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Thread #22: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1282666/posts |
Posted on 11/03/2004 12:20:59 AM PST by nwctwx
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Well that sounds wonderful.
Put some whipped cream on that pie and
don't forget the cranberry sauce.
Have a WONDERFUL early Thanksgiving.
===
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http://www.truthusa.com/ThanksGIVING.html
"Hamas Seeks More Power..."
No surprise.
Hamas blames Israel for Arafat's death
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=123&art_id=qw1100153520103B253
Gaza - The militant Islamic group Hamas said on Thursday the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat would strengthen its resolve to keep up attacks against Israel.
"The loss of the great leader will increase our determination and steadfastness to continue Jihad and resistance against the Zionist enemy until victory and liberation is achieved," Hamas said in statement.
Hamas, sworn to Israel's destruction, is the main Palestinian group behind suicide bombings and other attacks against Israelis.
In Beirut, Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal accused Israel of killing Arafat, who died at a French hospital.
"I say, and do not hesitate, that I hold Israel responsible for the crime of the death of Arafat... All reports by doctors in the last two weeks indicate he was poisoned," Meshaal told Al Jazeera television by telephone.
On Tuesday, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath told reporters that although the doctors' diagnosis had been inconclusive, "it rules out poisoning totally".
In 1997, two Israeli Mossad agents were arrested in Jordan after trying to poison Meshaal. Israel provided an antidote and freed Hamas prisoners to get its men released.
"French and Arab doctors may not be able to find evidence as they could not find proof in my blood when I was poisoned but Israel was forced then to bring an antidote after two of its agents were held in Jordan," Meshaal said.
"Israel by killing Arafat has killed the peace settlement and is sending a clear message to Palestinians and Arabs that this will be the fate of whoever rejects a settlement according to Israeli conditions."
ping
Have a wonderful first Thanksgiving, MD!
yes ... i mean 11/11 ... sorry, long night.
"Hamas blames Israel..."
Well, that's no surprise, either.
Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/meu_announce.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Thu Nov 11 2004 00:35:02 GMT-0800.
MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
November 11 , 2004
This Public Announcement is being updated to alert Americans to ongoing security concerns in the region following the death of Palestinian Authority (PA) Chairman Yasser Arafat. U.S. citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness. This Public Announcement supersedes the Public Announcement issued on August 21, 2004, and expires May 10, 2005.
The recent death of PA Chairman Arafat has the potential to produce demonstrations and unrest throughout the region. In addition, the Department of State continues to warn of the possibility for violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests in the region. Anti-American violence could include possible terrorist actions against aviation, ground transportation and maritime interests, specifically in the Middle East, including the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa.
The Department is concerned that extremists may be planning to carry out attacks against Westerners and oil workers in the Gulf region. Recent armed attacks targeting foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia that resulted in many deaths and injuries, including U.S. citizens, appear to have been preceded by extensive surveillance. Extremists may be surveilling Westerners, particularly at hotels and those using rental cars. Potential targets may include U.S. contractors.
Credible information has indicated terrorist groups seek to continue attacks against U.S. interests in the Middle East. Terrorist actions may include additional suicide operations, bombings, hijackings, kidnappings and targeted attacks resulting in death. While conventional weapons such as explosive devices are a more immediate threat in many areas, use of non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents must be considered a possible threat. Terrorists do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. Increased security at official U.S. facilities has led terrorists and their sympathizers to seek softer targets such as public transportation, residential areas, and public areas where people congregate including restaurants, hotels, clubs, and shopping areas.
On occasion, the travel of official personnel at embassies and consulates around the world is restricted because of security concerns, and these posts may recommend that private U.S. citizens avoid the same areas if at all possible. Services to U.S. citizens in countries abroad may be affected if employees' movements are restricted. If this happens, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. In case office hours are reduced, U.S. citizens in need of emergency assistance should telephone the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before visiting in person.
In addition, U.S. citizens planning to travel to the Middle East or North Africa should consult the Department of State's country-specific Public Announcements, Travel Warnings, Consular Information Sheets, the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement and other information, available on the Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security conditions can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 in the U.S. and for callers outside the U.S. and Canada a regular toll line at 1-317-472-2328.
An Interesting Discussion Thread on FREEREPUBLIC.com:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1134257/posts
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1277123/posts
"Injured Soldier Asks For Help"
ketv ^
Posted on 11/11/2004 12:37:12 AM PST by esryle
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "OMAHA, Neb. -- A local soldier who helped defend freedom in Iraq needs a little help himself.
