News, Prophecy and other

[Shammu]

 God's 'motherly' role
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
(Filed: 24/02/2006)

A Church of England bishop has urged Christians to recognise the "motherhood" of God.

The Bishop of Bolton, the Rt Rev David Gillett, said God's motherly role was an established element in Christian belief and should be emphasised to counter masculine images.

In the latest issue of Crux, the Manchester diocesan magazine, the bishop said that Mothering Sunday, which falls on March 26, was a good time to explore the theme.

"Some dismiss the idea as a modern heresy linked with the rise of feminism," he said.

"But recognising the motherly role of God has an honoured place within Christian spirituality and is an important corrective to overlie dominant masculine images."

God's 'motherly' role

[Shammu]

New kind of space blast seen not far from Earth
Thu Feb 23, 2006 5:14 PM ET17

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new kind of cosmic explosion has been spotted in Earth's celestial neighborhood, and amateur astronomers in the Northern Hemisphere might be able to see it next week, scientists reported on Thursday.

The blast seemed a lot like a gamma-ray burst, the most distant and powerful type of explosion known to astronomers.

But when scientists first detected it with NASA's Swift satellite on February 18, the explosion was about 25 times closer and lasted 100 times longer than a typical gamma-ray burst.

"This is totally new, totally unexpected," said Neil Gehrels, Swift's principal investigator. "This is the type of unscripted event in our nearby universe that we hoped Swift could catch."

The explosion originated in a star-forming galaxy about 440 million light-years away toward the constellation Aries (The Ram). A light-year is about 6 trillion miles, the distance light travels in a year.

This would be the second-closest gamma-ray burst ever detected, if indeed it is one.

The burst lasted for nearly 2,000 seconds, or about 33 minutes, astronomers said in a statement. Most bursts last a few milliseconds to tens of seconds. It also was surprisingly dim.

Scientists at Italy's National Institute for Astrophysics found hints of a budding supernova -- an exploding star -- when they saw the afterglow from the original explosion grow brighter in optical light.

If it is a supernova, scientists will have an unprecedented view of one from start to finish.

Scientists will attempt observations with the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory. Amateur astronomers in dark skies might be able to see the explosion with a 16-inch (40-cm) telescope.

New kind of space blast seen not far from Earth

More information and images are available online at NASA

[Shammu]

Updated 2/22/2006 8:28 PM
      
Saudis won't sign on to U.S. isolation of Hamas

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia refused Wednesday to join an American effort to deny foreign aid to a Palestinian government led by Hamas, the second Arab ally in two days to rebuff Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"We wish not to link the international aid to the Palestinian people to considerations other than their dire humanitarian needs," Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal said through a translator.

Rice sat at Saud's side as he spoke, as she had stood by on Tuesday when Saud's Egyptian counterpart said it was premature to cut off aid to a Hamas-led government.

The top U.S. diplomat is making her first visit to the Middle East since Hamas swept Palestinian elections last month, stunning Washington and threatening the already fragile Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Both Saud and Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said the world should not prejudge Hamas, signaling that the Arab world, like some European countries and Russia, is hedging its bets about whether and when to sever financial ties that keep the cash-strapped Palestinian government afloat.

The Saudis told the United States on Wednesday that they plan to continue sending approximately $15 million monthly to the Palestinian government, U.S. officials said on condition of anonymity because the discussions were private.

The United States and the European Union list Hamas as a terrorist organization. Arab nations generally have friendly relations with Hamas, which also has a successful political arm.

"For the United States, Hamas is a terrorist organization," Rice told reporters. "We cannot give funding to a terrorist organization. It's really that simple."

She repeated a pledge to continue sending money for humanitarian needs, as long as it does not go through a Hamas-led government. Washington has already moved to sever direct aid to the Palestinian Authority.

"We want the Palestinian people to have food and to have medicine, and Palestinian children to be immunized and not to have to live in squalid conditions," Rice said.

Saud suggested Rice was drawing a distinction without a difference.

"How do we distinguish between humanitarian and non-humanitarian aid?" he asked. "They need both ... and that is why we are continuing to help the Palestinians."

U.S. officials say they did not expect promises from Arab allies that they would cut aid to the Palestinian government. The U.S. has also indicated that its humanitarian aid could be increased to offset the loss of direct donations to the Palestinian government.

Iran offered Wednesday to help finance a Hamas-run Palestinian Authority when U.S. aid dries up. (RELATED; Iran says it will finance Palestinian Authority run by Hamas)

In Washington, meanwhile, Zbigniew Brzezinski, former President Jimmy Carter's national security adviser, recommended the Bush administration stop trying to ostracize Hamas.

