Video Exposes Threat of New Attacks on USA!

By Stephen Little (CWN News)

CLICK HERE OR ON PICTURE TO WATCH VIDEO!
CWNews.com -A new documentary getting widespread exposure demonstrates that the danger of terror attacks in the U.S. is more real than ever.

It's called "Obsession: Radical Islam's War against the West.”

"'Obsession' is an attempt to reveal and educate the American public on what the aims, the goals and the strategies of the radical Islamists are and it's something to be afraid of," said Raphael Stone, the films producer.

"The move 'Obsession' was critical actually to come at this time because most people are unaware that radical Islam has declared war on the West,” he said. “They appreciated for a few days after 9/11 but because there have been no more attacks on mainline United States, they don't realize that the effort is still there across the globe to try to undermine the West."

While the film notes many Muslims are peaceful, it reveals a significant number of Muslims worldwide are committed to an Islamic agenda to overthrow western civilization and take over the world for their radical brand of Islam.

The film documents public statements of Muslim leaders, imams and commentators from throughout the Muslim world. Their statements are brutally clear.

The documentary includes insight from the Muslim world from those who grew up within the culture of jihad.

Romney's Record on Gays Questioned

Romney's Record on Gays Questioned
By David Brody
CBN News
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com -- BOSTON -- Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's presidential aspirations may have just taken a big hit.

A letter has surfaced that he wrote in 1994 when he was running for the U.S. Senate. In it, Romney thanks the Log Cabin Club of Massachusetts, a gay Republican group, for its support. He also calls for equality for gays and lesbians.

Citing Kennedy's record of advocacy for gays and lesbians, Romney wrote, "For some voters, it might be enough to simply match my opponent's record in this area. But I believe we can and must do better. If we are to achieve the goals we share, we must make equality for gays and lesbians a mainstream concern. My opponent cannot do this. I can and will."

In the letter, Romney also said he supported President Clinton's "don't ask, don't tell" policy regarding gays serving in the armed forces, describing it as "the first in a number of steps that will ultimately lead to gays and lesbians being able to serve openly and honestly in our nation's military."

Romney has lately been positioning himself as the candidate for family value conservatives in 2008. But President of the Family Research Council Tony Perkins called the letter quite disturbing.

Governor Romney's office, meanwhile, told CBN News today that "Governor Romney believes Americans should be respectful of all people. Over the past four years as governor, Mitt Romney has not implemented new or special rights in this area and he has not advocated or supported any change in the military's policies."

Hezbollah Supporters Flood Beirut Streets

Hezbollah Supporters Flood Beirut Streets
CBN News
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com- Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah members and their supporters have flooded the streets of Beirut, threatening to overthrow the Lebanese government.

The protestors say that their country was too weak in its response against Israel during this summer's war. And they're outraged with Lebanon's cozy relationship with the United States. They want the militant Hezbollah to be part of a coalition government.

The political unrest has split the country along sectarian lines. Most Sunni Muslims support the prime minister, while the Shiites back Hezbollah.

"We are here to topple this government. It is not a coup. We just want to participate in the government. We are not revolutionaries."

Meanwhile, the prime minister and his cabinet have been in hiding the last ten days. They say they will not bow to the pressure.

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2006

Iran Holds Holocaust Conference

Iran Holds Holocaust Conference
CBNNews.com
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com -- TEHRAN, Iran -- A controversial two-day Holocaust conference is underway in Iran. It is looking at whether the event happened and if genocide took place. Organizers said the event was an opportunity to discuss questions about the Holocaust away from Western taboos.

"Review of the Holocaust: Global Vision," was initiated by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has described the Holocaust as a "myth." In the past, he has called for Israel to be wiped off the map.

The conference was organized by the Foreign Ministry's Institute for Political and International Studies. Approximately 67 researchers from 30 countries are in attendance.

In Germany, Austria and France, it is illegal to deny the Holocaust.

"This conference seeks neither to deny nor prove the Holocaust," Mousavi said. "It is just to provide an appropriate scientific atmosphere for scholars to offer their opinions in freedom about a historical issue."

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki dismissed the foreign criticism as "predictable," telling conference delegates in a speech that there was "no logical reason for opposing this conference."

"The objective for organizing this conference is to create an atmosphere to raise various opinions about a historical issue. We are not seeking to deny or prove the Holocaust," Mottaki said.

"If the official version of the Holocaust is thrown into doubt, then the identity and nature of Israel will be thrown into doubt. And if, during this review, it is proved that the Holocaust was a historical reality, then what is the reason for the Muslim people of the region and the Palestinians having to pay the cost of the Nazis' crimes?" Mottaki said.

