WORKPLACE MINISTRIES:
A return to the original New Testament mission field
By Jerry Higgins
Baptist Press
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP)--Ministry in the workplace is prevalent throughout the Bible. The term “work” is mentioned more than 800 times and the Hebrew word “avodah” is the root from which we get the words “work” and “worship.”
Forty-five of Jesus’ 52 parables were about work, while 39 of 40 divine encounters in the Book of Acts occurred in workplace settings.
The workplace, whether out of the home or in the home, is a mission field, and many pastors tell their church members to go out and reach it. But according to those who specifically serve in workplace/worklife ministries, people are not getting the proper training on how to reach the workplace.
That’s why organizations like HisChurchatWork.org and Corporate Chaplains of America were formed. That’s why the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and other ministries are concentrating on ministering to the workplace.
These and other organizations are either helping churches train the masses to go out and be workplace missionaries or are actually sending out people into the workplace to minister. Henry Blackaby, founder of Blackaby Ministries International, for example, provides monthly conference calls and training sessions to corporate CEOs to help them learn to bring Christ into their corporate lives.
“People are happy in the pews letting ‘professionals’ do this,” said Doug Spada, a Navy veteran in nuclear engineering who started HisChurchatWork.org in 2002 at Journey Community Church in San Diego and now is based in Alpharetta, Ga. “We need to shift from going to church to being the church.”
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Saturday, February 17, 2007
Report: North Koreans enslaved in China
Report: North Koreans enslaved in China
Women targeted as 'brides,' subjected to physical and sexual attacks
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
An entire industry of trafficking women from North Korea into China, where they are sold to "husbands" who hold them with physical and sexual assaults as well as demands they perform backbreaking labor, has been documented by Radio Free Asia.
The organization has reported that North Korea, which already has been documented as the world's worst violator of religious rights and freedoms and has been the subject of a series of WND reports about abuses against Christians and women, routinely lures women from regions near the Chinese border across the international boundary into what amounts to slavery.
"A woman from our village, who said she'd been to China, told me that we could make some money there, so I followed her and crossed the Tumen River," Jeong Soo-Ok told RFA. But instead of money, she found traffickers who caught her and sold her.
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Women targeted as 'brides,' subjected to physical and sexual attacks
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
An entire industry of trafficking women from North Korea into China, where they are sold to "husbands" who hold them with physical and sexual assaults as well as demands they perform backbreaking labor, has been documented by Radio Free Asia.
The organization has reported that North Korea, which already has been documented as the world's worst violator of religious rights and freedoms and has been the subject of a series of WND reports about abuses against Christians and women, routinely lures women from regions near the Chinese border across the international boundary into what amounts to slavery.
"A woman from our village, who said she'd been to China, told me that we could make some money there, so I followed her and crossed the Tumen River," Jeong Soo-Ok told RFA. But instead of money, she found traffickers who caught her and sold her.
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Crew, passengers beat up hijacker
Crew, passengers beat up hijacker
Gunman Mohamed Abderraman tackled after pilot hit brakes to knock him down
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
In a scene reminiscent of the heroism of United Flight 93 on 9/11, crew and passengers of an Air Mauritania jet beat an armed hijacker in a rescue plot hatched by the captain.
After realizing the hijacker, 32-year-old Mohamed Abderraman, did not speak French, the pilot flying the Boeing 737 told passengers over the intercom system he planned to make their landing in the Spanish Canary Islands especially rough in an attempt to knock down the hijacker. Then, he instructed, male passengers and crew should rush the cockpit and overwhelm the man.
Officials said Abderraman seized the jet soon after take-off yesterday from the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, demanding to be flown to France, the BBC reported.
The hijacker managed to board the plane in the northern African nation with two loaded handguns, and one report said that during the hijack, he held a gun to the head of the pilot, Ahmedou Mohamed Lemine.
"The pilot and his colleagues decided to abruptly apply brakes on landing to throw off-balance the hijacker, who was hurled to the floor by the jerk and was quickly overpowered before being handed over to the Spanish police force," a Mauritanian official told Agence France-Presse.
Flight attendants threw boiling water at the hijacker and about 10 people jumped him, according to one report.
The plane returned home today to a heroes' welcome.
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Gunman Mohamed Abderraman tackled after pilot hit brakes to knock him down
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© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
In a scene reminiscent of the heroism of United Flight 93 on 9/11, crew and passengers of an Air Mauritania jet beat an armed hijacker in a rescue plot hatched by the captain.
After realizing the hijacker, 32-year-old Mohamed Abderraman, did not speak French, the pilot flying the Boeing 737 told passengers over the intercom system he planned to make their landing in the Spanish Canary Islands especially rough in an attempt to knock down the hijacker. Then, he instructed, male passengers and crew should rush the cockpit and overwhelm the man.
Officials said Abderraman seized the jet soon after take-off yesterday from the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, demanding to be flown to France, the BBC reported.
The hijacker managed to board the plane in the northern African nation with two loaded handguns, and one report said that during the hijack, he held a gun to the head of the pilot, Ahmedou Mohamed Lemine.
"The pilot and his colleagues decided to abruptly apply brakes on landing to throw off-balance the hijacker, who was hurled to the floor by the jerk and was quickly overpowered before being handed over to the Spanish police force," a Mauritanian official told Agence France-Presse.
Flight attendants threw boiling water at the hijacker and about 10 people jumped him, according to one report.
The plane returned home today to a heroes' welcome.
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10 Americans ordered to leave Belarus
10 Americans ordered to leave Belarus
The Associated Press
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Ten Americans left Belarus on Friday after authorities ordered them deported for allegedly singing religious songs and reading spiritual literature, in violation of laws restricting religious activity in the former Soviet republic.
The Americans "preferred to leave Belarus voluntarily" after authorities decided they should be deported, said Interior Ministry spokesman Oleg Slepchenko.
Slepchenko said police raided what was supposed to be a seminar in conversational English at an evangelical Protestant church in the eastern city of Mogilev. He said police found bibles on the tables, and participants were singing religious songs instead of talking.
The Americans, who arrived in Belarus Feb. 5, were fined and warned they were violating the law with their activities, Slepchenko said. But authorities later caught them repeating the alleged violations, he said.
Distrust of foreign missionaries and Protestant churches is strong in many largely Orthodox Christian and Muslim nations of the former Soviet Union.