James Lathan Jr., 27, was paralyzed from the neck down when shrapnel from a mortar hit him in the back of the neck. Wednesday, his family and friends are holding a fund-raiser dinner to help build a ramp to his home."
November 11, 2004: VETERANS' DAY
http://truthusa.com/USAmil.html
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/33904.htm
"SHEIK LAWYER BLASTS FEDS"
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "November 11, 2004 -- Radical lawyer Lynne Stewart charged yesterday the government held her to a double standard by indicting her on charges of aiding a terror sheik but letting her co-counsel, Ramsey Clark, off the hook.
Both Stewart and Clark, the former U.S. attorney general, were lawyers for blind cleric Omar Abdel-Rahman, imprisoned for life for plotting to blow up city landmarks in 1993.
Abdel-Rahman — a pal of Osama bin Laden — is considered so dangerous that the feds bar him from directly communicating with anyone except his legal team and his wife."
WSDOT.wa.gov - WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - Advisory - Security Information for Aerial Application Operators/Airports: "On November 1, 2004, a crop dusting aircraft was stolen from Ejido Queretaro, near Mexicali, Mexico. Although there is currently no indication that this has any connection to terrorist activity, the theft is cause for concern. Past information indicates that members of al-Qa’ida may have planned—or may still be planning—to disperse biological or chemical agents from crop dusting aircraft. The stolen aircraft has been identified as a Piper PA 25, Pawnee,and is similar to one depicted below. It is registered in Mexico and bears the tail number XBCYP. If you see the aircraft described above, you should immediately contact the TSA General Aviation Hotline at (866) 427-3287." (November 5, 2004) (VIEW PHOTO. Read More...)
LandLinemag.com - Today's Truckings News: "NATIONWIDE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR TANK TRAILER" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "TK described the missing equipment as a light-colored aluminum trailer (T-118) marked on both sides with the name "TK Transport" in large green letters. It has a four-compartment tank with air-ride suspension. Its serial number is 1H4T04320GK014902. At the time it was stolen, it had a New Jersey license plate, T852SC, and New Jersey motor or fuel tag 15148. The trailer did not have a valid federal inspection sticker, which would prevent it from being filled at any legitimate supply depot. Authorities urge anyone with information to call a local 9-1-1 emergency dispatcher, the State Police, the FBI, the New Jersey Office of Counterterrorism or TK Transport's office at (856) 661-0600.") (August 6, 2004) (Read More...)TheDenverChannel.com: Denver - 7NEWS Investigation Into Missing Propane Spurs FBI Probe One Tank Could Destroy Small Building" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The FBI is contacting its Joint Terrorist Task Forces in Washington and around the country after 7NEWS Investigator John Ferrugia asked federal officials about hundreds of gallons of missing liquid propane gas. About 100 propane gas cylinders have been stolen since July and so far, none of them has been recovered, Ferrugia said.") (Updated November 8, 2004) (Read More...)
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s04110042.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 2126, Garden Grove, CA 92842-2126 USA
E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com, Web Site: www.assistnews.net
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
CHRISTIAN CONFERENCE HEARS HOW CHINA'S CHRISTIANS SUFFER FOR THEIR FAITH
By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service
LONDON, ENGLAND (ANS) -- Speaking at the recent International Christian Human Rights Conference at Westminster Chapel in London, Chinese Christian leader Peter Xu said: "They hung me up across an iron gate, then they yanked open the gate and my whole body lifted until my chest nearly split in two. I hung like that for four hours."
Peter Xu Yongze spent eight years in jail for his beliefs. Credit BBC web site
That is how Peter Xu Yongze, the founder of one of the largest religious movements in China, described his treatment during one of five jail sentences on account of his belief in Christianity, at the conference attended by at least 1,000 delegates.
Mr Xu, 61, is not the only Chinese Christian to suffer for his faith. Both Catholics and Protestants have long complained of persecution by the Communist authorities, and human rights groups claim the problem is getting worse, writes Kate McGeown on the British Broadcasting Corporation web site.
According to the Jubilee Campaign, an interdenominational lobbying group, about 300 Christians are in detention in China at any one time, and that number is set to rise, McGeown said.
"China's new generation of leaders are trying to consolidate control of the country as it goes through rapid social and economic changes," said Wilfred Wong, a parliamentary officer for the Jubilee Campaign.
