To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Fingerprint Scans Replace Lunch Money in Pennsylvania
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 15:07:57 -0000
Fingerprint Scans Replace Lunch Money in Pennsylvania
By Sascha Segan
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/fingerprint_kids01011
8.html
A new system which uses fingerprint scanners to let kids pay for=20
school lunches is getting raves from students and school=20
administrators, but is making privacy advocates nervous.
The scanners make stealable lunch money, lose-able swipe cards and=20
the stigma of being known as the free-lunch kid things of the past,=20
says Walter Curfman, superintendent of the Tussey Mountain School=20
District in western Pennsylvania.
"You always have your finger with you, unless you cut it off," he=20
said.
But Andrew Shen of the Electronic Privacy Information Center worries=20
about how well the information will be protected from being spread=20
around throughout the government.
"Once you have a collection of fingerprints starting from such an=20
early age, I can imagine this being used for other purposes in the=20
future" such as law enforcement, he said.=20
Popular System
The system from Altoona, Penn.-based Food Service Solutions is=20
currently being piloted in middle and high schools at Tussey Mountain=20
and neighboring Penn Cambria School District in rural western=20
Pennsylvania, and Lower Merion School District in suburban=20
Philadelphia. So far, it's unique to the Keystone state, FSS=20
president Mitch Johns said.
It works on a debit account system =97 parents put money in, and=20
students order food. When the account runs low, a letter goes out to=20
the parents. Parents can also restrict students' shopping "a la=20
carte" =97 buying extra food not on the day's set menu. Students can=20
also choose to buy items with cash.
So far, kids have taken to the new system, said Tussey Mountain=20
cafeteria director Deb Stepisianos. Though the kids goof around a=20
bit =97 putting the wrong finger down and such =97 so far only three sets=20
of parents have opted out of the program, she said.
And as Tussey's system was a beta test, they've had some trouble with=20
the software, choking up lunch lines.
"When it works, it's wonderful," she said.=20
Going Too Far?
The scanning system was developed in response to a federal regulation=20
requiring that cafeterias hide who's getting free or reduced-price=20
lunches, Curfman said.
But cafeterias that use swipe cards or PIN numbers and debit accounts=20
fulfill the same requirement and are often cheaper to run, according=20
to Dennis Waiter, national marketing director at ARAMARK, which=20
operates cafeterias at 350 school districts across the nation.
FSS' system costs Tussey Mountain about $50,000 for its four schools=20
plus $4,000-5,000 a year for maintenance, Curfman said. A swipe card=20
system from SNAP Systems, the nation's largest purveyor of such=20
systems, would cost between $28,000-60,000 for a district that size,=20
plus about $3,000-4,000 a year for maintenance, according to Gloria=20
Calvo of SNAP.=20
FSS wants to expand its fingerprint system for use in attendance=20
taking and on school door locks, as the use of biometric scanners is=20
spreading in U.S. schools. Eagen High School in St. Paul, Minn., for=20
instance, has been using fingerprint scanners to check out books at=20
the school library since last academic year.
Fingerprints have the stigma of criminality, privacy advocates said,=20
and there's no guarantee the data wouldn't get out to law enforcement=20
authorities or other agencies later in the game.
"At some point my bet is, somebody's parents are going to file some=20
sort of a lawsuit," said Anne Cavoukian, data privacy commissioner=20
for the government of Ontario in Canada. "I think you're going to=20
have some litigation on your hands: `why are you treating our=20
children like common criminals?'"
Students' biometric data =97 such as fingerprint records =97 is=20
considered a student record and falls under the Family Educational=20
Rights and Privacy Act, a 1974 privacy law. In most cases, the law=20
says parents have to give written permission every time a student's=20
records are released to an organization other than the school system.
But there are exceptions to FERPA that are different for every school=20
district in the nation. Usually, lawyers said, schools have to give=20
up their records if a judge or a district attorney asks. Districts=20
differ on whether private lawyers can also grab student records for=20
use in lawsuits, and when the police can do it.=20
No Clear Picture
Of course, that's if the police could even make use of the=20
fingerprint scan data =97 and whether they can is unclear.
FSS uses a fingerprint scanner from Groupe Sagem, a French company.=20
The Sagem scanner doesn't store images of fingerprints. Instead, it=20
records a few dozen points on a fingerprint and turns the location of=20
those points into a number. The way the system is currently=20
configured, it's more than 99 percent efficient for up to 3,000 kids,=20
said Steve Ketcham, a programmer for Food Service Solutions.
You can't recreate fingerprint images from the data in the system,=20
but if law enforcement had a similar system, they could match up the=20
numbers. And Ketcham said FSS' system is a "stripped down version of=20
the AFIS," a fingerprint-recognition system used by law enforcement.