Hamas won a free election and "we have to judge that government by how it conducts itself and not on what it has been saying," Brzezinski said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"Our task is to see whether Hamas has the maturity and responsibility to evolve," he said.

Former German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, appearing jointly with Brzezinski, stressed that Hamas is a terrorist group. "Let's stick to the three principles," Fischer said, referring to demands by the U.S., European Union, United Nations and Russia that Hamas recognize Israel's existence and accept agreements the Palestinians have reached with Israel.

Israel this week froze the transfer of about $50 million in tax money it collects for the Palestinians each month, its first response to the inauguration of the new Hamas-led parliament Saturday.

Problems posed by Hamas' defeat of the moderate Fatah leadership have dominated Rice's diplomatic tour, although Iran's nuclear ambitions, political turmoil in Lebanon and sectarian squabbling in Iraq were also on the agenda.

Rice is also visiting the United Arab Emirates, where she is expected to face outrage from another friendly Arab government over U.S. congressional opposition to a port deal backed by the Bush administration.

The Hamas predicament was placed in sharp relief earlier Wednesday in Egypt, where Rice issued no strong criticism of President Hosni Mubarak's 25-year hold on autocratic power.

The United States needs Egypt as an intermediary and power broker in the effort to Hamas or change its behavior.

Rice met with Mubarak and political reform activists who said the leader is only paying lip service to the Bush administration's call for greater democracy. Her first meeting of the trip was a rare session with Egypt's intelligence chief, a veteran Mubarak aide with deep knowledge of Hamas.

Rice listened but asked few questions of the activists. She did not respond when rights activist Saad Eddin Ibrahim said the United States should tie more than $1 billion in U.S. annual aid to Egypt's progress.

Ibrahim was convicted four years ago of tarnishing Egypt's image by the same judge that convicted Mubarak political opponent Ayman Nour on separate charges in December. Rice met with Nour on her last visit to Egypt, in June, when she picked Cairo as the site for a major address on the value of democratic change in the Middle East. Nour is now in jail.

"A lot has happened since" her last visit, Rice told the group. "Some good, some not good."

Egypt held elections last year that, although flawed, were viewed by Washington as a sign of progress. Mubarak has postponed a new round of elections for two years.

Saudis won't sign on to U.S. isolation of Hamas

[Shammu]

Arab Firm to Delay U.S. Port Takeover

By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - A United Arab Emirates company has volunteered to postpone its takeover of significant operations at six major U.S. seaports, and the White House said on Friday the delay would help give the administration time to convince skeptical lawmakers the deal poses no increased risks from terrorism.

The surprise concession late Thursday cools the standoff building between the Congress and President Bush over his administration's previous approval of the deal. In early reaction, lawmakers praised the temporary hold. But some critics pressed anew for an intensive examination of the deal's risks.

As part of its new offer, coordinated with the White House, Dubai Ports World said it would agree not to exercise control or influence management over U.S. ports pending further discussions with the administration and Congress. It did not say how long it would wait for these discussions to be finished.

The announcement effectively leaves existing American and British executives in charge of the company's seaport operations in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.

Rep. Peter King of New York, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, described the offer as "definitely a positive step." A leading Republican critic of the deal, King said the president still must disclose new details about the administration's review and approval of the agreement last month.

"We believe it would be helpful to have some additional time to brief Congress about the facts and about the safeguards that are in place," White House press secretary Scott McClellan said. "We believe once Congress has a better understanding of the facts and the safeguards that are in place that they will be more comfortable with the transaction moving forward. So a slight delay would helpful in that regard."

He said Bush would continue to oppose any move to block the transaction.

Asked how long the delay would last, McClellan said, "It's not up to us. It's up to the company to make that decision."

A senior Dubai Ports executive, Edward H. Bilkey, said the company will otherwise move forward with its $6.8 billion purchase of London-based Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co., which operates in 18 countries. Although Dubai Ports agreed to temporarily segregate the company's U.S. operations, Bilkey expressed bewilderment over the security concerns expressed in Congress.

"The reaction in the United States has occurred in no other country in the world," Bilkey said. "We need to understand the concerns of the people in the U.S. who are worried about this transaction and make sure that they are addressed to the benefit of all parties."

The company, timing its announcement before financial markets opened in London, assured British shareholders they will be paid as previously planned.

"It is not only unreasonable but also impractical to suggest that the closing of this entire global transaction should be delayed," Dubai Ports said in a statement.

But on Capitol Hill, critics weren't silenced.