"The Communists feel threatened by any popular ideology which is different from their own," he said.
CHINESE CONSTITUTION ‘ALLOWS CHRISTIANITY’
Chinese Christians are required to worship in state-approved churches. Credit: AP via BBC web site.
McGeown says China's Christian population -- especially those who refuse to worship in the tightly regulated state-registered churches -- is seen as one such threat.
According to Mr Wong, the number of Christians in China has continued to rise, exacerbating this perceived threat and causing the authorities to clamp down still further on unregistered churches.
The perception that China's Christians have close links with the West adds to their plight, Mr Wong said.
Christianity is not actually banned in China. In fact, according to the constitution, "citizens of the People's Republic of China enjoy freedom of religious belief."
McGeown said Beijing backed up that statement in 1997, saying that "In China, no one is to be punished due to their religious belief."
But human rights groups and Christians say that the reality is different, she wrote.
"They say you can believe, but you can't evangelize," Mr Xu said. "But that is a natural act for Christians. The bible commands us to preach the gospel."
According to Mr Xu, who has now left China and lives in the US, it is against regulations to worship in groups. He said that one of his arresting officers even told him he could only avoid breaking the law if he prayed under the covers in bed, McGeown writes.
“To an Evangelical Protestant like Mr Xu, joining one of China's state-sanctioned churches was simply not an option -- and it seems many other Chinese Christians agree with him,” she said.
McGeown also said that getting reliable numbers about the number of Christians in China is notoriously difficult. Estimates vary between 40 to 70 million Protestants, only 10 million of whom are registered members of government churches.
“The situation is similar for Catholics. Of the estimated 15 to 20 million Catholics in China, less than half belong to state-approved churches, which put authority to Beijing before authority to Rome,” she said.
“Those Christians who want to avoid the state-controlled religious movements meet in unofficial buildings or even each others' homes - hence their description as ‘house churches’ -- risking fines, imprisonment, torture and even, in some cases, death.”
GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWNS INCREASING
Human rights groups have documented an increasing number of arrests of Chinese Christians since the beginning of 2004, McGeown said.
“According to the charity Christian Solidarity Worldwide, persecution is becoming more systematic and targeted at large-scale Christian gatherings.
“Since June the charity has documented three mass arrests of unregistered Christians. In each case more than 100 people were detained,” she said.
Amnesty International has reported many cases of detained church leaders in recent years, especially in the provinces of Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hebei.
McGeown writes that one of the most high profile cases is that of Gong Shengliang, head of the South China Church, who was sentenced to death in 2001. His sentence was commuted to a prison term, but Amnesty has received reports that he has been severely tortured in jail.
In August three Christians were sentenced to jail terms for passing information to foreign governments, and in July state media reported that a woman had been beaten to death after being arrested for handing out bibles, she said.
Peter Xu said that while he was in jail, he saw several people even being killed for their faith, writes McGeown.
"A believer was praying, so a jailer made other prisoners lift him up to the ceiling and drop him to the ground many times until he died," Mr Xu said.
But government crackdowns -- and even torture -- may not make people like Peter Xu give up their faith, McGeown said.
"Despite all the persecution and suffering, God is calling more and more people in China," said Xu.
According to the Religious Prisoners Congressional Task Force, Pastor Xu Yongze was released from prison on May 16, 2000 after serving the entirety of his three-year sentence of “re-education through labor” for allegedly creating an illegal organization.
His sentence was originally four years, but was reduced to three years in December 1997. In reality, Pastor Xu was meeting with other leaders of the house church movement in China, thus raising concerns about lack of control among paranoid Chinese officials. Reports reveal that Pastor Xu was tortured while officials interrogated him.
Freedom House, The Center for Religious Freedom, said on July 14, 1999 that “Protestant Pastor Peter Yongze Xu, China's most prominent underground Protestant leader, was sentenced to three years of labor camp on September 25, 1997, in Zhengzhou, Henan province, for ‘disrupting public order.’
“His trial was closed to the public and he was denied a defense lawyer. Pastor Xu, the 56-year-old leader of the three-to four-million-strong New Birth Movement of evangelicals, was arrested on March 16, 1997, as he was meeting with other leaders of large evangelical churches in China. His wife and several of his associates were also imprisoned.”
The article “A Tale of China's Two Churches: Eyewitness Reports of Repression and Revival” by Timothy C. Morgan, published in Christianity Today, July 13, 1998, says that during China's brutal Cultural Revolution in 1968, Peter Xu Yongze, newly called to Christian ministry, surveyed the bleak future facing Christianity in China and was overcome with grief.
