SEPTEMBER 2004 WORLD NEWS

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2004 WORLD NEWS

October 27, 2004

Air Force pursuing antimatter weapons - Keay Davidson

Program was touted publicly, then came official gag order

The U.S. Air Force is quietly spending millions of dollars investigating ways to use a radical power source -- antimatter, the eerie "mirror" of ordinary matter -- in future weapons.

The most powerful potential energy source presently thought to be available to humanity, antimatter is a term normally heard in science-fiction films and TV shows, whose heroes fly "antimatter-powered spaceships" and do battle with "antimatter guns."

But antimatter itself isn't fiction; it actually exists and has been intensively studied by physicists since the 1930s. In a sense, matter and antimatter are the yin and yang of reality: Every type of subatomic particle has its antimatter counterpart. But when matter and antimatter collide, they annihilate each other in an immense burst of energy.

During the Cold War, the Air Force funded numerous scientific studies of the basic physics of antimatter. With the knowledge gained, some Air Force insiders are beginning to think seriously about potential military uses -- for example, antimatter bombs small enough to hold in one's hand, and antimatter engines for 24/7 surveillance aircraft.

More cataclysmic possible uses include a new generation of super weapons -- either pure antimatter bombs or antimatter-triggered nuclear weapons; the former wouldn't emit radioactive fallout. Another possibility is antimatter- powered "electromagnetic pulse" weapons that could fry an enemy's electric power grid and communications networks, leaving him literally in the dark and unable to operate his society and armed forces.

Following an initial inquiry from The Chronicle this summer, the Air Force forbade its employees from publicly discussing the antimatter research program. Still, details on the program appear in numerous Air Force documents distributed over the Internet prior to the ban.

These include an outline of a March 2004 speech by an Air Force official who, in effect, spilled the beans about the Air Force's high hopes for antimatter weapons. On March 24, Kenneth Edwards, director of the "revolutionary munitions" team at the Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida was keynote speaker at the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) conference in Arlington, Va.

In that talk, Edwards discussed the potential uses of a type of antimatter called positrons.

Physicists have known about positrons or "antielectrons" since the early 1930s, when Caltech scientist Carl Anderson discovered a positron flying through a detector in his laboratory. That discovery, and the later discovery of "antiprotons" by Berkeley scientists in the 1950s, upheld a 1920s theory of antimatter proposed by physicist Paul Dirac.

In 1929, Dirac suggested that the building blocks of atoms -- electrons (negatively charged particles) and protons (positively charged particles) -- have antimatter counterparts: antielectrons and antiprotons. One fundamental difference between matter and antimatter is that their subatomic building blocks carry opposite electric charges. Thus, while an ordinary electron is negatively charged, an antielectron is positively charged (hence the term positrons, which means "positive electrons"); and while an ordinary proton is positively charged, an antiproton is negative.

The real excitement, though, is this: If electrons or protons collide with their antimatter counterparts, they annihilate each other. In so doing, they unleash more energy than any other known energy source, even thermonuclear bombs.

The energy from colliding positrons and antielectrons "is 10 billion times ... that of high explosive," Edwards explained in his March speech. Moreover, 1 gram of antimatter, about 1/25th of an ounce, would equal "23 space shuttle fuel tanks of energy." Thus "positron energy conversion," as he called it, would be a "revolutionary energy source" of interest to those who wage war.

It almost defies belief, the amount of explosive force available in a speck of antimatter -- even a speck that is too small to see. For example: One millionth of a gram of positrons contain as much energy as 37.8 kilograms (83 pounds) of TNT, according to Edwards' March speech. A simple calculation, then, shows that about 50-millionths of a gram could generate a blast equal to the explosion (roughly 4,000 pounds of TNT, according to the FBI) at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995.

Unlike regular nuclear bombs, positron bombs wouldn't eject plumes of radioactive debris. When large numbers of positrons and antielectrons collide, the primary product is an invisible but extremely dangerous burst of gamma radiation. Thus, in principle, a positron bomb could be a step toward one of the military's dreams from the early Cold War: a so-called "clean" superbomb that could kill large numbers of soldiers without ejecting radioactive contaminants over the countryside.

A copy of Edwards' speech onNIAC's Web site emphasizes this advantage of positron weapons in bright red letters: "No Nuclear Residue."

