." The section also states that Britain "granted Palestine to the Jews by their Balfour Declaration… conspired against Muslims in the Balkans region… and fully support the barbaric killing of the civilian population of Iraq."

Jihadists issue threat to UK

[Shammu]

London Islamists target Israel, Denmark

Radical groups call on supporters to wage holy war against Israel and Denmark, slam Muhammad cartoons
Yaakov Lappin

UK-based jihadist groups have issued calls for their followers to mobilize and wage "holy war" against Israel and Denmark in recent days through internet messages on their websites.

Decrees by the Saved Sect and the Al-Ghurabaa organizations, both founded by followers of notorious Islamist leader Sheikh Omar Bakri (who was banned from Britain after the July London bombings) have called on British Muslims to "support the jihad against Israel," and to "kill those who insult the prophet Muhammad," in reference to the cartoons of Islam's prophet that appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten.

"The kuffar in their sustained crusade against Islam and Muslims have yet again displayed their hatred towards us this time by attacking the honour of our beloved Messenger Muhammad," a message in the Ghurabba website read.

'Denmark has history of blasphemy against Islam'

The website continued: "Denmark has a history of blasphemy against Islam… Last year the queen of Denmark aired her disapproval of Islam and for those ‘whom religion is their entire life.'"

In an explicit call for acts of murder, the site added: "At the time of the Messenger Muhammad (saw) there were individuals like these who dishonored and insulted him upon whom the Islamic judgment was executed. Such people were not tolerated in the past and throughout the history of Islam were dealt with according to the Shariah."

"The insulting of the Messenger Muhammad (saw) is something that the Muslims cannot and will not tolerate and the punishment in Islam for the one who does so is death. This is the sunnah (recorded words and actions of Muhammad) of the prophet and the verdict of Islam upon such people, one that any Muslim is able execute," the website said.

Describing Denmark, Norway, and France (where newspapers have republished the cartoons) as the "trinity of hell," and showing an image of the flags of the three nations engulfed in flames, Al-Ghurabaa has called for a demonstration outside the Danish Embassy in London this Friday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Saved Sect group has posted a message entitled "Jihad for Palestine," and has called on its members to demonstrate outside of the Israeli Embassy in London on February 24.

Call for Israel's destruction

"The Followers of Ahl Us-Sunnah wal Jamma (original group formed by Omar Bakri) call upon all Muslim individuals, groups and organizations to show their support verbally, physically and financially to the Mujahideen (holy warriors) who are struggling against the fascist entity called Israel so that it can be destroyed once and for all," said the statement.

The authors of the communication said they wished "to remind all Muslims that Allah made the support of the Jihad in Palestine an obligation upon Muslim wherever they are."

A jihad conference in Britain has also been called by the same group, for "all Muslims to support the intensifying Jihad against the enemies of Allah." The details of the conference have not yet been advertised.

London Islamists target Israel, Denmark

[Shammu]

Top cleric: Murder Jews in Islam's name

In TV speech, Sheikh Qaradawi stresses Islamic nature of Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Yaakov Lappin

Top Islamist cleric Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi has delivered a speech on Qatari television calling on Muslims to murder Jews in "in the name of Islam." The speech has been translated by the Arabic translation service MEMRI .

On February 25, Qaradawi told viewers: "Everything will be on our side and against Jews on (Judgment Day); at that time, even the stones and the trees will speak, with or without words, and say: 'Oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim, there's a Jew behind me, come and kill him. They will point to the Jews."

"It says 'servant of Allah,' not 'servant of desires,' 'servant of women,' 'servant of the bottle,' 'servant of Marxism,' or 'servant of liberalism'... It said 'servant of Allah,'" added Qaradawi.

Emphasizing the Islamic nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and attempting to denigrate the role of Arab nationalism, Qaradawi said: "When the Muslims, the Arabs, and the Palestinians enter a war, they do it to worship Allah. They enter it as Muslims. The hadith says: 'Oh Muslim.' It says 'oh Muslim,' not 'oh Palestinian, Jordanian, Syrian, or Arab nationalist.' No, it says: 'Oh Muslim.' When we enter (a war) under the banner of Islam, and under the banner of serving Allah, we will be victorious."

Qaradawi, who is seen as a highly influential religious leader, also threatened that if Palestinians were reluctant to carry out a jihad, other Muslims would take their place.

