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	<title>The Watcher</title>
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	<description>The world according to this old Lawdog</description>
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		<title>What Will Start The Next World War?</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=226</link>
		<comments>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=226#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2009 22:59:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The world]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Benjamin Netanyahu is on a mission. Over the next several months, Israel’s new prime minister aims to convince world leaders of the imminent danger Iran poses to Western civilization. Shortly before he was sworn in on March 31, Netanyahu told the Atlantic that besides fixing the economy, Washington’s other primary imperative must be to prevent [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><span class="article_dropcap serif">B</span>enjamin Netanyahu is on a mission. Over the next several months, Israel’s new prime minister aims to convince world leaders of the imminent danger Iran poses to Western civilization. Shortly before he was sworn in on March 31, Netanyahu told the <em>Atlantic</em> that besides fixing the economy, Washington’s other primary imperative must be to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. </strong></p>
<p><strong> “You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs,” Netanyahu said of the Islamist theocracy. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Should the Obama administration fail to stop Iran, Netanyahu said, Israel might be forced to preemptively strike the Islamic Republic. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Since the Bible affirms that <em>Europe</em>—not Israel or the United States—will ultimately smash the Iran-led “king of the south” (Daniel 11:40), in some ways, Israel’s hawkish threats against Tehran might distract us from other, far more consequential events, prophetically speaking. </strong></p>
<p><strong> The Bible says the spectacular clash between the European “king of the north” and radical Islam will <em>primarily revolve around Jerusalem</em>. It’s the division of Jerusalem, not Iran’s quest for nuclear power, that will trigger the next worldwide war. </strong></p>
<p class="article_subhead"><strong> The Inevitable Clash </strong></p>
<p><strong> “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh,” Zechariah wrote in a prophecy for the end time. “For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city” (Zechariah 14:1-2). </strong></p>
<p><strong> In the vision, the prophet begins with the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and then works his way back to describe events that immediately precede the Messiah’s appearance on Earth. Before all nations gather to fight against Christ at His return, Jerusalem “shall be taken”—conquered by the European conglomerate. This event, signaling the beginning of what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation, occurs shortly <em>after</em> Europe’s whirlwind attack against radical Islam. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Shortly <em>before</em> that clash between the kings of the north and south, Zechariah says <em>half</em> of Jerusalem will “go forth into captivity,” indicating the city will be divided by some kind of violent struggle. What this prophecy indicates is that a Hamas-dominated Palestinian insurgence, backed by Iran, will take half the city of Jerusalem captive. </strong></p>
<p><strong><em>The Israeli-Islamist clash over Jerusalem is what we need to be watching for next</em>. </strong></p>
<p><strong> For the past decade, at times it <em>appeared</em> as if Israel would willingly give up East Jerusalem at the negotiating table. In December of 2005, a poll published by <em>Yedioth Ahronoth</em> found that about half of Israelis supported the idea of giving up parts of Arab East Jerusalem if it would solidify a peace deal with the Palestinians. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Even before he became prime minister, Ehud Olmert said that Israel would someday have to give up its dream of an eternally united Jerusalem under Jewish sovereignty. After one month in office, one of Olmert’s colleagues in Kadima told the Associated Press that Olmert’s government was devising a plan for dividing Jerusalem. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Compare that with where we suddenly are today. What a difference three years makes, as Pierre Atlas wrote March 27 for Real Clear Politics, contrasting Israel’s new government with Ehud Olmert’s. Atlas noted that in 2006, most Israelis supported the unilateral withdrawal from Gaza, and much of the Knesset favored withdrawing from parts of the West Bank. At the time, the right-wing Likud party, which opposed unilateral withdrawals, suffered most as a result of the electorate’s mood. It lost 26 of its 38 seats in the 2006 parliamentary elections. </strong></p>
<p><strong> “No one could have imagined then that, three years later,” Atlas wrote, “Netanyahu would be forming the next Israeli government.” </strong></p>
<p><strong> Actually, shortly before those 2006 elections, as our regular readers know, our editor in chief mentioned on his weekly <em>Key of David</em> television program that Benjamin Netanyahu would likely return to power in Israel because of the prophecy in Zechariah 14:2. He said half of Jerusalem is “going to be taken by force, and you need to realize that. Now, that might also indicate that the Likud, or the conservative party, will get in power” (Jan. 6, 2006). </strong></p>
<p><strong> With a right-wing coalition now in power in Israel, that brings us one giant prophetic leap closer to the inevitable clash over Jerusalem. </strong></p>
<p class="article_subhead"><strong> The Fight for the City of David </strong></p>
<p><strong> In sharp contrast to his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu campaigned for prime minister on keeping Jerusalem united. At a campaign stop at the Regency Hotel on Mt. Scopus, Netanyahu said, “If we gave up half of Jerusalem, there would be an Iranian base right near this hotel.” </strong></p>
<p><strong> International scorn for this harder-line stance has been intense. In early March, for example, Israel was blasted for its proposal to expand an archaeology park in the City of David, which would require the demolition of dozens of Palestinian homes that have been constructed there illegally over the past 20 years. This in spite of the fact that, under the plan, not only would East Jerusalem wastelands be converted into beautiful gardens and parks, but the illegal residents would also be given generous compensation packages, which would include relocation land. </strong></p>
<p><strong> During her March visit to the region, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said <em>any</em> plan that calls for the demolition of Palestinian homes would not help the peace process. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Nir Barkat, Jerusalem’s new mayor, criticized Clinton for being duped by Palestinian propaganda. The Palestinian Authority has accused Israel of “ethnically cleansing” East Jerusalem in order to “Judaize” the city. </strong></p>
<p><strong> The European Union has also harshly criticized Israel. According to a confidential EU report that was leaked to the media in March, EU officials have accused Israel of “actively pursuing the <em>illegal</em> annexation” of East Jerusalem (emphasis ours). </strong></p>
<p><strong> Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has vowed to push ahead with this multiyear development plan even as critics lambaste the government for making it harder to divide Jerusalem as part of any two-state solution. One official from Netanyahu’s office who defended the government’s position told the <em>Times</em> of London, “Jerusalem has been the eternal capital of the Jewish people for some 3,000 years and will remain the united capital of the State of Israel.” </strong></p>
<p><strong> Mayor Barkat, like Prime Minister Netanyahu, supports keeping Jerusalem united. Under the direction of Barkat, Jerusalem authorities recently sent eviction notices to 90 families in East Jerusalem near the Old City, warning that because their homes had been built without proper council approval, they would be demolished. </strong></p>
<p><strong> In an interview with the <em>Jerusalem Post,</em> Barkat defended the municipality’s plans for the city by saying, “I would like to see what [New York Mayor Michael] Bloomberg would say about illegal building in Central Park. Would he give up Central Park because there is illegal building there?” </strong></p>
<p><strong> The battle for the City of David, located in the Arab neighborhood of Silwan, is a microcosm of a larger struggle that will soon thrust the entire city of Jerusalem into a boiling cauldron of hatred and violence. </strong></p>
<p class="article_subhead"><strong> Becoming a War Zone </strong></p>
<p><strong> Tension between Palestinians and Jews increased substantially after the Gaza war in January. It intensified further after the elections of Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mayor Barkat. Many right-wing Jewish movements, invigorated by the new government’s refusal to cave in to Palestinian ambition, are experiencing a renaissance. </strong></p>
<p><strong> This is not to imply that the Palestinian cause is flailing. In fact, it too is gaining steam, thanks to increasing direct and indirect support from the international community—most notably from the American administration of Barack Obama. </strong></p>
<p><strong> Jerusalem, especially East Jerusalem, is quickly deteriorating into a war zone! </strong></p>
<p><strong> Consider a few recent events. On April 2, in the West Bank town of Bat Ayin near East Jerusalem, a Palestinian brandishing a pickax hacked a 13-year-old Israeli boy to death and wounded his 7-year-old friend. Islamic terrorist groups Islamic Jihad and the Imad Mughniyeh Group claimed responsibility for the murder, warning ominously that it was merely a “natural response to the crimes of the occupation.” </strong></p>
<p><strong> The same day, at about 2 a.m. in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City, seven Jewish settlers broke into the home of Nasser Jaber, a Palestinian businessman who had moved out of the home while renovations were being done. Claiming they owned the house, the settlers replaced the locks and took over the home. </strong></p>
<p><strong> In April, a Palestinian man driving a car tried to run over Israeli police officers. The police, who were monitoring the demolition of the Jerusalem home of the Palestinian terrorist who killed three Israelis in a bulldozer rampage last July, shot the man dead. Afterward, a scuffle erupted between police officers and dozens of angry Palestinians who sympathized with both the driver of the vehicle and the terrorist whose house was being bulldozed. </strong></p>
<p><strong> The next day, a spokesman from Hamas’s military wing delivered a prophetically electrifying response to Israel’s efforts to defend itself against illegal Arab intrusions. Hamas official Abu Ubayda “threatened Israel of an ‘explosion’ if it continues to consolidate control of Jerusalem,” the Ma’an News Agency reported. Ubayda also warned that “the Judaization of Jerusalem and threat to the iconic al-Aqsa Mosque could provoke reprisals.” </strong></p>
<p><strong> Jerusalem’s cobbled streets are rumbling, tension is mounting, war is brewing. This is sobering. But it is also incredibly exciting. </strong></p>
<p><strong> This intensifying conflict will result in the prophesied division of Jerusalem, which is the trigger that will set off a rapid-fire sequence of events culminating in the return of the Messiah to the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:4). </strong></p>
<p><strong> “When half of Jerusalem falls,” editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in March 2006, “it starts a chain reaction of events—an avalanche of crises—that leads directly to Christ’s Second Coming!” This is why—even during economic, political, social and personal calamity—we <em>must not take our eyes off Jerusalem.</em></strong></p>
<p><strong> Events in that city are the measure of how close we are to the most awesome event in human history! </strong></p>
<p><strong> Logically, Jesus’s focus <em>right now</em> is on ensuring Jerusalem, His landing pad, is ready for His return. In a spectacular way, conditions in Jerusalem today—politically, demographically, economically, even archaeologically—are aligning just as Christ described in the Bible <em>2,000 years ago!</em></strong></p>