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The Associated Press
MINSK, Belarus (AP) — Ten Americans left Belarus on Friday after authorities ordered them deported for allegedly singing religious songs and reading spiritual literature, in violation of laws restricting religious activity in the former Soviet republic.
The Americans "preferred to leave Belarus voluntarily" after authorities decided they should be deported, said Interior Ministry spokesman Oleg Slepchenko.
Slepchenko said police raided what was supposed to be a seminar in conversational English at an evangelical Protestant church in the eastern city of Mogilev. He said police found bibles on the tables, and participants were singing religious songs instead of talking.
The Americans, who arrived in Belarus Feb. 5, were fined and warned they were violating the law with their activities, Slepchenko said. But authorities later caught them repeating the alleged violations, he said.
Distrust of foreign missionaries and Protestant churches is strong in many largely Orthodox Christian and Muslim nations of the former Soviet Union.
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Mall shooter's body to go back to Bosnia
Talovic's body to go back to Bosnia
By Nate Carlisle and Russ Rizzo
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/17/2007 12:57:37 AM MST
The body of Sulejman Talovic - who shot nine people at Trolley Square, killing five - has been released to his family.
The Talovic family is preparing to transport the body to Bosnia-Herzegovina for burial, his aunt said Friday.
Ajka Omerovic said her family is trying to complete paperwork to facilitate the overseas burial. She said the body, which is in a mortuary, will be transported "hopefully next week."
Talovic's family, who were forced from their hometown in 1993 at the height of the Bosnian war, emigrated to the United States in the late 1990s. The gunman's father, Suljo Talovic, has said he wants to bury his only son in Tuzla, which is Bosnia's most ethnically diverse city.
Suljo Talovic's friends, who spoke to him after a Friday afternoon prayer service at Salt Lake City's Al-Noor mosque, said he was still trying to figure out arrangements for sending his son's body back to Bosnia.
The cost of transporting a body to the Balkans is approximately $5,000, said Travis Greenwood, director of Larkin Mortuary, which is not handling arrangements for Talovic's body.
Suljo Talovic said he and his wife are still trying to cope with Monday's events. He said his wife, Sabira, suffered a heart attack about 5 a.m. Tuesday, three hours after police informed them their son was the Trolley Square shooter.
At the mosque Friday, Suljo Talovic sat on his feet among about 90 other Muslim men and boys from Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan and other countries as Tariq Kergaye, an Iraqi member of the mosque, offered a sermon that touched on the tragedy. Kergaye called the shooting "a low point for us Muslims."
After the services, a somber Suljo Talovic thanked the community for its support.
"I'm so happy for these people, Utah people," he told the Tribune. "They bring flowers to my door."
On Friday, police revealed no new clues about what motivated Sulejman Talovic to kill.
The only clues to date are a tumultuous childhood - he was 5 when his family became victims of "ethnic cleansing" - followed by a difficult adjustment to life in Utah as a refugee.
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By Nate Carlisle and Russ Rizzo
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 02/17/2007 12:57:37 AM MST
The body of Sulejman Talovic - who shot nine people at Trolley Square, killing five - has been released to his family.
The Talovic family is preparing to transport the body to Bosnia-Herzegovina for burial, his aunt said Friday.
Ajka Omerovic said her family is trying to complete paperwork to facilitate the overseas burial. She said the body, which is in a mortuary, will be transported "hopefully next week."
Talovic's family, who were forced from their hometown in 1993 at the height of the Bosnian war, emigrated to the United States in the late 1990s. The gunman's father, Suljo Talovic, has said he wants to bury his only son in Tuzla, which is Bosnia's most ethnically diverse city.
Suljo Talovic's friends, who spoke to him after a Friday afternoon prayer service at Salt Lake City's Al-Noor mosque, said he was still trying to figure out arrangements for sending his son's body back to Bosnia.
The cost of transporting a body to the Balkans is approximately $5,000, said Travis Greenwood, director of Larkin Mortuary, which is not handling arrangements for Talovic's body.
Suljo Talovic said he and his wife are still trying to cope with Monday's events. He said his wife, Sabira, suffered a heart attack about 5 a.m. Tuesday, three hours after police informed them their son was the Trolley Square shooter.
At the mosque Friday, Suljo Talovic sat on his feet among about 90 other Muslim men and boys from Pakistan, Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan and other countries as Tariq Kergaye, an Iraqi member of the mosque, offered a sermon that touched on the tragedy. Kergaye called the shooting "a low point for us Muslims."
After the services, a somber Suljo Talovic thanked the community for its support.
"I'm so happy for these people, Utah people," he told the Tribune. "They bring flowers to my door."
On Friday, police revealed no new clues about what motivated Sulejman Talovic to kill.
The only clues to date are a tumultuous childhood - he was 5 when his family became victims of "ethnic cleansing" - followed by a difficult adjustment to life in Utah as a refugee.
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American facing IED charges
American facing IED charges
Houston case alleges suspect planned to kill on behalf of al-Qaida
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
An American who is accused of guarding a flight attendant who later was murdered by radical Muslims in Somalia, and learning how to make IEDs at a compound used by al-Qaida there, is facing a court hearing Tuesday in Houston after his arrest by anti-terrorism experts and his return to the U.S.
The case is pending against Daniel Joseph Maldonado, aka Daniel Aljughaifi, 28, formerly of Houston, who was named in the government charges filed by U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle in Houston.
"Any who seek to aid terrorists in their mission to threaten our national security will be held to account for such serious criminal conduct," DeGabrielle said.
A spokeswoman in the prosecutor's office in Houston, Nancy Herrera, told WND that the hearing on Tuesday will be on Maldonado's detention and preliminary examination, at which a magistrate judge will determine whether there is probable cause in the criminal case, and whether the government will get its request of detaining him without bond.
Maldonado was returned to the U.S. just days ago after he was captured by members of the Kenyan military on Jan. 21 as he fled Somalia to avoid the military conflict between Ethiopian and Somalian forces, according to prosecutors.
Being expelled by Kenyan authorities, he was turned over to American authorities, then flown to Houston in the company of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Already being described as another John Walker Lindh, he is alleged to have traveled on his own to Somalia in late 2006 to join the Islamic Courts Union and elements of al-Qaida to fight "jihad" in Somalia. The ICU is blamed for the suicide bombers and vehicles containing improvised explosive devices just weeks earlier that targeted the leadership of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, according to federal documents.