"A simple cooling-off period will not allay our concerns," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.

Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., said the company's offer "isn't worth the paper on which it is written."

"If the Bush administration will not stop this deal from closing, Congress must." Menendez said.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., urged Bush to conduct a broader review of potential terrorism risks. Rep. Vito Fosella, a New York Republican, said the administration should more fully explain why it concluded the sale was safe.

Meantime, the owner of Port Newark filed a lawsuit, citing security concerns. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey claims that the pending acquisition violates a 30-year lease that the authority and P&O signed in 2000.

The Port Authority lawsuit, filed in state Superior Court in Newark, asks for an order blocking the purchase and declaring that P&O has broken the lease by failing to obtain the authority's consent for the takeover.

The announcement came amid a persistent political furor over the business deal, otherwise expected to be completed in early March. Republicans and Democrats alike have threatened to introduce legislation to block or delay the deal, citing unease over what they describe as inconsistent support against terrorism by the United Arab Emirates.

Bush has threatened to veto any such measures and forcefully defended the small but wealthy federation in the Persian Gulf as a vital ally.

The White House noted the United Arab Emirates contributed $100 million to help victims of Hurricane Katrina just weeks before Dubai Ports sought approval for its business deal. It said the money was nearly four times as much as the administration received from all other countries combined, and said there was no connection between the money and the pending deal.

At the first Senate oversight hearing since the controversy erupted, lawmakers challenged the adequacy of a classified intelligence assessment that played a crucial role assuring administration officials that the Dubai Ports deal was proper. The report, which is closely guarded, was put together during four weeks in November by analysts working under the U.S. director of national intelligence.

Sen. Carl Levin (news, bio, voting record) of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, asked whether the intelligence report examined purported links between government officials in the UAE and Osama bin Laden before the September 2001 terror attacks.

"I did not see that in the report," said Robert Kimmitt, deputy secretary at the Treasury Department.

Clinton accused the administration of ignoring provisions of a federal law that require more extensive reviews when deals involve purchases by government-owned companies. Administration officials explained their long-standing practice was to conduct such broader investigations only when deals raised serious national security concerns.

Kimmitt responded: "We didn't ignore the law. Concerns were raised. They were resolved."

Arab Firm to Delay U.S. Port Takeover

[Shammu]

Iranian FM lashes out at Washington over terrorism

2 hours, 30 minutes ago

BANGKOK (AFP) - Iran's foreign minister denounced the United States for creating terror groups like Al-Qaeda and reaffirmed Tehran's support for a united Iraq following escalating violence there between Shiite and Sunni Muslims.

Manouchehr Mottaki, reacting to Wednesday's bombing of a key Shiite mosque in the Iraqi city of Samarra, said "some hands" were working to stoke ethnic and religious unrest "not only in Iraq but in the Islamic world".

"We believe that there are some hands working to create ethnic war, religious war, between Shiite, Sunnis or any other groups," he said without naming any specific groups or countries.

Mottaki condemned the surge in sectarian killings in Iraq where at least 140 people have been killed in recent days sparked by the bombing of the mosque.

"Everybody's sorry in Iran, very sad (about) what is happening," Mottaki said at a press conference in Bangkok.

Mottaki also sharply criticised the United States for its role in the current global terrorism crisis, suggesting that it had a hand in creating today's extremists with its cold war support of militant Muslim groups.

"Unfortunately, our region is affected by terrorist groups like the Taliban, like Al-Qaeda, but the main question is, who was the cause of the establishment of such groups in our region?" he said.

"They have offered specifically, the United States, all their support, and then they have started to fight with them."

Iranian FM lashes out at Washington over terrorism

[Shammu]

 Tehrani worshipers rally to protest insult to the holy shrines
Tehran, Feb 24, IRNA

Iran-Rally-Worshipers
Tehrani worshipers rallied in the city streets to protest the criminal act of world arrogance in insulting the holy shrines of the two Shia Imams in Samarra, Iraq.


The ralliers expressed their hatred and disgust with criminals who were involved in the tragic act of explosions in the holy shrines in Samarra.

The Supreme Leader's message was read in demonstration, too.

The protesters ended their demonstration by issuing a resolution.

The resolution in parts reads,"Today, Muslims' hearts are broken because of inhuman and terroristic act of bombing the holy shrines of two Imams in Samarra."
As the Supreme Leader has noted, the resolution says, the act is undoubtedly a political crime, which has been designed in the intelligence and espionage bodies of the US, Britain and the Zionist occupiers.