<p><strong> We need to watch Jerusalem closer than ever. Even now, events in that city indicate that the Messiah’s return is imminent, and that the time rapidly approaches when He will transform Jerusalem into exactly what its name means: a city of <em>PEACE!</em></strong></p>
<p><strong> Study Zechariah’s prophecy in detail in our free booklet <a class="article_book" href="http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?page=book&amp;q=1209.6.0.0" target="_blank">Jerusalem in Prophecy</a>, ?specifically Chapter 3. <span class="gold" style="font-weight: bold;">•</span></strong></p>
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		<title>Chimpanzee Attacks Woman &#8211; By Chet Bowen</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=209</link>
		<comments>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=209#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:16:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The world]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=209</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
Stupidity at it&#8217;s Best &#8211; By het Bowen
This is a highly debatable issue regarding people keeping beasts as pets in their homes and I&#8217;ll just state a few facts about such animals. Chimpanzees fall in the very same category of lions, tigers, and bears. They are ALL wild regardless of how long they have been with [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><span style="font-family: Arial;"></p>
<p align="center"><strong>Stupidity at it&#8217;s Best &#8211; By het Bowen</strong></p>
<p><strong>This is a highly debatable issue regarding people keeping beasts as pets in their homes and I&#8217;ll just state a few facts about such animals. Chimpanzees fall in the very same category of lions, tigers, and bears. They are ALL wild regardless of how long they have been with an owner. Had that monster been locked down in a proper cage then the owner&#8217;s friend would not have any need to get a face transplant. If that woman lives her life will always be altered for all her remaining days. This ape was 200 pounds. They have super human strength. How can anyone fight such an animal?</strong></p>
<p><strong>Animals like this have absolutely no business being allowed to live with humans under minimum security and free to injure or kill another human. A child would have had no chance. THEY ARE WILD regardless of how long they have been with its owner. Movies such as Bambi and Winnie the Pooh should be outlawed. I couldn&#8217;t tell you how many people die every year from the idea that these animals have father and son relationships such as a deer as in Bambi. Buck deer mate every year and just like a sorry man goes about his business with out the slightest thought about the off spring. I hate such Disney Land fantasies. Animals do not harbor guilt. They all act on instinct, especially when it comes to killing with the intention to eat you or frightned or for what ever reason.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lions and tigers the same thing. The owner of that demon chimp should be fully responsible for this terrible thing that happened to her neighbor. It&#8217;s apparent the owner didn&#8217;t even have a firearm to even kill the ape. The police had to do it after it took them somewhere around 12 minutes to respond to the scene? By then the victims hands and face were in shreds. It doesn&#8217;t matter how much blood and gore an animal makes&#8230;.you&#8217;re just as DEAD.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Go to youtube and watch some of these so called, <span style="text-decoration: underline;">&#8220;pet&#8221; kills owner</span>,&#8230;&#8230;ect. They are WILD and years of seeing this happen people simply don&#8217;t get it. Do you think a pet rattle snake would have any hesistation to bite a bone head any quicker than if it was accosted in the wild. I think not. If you just have to have an exotic pet then go out to your yard and catch a lizard and feed it flies or crickets.</strong></p>
<p><strong>People who capture and keep snakes in their home are possessed. End of that. People just keep being stupid&#8230;..ya hear?</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>_______________________________________________________________________________</strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
<p><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/17/nyregion/17chimp.html?ref=nyregion"><strong>Pet Chimp Is Killed After Mauling Woman</strong></a><strong> (February 17, 2009) </strong></p>
<p><a name="secondParagraph"></a><strong>“While she remains in critical but stable condition, her vital signs are improving,” Dr. Kevin Miller, an attending surgeon at Stamford Hospital, said at a news conference. “We are thankful that we are able to report that Charla Nash has made good but small progress.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Scott Orstad, a spokesman for the hospital, said in an interview that her vital signs were “a huge positive for someone who had the amount of surgery she had within the first 72 hours.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>“She’s still not out of the woods yet,” he said, “but she’s improving.”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ms. Nash had gone to the Stamford house of the friend, Sandra Herold, to help calm Ms. Herold’s 14-year-old pet chimpanzee, Travis, when the animal attacked. Mr. Orstad said that Ms. Nash’s family was consulting with her doctors on what steps to take next. One option might be a face transplant, but he said that decision had not been made.</strong></p>
<p><strong>“I don’t know if they’ve gone to that level,” he said. “The doctors are still determining whether that may be necessary. That rumor is still kind of premature. The final decision has not been made yet.”</strong></p>
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		<title>In the Line of Fire &#8211; Intelligence Report</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=216</link>
		<comments>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=216#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2009 04:53:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The world]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[
In the Line of Fire - Intelligence Report
There is very little chance the Mexican government will be able to establish integrity in its law enforcement agencies, or bring law and order to large portions of the country, any time soon. Official corruption and ineptitude are endemic in Mexico, which means that Mexican citizens and visiting foreigners [...]]]></description>
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<h3>In the Line of Fire -<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;">Intelligence Report</span></h3>
<p>There is very little chance the Mexican government will be able to establish integrity in its law enforcement agencies, or bring law and order to large portions of the country, any time soon. Official corruption and ineptitude are endemic in Mexico, which means that Mexican citizens and visiting foreigners will have to face the threat of kidnapping for the foreseeable future. We believe that for civilians and visiting foreigners, the threat of kidnapping exceeds the threat of being hit by a stray bullet from a cartel firefight. Indeed, things are deteriorating so badly that even <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081216_mexico_new_twist_growing_kidnapping_problem/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">professional kidnapping negotiators</span></a>, once seen as the key to a guaranteed payout, are now being kidnapped themselves. In an even more incredible twist of irony, anti-kidnapping authorities are being abducted and executed.</p>
<p>This environment — and the concerns it has sparked — has provided huge financial opportunities for the private security industry in Mexico. Armored car sales have gone through the roof, as have the number of uniformed guards and executive protection personnel. In fact, the demand for personnel is so acute that security companies are scrambling to find candidates. Such a scramble presents a host of obvious problems, ranging from lack of qualifications to insufficient vetting. In addition to old-fashioned security services, new security-technology companies are also cashing in on the environment of fear, but even high-tech tracking devices can have <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/mexico_anti_kidnapping_devices_drawbacks/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">significant drawbacks and shortcomings</span></a>.</p>
<p>For many people, <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/false_security_armored_cars/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">armored cars</span></a> and armed bodyguards can provide a false sense of security, and technology can become a deadly <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/corporate_security_technology_crutch/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">crutch that promotes complacency</span></a> and actually increases vulnerability. Physical security measures are not enough. The presence of armed bodyguards — or armed guards combined with armored vehicles — does not provide absolute security. This is especially true in Mexico, where large teams of gunmen regularly conduct crimes using military ordnance. Frankly, there are very few executive protection details in the world that have the training and armament to withstand an assault by dozens of attackers armed with assault rifles and RPGs. Private security guards are frequently overwhelmed by Mexican crimi nals and either killed or forced to flee for their own safety. As we noted in May 2008 after the assassination of <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/mexico_applying_protective_intelligence_lens_cartel_war_violence/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">Edgar Millan Gomez</span></a>, acting head of the Mexican Federal Police and the highest-ranking federal cop in Mexico, physical security measures must be supplemented by <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/threats_situational_awareness_and_perspective/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">situational awareness</span></a>, countersurveillance and protective intelligence.</p>
<p>Criminals look for and exploit vulnerabilities. Their chances for success increase greatly if they are allowed to conduct surveillance at will and are given the opportunity to thoroughly assess the protective security program. We have seen several cases in Mexico in which the criminals even chose to attack despite security measures. In such cases, criminals attack with adequate resources to overcome existing security. For example, if there are protective agents, the attackers will plan to neutralize them first. If there is an armored vehicle, they will find ways to defeat the armor or grab the target when he or she is outside the vehicle. Because of this, criminals must not be allowed to conduct surveillance at will.</p>
<p>Like many crimes, kidnapping is a process. There are certain steps that must be taken to conduct a kidnapping and certain times during the process when those executing it are vulnerable to detection. While these steps may be condensed and accomplished quite quickly in an ad hoc express kidnapping, they are nonetheless followed. In fact, because of the particular steps involved in conducting a kidnapping, the process is not unlike that followed to execute a <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/themes/terrorist_attack_cycle/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">terrorist attack</span></a>. The common steps are target selection, planning, deployment, attack, escape and exploitation.</p>
<p>Like the perpetrators of a terrorist attack, those conducting a kidnapping are most <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/vulnerabilities_terrorist_attack_cycle/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">vulnerable to detection</span></a> when they are conducting surveillance — before they are ready to deploy and conduct their attack. As we’ve noted several times in past analyses, one of the <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/secrets_countersurveillance/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">secrets of countersurveillance</span></a> is that most criminals are not very good at conducting surveillance. The primary reason they succeed is that no one is looking for them.</p>
<p>Of course, kidnappers are also very obvious once they launch their attack, pull their weapons and perhaps even begin to shoot. By this time, however, it might very well be too late to escape their attack. They will have selected their attack site and employed the forces they believe they need to complete the operation. While the kidnappers could botch their operation and the target could escape unscathed, it is simply not practical to pin one’s hopes on that possibility. It is clearly better to spot the kidnappers early and avoid their trap before it is sprung and the guns come out.</p>
