The Scriptorium

That’s just what we need! A bunch of mentally deranged woolly mammoths with screwed up DNA running around. Did these “conservationists” not watch Jurassic Park?? And, what happened to humans needing to stop interfering with nature? I guess that only applies to us non-conservationists.

Biologists briefly brought the extinct Pyrenean ibex back to life in 2003 by creating a clone from a frozen tissue sample harvested before the goat’s entire population vanished in 2000. The clone survived just seven minutes after birth, but it gave scientists hope that “de-extinction,” once a pipedream, could become a reality. Ten years later, a group of researchers and conservationists gathered in Washington, D.C., today (March 15) for a forum called TEDxDeExtinction, hosted by the National Geographic Society, to talk about how to revive extinct animals, from the Tasmanian tiger and the saber-toothed tiger to the woolly mammoth….

Read more HERE

Ahmadinejad hasn’t been reading his Bible, but Iran’s actions could very well be the spark that fulfills the prophesies in Ezekiel. If Iran attacks, or Israel launches a preemptive attack it could end up involving the entire Middle East, and eventually the West. It would be an earth shattering event to be sure, and a life changing one for much of the planet.

It’s also interesting that Syria is on a path to destruction at the same time. Isaiah 17 includes the end times prophecy that Syria will no longer be a city, but a heap of ruins.

Israel is our time clock, and Jesus is our hope. Be looking up, if this regional war actually begins.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told an annual anti-Israel protest in Tehran on Friday that the Jewish state was a “cancerous tumour” that will soon be excised, drawing Western rebukes.

Washington said Ahmadinejad’s statements were “reprehensible”, while Paris viewed them as “outrageous.”

Ahmadinejad’s diatribe against Israel in his Quds (Jerusalem) Day address was the latest in a long line to have drawn criticism from Western governments.

“The Zionist regime and the Zionists are a cancerous tumour,” he said.

“The nations of the region will soon finish off the usurper Zionists in the Palestinian land…. A new Middle East will definitely be formed. With the grace of God and help of the nations, in the new Middle East there will be no trace of the Americans and Zionists,” he said.

Link to article

Related Article: Iran: Israel’s existence ‘insult to all humanity’

It was only a matter of time before the culture of death, bombarded with proof that a living child is being killed during an abortion, would have to take a new approach. Now one must be not just a human, but must be considered a “person” before you are worthy of a right to life.

What kind of animals could slaughter a new born baby and excuse it because they don’t deem that little baby to be a person yet? Who won’t be considered a true person next? Perhaps, disabled people, or old people won’t be considered a full person. This proves, without a doubt, that they know it is murder and they just flat don’t care. We are up against serious evil in this world. What bothers me the most is that most people won’t even hear about this, until it’s too late, or they won’t care until it actually affects them.

Two ethicists working with Australian universities argue in the latest online edition of the Journal of Medical Ethics that if abortion of a fetus is allowable so to should be the termination of a newborn.

Alberto Giubilini with Monash University in Melbourne and Francesca Minerva at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics at the University of Melbourne write that in “circumstances occur[ing] after birth such that they would have justified abortion, what we call after-birth abortion should be permissible.”

The two are quick to note that they prefer the term “after-birth abortion“ as opposed to ”infanticide.” Why? Because it “[emphasizes] that the moral status of the individual killed is comparable with that of a fetus (on which ‘abortions’ in the traditional sense are performed) rather than to that of a child.” The authors also do not agree with the term euthanasia for this practice as the best interest of the person who would be killed is not necessarily the primary reason his or her life is being terminated. In other words, it may be in the parents’ best interest to terminate the life, not the newborns.

It’s a game of words to them. Instead of murder, they just call it after birth abortion. It’s the difference between stabbing a child in the head and suctioning out their brains two minutes earlier when they’re in the womb, or when they come out. They are just so evil and disgusting, they don’t need to hide it in the womb anymore.

Link

Nooooo, really?? It’ll take an ice age to convince the global warming geeks that they not only can’t predict future climate, climate has always changed, and it doesn’t work to fudge the data and lie through your teeth.

Nearly 230 billion tons of ice is melting into the ocean from glaciers, ice caps, and mountaintops annually—which is actually less than previous estimates, according to new research by scientists at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

If the amount of ice lost between 2003 and 2010 covered the United States, the whole country would be under one-and-a-half feet of water, or it’d fill Lake Erie eight times, researchers say. Ocean levels worldwide are rising about six tenths of an inch per year, according to researcher John Wahr.

While vast quantities of ice melting into the ocean is not exactly good news, Wahr says, according to his team’s estimates, about 30 percent less ice is melting than previously thought.

I’ve also heard many scientists make the claim that the ice caps are growing. So, why don’t we stop making policy based on made up science and focus on the real problems facing the world today. Novel, I know.

Link

Update: Yet another example: The Himalayas and nearby peaks have lost no ice in past 10 years, study shows

Could it be that Algore doesn’t haven’t the faintest clue what he’s talking about? I think the proof for that condition is overwhelming and growing by the day.

It’s sad to think, but we may see another world war in our lifetime, and sooner than you might think. Historically speaking, this is how they start.

US, Russian French and British air and naval forces streamed to the Syrian and Iranian coasts over the weekend on guard for fresh developments at the two Middle East flashpoints.
The Russian carrier Admiral Kuznetsov anchored earlier than planned at Syria’s Tartus port on the Mediterranean Sunday, Jan. 8, arriving together with the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and frigate Yaroslav Mudry.
To counter this movement, France consigned an air defense destroyer Forbin to the waters off Tartus.

debkafile’s military sources report a buildup in the last 48 hours of western naval forces opposite Iran in the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea in readiness for Tehran to carry out its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Britain has dispatched the HMS Daring, a Type 45 destroyer armed with new technology for shooting down missiles, to the Sea of Oman, due to arrive at the same time as the French Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

Our sources report too that Saturday, the giant RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV, took off from the USS Stenning aircraft carrier for surveillance over the coasts of Iran. The Stennis and its strike group are cruising in the Sea of Oman at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran announced it would not be allowed to cross through.
This was the first time the US has deployed unmanned aerial vehicles over Iran since its RQ-170 stealth drone was shot down by Iran on Dec. 4. It was also the first time the huge drone was ordered to take off from an aircraft carrier for a Broad Aerial Maritime Surveillance Mission (BAMS).

Link

The Islamist, terrorist group The Muslim Brotherhood is going back to the streets in Cairo without the leftists covering for them. It doesn’t appear they’re going to stop with the Arab mess until they’ve rested power from the military regime currently running the country.