"We are fighting them in the name of Islam, because Islam commands us to fight whoever plunders our land, and occupies our country. All the school of Islamic jurisprudence - the Sunni, the Shiite, the Ibadhiya - and all the ancient and modern schools of jurisprudence - agree that any invader who occupies even an inch of land of the Muslims must face resistance," he said.

"The Muslims of that country must carry out the resistance, and the rest of the Muslims must help them. If the people of that country are incapable or reluctant, we must fight to defend the land of Islam, even if the local (Muslims) give it up," added Qaradawi.

Qaradawi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, was invited to London in 2004 by Mayor Ken Livingstone, who then described the cleric as a "progressive figure."

Top cleric: Murder Jews in Islam's name

[Shammu]

US to report on talks with Saudis on religious freedom
   
WASHINGTON (AFP) — The United States said Friday it would announce the outcome of talks with Saudi Arabia on reforms following the expiry of a waiver period for sanctions against the Islamic republic over religious freedom violations.

Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, was blacklisted as a "country of particular concern" by the State Department in 2004 for "its systematic violations of the right to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief."

A year after the designation, which under US law could subject the country to sanctions, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice approved a temporary 180-day "waiver of further action" to allow for talks with the Saudi government.

The waiver expired in late March 2006.

"The State Department has been working intensively with Saudi Arabia since we put in place a waiver of sanctions last September with the goal of securing progress on religious tolerance and increased freedom for religious practice there," a department spokesman told AFP.

"We will be announcing the results shortly," the spokesman said.

Two US Senators, in a letter to Rice, said they were "very concerned" that since the waiver expired more than two months ago, no action had been taken against Saudi Arabia.

"We fully expect that any action or agreement reached with the Saudi government will be made public in the interest of the accountability that results from transparency," Democratic Senator Charles Schumer and Republican Susan Collins said in the letter.

US officials told AFP there had never been any discussions of taking Saudi Arabia off the blacklist.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom, a Congress mandated body monitoring global religious rights, said Friday that action against Saudi Arabia was long overdue.

US to report on talks with Saudis on religious freedom

[Soldier4Christ]

Israeli minister: Reoccupy parts of Gaza
Rockets fly from evacuated territory as PM Olmert calls for West Bank withdrawal

JERUSALEM – Israel must stop the missiles fired regularly from the Gaza Strip aimed at nearby Jewish communities "at any cost," including possibly reoccupying parts of Gaza, Israel's Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter said at a cabinet meeting yesterday.

The statements come days after a series of missiles landed hundreds of feet from the home near Gaza of Israel's defense minister, and follow an Israeli Defense Forces anti-rocket operation last week conducted deep inside the Gaza Strip – reportedly the first such operation since Israel evacuated the territory nine months ago. Defense officials said more ground operations in Gaza will likely follow.

Critics of Israel's Gaza withdrawal had warned the retreat would prompt an onslaught of terrorism requiring the IDF to re-enter the territory. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is currently planning a second, larger withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, mountainous terrain within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the country's international airport.

Dichter, a member of Olmert's Kadima party and a vocal supporter of the Gaza withdrawal, demanded the IDF act quickly to halt the rocket fire.

"If need be, we can turn Beit Hanoun (a northern Gaza city routinely used by Palestinian terrorists to launch rockets) into a ghost town. We need to return the balance of deterrence."

Olmert responded at the meeting, which was open to the media, by stating the Israeli army has been effective at stopping missiles launched from Gaza.

"All of the operations carried out recently in Gaza brought very good results. For that, the defense establishment – and the defense minister – deserve all our respect," Olmert said.

Hours before the government meeting, a Qassam rocket scored a direct hit on a parking lot in Sderot, an Israeli city about five miles from Gaza, damaging a number of vehicles. No injuries were reported. A greenhouse in a town near Sderot was also damaged yesterday by a Qassam rocket.

Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip last August, more than 400 Qassam rockets have been fired at adjacent Jewish communities. More than 15 rockets were fired in the last week alone.

In an exclusive interview last week, Abu Abdullah, a leader of Hamas so-called military wing, told WorldNetDaily his terror group has been working to update their current arsenal of Qassam rockets. He warned Hamas is developing a new kind of the Qassam that's electronically guided for more precise hits at Jewish targets.

Palestinian groups have until now generally fired three versions of Qassams, improvised steel rockets filled with explosives and fuel. The rockets lack a guidance system and are launched from Gaza towns by terrorists who reportedly use the rocket's trajectory and known travel distance to aim at Jewish neighborhoods near the Gaza border.