<p>We have seen many instances of <a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000019/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/proactive_tool_protective_intelligence/?utm_source=TWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;">people in Mexico with armed security being kidnapped</span></a>, and we believe we will likely see more cases of this in the coming months. This trend is due not only to the presence of highly armed and aggressive criminals and the low quality of some security personnel, but also to people placing their trust solely in reactive physical security. Ignoring the very real value of critical, proactive measures such as situational awareness, countersurveillance and protective intelligence can be a fatal mistake.</p>
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		<title>The Watcher by Chet Bowen</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=214</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 23:40:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The world]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[The Watcher by Chet Bowen
Oil prices have now dipped — albeit only briefly — below US$40 a barrel, a precipitous plunge from their highs of more than US$147 a barrel in July. Just as high oil prices reworked the international economic order, low oil prices are now doing the same. Such a sudden onset of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>The Watcher by Chet Bowen</strong></p>
<p><strong>Oil prices have now dipped — albeit only briefly — below US$40 a barrel, a precipitous plunge from their highs of more than US$147 a barrel in July. Just as high oil prices reworked the international economic order, low oil prices are now doing the same. Such a sudden onset of low prices impacts the international system just as severely as recent record highs.</strong></p>
<p><strong>But before we dive into the short-term (that is, up to 12 months) impact of the new price environment, we must state our position in the oil price debate. We have long been perplexed about the onward and upward movement of the oil markets from 2005 to 2008. Certainly, global demand was strong, but a variety of factors such as production figures and growing inventories of crude oil seemed to argue against ever-increasing prices. Some of our friends pointed to the complex world of derivatives and futures trading, which they said had created artificial demand. That may well have been true, but the bottom line is that, based on the fundamentals, the oil numbers did not make a great deal of sense.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Things have clarified a great deal of late. We are now facing an environment in which the United States, Europe and Japan are in recession, while China is, at the very least, expecting to see its growth slow greatly. Demand for crude the world over is sliding sharply even as the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member states so far seem unable (or, </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081024_saudi_arabia_challenges_opecs_cut/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>in the case of Saudi Arabia, perhaps unwilling</strong></span></a><strong>) to make the necessary deep cuts in output that might halt the price slide. The bottom line is that, while the breathtaking speed at which prices have collapsed has caught us somewhat by surprise, the direction and the depth of the plunge has not. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Prices are likely to remain low for some time. Most of the world’s storage facilities — such as the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve — are full to the brim, so large cuts are needed simply to prevent massive oversupply. Yet any OPEC production cuts — the cartel meets Dec. 17 and deep cuts are expected — will take months to have a demonstrable impact, especially in a recessionary environment. And there is the simple issue of scale. The global oil market is a beast: Total demand at present is about 86 million barrels per day. This is not a market that can turn on a dime. A firm fact that flies in the face of conventional wisdom is that oil actually falls far faster than it rises when the fundamentals are out of whack. This has happened on multiple occasions, and not that long ago. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Falls occurred both in the aftermath of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War and as a result of the 1997-1998 Asian financial crises that were similar in percentage terms to the present drop. Until the balance between supply and demand is restruck — something not likely until a global economic recovery is well under way — there is no reason to expect a significant price recovery. The journey, of course, is not necessarily a one-way trip. Quirks in everything from weather to shipping to Nigerian riots and Russian military movements can set prices gyrating, but the fundamentals are clearly bearish. It will most likely take several months for the core features of the new reality to change much at all.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Low oil prices create both winners and losers on the international scene. First, the winners’ list.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Far and away the biggest winner from drastically lower prices is the world’s largest consumer and importer of oil: the United States. The last two years of high prices have spawned a sustained American consumer effort to get by with less oil via a mix of </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/u_s_record_setting_change_driving_habits/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>conservation and a shift to better-mileage vehicles</strong></span></a><strong>. Whether this purchase pattern in automobiles lasts is not at issue. The point is that it has already happened: Many Americans have already shifted to more fuel-efficient vehicles. Just as the 1990s obsession with sport utility vehicles artificially boosted American gasoline demand so long as those automobiles were on the road, so the new fleet of hybrids and smart cars will push demand in the opposite direction for a sustained period. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Overall U.S. oil consumption has plummeted by nearly 9 percent from its peak in August 2007 to November 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Combining this with the drop in prices since July translates into U.S. energy savings of approximately US$1.95 billion at a price of US$50 a barrel and US$2.1 billion at a price of US$40 a barrel. And that is daily cost savings. In recessionary times, that cash will go a long way to building confidence and stanching the recession. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Next on the list are the major European importers of crude: Germany, Italy and Spain. As a rule, European economies are less energy-intensive than the United States, but by dint of fuel mix and lack of domestic production these three major states are forced to rely on substantial amounts of imported oil. We exclude the other major European economies from this list as they are either major oil producers themselves (the United Kingdom and the Netherlands) or their economies are extremely oil efficient (France, Belgium and Sweden). Don’t get us wrong — the EU states are all quite pleased that oil prices have dialed back. Nevertheless, in terms of relative gain, Germany, Italy and Spain are the real winners. And with Europe facing a </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081012_financial_crisis_europe/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>recession much deeper and likely longer</strong></span></a><strong> than that in the United States, the Europeans need every advant age they can get. </strong></p>
<p><strong>India, far removed from Europe culturally and geographically, sports a somewhat similar economic structure in that it boasts (or suffers from, based on your perspective) an industrializing base that is highly dependent on oil imports. Broadly, the Indians are in the same basket as Spain in that they are voracious energy consumers who have seen their demand skyrocket in recent years. Between </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/theme/militant_attacks_mumbai_and_their_consequences/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>the Nov. 26 Mumbai attack</strong></span></a><strong>, upcoming federal elections and the energy price pain from earlier in the year, the government is desperate to pass on the cost savings to the population to shore up its support.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Then there are the East Asian states of South Korea, China and Japan (listed in descending order of how much each one benefits from the price drop). All import massive amounts of crude oil, but we put them at the end of the list of winners because of their financial systems. In East Asia — and particularly in China and Japan — money is not allocated on the basis of rate of return or profitability as it is in the West. Instead, the concern is maximizing employment. It does not matter much in East Asia if one’s business plan is sound; the government will provide cheap loans so long one employs hordes of people. One side effect of this strategy is that firms can get loans for anything, including raw materials they otherwise could not afford — such as oil at US$147 a barrel.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Therefore, high oil prices just do not affect East Asia as badly as they affect the West. Just as the East Asian financial system mutes the impact of high prices, the converse is true as well. In the West, energy consumers are not shielded from high prices, so lower prices immediately translate into more purchasing power, and thus more economic activity. Not so in East Asia, where the same financial shielding that blunts the impact of high prices lessens the benefits of low prices.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The order in which we listed the three Asian giants relates to how much progress they have made in reforming their financial practices. South Korea’s financial system is much closer to the Western model than the Asian model: South Korea hurts more as prices rise, and so will be more relieved as prices fall. China is in the middle in terms of financial practices, but it is also attempting to unwind its system of energy price-fixing as oil costs drop; due to subsidies being reduced, Chinese consumers actually may not be seeing much of a change in retail prices. Finally, Japan will benefit the least because its system is already highly efficient compared to the other two, so the price impact was less in the first place. One barrel of oil consumed in Japan generates approximately US$2,610 of Japanese gross domestic product (GDP), while the comparative figures for Korea and China are US$1,270 and US$1,130 respectively. </strong></p>
<p><strong>In short, the heavily industrialized Asians still benefit, but the impact isn’t as much as one might think at first glance. In fact, the biggest benefit to these states from cheaper energy is indirect — lower prices spur consumption in the West, and then the West purchases more Asian products. </strong></p>
<p><strong>And now, the losers.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Venezuela and Iran top this list by far. Both are led by politicians who have lavished vast amounts of oil income on their populations to secure their respective political positions. But that public approval has come at its own price in terms of economic dislocation (why diversify the economy if strong oil prices bring in loads of cash?), low employment (the energy sector may be capital-intensive, but it certainly is not labor-intensive), and high inflation (high government spending has led to massive consumption and spurred rampant import of foreign goods to satiate that demand). </strong></p>
<p><strong>Of the two states, Venezuela is certainly in the worse position. By some estimates, Venezuela requires oil prices in the vicinity of US$120 a barrel to maintain the social spending to which its population has become accustomed. Iran’s number may be only somewhat lower, but President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in the process of at least beginning to bow to economic reality. On Dec. 5, he announced massive cuts in subsidy outlays with the intent of reforging the budget based on a price of only US$30 a barrel. </strong></p>