One of the aims of such a barbaric action is to create religious rift among Iraqi people and then the whole world of Islam, however, the Shias by understanding the aim of the ominous conspiracy declare their deep disgust and hatred over those who have been involved in the repugnant event and believe the only way to confront with the enemies of Islam is unity among the Muslim Ummah.

Intensification of insecurity in Iraq and causing obstacles on the way of creating an elected government and seeking excuse to continue occupation in Iraq are among other aims of the terroristic attack to the holy shrines, but the presence of high religious authorities in Najaf, especially the Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, will disappoint the enemies, the resolution said.

Iranian Muslim nation condemns the undemocratic and double standards of the US government concerning the outcome of Palestinian democratic election and Hamas victory, the demonstrators said.

The world arrogance must understand that such hypocritic plans to start religious wars are very old and the shameful insult of the Zionist media to the prophet of Islam (PBUH) and the Muslims' reactions must be a lesson for the arrogance.

Undoubtedly, the responsibility of such barbaric and inhuman acts fall on occupiers, who have brought destruction, torture, oppression and insecurity for Iraqi nation, the resolution said.

Tehrani worshipers rally to protest insult to the holy shrines

[Shammu]

Russia Still Foresees Iran Nuke Resolution

1 hour, 17 minutes ago

TEHRAN, Iran - Russia's top nuclear official expressed confidence Saturday that the U.N. atomic watchdog agency still could resolve the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program, a Russian news agency reported.

Resolution before the International Atomic Energy Agency could avert U.N. Security Council sanctions or the use of force against the Islamic republic.

During a visit to Iran, Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko said resolving the persistent questions about the intent of Iran's nuclear program "within the framework of the IAEA is absolutely realistic," according to ITAR-Tass.

An Iranian official said Tehran can handle sanctions but believes they will not be imposed, the report said.

Kiriyenko met with Atomic Energy Organization of Iran chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh.

Russia Still Foresees Iran Nuke Resolution

[Shammu]

Iran to sign oil deal with China

1 hour, 11 minutes ago

TEHRAN (AFP) - Tehran expects to sign major energy export deals with a delegation from Beijing "soon", an official has said, a move that may seal China's support for Iran's nuclear programme at the UN Security Council.

"A delegation led by the Chinese head of the national development and reform commission, Ma Kai, will be soon in Tehran to sign agreements related to exports of big oil consignments to China," deputy foreign minister Mehdi Safari was quoted as saying by state television Saturday.

The International Atomic Energy Agency earlier this month reported Iran to the UN over its controversial nuclear programme, a move which may lead to a sanctions resolution being drawn up by the Security Council, where China has the right of veto.

Iran has restarted small-scale enrichment of uranium despite international efforts to stop it. The West suspects Iran is trying to develop a nuclear bomb, something Tehran denies.

The UN Security Council is expected to debate the issue in March.

In October 2004, Iran and China signed a memorandum of understanding for exports of 250 million tons of liquefied national gas (LNG) over 25 years.

That arrangement could be worth more than 100 billion dollars. It also envisages a share in the development of an Iranian onshore oilfield, Yadavaran.

The preliminary agreement expired in January and neither of the sides have indicated how the negotiations would continue.

Iran to sign oil deal with China

[Shammu]

al-Qaida Threatens to Hit More Saudi Sites

By DONNA ABU NASR, Associated Press Writer 12 minutes ago

MANAMA, Bahrain - Al-Qaida suicide bombers will attack more Saudi oil facilities, the terror group purportedly threatened Saturday in an Internet statement that claimed responsibility for the foiled attack on the Abiqaiq plant in eastern Saudi Arabia.

Two suicide bombers tried to drive cars packed with explosives into Abiqaiq, the world's largest oil processing facility, on Friday afternoon, but security guards opened fire and the vehicles exploded outside the gates, killing the bombers and fatally wounding two guards.

The guards died in the hospital, the Interior Ministry said Saturday in a statement published on the Web site of the official Saudi Press Agency.

Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi quickly said the attack "did not affect operations" and that exports continued to flow. But the blast made the price of crude oil jump by more than $2 a barrel on the world markets.

Naimi met U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez in Riyadh on Saturday and assured him the kingdom would "ensure the flow of oil despite the terrorist threats," a Saudi government official said, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

A statement appeared on a militant Web site saying that Friday's attack was "part of a series of operations that al-Qaida is carrying out against the crusaders and the Jews to stop their plundering of Muslim wealth." It was signed "al-Qaida in the Arab Peninsula" — the name of the Saudi branch of the terror network.

The statement did not acknowledge that the attack was foiled. In fact, it claimed that the two "heroic holy warriors" managed to enter Abiqaiq.