But Johns insists the numbers produced from the finger scanners can't=20
be used by any other system.
"I see no way for that process to be used by anybody else," he said.=20
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Religious Theme Park Set to Open
From: owner-bpr@philologos.org
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 15:11:30 -0000
Religious Theme Park Set to Open=20
Saturday, January 20, 2001=20=20=20=20=20=20
ORLANDO, Fla. =97 A film depicting the greatest hits of Bible stories=20
and a stage show featuring the Holy Ark are not your typical Orlando=20
theme-park fare.=20
Peter Cosgrove/AP=20
=20
http://www.foxnews.com/national/011901/religious_themepark.sml
In fact, The Holy Land Experience, a Christian theme park, is unlike=20
anything Orlando has ever seen. When it opens Feb. 5, visitors will=20
be able to enter a replica of Jesus' tomb, climb the stairs of a faux=20
Herod's Temple and travel down a re-creation of the Via Dolorosa, the=20
street that Jesus walked before he was crucified.=20
But members of Orlando's Jewish community are raising skeptical=20
eyebrows about the theme park since its founder is a Messianic Jew or=20
Hebrew Christian.=20
Messianic Jews consider themselves Jewish, yet believe Jesus is the=20
Messiah =97 in contradiction to traditional Jewish theology.=20
Some members of the Jewish community fear that there's an ulterior=20
motive to the $16 million theme park: to convert Jews to=20
Christianity.=20
"If the purpose of The Holy Land Experience is to celebrate their=20
tradition, then it's something I applaud," said Rabbi Dan Wolpe,=20
chairman of the Greater Orlando Board of Rabbis. "If the purpose is=20
to proselytize ... then it's something I condemn."=20
There is no hidden agenda other than to share the word of God and=20
exalt the Bible, said the theme park's founder, Marvin Rosenthal, who=20
was raised Jewish in Philadelphia, became a Christian as a teen-ager=20
and was ordained a Baptist minister at age 33. He has dreamed of=20
building the park for 20 years.=20
"I've come to appreciate how helpful it is for people not only to=20
read about some of the great truths in the Bible, but to see some of=20
the places, the environment, the sounds, the touches, the smells,"=20
said Rosenthal, 65, who prefers to call the project "a living=20
biblical museum."=20
But The Holy Land Experience, located near Orlando's tourist strip,=20
is unmistakably a theme park. A woman dressed in robes evoking the=20
Biblical era offers visitors the Hebrew greeting, "Shalom." Men=20
dressed as Roman soldiers, with armor and helmets, stand guard at the=20
entrance. It was designed by ITEC Entertainment Corp., which created=20
rides for the Walt Disney Co. and Universal Studios.=20
The entrance fee is $17 per person, compared with more than $50 per=20
person charged by the large Orlando theme parks.=20
The park blends Jewish ritual with Christian theology, in keeping=20
with Hebrew Christian beliefs. That is what troubles the rabbis.=20
"If you accept Jesus as your savior, you are a Christian,'' Wolpe=20
said. "Any study of Judaism shows their beliefs are incompatible with=20
Judaism."=20
Menorahs and other Jewish religious items are sold in the gift shop.=20
At the Wilderness Tabernacle show, an actor playing the role of=20
Aaron, the brother of Moses, re-enacts priesthood rituals carried out=20
as the Jews wandered the desert after receiving the Ten Commandments=20
from Mount Sinai.=20
The 20-minute show, combining lasers and pyrotechnics, begins with=20
three Hebrew prayers chanted over a loudspeaker, including the Vay-a-
hofta, one of the most important prayers in Jewish liturgy. The show=20
ends with the narrator saying the ancient Jews' wandering through the=20
desert was a prelude to a greater understanding of their faith. A=20
nativity-scene image of Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph then flashes on=20
the screen.=20
"I find that offensive," Wolpe said after hearing a description of=20
the show. "When they use our prayers in their exhibit, they're using=20
a centuries-old device in proselytization, trying to show that=20
Christianity is the legitimate evolution of Judaism."=20
Added Rabbi Merrill Shapiro of Congregation Beth Am in Orlando, who=20
like Wolpe has not visited the theme park: "The connection of that=20
with a scene of the Nativity ... is certainly a perversion of the=20
original intent of those prayers and the ritual of Aaron."=20
Rosenthal wants to use the theme park as a way to reach out to people=20
of all faiths and nationalities, but there will be no overt=20
proselytizing.=20
"When people come in, they're not buttonholed, nobody's giving out=20
literature, nobody's trying to get them in a back room or corner,"=20
Rosenthal said.=20
The park has an advertising budget of $350,000 and will be marketed=20
outside traditional Christian media.=20
The park needs at least 180,000 visitors to break even. By contrast,=20
Orlando's biggest parks at Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando=20
attract 8 million to 15 million visitors a year.=20
The park's funding came from donors to Rosenthal's ministry, Zion's=20
Hope; subscribers to the ministry's magazine, "Zion's Fire"; and=20
money from selling land so a highway exit ramp could be built off=20
Interstate 4.=20
Rosenthal moved his nondenominational ministry to Orlando from New=20
Jersey 11 years ago after deciding that he could reach out to more=20
people in a tourist destination visited by 42 million people a year.=20
Orlando is also home to several large Christian institutions such as=20
Campus Crusade for Christ and Wycliffe Bible Translators.=20
"What better place to build a family-oriented venue than in the No. 1=20
family destination?" said Marvin Rosenthal's son David, who is=20
responsible for day-to-day operations at the theme park.=20
Despite the frivolity of other theme parks, the message of The Holy=20
Land Experience is serious, Rosenthal said.=20
"We're not in the entertainment business. We're not in the museum=20
business," he said. "This is designed to communicate the truths of=20
the word of God. We do that very publicly and we do that without=20
apology."=20
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Baptist Temple rejects militia's intervention
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:43:41 -0500
[This was forwarded to me by a list member.]