Climbing a mountain near his village in the rugged Henan Province, Xu stopped and prayed, "Dear Lord, please revive your church!"
The article says that during the intervening 30 years, Xu evangelized, planted new house churches, and trained local church leaders, eventually creating the Born Again Movement (BAM), which has an estimated 3 million followers independent of the official registered church in China. Spinoffs from BAM, one of the fastest-growing religious groups in China, have an estimated 20 million followers, nearly twice the size of the registered church, which was re-established in 1979.
“But the Chinese government has increasingly employed the strategy of associating charismatic religious leaders with antisocial cults and charging those leaders like Xu with violating criminal laws, not religious regulations,” Morgan’s article says.
It adds: “After Xu's arrest, the official Chinese news agency compared him to David Koresh, the Branch Davidian leader who in 1994 died in a fiery apocalypse in Waco, Texas, as the fbi attempted to arrest him. Both registered-church and house-church leaders, including Samuel Lamb and Allen Yuan, have criticized Xu and his movement for alleged doctrinal aberrations.”
Entitled ‘Don’t Stand in Silence,’ the 15th Annual International Christian Human Rights Conference represented “a unique opportunity for people in the UK to hear authentic, first hand evidence from the members of the persecuted Church,” said CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas prior to the conference.
At the conclusion of the conference, chief executives of CSW, Release International, and Premier Christian Radio gave the following comments on the conference:
Mervyn Thomas, Chief Executive of CSW, said: “My desire is to see Christians throughout this nation refusing to stand in silence at the incredible injustices being faced by the worldwide persecuted Church. I believe that on Saturday we made a big step to seeing Christians in the UK providing a loud voice in support of those in our family who have had their voices taken away.”
Eddie Lyle, Chief Executive Officer of Release International, commented: “We want to resource you to speak out for the persecuted church, a church that is growing in these seriously embattled situations. I have said before that I have a problem with the phrase a silent majority. We want you to go from here as a seriously noisy majority.”
Peter Kerridge, Chief Executive of Premier Christian Radio, added: ''It is a great privilege to work with CSW and Release International to draw attention to the plight of so many in the persecuted church. My prayer is that we will motivate Christians around the UK to take positive action to help all they can. We can do so much but we can't stand in silence.''
According to CSW, the three organizations will also be holding regional conferences scheduled to take place on Nov. 13 at Findlay Memorial Church in Glasgow and on Nov. 20 at City Temple in Cardiff.
** Michael Ireland is an international British freelance journalist. A former reporter with a London newspaper, Michael is the Chief Correspondent for ASSIST News Service of Garden Grove, CA. Michael immigrated to the United States in 1982 and became a US citizen in Sept., 1995. He is married with two children. Michael has also been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
OFF TOPIC...
http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewPolitics.asp?Page=\Politics\archive\200411\POL20041111a.html
"Liberals Use Internet to Apologize for Losing Election"
By Nathan Burchfiel
CNSNews.com Correspondent
November 11, 2004
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - More than 1,700 people are using the Internet to issue an apology to the world for President George W. Bush's re-election last week.
A website, sorryeverybody.com, set up after the election allows users to post pictures of themselves with signs that "say we're sorry, even on the behalf of the ones who aren't," according to the website's home page."
The nightmare is the usurpation of the existing laws. It is the supplanting of the American culture with an hispanic culture. It is the lack of respect to America and her citizens. It is realization by these "immigrants" that some in our govt. will support them in their desire to "steal" benefits and medical care from the U.S. taxpayer. It is the idea that people can come here from another country un-announced and un-documented and we reward them!!!
Is that enough?
OFF TOPIC...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20041110-102008-4297r.htm
"EMOTIONAL COMPUTING"
Ann Geracimos
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "People talking back to a computer is common enough — usually in a moment of pique or frustration. Getting the computer to respond in kind is a far different task, one that computer scientists are undertaking with various degrees of success and consternation."
Thanks for the links ... it was just a matter of time ... and whether or not Suha (SP?) could get him to breathe the number of that Swiss bank account into her ear!
Not nice people, are they?
"Okay, Martha Stewart..."
ROFLOL...I'm not on her level at all and I'm very much a klutz (a la Constance in the 3 Musketeers) but I do love cooking...and I can even do a rustic french style...definitely peasantry. I especially love to cook on the woodstove.
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