The Israeli army largely has attempted to halt Qassam rocket fire utilizing artillery units and aerial strikes against suspected launching sites, but the operations have failed to stop or even slow the rate of Palestinian rocket attacks.

Last week, a special IDF unit entered deep inside the Gaza Strip and set up an ambush within the ruins of Dagit, a coastal town that previously was part of Gush Katif, the slate of Gaza's Jewish communities Israel evacuated last August. The town has been regularly used the past few months by terrorists to fire Qassam missiles.

When an Islamic Jihad Qassam missile crew arrived, reportedly intending to fire rockets, the IDF forces opened fire. The troops, backed by an IAF helicopter gunship and a naval unit, killed four Jihad members. After a fierce gun battle with nearby militants who joined in the clashes, the IDF unit exited Gaza without any casualties.

Military officials described last week's Gaza operation as "high risk" and "well orchestrated." It was the deepest the IDF has operated in Gaza since the August withdrawal. Soldiers on two occasions in the past few months entered Gaza, but only a few feet deep to search for explosives along a border fence.

Dichter's statements yesterday join a chorus of senior Israeli defense officials, including former Gaza commanders and a former defense minister, calling for Israel to reoccupy parts of Gaza.

As WND recently reported, Israeli troops in April quietly trained for a large-scale incursion and occupation of Gaza in the event it is deemed necessary.

In an interview with Israel's Maariv daily, IDF Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant, who leads the unit responsible for the Gaza area, said the army could reoccupy Gaza.

"If the price we have to pay becomes unreasonable as a result of increased [Palestinian] attacks, then we shall have to take all steps, including occupying the Gaza Strip," he said.

While Israeli officials contemplate the reoccupation of Gaza, Olmert is attempting to push through a large-scale evacuation of most of Judea and Samaria, territory commonly referred to as the West Bank.

About 200,000 Jews live in Judea and Samaria. A separation barrier, still under construction in certain areas, cordons off nearly 95 percent of the territory from Israel's pre-1967 borders. More than half Judea and Samaria's Jewish residents reside on the side of the fence closest to Israel. About 80,000 more Jews live on the other side of the barrier. Olmert officials have stated the past few weeks the new prime minister plans to enforce a withdrawal from all 68 Jewish towns that fall outside the barrier.

In a widely circulated WND article, leaders of every major Palestinian terror organization warned they will soon launch a massive violent campaign against Israel focused mainly on Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

One senior terrorist said now that Olmert announced a Judea and Samaria withdrawal, terrorism against Israel must be stepped up "to prove we are chasing out the Israelis like we did in Gaza."

[Soldier4Christ]

Hamas rejects Abbas call for Palestinian referendum

· Islamist group forced into corner by president's plan
· Prisoners' proposals accept two-state solution



The Hamas government yesterday rejected as "illegal" plans by the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to call a referendum unless the Islamist group agrees in principle by tomorrow to recognise Israel and negotiate a two-state solution.

Hamas appears paralysed by Mr Abbas's ultimatum for it to accept a document drawn up by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails that accepts a final settlement with Israel of two states living side by side. Hamas says it is unable to agree to the document in its present form. But it is also concerned about the political damage it will suffer if, as opinion polls suggest, a large majority of Palestinians back Mr Abbas and the prisoners' document.

Yesterday the prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, attacked the referendum itself. "The local law does not permit holding referendums on the Palestinian law," he said.

Aides to Mr Abbas said that as the referendum is non-binding and about seeking public approval for a policy, there is no legal obstacle to the president ordering it.

Mr Abbas wants to break the political impasse that has led to a severe economic crisis after the freezing of international aid to the Palestinian territories. He is seeking to project himself, rather than Hamas, as representative of the Palestinian people's views on peace with Israel.

Aides say a referendum that showed substantial backing among Palestinians for a negotiated agreement would also undercut the Israeli government's contention that there is no partner for peace. Recent polls show that more than 75% of Palestinian voters support his policy of negotiations with Israel for a final settlement based on the 1967 borders.

But Walid Awad, an aide to Mr Abbas, warned that the outcome was not a foregone conclusion. "Such polls may be misleading, as no one should in any way underestimate the degree of rage the Palestinian public feels against the Israeli occupation," he wrote. "Irrationality may overcome sanity, and desire for revenge will override good judgment."

"If the document fails to carry the Palestinian public vote (and there are many reasons why it may not), this will almost certainly signal the end of President Mahmoud Abbas's tenure in office. This should not be an option for anyone."

