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Santa Cleared to Fly in U.S. Airspace
Wednesday, December 22, 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal safety officials have given Santa Claus (search) the go-ahead to fly his sleigh on Christmas Eve.

Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta (search) said Wednesday he knows how important the flight is to "good little girls and good little boys all around the world."

Mineta says the government asked for feedback from the public on Santa's flight application. He calls the response "overwhelming" -- millions of letters from children and even a few from what he calls "Santa scholars." One letter vouches for Santa as a "right jolly old elf."

Special red and green teams from the Federal Aviation Administration (search) have inspected Santa's reindeer-guided sleigh. It's been heavily modified to allow for round-the-world flights in a single night. That's what allows Santa to post fast delivery times year after year.

Santa promised his route won't interfere with air traffic.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,142339,00.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1306821/posts

"Christian exodus from Holy Land"
Christian exodus from Holy Land ^ | Updated: 2:54 p.m. ET Dec. 22, 2004 | By Ara Ayer Producer NBC News

Posted on 12/22/2004 1:21:54 PM PST by F15Eagle

Bethlehem's fate highlights dwindling community's woes

BETHLEHEM, West Bank -

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Throughout Israel and the Palestinian territories, Christians are losing both turf and population. Squeezed between opposing sides in an intractable war, Christians are slowly leaving the holy land.

More than 110,000 Christians lived in the occupied territories before 1948, only some 50,000 remain. Bethlehem has the largest Christian community — with 27,000 — but it's in decline."