"There are more like them who are racing toward martyrdom and eager to fight the enemies of god, the Jews, the crusaders and their stooges, the renegade rulers" of Arab countries, the posting said.

"You will see things that will make you happy, god willing," concluded the statement.

Al-Qaida had long threatened to attack Saudi Arabia's oil plants, but Friday was the first time it actually attempted to do so. Previously militants linked to al-Qaida had killed foreigners working in the industry, but not at oil facilities.

Friday's assault suggested the militants were adopting the tactics of insurgents in neighboring Iraq, who have repeatedly targeted the oil industry. The Saudis have installed image-recognition devices along their desert border with Iraq to prevent miliants from crossing.

The al-Qaida Web posting said "these (oil) factories help to steal the wealth of Muslims" and claimed the attack was "part of al-Qaida's project to expel the infidels from the Arab peninsula."

Al-Qaida is led by the Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, who has long sought to replace the Saudi monarchy with an Islamic government, accusing the royal family of selling out to American "infidels." In late 2004, bin Laden released a video in which he called for attacks on oil facilities to hurt the West.

The posting said Friday's attack was dubbed "Operation Bin Laden Conquest."

The huge Abqaiq facility processes about two-thirds of Saudi Arabia's oil for export, removing hydrogen sulfide and reducing the vapor to make the crude safe for shipping. It lies 25 miles inland from the Gulf coast.

Interior Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki said the attack began at about 3 p.m. when two cars tried to drive through the gates of the outermost of three fences surrounding the processing facility. Guards shot at the cars, and both vehicles exploded, al-Turki said.

The explosions caused a fire that was quickly controlled, the oil minister said.

An AP correspondent who arrived at the site hours after the attack saw ambulances racing through Abqaiq's streets. Police set up roadblocks leading in and out of the town.

The facility lies several miles from a residential area where several thousand expatriate workers — including Americans, Europeans and Arabs — live. Al-Turki said no foreigners were injured in the violence.

Saudi Arabia has been waging a successful three-year crackdown on al-Qaida in the kingdom. Security forces have killed or captured most of the al-Qaida branch's known top leaders, most recently in gunbattles in December. The militants launched a campaign in 2003 to overthrow the U.S.-allied royal family.

Saudi Arabia holds over 260 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, a quarter of the world's total. It currently produce about 9.5 million barrels per day, or 11 percent of global consumption. Abqaiq processes at least 5 million barrels a day.

al-Qaida Threatens to Hit More Saudi Sites

[Shammu]

Planet's Population to Hit 6.5 Billion Saturday

Leonard David
LiveScience Senior Writer
LiveScience.com Fri Feb 24, 2:04 PM ET

A population milestone is about to be set on this jam-packed planet.

On Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:16 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the population here on this good Earth is projected to hit 6.5 billion people.

Along with this forecast, an analysis by the International Programs Center at the U.S. Census Bureau points to another factoid, Robert Bernstein of the Bureau's Public Information Center advised LiveScience. Mark this on your calendar: Some six years from now, on Oct. 18, 2012 at 4:36 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the Earth will be home to 7 billion folks.

These are estimates, of course, but clear trends emerge from the data behind them.

Population profile

A report issued by the Bureau in March 2004 noted that world population hit the 6-billion mark in June 1999. "This figure is over 3.5 times the size of the Earth's population at the beginning of the 20th century and roughly double its size in 1960," the study explained.

Even more striking is that the time required for the global population to grow from 5 billion to 6 billion—just a dozen years—was shorter than the interval between any of the previous billions.

On average, 4.4 people are born every second.

The population on Earth today is nearly four times the number in 1900 [graph]. Behind that phenomenal global increase is a vast gulf in birth and death rates among the world's countries. But according to population experts, this gulf is not a simple divide that perpetuates the status quo among the have and have-not nations.

Birth dearth

"What is worrisome about this demographic divide is not the differences among nations' population growth rates, but the disparities associated with these trends ... disparities in living standards, health, and economic prospects," explained Mary Kent, co-author along with Carl Haub, of a Population Reference Bureau report issued last month titled "Global Demographic Divide."

Kent, editor of the Population Bulletin, and Haub, a senior demographer at the Population Reference Bureau, reported that news of declining population in Europe fueled concern about a global "birth dearth," but there is continuing population growth in developing countries. The question, they asked, is which demographic trend is the world facing?

"The reality is that both trends are occurring," Haub said. "The dramatic fertility decline during the 20th century coincided with improved health, access to family planning, economic development, and urbanization."