One reason for Hamas's paralysis is that it is divided over the document. Many Hamas prisoners, who are influential in deciding policies, favour negotiation, as do some political leaders in the occupied territories. But its exiled leaders in Syria and Lebanon and members of Hamas's armed wing in Gaza argue formal recognition of Israel is a concession too far.

The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, is not enthusiastic about the prisoners' document either. He was quoted as saying yesterday that the document is "unacceptable and not the basis for anything". Israel has said the document does not call for a complete end to violence but says unspecified "resistance" should be focused on the occupied territories.

Mr Olmert told the Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, at a Sinai summit yesterday that he is ready to meet Mr Abbas but that there can be no talks until groups such as Hamas are disarmed. Mr Mubarak welcomed Mr Olmert's proposals for a partial withdrawal from the West Bank but said the final drawing of Israel's borders should be carried out through negotiations with the Palestinians.

[Soldier4Christ]

Ex-Mossad chief warns of Muslim European cities

 

Ephraim Halevy says ‘by mid-century major cities in Germany, Russia will have Muslim majority; ‘we are in the middle of World War Three,’ he adds
Ahiya Raved

 

Former Mossad Director said Sunday during a meeting of the board of trustees of the Technion in Haifa that in his estimation "by the middle of the century major cities in Germany will have a Muslim majority and so will many federations in Russia."

Halevy spoke of the Islamic terror, saying it is “the main problem of the world today."

 
"We are in the middle of World War Three, and I see no end to it," he said.

 
Halevy said that he had spoken recently with a Russian official who disagreed with his prediction regarding the growing Muslim population in Europe.

 

'Can yesterday's devil become today's partner?'

 

The former head of the Mossad also addressed the issue of Hamas, saying it is "a young movement, only 19 years-old, and it is a ruthless enemy of Israel. The success of the defense establishment in fighting this organization is immense. Since the disengagement Hamas is not working against Israel, not because it likes Israel but because it's acting against its own interests."

Halevy said he was pondering over whether Hamas’ proposal for a long-term Hudna (ceasefire) should be reexamined: "Despite it all, in a changing world like ours, we to think differently, and I suggest we assess the long-term Hudna proposal. If the Hudna is for many years, that means it's no longer a ceasefire but a truce. That begs the question – can yesterday's devil become today's partner?"

 
He said he does not believe Israel should insist that Hamas recognize Israel. "We don't need its recognition. It needs Israel's recognition more."

[Soldier4Christ]

Islamic Militia Says Mogadishu Captured

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - An Islamic militia said Monday it has seized Somalia's capital after weeks of some of the bloodiest fighting in 15 years of anarchy in this Horn of Africa nation.

Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, chairman of the Islamic Courts Union, said his forces have fought off a secular alliance of warlords who have been trying to retain their grip on Somalia. The militia appeared in control of the capital, which was calm Monday.

"We want to restore peace and stability to Mogadishu. We are ready to meet and talk to anybody and any group for the interest of the people," Ahmed said on a radio broadcast.

Attempts to reach the alliance were not immediately successful; most leaders appeared to have fled the city by Monday afternoon.

The Islamic militias have made steady gains in recent days, seizing the alliance base of Balad on Sunday and enlisting former alliance commanders. Their growing power is raising fears that the nation could fall under the sway of al-Qaida, like Afghanistan did under the Taliban.

The recent surge in violence started last month, killing more than 300 people and wounding 1,700, many of them civilians caught in the crossfire. The fundamentalists accuse their rivals of working for the CIA, while the alliance says the militias have links to al-Qaida.

The United States is widely believed to be backing the alliance but American officials have refused to confirm or deny that, saying only that they will support those who fight terrorism. The United States has carried out no direct military action in Somalia since a 1993 intervention resulted in the deaths of 18 servicemen.

Somalia has had no effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. They then turned on each other, carving this impoverished nation of an estimated 8 million people into rival fiefdoms.

A U.N.-backed interim government has failed to assert control from its base in Baidoa, 155 miles from Mogadishu.

[Soldier4Christ]

Dubai firm pays $1B for John Laing Homes

Emaar Properties of Dubai, one of the largest real estate companies in the world, has agreed to acquire John Laing Homes for $1.05 billion in cash.

The purchase of California-based John Laing could have major implications for the San Francisco Bay Area.

 John Laing is the second-largest, privately held U.S. home builder with 2005 sales of $1.6 billion and 2,891 home closings.

In the last six months or so, John Laing has been an aggressive buyer of regional property on which it intended to build homes.