<p><strong>It is an open question whether the Iranian government — and especially the increasingly unpopular Ahmadinejad — can survive such cuts (if they are indeed made), but at least there is a public realization of the depth of the crisis at the top level of government. In Venezuela, by contrast, the mitigation process has barely begun, and for political reasons it cannot truly be implemented until after a </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081201_venezuela_chavez_tries_indefinite_re_election/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>referendum in early 2009 on term limits that could allow Chavez to run for president indefinitely</strong></span></a><strong>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Next is Nigeria. In terms of seeing an increase in human misery, Nigeria should probably be at the top of the losers’ list. But the harsh reality is that Nigerians are used to corrupt government, inadequate infrastructure, spotty power supply and all-around poor conditions. Some of the perks of high energy prices undoubtedly will disappear, but none of those perks succeeded in changing Nigeria in the first place. </strong></p>
<p><strong>The real impact on Nigeria will be that the government will have drastically less money available to grease the political wheels that allow it to </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/nigeria_motives_behind_violence/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>keep competing regional and personal interests in check</strong></span></a><strong>. Those funds have been particularly crucial for funneling cash to the country’s oil-rich Niger Delta region, giving local bosses reason not to hire and/or arm militant groups like the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta to attack oil and natural gas sites. With Abuja having less cash, the oil regions will see a surge in extortion, kidnapping and oil bunkering (i.e., theft). We already have seen attacks ramp up against the country’s natural gas industry: Within the last few days, attacks against supply points have forced operators to take the Bonny Island liquefied natural gas export facility offline. And since Nigeria’s mil itants never really differentiate between the country’s various forms of energy export, oil disruptions are probably just around the corner. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Russia is also in the crosshairs, but not nearly to the same degree as Venezuela, Iran and Nigeria. Russia has four things going for it that the others lack. First, it exports massive amounts of natural gas and metals, giving it additional income streams. (Venezuela and Iran actually import natural gas and have no real alternative to oil income.) Second, Russia never spent its money on its population. Thus, Russians have not become used to massive government support, so there will be no sharp cuts in public spending that will be missed by the populace. Third, Russia has saved nearly every nickel it made in the past eight years, giving it cash reserves worth some US$750 billion. The financial crisis is hitting Russia hard, </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081024_financial_crisis_russia/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>so at least US$200 billion of that buffer already has been spent</strong></span></a><strong>, but Russia still remains in a far better position than m ost oil exporters. Fourth and last, the Russians can rely on Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin to (somewhat forcefully) keep the books firmly in balance. At his insistence, the government is in the process of refabricating its three-year budget on the basis of oil prices of below US$35 a barrel, down from the original estimate of US$95.</strong></p>
<p><strong>At the end of the losers’ list we have two states that most people would not think of: Mexico and Canada. Both have other sources of economic activity. Canada is a modern service-based economy with a heavy presence of many commodity industries, while Mexico has become a major manufacturing hub. But both are major oil exporters, and have been leading suppliers to the American economy for decades. So both are exposed, but their concerns are more about unforeseen complications rather than the “simple” quantitative impact of lower prices.</strong></p>
<p><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081111_mexico_insuring_oil_exports/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>Mexico has purchased derivatives contracts that, in essence, insure the price of all its oil exports for 2009</strong></span></a><strong>. So should prices remain low, Mexico’s actual income will be unchanged. We only include Mexico on the list of losers, therefore, because it’s quite rare in geopolitics that such planning actually works out as planned. Hurricanes and strikes happen. (Mexico also faces the problem of insufficient funds, expertise and technology to counter rapidly declining output, something that will leave it with a lack of oil to sell in the first place — but that is an issue more for 2012 than 2009.) </strong></p>
<p><strong>As for Canada, most of the oil it produces comes from Alberta province, the seat of power of the ruling Conservative Party. Right now, </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081202_canada_leftist_coalition_takes_shape/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>the Canadian government is wobbling</strong></span></a><strong> like a slowing top. Seeing the Conservatives’ power base take a massive economic hit due to oil prices is not the sort of complication the government needs right now. In the longer term, </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/canada_oil_sands_tax_increase/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>Alberta recently increased taxes on oil sands projects</strong></span></a><strong>. Oil sands extraction is among the more capital-intensive and technologically challenging sorts of oil production currently possible. Combine the tax changes with the nature of the subindustry and the recent price drops and there is likely to be precious little investment interest in oil dur ing — at a minimum — 2009. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Most readers will take note of the countries we have chosen not to include on the list of vulnerable states. These include the bulk of the OPEC states — specifically Angola, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Libya. All of these states count oil as their only meaningful export (except the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which also export natural gas), so why do we feel such countries are not in the danger zone? </strong></p>
<p><strong>For its part, Angola only became a major producer recently. Nearly all of Angolan oil output is from offshore projects controlled by foreigners — shutting in such production is a very tricky affair for a country that is utterly reliant on foreign technology to operate its only meaningful industry. But the primary reason Angola is not feeling the heat is that most of its income has not been spent but instead has been stashed away due to a lack of the necessary physical and personnel infrastructure needed to leverage the income. </strong></p>
<p><strong>Iraq is in a somewhat similar position as far as finances are concerned. While Iraq has been producing crude for decades, its current government is only a few years old, and its institutions simply cannot allocate the monies involved. Despite massive outlays by both Iraq and Angola, their respective governments simply lack the capacity to spend, and so have stored up cash accounts worth US$26 billion and US$54 billion respectively.</strong></p>
<p><strong>The rest of the Arab oil producers warrant a much simpler explanation: They’ve been fiscally conservative. While all have shared the wealth with their somewhat restive populations, none of them has repeated the mistakes of the 1970s, when they overspent on gaudy buildings and overcommitted themselves to expensive social programs. All have been saving vast amounts of cash, with the Saudis alone probably having more than US$1 trillion socked away. Tiny Kuwait officially has a wealth fund worth more than US$250 billion. </strong></p>
<p><strong>So while none of the Arab oil states are particularly thrilled with the direction — and in particular the speed — oil prices have gone, none of these governments faces a mortal danger at this time. What they are now missing is the ability to make a substantial impact on the world around them. At oil’s height </strong><a href="mhtml:{467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D}mid://00000002/!x-usc:http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20081124_gcc_states_eyeing_opportunities_global_financial_crisis/?utm_source=GWeekly&amp;utm_campaign=none&amp;utm_medium=email"><span style="color: #00457c;"><strong>the Gulf Arab oil producers</strong></span></a><strong> were taking in US$2 billion a day in revenues — far more cash than they could ever hope to metabolize themselves. Bribes are powerful tools of foreign policy, and their income allowed them — particularly Saudi Arabia — to wield outsized influence in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and even in Beijing, London and Washington. So while none of these states faces a meltdown from falling prices, there are certainly some hangovers in store for them. It is jus t that they are more political than economic in nature, at least for now.</strong></p>
<p><strong>~~~Chet~~~</strong></p>
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		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Dec 2008 18:07:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Saudi Arabia’s top cleric has used his annual sermon to Muslim pilgrims assembling for hajj to urge Muslim countries to renounce capitalism and form an Islamic economic bloc that adopts interest-free finance.
Grand Mufti Abdelaziz Al al-Sheikh told worshippers assembling on the plain of Mount Arafat that global economies now caught in crisis were suffering the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong>Saudi Arabia’s top cleric has used his annual sermon to Muslim pilgrims assembling for hajj to urge Muslim countries to renounce capitalism and form an Islamic economic bloc that adopts interest-free finance.</p>
<p>Grand Mufti Abdelaziz Al al-Sheikh told worshippers assembling on the plain of Mount Arafat that global economies now caught in crisis were suffering the result of using interest as a bedrock of their financial systems. Under Islamic law, or sharia, paying or receiving interest is forbidden.</p>
<p>The crisis, he said, demonstrated that “Muslim countries must have sharia-compliant economies and unite to become a formidable economic power”.</p>
<p>Islamic banks, which grew rapidly in the Gulf region in recent years from an influx of oil receipts, often depend on retail deposits rather than money markets for funding. As a result, sharia-compliant banks generally demand strong collateral, which some argue is why their exposure to toxic loans is limited.</p>
<p>The white-bearded mufti, wearing the traditional white robes of the pilgrim, also warned young Muslims to stay away from the corrupting influences of the modern media, which he termed “ideological terror” and said was targeting them.</p>
<p>The mufti’s economic edicts are meant to serve more for spiritual guidance, and commenting on a global economic phenomenon is a rare event.</p>
<p>Some pilgrims said that they would pray for an end to the global financial crisis.</p>
<p>Mohammad Fateh, who works for a brokerage in Egypt, told Reuters: “The economic crisis is on the mind of most pilgrims. They are going to pray to God to alleviate the problem&#8230;It’s an unexpected crisis and the only solution is mercy from heaven.</p>
<p>“The Arab and Muslim worlds are going to be affected by this crisis. I’ll pray to God to lift this scourge,” he said, adding that many had asked him to offer prayers on their behalf.</p>
<p>The hajj retraces the path of the Prophet Mohammed 14 centuries ago after he removed pagan idols from Mecca, his birthplace, and years after he started calling people to the new faith, now embraced by more than 1bn people worldwide.</p>
<p>At Arafat, Muslims pray for forgiveness and for their own and fellow Muslims’ welfare.</p>
<p>After sunset, the pilgrims were scheduled to continue their gradual trip toward Mecca, heading for Muzdalifa to gather pebbles for the symbolic ritual of throwing stones at a set of pillars and walls representing the devil.</p>
<p>Saudi media said this year a record 1.72m hajj visas had been granted to Muslims abroad and at least 500,000 local people had received permits.</p>
<p>This year’s hajj has so far not faced any of the problems or disasters that have marred the event in previous years, which included fires, hotel collapses, police clashes with protesters and deadly stampedes caused by overcrowding.</p>
<p>Saudi Arabian authorities have carried out renovations over the past year in an effort to ease the flow of pilgrims inside the Grand Mosque and at the disaster-prone Jamarat bridge. In January 2006, 362 people were crushed to death there in the worst hajj tragedy since 1990.</strong></span> </span></div>
