The following articles are compiled by:

Leo Wong

Leo@WatchmenWatching.com

 

 

White House says it will quickly replace Paul Wolfowitz

Source: CNN.com/Associated Press

 

May 18, 2007 -- The White House said Friday it will move quickly to find a successor -- preferably an American -- for departing World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz as the administration sought to rebuild relationships strained by the controversy.

 

Wolfowitz a day earlier announced that he would step down at the end of June, his leadership undermined by a furor over compensation he arranged in 2005 for Shaha Riza, a bank employee and girlfriend.

 

"Traditionally, the American nominee has become the World Bank president. We want to move swiftly in this process," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto. "We want to make sure that we are selecting the best individual for the job. We want someone who has a real passion for lifting people out of poverty."

 

The European Commission called Friday for a quick appointment, saying the poverty fighting institution needs "stable and strong political leadership."

 

Wolfowitz waged a vigorous battle to save his job and maintained he had acted in good faith. He was all but forced out, however, by the finding of a special bank panel that he violated conflict-of-interest rules in his handling of Riza's pay package.

 

Until near the end, the Bush administration had professed support for Wolfowitz. But in a shift on Tuesday, the White House indicated for the first time it was open to his departure. It was the same day Wolfowitz made a last-ditch plea to save his job before the board.

 

After days of negotiations, Wolfowitz got what he wanted -- an acknowledgment from the bank's board that he did not bear sole responsibility for the conflict-of-interest furor surrounding his handling of the pay package.

 

"He assured us that he acted ethically and in good faith in what he believed were the best interests of the institution, and we accept that," the board said in its announcement of Wolfowitz's resignation.

 

The bank board said it was clear that a number of people had erred in reviewing Riza's pay package. The board's statement made no mention of any financial arrangements related to Wolfowitz's departure, nor did it speak to Riza's future.

 

For his part, Wolfowitz said he was pleased that the board "accepted my assurance that I acted ethically and in good faith in what I believed were the best interests of the institution, including protecting the rights of a valued staff member."

 

Now, he said, it was in the best interest of the board that its mission "be carried forward under new leadership."

 

Comments:  Jeremiah 17:[9] The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?  Political and business corruption defines the core nature of the unsaved.  Without the Holy Spirit dwelling within, they make sure that self-interest is the prime directive of their lives.  Paul Wolfowitz is a member of the ‘old boys’ network’.  He not only got paid a prince’s ransom for the little work he did, but he will receive the proverbial golden handshake when he leaves his cushy post next month.  His girlfriend didn’t do so badly herself.  Nobody really cares for the poor. It makes you want to reach for the airliner’s barf-bag.

 

The World Bank is really the American taxpayers’ trust account that’s being frittered away due to under the table dealings.  The U.S. gets to nominate the bank’s president and America looks the other way when things get dicey.  Helping the poor countries may be its mandate, but along the way, the fat cats devour large pieces of the financial pie.  In the One World Government that’s being established, the World Bank will assume a higher profile as it dispenses the cash as directed by the Antichrist.  He will ensure that corruption will be dealt with swiftly and decisively.  Dudes like Wolfowitz would pay dearly for their inappropriate dealings through losing their head.

 

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Turkey angered by Sarkozy 'Mediterranean Union' idea

Source: EUObserver.com

 

May 18, 2007 -- Turkey has strongly criticised a proposal, floated by France's new president Nicolas Sarkozy, to set up a "Mediterranean Union" as an alternative to the country's bid for full EU membership, urging the French leader to respect the commitments of the past.

 

Nicolas Sarkozy - known as a firm opponent of Ankara's EU bid – has already indicated he will push for a definition of the bloc's "stable" borders and a re-orientation of talks with the sizeable and relatively poor Muslim country.

 

The new French leader has suggested forming a loose grouping of 16 countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, with Turkey to be the backbone of the club.

 

Under Mr Sarkozy's plan, the group – in order to tie southern Europe with Israel and its Arab neighbors – would form an EU-like council with a rotating presidency and deal with topical issues such as energy, security, counter-terrorism, immigration and trade.

 

But the idea has met with anger in Ankara, with Mr Gul saying "Turkey is one of the Mediterranean countries, but cooperation in the Mediterranean is one thing and cooperation within Europe is something else."