But talk of "clean" superbombs worries critics. " 'Clean' nuclear weapons are more dangerous than dirty ones because they are more likely to be used," said an e-mail from science historian George Dyson of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J., author of "Project Orion," a 2002 study on a Cold War-era attempt to design a nuclear spaceship. Still, Dyson adds, antimatter weapons are "a long, long way off."

Why so far off? One reason is that at present, there's no fast way to mass produce large amounts of antimatter from particle accelerators. With present techniques, the price tag for 100-billionths of a gram of antimatter would be $6 billion, according to an estimate by scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and elsewhere, who hope to launch antimatter-fueled spaceships.

Another problem is the terribly unruly behavior of positrons whenever physicists try to corral them into a special container. Inside these containers, known as Penning traps, magnetic fields prevent the antiparticles from contacting the material wall of the container -- lest they annihilate on contact. Unfortunately, because like-charged particles repel each other, the positrons push each other apart and quickly squirt out of the trap.

If positrons can't be stored for long periods, they're as useless to the military as an armored personnel carrier without a gas tank. So Edwards is funding investigations of ways to make positrons last longer in storage.

Edwards' point man in that effort is Gerald Smith, former chairman of physics and Antimatter Project leader at Pennsylvania State University. Smith now operates a small firm, Positronics Research LLC, in Santa Fe, N.M. So far, the Air Force has given Smith and his colleagues $3.7 million for positron research, Smith told The Chronicle in August.

Smith is looking to store positrons in a quasi-stable form called positronium. A positronium "atom" (as physicists dub it) consists of an electron and antielectron, orbiting each other. Normally these two particles would quickly collide and self-annihilate within a fraction of a second -- but by manipulating electrical and magnetic fields in their vicinity, Smith hopes to make positronium atoms last much longer.

Smith's storage effort is the "world's first attempt to store large quantities of positronium atoms in a laboratory experiment," Edwards noted in his March speech. "If successful, this approach will open the door to storing militarily significant quantities of positronium atoms."

Officials at Eglin Air Force Base initially agreed enthusiastically to try to arrange an interview with Edwards. "We're all very excited about this technology," spokesman Rex Swenson at Eglin's Munitions Directorate told The Chronicle in late July. But Swenson backed out in August after he was overruled by higher officials in the Air Force and Pentagon.

Reached by phone in late September, Edwards repeatedly declined to be interviewed. His superiors gave him "strict instructions not to give any interviews personally. I'm sorry about that -- this (antimatter) project is sort of my grandchild. ...

"(But) I agree with them (that) we're just not at the point where we need to be doing any public interviews."

Air Force spokesman Douglas Karas at the Pentagon also declined to comment last week.

In the meantime, the Air Force has been investigating the possibility of making use of a powerful positron-generating accelerator under development at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. One goal: to see if positrons generated by the accelerator can be stored for long periods inside a new type of "antimatter trap" proposed by scientists, including Washington State physicist Kelvin Lynn, head of the school's Center for Materials Research.

A new generation of military explosives is worth developing, and antimatter might fill the bill, Lynn told The Chronicle: "If we spend another $10 billion (using ordinary chemical techniques), we're going to get better high explosives, but the gains are incremental because we're getting near the theoretical limits of chemical energy."

Besides, Lynn is enthusiastic about antimatter because he believes it could propel futuristic space rockets.

"I think," he said, "we need to get off this planet, because I'm afraid we're going to destroy it."

AN ALTERNATIVE TO MID EAST OIL

Politicians and industry experts seem to agree that the United States must end its dependency on foreign oil. Yet there appears to be little consensus on exactly how to reach that goal. Some have suggested we increase domestic oil production, but the growing demand for oil is simply too great. The US possesses only 3 percent of the world's oil reserves, but consumes 25 percent of the world's supply. As a nation we devour more than 20 million barrels of oil every day. That's four times the amount of Japan, the next leading consumer, which uses approximately 5 million barrels daily. Other government leaders have proposed that we simply reduce the amount of oil the US imports from the volatile Middle East. While our government does take advantage of exports from Canada and South America, the Middle East controls nearly 60 percent of the world's conventional oil reserves. Saudi Arabia, one the United States biggest suppliers, controls almost all of the world's excess production capacity, giving it the ability to limit and control price spikes. Even if the U.S. were to stop buying oil from the Middle East, instability and supply fluctuations would still have a huge effect on the United States through the global market. Because of this many people hope the US will end its dependency on oil altogether, turning instead to new technologies like hydrogen power, ethanol made from biomass, or diesel oil made from coal (coal being one of the United States' most plentiful natural resources). However such a substantial transition in energy use would require both significant technological advances and dramatic changes in the American way-of-life, neither of which are likely to happen in the near future.