Jan 20, 2001
THE POWER TO DESTROY
Baptist Temple rejects militia's
intervention
Church 'disappointed and grieved' at
group's plan for 'unsolicited actions'
By Julie Foster
=A9 2001WorldNetDaily.com=20
Members and friends of the Indianapolis Baptist
Temple immediately rejected a local militia's
public announcement yesterday that it has
moved about 50 members to the area in
preparation for an impending seizure of church
property by U.S. marshals.=20
"Steps have been taken and we are ready to
respond if something does happen," militia
commander Roger Stalcup told the Hoosier
Times.=20
Militia members are staying with sympathetic
families in the area, he said, and come from the
Southern Indiana Regional Militia as well as the
Greene County Militia, currently under the
command of Stalcup's wife, Janice.=20
"It's my opinion that if you've got people in that
church and the U.S. marshals go in, anything can
happen," Roger Stalcup told the local
publication. "Dixon (the church pastor) has
asked that no one be armed, but he doesn't
know if they are or not. And if someone with an
ax to grind fires the first shot, that could turn
bad."=20
Stalcup said his group would only step in
should the situation escalate.=20
"I never planned to challenge the government
when it came to taking the church," he said. "I
just don't want to see anybody get hurt."=20
The church, known as IBT, is set to be seized by
the U.S. Marshals Service for not withholding
certain employment taxes from employees'
paychecks, leaving individuals to decide
whether or not to pay the taxes due. About 60
church employees passed IRS audits. But the
agency determined the taxes should have been
withheld and paid by the church, not
individuals, and successfully sued the
Indianapolis Baptist Temple.=20
As reported by WorldNetDaily, the
Indianapolis Baptist Temple stands by its
convictions that a church and its property
belong only to God. However, what individuals
choose to do with the money they receive from
the church is their own decision, says IBT's
attorney Al Cunningham.=20
"The pastors and congregation of the
Indianapolis Baptist Temple, in no uncertain
terms, repudiate all efforts of the Southern
Indiana militia, under the leadership of Roger
and Janice Stalcup, to aid the church in its
ongoing struggle for religious liberty. The
church is relying totally and completely upon
the Sovereign God of Heaven for His protection
and safety," church officials wrote in a statement
yesterday.=20
"We are disappointed and grieved that the
Southern Indiana Regional Militia is attempting
to interfere at this juncture by announcing
unsolicited actions which, if undertaken, will
discredit and subvert IBT's effort to restore
religious liberties by appeal to the Congress
and with the president of the United States in a
peaceful and nonviolent manner," the statement
continues.=20
Church members and supporters have occupied
the church 24 hours a day for the past 68
consecutive days -- since federal Judge Sarah
Evans Barker ordered church property seized in
November.=20
The church has been in constant communication
with U.S. Marshal Frank Anderson and plans to
enter the sanctuary for prayer once the seizure
begins. A date for the seizure is still unknown.
However, the procedure has been
choreographed by the church and the marshal's
office. Some occupants will walk out
voluntarily, while others will be escorted. Those
who wish to be carried out will be located at the
front of the sanctuary. At no time will violence
be employed by protesters, IBC officials
maintain.=20
"IBT has great respect for Marshal Frank
Anderson and thank (sic) him for displaying
great patience and restraint in this tragic event
that has occurred in the history of America,"
says the church's statement.=20
IBT sympathizer Mike Anderson is a pastor
from Iowa who has been in Indianapolis for the
protest since November with his wife and two
grown daughters.=20
"We had absolutely no idea these folks were
going to be in town," he said of the militia.