From the last quarter of 2005 through March, John Laing had acquired enough Bay Area land to build at least 1,300 new homes, its local president, Roger Menard, said in an interview with the Business Journal.

By way of comparison, in all of 2005, all Santa Clara County home builders -- including apartment developers -- pulled permits to construct 5,870 new homes.

Menard, John Laing's San Francisco Bay Area Region, a well-known figure in Silicon Valley residential development circles, could not be reached for comment Friday.

[Soldier4Christ]

Dubai checks in to New York
A Dubai hotel company takes the United Arab Emirates' growth campaign overseas


NEW YORK - From a sail-shaped hotel taller than the Eiffel Tower to two soaring towers coated in dark mirrored glass, the images of its hotels that the new management showed the staff of the Essex House left employees awe-struck.

''It's like a transition from Ford to Ferrari, from McDonald's to Alain Ducasse,'' Emanuele Bartolini, one of the food and beverage managers at the New York hotel, said of the new management style Jumeirah has signaled to the staff.

The hotel was re-branded Jumeirah Essex House in January. It is the Dubai-based company's first entry into the U.S. lodging market -- an ambitious step in Dubai's aggressive campaign to position itself as a business and tourism hub.

Government-owned Jumeirah, which runs developments like Burj Al Arab -- the world's most luxurious hotel built on a man-made island in the Persian Gulf -- took over management of the Essex House after the government of Dubai purchased it in September.

But running the 75-year-old Central Park South hotel might pose many challenges, including repositioning a relatively less-than-lux hotel. Also at stake is whether the Dubai investors can make an adequate return on their $500 million acquisition.

RECORD PRICE

The price at which the hotel sold was a ''record deal,'' says John Corgel, an expert on real estate, who teaches at Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Based on the 515 rooms and suites, the price per room nears $1 million. The second highest price paid for a hotel in the region would be that of Georgetown's Four Seasons: about $800,000 a room, according to Corgel.

Jumeirah would not comment on the acquisition since it was appointed to manage the hotel only. The property was acquired by the main investment arm of the emirate's government, Dubai Investment Group.

Jumeirah started operating in Dubai in 1997 and established a strong presence among its competition there. The company, whose financial results are not public, plans to quadruple its portfolio of 10 hotels in the coming four years.

In Dubai, Jumeirah runs six hotels plus other projects such as the Wild Wadi water-theme park and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management. Developments outside Dubai include the Carlton Tower and the Lowndes Hotel in London; the company was recently chosen to manage a new luxury hotel in downtown Shanghai.

NORTH AMERICA

Bill Walshe, Jumeirah's chief sales and marketing officer, would not specify what other cities are considered for international expansion, however, he stressed that North America tops the list.

''North America is definitely one of our key target markets for international expansion, and we look forward to expanding further into other key cities and resort destinations in the USA,'' he said in an e-mail.

Donna Scott, Middle East general manager of ProMark Strategies, a company that specializes in marketing for the hotel and hospitality industry, sees promise in the strategy.

''The American market can do with fresh blood. They [Jumeirah] will bring in competition; they've got experience in a very competitive market, and they know what they're doing,'' she said in a telephone interview from Dubai.

But whether that will necessarily translate into an adequate profit on the steep price paid for the Essex House is another question.

''When you're talking about buying a hotel at Central Park South, the reality is you're not going to make much of a return,'' said Sean Hennessey, an analyst with Lodging Investment Advisers. ``There's so much competition that raises the prices up and the return down -- you have to be able to accept lower than usual return.''

Both Scott and Hennessey, however, agree that the goal behind the Essex House deal might not be all about profitability. The purpose is more likely establishing a flagship in the United States with a strategic development.

$1,000 A NIGHT

Jumeirah took a similar approach with Burj Al Arab, which was built not for profit, but to make a statement, Scott said. That hotel offers only suites with rates starting at $1,000 a night and features an underwater restaurant, gold-plated decor and a helipad where Tiger Woods teed golf balls into the Persian Gulf and Andre Agassi and Roger Federer played tennis.

Although the Essex House's Art Deco design has always made it stand out as an example of raw elegance, its architecture is far more humble than Jumeirah's Dubai hotels, which feature colossal marble halls, atrium lobbies and larger-than-life chandeliers.

Under its new management, the hotel will undergo a $50 million renovation that will involve extensive redesign of the lobby, rooms and restaurants. But analysts don't expect Jumeirah to risk alienating the Essex House's existing clientele with major changes in its ambience.