Current gas prices, which in some states has risen to nearly $3 per gallon, compounded by instability in the Middle East has caused many to look to our Canadian neighbors for answers. Approximately 250 miles north of Edmonton, in the Province of Alberta, is the biggest petroleum deposit outside the Arabian peninsula - as many as 300 billion recoverable barrels and another trillion-plus barrels that could one day be within reach using new retrieval methods. (By comparison, the entire Middle East holds an estimated 685 billion barrels that are recoverable.) Many believe these deposits could be the answer to America's oil problem. However, the oil found in these deposits is not normal crude oil. It is a very viscous, tar-like substance often called heavy oil. Heavy oil is a type of crude oil that has a low hydrogen to carbon ratio, does not flow easily, and contains more impurities, sulfur, nitrogen, and heavy metals than regular crude oil. Which means it is more difficult to retrieve and requires a specialized refining process. The type of hydrocarbons that make up crude oil determine what products can be produced from it. While heavy oil does contain some light hydrocarbons that can be made into gasoline and jet fuel, it contains primarily heavier hydrocarbons. If many of the impurities in heavy oil are removed, its' properties can be made to resemble conventional crude oil, which is then referred to as "synthetic crude." However this process is both expensive and complex. The majority of Canadian deposits are made up of both heavy oil and oil sands. Oil sands are even more difficult to extract, 2 tons of sand yields just one barrel of oil. Much of the recoverable oil is classified as heavy oil, but the bulk of Canada's resources are made up of oil sands.

The production of conventional oil will eventually begin to decline, and the United States will have to find other alternatives. Despite the hurdles that must be overcome, many government officials are hoping Canada's heavy oil and oil sands will provide the solution. According to oil industry experts, if we were to extract 30 percent of Canada's oil deposits it would be enough to meet 100 percent of the United States oil needs (approximately 20 million barrels per day), for the next 100 years.

Heavy oil isn't a new discovery. It has been around for centuries, but the technology necessary to extract and refine it has only recently become available. Improvements in mining and extraction techniques over the last several years have cut heavy oil production costs in half. Until the mid-1990's the cost of producing a barrel of heavy oil cost upwards of $15, at a time the market price of oil was about $20, and OPEC countries could produce a barrel of about $5 or less. However in the last ten years oil companies have been able to the cut the cost of extracting heavy oil to about $9 per barrel. The petroleum industry is spending billions on new methods of extraction and refinement. Last year, Shell and ChevronTexaco jointly opened the $5.7 billion Oil Sands Project in Alberta, which pumps out 155,000 barrels per day. Syncrude, a joint venture among eight US and Canadian energy companies, exported 77 million barrels of heavy oil last year, mostly to US refineries. That is 14 percent of all Canadian oil sales, and enough oil to produce 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline. Syncrude has also opened a lab in Edmonton were it is spending $30 million a year to devise increasingly efficient extraction methods. Canada has also recently finalized plans to build a 1,200-kilometre, $2.5-billion pipeline from the Alberta oil sand deposits to the West Coast to ship oil by tanker to Asia.

There are still many obstacles to overcome in the development of Canada's heavy oil and oil sands deposits. A shortage of heavy oil refineries has limited the market, but despite challenges the Alberta Energy Utilities Board has predicted that both heavy oil and oil sands production will triple in the next ten years. These developments could prove to be crucial as the Middle East grows increasingly unstable.

• Knesset Votes to Back Gaza Plan - October 25, 2004
Israeli legislators have voted in favour of the controversial plan to withdraw Jewish settlers from Gaza.

• More Patients Turning to Internet for Organs - October 26, 2004
The national transplant waiting list has grown to more than 87,000 because organ donations from the dead have not kept up with demand. That worries bioethicists, surgeons and federal officials who oversee the transplant system. Most troubling is the possibility that people will illegally buy and sell organs on the Internet.