"We've got women and children here," he told
WND. "We just want to glorify Jesus Christ. We
don't want any violence here."=20
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=3D21418
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Subject: [bprlist] GeoSpatial To Test Wireless Vehicle Tarcking
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 13:53:16 -0500
GeoSpatial To Test Wireless Vehicle Tracking
By Mike Mayor
Wireless NewsFactor
January 18, 2001
A software system designed to track vehicle location and movements in real-
time over wireless devices will be pilot-tested in a Florida school district next
week.
Manufactured by GeoSpatial Technologies, Inc., the GlobalTrax software
system combines Global Positioning System (GPS), Geographic Information
System (GIS) and wireless and Internet technologies to track vehicles such
as police patrol cars, armored vehicles, fire engines, ambulances, school
buses and delivery trucks from any computer or Web-enabled handheld
wireless device.
Focus on Student Transport
The pilot test, scheduled to take place in Stuart, Florida, will demonstrate
how the system can be used in various student transportation applications,
including prenotification of bus arrivals for parents of special needs students,
performance monitoring of all scheduled stops for pickups and drop-offs, and
an onboard emergency alert system, GeoSpatial said.
GeoSpatial noted that one of the key components of the GlobalTrax system
is its pre-arrival notification feature. For example, when a school bus is within
10 minutes of a special needs student's home, the system will send out an
automated call via wireless transmission to notify the parent of the impending
arrival of the bus.
Easing Parents' Worries
In addition, GeoSpatial said the system will help reduce parents' worries
while they wait for a bus to arrive during inclement weather and when there
are traffic delays.
The pilot program is scheduled to last until the end of the school year, the
company said. GeoSpatial Technologies is conducting the test in
conjunction with Laidlaw Education Services; the Martin County, Florida
Schools; and Cingular (formerly BellSouth and Southwestern Bell).
The company added that if the test proves successful, a consumer version of
the GlobalTrax system will be made available later this year.
Santa Ana, California-based GeoSpatial Technologies is a GIS company that
incorporates wireless, GPS and Internet technologies to develop products for
public safety and consumer use. The company's product portfolio includes
GlobalTrax, WayFinder, GST CrimeMap, GST Mapper, GST Streetlinker and
GST Viewer.
http://www.wirelessnewsfactor.com/perl/story/6826.html
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Colin Powell speaks fluent Yiddish
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:01:35 -0500
The previous U.S. Secretary of State had Jewish origins.
The new one speaks fluent Yiddish.
Unlike today's vista of decrepit buildings, dilapidated housing and rusting
junked cars, the South Bronx in 1950 was the home of a large and thriving
community, one that was predominantly Jewish. Today a mere remnant of
this once-vibrant community survives, but in the 1950's the Bronx offered
synagogues, mikvahs, kosher bakeries, and kosher butchers -- all the
comforts one would expect from a traditional Jewish community.
The baby boom of the post-war years happily resulted in many new young
parents. As a matter of course, the South Bronx had its own baby equipment
store. Sickser's was located on the corner of Westchester and Fox, and
specialized in "everything for the baby," as its slogan ran. The inventory
began with cribs, baby carriages, playpens, high chairs, changing tables,
and toys.
Mr. Sickser, assisted by his son-in-law Lou Kirshner, ran a profitable
business out of the needs of the rapidly-expanding child population. The
language of the store was primarily Yiddish, but Sickser's was a place where
not only Jewish families but also many non-Jewish ones could acquire the
necessary paraphernalia for their newly-arrived bundles of joy.
Business was particularly busy one spring day, so much so that Mr. Sickser
and his son-in-law could not handle the unexpected throng of customers.
Desperate for help, Mr. Sickser ran out of the store and stopped the first
youth he spotted on the street.
"Young man," he panted, "how would you like to make a little extra money? I
need some help in the store. You want to work a little?"
The tall, lanky African-American boy flashed a toothy smile back. "Yes, sir,
I'd like some work."
"Well then, let's get started." The boy followed his new employer into the
store.
Mr. Sickser was immediately impressed with the boy's good manners and
demeanor. As the days went by and he came again and again to lend his
help, Mr. Sickser became increasingly impressed with the youth's diligence,
punctuality and readiness to learn. Eventually Mr. Sickser made him a
regular employee at the store. It was gratifying to find an employee with an
almost soldier-like willingness to perform even the most menial of tasks, and
to perform them well.
From the age of 13 until his sophomore year in college, the young man put in
from 12-15 hours a week, at 50 to 75 cents an hour. Mostly, he performed
general labor: assembling merchandise, unloading trucks and preparing
items for shipments. He seemed, in his quiet way, to appreciate not only the
steady employment but the friendly atmosphere Mr. Sickser's store offered.