''They utilize the over-the-top theme in Dubai because that's what sells in this region and is expected by travelers,'' said Scott. ``Most likely they will upgrade the facilities in keeping with the current image.''

Unlike the Jumeirah Lowndes in London, which was closed in December to undergo a $14.2 million renovation, the Essex House will remain open.

Since the new management took over the Essex House in January, it has already started training and orientations for the existing 600 staffers it intends to keep.

Award-winning Austrian Chef Christian Gradnitzer was brought over from Burj Al Arab to run the kitchen and changes have started from the basement up. The underground workers' cafeteria was revamped and now features 32-inch televisions, massage chairs and Internet-connected computers.

''There is a lot of commitment,'' said Mohammed Shafiq, a waiter who has worked at the Essex House for nine years and has witnessed three different management companies. 'It's always `we have to be the first, the best.' ''

When asked whether he knew what the new brand, Jumeirah, stood for, Shafiq said, ``Of course!

``It's this neighborhood by the beach [in Dubai] where fishermen used to live in the old days, but now is a place for this huge hotel industry, a place for the crme de la crme, just like Central Park South.''

[Soldier4Christ]

The U.S. is one of the very few countries that allow foreign interests to purchase and own property.

In the town I am living in there is currently two gas stations that are owned and operated by by Arab nationalists. Two more have just recently been purchased by Arab nationalists. I don't want to be a conspiratists type nut but it does appear that this group intends to do as they have said. To take over the U.S. in any manner that they can. (take note of the last few posts in this thread on the Dubai companies purchases).

[Soldier4Christ]

Dubai group buys Times Square hotel

A Dubai government-owned firm said yesterday it bought the Knickerbocker Hotel in New York's Times Square for $300 million.
    Istithmar Hotels, which has investments at home and abroad, said the classic Beaux Arts-style hotel, which was converted into an office property in the 1950s, would be converted back into a five-star hotel.
    "Knickerbocker is a premier property in one of the world's most recognized locations," said Muneef Tarmoom, chief executive officer of parent company Istithmar, which means "investment" in Arabic.
    "The most fascinating thing about this property is not its design, but its history," he said .
    The hotel, built in the early 1900s, is located the heart of Manhattan on the southeast corner of Broadway and 42nd Street. The Knickerbocker was one of Midtown's premier hotels and one of the tallest buildings on Times Square.
    Istithmar announced May 20 that it had acquired Loeh-mann's, a 60-store chain specializing in designer clothing at discount prices, for $300 million from Arcapita, an Atlanta private-equity firm. Loehmann's, founded in 1921, was forced into bankruptcy in 1999 after over-expanding.
    Istithmar's purchase of U.S. interests comes on the heels of the controversy that surrounded the acquisition of British shipping giant Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co. earlier this year by DP World, another government-controlled company.
    A portion of the deal would have given DP World the right to operate six major U.S. ports, but Congress opposed the deal on security grounds, forcing the Dubai government to agree in March to cede control of the U.S. operations to a U.S. entity in order to avert a standoff with a major ally.
    However, Dubai International Capital, another government-controlled entity, last month sealed a $1.27 billion deal to take over British engineering company Doncasters Group, which owns a U.S. company that supplies parts to the U.S. military.
    Dubai Investment Group, part of state-owned Dubai Holding, purchased the Essex House Hotel in Manhattan in September. The hotel is now operated by Dubai Holding's hotel arm, the Jumeirah Group.

[Soldier4Christ]

 Will America Lose the NYSE?


The battle to control the world’s stock exchanges heats up.

Last February, when it became known that Dubai Ports World, a United Arab Emirates state-owned company, was attempting to take over the operation of several of America’s premier port complexes, it provoked a huge uproar. Many politicians and citizens alike were concerned about the effect a foreign nation’s control of our ports would have on America’s national security. A surge in patriotic fervor across party lines led to Congress blocking the deal.

So it is a wonder that hardly a peep is made about the potential loss of control of the New York Stock Exchange (nyse)—the nation’s premier stock market.

Founded over two centuries ago in 1792, the nyse is the largest equities marketplace on the planet. As of the end of last year, it facilitated share transactions and capital funding for 2,672 issuers, including some of the world’s largest, most technologically advanced and strategic corporations, having a global market value of approximately $21 trillion.

On May 22, the New York Stock Exchange surprised many analysts by making a $10.2 billion cash and share offer to merge with the Euronext stock exchange, headquartered in the Netherlands. Euronext controls exchanges in Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Lisbon, as well as a futures exchange in London. Approximately half of the group’s workforce and revenue comes from its English operations.