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians rallied Friday in Cairo’s Tahrir square with Islamists in the forefront to protest against what they say are attempts by the country’s military rulers to designate themselves as the guardians of a new Egypt. It was one of the largest rallied in Egypt in recent months.

Most rallies in Tahrir have been led by liberal- or left-leaning groups. But Friday’s rally was dominated by the country’s most organized political group, the Muslim Brotherhood, which has rarely come out in full force since the protests that forced President Hosni Mubarak to step down in February.

The Brotherhood had until recently avoided confrontation with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, but now warns of escalating its protest campaign if plans to give permanent political powers to the military are not scrapped.

Link

This picture says it all. A bunch of slobs itching for a war.

Pray for those affected by this tragedy.

Building codes are something the Turkish government might want to look into. With the Muslim Brotherhood taking over power in that country, I don’t think there’s much hope of that happening, though. It’s truly sad that so many Muslims in Arab countries have to suffer such senseless death and destruction.

Good job Owsies. Now, instead of Iranians protesting their own government as they did in the early days of Obama’s Presidency (which he ignored), they’ve joined the occupiers in chanting “down with Wall Street”, and “death to the U.S.A. and capitalism”. Nothing like encouraging the biggest threat we face today to hate us even more. I wonder if the OWS crowd knows that Iran has ICBM’s that can reach the EAST coast?

Iranian demonstrators gathered outside the Swiss embassy in Tehran Saturday, setting an Israeli flag on fire to show support for the ongoing Occupy Wall Street movement sweeping the U.S.

They carried signs that bore familiar slogans, including, “The end of Wall Street” and “We are the 99 percent.“ Chants included ”Death to capitalism“ and ”Death to U.S.”

Interesting that they show their solidarity with the New York mob by setting an Israeli flag on fire. I hope and pray that Americans are waking up to the character and absence of morals of these people.

Why does this not surprise me? Surrender Monkeys?

France is set to pull out nearly 200 troops from Afghanistan in a few hours, kickstarting withdrawals announced three months ago by Paris….

Link

Where are all the anti-war progressives now. Under George Bush we heard wild accusations of hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths in Iraq. The Left was frothing at the mouth about the “unjust war”. Now we have crudely armed rebels wiping out civilians right and left in Libya, and what do we hear from the progressives? Crickets. They’re too busy throwing a fit on the Brooklyn Bridge and getting arrested.

The fighters of Libya’s National Transitional Council, the rebel movement turned temporary government, have launched what they say is a “final assault” on Sirte — hometown of ousted dictator Colonel Gaddafi and one of the last redoubts of his supporters.

Thousands of civilians have fled the town, but thousands more are trapped inside, unable or unwilling to leave. The Red Cross reports that conditions inside Sirte are deteriorating, with people dying in the main hospital due to shortages of medical supplies, fuel, and water; food is also said to be in short supply.

There are no reliable casualty figures, although pro-Gaddafi forces — not surprisingly — are reporting hundreds of civilian deaths caused by both NTC fighters and NATO airstrikes. While those claims can’t be verified, with both rebel forces bombarding the town for the past couple weeks it’s inconceivable that civilians are not being killed and injured.

No one can find a statistic for the civilian deaths, because it couldn’t be blamed on George Bush. They must protect dear leader at all costs.

Link

I’m so glad we’re in debt up to our eyeballs to a country like Communist China. If we hadn’t spent ourselves into oblivion, and then added to the fire with two years of Obama, we might be able to reason with the Chinese and prevent moves like this. When we’re paying ten dollars a light bulb, I wonder if the greenies will change their minds about having the government regulate our lighting? Probably not. They’ll just light candles and sing koombaya. Stock up folks. We squandered the easy life we had in America, sadly.

In the name of fighting pollution, China has sent the price of compact fluorescent light bulbs soaring in the United States.

By closing or nationalizing dozens of the producers of rare earth metals — which are used in energy-efficient bulbs and many other green-energy products — China is temporarily shutting down most of the industry and crimping the global supply of the vital resources.

I think we can now count China out as a source of more money. We’ll be at QE15 before they wake up.

Linky

It looks like just about anyone who wins the Republican primary has a shot at putting Obama out of a job. The question is, which Republican candidate do we really want occupying the Oval Office during these tumultuous times. I know I don’t want Ron Paul acting as the leader of the free world. Going from a self avowed Marxist to an isolationist doesn’t sound like progress to me. I would love to see Bachman rise to the top, stomp Obama at the polls, and send the liberal Palin-mockers spiraling into a fit of BDS. Have no doubt, if the first woman president happened to be a conservative and a…….everyone cover your ears…. pro life Christian with traditional conservative values, the far left would be seeking psychiatric help in droves…think Florida 2002.

Sadly, I’m not sure the United States has changed its attitude about women in leadership positions enough, especially among elderly voters, to elect a woman as our President and Commander in Chief. Any serviceman will tell you that women have just as much responsibility, and fill just as many high ranking positions in every branch of the military, but there just aren’t that many civilians that are aware of that. Female troops no longer sit behind desks, or just work as nurses and secretaries for high ranking men. They fly aircraft worth millions, work as linguists in the middle of war zones, and the list goes on. If the brave women of our armed forces can risk their lives right along side men, they can certainly do a better job than Obama as our acting Commander in Chief, and leader of the greatest country on earth.

Anyway, it will be interesting to see who rises to the top of the Republican Ticket. Lord, just don’t let it be Romney. Sure, he’s got the economic credentials to clean the floor with Obama in a debate, but can you picture the man as the Commander in Chief of our troops. If you can, think a bit on all of the wars we’re involved in right now, the instability in the Middle East, the “Arab Sring” that will likely become the “Arab nightmare”. Think about the alliances being formed between Arab countries like Syria, Iran, etc., and Russia, always there and willing to provide intelligence, arms, and a great deal of experience and technology gained from a long Cold War with the United States.

The U.S. economy is in trouble, no doubt. But, the world is on the brink of something big that isn’t just about a global economic crisis, or one of many wars around the world. Even more importantly, it’s about a spiritual battle. If you want to be on the right side of that battle, choose your leaders wisely and be certain they will never turn their back on Israel – not just the country, but God’s chosen people, the Jews. Our battle is not against politicians or countries, but against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). We will need a president who talks, and LISTENS, to God, whether that be a man or a woman.

Original Article Link

If you don’t think the financial collapse of Greece affects the U.S. and the rest of Europe, you don’t understand how truly global our economies are. Greece can’t pay it’s bills. It’s not just a budget problem that can be fixed, they are defaulting on their loans. And, guess who holds those loans that aren’t being paid back – the U.S. and Europe among others. The Dow is going to take a huge hit according to economists and the Euro is going to be hit hard.