Mr. Sickser learned in time about their helper's Jamaican origins, and he in
turn picked up a good deal of Yiddish. In time young Colin was able to
converse fairly well with his employers, and more importantly, with a number
of the Jewish customers whose English was not fluent.
At the age of 17, the young man, while still working part-time at Sickser's,
began his first semester at City College of New York. He fit in just fine with
his, for the most part Jewish, classmates -- hardly surprising, considering
that he already knew their ways and their language. But the heavy studying
in the engineering and later geology courses he chose proved quite
challenging. Colin would later recall that Sickser's offered the one stable
point in his life those days.
After signing up for an ROTC program and serving two tours of duty in
Vietnam, the young man quickly rose to the top ranks of the U.S. military. In
1989, under President George Bush, Colin Powell was sworn in as the
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In 1993, two years after he guided the American victory over Iraq in the Gulf
War, Colin Powell visited the Holy Land. Upon meeting Israel's Prime
Minister Yitzhak Shamir in Jerusalem, he greeted the Israeli with the words
Men kent reden Yiddish -- "We can speak Yiddish."
As Shamir, stunned, tried to pull himself together, Colin Powell - now U.S.
Secretary of State -- continued chatting in his second-favorite language. He
had never forgotten his early days in the Bronx.
Zev Roth is an author living in Israel. Excerpted from "The Monsey-Kiryat
Sefer Express: True Tales from Two Cities" (Targum Press, 2000)
http://aish.com/issues/society/Colin_Powell_Is_No_Shlepper.asp
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Wearable translators
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:02:43 -0500
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: 19 JANUARY
2001
Contact: Gail Cleere
cleereg@onr.navy.mil
703-696-4987
Office of Naval Research
Wearable translators
One of the many areas that the Office of Naval
Research supports is that of information processing.
Study in this area includes neural, perceptual, and
cognitive levels of organization, with an emphasis on
developing devices for military operations. For
example: how about a wearable language translator
when on a foreign operation? No fumbling for a phrase
book, no bulky laptop computer.
This mobile, lightweight device now being funded by
ONR is actually a flexible, belt-style computer - no
bigger than a fanny pack - allowing the speaker's
language to be translated in near real time for the
listener. Moreover, it wouldn't just translate
word-for-word, but would be able to understand the
context in which a term or idiom is used to influence
the resulting translation.
It would be capable of dictionary stacking; for example,
a "click" to the military is a measurement of distance,
whereas to civilians it is a short sound. By having the
military dictionary stacked on top of the standard
dictionary, the system will be able to generate an
appropriate translation for the wearer's circumstances.
Currently, software is being developed to translate
Korean, Bosnian, Arabic, Thai, and Mandarin
Chinese, as well as the major European languages. A
body-worn translator would benefit not only the
military, but also airport personnel, border patrol and
customs agents, phone operators, and tourists, among
others.
http://www.eurekalert.org/releases/onr-wt011801.html
via: transhumantech@egroups.com
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Syria gears for feared IDF attack
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:10:22 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 02:15:17 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Syria gears for feared IDF
attack before poll - Damascus redeploying
troops and anti-aircraft missiles
Ha'aretz: Syria gears for feared IDF attack before poll - Damascus
redeploying troops and anti-aircraft missiles
By Amir Oren Ha'aretz Correspondent Ha'aretz 22 January 2001
The Syrian armed forces have been on the highest state of alert since the
start of the year, in anticipation of an Israeli attack against Syria in the
weeks before Israel's prime ministerial election.
Syrian President Bashar Assad, with the backing of senior members of the
Syrian military and intelligence, ordered defensive redeployments throughout
the front, including areas deep in Syrian territory.
As part of the redeployments, the Syrians are shifting air defense systems,
including surface-to-air missiles, and are reinforcing critical positions.
On several Israeli decision-making levels, including intelligence analysis
and political circles, the Syrian actions are being seen as part of serious
Damascus concerns that the Israeli air force will launch a large-scale
strike against Syrian positions, both in Lebanon and inside Syria.
The Syrians worry that Israel will use an attack by the radical Shi'ite
organization, Hezbollah, against Israel's border with Lebanon, as an excuse
to launch a retaliatory attack against Syria. The "excuse" could be
cross-border raid, rockets shot across the border at northern Israeli towns,
bombing IDF vehicles or kidnapping Israeli Defense Forces' soldiers.
Israel has accused Syria of not doing enough to rein in Hezbollah, and
blamed Damascus for allowing large shipments of Iranian aid to be flown to
Hezbollah guerrillas through Syrian airports.