"While in Somalia, Maldonado was … provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib, Somalia," prosecutors said. "The camps included physical fitness, firearms and explosives training all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU."
The complaint alleges Maldonado studied at the training camps with al-Qaida members and expressed his willingness go to the front and fight, and become a suicide bomber if he was wounded.
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Houston case alleges suspect planned to kill on behalf of al-Qaida
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
An American who is accused of guarding a flight attendant who later was murdered by radical Muslims in Somalia, and learning how to make IEDs at a compound used by al-Qaida there, is facing a court hearing Tuesday in Houston after his arrest by anti-terrorism experts and his return to the U.S.
The case is pending against Daniel Joseph Maldonado, aka Daniel Aljughaifi, 28, formerly of Houston, who was named in the government charges filed by U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle in Houston.
"Any who seek to aid terrorists in their mission to threaten our national security will be held to account for such serious criminal conduct," DeGabrielle said.
A spokeswoman in the prosecutor's office in Houston, Nancy Herrera, told WND that the hearing on Tuesday will be on Maldonado's detention and preliminary examination, at which a magistrate judge will determine whether there is probable cause in the criminal case, and whether the government will get its request of detaining him without bond.
Maldonado was returned to the U.S. just days ago after he was captured by members of the Kenyan military on Jan. 21 as he fled Somalia to avoid the military conflict between Ethiopian and Somalian forces, according to prosecutors.
Being expelled by Kenyan authorities, he was turned over to American authorities, then flown to Houston in the company of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Already being described as another John Walker Lindh, he is alleged to have traveled on his own to Somalia in late 2006 to join the Islamic Courts Union and elements of al-Qaida to fight "jihad" in Somalia. The ICU is blamed for the suicide bombers and vehicles containing improvised explosive devices just weeks earlier that targeted the leadership of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, according to federal documents.
"While in Somalia, Maldonado was … provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib, Somalia," prosecutors said. "The camps included physical fitness, firearms and explosives training all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU."
The complaint alleges Maldonado studied at the training camps with al-Qaida members and expressed his willingness go to the front and fight, and become a suicide bomber if he was wounded.
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Death for dollars? Ukrainian infants likely killed to harvest stem cells
Rebecca Grace - AFA Journal
OneNewsNow.com
February 17, 2007
Evidence from a video obtained by the BBC points to the stomach-churning possibility that healthy babies born in a Ukrainian maternity hospital were taken their mothers and then murdered so that large amounts of stem cells could be harvested from their brains and bone marrow. A spokesman for the hospital denies it is connected in any way with the use of stem cells -- but one Ukrainian couple never saw their newborn daughter again after being told all was well and then told later she had died.
In the Ukraine, investigators are exploring the possibility that healthy infants and preborns were killed for stem-cell experimentation. It is speculated that the babies' organs were extracted after allegedly being stolen from mothers by staff at Maternity Hospital Number Six in the eastern city of Kharkov.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claims to have a video showing the autopsy examination of 30 infants and fetuses that were exhumed from a cemetery used by the Ukrainian maternity hospital. The video was also turned over to the Council of Europe who is now carrying out its own investigation as a response to about 300 families who are coming forward with charges against the hospital for allegedly taking and killing their newborns.
Pictures from the autopsies reveal tiny dismembered bodies with missing organs and brains. Since dismemberment of bodies is not a standard post-mortem practice, it is likely the babies were harvested for the high amounts of stem cells in their brains and bone marrow.
It is a recognized practice in the Ukraine, the stem-cell capital of the world, to take stem cells from aborted fetuses with the mothers' consent. Due to the increasing worldwide demand for stem cells, it is possible healthy newborns are now being used to feed this demand. These healthy babies mysteriously "die" following a successful birth.
Such is likely the case for Ukrainian couple Dimitry and Olena Stulnev who had their baby at Maternity Hospital Number Six. "I gave birth to a healthy girl," Olena told the Daily Mail. "She was crying and moving her hands and legs. I was shown the baby. After that the girl was taken away. They told me everything was OK, and I could see her the next day."
Olena never saw her baby again. She was told the next day that her baby was dead and given conflicting stories as to the reason for the child's death. The couple began investigating the death of their child but got nowhere. The more they pried, the less information they got.
Even today, Ukrainian authorities and hospital staff remain tight-lipped about the suspected use of newborns for stem-cell research.
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OneNewsNow.com
February 17, 2007
Evidence from a video obtained by the BBC points to the stomach-churning possibility that healthy babies born in a Ukrainian maternity hospital were taken their mothers and then murdered so that large amounts of stem cells could be harvested from their brains and bone marrow. A spokesman for the hospital denies it is connected in any way with the use of stem cells -- but one Ukrainian couple never saw their newborn daughter again after being told all was well and then told later she had died.
In the Ukraine, investigators are exploring the possibility that healthy infants and preborns were killed for stem-cell experimentation. It is speculated that the babies' organs were extracted after allegedly being stolen from mothers by staff at Maternity Hospital Number Six in the eastern city of Kharkov.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) claims to have a video showing the autopsy examination of 30 infants and fetuses that were exhumed from a cemetery used by the Ukrainian maternity hospital. The video was also turned over to the Council of Europe who is now carrying out its own investigation as a response to about 300 families who are coming forward with charges against the hospital for allegedly taking and killing their newborns.
Pictures from the autopsies reveal tiny dismembered bodies with missing organs and brains. Since dismemberment of bodies is not a standard post-mortem practice, it is likely the babies were harvested for the high amounts of stem cells in their brains and bone marrow.
It is a recognized practice in the Ukraine, the stem-cell capital of the world, to take stem cells from aborted fetuses with the mothers' consent. Due to the increasing worldwide demand for stem cells, it is possible healthy newborns are now being used to feed this demand. These healthy babies mysteriously "die" following a successful birth.
Such is likely the case for Ukrainian couple Dimitry and Olena Stulnev who had their baby at Maternity Hospital Number Six. "I gave birth to a healthy girl," Olena told the Daily Mail. "She was crying and moving her hands and legs. I was shown the baby. After that the girl was taken away. They told me everything was OK, and I could see her the next day."