In other signs of the times, a recent lunar eclipse turned the moon blood red. There will indeed be signs in the skies, the sun (a huge solar flare affected temperatures globally), and the stars.

Luke 21:25
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

For those of you who might be wondering why devastating earthquakes, tsunamis, Tornadoes, Hurricanes and other natural disasters will, and are, taking so many lives, and bringing with them tragic suffering, remember these things:

First, we are entering what Jesus called the “birth pains” that will signal His return. The hope that Jesus return gives us will sustain us through these difficult times.

Second, there is a reason for these events that will ultimately save millions for eternity. God tells us in His Word that these natural disasters, global financial upheaval, and other tragedies are His final attempt to wake people from their complacency and show them that they too have a need for a higher power. Those who choose not to think about what happens after death, might suddenly start thinking about it. In some cases those Sunday school lessons we learned when we were children make a little more sense, and decades later a person might open their Bible and find Christ in those pages before the chaos of the end-times takes his life while he’s unprepared. When were speaking in terms of eternity, I think you’ll agree that one soul means a lot. We should all be praying for a revival like this world has never seen.

Our Lord and Savior wants all of us to go to heaven to live out eternity with Him, but he also gave us free will (would you really want to live life without that?). He’s also given us thousands of years of evidence for His existence, and many chances to find Him, spread the gospel, and bring as many to Christ as we can in our life time. Yet, God weeps at the vast numbers who have ignored His message of love and salvation, and chosen, instead, to follow doctrines of men, and worship creation rather than the Creator. It is for this reason that He is desperately trying to get our attention, before it’s too late to avoid an eternity of torment just because we stubbornly and pridefully refused the simple gift of life God offers to every one of us. All He asks of us is that we believe in Him and love Him with all our heart. If you think of it, He asks no more than we expect of our spouses and our children. Search the scriptures and I promise that you will find the clarity and hope you’re looking for.

Read these Bible verses to gain further understanding of God’s purpose for our current tumultuous times and then keep reading, starting with the New Testament:

Matthew 24:7; Luke 21:25-26; Revelation 6:12; 11:13; 16:18

Not surprising news. We know the global government we’ll see rise from the current world chaos will be occupy the same land that made up the Old Roman Empire (EU), so naturally the Euro will likely replace the U.S. as the world currency, and the only currency used in oil trading. Being that the US economy is propped up by this current, exclusive privilege to trade oil only in dollars, in much the same way that the dollar was once backed by gold, the dollar will soon be seeing a far more dismal status in the world economy. Which, also makes perfect sense if you know your end-times prophecy.

Read Source Link HERE

Duh.

“The interpretation of multi-decadal surface temperature trends over the United States has been found to be more complex than has been previously assumed as a result of the use of poorly sited climate reference stations in the analysis.” ………

Listen for Obama, in his State of the Union Address, to tout progress made with the Chinese that will, supposedly, create more “green” jobs for Americans. Then, remember this example of what he really means.

A “green” solar company that received $58 billion in stimulus funding was forced to closed it’s factory in MA, and moved 800 jobs to China in order to compete with an increasingly global market.

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/01/12/evergreen_solar_to_cut_800_jobs_as_it_tries_to_compete_with_china/

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2011/01/20/in_bid_to_be_green_governor_patrick_bungles_investment/

(hat tip: LibFreeOrDie @ Free Republic)

After having the site crashed with a trojan horse, moving the blog to another server, and then finally managing to restore the original blog, we’re finally up and running again….I think. Unless i find more problems somewhere, things are back the way they were in their original location. I’ll do backups more frequently from now on.

It’s things like this that make me wish we still had President Bush in office. Bush wasn’t perfect, and the fact that opened the door to the bailout, socialist mess Obama is continuing angered me, but we could at least count on the man to keep us safe. Bush never would have let North Korea’s nuke and missile tests go unanswered, and Kim likely wouldn’t have felt so emboldened if not for the weak, Arab supporting community activist we have in office now.

We continue to hear the media repeat the mantra that North Korea has made threats before, so they’re probably just bluffing. Do we really want to take that risk and do nothing but “vote present”? This sounds pretty serious to me:

North Korean troops will respond to any sanctions or U.S. provocations with “an annihilating blow,” one senior official vowed—a pointed threat as an American destroyer shadowed a North Korean freighter sailing off China’s coast, possibly with banned goods on board.

Perhaps Obama is counting on the U.N. to take care of this problem for him. In his naive world, the U.N. is the answer to all the worlds ills, along with American apologies to foreign countries, and bowing before Islamic dictators. The U.N.’s answer to the last threat was as follows:

A new U.N. Security Council resolution passed recently to punish North Korea for conducting an underground nuclear test in May requires U.N. member states to request inspections of ships suspected of carrying arms or nuclear weapons-related material.

They are “punishing” North Korea by REQUESTING inspection of ships? That worked out really well didn’t it.

In response to the sanctions, the North pulled out of nuclear talks and has ramped up already strident anti-American rhetoric. And the isolated regime may now be moving to openly flout the resolution by dispatching a ship suspected of carrying arms to Myanmar. While it was not clear what was on board the North Korean-flagged Kang Nam 1, officials have mentioned artillery and other conventional weaponry. One intelligence expert suspected missiles.

Obama can’t even back up a toothless resolution and follow through on inspecting these ships.

The U.S. and its allies have made no decision on whether to request inspection of the ship, Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Wednesday in Washington, but North Korea has said it would consider any interception an act of war.

North Korea’s “armed forces will deal an annihilating blow that is unpredictable and unavoidable, to any ‘sanctions’ or provocations by the US,” Pak Pyong Jong, first vice chairman of the Pyongyang City People’s Committee, told the crowd gathered for the Korean War anniversary rally.

There are massacres happening in Iran, where election protesters are attempting to overthrow the current Islamic dictatorship. North Korea appears in many ways to be preparing for war, their leadership is threatening a nuclear attack, and they’re shipping banned weapons in faster than Michelle Obama can buy new clothes. Meanwhile, Obama is eating ice cream and golfing. All we hear from his administration is dismissals and attempts to refocus our attention on nationalizing (aka rationing) our health care. I hope those who voted for Obama are enjoying their “hope and change”.

Follow the link below to see pictures taken today at the Seattle Tea Party. It was a great rally! We need to have more of them all over the country, and keep protesting until they listen.

Seattle Tea Party Pictures

It’s not surprising that Liberals wouldn’t know about, or wouldn’t care about the U.S. Flag Code. Since these flags will now need to be burned….

U.S. Flag Code – “The flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or drawing of any nature.”

….I’m feeling an urge to do some community service and help them out.