Kent and Haub also reported that most countries will experience population growth through 2050, as the world adds a projected 3 billion more people to the total.

Remarkably, despite the many new developments over the past 50 years, one fact looks very much the same, explained Kent and Haub: Populations are growing most rapidly where such growth can be afforded the least—an observation that has changed little over time, they said.

Planet's Population to Hit 6.5 Billion Saturday

[Shammu]

Russia wants to complete Iran nuclear plant swiftly

Feb 25, 6:13 AM (ET)

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia wants to complete building a nuclear power station in Iran as soon as possible, the country's top nuclear official said on Saturday, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's atomic energy agency Rosatom, said during a visit to Tehran that the civilian nuclear plant at Bushehr in Iran would be launched as fast as possible.

"We don't see any political obstacles to completing Bushehr and we are interested in it (the station) being launched in the swiftest possible period," Kiriyenko said, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

Iran's nuclear aspirations have provoked a diplomatic crisis and Tehran faces possible sanctions if referred to the United Nations Security Council.

Iran recently resumed atomic fuel research and enrichment but insists it is only interested in atomic power for civilian use.

The United States and the European Union suspect Iran's program is aimed at making atomic weapons.

Russia has sought to play a major role in the diplomatic game by offering to enrich the uranium Iran needs for nuclear power stations on Russian soil.

Russia's building of the nuclear plant at Bushehr has long provoked objections from U.S. officials who fear Iran could use the technology for developing weapons.

Moscow says Iran has a right to civilian atomic energy and brushes aside criticism of the contract, which is worth around $1 billion.

Russia wants to complete Iran nuclear plant swiftly

[Shammu]

Tom and Jerry – a Jewish makeover?
Iranian official says cartoon is conspiracy to improve image of mice, Jews
Posted: February 25, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

Tom and Jerry, the lovable cat and mouse locked in cartoon combat, is a Jewish conspiracy, according to an Iranian official.

Tom and Jerry

Prof. Hasan Bolkhari, a cultural advisor to the Iranian Education Ministry, delivered the news last week on Iran's Channel 4 during a broadcast of film seminar where he was lecturing. An excerpt of the video was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

"The Jewish Walt Disney Company gained international fame with this cartoon," said Bolkhari. "It is still shown throughout the world. This cartoon maintains its status because of the cute antics of the cat and mouse – especially the mouse.

"Some say that the main reason for making this very appealing cartoon was to erase a certain derogatory term that was prevalent in Europe."

According to the professor, "Tom and Jerry" was created to irradicate the association between mice and Jews created in the minds of Europeans by Hitler.

"If you study European history, you will see who was the main power in hoarding money and wealth in the 19th century," continued Bolkhari. "In most cases, it is the Jews. Perhaps that was one of the reasons which caused Hitler to begin the anti-Semitic trend, and then the extensive propaganda about the crematoria began. ... Some of this is true. We do not deny all of it.

"Watch 'Schindler's List.' Every Jew was forced to wear yellow star on his clothing. The Jews were degraded and termed 'dirty mice.' 'Tom and Jerry' was made in order to change the Europeans' perception of mice. One of terms used was 'dirty mice.'

"It should be noted that mice are very cunning ... and dirty."

"Tom and Jerry," the creation of Joe Barbera and Bill Hanna, was created in 1939, the year World War II began and while the Holocaust was in full force, for the MGM cartoon studios, not Disney. During the next 18 years, Hanna and Barbera created over 200 cartoons featuring Tom and Jerry, earning the pair seven Academy Awards. Today, "Tom and Jerry" is owned by Turner Entertainment.

"If you happen to watch this cartoon tomorrow, bear in mind the points I have just raised," said Bolkhari, "and watch it from this perspective. The mouse is very clever and smart. Everything he does is so cute. He kicks the poor cat's a--. Yet this cruelty does not make you despise the mouse. He looks so nice, and he is so clever. ... This is exactly why some say it was meant to erase this image of mice from the minds of European children, and to show that the mouse is not dirty and has these traits. Unfortunately, we have many such cases in Hollywood shows."

[Shammu]

Bolton Blasts U.N. 'Sex and Corruption'

By PAUL BURKHARDT, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 34 minutes ago

NEW YORK - The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations said Saturday that the world body is hobbled "by bad management, by sex and corruption" and a lack of confidence in its ability to carry out missions.

John Bolton also criticized the U.N.'s budget, noting that two-thirds of members pay only 20 percent of the cost.

"We find an organization that is deeply troubled by bad management, by sex and corruption and by a growing lack of confidence in its ability to carry out missions that are given to them," Bolton told an audience at a Columbia Law School symposium held by the Federalist Society, a conservative law organization.