Olena never saw her baby again. She was told the next day that her baby was dead and given conflicting stories as to the reason for the child's death. The couple began investigating the death of their child but got nowhere. The more they pried, the less information they got.
Even today, Ukrainian authorities and hospital staff remain tight-lipped about the suspected use of newborns for stem-cell research.
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Solar flares might knock out cell phones
Solar flares might knock out cell phones
Activity building to crescendo some scientists say could be cataclysmic
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Solar flare activity is expected to build for the next three years to a crescendo that some scientists say could be cataclysmic, causing a telecommunication blackout that would down mobile phones and navigational systems.
"The solar flares are expected to be at its maximum intensity by the year 2010," Markus Aschwanden, a solar physicist at the Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, told the Hindu News. "These solar flares and Coronoal Mass Ejections from the sun have the ability to travel all the way to the earth and create a black-out of cellular phone services and navigational systems like the GPS.
Solar flares and CMEs occur when magnetic energy built up in the Sun's atmosphere is suddenly released. The flares carrying high amount of energy, travel at high speeds and reach the Earth in a matter of hours.
"If a solar flare or a CME collides with the Earth, it can cause a geomagnetic storm," Aschwanden said, adding large geomagnetic storms have caused electrical power outages and damaged communication satellites. "A few years back, these solar flares destroyed the satellite Galaxy 4."
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Activity building to crescendo some scientists say could be cataclysmic
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Solar flare activity is expected to build for the next three years to a crescendo that some scientists say could be cataclysmic, causing a telecommunication blackout that would down mobile phones and navigational systems.
"The solar flares are expected to be at its maximum intensity by the year 2010," Markus Aschwanden, a solar physicist at the Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, told the Hindu News. "These solar flares and Coronoal Mass Ejections from the sun have the ability to travel all the way to the earth and create a black-out of cellular phone services and navigational systems like the GPS.
Solar flares and CMEs occur when magnetic energy built up in the Sun's atmosphere is suddenly released. The flares carrying high amount of energy, travel at high speeds and reach the Earth in a matter of hours.
"If a solar flare or a CME collides with the Earth, it can cause a geomagnetic storm," Aschwanden said, adding large geomagnetic storms have caused electrical power outages and damaged communication satellites. "A few years back, these solar flares destroyed the satellite Galaxy 4."
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Pentagon rules out ground attack on Iran
Pentagon rules out ground attack on Iran
Officials find rugged terrain makes invasion virtually impossible
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Democrat leaders in Congress vow they'll move to block President Bush from invading Iran, but Pentagon officials say that won't be necessary, because they have no active plans for a ground attack.
In fact, officials tell WND they have war-gamed a full-blown invasion and ruled it out because of the difficult terrain in Iran, a mountainous fortress compared to Iraq.
"It's a non-starter," said one official.
He explains Iran is ringed virtually 360 degrees by towering mountains, and even if they were passable by artillery units, unstable salt flats and high desert wastelands stand between those mountains and Tehran, the capital.
"The Great Salt Desert outside Tehran is hundreds of miles of dry lakebeds that ooze a black sticky mud that's a lot like quicksand," he said. "It won't support tanks and artillery."
It was in the Great Salt Desert, known locally as the Dasht-e Kavir, that the 1980 military mission to rescue American hostages in Tehran was aborted. Dust storms blinded pilots and caused a U.S. helicopter to crash into a C-130 transport plane, killing eight crew members.
On the other side of Tehran lie the steep, jagged Elburz Mountains, which include Mount Damavand, the highest peak in Europe and Asia west of the Hindu Kush. The average elevation of that northern range protecting Tehran is twice that of mile-high Denver.
Critics of Bush's saber-rattling over Iran – which he accuses of arming insurgents in Iraq while developing a nuclear-weapons program – worry the president is looking for a pretext to also invade Iran and carry out regime change in Tehran.
"Congress should make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president to go into Iran," warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But even strong promoters of the war in Iraq are not talking seriously about going "into" Iran.
"I do not think anyone in the U.S. is talking about invasion," said Josh Muravchik, a Middle East expert at the American Enterprise Institute who has argued for air strikes on Iran. "We have been chastened by the experience of Iraq, even a hawk like myself."
If the initial march to Baghdad was a cake walk, a march to Tehran would be a logistical nightmare, experts agree.
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Officials find rugged terrain makes invasion virtually impossible
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
Democrat leaders in Congress vow they'll move to block President Bush from invading Iran, but Pentagon officials say that won't be necessary, because they have no active plans for a ground attack.
In fact, officials tell WND they have war-gamed a full-blown invasion and ruled it out because of the difficult terrain in Iran, a mountainous fortress compared to Iraq.
"It's a non-starter," said one official.
He explains Iran is ringed virtually 360 degrees by towering mountains, and even if they were passable by artillery units, unstable salt flats and high desert wastelands stand between those mountains and Tehran, the capital.
"The Great Salt Desert outside Tehran is hundreds of miles of dry lakebeds that ooze a black sticky mud that's a lot like quicksand," he said. "It won't support tanks and artillery."
It was in the Great Salt Desert, known locally as the Dasht-e Kavir, that the 1980 military mission to rescue American hostages in Tehran was aborted. Dust storms blinded pilots and caused a U.S. helicopter to crash into a C-130 transport plane, killing eight crew members.
On the other side of Tehran lie the steep, jagged Elburz Mountains, which include Mount Damavand, the highest peak in Europe and Asia west of the Hindu Kush. The average elevation of that northern range protecting Tehran is twice that of mile-high Denver.
Critics of Bush's saber-rattling over Iran – which he accuses of arming insurgents in Iraq while developing a nuclear-weapons program – worry the president is looking for a pretext to also invade Iran and carry out regime change in Tehran.
"Congress should make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president to go into Iran," warned House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
But even strong promoters of the war in Iraq are not talking seriously about going "into" Iran.
"I do not think anyone in the U.S. is talking about invasion," said Josh Muravchik, a Middle East expert at the American Enterprise Institute who has argued for air strikes on Iran. "We have been chastened by the experience of Iraq, even a hawk like myself."
If the initial march to Baghdad was a cake walk, a march to Tehran would be a logistical nightmare, experts agree.