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		<title>Religious head incited killers</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=207</link>
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		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2008 23:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[Once again we have witnessed  an Islamic terrorist attack incited and justified through appeals to Islam by  its perpetrators. On one level it is understandable why so many in the West are  unwilling or unable to connect the militant ideology of political Islam to the  thousands of Islamic terror attacks that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Once again we have witnessed  an Islamic terrorist attack incited and justified through appeals to Islam by  its perpetrators. On one level it is understandable why so many in the West are  unwilling or unable to connect the militant ideology of political Islam to the  thousands of Islamic terror attacks that have been committed worldwide since  9/11. We extol the virtues of tolerance and pluralism and believe others in the  world do so as well, so it is easy to dismiss such attacks as the work of a few  “extremists,” rather than the product of adherence to an ideology.</p>
<p>The  fatal flaw in this thinking is this: How can we successfully win a war on  Islamic terrorism if we don’t correctly define the threat doctrine that  motivates its adherents?</p>
<p>It is argued that most of the world’s Muslims  are not terrorists. While true, this fact is irrelevant. Most of the world’s  Muslims have never read the Qur’an or the Hadith in a language they can  understand. They have not read the hundreds of passages that call for jihad  against infidels, nor do they renounce such passages. They do not organize en  masse to denounce the terrorist acts perpetrated by other Muslims in the name of  Islam, nor do they denounce the frequent exhortations to world subjugation found  in the holy books of Islam.</p>
<p>Yes, there are Muslims who have denounced  the Mumbai attacks. But examine their denunciations closely and you will be  hard-pressed to find renunciations of the supremacist doctrine of political  Islam &#8212; the foundation for jihad &#8212; which emanates from its holy books. This is  the justification commonly cited by terrorists for their actions. We in the West  must come to grips with the uncomfortable fact that terrorism is a symptom of  this militant, supremacist ideology. Terrorism is a means to an end, not an end  in itself. And it is but one of many means used by those who are devoted to the  supremacist ideology of political Islam.</strong></p>
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</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,Times,serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><strong>Religious head incited killers</strong></span></p>
<p><strong>Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent | <em>December 01,  2008</em></p>
<p>Article from: </strong><a href="mhtml:%7B467AFFE7-C688-4F69-8CDB-CEC8270AA69D%7Dmid://00000100/%21x-usc:http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/"><strong><span style="color: #000000;">The Australian</span></strong></a><strong><br />
</strong><a href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24731818-2703,00.html"><strong><span style="color: #000000;">http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24731818-2703,00.html</span></strong></a></p>
<p><strong>THE al-Qa&#8217;ida-linked Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists suspected over  the Mumbai massacre were trained in Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-controlled  Kashmir, and were incited by speeches from their leader in Lahore.</strong></p>
<p><strong>As the sole surviving terrorist was interrogated in Mumbai,  security sources told The Australian that 10 terrorists were picked by LET for  the suicide mission.</p>
<p>They were ordered to &#8220;kill until your last breath&#8221;  and murder up to 5000 people.</p>
<p>They did so after provocative speeches by  Hafiz Mohammed Saeed last month in Lahore, capital of the Punjab.</p>
<p>Saeed,  described as LET&#8217;s supreme religious and political head, declared in one speech:  &#8220;The only language India understands is that of force, and that is the language  it must be talked to in.&#8221;</p>
<p>The email claiming responsibility for the  Mumbai attack minutes after it started last Wednesday was generated on a  computer based in Pakistan.</p>
<p>And a satellite telephone captured from the  terrorists revealed calls made to numbers in Pakistan during the attacks,  reports said.</p>
<p>Officials said the terrorists&#8217; route to Mumbai had been  recorded on GPS co-ordinates contained in the satellite phones.</p>
<p>Sources  said the 10 terrorists &#8212; most of whom were believed to be Pakistanis &#8212; were  ordered to undergo training to attack Mumbai.</p>
<p>The captured gunman, Ajmal  Amir Kamal, 21, reportedly told intelligence sources the group had trained  openly in Muzaffarabad before heading to the nearby Mangala dam for lessons in  marine commando techniques.</p>
<p>The group then visited Rawalpindi, which  adjoins Islamabad, the Pakistan capital and site of the Pakistan army  headquarters.</p>
<p>From there, the group took a train to the port city of  Karachi, where, heavily armed, they boarded a freighter for the trip to Mumbai.  Along the way, they became nervous about Indian coastguard activity and almost  aborted the mission.</p>
<p>They &#8220;dragooned&#8221; a less conspicuous, passing  fishing boat into service, shooting dead four of its crew members. The skipper  of the fishing boat and another crew member took them closer to Mumbai before  they, too, were killed. One was decapitated and the other had his throat slit.</p>
<p>Close to shore, they transferred to small speedboats for the run into  the two landing points they had selected in Mumbai &#8211; Sassoon Docks and Badhwar  Park, on Cuff Parade.</p>
<p>Conflicting evidence obtained by intelligence  agencies suggests that the group may have had local support, and that one or  more of its members may have been staying locally, possibly even in the Taj  Mahal hotel.</p>
<p>A British link to the attacks was raised over the weekend  when a senior Indian official claimed that Britons were among the militants.</p>
<p>Vilasrao Deshmukh, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, in which  Mumbai lies, was quoted on an Indian television station as saying that British  citizens had been detained.</p>
<p>British MP Patrick Mercer, a former Tory  security spokesman, said he had been given information that at least two of the  terrorists had credit cards and other identifying documents that linked them to  Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in northeast England.</p>
<p>The claims, however,  were not substantiated by official British sources, who said there was no  evidence &#8220;at this stage&#8221; that Britons had taken part in the attacks, although  they acknowledged that events were &#8220;moving fast&#8221; and more information was  emerging about the nationality of the terrorists.</p>
<p>MI5 and British  counter-terrorist police are keeping in close touch with their counterparts in  India and are alert to the possibility that Britons with Pakistani origins might  have been involved. Significant numbers of young British Pakistanis have taken  part in terrorist training in Pakistan.</p>
<p>British Prime Minister Gordon  Brown said that there was no evidence of Britons being involved, and the Foreign  Secretary David Miliband said: &#8220;We obviously will want to work very closely with  the Indians but it is too early to say whether or not any of them are British.&#8221;</p>
<p>Malaysian police are investigating reports that Malaysian-issued credit  cards were found in the belongings of the terrorists involved in the Mumbai  attacks.</p>
<p>Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar said Malaysia had no links with  the terrorists, responding to an Indian report that nine of the gunmen claimed  to be Malaysian students when they travelled to Mumbai several months ago.</p>
<p>Terror analyst Praveen Swami said that at a meeting of key LET leaders  in Lahore on October 19, LET leader Saeed, who insists he is only head of the  Jamaat-ud-Dawa welfare organisation, made plain his view of Pakistan&#8217;s  neighbour.</p>
<p>&#8220;India, he claimed, was building dams in (Indian-controlled)  Jammu and Kashmir to choke Pakistan&#8217;s water supplies and cripple its  agriculture,&#8221; Mr Swami reported Saeed as saying.</p>
<p>&#8220;Earlier, in an October  6 speech, Saeed claimed that India had &#8216;made a deal with the United States to  send 150,000 Indian troops to Afghanistan&#8217; and that it agreed to support the US  in its existential war against Islam.</p>
<p>&#8220;Finally, in a sermon to a  congregation at the Jamia Masjid al-Qudsia (mosque) in Lahore at the end of  October, Saeed proclaimed that there was an &#8216;ongoing war in the world between  Islam and its enemies&#8217;.</p>
<p>&#8220;He claimed that &#8216;crusaders of the East and West  have united in a cohesive onslaught against Muslims&#8217;.&#8221; </strong></span><br />
</span></div>
<p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Chet Bowen</strong></span></p>
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		<title>What In The World?</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=200</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:55:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[War News Update: What In The World?
 By Mark Harvey Sunday, November 23, 2008 

I haven’t done a War News Update in quite a while due to the fervor of the  elections quagmire but now that it is almost over, I will begin these updates at  least once a week. I do have [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h2><strong><span>War News Update: What In The World?</span></strong></h2>
<p><strong><span> <span style="font-size: 10px; font-style: italic;">By</span> <span style="font-size: 10px; font-style: italic;">Mark Harvey</span> <span style="font-size: 10px; color: blue;">Sunday, November 23, 2008 </span></span></strong></p>
<p><strong></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>I haven’t done a War News Update in quite a while due to the fervor of the  elections quagmire but now that it is almost over, I will begin these updates at  least once a week. I do have nearly 700+ dispatches saved up so expect a flurry  of data that the media cannot reveal. Seeing that this is Victory In Iraq Day  (VI-Day), let us begin with some information that has been widely ignored b y  the Defeatocrats and those responsible for the war going as long as it has. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>The first order of business will be a report from GrEaT sAtAn’S gIrLfRiEnD  with the <a title="Military Advisors Manual" href="http://greatsatansgirlfriend.blogspot.com/2008/11/military-advisors-manual.html">Military  Advisors Manual</a>. This report reveals what I have been espousing for quite  some time seeing that I have some experience in this area. It is a worthy report  and I agree with it entirely. General David Petraeus is a genius and it is too  bad that politics got in the way of his ability to win this war earlier. If his  ideas and concepts had been implemented sooner, perhaps the traitors and  subversives would have been put in their proper places&#8230;in prison. Then again,  the folks that could have done that are too cowardly to actually enforce current  law. </span></strong></p>
<h3><strong><span><a title="CIA: Every Major Terror Threat, World Wide, Involves Pakistan" href="http://patdollard.com/2008/11/cia-every-major-terror-threat-world-wideinvolves-pakistan/">CIA:  Every Major Terror Threat, World Wide, Involves Pakistan</a></span></strong></h3>
