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CAN ISRAEL TRUST THE UN? -


The United Nations has managed to pass a ceasefire agreement meant to end the violence in Southern Lebanon. The UN Security Council resolution calls for the Lebanese government to exert its sovereignty over Southern Lebanon, which is controlled by Hezbollah. Those who hope this latest attempt at peace will succeed where others have failed so many times in the past will most likely be disappointed. The Security Council has passed seven resolutions going back 28 years that have demanded the same thing - none have been successfully put into action. The fact that Kofi Annan has been given the task of implementing this latest plan does nothing to inspire our confidence in the endeavor. Within days of the resolution, Hezbollah declared that it will not disarm, and so far the only action taken by the Lebanese government has done little but to ensure that everything will return to the way it was.

The fighting is officially over, although no clear winner has emerged. Make no mistake, Hezbollah's forces have suffered enormous losses. However Israel did not accomplish its stated goals, and has yet to recover its kidnapped soldiers. Hezbollah has taken a significant blow, but rearmament and rebuilding have already begun. Hezbollah will regroup, and may even return stronger than ever.

The UN peacekeeping force that was promised has not materialized. France was expected to lead the peacekeeping effort, but to date has only pledged a measly 200 troops. Not surprisingly, assistance from the rest of Europe has not been forthcoming. At any rate, Israel has little reason to put their faith in UN peacekeepers. How can Israel be expected to trust the UN, when only a few weeks ago UN peacekeepers were knowingly aiding Israel's enemies?

In an article in the Weekly Standard, Lori Lowenthal Marcus wrote, "During the recent month-long war between Hezbollah and Israel, UN peacekeeping forces made a startling contribution: They openly published daily real-time intelligence, of obvious usefulness to Hezbollah, on the location, equipment, and force structure of Israeli troops in Lebanon. UNIFIL - the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, a nearly 2,000-man blue-helmet contingent that has been present on the Lebanon-Israel border since 1978 - is officially neutral. Yet, throughout the recent war, it posted on its website for all to see precise information about the movements of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and the nature of their weaponry and materiel, even specifying the placement of IDF safety structures within hours of their construction. New information was sometimes only 30 minutes old when it was posted, and never more than 24 hours old. Meanwhile, UNIFIL posted not a single item of specific intelligence regarding Hezbollah forces..."

This betrayal is only one example of the UN's lopsided loyalties. The United Nations is an organization plagued by scandal, favoritism, and financial mismanagement. The United Nations was created to maintain international peace and help solve the world’s economic and humanitarian troubles, but the UN has failed time and time again to achieve its primary objectives.

http://xrl.us/rh7t
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Point of No Return [Excerpts]

What kind of people provide a market for videotaped beheadings of innocent
hostages? What kind of people would throw an old man in a wheelchair off a
cruise liner into the sea, simply because he was Jewish? What kind of people
would fly planes into buildings to vent their hate at the cost of their own
lives?

These are the kinds of people we are talking about getting nuclear weapons.
And what of ourselves?

Do we understand that the world will never be the same after hate-filled
fanatics gain the ability to wipe whole American cities off the face of the
earth? Do we still imagine that they can be bought off, as Israel was urged
to buy them off with "land for peace" -- a peace that has proved to be
wholly illusory?

Even ruthless conquerors of the past, from Genghis Khan to Adolf Hitler,
wanted some tangible gains for themselves or their nations -- land, wealth,
dominion. What Middle East fanatics want is the destruction and humiliation
of the west.

http://jewishworldreview.com/cols/sowell082306.php3
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Prayers for August 29, 2006
From The Voice of the Martyrs


CHINA (Compass Direct)
On August 17th, Chinese authorities released Zan Aizong, a journalist who reported the Hangzhou City police using force to demolish an unregistered church building and beating hundreds of believers on July 29th. Zan, the former China Ocean News Zhejiang Province bureau chief, was arrested on August 11th for "spreading rumors and disturbing social order." Two days before his arrest, Zan received a notice from his employer that he was "no more suitable for the job." As a journalist, Zan said in a telephone interview on August 20th, "my responsibility is to report the truth, even though it means losing my job." According to Yu Jie, a founder of the Beijing Church of Ark, Zan was recently baptized in a house church in Hanzhou. Yu believes Zan's experience in jail will only make him identify more with the plight of the believers.

Give thanks to God for Zan's release. Pray the Lord will provide a job for him and allow him to continue his ministry of countering the lies of the enemy. Pray Jesus will use Zan's increased compassion for suffering Christians to bring relief to many believers.