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Smuggler's 2nd delivery of marijuana confirmed
Smuggler's 2nd delivery of marijuana confirmed
Border agents' trial transcript shows judge ordered information withheld
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By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
WASHINGTON – Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, the Mexican drug smuggler given immunity to return to the United States and testify against two Border Patrol agents, was involved in smuggling a second load of marijuana into the United States after he was given court protection, records have confirmed.
Newly released transcripts of the trial of Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos have corroborated WND reports that the Mexican illegal alien was involved in the second drug case, this one involving a load of marijuana brought into the U.S. in October 2005.
The incident followed his grant of immunity by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in return for truthful testimony against Ramos and Compean. The former agents are serving 11 and 12 year prison terms for their actions in a Feb. 17, 2005, incident in which they shot Aldrete-Davila as he was fleeing across the border into Mexico.
Activist organizations have made repeated calls for President Bush to pardon the former agents, who, they say, are being punished for doing their duty.
As WND also has reported Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., has sponsored a resolution calling for a congressional pardon for Ramos and Compean, and his office confirmed the resolution already has 82 co-sponsors.
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Border agents' trial transcript shows judge ordered information withheld
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By Jerome R. Corsi
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
WASHINGTON – Osbaldo Aldrete-Davila, the Mexican drug smuggler given immunity to return to the United States and testify against two Border Patrol agents, was involved in smuggling a second load of marijuana into the United States after he was given court protection, records have confirmed.
Newly released transcripts of the trial of Jose Compean and Ignacio Ramos have corroborated WND reports that the Mexican illegal alien was involved in the second drug case, this one involving a load of marijuana brought into the U.S. in October 2005.
The incident followed his grant of immunity by U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in return for truthful testimony against Ramos and Compean. The former agents are serving 11 and 12 year prison terms for their actions in a Feb. 17, 2005, incident in which they shot Aldrete-Davila as he was fleeing across the border into Mexico.
Activist organizations have made repeated calls for President Bush to pardon the former agents, who, they say, are being punished for doing their duty.
As WND also has reported Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., has sponsored a resolution calling for a congressional pardon for Ramos and Compean, and his office confirmed the resolution already has 82 co-sponsors.
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Illegal aliens in Arizona could do 6 months in jail
Illegal aliens in Arizona could do 6 months in jail
Legislature considering measure to make it crime to be in state
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Posted: February 17, 2007
6:10 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
If a referendum measure being considered by the Arizona legislature is submitted to voters and passed, anyone who has entered the U.S. illegally would be subject to 6 months in jail if found anywhere in Arizona, with sentences jumping to 30 months for repeat offenders and five years for those caught with illegal drugs or dangerous weapons.
HCR 2022, co-sponsored by Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, essentially brings Arizona law into conformance with Title 8 of the United States Code (Immigration and Naturalization), which regulates immigration into the U.S.
Federal law provides penalties for any illegal alien who:
1)Enters or attempts to enter the U.S. at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers;
2)Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or
3)Attempts to enter/obtain entry into the U.S. by false representation.
The penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor under Title 8 is up to six months in jail and up to $2,500 in fines. The presumptive term of incarceration for a Class 4 felony is two-and-a-half years and up to $150,000 in fines. The presumptive term of incarceration for a Class 2 felony is 5 years and up to $150,000 in fines.
Pearce's measure establishes the crime of being on any public or private land in Arizona while being in violation of federal immigration law and prescribes state penalties that match federal ones.
The House Judiciary Committee approved HCR 2022 this week. It now goes to the full House.
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Legislature considering measure to make it crime to be in state
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: February 17, 2007
6:10 p.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
If a referendum measure being considered by the Arizona legislature is submitted to voters and passed, anyone who has entered the U.S. illegally would be subject to 6 months in jail if found anywhere in Arizona, with sentences jumping to 30 months for repeat offenders and five years for those caught with illegal drugs or dangerous weapons.
HCR 2022, co-sponsored by Rep. Russell Pearce, R-Mesa, essentially brings Arizona law into conformance with Title 8 of the United States Code (Immigration and Naturalization), which regulates immigration into the U.S.
Federal law provides penalties for any illegal alien who:
1)Enters or attempts to enter the U.S. at any time or place other than as designated by immigration officers;
2)Eludes examination or inspection by immigration officers; or
3)Attempts to enter/obtain entry into the U.S. by false representation.
The penalty for a Class 1 misdemeanor under Title 8 is up to six months in jail and up to $2,500 in fines. The presumptive term of incarceration for a Class 4 felony is two-and-a-half years and up to $150,000 in fines. The presumptive term of incarceration for a Class 2 felony is 5 years and up to $150,000 in fines.
Pearce's measure establishes the crime of being on any public or private land in Arizona while being in violation of federal immigration law and prescribes state penalties that match federal ones.
The House Judiciary Committee approved HCR 2022 this week. It now goes to the full House.
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‘Dog’ the Bounty Hunter loses extradition battle (Latest News)
Pray for him and his family!
‘Dog’ the Bounty Hunter loses extradition battle
Federal court clears way for Chapman to be sent to Mexico to face charges
GUADALAJARA, Mexico - A federal court has cleared the way for TV bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman to be extradited to face charges in Mexico, but the decision can still be appealed.
Norma Jara, a spokeswoman for the second district court in Guadalajara, said Thursday the court rejected Chapman’s injunction request, ruling there was no reason not to try him on charges he illegally arrested Max Factor makeup heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in 2003.
“We only just heard about the Mexican court’s decision to continue with the extradition proceedings, and are still in shock,” Chapman and his wife, Beth, said in a statement issued Thursday night in Honolulu.
“Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court’s decision, as of yet. We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time.”
Once Chapman has been formally notified of the decision, he has five days to file an appeal that could block his extradition.
Mexican authorities have already asked for Chapman’s extradition from Hawaii.
Chapman’s lawyers argue he would not be guaranteed a fair trial in Mexico.
The charges against the 53-year-old star of the A&E reality series “Dog the Bounty Hunter” stem from his June 2003 capture of Luster in Puerto Vallarta. Luster had fled to Mexico to avoid trial, and his detention by Chapman led to his return to the U.S. and a 124-year prison term.
Luster’s capture shot the Honolulu-based bounty hunter to fame and led to the TV series.