A statement was issued from Israel condemning the conference saying it is an attempt to "paint extremist agenda with a scholarly brush. an effort to mainstream Holocaust denial."

The conference was expected to receive a message from Ahmadinejad, who has said that the killing of six million Jews by the Nazi German regime during World War II was a "myth" and "exaggerated."

The president has repeatedly questioned why the Holocaust has been used to justify the creation of Israel at the expense of the Palestinians, which is a view popular among Iranian hard-liners.

Iran has spent months preparing for the conference, even publicizing it during the September visit to Tehran of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who contradicted his hosts by saying the Holocaust was a historical fact and that an exhibition of anti-Holocaust cartoons, then on display in the city, promoted hatred.

The conference was condemned by Germany, the United States and Israel.

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2006

Gone too far? Officers Express Faith in Video

Gone too far? Officers Express Faith in Video
Associated Press
December 11, 2006

WASHINGTON - An evangelical Christian group is facing scrutiny for a promotional video that shows active-duty military officers praising the organization.

Christian Embassy says it was given permission to make the tape by the Defense Department.
A religious freedom watchdog group wants the Pentagon to look into whether the tape violated regulations or the Constitution.

Robert Varney, executive director of the Christian Embassy said the group plans to include a note to viewers telling them that the content of the tape does not represent the military or any government agency.

"We don't think we did anything in violation," Varney said. "The Pentagon gave us permission to film the video, and I don't think they'd give us permission if it were in violation of the regulations."

The 10-minute video features prominent military officers, in uniform, speaking on the group's behalf. Much of it was recorded inside the Pentagon.

Service regulations in general prohibit active-duty officers from lobbying for political causes while on duty or wearing their uniforms. The issue of religion in the military is trickier, with regulations seeking to both uphold religious freedom and protect members from proselytizing.

In letters released Monday, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation asked that the Defense Department's inspector general investigate the matter and that any documents authorizing the officers' involvement in the film be released.

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the foundation, said in a statement he hoped the footage would serve as "a testament to systemic problems of religious bias and constitutional neglect that continue to occur within the United States armed forces."

The Pentagon said it needs more time to determine whether the latest incident warrants an investigation.

"The Department of Defense does not endorse any particular religious faith, but we do provide service members with the ability to practice their religion," said spokesman Maj. Stewart Upton.
A 1988 directive, still in effect, cites department policy that says "requests for accommodation of religious practices should be approved by commanders when accommodation will not have an adverse impact on military readiness, unit cohesion, standards or discipline."

Featured in the video are four generals and three colonels, including Maj. Gen. Jack Catton Jr., who is on active duty at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Catton was investigated by the Air Force last spring after he sent an e-mail from his work account urging Air Force Academy graduates to contribute to a Republican candidate for Congress.

Christian Embassy was established 31 years ago to promote prayer groups and Christian values among government officials.

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2006

Click here to watch the video!

Schoolchildren Shot in Gaza

Schoolchildren Shot in Gaza
CBN News
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com - GAZA - Gunmen in Gaza killed three schoolchildren today.

The boys, ages three, six and nine, were on their way to school in a car when gunmen riddled the vehicle with some 60 bullets.

Security officials believe the attackers were trying to kill the boys' father, Baha Balousheh -- a leading member of the Fatah party loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

At midday, thousands of Fatah supporters protested by marching in a mass funeral procession.

Fatah leaders blame the radical Palestinian group Hamas for the attack.

The boys' father helped crack down on Hamas a decade ago.

Hamas denies any involvement.

Sources: CBN News, Associated Press

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2006 Sources: CBN News, Associated Press

New Law Targets Nigeria's Gay Community

New Law Targets Nigeria's Gay Community
Associated Press
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com -- LAGOS, Nigeria -- Lawmakers in Nigeria are debating a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and any form of association among gays, even sharing a meal at a restaurant.

Few in Nigeria's deeply closeted gay community have publicly opposed the legislation, which proposes penalties of up to five years in prison and is widely expected to pass.

Engaging in homosexual acts is already illegal in Nigeria, with those convicted facing jail terms in the mainly Christian south and execution in the mainly Muslim north.

"This meeting, right here, would be illegal," said activist Bisi Alimi, stabbing the air with a French fry for emphasis as he sat at a table with three gay friends and a reporter.

Other activities prohibited under the proposed law include belonging to gay clubs or reading books, watching films or accessing Internet sites that "promote" homosexuality.