INDIA (VOM sources)
Official sources reported that on August 20th, one person was killed and five others injured when unidentified persons fired at a congregation in Churachandpur district of Manipu. Evening services were being held in the Evangelical Baptist Church in Vengnuom area when some armed persons in combat dress came in a vehicle and started firing in the direction of the church. The incident happened when armed persons in a van were challenged by armed miscreants near the church. Immediately after they were challenged, the occupants of the van, whom local residents suspect to be security forces in mufti, emerged from the vehicle and started indiscriminate firing towards the church which was filled with people. One believer died at the spot, while another succumbed to his injuries at the district hospital. Four others were injured. In addition, one man was hurt when he was knocked down by someone evacuating the injured on a scooter.

That same day, Pastor Jwala was conducting a morning worship service in Sheopur near Jhalsy when a group of radicals with a local leader entered the meeting with hockey sticks and mercilessly attacked Pastor Jwala and members of the congregation. After the brutal attacks, they were taken to the police station where pastor Jwala was booked under the Anti Conversion Law. Bail was not granted to the victims.

Pray God will comfort with His deep peace those who mourn for the dead. Pray the Lord Jesus will touch the injured with His healing power. Pray the Christians will be faithful witnesses of the love and forgiveness of their enemies, leading them to repentance and salvation.


MALAYSIA (ASSIST News Service)
Lina Joy (42), who was born Azlina Jailani to Malay parents, converted from Islam to Christianity when she was 26. Since Malaysian law requires a Muslim's religious matters to be decided in a Sharia (Islamic) Court, Lina had to get a certificate from the Sharia Court to show she had permission to convert to Christianity. As long as Lina is officially identified as a Muslim she is legally compelled to marry a Muslim man in a Muslim ceremony and be subject to Islamic Laws, including Islamic family law. Lina has been fighting for her rights. Two earlier court cases were dismissed, so her counsel is now challenging the decision in the Federal Court. The Federal Court ruling will clarify whether the religious freedom of Malaysia's Muslims is determined by the Constitution (which gives liberty) or Sharia (which denies it). The decision is still pending. As all Malays (50 percent of the population) are defined by the Constitution as Muslim, religious freedom is thereby denied them from birth on racial grounds.

Meanwhile, in the northern state of Kelantan, state-funded Islamic missionaries are receiving financial incentives to convert tribal Orang Asli people to Islam. Islamic missionaries who agree to live and work among them will receive free housing, a monthly allowance of 1,000 ringgit (US$270) and a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Those who marry tribal women will be given 10,000 ringgit (US$2,700).

Pray God will give Prime Minister Badawi the courage to stand for justice and religious liberty. Pray the Holy Spirit will move in the hearts of the judges to enable Lina Joy and all Malaysians to enjoy freedom to live under God's law without interference. Pray Malaysian Christians will be filled with supernatural love for those who oppose them, allowing them to see the One who loves them and longs to draw them close to Himself.


PAKISTAN (Compass Direct)
In an attempted land-grab, Muslim attackers have terrorized a predominantly Christian village in Pakistan's Punjab province over the past two weeks and demolished its church. Three Christian men were hospitalized with serious hatchet wounds from an initial August 7th attack on a village 20 miles southwest of Lahore. The Muslim aggressors, led by Yaqoob Maher, came from a neighboring village. Another critically injured Christian, Bashir Masih, was abducted and remains missing since a second assault on the village on August 12th, when he tried to stop armed attackers from stealing his cattle. When Christian villagers tried to file an official complaint against the assailants, Sharaqpur police instead filed an official complaint against 10 of the villagers, accusing the Christians of "opening fire" on Maher.

Pray the power of the Holy Spirit will give these villagers boldness and zeal for the Lord, not allowing the Muslims to have victory over their minds. Pray the Lord will keep Bashir Masih safe and quickly return him to his village. Pray for the Muslims whose eyes have been blinded by the enemy of their souls.


UZBEKISTAN (Forum 18)
Uzbekistan intends to impose massive fines and jail people and the leaders of their religious communities for sharing their beliefs outside places of worship. The proposals were made at an August 4th meeting of religious leaders, called by the state Religious Affairs Committee. Those attending the meeting were representatives of state-registered religious organizations, including the Spiritual Administration of Muslims in Uzbekistan, the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Central Asia, the Catholic Church in Tashkent, the Jewish community, the Baptist Union and the Full Gospel Church. All unregistered religious activity is illegal in Uzbekistan. The state Religious Affairs Committee told the religious leaders that they and their clergy must stop their members and those who regularly attend places of worship from sharing their beliefs with anyone outside their churches. The fine for sharing their beliefs would be between 200 and 600 times the minimum monthly salary. Persistent proselytizing would impose jail sentences between three and eight years on them and their religious leaders. Leaders of religious communities are fearful of openly attacking the proposals because of the danger of reprisals against their communities by the authorities. There is currently a crackdown on religious believers of many faiths taking place in Uzbekistan.