• Tons of Iraqi Explosives Missing - October 26, 2004
The UN's nuclear watchdog has told the Security Council of the theft of nearly 350 tons of high explosives from a military complex in Iraq.

• Report Details Hostility to Religious Expression in America - October 26, 2004
Thanks to the efforts of a Texas-based legal group, the nine members of one Senate subcommittee now have in their hands a document that outlines literally hundreds of examples of violations of individuals' religious freedoms in the United States.

• School District Bans Halloween - October 20, 2004
Puyallup School District in Washington State has cancelled all Halloween activities because Halloween parties and parades waste valuable classroom time, some families can't afford costumes, and because the district says Halloween celebrations and children dressed in Halloween costumes might be offensive to real witches.

October 26, 2004

Protesters Harry Israeli Parliament Before Gaza Vote

Israeli forces end Gaza incursion

Rabbi Mordechai Elon: Pullout will be defeated by faith

PM: Settlers have 'messianic complex'

Rocket fired into Israel

Sharon: Iran Doing All It Can to Get Nuclear Arms

EU and Iran to meet again on nuclear issue

Biological weapons pose biggest threat to world, scientists warn

Japanese fear mudslides in wake of rain and earthquakes

Amnesty: 40,000 rapes in Congo

September 30, 2004

Fresh Gaza clashes leave 13 dead

Israel Plans Large-Scale Gaza Operation

Dozens killed in Baghdad bombings

N Korea vows to boost defenses against US

'Volcanic advisory' issued for Mount St. Helens

Typhoon kills 15 in Japan

Earth's 'hum' springs from stormy seas

October 12, 2004

Who Owns the Holy Land? - Hal LIndsey - www.hallindsey.com

The Arabs call the land Palestine. The Israelites call it by its ancient name, Israel. There are unique and extraordinary circumstances in the history of these people, which cause much misunderstanding by most people today.

First, they both originated from the same forefather – Abraham – 4,000 years ago. The Israelites, commonly called "Jews" today, descended from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob. The Arabs descended from Abraham through Ishmael and Esau.

Second, God chose Abraham's line through Isaac and Jacob to be the recipients of several covenants that established them as his special representatives on earth. Basically they were chosen for the following purposes:

To receive, write and preserve His Word to man, which we call the Bible.

To be an example of the blessing that comes from believing in and following the true God.

To be the physical race through whom the Messiah, the Savior of the world would be born.

To spread the revelation of how to know God personally.

In order to accomplish these purposes, God made unconditional promises to them that involved making them a unique nation with an everlasting title deed to specifically defined land.

Historically, the descendents of Ishmael and Esau have felt that somehow they were cheated. This created an enmity that has smoldered and burst into flames at various times in history.

God forewarned the Israelites through Moses that their nation would twice be destroyed for failing to obey Him. The second destruction would be far more severe than the first – the people would be scattered throughout every nation under heaven. They would be persecuted and have no assurance of life. This was literally fulfilled, beginning with the Roman destruction of Israel and Jerusalem in A.D. 70 (Deuteronomy 28:64-68 and Luke 21:20-24).

This dispersion began to draw to a close in May of 1948 when, against all odds, Israel was reborn as a nation.

This has created unique problems for the world. Never before has a people been scattered for almost 2,000 years, remained virtually a nation in exile, returned to claim their ancient homeland and then been reborn as a nation. The Arabs and all Muslims say Israel has no right to this land because they took it for Allah by Jihad, or holy war, centuries ago. According to their belief, Mohammed ascended to heaven from Jerusalem. Therefore, it is considered their third holiest place.

The secular world, especially Europe, sees the state of Israel as a nuisance that hinders the free flow of oil from the Arab nations. So they mostly side with the Arabs for economic reasons.

There are two different attitudes toward Israel's right to statehood in the Holy Land among Christians. One group interprets Bible prophecy in an allegorical sense and says that Israel forfeited its covenant rights when it rejected Jesus as Messiah. A few in this group say that Israel in any event can never be given the land by God until they repent and believe in the true Messiah.

Then there are those Christians (and I am one of them) who simply take at face value what God has promised the Israelites. The prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 36 through 39 are one example. They all focus on the present Arab-Israeli conflict, which closely precedes the Messiah's coming to set up God's promised kingdom to Abraham's believing descendents.