Alimi has been trying to drum up opposition to the legislation, but says Nigeria's gay community is too far underground and the subject too taboo.

The 27-year-old activist is one of few openly gay Nigerians, having been "outed" by a university newspaper three years ago. None of his companions has told their families of their sexual orientation. They asked to be identified only by their first names, citing the risk of arrest, beatings or even death.

"A few of my best friends know, but I don't have the courage to tell my parents," said Ipadeola, a 23-year-old medical student.

"I don't tell people because it is none of their business," said Mukajuloa, a 21-year-old beautician. "Do heterosexual men go around telling the world they are attracted to women?"

Haruna Yerima, a member of Nigeria's House of Representatives, said he supported the proposed ban. Social contact between gays should be limited, he said, because it might encourage behavior that was "against our culture. against our religion."

Attitudes toward gays in Nigeria are typical of those across the continent. In neighboring Cameroon, Amnesty International says accusations of homosexuality and anti-gay laws have been used as a weapon against political opponents.

South Africa legalized gay marriages last month in fiercely debated legislation, making it the only country on the continent to do so. But the impetus was more a desire to stamp out all forms of discrimination in a reaction to apartheid than tolerance of gays, who are subject to prejudice and violence in South Africa.

The hostility in Nigeria means that there are very few gay or lesbian organizations. Oludare "Erelu" Odumuye - the nickname means "queen mother" in Yoruba - heads one, Alliance Rights.

"That bill would criminalize me if it was passed into law. It would criminalize my organization, it would criminalize my friends," he said.

Thousands of people use Alliance Rights for health services, to gather information or to meet, Odumuye says. To avoid harassment, the group has no membership list and its buildings are not in town centers or identified by signs.

Visitors find them through word-of-mouth, Odumuye said. To give an idea of their size, he says the group received more than 1,500 responses to a recent health survey among gay Nigerians.
Odumuye said the bill is aimed at pleasing the ruling party's political base - which includes powerful religious groups - ahead of April elections.

Akin Marinho, a Nigerian human rights lawyer, argued the bill's prohibitions are illegal under Nigeria's constitution and international treaty obligations. Not only does the legislation affect freedoms of speech and expression, but foreign companies could face lawsuits if gay or lesbian staff are unable to take up positions in Nigeria, he said.

Even some conservative religious leaders say the bill goes too far. Though Bishop Joseph Ojo, who presides over the congregation at the evangelical Calvary Kingdom Church, contends gay relationships are "foreign to Africans" and should be outlawed, he adds that gays should "have freedom of speech and expression."

Nigerians have been publicly flogged or beaten severely in prison after being charged with homosexuality.

The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc. © 2006

Chuck Norris pounds ACLU over Christmas

ACLU: The Abolishing Christian Legacy Union
Posted: December 11, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern

The combat called Christmas

Last year, in John Gibson's book, ''The War on Christmas,'' he discussed a growing cross-country counter culture (represented in every stratum of our society) that is on a mission to bring down the Christian-version of Christmas.

Notable evidence included the following:

In Rhode Island, local officials barred Christians from joining others in decorating the City Hall's lawn.

Arizona school officials declared it unconstitutional for a student to cite any references to the Christian history of Christmas in a class project.

A New Jersey school banned traditional Christmas carols, even instrumental renditions.
In Illinois, state government workers were prohibited from exclaiming ''Merry Christmas'' at work.

WND reported on this warfare as far back as 2002.

This year we see even more confirmation of this Christmas-culture war, particularly being led by its strongest advocate, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union).

Same ol' ACLU song and dance

The ACLU has been true to form this December in opposing any and all Christian practices and symbols in public arenas and elsewhere.

So far this season it has already muscled the city council in Berkley, Mich. to move a Christmas nativity off public property.

The ACLU also sued the Wilson County School System outside of Nashville, Tenn., because its Christmas program included ''Christian themes and songs'' – what the ACLU calls ''unconstitutional and illegal'' acts through which its plaintiffs have ''suffered irreparable damage.''

Alongside its crusade to suppress Christmas, the ACLU of Tennessee also found time to write Cumberland County Mayor Brock Hill to assure the removal from the courthouse sidewalk of a wooden carved statue depicting Moses holding the Ten Commandments.

Just this past week, the ACLU opposed the Winston-Salem City Council's practice of opening its meetings with a prayer referencing Jesus or Christ.