Israel has not retaliated for several Hezbollah attacks since it withdrew
from its self-declared security zone in southern Lebanon last May. But it
has threatenned a major action after the kidnapping of three IDF soldiers
from a contested area on the northern border last October.
Damascus is concerned that Israel will target Syrian air-defense systems,
especially its surface-to-air batteries.
According to Israeli Military Intelligence and the General Staff, Syrian
concerns, albeit exaggerated, are not part of a Syrian diversion in a plan
to initiate an attack against Israel.
Damascus fears Israeli decision-making circles are keen to recapture some of
the deterrent power lost iin the IDF withdrawal from Lebanon, and that this
tendency will only increase as the February 6 elections draw near. Recent
IDF operations are being interpreted by the Syrians as preparations for
initiating an attack.
In an effort to assuage Syrian concerns, Israel sent a number of messages to
Damascus, through U.S. intermediaries, in which the government of Prime
Minister Ehud Barak clearly tells the Syrian regime Israel has no intentions
to attack Syria.
Israel also urged both sides to prevent any incidents that could spark
conflagration, particularly as a result of mistaken interpretation of the
other side's intentions.
--------------------------------------------
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Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz (IMRA): PA Abu Mazen attacks U.S. role
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:11:09 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 02:16:51 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz (IMRA): PA Abu Mazen
attacks U.S. role in peace process that
assumed non-existent compromise
fundamental disagreements
Ha'aretz (IMRA): PA Abu Mazen attacks U.S. role in peace process that
assumed non-existent compromise fundamental disagreements
By Amira Hass Palestinian Affairs Correspondent Ha'aretz
[IMRA: This is one of a series of articles that have appeared in recent
days that shed light on a fatal defect in the underlying assumptions that
have driven the Oslo process: the complete and total reliance on the
assumption that the MOST OPTIMISTIC INTERPRETATION of Palestinian winks and
smiles, and even vague hypothetical off-the-record hints shared with Israeli
Leftists at various unofficial meetings and forums will ultimately be
translated into official Palestinian policy.
The logic of Oslo was to create facts on the ground that would both
undermine the "red lines" embraced by the Israeli public and create an
irreversible dynamic towards a final solution.
It would be unfair to claim that Beilin et. al. plunged down the Oslo pit
knowing that it would ultimately leave Israel with a choice between war from
a considerably more difficult starting point (e.g. a 40,000 plus Palestinian
army along with various militias within Israel's borders) and the
destruction of Israel in stages (via implementation of the right of return
etc.).
In their hubris, Beilin et. al. simply assumed that they would bring
salvation to Israel via a program that hinged on BEST CASE assumptions.]
American efforts to mediate a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
have had "disastrous consequences for the peace process," says a brief
memorandum compiled for the Palestinian Authority's peace talks department,
headed by Abu Mazen.
The memorandum, prepared by the legal team of the department, was given to
the Palestinian negotiating team in Taba. While the document focuses on U.S.
failures, it also explicitly criticizes Palestinian policies for not warning
about the "false sense of normalcy created because of the ongoing process of
negotiations."
Under U.S. supervision, the document continues, "the Palestinian-Israeli
'peace process' has become a goal in and of itself. ... The lack of visible
resistance to Israeli occupation from the Palestinian side - except for
temporary flare-ups - and Israel's ability to continue negotiations while
continuing to build settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territory has
created the false impression that the 'process' of achieving peace could
substitute for peace itself."
The formulators of the document say "as a result of vaguely-worded arguments
... both parties to the conflict have mistakenly assumed, at different
times, that either the Israelis had accepted to end the occupation, or that
the Palestinians had agreed to forgo some of their fundamental rights."
"Such ambiguity," the document adds, "made it possible for both sides to
sign agreements that they could interpret in diametrically opposed manners
to their domestic constituencies ... and has led to very little
implementation."
U.S. policy over the past seven years, the document says, has been guided by
"the need to help Israel normalize its relations with the Arab and Muslim
world at large, as well as with many other nations around the world
sympathetic to the plight of the Palestinians."
The memorandum says: "Over the last seven years in particular, the United
States has become increasingly identified with Israeli ideological
assumptions. Dennis Ross, for example, and others have acknowledged having
an emotional commitment to Israel, and have said they cannot distinguish
between their personal and professional involvement with it."
It says "ignoring the long-term development of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories and the improvement of the Palestinian quality of life ...
Israel's security, including the security of its occupation forces, have
been the focus of each agreement, [whereas] the quality of life of
Palestinians has continued to decline.