Now that’s a flag worth burning

More at Inside Charm City

Poor Al. Just when his global warming scam was really paying off, scientists have found that the polar ice caps, and floating arctic ice, are growing at a rapid rate. So much for the “sky is falling” crowd and their claim that global warming is melting ice so fast that Santa is about to be homeless. The next time an atheist tries to tell you Christians have been proven wrong by science, ask them if they are referring to the work of the same scientists that believe in global warming.

Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close.

Ice levels had been tracking lower throughout much of 2008, but rapidly recovered in the last quarter. In fact, the rate of increase from September onward is the fastest rate of change on record, either upwards or downwards.

The data is being reported by the University of Illinois’s Arctic Climate Research Center, and is derived from satellite observations of the Northern and Southern hemisphere polar regions.

Each year, millions of square kilometers of sea ice melt and refreeze. However, the mean ice anomaly — defined as the seasonally-adjusted difference between the current value and the average from 1979-2000, varies much more slowly. That anomaly now stands at just under zero, a value identical to one recorded at the end of 1979, the year satellite record-keeping began.

Link

Putin is still enjoying success, as he tries to take Russia back to the days of the old KGB. A proposed bill would mark a major step in that direction by imposing treason charges on citizens accused of “harming the constitutional order”. That’s KGB for disagreeing with the government, or protesting it’s policies in any way. Russia is facing far worse economic conditions than the rest of the world, because their economy was a disaster to begin with, so expect expedited crack downs on free speech or any publicly displayed civil unrest. Dictators love a crisis. It presents the perfect cover for a large scale power grab. Democrats in America are fully aware of this, too.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned Russia’s foes on Friday against trying to destabilize a country facing broadening economic crisis, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin did not specify who might pose a threat to Russia’s stability. But in the past, he has often blamed Western security services of trying to destabilize the country using opposition groups and non-governmental organizations as their instruments.

“Any attempts to weaken or destabilize Russia, harm the interests of the country will be toughly suppressed,” they quoted ex-KGB spy Putin as telling an annual meeting of top spies and security officers ahead of their professional holiday.

Putin, who was the Russian president in 2000-08, has contributed greatly to the growth of influence of Russia’s FSB federal security service, a successor of the Soviet-era KGB.

Many ex-KGB officers became key government and regional officials during his presidency forming his power base, which largely remained intact after Putin handed over powers to his successor Dmitry Medvedev in May.

Critics say that under Putin, security services have become excessively influential and expressed fears Russia could one day become a police state.

Link

While Congress and President Bush are working out a bailout deal for the Auto Industry, the United Auto Workers Union is funding a posh golf course and “education center” that has been losing money for years. Maybe along with caps on CEO salaries, the government should look into making the union give up their money pit country club. American tax payers should not be paying for union greed!

From michellemalkin.com

Black Lake Golf Club is the newest addition to the UAW’s Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center, situated on 1,000 heavily forested acres along the southeast side of Black Lake, one of Michigan’s largest inland lakes near Onaway, Michigan.

Black Lake Golf Club complements the Center’s recreational facilities, which now include a beautiful gym with two full-sized basketball courts, an Olympic-size indoor pool, and exercise and weight room, table-tennis and pool tables, a sauna, beaches, walking and bike trails, softball and soccer fields and a boat launch ramp.

The UAW selected one of golf’s most acclaimed course architects, Rees Jones, to design an environmentally responsible, championship caliber course. It was a challenge eagerly embraced by Jones, Golf World Magazine’s “Architect of the Year” in 1995.

Link

From the DC Examiner

What do UAW executives and workers do to relax? They play golf at the union’s highly touted championship caliber Black Lake Golf Club, designed by Rees Jones. The UAW golf club is in secluded Onaway, MI, as part of the union’s Walter and Mary Reuther Family Education Center. Also part of Black Lake are a learning center, a practice facility with practice bunkers, chipping and putting greens, and a small, nine-hole par-three Little Course.

Golf Digest named Black Lake as one of top “upscale public courses.” And Michigan Golf described the course as a “classic” that includes “wide, well-groomed fairways [that] provide ample room for big hitters.” But some big hitters get special privileges at Black Lake. Tee times can be reserved up to two weeks in advance by UAW execs, compared to only three days for non-UAW duffers. Cost to play Black Lake is $95 per round.

Remember all the much-deserved bad press Detroit’s high-paid Big Three executives received last month when they flew in their corporate jets to beg Washington for a tax-paid bailout? Has anybody in Congress or the media bothered to ask UAW head Ron Gettelfinger about his union’s assets and perks like Black Lake Golf Club?

As head of one of the nation’s most powerful unions, Gettelfinger doesn’t earn nearly as much as Detroit’s top CEOs. GM’s Rick Wagoner, for example, made more than $14 million last year. But Gettelfinger’s total compensation of nearly $160,000 annually far exceeds the U.S. median gross family income of $61,500 and puts him among the top five percent of all tax filers, according to U.S. Census Bureau and IRS data.

And the UAW is anything but poor, with net assets reportedly worth an estimated $1.23 billion. UAW membership has been declining for years, as it has for most major unions, but annual income from member dues, interest and other revenues exceeded $300 million in 2006.

People working for the Salvation Army in the UK have been told not to rattle their tins as they collect money for charity, because it might offend people of other religions, and intimidate them. Maybe the P.C. police should just ban Christians from the public square all together. It’s just about getting that bad, and America is not far behind.

For 130 years they have been part of Christmas, filling the air in towns across the land with music and carols.

But one thing is missing from the repertoire of Salvation Army bands this year – the percussion of rattling tins.

Members have been forbidden to shake their charity tins – even if it’s done in time to the music – in case it harasses or intimidates people. One said she had been told it might also offend other religions.

Guidelines for branches organising public collections say tinholders should simply keep the tin still.

It means that when the brass bands start up they can rock and roll all they want – but if they shake and rattle, it could put them in conflict with the law.

Councils and police can enforce the no-rattle rule and have powers to prosecute or ban offenders. The restriction was branded ‘bonkers’ yesterday both by donors and long-serving Salvation Army volunteers.

Link

Obama escaped any scrutiny during the election for his connections to convicted felon Tony Resko, but the problem may not be going away. It seems the investigation into Governor Blagojevich’s attempted sale of Obama’s Senate seat has brought with it new interest in Resko’s shady real estate deal with the Obamas. Obama surrounded himself with so many sleezy people, including his real estate broker for the Resko deal, who was none other than bleeping Mrs. Blagojevich, wife of the good governor, that one of these relationships is bound to catch up with him. Could it be that Blagojevich is willing to spill the beans on just about anything, if it will get him a plea deal? It’s almost like going through the Clinton years all over again.