Thankfully, along with the majority of veterans and patriots, I was very pleased to read of the ruling against the ACLU's mission to bring down the cross at the Mount Soledad Veterans Memorial near San Diego.

Religious paralysis was not the Framers' intent

The ACLU tries to justify and hide behind these anti-Christian crusades by saying its motivation is to preserve First Amendment and minority rights.

The first problem is that its not equally protecting the rights of Christians, when they are in the minority. If the ACLU wants to fight for the underdogs, then why not battle for the Christian voice that is being progressively suppressed every Christmas?

The second problem is that they are not preserving First Amendment rights but are perverting the subordinate Establishment Clause (which prevents government from establishing a national religion, like there was in England) and the Free Exercise Clause (which preserves our rights to worship as we want).

Both clauses were intended to safeguard religious liberty, not separate church and state. Nor was their objective to keep religious symbols away from public places! As is often noted, the Framers were seeking to guarantee a freedom of religion, not a freedom from religion.

As Judge Roy Moore concluded in another WND article:

''The issue was addressed 150 years ago when the Senate Judiciary Committee, while considering the Congressional chaplaincy, said, '[The Founders] had no fear or jealousy of religion itself, nor did they wish to see us an irreligious people; they did not intend to prohibit a just expression of religious devotion by the legislators of the nation, even in their public character as legislators; they did not intend to spread over all the public authorities and the whole public action of the nation the dead and revolting spectacle of atheistical apathy.'''

Time to stop ACLU tyranny

The ACLU is not anti-religion, just anti-Christian. By definition, it's the American Civil Liberties Union. By action, it has become the Abolishing Christian Legacy Union.

The ACLU will assure Muslim clerics and imams the right to pray on planes, fight for an atheist's rights to remove a cross, stand beside pro-abortionists, help illegal aliens cross our borders, and establish rights for the sexual deviant by forming the ACLU Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Project, but what is it doing for Christians and Christmas censorship?

While allegedly fighting against the tyranny of the majority, the ACLU itself rules religiously by litigation, lobbying, and supporting counter-culture Christian movements.

So who died and appointed the ACLU as America's religious constitutional watchdog?

Membership for the ACLU is only 500,000. America's population is 300 million. I think it's time that we helped them feel their size!

I suggest the rest of us follow the passion of Thomas Jefferson, who spoke these words that are etched on the very wall of his memorial in Washington, D.C.: "I have sworn upon the altar of God eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man."

ACLU: Out of touch — out of their minds

The fact is the ACLU is simply out of touch with mainstream America, as demonstrated recently by a group of Texas University students' placement of an ''ACLU Nativity Scene,'' complete with Gary and Joseph (instead of Mary and Joseph) and the three wise men: Lenin, Marx, and Stalin — a ''tribute'' to ACLU founder Roger Baldwin's support of communism.

(Is this display an extreme Texan reaction or a symptom of an underlying wave of a pro-Christmas culture that is tired of being bullied around? I wholeheartedly believe the latter!)
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) noted that ''an overwhelming majority of Americans oppose censoring Christmas,'' citing the following national polls:

95 percent of Americans celebrate Christmas (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, 2005).

90 percent of Americans recognize Christmas as the birthday of Jesus Christ (Gallup, 2000).

88 percent of Americans say it is okay for people to wish others "Merry Christmas" and the majority of Americans are more likely to wish someone they just met "Merry Christmas" rather than "Happy Holidays" (CNN/USA Today/Gallup, 2004).

87 percent of Americans believe nativity scenes should be allowed on public property (Fox News/Opinion Dynamics, 2003).

The ADF also has 930 pro-Christmas attorneys waiting to help any community in need.
''J'' to the rescue!

Thank God for organizations which are fighting against the censoring of Christianity and Christmas, like the ADF, The Thomas More Law Center and The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ).

The ACLJ has a great ''Christmas Resource Center'' where one can find information sheets on what is permissible in public displays of Christmas and how students can properly express their religious beliefs in school during this Christmas season.

I don't know if it was intentional, but I find it interesting that the only letter distinguishing the acronym of the ACLU and the ACLJ is the letter ''J,'' which stands for ''Justice.''

To me, it also stands for ''Jesus,'' without whom there would be no Christmas at all.

Copyright 1997-2006 All Rights Reserved. WorldNetDaily.com Inc.

Iraq President Lashes Out at Study Group

Iraq President Lashes Out at Study Group
By Kim Gamel
Associated Press Writer
December 11, 2006

CBNNews.com -- BAGHDAD, Iraq -- The Iraqi president on Sunday sharply criticized the bipartisan U.S. report calling for a new approach to the war, saying it contained dangerous recommendations that would undermine his country's sovereignty and were "an insult to the people of Iraq."