<p><strong><span>This has been known for quite some time but it wasn’t politically expedient  to make it known. I am sure Czarbie would know something about this seeing that  he did spend quite some time in Pakistan before he had threatened to bomb the  hell out of Pakistan during his illegal campaign. Illegal campaign? Yes, that is  what I said&#8230;the fool isn’t a US citizen but that won’t stop the enemies of the  US from the coronation of the impostor. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Other posts I have done involve the Global Cultural Jihad. England is  experiencing this and the United States is on track for Shar’ia Law by 2050. I  suppose the Democrats will realize this when they are the first to be put to  death by the sword of allah. In accordance with Shar’is Law, the ungodly will  die first. The fools that have been “upset” by Prop 8 in California will be the  most surprised. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>In spite of the alleged Obama victory, Iran has decided not to honor their  original “promises”. They will continue their Hate America mantra. They are also  going to have a meeting. This isn’t a big surprise to me seeing that I still  have difficulty differentiating the basic democrat party leader from the  terrorists and their leaders&#8230;they speak the same language &#8211; America Sucks. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Steven J. Rosen has a piece up at the American Thinker published on 11/16  entitled, ”<a title="Did Iran Offer a 'Grand Bargain' in 2003?" href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/11/did_iran_offer_a_grand_bargain.html">Did  Iran Offer a ‘Grand Bargain’ in 2003?</a>” Without getting into the details here  at this time, we all know where this is going and from where it came. We also  know that the premise was born in the bowels of the morons that have prolonged  this war for the sake of political expediency and power. It was a farce and a  lie then and it is even more so now. Rosen explains it in detail and I have the  background of all that nonsense stored right here&#8230;have fun. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>It is said that OBL is still alive and his busily farming out details of more  attacks now that the week-kneed and thin-skinned <a title="coward" href="http://spectator.org/archives/2008/11/14/obamas-war">coward</a> Obama has  theoretically won the election. They, the terrorists, know that Czarbie will do  nothging to defend this Nation so their plots and plans will move forward in the  hopes to reverse their losses in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraqw as well as just  about everywhere else. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Vindication. It smells and tastes oh so sweet. For those of you that know me,  you will know and remember that I have said this for years: <a title="CIA Agent Confirms Al-Qaeda Was In Iraq In 2002" href="http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com/2008/11/cia-agent-confirms-al-qaeda-was-in-iraq.html">CIA  Agent Confirms Al-Qaeda Was In Iraq In 2002</a>. Remember? This is one of the  many areas that I have major issues with President Bush. It wasn’t politically  expedient to make this known. Why? I have no idea. I do know that the war was  prolonged because of it. I also know for a fact that the ones that made hay-day  over President Bush being silent on this FACT also knew the data was factual but  utilized the silence to further their cause of political power. They also  rendered aid and comfort to the enemy during that process. Did I not make it  widely known that we “watched them flee Afghanistan and flee to the Four Winds”?  Yes, I did. I will stress this once again. We watched the enemy flee Afghanistan  to Pakistan, Iran and Iraq. We stopped them in Tajikistan. Flopping Aces has  more. However, neither Gateway Pundit, Flopping Aces or CQ Politics has what I  have in my head and heart. They were not there. I was. Like I said. Vindication  is sweet. Eat that you libtard morons. The libtards can also eat their BS about  the <a title="WMD" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2008/nov/19/yellowcake-from-saddam/">WMD</a> deal as well. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>In other news, Stealth Jihad? It seems as though the Jihad is using the <a title="List of 45" href="http://takeourcountryback-snooper.blogspot.com/2008/01/list-of-45-something-you-should.html">List  of 45</a>. Interesting that. Please note that I didn’t say “surprising”. Then  again, we can always consider the Muslim Brotherhood and their ties to CAIR and  the List of 45, can’t we? The proponents of CAIR and their democrat and RINO  sympathizers are useful idiots in the demise of this Nation and the libtards are  “Rather” pleased with themselves. I am going to laugh at them as their heads are  lopped off by the sword of allah and just might break out the marshmallows to  roast over their burning bodies. Then we can focus on killing the Jihadi scum in  this nation. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>While we are at it, seeing that Obama was having meetings with HAMAS all  during his campaign, what if we had an investigation about that and why Syria  and Iran have given HAMAS the green light? Surely there is something to that  besides Obama being the pathological liar that he is. And, knowing that Obama is  such a pathological liar on top of being a narcissist, can we really believe  that he will not support the “Saudi” Israeli-Arab peace pact? Or, can we  actually know why Iran is now backing off from their previous statements about  supporting SOFA? Why on Earth wold they support that Plan now that the weakling  Czarbie is set to steal the White House? Isn’t it just like a terrorist to act  like a democrat and “change their mind” when politically expedient to do so?  Democrats and terrorists&#8230;same-same. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Oh. And expect the usual “illegal war” crap to come up again. Naturally, thee  isn’t any evidence to support that BS but that won’t stop the pathological liars  on the left, will it? Then again, when they are clueless about the Iraq War, why  should anyone really give them the attention they lust after? </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>As our Troops have won in Iraq and are winning in Afghanistan, NATO not  withstanding, the <a title="Confederate Yankee" href="http://confederateyankee.mu.nu/archives/278306.php">Confederate Yankee</a> tells us to brace for a total loss in the future. It is what the Democrats are  all about. Then again, when the terrorists declare war on Pakistan, one has to  wonder where all of this is going. Obama and the terrorists want to bomb  Pakistan… </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Whereas the treatment of President Bush has been off the charts and  psychotic, at times I think he may have deserved it. He never seemed to take the  libtards seriously. I do and don’t blame him for it but when it put our troops  in danger, he should have at least came out and shamed the libtards out in the  open and in public. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Some are saying that Afghanistan is barely winnable and I think that is  primarily a NATO result. I have been a long supporter of disbanding NATO due to  its ties to the UN. But, that is for another post for a different day. </span></strong></p>
<p><strong><span>Chet Bowen<br />
</span></strong></p>
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		<title>The Watcher by Chet Bowenn</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=196</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:21:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[
Posted by: MarcusCygy // 32 minutes ago  // viewed 13 times
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia //
Last updated:  24 minutes ago 

http://marcuscyganiak.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-leaders-receive-threats.html
It has been reported today on multiple sourced websites that on-going  anonymous threats have been sent out to world leaders within the past 72 hours.  Among the threats is that of a [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="ir-posted-embed">
<form><strong><span>Posted by: <a class="ir-posted-by-username-ss" title="Click here to view MarcusCygy 's profile" href="http://www.ireport.com/people/MarcusCygy">MarcusCygy </a>// 32 minutes ago  // viewed 13 times<br />
Port Coquitlam, British Columbia //<br />
Last updated:  24 minutes ago </span></strong></form>
</div>
<div class="ir-story-description"><strong><span><a href="http://marcuscyganiak.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-leaders-receive-threats.html">http://marcuscyganiak.blogspot.com/2008/11/world-leaders-receive-threats.html</a></p>
<p>It has been reported today on multiple sourced websites that on-going  anonymous threats have been sent out to world leaders within the past 72 hours.  Among the threats is that of a nuclear bomb attack in the very near future on  United States soil.</p>
<p>Such an attack on America &#8220;would make 9/11  insignificant,&#8221; said Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.</p>
<p>On Barack  Obama&#8217;s first day as President-Elect, he immediately received threats via US  intelligence that Israel are plotting to attack Iran before he is sworn into the  White House on January 20, 2009. Russia has also gone into high-gear in noting  that they are enforcing their own missile defense systems bordering Poland to  counteract the US-stationed missile defense system there.</p>
<p>Russian Prime  Minister Vladimir Putin said, &#8220;we will not retreat,&#8221; when dealing with the  United States in Europe. Former Russian President Putin believes that President  George W. Bush has setup multiple missile defense shield systems across Europe  to keep a close eye and target on Russia. Contrary to that claim, President Bush  and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice diligently state that these stations in  Europe are nothing but goodwill safety measures put forth for the EU, Nato  allies, and American interests upon fending off terrorists, extremists, and  notably Iran.</p>
<p>Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has ignored President Bush  and Condoleezza Rice&#8217;s claims with triggers ready to attack.</p>
<p>So with  Russia visibly upset with the United States and Iran being an ally of Russia,  one has to wonder where these world leaders outside of that inner circle are  receiving the nuclear bomb threats from. You can go ahead and add in Korea and  China into the mix since they have nuclear bombs as well, and are too allies of  Russia.</p>
<p>Among the nations that have publically stated they have received  the cryptic threats include Australia, England, France, and the United States.</p>
<p>Is any of this a surprise for anyone though?</p>
<p>The now Vice  President-elect Joe Biden had some chilling comments to make during the campaign  trail just a week prior to Election Day. He repeatedly told us, &#8220;Mark my words,  mark my words.&#8221; Barack Obama is going to be tested with a &#8220;generated crisis&#8221;  within the first six months he explained.</p>
<p>So would an attack on America,  potentially larger in catastrophe to 9/11 as Australian PM put it, be the crisis  Joe Biden is referring to? Does Biden know something we do not?</p>
<p>Joe  Biden also went on to say, &#8220;I can give you at least four or five scenarios from  where it might originate, and he&#8217;s (Barack Obama) going to need help. And the  kind of help he&#8217;s going to need is, he&#8217;s going to need you &#8211; not financially to  help him &#8211; we&#8217;re going to need you to use your influence, your influence within  the community, to stand with him. Because it&#8217;s not going to be apparent  initially, it&#8217;s not going be apparent that we&#8217;re right.&#8221;</p>
<p>Confused yet?  Well while I can join you on that trail of confusion, I still want to figure  this out.</p>
<p>An obvious note of observation is that these high level  politicians around the world all seem to be coordinated with these warnings  received. I&#8217;m talking about Vice President-elect Joe Biden, even former US  Secretary of State Colin Powell, another former Secretary of State Madeleine  Albright, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, and finally Admiral Lord Alan  West of the British Home Office as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State.</p>
<p>Are all these high level politicians preparing the world for a crisis of  gigantic fatal measures?</p>
<p>When looking back at the US invasion in  Afghanistan and Iraq in 2003 as part of the War on Terror, and most recently the  US embarking on attacks in Syria and Pakistan shortly after the Russian invasion  in Georgia, you just have to wonder if these events are the prelude to World War  III. These high level politicians are certainly painting the picture that way.</p>
<p>So now I take you to the overall big picture:</p>
<p></span></strong></p>
<ul><span></p>
<li><strong>Russia continues to threaten a new Cold War, with missiles lined up to  attack Poland because of the US missile defense shield system agreement that was  signed. Should that shield system officially be built, Russia states that they  will deploy missile attacks. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Russia has the capability of launching missiles from Russian soil to  American soil. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Iran too claims to have the same capabilities in being able to launch  missiles over to US soil. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Israel continues to send out warnings that they will be attacking Iran,  which would call for US troops&#8217; help. </strong></li>