Since arresting Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald has renewed interest in convicted fundraiser Tony Rezko’s part in the purchase of Barack Obama’s Chicago mansion, according to a former real estate analyst who says he was interviewed by the federal prosecutor in the past 10 days.

Kenneth J. Conner told WND he was interviewed by investigators from Fitzgerald’s office regarding the purchase of the Obama mansion and the adjacent vacant lot that Rezko’s wife, Rita, purchased simultaneously. As WND reported last week, Connor filed a civil complaint in October with the Illinois Circuit Court in Cook County alleging he was fired by Mutual Bank of Harvey, Ill., because he objected to land appraisals submitted on behalf of the Rezkos and the Obamas, with the complicity of the bank.

Connor previously confirmed to WND that he told the FBI, months ago, when he initially was fired, that the bank and the Rezkos were engaged in “fraud, bribes or kickbacks, use whatever term you want,” to benefit the Obamas.

Connor said his lawyer, Glenn R. Gaffney, also has been interviewed by the FBI about the Rezko-Obama deal within the past 10 days.

Read it all

I don’t think just ignoring Obama’s corrupt past is going to work for much longer. The media will have to cover this, or it won’t just be print news going bankrupt.

We elect a weak on defense, Marxist President, and, right on cue, Russia strengthens relationships with dictators close to America geographically. Liberals loved to chastise President Bush for being too much of a “cowboy”, but there’s something to be said for being feared by your enemies. Everyone knows Obama is a push over who considers a Kumbaya-style diplomacy our best defense. As Obama’s own Vice President warned during the campaign, we will be tested.

A group of Russian warships will from December 19-23 visit the Communist island of Cuba, a long-time adversary of the United States and Moscow’s ally in the Cold War, the Russian navy said on Monday.

“This will be the first visit to Cuba by Russian warships since the Soviet era,” the Russian naval headquarters said in a statement.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko and two other ships will visit Havana in what the navy described as a “significant practical step towards strengthening and developing ties between the two states’ navies.”

Russian ships have been touring countries close to US waters in what is seen as a riposte to Washington’s own moves in Russia’s Soviet-era sphere of influence, including US naval deployments in the Black Sea.

Last month President Dmitry Medvedev visited Cuba on a four-country Latin American tour intended to revive what he called “privileged relations” that existed between Moscow and several Latin American states in the Cold War.

The Russian moves in Central and Latin America follow heightened tensions over this summer’s Russian military onslaught in Georgia, a close US ally in the Caucasus.

The navy also announced the completion of a visit to Nicaragua, during which it delivered aid to the Central American country led by leftist President Daniel Ortega.

Ortega is due to visit Moscow this week.

Full Article

If you think the economy is bad now, wait until Democrats start passing legislation that will bring us in line with the latest version of the Kyoto Treaty. This U.N. treaty was designed for the purposes of sticking it to the United States, while letting countries like China (now the worst polluter in the world) off easy. What makes this treaty even more devastatingly ignorant is that scientists are now finding that greenhouse gases are NOT the cause of “global warming”. It’s utter nonsense to believe that they are. Does coffee get hotter when you put it in a thermos? No. Those who blame man’s CO2 emissions for global warming are trying to convince us that it is possible to raise the temperature of something by insulating it. In other words they think coffee will rise above it’s initial temperature if you put it in a thermos. They could drink a whole thermos of ice cold coffee, and still believe that this theory is true, because they want it to be true.

Isn’t it interesting how the world only listens to their favorite scientists when they are saying something they like. When scientists find man isn’t to blame for what amounts to normal, cyclical climate change, Liberals cover their ears.

The U.S. Senate will let President-elect Barack Obama sign up to a U.N. pact to fight global warming in late 2009 even if U.S. climate laws are not yet in place, U.S. Senator John Kerry predicted on Thursday.

But Kerry, designated head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on the sidelines of U.N. climate talks in Poland that China, India and Russia would also have to promise to cut greenhouse gas emissions to win Senate blessing of any pact.

“It will be like the difference between night and day,” Kerry, of Massachusetts, said of Obama’s enthusiasm for action against climate change after what he said were eight years of inaction under President George W. Bush.

He told Reuters support in the United States for climate action was strong enough to let Obama sign up for emissions cuts under a U.N. pact to be agreed in Copenhagen in late 2009 even if the Senate had not by then agreed matching U.S. climate laws.

“We can have commenced the (domestic) legislative process, we don’t have to have completed it,” before agreeing to cuts under a U.N. treaty, he said.

President Bill Clinton agreed in 1997 to the U.N.’s existing Kyoto Protocol for cutting greenhouse gases until 2012 but never tried to get the pact ratified by a hostile Senate.

Kerry, a Democrat beaten by Bush in the 2004 presidential election, will report back to Obama from Poznan.

By the time of the Copenhagen meeting, domestic legislation might have passed “a couple of committees” but might not have reached the full Senate “because of the economic situation and the budget issues and other things,” Kerry said.

CUTS

Obama has said he plans to cut U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases, now about 17 percent above 1990 levels, back to 1990 levels by 2020 and then by 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.

“Some of us believe he should go further than that” by 2020, Kerry said. “My hope is that … we may even be able to do better.”

Bush rejected Kyoto, which sets 2012 targets for 37 developed nations to cut emissions, saying it was too costly and should have also set targets for developing nations.

Kerry said that all major emitters would have to accept goals for cuts under a new treaty.

“What’s important is that we go to Copenhagen understanding that no treaty is going to pass the U.S. Senate unless it is a global solution. China, India, Russia — all countries have to be part of the solution,” he said.

“China is now the largest emitter in the world,” he said. “China has to reduce, in concrete fixed levels from its current levels. So do we. So does the EU (European Union), so does the rest of the world.” Targets could vary by country. Comments Off

Russia continues to threaten not only her neighbors, but the United States in response to an agreement to extend the missile defense system to Poland. I don’t know how Russia could possibly think it’s helping itself by ruling out diplomacy, and threatening to attack Poland with nukes. It’s bellicose threats only serve to make its leaders look like stark raving lunatics, and make even the pacifist, anti-American enablers in Europe wary of taking their side. Whatever their reasoning, it’s clear that the Cold War is back on, and it’s more important than ever to elect a U.S. President that has the experience and the backbone to handle such threats.

Russia says its response to the further development of a U.S. missile shield in Poland will go beyond diplomacy.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying the U.S. missile shield plans are clearly aimed at weakening Russia.

The U.S. says the missile defense system is aimed at protecting the U.S. and Europe from future attacks from states like Iran.

The United States and Poland signed a deal Wednesday to place a U.S. missile defense base just 115 miles from Russia’s westernmost fringe.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

Read the AP’s previous reporting on Russia’s threat of nuclear war against Poland here.