President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd and one of the staunchest U.S. supporters within the Iraqi leadership, also said U.S. training of Iraq's army and police had gone "from failure to failure."
He criticized the recommendation by the Iraq Study Group calling for increasing the number of U.S. troops embedded with Iraqi units to train Iraq's forces from 3,000 to 4,000 currently to 10,000 to 20,000.

"It is not respecting the desire of the Iraqi people to control its army and to be able to rearm and train Iraqi forces under the leadership of the Iraqi government," he said during an interview with several reporters in his office in Baghdad.

Talabani was the most senior government official to take a stand against the report, which has also come under sharp criticism from American conservatives who claim it amounts to a veiled surrender in the war against terror.

Outgoing Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld, in a surprise farewell visit to U.S. troops in Iraq this weekend, said the consequences of the war's failure would be "unacceptable."

"We feel great urgency to protect the American people from another 9/11 or a 9/11 times two or three. At the same time, we need to have the patience to see this task through to success. The consequences of failure are unacceptable," Rumsfeld said at al-Asad air base in western Iraq. "The enemy must be defeated."

Rumsfeld did not meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his visit. He kept the trip low-profile, with his office declining to discuss his itinerary or schedule in detail for security reasons. He returned to Washington Sunday night, Pentagon spokesman Eric Ruff said.

Talabani said the Iraqi government planned to send a letter to President Bush "expressing our views about the main issues" in the report. He would not elaborate.

"I believe that President George Bush is a brave and committed man and he is adamant to support the Iraqi government until they've reached success," Talabani said. He said setting conditions was "an insult to the people of Iraq."

Talabani's criticism of U.S. training was directed at a key part of the study group's recommendation, which called for accelerated training of Iraqi forces and the withdrawal of most U.S. combat troops by the first quarter of 2008.

Some U.S. military experts have expressed concern that Iraqi forces will not be ready to assume full responsibility for the fighting by then. However, opposition to the war is rising within the United States, increasing pressure on Bush to shift strategy.

Talabani said the 2008 date was realistic if the Iraqi government is given more responsibility for security.

"If we can agree with the U.S. government to give us the right of organizing, training, arming our armed forces, it will be possible in 2008 to start to leave Iraq and to go back home," he said.
"If you read this report, one would think that it is written for a young, small colony that they are imposing these conditions on," Talabani said. "We are a sovereign country."

He also pointed to the report's call for the approval of a law that would allow thousands of officials from Saddam Hussein's ousted Baath party to return to their jobs.

---
Associated Press writers Thomas Wagner and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad, Will Weissert at al-Asad and AP military writer Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.
© 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Christmas Trees Back on Some Airline Counters at Seattle Airport

Christmas Trees Back on Some Airline Counters at Seattle Airport
Monday , December 11, 2006

SEATAC, Wash. — The official Christmas trees may still be missing from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but a few individual airline employees have decided to try to put some spirit back into the holiday.

Employees at both Delta and Frontier airlines took up a collection on Monday and bought a few foot-tall decorated trees for the check-in counter.

The airlines employees' move came after airport officials removed all nine Christmas trees in the building in response to a rabbi's request to add an 8-foot menorah to the holiday decorations.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky made the request weeks ago, when he demanded officials add a menorah next to the trees and threatened to file a lawsuit if his request wasn't honored.

Instead, officials decided to remove holiday decorations as a whole. Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during the graveyard shift early Saturday, when airport bosses believed few people would notice.

"We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive," said airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt. "We're trying to be thoughtful and respectful, and will review policies after the first of the year."

Bogomilsky said he was appalled by the decision.

"Everyone should have their spirit of the holiday. For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season," said Bogomilsky, who works at Chabad Lubavitch, a Jewish education foundation headquartered in Seattle's University District.

After consulting with lawyers, port staff believed that adding the menorah would have required adding symbols for other religions and cultures in the Northwest. The holidays are the busiest season at the airport, Betancourt said, and staff didn't have time to play cultural anthropologists.

Hanukkah begins this Friday at sundown.

"They've darkened the hall instead of turning the lights up," said his lawyer, Harvey Grad.

"There is a concern here that the Jewish community will be portrayed as the Grinch."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

© Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Copyright 2006 FOX News Network, LLC. All rights reserved.