 

Comments:  Turkey’s position is “When you have cream (the EU), why bother with skim milk (Mediterranean Union)?”  Turkey thinks the EU is the major league while a Mediterranean Union is merely a farm club.  It wants to be a small fry in a big pond instead of being a king fish in a smaller pond. It doesn’t know Bible prophecy that well it seems.  The Old Roman Empire consisted of most of Europe and countries that border the Mediterranean Sea and North Africa.  Already, the EU nations have arisen to form 27 members and with North Africa in the process of coming together, this concept of a Mediterranean Union by Monsieur Sarkozy would complete the Revived Roman Empire.  When it is fully revived, each member will be equally important.  Someone ought to advise Turkey that it just needs to get its foot inside the door.  That’s what Sarkozy is offering Turkey, but Turkey is opting for the elite league rather than some 2^nd tier standing.  Turkey’s anger and pride will prevent it from agreeing to the EU’s membership entrance conditions. Many times, we let our emotions get in the way of logical thinking and action.

 

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Israel Defence Force: Iran will have the nuclear bomb only in 2010

Source: Jerusalem Post

 

May 19, 2007 -- Despite a recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report which revealed that Iran was enriching uranium on an unprecedented scale, a high-ranking IDF officer said over the weekend that Israel still maintained its assessment that Teheran would have a nuclear bomb only by the end of the decade.

 

Last week, The New York Times revealed that on a short-notice inspection of Iran's main nuclear facility at Natanz, IAEA inspectors found evidence to suggest that Iran may have overcome technological challenges and has started enriching uranium on a significantly wider scale.

 

According to the Times report, Iranian engineers were already using an estimated 1,300 centrifuges and were producing fuel suitable for nuclear reactors.

 

But according to the senior IDF officer, the defence establishment's assessment remained the same - that Iran would only obtain nuclear weapons by the end of the decade.

 

Comments:  The game of nuclear brinkmanship is being played by wily Israel.  Israel’s IDF gets its intelligence information from the highly acclaimed Mossad, arguably the world’s most effective intelligence collecting agency.  (No slight intended on the CIA or Scotland Yard.)  Israel’s leaders are keeping the real timetable on Iran’s nuclear bomb completion close to their vest.  The 2010 year was tossed out to the media at the top of their head.  It may or may not be the actual year.  Most likely it isn’t.  The completion is probably closer to 2008 than 2010. Iran’s nuclear experts chuckled as they thought that the IDF was being way off base.  The Jews have underestimated the enemy?  Such a strategy lulls the Iranians into a sense of false security.  They’ll catch the unprepared Israelis off guard as nukes travel on their way to Tel Aviv, Haifa and West Jerusalem.  The Jews won’t know what hit them.  Yeah right!

 

Don’t worry, Israel.  God won’t allow the tiny nation to suffer a devastating nuclear attack.  That’s an ironclad guarantee.  Deuteronomy 33:[27] The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them.

 

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Porn flowing into Christian bookstores

Source: WorldNetDaily.com 

 

May 19, 2007 -- An online company providing books to hundreds of Christian bookstores throughout Canada and the United States promotes XXX-rated materials, occult titles, manuals on homosexuality and lesbianism and Satanism, according to a center that monitors the industry.

As WND has reported, a company called BookManager serves a St. Catherine Ontario Christian bookstore whose owner recently discovered books on occultism, pornography and the like could be located through its website.

 

Now Bud Press, who runs Christian Research Service, has told WND that the company actually serves hundreds of Christian bookstores, whose owners now are facing the problem of what to do.

 

WND earlier reported that in the United States, software provided by Internet behemoth Amazon to Christian stores also includes pornographic products, and in Canada, even a search on Amazon.ca for 'science video' turned up X-rated materials.

 

Comments:   The bottom line is that Christian books and products represent big greenbacks so online companies supply them to Christian bookstores and to anyone wishing such books as part of their vast offerings.  There are unsaved people who don’t see a problem with “hocking” Christian materials because they genuinely believe they’re a Christian by birth or they attend Mass twice a year or because they’re not so bad even they can out cuss and out drink Hell’s Angels bikers.  As a result, they’ll supply all genres (Christian, cults, porn, gay, lesbian, you name it, they got it) of books, DVDs, CDs, charts, etc.  Anything to make a buck.

 

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to Christian authors such as John Hagee, Hal Lindsey and Dave Hunt that Amazon.com sells their books.  They know the selling power of this monster bookseller.  If you want a particular Christian book and you live in a small city or in a rural area where there’s no bookstore, chances are that you’ll find what you’re seeking at Amazon.com which ships to all locations in North America and many parts of the world.  In Canada, Vision TV provides programs produced by all religions of the world and includes TV episodes of Jack Van Impe Presents and Hal Lindsey sometimes sandwiched between a Hindu show and an Islamic program.  The mingling of Christian things with the world is a by-product of mega online buying and large TV networks offering a diversity of viewpoints.

 

 

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Rabbi annuls conversion after 15 years

Source: Jerusalem Post

 

May 20, 2007 -- A rabbinic judge has retroactively annulled a woman's conversion to Judaism, performed 15 years ago by the present head of the state's Conversion Authority.