Sadly, I actually agree with something the psychotic President of Iran has to say. The Annapolis Conference will not bring peace to the Middle East.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday the U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference was a “failure” and that Israel is doomed to “collapse.” He also suggested it was a mistake for his closest Arab ally, Syria, to participate.

The comments were the first time in months that the hard-line Ahmadinejad has used such strong anti-Israeli rhetoric, highlighting Tehran’s bitterness toward the Annapolis conference, which is widely seen as isolating Iran.

“It is impossible that the Zionist regime will survive. Collapse is in the nature of this regime because it has been created on aggression, lying, oppression and crime,” Ahmadinejad said after a Cabinet meeting, according to state-run television.

“Soon, even the most politically doltish individuals will understand that this conference was a failure from the beginning,” he said in comments reported by the official IRNA news agency.

Especially ironic was this statement by Ahmadinejad:

Ahmadinejad said the Palestinian “resistance”—such as Hamas, which is backed by Tehran—must have a say in any settlement.

“Many such meetings have been held but have failed,” he said. “If decision is made about Palestine, representatives of the elected Palestinian government and resistance should be there and the rights of the Palestinian people—self-determination, the right of voting and return of refugees—must be recognized,” he said.

Hamas spoke loud and clear today to the negotiators at the Annapolis Conference. They began preparations for a Gaza-style takeover of the West Bank, and vowed to seize the territory from Abbas’ hands as soon as the deal is sealed.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday the U.S.-hosted Mideast peace conference was a “failure” and that Israel is doomed to “collapse.” He also suggested it was a mistake for his closest Arab ally, Syria, to participate.

The comments were the first time in months that the hard-line Ahmadinejad has used such strong anti-Israeli rhetoric, highlighting Tehran’s bitterness toward the Annapolis conference, which is widely seen as isolating Iran.

“It is impossible that the Zionist regime will survive. Collapse is in the nature of this regime because it has been created on aggression, lying, oppression and crime,” Ahmadinejad said after a Cabinet meeting, according to state-run television.

“Soon, even the most politically doltish individuals will understand that this conference was a failure from the beginning,” he said in comments reported by the official IRNA news agency.

In a reference to Arab countries attending the conference, he said, “We are disappointed that some individuals fell victim to the sinister Zionist regime. They are mistaken if they thought that this summit will bring any achievements for them.”

Fighting continues in the Middle East, but we can all rest easy. Kofi Annan of the “do nothing” U.N. has the answer.

Israeli troops met fierce resistance from Hezbollah guerrillas Thursday as they crossed into Lebanon to seek tunnels and weapons for a second straight day, and Israel hinted at a full-scale invasion. Meanwhile, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council that “hostilities must stop” between Israel and Hezbollah.

That’ll work! I’m sure terrorists everywhere are pondering Kofi’s words, and considering putting down their rockets, missiles, and suicide belts to live peacefully with the Jews.

Israeli pilots have told local news stations that they’ve already dealt Hizbellah a critical blow in preperation for a possible ground invasion. Most interesting, is the support Israel is getting for this kind of attack. Even some of the Arab countries, who fear this war could backfire and ruin their chances to nuke Israel later, are giving Israel a green light to fight back.

If anything good can come from this clear example of why we’re fighting a war on terrorism, maybe it will wake up the Israeli government, and they’ll stop handing over more Jewish lands to terrorists.

Israeli warplanes also launched new airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, shortly after daybreak, followed by strikes in the guerrillas’ heartland in the south and eastern Bekaa Valley.

The strikes followed bombings Wednesday that killed as many as 70 people, according to Lebanese television, making it the deadliest day since the fighting began July 12.

Of course, Kofi never misses a chance to condemn Israel. As the media tosses around the idea of charging Israel with war crimes (terrorist attacks don’t count as war crimes), Kofi condemned Israel for using excessive force. I guess they should be more gentle and understanding with the animals launching rockets at innocent civilians in Israel.

Annan also condemned Israel’s “excessive use of force” against Lebanon.

“There are serious obstacles to reaching a cease-fire or even to diminishing the violence quickly,” Annan said.

He added that the fighting had triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Russia sharply criticized Israel over its onslaught against Lebanon, now in its ninth day, sparked when Hezbollah militants captured two Israeli soldiers. The Russian Foreign Ministry said Israel’s actions have gone “far beyond the boundaries of an anti-terrorist operation” and repeating calls for an immediate cease-fire.

Good grief!

Here are some of the headlines I’ve seen this morning concerning the war in the Middle East.

Blair in push for peace in Middle East
Big power diplomacy to stop the fighting in Lebanon ground into gear yesterday as Britain and other European states pushed hard for the deployment of an international intervention force on the Israeli-Lebanese border.

Arab world fed up with Hizbullah
With the exception of the Palestinians, the Arab world appears to be united in blaming Iran and Syria for the fighting in Lebanon. Until last week, Arab political analysts and government officials were reluctant to criticize Hizbullah in public. But now that Hizbullah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah and his top aides are in hiding, an anti-Hizbullah coalition is emerging not only in Lebanon, but in several other Arab countries as well.

Diplomacy Gains Traction in Mideast Crisis
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Diplomatic efforts to end Israeli-Hezbollah fighting gained traction Monday, with Israeli officials saying they would agree to halt fighting if their two captured soldiers were returned and Islamic guerrillas withdrew from the border.

New York Jews rally in support of Israel
Thousands of American Jews clogged the streets leading to the United Nations building here in a massive show of support for Israel on Monday afternoon. The turnout was particularly impressive for a weekday and one of the hottest so far this summer.

Americans, Europeans Begin to Evacuate Lebanon Amid Mideast Conflict
Lebanon — Westerners fled by land, sea and air as Israel launched three waves of bombings on southern Beirut and on a Lebanese army base in the early hours Tuesday.

Congress Considers Resolutions Supporting Israel
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives are preparing to vote this week on resolutions backing Israel and condemning Hezbollah, which last week kidnapped two Israeli soldiers, sparking violence across the Israel-Lebanon border.

Iran parliament speaker: No part of Israel safe
Iran’s parliament speaker warned Tuesday that no part of Israel is safe during Hizbullah’s battle with Lebanon – a statement made despite Iran’s claim that it is not aiding the guerrillas in their fight.

Here are more headlines and links concerning the war in the Middle East.

Hezbollah Rockets Hit Nazareth
By Sher Zieve – Hezbollah rockets are reported to have struck upper Nazareth, Sunday night. Reports are that the attacks also hit 5 other close by towns.

Israel strikes back after Haifa attacked
BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) — The Israeli military and Hezbollah traded deadly attacks for a fifth straight day on Sunday, with the Lebanon-based militants striking Haifa and other towns deeper inside Israel.