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FEBRUARY 16: An Associated Press report out of Guadalajara, Mexico stated that a Mexican federal court has denied Duane "Dog" Chapman's injunction request and has ruled that the star of A&E's "Dog the Bounty Hunter" should be extradited and stand trial for deprivation of liberty - a charge stemming from Dog and his posse's 2003 capture of convicted serial rapist, Andrew Luster in Puerto Vallarta.
Mexican authorities had asked for Chapman's extradition from Hawaii and U.S. Marshals took Dog, son Leland Chapman and associate Tim Chapman into custody back on September 14th for their role in bringing Luster to justice. Dog, Leland and Tim were released on bail and have been awaiting a ruling on their request to stop the extradition proceedings, which would otherwise require them to face trial in Mexico.
"Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court's decision, as of yet," Dog and wife Beth Chapman said. "We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time."
Andrew Luster, the notorious heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was convicted of drugging and raping three women over a four year span. During his trial in 2003, Luster fled the country, leading to an international manhunt. In June 2003, Dog and his team tracked the fugitive Luster in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he was living under an alias, and seized him. Luster was subsequently found guilty in the US and is currently serving a 124 year prison sentence. At that time,in June 2003, Dog, Tim and Leland were arrested by the Mexican authorities for unlawful deprivation of liberty and released on bail.
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‘Dog’ the Bounty Hunter loses extradition battle
Federal court clears way for Chapman to be sent to Mexico to face charges
GUADALAJARA, Mexico - A federal court has cleared the way for TV bounty hunter Duane “Dog” Chapman to be extradited to face charges in Mexico, but the decision can still be appealed.
Norma Jara, a spokeswoman for the second district court in Guadalajara, said Thursday the court rejected Chapman’s injunction request, ruling there was no reason not to try him on charges he illegally arrested Max Factor makeup heir and convicted rapist Andrew Luster in 2003.
“We only just heard about the Mexican court’s decision to continue with the extradition proceedings, and are still in shock,” Chapman and his wife, Beth, said in a statement issued Thursday night in Honolulu.
“Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court’s decision, as of yet. We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time.”
Once Chapman has been formally notified of the decision, he has five days to file an appeal that could block his extradition.
Mexican authorities have already asked for Chapman’s extradition from Hawaii.
Chapman’s lawyers argue he would not be guaranteed a fair trial in Mexico.
The charges against the 53-year-old star of the A&E reality series “Dog the Bounty Hunter” stem from his June 2003 capture of Luster in Puerto Vallarta. Luster had fled to Mexico to avoid trial, and his detention by Chapman led to his return to the U.S. and a 124-year prison term.
Luster’s capture shot the Honolulu-based bounty hunter to fame and led to the TV series.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
FEBRUARY 16: An Associated Press report out of Guadalajara, Mexico stated that a Mexican federal court has denied Duane "Dog" Chapman's injunction request and has ruled that the star of A&E's "Dog the Bounty Hunter" should be extradited and stand trial for deprivation of liberty - a charge stemming from Dog and his posse's 2003 capture of convicted serial rapist, Andrew Luster in Puerto Vallarta.
Mexican authorities had asked for Chapman's extradition from Hawaii and U.S. Marshals took Dog, son Leland Chapman and associate Tim Chapman into custody back on September 14th for their role in bringing Luster to justice. Dog, Leland and Tim were released on bail and have been awaiting a ruling on their request to stop the extradition proceedings, which would otherwise require them to face trial in Mexico.
"Our attorneys have not even been formally informed of the court's decision, as of yet," Dog and wife Beth Chapman said. "We are obviously deeply disappointed and fearful of what will happen, and are currently absorbing the news and discussing our options at this time."
Andrew Luster, the notorious heir to the Max Factor cosmetics fortune, was convicted of drugging and raping three women over a four year span. During his trial in 2003, Luster fled the country, leading to an international manhunt. In June 2003, Dog and his team tracked the fugitive Luster in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where he was living under an alias, and seized him. Luster was subsequently found guilty in the US and is currently serving a 124 year prison sentence. At that time,in June 2003, Dog, Tim and Leland were arrested by the Mexican authorities for unlawful deprivation of liberty and released on bail.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
MARRIAGE DIGEST: Calif. county clerks protest 'gay marriage' ban; Indiana marriage amendment one step from 2008 ballot
MARRIAGE DIGEST: Calif. county clerks protest 'gay marriage' ban; Indiana marriage amendment one step from 2008 ballot
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--Same-sex couples across California protested the state's "gay marriage" ban on Valentine's Day by requesting marriage licenses at local county clerk offices -- and they got support from some clerks in the process.
Although the clerks didn't grant licenses to the couples, in Yolo County couples received "Certificates of Inequality," an unofficial document saying that County Clerk-Recorder Freddie Oakley disagrees with the law and backs the goals of the couples.
Clerks in San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties said they opposed the current law, too, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Homosexual couples across California have used the strategy for years, trying to focus attention on the current law, which protects the natural and traditional definition of marriage.
"This is my fifth year as county clerk and the fifth year in which I will be refusing marriage licenses to people of the same gender," Oakley told the Chronicle. "It gets harder every year."
Oakley's certificate read, in part, "I issue this Certificate of Inequality to you because your choice of marriage partner displeases some people whose displeasure is, apparently, more important than principles of equality." The bottom of the document said, "May the God of your choice bless you."
San Mateo County Clerk Warren Slocum had same-sex couples sign a guest book he hopes is part of the county's historical museum someday, the Chronicle reported. Marion County Clerk Michael Smith took the names and phone numbers of the couples and hopes to be able to perform their ceremony when, he says "gay marriage" is legalized.
But supporters of the current law -- which was approved by 61 percent of voters in 2000 -- say the clerks abused the power of their office and don't reflect the beliefs of the general public. Dozens of county residents protested outside Oakley's Woodland, Calif., office.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
SAN FRANCISCO (BP)--Same-sex couples across California protested the state's "gay marriage" ban on Valentine's Day by requesting marriage licenses at local county clerk offices -- and they got support from some clerks in the process.
Although the clerks didn't grant licenses to the couples, in Yolo County couples received "Certificates of Inequality," an unofficial document saying that County Clerk-Recorder Freddie Oakley disagrees with the law and backs the goals of the couples.