'Holiday trees' removed from airport after complaint

Christmas trees come down at Sea-Tac, controversy risesSome want airport decorations put back up

By AMY ROLPHP-I REPORTER

Christmas still might have a chance at Sea-Tac Airport.

Amid the growing controversy over the Port of Seattle's decision to remove Christmas trees from the airport, many agree on one thing: Packing away the trees could have been an overreaction.

The port's staff took down the trees Thursday after commissioners learned a lawsuit could be filed the next day if they didn't allow an 8-foot menorah to be displayed beside the largest of 15 Christmas trees throughout the airport.

"In hindsight, we probably should have handled this in a more deliberate and thoughtful manner, but at the time we were given a very short timeline," Commissioner John Creighton said Sunday evening.

The five port commissioners will meet Tuesday evening, and though they have a crowded agenda, Creighton said he wouldn't be surprised if the issue is revisited.

"I can think of at least three out of five commissioners who would like to see the trees back up," he said, adding that how the commissioners deal with being more inclusive at the meeting remains to be seen.

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky of Chabad Lubavitch organization in the University District threatened a lawsuit after his request for a menorah display at the airport didn't move forward as quickly as he anticipated.

Bogomilsky said his organization wants to diversify the airport's display, but removing the trees was not its intention.

Chabad Lubavitch provided menorahs for public display in more than 20 locations statewide, including at the Seattle Center.

The organization's request is usually met with enthusiasm, Bogomilsky said.

"This whole thing is just beyond me -- I'm so appalled and disappointed," he said. "By no means did we want to remove these (trees)."

A representative from Chabad Lubavitch started talking with airport officials in October, and a lawyer informed them of a possible lawsuit at least a week ago, Bogomilsky said.

But airport officials said the threat of litigation was much more sudden.

"It was either, 'put up the menorah,' or they would go to federal court and sue us 18 hours later," Port of Seattle Commission President Pat Davis said. "They wouldn't wait."

No matter what happens, Chabad Lubavitch has no intention of filing a lawsuit anymore, Bogomilsky said.

Commissioner Bob Edwards said he hopes that after Tuesday's meeting, the trees will go back up along with decorations that represent other holiday celebrations.

"It's an international gateway -- why not celebrate other cultures?" he asked.

If the trees do stay down, maybe airport officials will consider a different kind of decoration, Edwards joked.

"Imagine if we had a blow-up of the Grinch to greet travelers," he said.

"The airport that stole Christmas."

©1996-2006 Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Dollar Falls After Greenspan Says He Expects Further Decline

Dollar Falls After Greenspan Says He Expects Further Decline
By Min Zeng

Dec. 11 (Bloomberg) -- The dollar fell the most in a week against the euro after former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said the U.S. currency will probably keep dropping until the nation's current-account deficit shrinks.

The U.S. currency fell in three of the past four years. It has lost 10.5 percent this year versus the euro as investors bet the European Central Bank would lift interest rates more than the Fed. It's ``imprudent'' for investors to keep their holdings in one currency, Greenspan said.

``The dollar is heading where the current account deficit goes,'' said Tim Mazanec, a senior currency strategist at Investors Bank & Trust Co. in Boston. ``A widening deficit will cause the U.S. more pain.''

The U.S. currency weakened to $1.3239 per euro at 4:07 p.m. in New York from $1.3203 on Dec. 8. The dollar fell to a 20- month low of $1.3367 per euro this month. The U.S. currency pared some of an earlier gain, trading at 116.97 yen from 116.33 on Dec. 8.

The yen dropped to a record low of 154.87 per euro earlier today after a Bank of Japan official told Jiji Press the central bank probably wouldn't raise interest rates next week.

``I expect that the dollar will continue to drift downward until there is a change in the U.S. current account balance,'' Greenspan said, speaking from Washington by satellite to a business conference in Tel Aviv. ``It's imprudent to hold everything in one currency.''

Trade Shortfall

A bigger shortfall in the U.S. current account, the broadest measure of trade, means more dollars need to be converted into other currencies to pay for imports. The U.S. current-account deficit was $218.4 billion in the second quarter, the second-biggest on record.

``You have a former Fed chairman talking about dollar weakness,'' said Michael Malpede, a senior currency analyst in Chicago at Man Global Research. ``The market is still trapped in a negative dollar sentiment, especially against the euro.''

Losses in the dollar were limited as investors speculated the Fed will keep rates unchanged at a meeting tomorrow and suggest inflation remains a risk. Traders pared bets the Fed will cut rates next quarter following a U.S. Labor Department report on Dec. 8 showing job growth accelerated in November.