First, God warns all of the nations that surround Israel, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Surely in the fire of My jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated My land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn of soul, to drive it out for a prey.'" (Ezek. 36: 5) "Edom" refers to the Arabs descended from Esau. The surrounding nations are all Muslim today.

Note that God says, "My Land." The Muslims don't own it, neither do the Jews – God owns it. He gives it to whom He chooses and not on the basis of human merit.

Second, God declares to whom and why He is going to give the Holy Land, "Therefore, say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God, 'It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord …" And then, "For I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean … I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. …" (Ezek. 36:22-26)

The Bible clearly shows that God is going to give "His Land" to Israel. Not because they deserve it, but because His great name is at stake – God cannot break a promise. It is after this that God will bring the Jews to repentance and give them a new heart. He will accomplish this through delivering them from a coming war that will almost destroy the world.

God disciplines His own for disobedience, but He never disowns them. We who are Christians can thank God for that, or we would have all been disowned. God has thrown his gauntlet into the arena with His promises to Israel. And Hell will freeze over before He fails to fulfill them, though the whole world tries to prevent it.

GLOBAL PESTILENCE UPDATE

With the advent of antibiotics 50 years ago, scientists predicted the end of death and suffering from infectious diseases. During the past 25 years, however, we have witnessed the reemergence and geographical spread of well-known diseases, including tuberculosis, malaria, and cholera, often in more virulent and drug-resistant forms. Scientists have also identified more than 30 previously unknown diseases, like HIV and Ebola, for which there is no known cure. Following is an update on some of the recent developments concerning global pestilence:

Avian Bird Flu

The Thai government has announced that a woman who recently died from the avian flu contracted the disease from another human rather than through contact with birds. It is the first known incident, during the current outbreak, in which the virus has transmitted from one human to another. Scientists with the World Health Organization believe it was an isolated incident, but warned there could be a global pandemic if a new virulent strain of the virus emerges that can jump readily from human to human.

There are at least 15 different types of avian influenza that routinely infect birds around the world. The current outbreak is highly contagious among birds and rapidly fatal. Unlike many other strains of avian influenza, it can be transmitted to humans, causing severe illness and death. It has been known to mutate rapidly, and has resurfaced as an epidemic in eastern Asia. Tens of millions of chickens and other poultry have already been killed by the flu or slaughtered in order to stop the disease from spreading.

Malaria

Malaria has been successfully treated for many years with an over-the-counter drug called chloroquine, however new strains that are resistant to this drug have appeared and spread throughout Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia.

In a major medical breakthrough, researchers have discovered why the malaria parasite has become resistant to chloroquine. They identified a gene mutation that has made the disease impervious to traditional forms of treatment. Researchers believe the gene could also explain the parasite's resistance to other drugs. The discovery may lead to the development of new treatments for malaria, which the World Health Organization estimates kills as many as two million people a year.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Although the connection remains unproven, there is increasing evidence that supports a link between Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as "Mad Cow Disease," and a disease with similar symptoms that occurs in humans, called variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). Both disorders are invariably fatal brain diseases with unusually long incubation periods. Once infected it could be years before symptoms occur, and there is no way to test for the disease without a sample of brain tissue, thus making it very difficult to track and diagnose the disease.

England's Department of Health announced this week a second case in which vCJD has been transmitted from one human to another through a blood transfusion. The first incident involving contaminated blood was discovered in December of last year after a blood transfusion recipient died of the disease. The UK has admitted that it may have exported contaminated blood to as many as 11 different countries.

The development of biotechnology and the spread of infectious diseases are just a couple of trends we monitor on a regular basis. For more information on these and other topics click on the links below.

September 29, 2004

• A Mission to Salvage A Holy Message - September 24, 2004
Rabbis find sacred handwritten scrolls that contain the five Books of Moses buried in a mass grave along with the remains of 263 men, women and children were still shrouded in clothing that bore the Star of David, which Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust.

• First Islamic Bank to Open in UK - September 28, 2004
Banking regulators say they have given permission for the UK's first purely Islamic bank to start operating.

• School Board to Continue Legal Case Against Teacher - September 28, 2004
A Three-member panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that denying teacher Barbara Wigg the right to participate in the Good News Club that meets after school at the elementary school where she works violates her First Amendment rights. However the Sioux Falls School Board voted 4-0 on Monday to ask for another hearing in its lawsuit.