<li><strong>President George W. Bush has expressed an interest in attacking Iran before  his run in the oval office is over because of Iran&#8217;s nuclear program to produce  nuclear weapons. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Russia will attack US troops and Israeli troops, should an attack on Iran  become apparent. </strong></li>
<li><strong>Korea has sent out threats of attack to the United States in the past and  they too carry the capacity of nuclear bombs while being allies of Russia and  Iran. </strong></li>
<li><strong>You can add China into the list of allies with Russia.</strong></li>
<p></span></ul>
<p><strong><span><br />
Does  this not look like one big circle of tension to you? It sure does to me, and  it&#8217;s one that is growing far too tight in tension now. As a result, it could  only be a matter of days, weeks, or months before one nation pulls the trigger  to ignite World War III.</p>
<p><em>Sources:</em><br />
1) <a href="http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelnews/politics/80-political/335-warnings-from-world-leaders-all-within-72-hours-.html">http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelnews/politics/80-political/335-warnings-from-world-leaders-all-within-72-hours-.html</a><br />
2) <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&amp;sid=amM6gBY9JgJA&amp;refer=home">http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&amp;sid=amM6gBY9JgJA&amp;refer=home</a><br />
3) <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iyTh4daEIukZscHQWC558dEr3x5gD94BR7FG0">http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iyTh4daEIukZscHQWC558dEr3&#215;5gD94BR7FG0</a><br />
4) <a href="http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelnews/israel-news/83-israeli-news/407-israel-war-on-iran-on-the-radar.html">http://www.thejerusalemgiftshop.com/israelnews/israel-news/83-israeli-news/407-israel-war-on-iran-on-the-radar.html</a> </span></strong></div>
<div class="ir-story-description"><strong><span> </span></strong></div>
<div class="ir-story-description"><strong><span>Chet Bowen<br />
</span></strong></div>
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		<title>Was This God&#8217;s Will?</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=194</link>
		<comments>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=194#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:35:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
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		<description><![CDATA[November  6, 2008
I feel certain that many in my stream of the Church want a  statement from me concerning Tuesday&#8217;s presidential election. I will be frank in  my remarks but I do not, however, intend to vent anger or attack anyone. I have  read several statements from friends and colleagues I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span>November  6, 2008</p>
<p>I feel certain that many in my stream of the Church want a  statement from me concerning Tuesday&#8217;s presidential election. I will be frank in  my remarks but I do not, however, intend to vent anger or attack anyone. I have  read several statements from friends and colleagues I respect very  much.</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
Their thoughts are well stated and, for the most part, insightful.   None of them, however, seem to want to say some things that I believe need to be  said. I do not claim infallibility or to have the final word, but my convictions  run deep and I believe I bear a God-given responsibility to share them. </span></strong></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Was  This God&#8217;s Will?</span></strong> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
Was what happened Tuesday God&#8217;s will?  I am quite confident it was not.   America was offered a very clear choice between moving further toward protecting  the unborn or further away; between a Supreme Court that would move toward  honoring God, life and morality or away from it.  The stakes couldn&#8217;t have been  higher nor the cost greater. As a nation we put on blinders concerning Barak  Obama&#8217;s background, associations, beliefs and practices, and set these causes  back years, possibly decades.<br />
And in doing so we took another step away  from God and His plans for America, and another step toward  judgment.</span></strong></span><strong><span> </span></strong>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Judgment  Will Increase</span></strong> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
This is not a fire and brimstone warning from an angry, legalistic preacher.   In fact, I feel more sadness and grief than anything else.<br />
Perhaps I feel  what Jesus felt as He wept for Jerusalem while announcing its judgment. I am not  hoping for judgment; I am saying it is inevitable. I don&#8217;t know where the  unbiblical belief comes from that says a nation can live any way it pleases, can  reject God and His ways-even mock Him-and not receive His judgments.  Nor do I  know when the belief came that it is always mean-spirited or judgmental to warn  of these things.  To the contrary, I believe it is our responsibility.</p>
<p>In warning of judgment, I am not suggesting that God is going to  intentially and directly hurt people.  Much judgment is simply the absence of  God&#8217;s protection and provision, caused by a rejection of His laws and ways.  We  have been experiencing some forms of judgment in America for years, but God in  His incredible patience and mercy has kept us from the level we&#8217;ve deserved.  I  believe this will change to a degree and judgment will  now<br />
increase:</span></strong></span><strong><span> </span></strong></p>
<ul type="disc"><span></p>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>For those in the  Church who aligned themselves with pro-abortion forces, I believe judgment will  result.</strong></span><strong> </strong></li>
<p></span></ul>
<ul type="disc"><span></p>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>For leaders in the  Body of Christ who refused to take a stand for fear of losing people, money, and  tax-exempt status-I believe there will be a degree of judgment.</strong></span><strong> </strong></li>
<p></span></ul>
<ul type="disc"><span></p>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>For those, both  within the Church and without, who voted money over morality-a potential raise  or better health insurance over the life of a baby-there will be judgment. (The  irony is that this decision to base one&#8217;s vote on the hopes of a better economy  won&#8217;t produce the hoped for result anyway. The scriptures teach that it is  righteousness which exalts a nation and that the nation is blessed whose God is  the Lord.) </strong></span></li>
<p></span></ul>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span> I have heard the argument that God cares as much about social justice issues  (such as poverty and racism) as He does abortion, making a vote for Obama OK.  I  certainly believe God puts a very high priority on caring for the poor and I,  too, have wanted to see equality demonstrated through a &#8220;minority&#8221; president.  But to equate having a better income or the desire for a first black president,  regardless of his positions on abortion and morality, to the issue of killing 50  million babies is not justice-it is a gross distortion of justice and great  deception. I fear that we have been desensitized to this issue of abortion.  I  believe it kills babies and takes innocent life.  I also believe it is blood  sacrifice that empowers demons. Let&#8217;s not forget this in our noble attempts to  be kind and conciliatory.<br />
For African Americans I can easily see how  it could bring healing to have a first black president, just as it would be for  Native Americans to achieve this or for women if a woman were elected  president.  Again, I have wanted to see justice in this way.  I am only saddened  that the price for this healing ended up being Barak Obama, a man that will set  the cause of life and, most-likely, our God-given destiny as a nation back so  drastically. (I also realize there are some who interpret any criticism of Obama  as racism. Racism is so NOT what I am about nor what I live, that I will not  even dignify any such accusations with a response.)</span></strong></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span> </span></strong></span><strong><span> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">What  Can We Expect?</span></strong> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
What  are some of the judgments we can expect on our nation from this election?<br />
</span></strong></span><strong><span> </span></strong></p>
<ul type="disc"><span></p>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>More economic  woes</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>More violence in an  already violent nation</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>Disease and death  (satan, who is responsible for these things will have greater inroads to our  nation.)</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>Natural disasters  (weather-tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, drought; fires; earthquakes;  etc.)</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>Terrorism (they will  fear us much less now)</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>War, perhaps on our  own soil</strong></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';"><strong> </strong></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong>Judgments relating  to the Court. The stacking of the Supreme Court against the sanctity of life and  God&#8217;s influence on America will occur, which will in turn cause the shedding of  more innocent blood, more rejection of God&#8217;s laws and the stealing from us of  our godly heritage-all of which will perpetuate a cycle of even more  judgment.</strong></span><strong> </strong></li>
<p></span></ul>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">How  Did This Happen?</span></strong> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
I&#8217;ve been asked if this could have been averted had there been more  prayer.  I&#8217;m not sure. I believe there was a remnant of Christians fervently  praying over these elections-I don&#8217;t think there was anything more they could  have done. Others, obviously, should have done more.  The complacency and lack  of discernment concerning our real condition in America-especially by the  Church-is both appalling and horrifying.  America is in serious trouble and it  seems no one wants to say it.  Fewer still are willing to do anything to change  it.</p>
<p>Though I understand our reasons, we must be careful in our  attempts to placate our feelings and calm our fears through religious phrases  like &#8220;God is still on the throne&#8221; or &#8220;God has a plan&#8221;.  He was on His throne 35  years and 50 million babies ago.  And He had a plan back then.  The problem is,  it was us.  I understand our reasons for waving high the banner of God&#8217;s  sovereignty at times like these-it gives us hope.  I will wave it, as  well.<br />
But please be careful with this. Too much emphasis on God&#8217;s sovereignty  and we&#8217;re worthless; too little and we&#8217;re hopeless.  Maybe we should say, &#8220;we  lost a critical battle but God will give us strategy to win the war.&#8221; Then find  the strategy.</p>
<p>But still yet, since God is usually willing to  work through a remnant, I thought we had enough prayer. Obviously, God decided  otherwise.  There comes a time when He will not forgive or bless the majority  based on the prayers or actions of only a few.  America rejected God and asked  for a king; I believe we now have our Saul (see 1 Samuel 8:5-7)-a man who does  not have God&#8217;s heart for America but his own. Like Israel in scripture, our  nation believes it can turn from God and still be blessed.  In His mercy and  justice He will show us otherwise.</p>
<p>Like many, believing I had  many promises and confirmations that God would &#8220;grace&#8221; us with a pro-life  president in this election, I failed to consider strongly enough that all  promises-even scripture-are conditional 99.9% of the time. Though I never  prophesied or made guarantees that McCain-Palin would win, failing to factor  this principle in strongly enough no doubt caused me to share my optimism with  others inappropriately. If this caused any harm or confusion, I  apologize.</p>