The Fed will keep the benchmark overnight lending rate between banks at 5.25 percent for a fourth straight meeting, according to the median estimate in a survey by Bloomberg News. The Bank of Japan's rate is 0.25 percent while the European Central Bank's benchmark is 3.5 percent.

`Inflation Risks'

``Some inflation risks remain,'' the Fed said in a statement after its previous rate decision, on Oct. 25. ``We cannot let up our guard on inflation,'' Fed Bank of Chicago President Michael Moskow said last week in an interview broadcast on CNBC.com.

The personal consumption expenditures price index, minus food and energy, rose 2.4 percent for the year ending October, the 31st month at or above the top of the ``comfort'' range of 1 percent to 2 percent indicated by Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke.

Fed funds futures indicate traders see about a 28 percent probability the central bank will reduce rates to 5 percent before April, down from about 100 percent before the labor report.

``I wouldn't go against the Fed right now,'' said Greg Schwake, head of foreign exchange trading at Fortis Financial Services LLC in New York. ``The Fed has been transparent that they are still worried about upside risks in inflation. The sentiment favors the dollar.''

66 Percent

The dollar gained the most in two months against the yen and rebounded from near a 20-month low versus the euro on Dec. 8 as the Labor Department data showed the U.S. added 132,000 new jobs in November after a revised gain of 79,000 a month earlier. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey was for 100,000 jobs.

The dollar accounted for about 66 percent of central banks' currency reserves by March, according to the Bank for International Settlements, down from around 70 percent in 2001.
Russia and other oil-producing countries shifted assets away from the dollar and into the euro and yen in the second quarter, the BIS said in its quarterly review.

Russia and members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries reduced dollar holdings to a two-year low of 65 percent of the total, from 67 percent in the first quarter, the Basel, Switzerland-based bank said in a report on its Web site.

``People are concerned about diversification away from the dollar, especially people at central banks who make long-term decisions about foreign-exchange reserves,'' said Lu Xinyi, chief strategist in Tokyo at Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. ``The whole concept implies dollar selling'' against the euro.

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS "Religion Roundup" Articles...

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS
Religion Roundup
Seattle-Tacoma Airport Removes Christmas Trees to Avert Lawsuit

SEATAC, Washington (AP) - All nine Christmas trees have been removed from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport instead of adding a Jewish menorah to the holiday display as a rabbi had requested.

Maintenance workers boxed up the trees during a weekend graveyard shift, when airport officials believed few people would notice.

Airport spokeswoman Terri-Ann Betancourt says, "We decided to take the trees down because we didn't want to be exclusive."

Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky, who had threatened to sue unless a menorah was placed along with the trees, said he was appalled by the removal of the Christmas trees. He said, "For many people the trees are the spirit of the holidays, and adding a menorah adds light to the season."

Congressman Fears U.S. is Rejecting God

CAPITOL HILL (AP) - Congressman Walter Jones says America won't remain great if it "turns its back on God" -- but that's what he fears is happening.

The North Carolina Republican spoke at a Capitol Hill news conference defending Nativity scenes in public places, which once were common but have largely vanished amid court challenges.

Jones said, "For those of us who are Christians, this is a very special time of year." He asked, "Why should we be penalized because we believe Christ came as our savior?"

The congressman said prohibiting religious expression during the Christmas season is part of what he views as a broad attack on Christianity.



County Rules against Church Bells

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) - The bells of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in Reston, Virginia, must ring more softly, or not at all.

That's the mandate from Fairfax County's Department of Planning and Zoning, which says the Washington suburb cannot make an exception for the church.

The church bells have been softened for almost a year because of the dispute, although they've still been louder than the maximum 55-decibel level allowed in residential areas. St. John's pastor says they can't be softened further without silencing them altogether.

The church got complaints from neighbors after it installed the 50-thousand dollar electronic bell system in 2004. One local resident says, "No one here is anti-church or anything. People just want some peace and quiet."



Christmas in Bethlehem to Get Hamas Funding

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (AP) - Islamic militants may be in charge but that doesn't mean there won't be Christmas this year in Bethlehem.

The cash-strapped Hamas government is promising to spend $50,000 to dress up Jesus' birthplace for the holiday. The extra cash, however, may not be enough to bring Christmas cheer to Bethlehem.

The biblical town is now walled in by Israel's West Bank separation barrier, poverty is deepening and Christians are leaving Bethlehem in droves.

Bethlehem's mayor says he won't start decorating until he sees the money. Only about 2,500 foreigners visited Bethlehem last Christmas. Before the Palestinian uprising began in 2000, the town attracted more than 90,000 visitors a month.