“It is not enough to build the best marketplace in the U.S. or a champion of Europe,” said nyse chief executive John Thain. “The challenge is to build the best marketplace in the world.” Mr. Thain’s vision would change the American-owned and -controlled company into an internationally-owned corporation.

Under Thain’s proposal, the new company, whose shares would be listed in both New York and Paris, would be 50-50 owned between investors from each exchange. Although, at least initially, the top management position would be filled from the nyse, the chairman and deputy chief executive would be from Euronext. The combined entity, said Thain, would be “the world’s largest and most liquid global securities marketplace,” with listings totaling $27 trillion.

However, there are possible negative consequences for Americans if the deal goes through. The fear, as outlined by the New York Times, is that the merger would allow companies that are listed in America to move their listings to European exchanges that have less strict regulatory scrutiny. The high costs associated with implementing the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, enacted as a result of high-profile corporate scandals, has discouraged new companies from listing on the nyse in recent years. The law requires executives to certify the quality of their companies’ financial controls.

Although under the current proposal the nyse will not be completely owned and operated by foreign interests, 50 percent of the ownership will be based outside the U.S. It would not take much for an additional 1 percent to change hands, making the combined nyse/Euronext corporation majority foreign-owned.

The takeover also raises the question of America’s vulnerability to market interruptions. What if relations between America and Europe become strained? Is it unrealistic to be worried that foreign interests, in a position to sabotage America’s largest stock exchange, would be tempted to do so? Though America has ostensibly been at peace with Europe for decades, it is irresponsible to assume this would remain forever the case.

That said, Euronext and nyse shareholders have not yet approved the merger.

If Deutsche Börse, the German-owned stock exchange, has its way, it—not the nyse—will merge with Euronext. After repeated failures over a period of several years to take over the London Stock Exchange (lse), Deutsche Börse set its sights on Euronext.

Deutsche Börse officials touted the potential Euronext purchase as the first creation of a “truly pan-European exchange organization” representing a “significant step forward in the integration of European financial markets. It would … have the ability to compete on a global scale” (Agence France Presse, May 22). Deutsche Börse shareholders lauded the potential pairing as the creation of a “European champion.”

The nyse’s recent offer for Euronext now puts the Deutsche Börse offer in jeopardy, and New York and Frankfurt are now in direct competition. As analysts are reporting, considering Deutsche Börse’s failure to combine with the lse, the “stakes are high.” “If it is left in the lurch again by Euronext, it seriously risks being sidelined completely and being reduced to a bit player in the ongoing process of consolidation among Europe’s stock exchanges” (Agence France Presse, May 24).

Another bid by Deutsche Börse for the lse is considered unlikely at this point, especially in the wake of the recent announcement that the American-owned Nasdaq stock exchange has increased its ownership of the lse to just over 25 percent as it seeks to win control of that exchange.

Which stock exchanges will end up merging is still unclear. What is clear is that American and German economic concerns are increasingly at odds with each other. The recent stock market competition is just the latest example.

For more information on how economic interests will align and how the competition between America, Germany and Britain will play out, read Germany and the Holy Roman Empire and The United States and Britain in Prophecy.

[Soldier4Christ]

Mubarak won't support
West Bank withdrawal
Egyptian president avoids reporter's question
at press conference with Israeli prime minister

JERUSALEM – Following a meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak refused to support publicly the Israeli leader's plan to evacuate unilaterally most of Judea and Samaria.

A senior Egyptian official told WorldNetDaily Mubarak told Olmert during their private talks he views the Israeli unilateral retreat as a possible threat to the security of Egypt and regional ally Jordan. The official said Mubarak pushed Olmert to conduct negotiations with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Mubarak and Olmert met in the Sinai resort town of Sharm El-Shiekh. The talks were widely seen as the latest round of diplomatic presentations by Olmert regarding his evacuation plan, which seeks to vacate most of Judea and Samaria – mountainous territory within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and the country's international airport.

Judea and Samaria also is commonly referred to as the West Bank.

At a joint press conference following the two leader's discussions, Mubarak stressed the U.S.-backed Road Map, which advocates Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Mubarak also made general statements about Iran's nuclear program, calling for diplomacy on the issue.

Neither leader mentioned the Israeli government's proposed Judea and Samaria evacuation until a reporter asked Olmert whether Mubarak expressed support for the plan during their meeting.

Olmert evaded the question. He stated the Egyptian leader expressed a preference for "all sides to meet in negotiations."