U.S. Evacuation Teams Arrive in Lebanon
U.S. security teams landed at the American embassy just outside Beirut on Sunday to plan the evacuation of some of the estimated 25,000 U.S. citizens living in war-torn Lebanon.
Witnesses said two helicopters flew in from over the Mediterranean and landed on the embassy grounds, located on a fortified hilltop in the north Beirut suburb of Aukar.
“The arrival of the teams is an important first step in facilitating the safe departure of Americans who want to leave Lebanon,” the embassy said in a statement.

Rockets hit Haifa, Tiberias, Safed, Karmiel, Acre
A barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon hit the Haifa region Monday afternoon.
A rocket hit a building in Haifa causing it to collapse. Two people were evacuated by medical personnel and others have been trapped beneath the rubble.
Two of the rockets landed before the city’s warning siren was sounded.
Rockets landed in Tiberias and adjacent Lake Kinneret beaches, Acre and Safed as well. In addition, rockets were fired for the first time on communities in the southern Golan Heights.

Hezbollah Appears in Control of Lebanon
Hezbollah and its backers, not the government, now appear in control of Lebanon’s fate.
After moderating their stance in recent years, the guerrillas surged back to the war front with a surprise attack on Israel and a sophisticated arsenal, leaving Lebanon’s politicians and army looking nearly powerless. The government seems paralyzed over how to deal with Hezbollah, whose Shiite Muslim fighters have had near autonomy in the south for more than a decade.

Syria vows to respond directly to any Israel strike
Syria has warned it would respond directly and by all means necessary to any Israeli attack on its territory, in its first official reaction to Israel’s offensive on neighbouring Lebanon.
The warning Sunday coincided with a similar threat by Damascus’s key ally Iran, and came amid rising fears that the Middle East is being dragged deeper into the spiralling conflict sparked by the capture of Israeli soldiers by militants linked to Hamas and Hezbollah.

Iran heaps praise on Hezbollah fight against ‘tumour’ Israel
TEHRAN (AFP) -Iran has rallied behind allies Hezbollah and Syria, praising the Lebanese Shiite militant movement’s battle against “infected tumour” Israel and warning the Jewish state against widening the conflict.

Ground troops enter southern Lebanon
A government spokesman said Monday afternoon that IDF ground forces have entered southern Lebanon to attack Hizbullah bases along the border in order to push the terrorist group out of rocket-firing range.
In addition, the IDF has denied Lebanese news reports that an Israeli F-16 jet was downed near Beirut. Virtually all Lebanese news agencies were showing unclear video footage of what was claimed to be the downed jet.

Things could escalate rapidly in the Middle East.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said today an Israeli strike on Syria would be considered an attack on the whole Islamic world that would bring a “fierce response,” Haaretz reports.
“If the Zionist regime commits another stupid move and attacks Syria, this will be considered like attacking the whole Islamic world and this regime will receive a very fierce response,” Ahmadinejad was quoted by Iranian state television as saying in a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Israel has blamed Syria and Iran for the Hezbollah rocket attacks on towns and cities in northern Israel. In recent weeks, Israel has buzzed the palace of Assad with fighter-bombers as a warning against hostile actions.
Ahmadinejad has called repeatedly for the destruction of Israel – or for moving the Jewish state to Europe. Iran is believed to be developing a nuclear weapons program and has long-range missiles capable of striking the Jewish state.
Hezbollah rockets today rained down on northern Israeli towns as the Jewish state’s warplanes carried out strategic strikes against the Hezbollah’s infrastructure and the Beirut International Airport. A total air and sea closure was imposed over Lebanon.
Hezbollah threatened to use longer range rockets against the major northern port city of Haifa, in which case military officials tell WND Israel would likely launch a major ground invasion inside Lebanon.
The fighting today was instigated by a well-orchestrated Hezbollah attack against Israel’s northern border yesterday in which two Israeli soldiers were kidnapped and three others were killed.

Original Link.

And more problems from North Korea.

PUSAN, South Korea (Reuters) – North Korea stormed out of talks with South Korea on Thursday and Seoul froze food aid to its impoverished neighbor, as regional fissures over how to deal with Pyongyang’s missile tests widened.
Pyongyang also appeared to have stood up to its closest ally, Beijing, which has sent a “friendship delegation” to North Korea.
“So far they don’t seem to be interested in listening, much less doing anything,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill told reporters in Beijing. “I think the Chinese are as baffled as we are.”

Original Link.

Here are the latest headlines concerning the developments in the Middle East.

US says Israel has right to defend itself
ROSTOCK, Germany (Reuters) – The United States, reacting to escalating violence between
Israel and Hizbollah guerrillas in Lebanon, on Thursday urged restraint on both sides but said Israel had a right to defend itself.
In a widening of reprisals after Hizbollah guerrillas captured two soldiers in a border clash, Israel aircraft attacked Beirut airport and blockaded Lebanese ports.
“We are urging restraint on both sides, recognizing Israel’s right to defend itself,” a U.S. administration official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Lebanon braces as Israel responds to attack
BEIRUT (Reuters) – Lebanon braced for spiraling violence on Thursday a day after Israel vowed a severe response to Hizbollah attacks in which two Israeli soldiers were captured and eight killed by the Syrian-backed group.
A statement issued by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s cabinet after an emergency meeting on Wednesday night said that Israel held the Lebanese government responsible for the attacks and for the safe return of the seized soldiers.
But it offered no details about what type of action would be taken.
Hizbollah’s bold attack drew Olmert into a second crisis over captured soldiers. Israel is engaged in a military offensive in the Gaza Strip after Palestinian militants captured a soldier on June 25.
Israeli aircraft attacked the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Gaza City on Thursday, causing a fire in the building, witnesses said. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Israel killed at least 23 Palestinians in Gaza on Wednesday, including nine members of one family in an air strike that destroyed a house where the army said senior Hamas commanders were meeting.
Hizbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said the soldiers had been seized to force Israel to release prisoners, but Israel state says the attack was an act of war and that it would not swap prisoners.
“You don’t negotiate with terror organizations,” Gideon Meir, senior Israeli Foreign Ministry official, told Reuters.

Syrian VP blames Israel for escalation amid worry over Israeli retaliation
Syria’s vice president blamed Israel for the escalating violence in Lebanon and Palestinian territories Wednesday, and Arab countries worried over possible Israeli retaliation against Syria after the capture of two Israeli soldiers by its ally, Hezbollah.