• Israelis Warn that Ramadan Pilgrims Could Cause Collapse of Solomon's Stables - September 28, 2004
Israel said it may limit the number of Muslim worshippers at a disputed Jerusalem religious site during the upcoming Muslim holy month because part of the biblical-era complex might collapse.

• Dolly Scientists Human Clone Bid - September 28, 2004
The scientists who cloned Dolly the sheep have formally applied for a license to clone human embryos to find a cure for motor neurone disease.

• Stem Cells as Heart "Pacemakers" - September 28, 2004
"Natural" heart pacemakers made from human stem cells have been successfully tested in pigs. Scientists hope this technology could replace the electronic pacemakers currently used to treat humans with irregular heartbeats.

September 28, 2004

Palestinian PM Urges Tactical Rethink in Conflict

N. Korea, Iran: Twin Nuke Troubles

Iran's new missile supports nukes

The threat of nuclear terror

Minister: N. Korea Has Nuclear Deterrent

China and Russia reach strategic accord

Fears mount over Asian bird flu

Series of earthquakes could signal eruption of Mount St. Helens

September 27, 2004

Israel Threatens Syria Over Militants

Hamas: Arab State May Have Helped in Syria Killing

Temple Mount collapse feared

Israeli Troops Enter West Bank Hospital

UN atomic agency calls for nuclear-free Middle East, North Korea

Scientists issue notice of volcanic unrest in Mount St. Helens crater

Presbyterian Church Opposes Israel - by Gary Stearman

On Friday July 2, Alexa Smith reported the following for a publication entitled, The Presbyterian Church (USA):

"The 216th General Assembly approved several measures opposing the Israeli occupation of Palestine Friday, including a call for the corporate witness office of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to begin gathering data to support a selective divestment of holdings in multinational corporations doing business in Israel/Palestine. Divestment is one of the strategies that U.S. churches used in the 1970s and '80s in a successful campaign to end apartheid in South Africa.

"The vote was 431 to 62 to have the church's Mission Responsibility Through Investment Committee (MRTI) study the matter and make recommendations to the General Assembly Council (GAC)."

As Smith described the meeting, "… a handful of commissioners expressed reservations about the action." Then, the Rev. Mitri Raheb, "an ecumenical guest at the Assembly, said divestment is important because it is a way for the churches to take direct action."

He said, "We have to send strong messages to such companies." He specifically referred to Caterpillar Inc., "… the American builder of armored tractors and bulldozers the Israeli army uses to demolish Palestinian homes."

The Assembly overwhelmingly approved measures to condemn Israel's construction of a security wall. It also disavowed Christian Zionism as a legitimate theological stance. It initiated studies to find reasons for Reformed Theology to reject fundamental Zionism.

Finally, it initiated feasibility studies on economic development projects in Palestine (for the Palestinian people). The Assembly committed to a completed action plan to be in place by 2005.

There are several alarming developments in the Presbyterian action. First, it equates the Jewish State of Israel with South Africa during apartheid. It sees moral and ethical justification for a universal divestment from an Israel that it now considers illegitimate. In so doing, it has sided with Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority.

The July 22nd MER News reports that, "… the Presbyterian Church commands more than seven billion dollars worth of financial instruments and pension funds. Most of this money is invested in companies and now, in keeping with the divestment decision, Presbyterian delegates will review each company's records to ascertain whether it has ties with Israel."

Israel, the only country in the Middle East with a functioning democracy, has long been seen as an example of decency in the midst of Arab tribal corruption and debauchery.

For a Christian denomination to side with those who oppose the Zionist dream, is an open admission of Scriptural ignorance coupled with moral and ethical vacuity. Apparently, the Presbyterians neither teach nor believe in a latter-day national Israel ordained of God.

U. S. Jewish leaders were totally surprised by the action and were said to be "stunned." They described the decision as the greatest act of censure ever taken by a Christian denomination against the state of Israel.

Now, there is the danger that others will follow the Presbyterians' lead. More than ever, it is of utmost importance that Bible prophecy concerning Israel's regathering be properly taught and publicized. We now have an excellent example of what can happen when it is not.