Pray all Christians will be emboldened to obey God rather than man. Pray their witness will confound the authorities as they see the power of Jesus through the life of His followers. Pray our merciful God will bless thousands of people in Uzbekistan with every spiritual blessing in the knowledge of Christ their Savior.
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Ann Coulter

They Shot the Wrong Lincoln
by Ann Coulter




In addition to supporting Democrat Joe Lieberman over Republican Alan Schlesinger in Connecticut, President Bush is supporting the Democrat over the Republican in Rhode Island, too. In the Republican primary, Bush supports Lincoln Chafee -- who votes with Bush on the important issues less often than Sen. Lieberman does -- over the only actual Republican in the race, Stephen Laffey.

Apart from Bush, the only person who hasn't figured out that Lincoln Chafee is a Democrat is Lincoln Chafee. As the expression goes, if Chafee switched parties, the average IQ on both sides of the aisle would go up.

It's hard to figure why Bush would support a half-wit like Lincoln Chafee. Maybe he believes his own poll numbers and is trying to help the conservatives by endorsing their opponents.

After Chafee's family money got him into Andover and Brown, he made his living shoeing horses for seven years. In fact, I've often wondered if an errant kick to the head by one of his charges would account for Chafee's rudimentary cognitive abilities.

That remains Chafee's only professional accomplishment -- unless you include the "fun zone" for kids on his official Senate Web site. Perhaps we could install a "play zone" like they have at McDonald's in the Senate well to keep Chafee occupied while the real senators go about their business.

When the farrier business proved too taxing for Chafee's intellect, he went into the family business -- politics. His father died in office, and Lincoln was appointed by the governor to serve out the remainder of Pop's term in the U.S. Senate. (I know Rhode Island is small, but couldn't they find someone who reads books right side up to fill the seat?) In terms of qualifications for the job, Chafee makes Michael Brown look like Donald Rumsfeld.

Chafee is everything the Democrats like to claim Republicans are, which we are not and they are: silver-spoon morons who get ahead on the basis of family connections (for example, Ned the Red Lamont in Connecticut).

The only reason Chafee calls himself a Republican is that he believes that everyone above a certain income level is required by law to do so.

He learned this from reading "Doonesbury" and watching "The West Wing" while studiously ignoring blindingly obvious facts like: Sens. Teddy Kennedy (inherited millions), John Kerry (married millions -- twice, lucky guy), Sen. Herbert H. Kohl (inherited millions), John D. Rockefeller (inherited millions), Mark Dayton (inherited millions), Dianne Feinstein (married millions) and aspiring senator Ned the Red (inherited millions). All Democrats.

In addition to the Democratic trait of having absolutely no idea how wealth is generated, Chafee's other Democratic characteristics include:

supporting gay marriage;
supporting abortion;
opposing the war in Iraq;
opposing tax cuts.

Stop complaining about taxes -- just live off your trust fund like a normal person! Taxes, I note, have virtually no bearing on someone who is not currently earning an income but living off incomes earned generations ago by better men than he.

Chafee even voted against Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Republicans are always told we're supposed to vote for Fidel Dumbo if he has an "R" after his name so Republican nominees will be confirmed to the Supreme Court. That is true: Save terrorism, there is no more important issue than a president's Supreme Court nominees. But Bush had two Supreme Court nominees and Chafee voted against 50 percent of them, so Chafee doesn't even have that argument going for him.

Chafee explained his vote against Alito -- but for John Roberts -- by invoking the Democrats' idiotic talking point about maintaining "balance" on the court.

"Balance," like "meaningful consultation with the Senate before choosing the nominee," means precisely one thing: a Republican is in the White House. Democrats subscribe to the Brezhnev doctrine: "What we have, we hold." Their interpretation of elections they win by a plurality is that they have a mandate for Ruth Bader Ginsburg; their interpretation of elections they lose is that this means they get to block all Republican nominees.

Steve Laffey is the molecular opposite of Chafee: He is smart, self-made -- and a Republican. He is one of five children and was the first member of his family to go to college -- Bowdoin College, and then on to Harvard Business School. He was president of a brokerage firm, a position he acquired by hard work and native talent, not by attending his father's funeral.

Laffey is the sort of decent, talented person that makes you wonder why he would bother entering an irritating profession like politics. But he did, becoming mayor of Cranston, R.I., when the city was near bankruptcy. Within two years, Laffey had raised Cranston's bond rating from the lowest in the country to investment grade, earning him the sobriquet "the anti-Dennis Kucinich."

True, Rhode Island is an overwhelmingly Democratic state, and the chances of any Republican winning the general election are slim. But that's no reason for the Republican Party to debase itself by running someone dysfunctional and illiterate enough to appeal to Democrats.
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