'The Nativity Story' Slips to Number Eight

UNDATED (AP) - "The Nativity Story" has slipped to number eight at the weekend box office.

The respectful portrayal of events leading up to the birth of Jesus Christ debuted last week at number four, selling about eight (m) million dollars worth of tickets.

In its second weekend, the film's box office is estimated at five-point-six (m) million dollars.

The weekend's top film was "Apocalypto" by Mel Gibson, whose blockbuster "The Passion of the Christ" aroused hopes that Christians would flock to "The Nativity Story" as well.



Bushes Join in Christmas Carol at Washington Concert

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush and first lady Laura Bush have joined performers onstage at a "Christmas in Washington" concert to sing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."

The Sunday evening event benefited the Children's National Medical Center.

The president said, "The story of Christmas tells of the humble birth of a child whose life brought hope into the world. And at this time of year, we're especially grateful to those whose work brings hope and health to children."

The event will be broadcast Wednesday night on Turner Network Television.

Earlier Sunday, the Bushes attended services at St. John's Episcopal Church, a block away from the White House.



Faith-Based Programs Credited with Reducing Prison Violence

ANGOLA, La. (AP) - The Louisiana State Penitentiary where Senator Sam Brownback stayed overnight this past weekend houses more than 5,000 inmates, half of them convicted murderers.

But the prison also has six interfaith chapels, nightly prayer services, four part-time chaplains and a Bible college that has trained dozens of inmates to be ministers.

One such inmate says the prison, which "used to be one of the bloodiest in the country," is safer now because it's "covered with the blood of Jesus Christ."

Warden Burl Cain credits moral rehabilitation programs with reducing violence in the prison.

Senator Brownback joined hundreds of inmates at a prayer service before prison officials took him to his cell. The next morning, he toured the penitentiary and took a walk down death row.

The Kansas Republican has formed an exploratory committee for a possible presidential race.



Former Methodist Congregation Evicted from Church Building

KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) - Members of Lane Boulevard Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, say they've been pushed out of their long-time home by the United Methodist Church.

The Methodists say the denomination and not the congregation owns the building.
Lane Boulevard's 120 members voted this year to remove "Methodist" from their name in a dispute over their effort to keep their minister.

The congregation also disagreed with the denomination's more liberal positions on ordaining women and accepting gays.

Last month, a Kalamazoo County judge issued a preliminary injunction giving the United Methodist Church control of the early 20th century building. Methodist officials then changed the locks.

The Lane Boulevard congregation now holds Sunday services at another church in Kalamazoo.



Head of Presbyterian Church USA Preaches in Cuba

HAVANA (AP) - The executive officer of the Presbyterian Church U-S-A has helped Cubans mark the 100th anniversary of the opening of Havana's first Protestant temple.

In his sermon Sunday, the Reverend Clifton Kirkpatrick urged all Christians to do more to eliminate global inequality.

Kirkpatrick spoke in English and Spanish to hundreds of followers and diplomats at the ceremony in central Havana. Delegations from Florida and Washington D-C also were present.

A Cuban choir sang Christmas songs, bathed in light from the church's stained-glass windows.

Protestants are a minority in Cuba, where Catholics and followers of the Afro-Cuban Santeria religion dominate.



Excommunicated Archbishop Installs More Married Bishops

WEST NEW YORK, N.J. (AP) - An excommunicated Catholic archbishop continues to defy the Vatican.

At a ceremony in New Jersey Sunday, former Zambian Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo installed two more married men as bishops.

The wives of both men helped their husbands on with their vestments.

The 76-year-old Milingo was excommunicated after anointing four married men as bishops in September.

Pope Benedict then convened a Vatican summit that reaffirmed mandatory celibacy for priests.

Milingo was married in 2001 to a Korean woman chosen for him by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon in a mass wedding performed by Moon's Unification Church.



Pope Distressed over Lebanon’s Religious Divisions

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Benedict says he's distressed over recent developments in the Middle East, and he's calling on the international community to urgently seek solutions.

Speaking Sunday from his window overlooking St. Peter's square, the pope made special mention of Lebanon, where he said people of different religions need to find ways to talk and live together.

Lebanese have split along sectarian lines, with most Sunni Muslims supporting the Sunni prime minister and Shiites backing Hezbollah. Christian factions are split between the two camps.

Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah-led protesters gathered in Beirut Sunday, demanding that the prime minister cede some power to the opposition or step down.



(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)