September 20, 2004

Israel kills Hamas leader in Gaza

Hamas vows revenge for killing

Site holds vote on Palestinian state

Microwave gun to be used by US troops on Iraq rioters

Big Powers Urge Iran to Heed UN Nuke Freeze Demand

China Tests New Cruise Missile

Floods from Tropical Storm Jeanne Kill 90 in Haiti

PM says religious conflicts are big challenge for international community

Vault to host first Wicca wedding

September 21, 2004

Eyeing Iran Reactors, Israel Seeks U.S. Bunker Bombs

Hamas Threatens Suicide Bombing in Israel

Israel says US will sell it 5,000 smart bombs

Egypt monitors Israel's nuclear reactor

Syrian troops redeploy in Lebanon

Al Qaeda seen planning for 'spectacular' attack

Iran converting nuclear material

More than 600 die in Haiti floods

Flood Catastrophe Looms in Bangladesh

September 22, 2004

• Religious Persecution in Eritrea - September 20, 2004
According to human rights groups those who believe and practise minority faiths are routinely persecuted in Eritrea. Two years ago the Eritrean government introduced a registration system for religions which forced groups to submit information about themselves in order to be allowed to worship.

• Canada Weighs Using Muslim Law - September 20, 2004
In Muslim neighborhoods in Canada, some women fear legal power will be handed to their religious leaders.

• Couple Fined $94,000 for One-Child Rule Lapse - September 20, 2004
A court in China's southern boomtown of Shenzhen has fined a couple 780,000 yuan ($94,250) and sealed off their house for having more than one child, the Beijing Morning Post said Monday.

• Oil-for-Food Scandal Draws Scrutiny to U.N. - September 21, 2004
It began as a U.N. humanitarian aid program called "Oil-for-Food," but it ended up with Saddam Hussein pocketing billions to become the biggest graft-generating machine ever and enriching some of America's most forceful opponents at the United Nations.

• U.S. Said to Sell Smart Bombs to Israel - September 21, 2004
The United States will sell Israel nearly 5,000 smart bombs in one of the largest weapons deals between the allies in years.

• Killers Guarding Sudan Refugees - September 21, 2004
Arab militiamen responsible for atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region are now guarding camps for the displaced, a UN official has been told by refugees.

September 17, 2004

To survive, Israel will have to strike nuclear Iran

Remnants of the Temple? Not in this garbage

Suicide bomb blasts rock Baghdad

Japan to list China as major threat

Hurricane Ivan inflicts 'tremendous damage'

Hurricane Jeanne Slams Into Puerto Rico; 2 Dead

Japan Volcano Erupts for 4th Day

Collaboration Among Religions a Duty?

September 16, 2004

IDF advances in preparation for Gaza pullout

Jews worldwide celebrate the New Year

Israel offers to help Russia fight terror

U.S.: Suspect Site in Iran Shows Nuclear Bomb Goal

Hurricane Ivan Slams Alabama, Killing 12

Jeanne Becomes a Hurricane, Hits Dominican Republic

Japan battered by record number of typhoons

Biotechnology presents new weapons' threat

Theme park tracks all patrons

September 15, 2004

• Israeli Far Right Party Mulls Quitting Coalition Over Gaza Pullout - September 13, 2004
The National Religious Party, the last remaining representative of the Israeli far right in government, is considering whether to quit the coalition in protest at the planned pullout from Gaza.

• 132 Die In Nigeria Religious Clash - September 13, 2004
Reports indicate that 132 people have died in a bloody clash between Christian and Muslim mobs in the northeastern Nigerian state of Adamawa.

• Believers or Not, Divorce Rates Virtually the Same - September 13, 2004
A new poll is confirming an apparent trend in Christianity to adopt the values of the world. Christian researcher George Barna has released the results of a new survey which show when it comes to divorce, there is little difference between born-again believers and the unsaved.

• Israel Tries To Add to International Pressure Over Iran's Nuclear Program - September 13, 2004
Israel sought to ratchet up the pressure on Iran by claiming its arch enemy could be in a position next year to develop nuclear weapons without outside help, as a UN watchdog scrutinized Tehran's atomic program.

• World Health Orranization: Between 6,000 and 10,000 Die Monthly in Darfur - September 13, 2004
As many as 10,000 refugees from Sudan's Darfur region are dying from disease and violence every month in the teeming camps where they've taken refuge, U.N. health agency officials said Monday.