Bolton, a longtime critic of the U.N., has been leading U.S. efforts to reform the United Nations after the oil-for-food scandal and sex scandals involving U.N. peacekeepers.

The oil-for-food program, established in 1996 with Iraq's economy crippled by sanctions, allowed Saddam Hussein to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian goods meant for his people.

An inquiry by former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker found that Saddam sold oil to foreign countries in hopes of getting their support for lifting U.N. sanctions, and enriched himself by $1.8 billion through a kickback scheme. Companies and politicians essentially paid him for the right to do business, circumventing the U.N. program.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Thursday is expected to unveil his major overhaul for management reform for the United Nations.

Bolton on Saturday also described the U.N. as inept for not being able to stop Iran's nuclear development and "devaluing the IAEA," the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"Through all of this, the U.S. has been encouraged by Europe to pursue action through the U.N.," Bolton said, adding that patience of the administration was wearing thin.

Bolton was given a recess appointment by President Bush as ambassador to the United Nations on Aug. 1 after failing to win confirmation in the U.S. Senate. Because of the recess appointment, Bolton's term expires when the current Congress concludes on Jan. 3, 2007.

Bolton — who has a reputation for brilliance, obstinacy and speaking his mind — said in 1994 that it wouldn't make a "bit of difference" if the United Nations lost the top 10 stories from its 39-story headquarters.

Bolton Blasts U.N. 'Sex and Corruption'

[Shammu]

Al-Qaida Vows Attacks After Foiled Bid

By DONNA ABU-NASR, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 18 minutes ago

MANAMA, Bahrain - Al-Qaida on Saturday vowed more attacks a day after an attempt to bomb the world's biggest oil processing complex showed the group still can strike inside Saudi Arabia despite the arrests of hundreds of suspects.

A strike on the Abqaiq complex, near Saudi Arabia's eastern Persian Gulf coast, could have been devastating. Nearly two-thirds of the country's oil flows through the facility for processing before export.

Foiling the attack demonstrated Saudi Arabia's success in putting tough security around the oil industry, the source of the royal family's wealth, oil analysts said.

Two suicide bombers in explosives-packed cars traded fire with police at a checkpoint before a gate in the first of three fences around the sprawling, heavily guarded complex. One bomber collided with the closed gate, exploding and blowing a hole in the fence, a senior Saudi security official said.

The second bomber drove through the hole before police opened fire, detonating his car, the official added on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

Witnesses on Friday reported that security forces traded fire with gunmen outside the facility after the explosions and that a hunt for attackers continued for hours. Saudi officials have not reported the capture of any assailants.

At least two attackers and two security guards were killed, the state news agency reported. Eight foreign workers at the facility — all from South Asia — were wounded, a former Aramco employee told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Aramco is the state oil company that owns the facility.

It was the first attack on Saudi Arabia's vital oil infrastructure. The Saudi branch of al-Qaida, which claimed the attack, warned in an Internet statement Saturday that suicide bombers will target more oil facilities.

"There are more like them who are racing toward martyrdom and eager to fight the enemies of God," the posting said. "You will see things that will make you happy, God willing."

In a later statement, the group said it carried out the attack "based on the instructions of our leader,
Osama bin Laden" and identified the two slain suicide bombers as Abdullah Abdul-Aziz al-Tweijri and Mohammed Saleh al-Gheith.

It denied that the bombing was foiled and gave its own account of the attack. It claimed that Al-Qaida fighters overcame guards at the gate, killing three and forcing others to flee. The fighters then opened the gate for a car that entered and blew up, it said, without specifying what the blast targeted.

The authenticity of the statements could not be independently confirmed.

Crude oil prices jumped by more than $2 a barrel on world markets after the attack. But Saudi Oil Minister Ali Naimi swiftly issued assurances that the violence did not affect oil operations.

On Saturday he stressed to U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez at a meeting in Riyadh that the kingdom would "ensure the flow of oil despite the terrorist threats."

Al-Qaida militants launched a campaign of violence in Saudi Arabia — bin Laden's birthplace — in 2003. Attacks on oil infrastructure could represent a new tactic.

Previous targets were peripherally related to the oil industry — expatriate oil workers living and working in the kingdom. Bin Laden first called for attacks on oil facilities in December 2004.

Analysts and diplomats said Friday's events were proof that increased security at oil installations has paid off for the Saudi kingdom.

"It's a success story," said Fareed Mohamedi, head of country analysis at Washington-based PFC Energy. "It's a bit too close for comfort, but it certainly shows that they can repel these types of attacks."