Clerks in San Mateo, Marin, Contra Costa and Sonoma counties said they opposed the current law, too, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Homosexual couples across California have used the strategy for years, trying to focus attention on the current law, which protects the natural and traditional definition of marriage.
"This is my fifth year as county clerk and the fifth year in which I will be refusing marriage licenses to people of the same gender," Oakley told the Chronicle. "It gets harder every year."
Oakley's certificate read, in part, "I issue this Certificate of Inequality to you because your choice of marriage partner displeases some people whose displeasure is, apparently, more important than principles of equality." The bottom of the document said, "May the God of your choice bless you."
San Mateo County Clerk Warren Slocum had same-sex couples sign a guest book he hopes is part of the county's historical museum someday, the Chronicle reported. Marion County Clerk Michael Smith took the names and phone numbers of the couples and hopes to be able to perform their ceremony when, he says "gay marriage" is legalized.
But supporters of the current law -- which was approved by 61 percent of voters in 2000 -- say the clerks abused the power of their office and don't reflect the beliefs of the general public. Dozens of county residents protested outside Oakley's Woodland, Calif., office.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Same-sex civil unions could pass in 4 states this year; activists optimistic about chances
Same-sex civil unions could pass in 4 states this year; activists optimistic about chances
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--After suffering a series of stinging defeats last year, homosexual activists may be on the verge of significant victories this year as state legislatures consider passing same-sex civil unions bills.
Legislators in at least four states -- Hawaii, New Hampshire, Oregon and Rhode Island -- are examining civil unions bills that would grant homosexual couples the legal benefits of marriage. A fifth state, Washington, is considering a domestic partnership benefits bill that would give same-sex couples some of marriage's legal benefits.
In all five states, supporters believe they have a good chance at success. Homosexual activists see civil unions as the next-best thing to full-blown "gay marriage," as well as a natural stepping stone to "marriage." Some legislators see civil unions as a compromise. Pro-family leaders, though, disagree.
"We think civil unions as they are proposed here in Hawaii are exactly the same as marriage, but with a different title," Hawaii Family Forum Executive Director Kelly Rosati told Baptist Press. "So, we don't see it as much of a compromise."
Last year, supreme courts in New York, Washington state and New Jersey ruled there was no constitutional right to "gay marriage." Although it was a banner year for conservatives, the pendulum could be swinging back in the other direction. Maryland's highest court could issue a "gay marriage" decision any day. California's top court will hear such a case this year, and Connecticut's highest court could as well.
Civil unions are legal in three states: Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey. But even with civil unions, all three states remain embroiled in political or legal squabbles over "gay marriage." In Vermont, a bill that would legalize "gay marriage" is pending in the state legislature. In Connecticut, a lawsuit that would legalize "gay marriage" currently is before the Connecticut Supreme Court, although justices have yet to decide whether they'll hear it. And in New Jersey, the new civil unions law is just now going into effect, and homosexual activists already are pledging not to give up until the legislature allows "marriage" for same-sex couples.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
By Michael Foust
Baptist Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--After suffering a series of stinging defeats last year, homosexual activists may be on the verge of significant victories this year as state legislatures consider passing same-sex civil unions bills.
Legislators in at least four states -- Hawaii, New Hampshire, Oregon and Rhode Island -- are examining civil unions bills that would grant homosexual couples the legal benefits of marriage. A fifth state, Washington, is considering a domestic partnership benefits bill that would give same-sex couples some of marriage's legal benefits.
In all five states, supporters believe they have a good chance at success. Homosexual activists see civil unions as the next-best thing to full-blown "gay marriage," as well as a natural stepping stone to "marriage." Some legislators see civil unions as a compromise. Pro-family leaders, though, disagree.
"We think civil unions as they are proposed here in Hawaii are exactly the same as marriage, but with a different title," Hawaii Family Forum Executive Director Kelly Rosati told Baptist Press. "So, we don't see it as much of a compromise."
Last year, supreme courts in New York, Washington state and New Jersey ruled there was no constitutional right to "gay marriage." Although it was a banner year for conservatives, the pendulum could be swinging back in the other direction. Maryland's highest court could issue a "gay marriage" decision any day. California's top court will hear such a case this year, and Connecticut's highest court could as well.
Civil unions are legal in three states: Vermont, Connecticut and New Jersey. But even with civil unions, all three states remain embroiled in political or legal squabbles over "gay marriage." In Vermont, a bill that would legalize "gay marriage" is pending in the state legislature. In Connecticut, a lawsuit that would legalize "gay marriage" currently is before the Connecticut Supreme Court, although justices have yet to decide whether they'll hear it. And in New Jersey, the new civil unions law is just now going into effect, and homosexual activists already are pledging not to give up until the legislature allows "marriage" for same-sex couples.
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Anti-Christian rage hits previously quiet area
Anti-Christian rage hits previously quiet area
Mob breaks through barricades, stabs and murders man in his home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
While persecution of Christians – largely by radical Hindus – is far too routine in India, in the past there have been areas of that nation where the level of animosity has been lower, including Kerala State. But that has changed suddenly, according to reports from Voice of the Martyrs, with the unprovoked attack on a Christian man and his wife by a mob of youths.
Officials with VOM, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide, said the attack happened in Pavaloor, in Kerala State, just last week, when a mob stabbed and killed a 58-year-old Christian man, identified as S. Stanley.
Sources within the region told VOM that a mob of youths assembled in front of the Stanleys' house, shouting abuses against Christians.
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Mob breaks through barricades, stabs and murders man in his home
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com
While persecution of Christians – largely by radical Hindus – is far too routine in India, in the past there have been areas of that nation where the level of animosity has been lower, including Kerala State. But that has changed suddenly, according to reports from Voice of the Martyrs, with the unprovoked attack on a Christian man and his wife by a mob of youths.
Officials with VOM, a U.S.-based Christian group helping members of the persecuted Christian church worldwide, said the attack happened in Pavaloor, in Kerala State, just last week, when a mob stabbed and killed a 58-year-old Christian man, identified as S. Stanley.
Sources within the region told VOM that a mob of youths assembled in front of the Stanleys' house, shouting abuses against Christians.
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3,000 Policemen Guarding Temple Mount
3,000 Policemen Guarding Temple Mount
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Police Chief Moshe Karadi has raised the alert level around the country to Level III, the second-highest. Jerusalem is of special concern, because of the Moslem rioting violence and threats regarding the construction of a ramp to the Temple Mount from the Western Wall plaza.