September 14, 2004

Sharon pledges Arafat expulsion

Sharon Rejects Call for Referendum on Gaza Withdrawal Plan

Suicide bomber injures 3 soldiers in West Bank blast

ElBaradei Says Unclear if Iran Nuke Plans Peaceful

South Korea Wants to Pin Down Nature of North Blast

Hurricane Ivan Aims for U.S. After Brushing Cuba

Worst floods in decades hit Dhaka

Japan Volcano Erupts for Second Time in a Day

U.N.: Up to 10,000 Dying a Month in Darfur Camps

Evangelical Pastor Shot Dead in Haiti

September 13, 2004

Israel Airstrike Kills Three in West Bank

Sharon Faces Netanyahu Challenge Over Gaza Pullout

Scores Are Dead After Violence Spreads in Iraq

Iran may have A-bomb production capability next year

Al-Qaida's WMD suicide bomb plan

Hurricane Ivan Rolls Towards Cuba

Japan Battered as Asian Typhoons Take Unusual Turn

Scientists Say Mauna Loa May Soon Erupt

Iraqi Christians Seek Sanctuary in Ancient Homeland

September 9, 2004

N. Korea warns of arms race following S. Korean uranium experiment
North Korean diplomats abroad also accused Washington of overlooking South Korea's unauthorized experiment

Iran recruits 'human shield' for reactor
Islamic group says 25,000 have signed up for campaign at nuclear facility
—Jerusalem Post

Iran nuke fuel program starts at desert mine
Saghand's estimated capacity would yield 7 bombs a year
—Associated Press

Chechens: Nab Putin, get $20 million reward
Terrorists counter Russian leader's offer of $10 million for rebel leaders
—Sophia Morning News, Bulgaria

Pakistan kills 50 in raid on Al-Qaeda training camp
Most of the victims were Uzbeks and Chechens with some Arabs
—AFP

Jakarta explosion kills 3
'Many injured' admitted to hospital after blast near Australian embassy
—The Scotsman

September 8, 2004

• Hamas Swears Gaza Strike Revenge - September 07, 2004
Palestinian militant group Hamas has sworn vengeance after 14 of its members were killed in an overnight strike by the Israeli air force on Gaza.

• India's Hindu Nationalists Rile at Rise of Muslim, Christian Populations - September 07, 2004
The leader of India's Hindu-nationalist opposition on Tuesday criticized an increased growth rate among minority Muslims and Christians, urging them to practice family planning to stem a threat to the "unity and integrity" of the nation.

• Court Overturns Bus Driver Sentence Because of Judge's Religious Comments - September 07, 2004
In sentencing a Springfield school bus driver last year for first-degree sexual assault Sarpy County District Judge George Thompson quoted a passage from the book of Romans. The Nebraska Court of Appeals overturned the sentence, saying Thompson abused his discretion by the "explicit and unmistakable" interjection of his personal religious views.

• State Worker Sues for Right to Post Religious, Political Views on Cubicle - September 07, 2004
A state government worker who alleges he was forced to remove Bible verses, a bumper sticker reading "Marriage: One Man, One Woman" and other religious or political items from the entrance of his office cubicle has sued the California Department of Social Services, claiming the action violated his First Amendment rights.

• Militant Group Seeks Religious Ruling on Kidnappings - September 07, 2004
An Iraqi militant group appealed Sunday to an influential Sunni Muslim organization for a fatwa religious edict on whether the kidnapping of foreigners who work for occupation forces is acceptable under Islam.

• Hooded Gunmen Blast Colombian Church Congregation - September 07, 2004
Hooded gunmen burst into an evangelical church packed with hymn-singing worshipers in southern Colombia and opened fire, killing three and wounding 14 others.

September 3, 2004

Damascus says taking latest Israeli threats seriously
A Syrian political analyst and a legislator, says the U.S. would be responsible for any Israeli violation of international law
—Jerusalem Post

Fence construction in South to be expedited
The fence should be continued as far as the Dead Sea as soon as possible
—Jerusalem Post

Russian commandos storm seized school
At least seven people were killed and 310 others wounded Friday
—Jerusalem Post

Russian militants release 31 hostages in Russia
Between 15 and 24 militants were thought to be in the school
—AP

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