Ahmadinejad: World will soon witness the demise of Israel
Tehran, Iran, Jul. 12 – Hard-line Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Wednesday that the world will soon witness the demise of Israel, the government-run news agency Fars reported.
“In the near future we will witness the rapid collapse of the Zionist regime”, Ahmadinejad told a crowd in the north-western city of Jolfa.
“The nations of the region will record the names of states that support the Zionist regime alongside the Zionist’s crimes”, he added.
Ahmadinejad caused an international furore last year when he publicly declared that the Holocaust was a “myth” and said that Israel must be “wiped off the map”.

Well, as most of us suspected, the North Korean governement isn’t going to stop being crazy and is preparing to carry out more missle test. And on top of this, China has introduced a non-binding resolution at the U.N. against North Korea. A binding U.N. resolution doesn’t carry any teeth, so I guess a non-binding one isn’t even worth the paper it’s written on.

TOKYO (AFP) – North Korea could be preparing for new launches of mid-range missiles following last week’s tests, with activity detected at its bases, a report has said citing Japanese government sources.
US and Japanese satellite photos show that mid-range Rodong missiles had been set up on launch pads at a base in southeastern North Korea, but were later removed, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported.
Fuel tanks could be seen near the launch pads, the report said.
The report said the satellite photos were taken after last week’s tests of seven missiles, but did not give a specific date.
“We think North Korea can launch missiles whenever it wishes,” the top-selling daily quoted a government source as saying.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Sunday suggested Tokyo would have the right to launch a pre-emptive strike to protect its citizens from a missile launch by Pyongyang.
He said there were “visible signs” of activity at a North Korean missile base from which North Korea launched a Rodong missile last week.
Japan submitted a draft binding resolution in the United Nations Security Council that would impose sanctions on North Korea over the missile tests.
But on Monday, the Security Council put off a vote on the resolution to allow more time for Chinese diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis.

Original Link.

Even ignoring the Biblical aspect of the withdraws, we have already seen that it hurts Israel security rather than helping it.

KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel – A group of prominent rabbis is calling on President Bush to refuse political and financial support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate most of Judea and Samaria, stating the withdrawal is against U.S. interests, and that it violates basic tenets of Jewish law.
“U.S. interests are being impacted by Israel’s proposed retreat from terrorist strongholds in Judea and Samaria. In addition, as rabbis our obligation is to teach, guide, and lead our congregations to conduct their daily lives in accordance with Jewish Law. This holds especially true in a matter of life or death threatening the residents of Israel,” stated a letter sent to Bush and signed by leaders of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of over 1200 rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis.
Congress members include some of the most esteemed Orthodox rabbis in the Jewish world.
Olmert is attempting to push through a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, mountainous territory that is within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel’s international airport. The territory is also commonly called the West Bank.
The rabbis point out in their letter to Bush that villages slated for withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are mentioned throughout the Torah.
They state a withdrawal from the area violates Jewish law because an evacuation will lead to massive violence.
“There is a clear definitive ruling in the Jewish Code of Law ‘Orach Chaim’ Chapter 329 which rules that it is strictly forbidden to give up even one inch of a Jewish border town to foreigners because it will lead to bloodshed. How much more so regarding retreating from holy land that enemies bent on your destruction have already stated will be used to launch attacks against Jews,” states the letter to Bush.
The rabbis wrote to Bush that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza last summer has already impacted regional U.S. interests and that Olmert’s proposed Judea and Samaria evacuation will have “disastrous” consequences for the American-led war on terror.
“Israel’s 2005 retreat from Gaza has been perceived as a cave-in by the role-model of counter-terrorism. It paved the road to Hamas’ electoral victory and upgraded the posture of Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida, thus providing friendly platforms for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and the pro-Saddam elements. The Gaza retreat has established the largest terrorist base in the Middle East, threatening accelerated anti-U.S. terrorism.
“Bolstering the Palestinian profile by enforcing a withdrawal in Judea and Samaria constitutes a present and immediate lethal danger to pro-U.S. regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states and will establish an enormous terror sanctuary threatening US troops in the Gulf area. It would also undermine Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability.”
The rabbis urged Bush against “morally or financially supporting Israel’s disastrous withdrawal plan.”

Original Link.

Even ignoring the Biblical aspect of the withdraws, we have already seen that it hurts Israel security rather than helping it.

KIBBUTZ NAHAL OZ, Israel – A group of prominent rabbis is calling on President Bush to refuse political and financial support for Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s plan to evacuate most of Judea and Samaria, stating the withdrawal is against U.S. interests, and that it violates basic tenets of Jewish law.
“U.S. interests are being impacted by Israel’s proposed retreat from terrorist strongholds in Judea and Samaria. In addition, as rabbis our obligation is to teach, guide, and lead our congregations to conduct their daily lives in accordance with Jewish Law. This holds especially true in a matter of life or death threatening the residents of Israel,” stated a letter sent to Bush and signed by leaders of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace, a coalition of over 1200 rabbinic leaders and pulpit rabbis.
Congress members include some of the most esteemed Orthodox rabbis in the Jewish world.
Olmert is attempting to push through a withdrawal from most of Judea and Samaria, mountainous territory that is within rocket firing range of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Israel’s international airport. The territory is also commonly called the West Bank.
The rabbis point out in their letter to Bush that villages slated for withdrawal from Judea and Samaria are mentioned throughout the Torah.
They state a withdrawal from the area violates Jewish law because an evacuation will lead to massive violence.
“There is a clear definitive ruling in the Jewish Code of Law ‘Orach Chaim’ Chapter 329 which rules that it is strictly forbidden to give up even one inch of a Jewish border town to foreigners because it will lead to bloodshed. How much more so regarding retreating from holy land that enemies bent on your destruction have already stated will be used to launch attacks against Jews,” states the letter to Bush.
The rabbis wrote to Bush that Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza last summer has already impacted regional U.S. interests and that Olmert’s proposed Judea and Samaria evacuation will have “disastrous” consequences for the American-led war on terror.
“Israel’s 2005 retreat from Gaza has been perceived as a cave-in by the role-model of counter-terrorism. It paved the road to Hamas’ electoral victory and upgraded the posture of Islamic Jihad and al-Qaida, thus providing friendly platforms for Iran, Syria, Sudan, Yemen and the pro-Saddam elements. The Gaza retreat has established the largest terrorist base in the Middle East, threatening accelerated anti-U.S. terrorism.
“Bolstering the Palestinian profile by enforcing a withdrawal in Judea and Samaria constitutes a present and immediate lethal danger to pro-U.S. regimes in Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other Gulf states and will establish an enormous terror sanctuary threatening US troops in the Gulf area. It would also undermine Israel’s posture of deterrence, which is critical to the enhancement of regional stability.”
The rabbis urged Bush against “morally or financially supporting Israel’s disastrous withdrawal plan.”

Original Link.