As a security precaution, entry to the Friday prayers at the Al-Aksa mosque are restricted more tightly than they have ever been, and only those aged 50 and older will be allowed in.
Three Arabs were arrested shortly before the noon-time prayers began when they tried to evade policemen and ascend to the Mount.
The walkway in question is the only passage by which Jews can enter the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism, the location of the First and Second Holy Temples, and the place where the Binding of Isaac took place. The ramp was heavily damaged during a snowstorm three years ago, and is being replaced. Before the construction can take place, however, Israeli law requires that preparatory archaeological excavations take place to determine if important findings lie below.
Arab leaders have raised an uproar over the works, and have called for another intifada to "save the Al-Aqsa Mosque [on the Temple Mount]." This, despite the fact that the works are underway well outside the Temple Mount. Israeli-Arab Sheikh Raad Salah, who heads the northern branch of the radical Islamic Movement in Israel, was arrested and has been distanced from the Old City for the next two months. He is also charged with attacking policemen.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) Police Chief Moshe Karadi has raised the alert level around the country to Level III, the second-highest. Jerusalem is of special concern, because of the Moslem rioting violence and threats regarding the construction of a ramp to the Temple Mount from the Western Wall plaza.
As a security precaution, entry to the Friday prayers at the Al-Aksa mosque are restricted more tightly than they have ever been, and only those aged 50 and older will be allowed in.
Three Arabs were arrested shortly before the noon-time prayers began when they tried to evade policemen and ascend to the Mount.
The walkway in question is the only passage by which Jews can enter the Temple Mount - the holiest site in Judaism, the location of the First and Second Holy Temples, and the place where the Binding of Isaac took place. The ramp was heavily damaged during a snowstorm three years ago, and is being replaced. Before the construction can take place, however, Israeli law requires that preparatory archaeological excavations take place to determine if important findings lie below.
Arab leaders have raised an uproar over the works, and have called for another intifada to "save the Al-Aqsa Mosque [on the Temple Mount]." This, despite the fact that the works are underway well outside the Temple Mount. Israeli-Arab Sheikh Raad Salah, who heads the northern branch of the radical Islamic Movement in Israel, was arrested and has been distanced from the Old City for the next two months. He is also charged with attacking policemen.
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Launched Rocket Jettisons Five Satellites
Launched Rocket Jettisons Five Satellites
By Michael F. Haverluck
February 17, 2007
CBNNews.com -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- One hour after blast-off, a single rocket jettisoned five scientific satellites into space.
University of California at Berkeley scientists report from their ground station that approximately half-an-hour after the five satellites separated from the rocket, they were able to initiate signals from each one.
"Everything looks picture-perfect," remarked a NASA spokeswoman.
After approximately two months, the probes will begin relaying information to scientists for many years into the future, if things go as planned.
When the five satellites begin their intended functions, they will magnetically map the region of North America every four days for a duration of about 15 to 20 hours, which will work in conjunction with 20 separate ground stations.
The $200 million Themis mission was launched in order to figure out the cause of powerful geomagnetic substorms discovered in the earth's atmosphere.
Potential problems initiated from the storms range from inoperative power grids, disabled communications satellites and high radiation levels cast on spacewalking astronauts and airline passengers traveling over northern latitudes in the earth's atmosphere.
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By Michael F. Haverluck
February 17, 2007
CBNNews.com -- CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- One hour after blast-off, a single rocket jettisoned five scientific satellites into space.
University of California at Berkeley scientists report from their ground station that approximately half-an-hour after the five satellites separated from the rocket, they were able to initiate signals from each one.
"Everything looks picture-perfect," remarked a NASA spokeswoman.
After approximately two months, the probes will begin relaying information to scientists for many years into the future, if things go as planned.
When the five satellites begin their intended functions, they will magnetically map the region of North America every four days for a duration of about 15 to 20 hours, which will work in conjunction with 20 separate ground stations.
The $200 million Themis mission was launched in order to figure out the cause of powerful geomagnetic substorms discovered in the earth's atmosphere.
Potential problems initiated from the storms range from inoperative power grids, disabled communications satellites and high radiation levels cast on spacewalking astronauts and airline passengers traveling over northern latitudes in the earth's atmosphere.
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
Congressman says banking privileges for illegals a national security threat
Jim Brown
OneNewsNow.com
U.S. Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas) feels Bank of America is hindering the war on terrorism by encouraging illegal aliens and others to obtain credit and bank cards without Social Security numbers. It is hard enough for American citizens to obtain credit, the lawmaker insists, without banks "playing preference" to illegal immigrants by allowing them to open card accounts without the proper documentation.
"And it's all in the name of money," Poe says. "It's not what's best for America. It's all about money and maybe what's best for Bank of America," he contends.
The Texas conservative says that financial institution, by extending its services in this way, is sending the wrong message to drug cartels and terrorists. These "people who want to do us harm look at this as another opportunity to open accounts, to store money for a later time to be used against the rest of us," he asserts.
Poe feels this move by the Bank of America demonstrates that the company is interested in profit at the expense of national security. "Certainly, the Patriot Act applies," he says; "but all this does is weaken the concept of accountability as to what persons are opening these accounts."
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OneNewsNow.com
U.S. Congressman Ted Poe (R-Texas) feels Bank of America is hindering the war on terrorism by encouraging illegal aliens and others to obtain credit and bank cards without Social Security numbers. It is hard enough for American citizens to obtain credit, the lawmaker insists, without banks "playing preference" to illegal immigrants by allowing them to open card accounts without the proper documentation.
"And it's all in the name of money," Poe says. "It's not what's best for America. It's all about money and maybe what's best for Bank of America," he contends.
The Texas conservative says that financial institution, by extending its services in this way, is sending the wrong message to drug cartels and terrorists. These "people who want to do us harm look at this as another opportunity to open accounts, to store money for a later time to be used against the rest of us," he asserts.
Poe feels this move by the Bank of America demonstrates that the company is interested in profit at the expense of national security. "Certainly, the Patriot Act applies," he says; "but all this does is weaken the concept of accountability as to what persons are opening these accounts."
Click here for the full story! (may need to disable pop-up blocker)
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