--------------------------------------------
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Website: www.imra.org.il
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Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: European Union cancels Cairo meet
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:11:50 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 02:19:43 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: European Union cancels
Cairo meet as Egypt bars Israeli participation
Ha'aretz: European Union cancels Cairo meet as Egypt bars Israeli
participation
By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent Ha'aretz 22 January 2001
The European Union has cancelled its sponsorship and financing of an
economic conference of European and Mediterranean chambers of commerce,
scheduled for today in Cairo, because its Egyptian organizers refused to
invite Israeli delegates.
The EU pull-out led to cancellation of the event, part of the "Barcelona
process" framework involving EU members and Middle Eastern states and
designed to enhance European-Mediterranean cooperation. The original
conference announcement included the names of members of the Israel Chamber
of Commerce. But as the date of the conference approached, the Israeli names
were dropped from the invitation.
Israel's Foreign Ministry lodged protests with EU offices in Brussels and
elsewhere. After confirming that Egypt's Chamber of Commerce would not
reverse its refusal to invite the Israelis, the EU revoked its sponsorship
and financing of the conference.
--------------------------------------------
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Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Details of damage to Temple Mount
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:13:20 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 02:19:41 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Details of damage to
Temple Mount by Arab excavation work
at site of 2nd Temple- Barak declined
to act for months
Ha'aretz: Details of damage to Temple Mount by Arab excavation work at site
of 2nd Temple- Barak declined to act for months
By Nadav Shragai Ha'aretz Correspondent Ha'aretz 22 January 2001
Prime Minister Ehud Barak has ordered the police to stop the excavation work
that is being carried out on the Temple Mount by the Waqf and the Israeli
Islamic Movement.
Barak issued his order after his office received reports that, for the first
time in hundreds of years, excavations were being carried out on the raised
portion of the Mount, in the area of the Dome of the Rock.
Archaeologists and other researchers believe this was the site of the Second
Temple, destroyed in 70 CE by the Romans.
The police yesterday instructed the Waqf to close a ditch, 40 meters long
and 70 centimeters deep, that had been dug in the area recently. The Muslim
religious trust (Waqf) complied, but refused to make any commitments as to
future work in the area.
The Council for the Prevention of the Destruction of Antiquities on the
Temple Mount charged yesterday that the state was not doing enough to
supervise Mount activities. Barak, on the other hand, denied unauthorized
work was taking place on the Temple Mount.
"The prime minister doesn't know what he is talking about," scoffed
archaeologist Dr. Gabi Barkai. "Large-scale work - some of which was
authorized, and most of which was not - has been carried out over the past
months in the eastern section of the Temple Mount, along the eastern wall,
between King Solomon's Stables and Mercy Gate, together with underground
work in various other areas of the Mount."
An investigation by Ha'aretz yesterday revealed the following:
+ Since the Jewish New Year, last September 30, the Antiquities Authority
has not supervised activities on the Temple Mount. But in the months prior
to the Al Aqsa Intifada - which erupted that same day - the Waqf had
severely restricted the work of archaeologists in the area.
+ The Shin Bet security service has relayed information to the prime
minister about the long-term plans of the Waqf and the Islamic Movement to
start using numerous additional areas on the Mount as mosques. The Shin Bet
has also recommended keeping an eye on activities in the area of Mercy Gate,
where construction and paving work is being done.
+ Some 1,500 tons of earth - and who knows what ancient Jewish objects -
have been removed from the Temple Mount without first being examined by
archaeologists and hauled by truck to undisclosed sites.
+ In recent months, Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein and the Antiquities
Authority have protested to Barak that the Waqf was being allowed to
continue its excavation work without supervision and contrary to the law.
Barak rejected these protests and authorized the Waqf to carry our paving
work at the site.
+ Barak also prevented the Jerusalem Municipality from sending inspectors to
the Temple Mount to investigate alleged infringements of the planning and
building laws by the excavations.
+ Police have not implemented the recommendations of security elements to
prevent heavy excavation machinery from entering the site and to stop trucks
from removing earth filled with archaeological findings from the Temple
Mount.
+ The Archaeology Council has voiced its protests to the prime minister a
number of times in recent months, urging he "ensure that the issue of the
preservation of antiquities from the area of the Temple Mount receive top
priority."
Public Security Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami told the cabinet yesterday that
arrangements are being made to allow Antiquities Authority officials to
visit the Temple Mount to see whether artifacts and precious archaeological
finds had been destroyed at the site.
Ben-Ami added that he had asked the police commissioner and the police
commanders in the area to look into the matter, and that according to their
reports, the Waqf had not expanded its work at the site.
MK Shaul Yahalom (National Religious Party) yesterday called for a
24-hour-a-day police and security force presence on the Temple Mount and the
arrest of members of the Waqf who were "desecrating antiquities at the site
in an effort to wipe out the traces of the Jewish nation from its most
sacred site."