Mohamedi said the Saudi government typically places remote sensors in the desert surrounding oil complexes and several fences around the facilities themselves. About 25,000 security personnel man checkpoints on roads leading to the facilities and gates into the compounds.

Saudi security forces have largely had al-Qaida's branch in the kingdom on the run over the past year, arresting hundreds of suspects. They killed or captured all but one of the top 26 militants on a most-wanted list issued in December 2003, then did the same with 10 of the 15 on a second list issued in June.

Friday's attack was the first major strike since December 2004, when five gunmen attacked the U.S. Consulate in the Saudi port city of Jiddah. Five consulate employees from the Middle East and Asia and four attackers were killed. Ten people were wounded.

Analysts said it was too early to say if the Abqaiq bombing signaled a new, aggressive campaign. But the choice of oil facilities should increase concerns, they said.

"If the Saudi system goes down, then you will have a real problem, and for oil prices the sky is the limit," Mohamedi said. "You're attacking the absolute heart of the world oil system."

Saudi Arabia holds over 260 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, a quarter of the world's total. It currently puts out about 9.5 million barrels per day, or 11 percent of global consumption.

Al-Qaida Vows Attacks After Foiled Bid

[Shammu]

Anti-Semitic film cheered with cries of 'Allah is great'

German authorities worried by audience reaction
of Turkish movie goers to 'Valley of the Wolves'
Posted: February 26, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

The raucous reception by some members of Germany's 2.5 million-strong Turkish community to "Valley of the Wolves," a movie depicting crazed U.S. troops in Iraq massacring a wedding party and a Jewish doctor removing organs from prisoners, has German politicians worried – so worried, Bavaria's interior minister sent intelligence service agents to theaters showing the film to "gauge" audience reaction and identify potential radicals.

The $10 million dollar film, by Turkish director Serdan Akar, has already been wildly successful in Turkey, where its debut was attended by the wife of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "It is an extraordinary film that will go down in history," Turkish Parliament speaker Bulent Arinc, president of the Turkish National Assembly told the Anatolia press agency.

But that's not the way German officials see it.

Edmund Stoiber, Bavaria's conservative prime minister, asked theater owners to not show "this racist and anti-Western hate film." Bernd Neumann, Germany's expressed concern that the film "raises serious questions about the values of our society and our ability to instill them". This week, Cinemaxx, Germany's largest theater chain, announced the movie would be pulled from its offerings.

"These kinds of hate messages aren't what we need in a society filled with immigrants and mixed ethnic and religious groups," said Michael Kohlstruck, a political scientist at Berlin's Technical University. "All it takes is a few people mobilized by the film to become a danger by carrying out attacks."

The movie, which began showings in Germany three weeks ago, has played to sold out audiences since. Over 130,000 people, mostly young Muslims, saw the film in its first five days. The London Telegraph reports Berlin audiences, made up mostly of Turkish young men, clapping furiously when the building housing the U.S. military commander in northern Iraq is blown up and a standing ovation – accompanied by shouts of "Allah is great!" – when the movie's American antagonist, played by Billy Zane, is stabbed in the chest.

"The Americans always behave like this," one 18-year-old viewer said. "They slaughtered the Red Indians and killed thousands in Vietnam. I was not shocked by the film, I see this on the news every day."

While the film could be dismissed as an action film in which Muslims turn the tables on Rambo, the anti-Semitic element has drawn some of the most serious criticism.

The villain of the movie is an American Jewish doctor, played by Gary Busey, who selects Iraqi prisoners, in a manner reminiscent of Nazi concentration camp doctor Joseph Mengele, and removes their organs to sell to rich buyers in the U.S. and Israel.

"Wolves" director Akar employed Soner Yalcin, a journalist who has popularized the Islamist notion that many of Turkey's leaders are descended from Jews, as an adviser on the film.

While some German politicians and Jewish leaders have called for a ban on the film, that seems unlikely since it is no more violent than other action films.

Ahlin Sahdin, the film's distributor in Germany, sees the conflict in broader terms: "When a cartoonist insults two billion Muslims it is considered freedom of opinion, but when an action film takes on the Americans it is considered demagoguery. Something is wrong."

The film begins by recounting an actual event that occurred in northern Iraq in July 2003, according to the Forward, when U.S. troops arrested and held 11 Turkish soldiers who were later released. The fictional Turkish hero seeks revenge for the humiliation of his fellow Turks and sets the scene for American troops to massacre innocent guests at a wedding party, firebomb a mosque during evening prayers and conduct summary executions.