Mubarak was quick to follow up on Olmert's comments, telling reporters, "if we do not succeed in reaching negotiations then we will talk and find solutions."

Olmert then chimed in that he is not "setting a time frame for (negotiations with) the Palestinians. Everyone knows what to do in order to reach a settlement with the Palestinians. Everyone knows what will happen if we fail to reach a settlement."

The senior Egyptian official told WND Mubarak "vehemently" opposes any Israeli unilateral withdrawal.

"Egypt is continually threatened by the anarchy in the Gaza Strip," the official said. "Elements in Gaza have aided and abetted plotters of terror attacks against our land and sovereignty. A unilateral withdrawal from the West Bank could bring similar anarchy on a larger scale there and spill over into (neighboring) Jordan."

The official spoke on condition of anonymity, claiming an on-the-record interview concerning Olmert's evacuation plan could "complicate Egyptian diplomatic relationships."

Since Israel withdrew from the Gaza Strip last August, rockets have been fired regularly into nearby Jewish communities, Hamas has been elected to power and both Israeli and Palestinian officials have stated al-Qaida has infiltrated the territory. Some Israeli defense officials have been calling for Israel to reoccupy parts of Gaza.

Egyptian and Israeli security officials accuse Gaza-based militants and terror groups of smuggling large quantities of weapons from the Sinai desert into the Gaza Strip.

Egypt recently announced the terrorists who carried out April's deadly triple-bomb blasts in the Sinai resort town of Dahab trained for the operation in the Gaza Strip with local Palestinians. They said Gaza-based terrorists helped finance the attack.

Also, as WND reported, Egyptian officials earlier had said they suspected a plotter of the Dahab blasts recently infiltrated the Gaza Strip and was extended refuge there by local terror groups, including members of Hamas.

The Egyptian accusations were the latest in a string of reports many analysts here contend shows a deterioration in the relationship between Egypt and the powerbrokers in the Gaza Strip.

"Gaza is a clear threat now to Egypt," stated the Egyptian official. "What reason is there to believe things will result otherwise from any West Bank withdrawal?"

Egypt is said to be very closely monitoring the Hamas relationship with the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which seeks to create an Islamic theocracy in place of the current Mubarak regime, considered a regional ally to the U.S.

Hamas is an offshoot of the Brotherhood, which won an unprecedented 20 percent of the Parliament in the latest Egyptian elections.

Palestinian security sources close to Hamas told WND Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood leader Mahdi Akif has been serving as a replacement Hamas spiritual leader since Israel assassinated former spiritual leader Ahmed Yassin in March 2004.

Multiple Brotherhood leaders in Egypt have stated many times their group is strengthened by Israel's Gaza withdrawal and Hamas' ascension to power. They have said they wish to stage a similar takeover of Egypt.

The Egyptian official speaking to WND also said the Jordanian government has asked Mubarak to express Jordan's reservations about Olmert's planned Judea and Samaria withdrawal.

Jordan's King Abdullah last month reportedly made a similar request in a letter sent to President Bush urging the American leader to press Olmert toward Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. Bush and Olmert met three weeks ago Washington.

Abdullah reportedly told Bush he fears an Israeli withdrawal could threaten his country.

Jordanian officials announced last month security officers caught a large arms cache smuggled into the country by Hamas members. Jordanian television broadcast confessions by three Hamas militants who said they smuggled the arms for possible attacks against Jordanian officials and interests.

Hamas, which stands to gain from a Judea and Samaria withdrawal, has a history of anti-Jordan activity. Officials there say they caught several other arms caches in the past belonging to the terror group. Hamas chief Khaled Mashaal, a Jordanian citizen, was expelled in 1999 along with other leaders after a crackdown on the group following accusations of illegal activities.

Mideast countries are not alone in expressing reservations about Olmert's Judea and Samaria evacuation.

Following his White House meeting with Olmert, Bush's comments regarding Olmert's proposed withdrawal stopped short of an endorsement. While giving Olmert credit for proposing "bold ideas" that "could be an important step" toward peace, Bush stressed the Road Map and urged talks with Abbas. He stated a negotiated agreement "best serves Israelis and Palestinians and the cause of peace."

A member of the Israeli delegation at the White House meeting described the U.S. attitude toward the Judea and Samaria withdrawal as "lukewarm," explaining the White House raised a number of concerns, including the possibility a terror entity will be created in the areas evacuated, reservations expressed by Jordan and the effects of the plan on U.S. regional interests.