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"Stand firm therefore . . . having put on the breastplate of righteousness" (Eph. 6:14). True righteousness begins with a right relationship with God. A Roman soldier would often engage his enemy in hand- to-hand combat. At such times, the weapon of choice was the short sword, with which he sought to penetrate his opponent's vital organs. For his own protection he wore a molded metal breastplate that extended from the base of his neck to the top of his thighs. It helped deflect any attacks aimed at his heart and abdomen. The Roman breastplate has great symbolism in Paul's...

Andrew Pollack lost his daughter Meadow in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Instead of waiting for lawmakers and school officials to agree on the appropriate response to the tragedy, he's getting to work on his own initiative. He shared information about his new Children’s Lives and School Safety campaign on social media last week. Unlike Parkland student activists who have spent their time demonizing the NRA and rejecting recent congressional efforts to boost school security because the bills don't mention the word "gun," Pollack supported the STOP School Violence Act. The bipartisan legislation improves communication between local...

BASRAH — For the last year, Iraq's second largest city has been experiencing something it hasn't known since the war began... safe streets. Prior to January 2008, Basrah was known for being a dangerous city to live in, with corruption and fear an everyday part of life for its citizens. During an operation early last year, the Iraqi 6th Regional Commando Battalion (RCB), along with the aid of Coalition forces, took action to make Basrah a safer place. "The city had become so bad that almost everyone except the RCB had given up on fighting the enemy," the 6th RCB...

Who safeguards America's freedom?

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States reportedly has secret contingency plans to safeguard Pakistani nuclear weapons if they risk falling into the wrong hands. But US officials worry their limited knowledge about the location of the arsenal could pose a problem, the Washington Post said, a week after Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency. "We can't say with absolute certainty that we know where they all are," one unidentified former US official told the newspaper, adding that any US effort to secure Pakistan's nuclear arsenal "could be very messy." Under a more optimistic scenario, the Pakistani military...

Concrete Barriers Safeguard Adhamiyah Residents in Baghdad Temporary walls keep out vehicle-borne explosives By 2nd Brigade Combat Team 82nd Airborne Division Public Affairs BAGHDAD, June 6, 2007 — The thick chains attaching the “T-Wall” barrier to the crane shuddered as the slab of heavy concrete was lifted into the air. The crane operator worked his control stick, first swinging the barrier through the air, and then slowly lowering it into place.As the 14,000 pounds of concrete settled onto the ground with a grinding crunch, the project to secure a neighborhood in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah District behind miles of protective barriers...

Gangs face tougher rules in public bids The Yomiuri Shimbun The Finance Ministry has formulated new regulations that would bar individuals and firms linked to crime syndicates from participating in public auctions of state-owned land in hopes of preventing such property from being obtained by gangs, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned. The regulations also are aimed at preventing such deals from providing crime organizations with means to earn money. The ministry also has included a provision that would penalize successful bidders who sell plots of state land won in public auctions to parties linked to crime syndicates. The government reportedly intends...

SACRAMENTO – For the first time, California has started to map an all-in-one strategy to safeguard an economically vital network of highways, railroads and energy supply lines crisscrossing the heart of the state. This post-Hurricane Katrina response broadens the state's initial list of priorities beyond levees and aqueducts to target overlooked lifelines centered in the Sacramento Delta that are just as vital to the state's fiscal well-being, from San Diego to Silicon Valley. A natural disaster in the delta could disrupt the delivery of goods and services along roads, rail lines and deep-water ports. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. facilities...

EU steps up pressure on China over textiles By Stefania Bianchi BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) has stepped up pressure on China to curb what it calls a "ruinous" surge in textile exports, urging it to take action or face possible sanctions to protect the bloc's clothing industry. On April 24, Peter Mandelson, EU commissioner for trade, called on China to consider stricter measures to curb the rise in its textile exports following the end of an international quota system earlier this year. During an informal meeting of European trade ministers in Luxembourg, Mandelson confirmed that Brussels would launch...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is expected to travel to Ohio on Friday to stump for President Bush, campaigned Monday alongside San Francisco Democratic Mayor Gavin Newsom -- underscoring his differences with the White House on two critical issues, same-sex marriage and stem cell research. Schwarzenegger took the stage with the San Francisco mayor at a press conference to illustrate their bipartisan support for Prop. 1A, a state ballot initiative aimed at preventing the state legislature from taking local tax funds. But, questioned afterward, the governor downplayed plans for a last- minute campaign swing for Bush, and instead praised Newsom as...

Soldiers safeguard historic Afghan vote By Terry Boyd, Stars and Stripes Friday, October 8, 2004 European edition, Thursday, October 7, 2004 FIREBASE ASADABAD, Afghanistan — The 82nd Airborne Division has not made it into the history books by coasting through easy missions. In the new anti-insurgency age, look for its rapidly deployable, light infantry units in the worst parts of bad neighborhoods anywhere from Fallujah to Asadabad. A battalion-sized force of 1,100 paratroopers, mostly from the 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment is in Afghanistan to provide security for the historic national elections Oct. 9. Between 18,000 and 20,000 U.S....

Date: Posted 10/7/2002 Texas A&M Agriculturists Set Framework To Safeguard Food Supply COLLEGE STATION - Agricultural experts with Texas Cooperative Extension have created a process to help local jurisdictions across the nation assess the vulnerability of the food supply for terrorist attacks. The assessment guideline has gone forward to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Justice, which are expected to recommend its implementation nationwide, according to John Guido, National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center program director. The training center, an agency of the Texas Engineering Extension Service, would assume responsibility for training localities across the...