 

In his extraordinary recent intervention, Rabbi Avraham Atia of the Ashdod Rabbinic Court also ruled that the woman's three children and husband were "unacceptable for marriage to the Jewish people."

 

Atia issued the ruling based on the woman's admission that she did not observe the halacha (Jewish law) governing Shabbat or family purity.

 

The woman had come to Atia for a divorce from her husband. But Atia ruled that she was not a Jew, since she had not intended at the time of conversion to adhere to halacha. Therefore, she did not need a get (writ of divorce), since Jewish law does not recognize the marriage of a gentile to a Jew, he said.

 

Comments:  Most all the religions of the world seem to have a myriad of rituals and laws that one must fulfill and abide by in order to remain a member in good standing.  Real Christianity (not the professing type) is beautifully simple.  Since Jesus had borne our sins at the cross of Calvary, there’s now no more condemnation for those who have confessed their sins to God and have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  Nothing to do/work for one’s salvation aside from faith in Jesus and there’s no way to lose one’s salvation after conversion.  When you convert to Christ, there’s no undoing (i.e. unconversion). Anything that’s hard and requires much effort cannot be God’s way.  The practitioners of Judaism have veered off God’s pathway.  Religious Jews have rebelled at God and are spiritually blind.  The secular Jews are blind likewise.  Jesus will come back to Earth to open the minds of His people.  Until then, the people grope in the dark.  Who would want to convert to formalistic Judaism you ask?  Jews don’t need to follow this law and that law.  They need Jesus Who came to fulfill God’s laws and He has freed believers from the law.  Jesus for Jews rather than Judaism for Jews.  That ought to be banner being lifted up high for all Jews.  Romans 10:[4] For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

 

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Shimon Peres vows to offer an alternative to Arab plan

Source: Jerusalem Post

 

May 20, 2007 -- Shimon Peres said in Jordan Sunday at the World Economic Forum that Israel would offer a counterproposal to the Arab peace initiative relaunched in Riyadh in March, but officials in both the Prime Minister's Office and the Foreign Ministry said they were unaware of any concrete plans being drawn up.

 

Nevertheless, a senior diplomatic official said Peres's comments could have something to do with "mysterious" trips that the Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Yoram Turbowicz and the Prime Minister's Foreign Policy Adviser Shalom Turgeman had made recently to the US and in the region.

 

Senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office, however, said they were unaware of a counterproposal being written.

 

Olmert has said that there were certain positive elements to the plan, and that he would like to discuss it with the Arab world.

 

Officials from Jordan and Egypt are scheduled to come to Israel and discuss the issue as representatives of the Arab League, but no date has been set for their arrival.

 

Peres's comments were the first indication that Israel was preparing a full-blown counterproposal.

 

Arab League chief Amr Moussa suggested he would entertain the Israeli offer but said it would not be seriously considered unless it was reasonable.

 

Arab countries have been trying to reignite the stalled peace process with their plan that offers Israel full recognition in exchange for a total withdrawal from lands it captured in the 1967 Six Day War and the creation of a Palestinian state. Israel has welcomed the plan as a good starting point for negotiations, but objects to several provisions.

 

"The Arab League has proposed, fine. We will make a counterproposal," Peres said during heated discussions that included Moussa and Saeb Erekat, a top aide to the Palestinian president, at the World Economic Forum. "We will come to the Arab League, to the Saudis, where they want... If you are serious and we are serious, let's sit together. You cannot send us a document and say take it or leave it."

 

Comments:  The Israeli prime minister was completely blindsided by his second in command, the former PM Shimon the “dove” Peres.  Having governed Israel before, Peres is a crusty curmudgeon who marches to his own tune.  He has a counterproposal concealed inside his cranium and only he knows about it.  His boss wishes that he could be clued in to whatever Peres is going to say to the media before he utters it.  You can tell that in Israel, the coalition type of government means no teamwork when it comes to foreign policies.  It seems that everyone in the government is a loose cannon and Ehud Olmert winches when he turns on the TV and sees his foreign minister suggesting that her boss ought to resign or his vice-premier teasing his audience about an Israelis counterproposal that no one else knows about except the speaker.

 

Yes, the Saudi Plan is heavily tilted in the Arabs’ favour and places Israel in a bind.  The “take it or leave” ultimatum will solicit a “leave it” Israeli response since Israel holds the upper hand in the Arab-Israeli conflict.  But, Israel wants peace and is willingly to accept the Saudi Plan with modifications.  Such are negotiations’ give and take, win-win situation, and at the end of the talks, hugs and embraces are shared between the two parties.  Isaiah 30:[1] Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin.

 

 

 

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Keep watching (Matt 24:42)!

 

Until next time,

Shalom!

 

 

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