<p>Has the fact that my prayers weren&#8217;t answered shaken  my faith? No. I&#8217;m a little confused and discouraged. I&#8217;m also somewhat angry at  the nation in general and much of the Church. Mostly I&#8217;m grieving over the  nation and what this will cost us. I am not, however, angry with God and do not  question His justice. And it is not true that we wasted our time, energy and  money in our efforts anymore than it is a waste when we share the gospel with  people who don&#8217;t get saved.  We must keep in the forefront of our thinking the  fact that ultimately we are doing this for Him and that He will reward us for  our faithfulness.  And who knows, perhaps He will store up all those prayers for  the next battle (Revelation 5:8, 8:3-5).</span></strong></span><strong><span> </span></strong></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span>A  friend and fellow warrior said it well, </span></strong></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal">
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span> &#8220;We did &#8216;give it our all.&#8217; I know the Lord was pleased with that. A coach wants  to know one thing at the end of a heartbreaking sports loss: &#8216;Did you leave it  all on the field?&#8217; (your passion, your commitment, your strength, your courage,  etc.) I know that we &#8216;left it all on the field.&#8217; We didn&#8217;t hold anything back  until the game ended. Tragically, it ended in defeat. We will rise for another  day because Jesus is worthy.&#8221;</span></strong></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span></p>
<p></span></strong></span>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><strong><span><strong><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Where  Do We Go from Here?</span></strong> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Garamond','serif';"><strong><span><br />
Does this election outcome shake my faith that we can see a great awakening  and ultimately reformation in America? Absolutely not (and it strengthens my  resolve).  We will simply get there through greater pain and loss.  Even my  passion to see the Supreme Court shift is not from a presupposition that there  can be no spiritual awakening without it.  It is simply due to my deep  conviction that their decisions bring so much death, destruction, curses and  judgment to America; and because our full destiny as a nation is unquestionably  linked to their decisions. So, yes, we will get an awakening and reformation;  but the reality is that this reformation of the nation will reform the Supreme  Court (and government, in general), not vice-versa.  My faith has never been in  people or a political party; my faith is in the God who works through them.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been asked if my feelings about Sarah Palin have changed.   They have not. I believe she is an Esther, a Deborah, with a huge mantle from  God for reformation. God has a great destiny for her related to this nation if  she chooses to continue down this path.</p>
<p>So, in conclusion, we  must re-group as an apostolic, praying church and advance.  We must maintain an  immovable faith in God, His plans for America and His mercy.  And we must move  beyond simply asking God for a spiritual awakening and ask Him for strategy to  produce reformation, as well.  I, for one, am just getting started!</p>
<p>For  God and this great nation,<br />
</span></strong></span><strong><span><em><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #333333; font-family: 'Georgia','serif';">Dutch  Sheets</span></em> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 12pt;"><strong><span>Chet Bowen<br />
</span></strong></p>
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		<title>Russia &#8211; With Malice</title>
		<link>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=192</link>
		<comments>http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=192#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 02:49:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chet Bowen</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[The world]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://chetbowen.pieksma.com/?p=192</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Russia &#8211; With Malice 

Russian Nuclear Navy  at Syrian Port &#8211; Russian Arms to Syria, Hezb’Allah &#38; Iran
by Emanuel A.  Winston, a Middle East Analyst &#38; Commentator
The Media are offering up  their wisdom about how Russia could undermine the U.S. and the rest of the Free  West by selling arms to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><strong>Russia &#8211; With Malice </strong></span></strong></div>
<p><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"></p>
<div><strong></strong><strong>Russian Nuclear Navy  at Syrian Port &#8211; Russian Arms to Syria, Hezb’Allah &amp; Iran<br />
by Emanuel A.  Winston, a Middle East Analyst &amp; Commentator<br />
The Media are offering up  their wisdom about how Russia could undermine the U.S. and the rest of the Free  West by selling arms to rogue nations. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Gee Whiz! I must be a genius or a Nostradamus because I have  been observing Vladimir Putin selling arms for years to Iran, Syria,  Venezuela&#8230;from which those weapons migrate to Hezb’Allah, Hamas and Al Qaeda.<br />
The Media, globally, take the position that Putin will deliberately cause  mischief against the U.S. &#8211; as if the last several years never happened. Russia  under Putin, with malice aforethought, has advanced Iran’s development of  nuclear weapons, denials notwithstanding. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Putin knew well that the technology, once in the hands of  radical Islamists, would spread to all other Muslim nations and their Terrorist  proxies. Putin’s hatred for the West is greater than the risk Russia faces if  and when the Muslims of Chechnya get their hands on fissile material and try to  blow up Moscow.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>From the Stalin era and before, the Soviets &#8211; now again called  Russians &#8211; have always been a primitive people who seem to need the rule of  cruel dictators to keep the great population under control. I&#8217;ve never knew they  were called anything else other than Russians or communists. A Rusky now and  then. The dictators themselves are usually a wild bunch, always planning to  conquer, murder and rule, whomever they can intimidate. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Putin never actually left the KGB and now, as the power behind  Putin’s puppet, the current President Dmitry Antolyevich Medvedev, Putin wishes  to bring back the years of fear that prevailed during the Cold War. During the  Soviet days there were KGB and other training camps dedicated to training  Terrorists like Carlos, the Jackal. Training Middle East Muslim Terrorists was  the KGB speciality. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Mahmoud Abbas (aka Abu Mazen) took his degree from the Patrice  Lumumba University, with his thesis dissertation in why the Holocaust never  happened. Abbas, like Yassir Arafat was linked to the Soviets enterprise by an  umbilical cord of pure Terror.</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
Where were the Media pundits who have access to vast files on  every bit of history but seem to never crack a reference book? It is said that  &#8220;Dumb is curable, but Stupid is forever.&#8221; </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Why haven’t investigative journalists been on Russia’s case  long before Putin set up his recent attack on Georgia?<br />
I must say that the  U.S. State Department under Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (a so-called  expert on Russia) failed before, during and after the Russian invasion. Come to  think of it Rice has failed in every aspect of solving international problems.  Her only dubious success was to use the Bush &#8220;Big Brother&#8221; pressure to force the  weak government of Israel under its current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to risk  its very existence by making suicidal gestures to the Muslim Arab  Palestinians.</strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
Rice remains untouchable to the media simply because she is a  woman; she is black and, therefore, should be considered free of rational  scrutiny by the Media. Granted she smiles nicely, makes seemingly erudite  speeches but, she solves nothing of the world’s problems. Her vaunted, supposed  expertise about Russia has been a dismal failure, particularly in forecasting  political and military adventurism.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Petting the Russian Bear, thinking it is a tamed, civilized  animal is a grave error and wishful thinking one the part of any nation. The  Bear is dangerous, has giant claws and teeth and artful avoidance by the West is  a giant sized mistake. </strong></div>
<div><strong><br />
The Media have played a role in lulling the nations into  becoming a main course in the Bear’s dinner. But, the Brezhnev Doctrine is alive  and well. (1)</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Pt. 2: Russia Blames Israel for Casualties in Georgia &amp;  Seeks a Pretext to Supply Even More Arms to Syria, Hezb’Allah &amp; Iran to Kill  Israelis.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>The vice-chairman of the Russian Chiefs-of-Staff &#8211; Anatoloy  Nogoveichin &#8211; is accusing Israel of supplying arms to Georgia that were used to  kill Russians.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>This is a very worrying development. This pretext will be used  by Russia to continue supplying Syria, Hezb’Allah and Iran with weapons that  will inevitably be used to kill Israelis. During the last war in Lebanon, summer  2006, Israelis suffered many military and civilian casualties due to  Russian-made arms.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>This may have been one of Putin’s goals in Russia’s invasion of  Georgia. By &#8220;impaling&#8221; themselves on Israeli-made arms that were in Georgia &#8211;  Russian gained a presumed justification for supplying arms to kill Israelis. Now  they can even claim &#8220;vengeance&#8221;.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>What the Russians fail to mention is that they never told the  Israelis to rein in private arms supply firms based in Israel &#8211; nor to stop  sending advisors. No one really thought Georgia and Russia would be in a real  war. For the Israeli firms it was just good business, necessary to make their  own weapons’ manufacture pay for itself, so Israel would have the weapons she  needs for self-defense.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Israel clearly would not have risked the anger of Moscow had  she known Russia and Georgia would be at war. In fact, Israel clamped an embargo  on weapons’ shipments to Georgia the minute Russia attacked.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>The Russians should be informed that using what transpired in  Georgia as an excuse to harm Israel though accelerated weapons’ shipments to  Syria, Hezb’Allah and Iran is simply unacceptable and patently unfair. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>To wit, the following is explosively alarming:<br />
Pt. 3 from  Debkafile: &#8220;Big Russian flotilla led by Admiral Kuznetsov carrier heads for  Syrian port&#8221; [paraphrased]<br />
Now [August 23rd] a powerful Russian naval  contingent, led by the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is sitting off shore  at the Syrian port of Tartus. This includes the Russian Navy’s biggest missile  cruiser Moskva and at least four nuclear missile submarines.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Before the Russian flotilla departed Murmansk on the Barents  Sea August 18, Assad is reported to have given the nod for the Tartus port’s  conversion into a permanent Middle East base for Russia’s nuclear-armed  warships.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>On Thursday August 21 Syria’s President Bashar Assad at the  Black Sea resort of Sochi, told reporters he is considering a Russian request to  deploy missiles in Syria because of Russian-Western tensions over the Georgian  conflict. Assad signaled that he would also be representing Tehran’s interests  in his talks with Russian leaders. Jordan’s King Abdullah joined this  ‘conference’ on August 21st. </strong></div>
<div>
<strong>While Assad was meeting at Sochi, a large Syrian military  delegation visited the Russian weapons manufacturing giant, the Kalinin Machines  Plant, east of Moscow. This plant makes sophisticated anti-air missile systems,  including the S-300 and the BUK M, for which Damascus is bidding.</strong></div>
<div>
<strong>Assad seems to be giving Russia’s Navy the port of Tartus in  return for a mutual defense pact with Russia who will provide Syria with a  Russian nuclear umbrella and generous terms for his arms purchases.  (2)</strong></div>
<p></span></strong></p>
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