The Mufti of Jerusalem., Akrameh Sabri, insisted the Temple Mount area
contained no remnants related to Jewish history.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Palestinian Authority supports attacks
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:14:16 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 02:23:04 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Palestinian Authority
supports attacks against Israel, will
not act to stop them
Ha'aretz: Palestinian Authority supports attacks against Israel, will not
act to stop them
By Danny Rubinstein Ha'aretz 22 January 2001
Despite the reports of a drop in the number of violent incidents, it seems
there is no turning the wheel back. In other words: The shooting incidents
and terrorist attacks in the territories have become an inescapable routine.
In every corner of the West Bank and Gaza, there are now groups and
individuals organizing and planning attacks against Israeli targets. They
refer to it as the continuation of the Intifada.Sometimes the actions are
the work of Palestinian security forces' local commanders, who are letting
off some steam or responding to the hints of more senior commanders; and
sometimes it is the work of activists from Fatah or other movements.
Occasionally there are partisan efforts by students or unemployed youths, or
even high school students who manage to obtain weapons and explosives.
...
The Palestinian ruling authorities are not attempting at all to stop their
youths who are throwing rocks and shooting at - and car-bombing - Israelis.
They are not trying to punish them, nor are they even criticizing them. On
the contrary, these activists are being honored and praised from all
directions for their deeds. They are considered local heroes when they
strike at and cause pain to Israelis.
....
Over the weekend, Jibril Rajoub specifically said to the London-based
newspaper, Al Hiyat: "We won't arrest those that Israel wants us to arrest,
and we won't take any action against them." He says security coordination
with Israel was buried when MK Ariel Sharon (Likud) entered the Al-Aqsa
plaza with a legion of Israeli police.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) MINISTER BEN-AMI: TALKS ON REFUGEES BEING CONDUCTED O
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:21:19 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 04:55:46 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: MINISTER BEN-AMI: TALKS ON
REFUGEES BEING CONDUCTED ON
BASIS OF ISRAELI POSITION THAT
THERE WILL BE NO RIGHT OF RETURN
TO INSIDE STATE OF ISRAEL
MINISTER BEN-AMI: TALKS ON REFUGEES BEING CONDUCTED ON BASIS OF ISRAELI
POSITION THAT THERE WILL BE NO RIGHT OF RETURN TO INSIDE STATE OF ISRAEL
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)
Jerusalem Monday, January 22, 2001
The head of the Israeli negotiating team at the Taba talks, Minister
Shlomo Ben-Ami, wishes to clarify that the talks aimed at resolving the
problems of the Palestinian refugees are being conducted on the basis of
Israel's position that there will be no right of return to inside the
State of Israel.
The Director of Prime Minister Ehud Barak's Bureau, Gilead Sher, has
made it clear to the Palestinian delegation that ruling out the
Palestinians' right of return to the State of Israel does not prevent
their return to other countries, including the future Palestinian state.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Link of the Day: How California's Power Crisis Works
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:23:43 -0500
Today's Link of the Day is: How California's Power Crisis Works
at: http://www.howstuffworks.com/california-power.htm
The California power crisis is huge in the news right now because of the
amazing effect it is having on 33 million people. Learn how the problem
started and how it might affect the entire U.S.
via: "Refdesk Link of the Day" <linkmailer@csauto.com>
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Federal Court Upholds Nation's Motto
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:30:07 -0500
Federal Court Upholds Nation's Motto=20
(EP) -- A federal judge in Kansas has turned away an American Civil=20
Liberties Union claim that the nation's motto, "In God We Trust," is=20
unconstitutional.=20=20
The case began when a woman in Shawnee County, Kansas, complained=20
after seeing that County Treasurer Rita Cline had posted the motto in her=20
office. The woman, a self-described pagan, asked Cline to remove the=20
posters. Cline said the posters showed the national motto, to which the=20
woman replied, "It's not my national motto." The woman sued with the help o=
f=20
the ACLU.=20=20
Cline responded to the lawsuit by putting up larger posters inscribed with =
the=20
slogan lettering and eagle emblem from the one-dollar bill. She also sought=
=20
legal aid from the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which had=20
immediate success in court.=20=20
"The federal court in Kansas has granted our motion to throw the case out o=
f=20
court and has gone even a step further than that and directed us to apply t=
o=20
the court for attorneys' fees and costs against the ACLU," said Frank=20
Manion, ACLJ attorney.=20=20
Federal judge Sam Crow scolded the ACLU for bringing a lawsuit in "bad=20
faith" that was "patently frivolous without any basis in law."=20=20
The motto was adopted in 1956, and since then courts have generally agreed=
=20
that the motto is not unconstitutional.=20=20
=A9 2001 Evangelical Press News Service=20=20
(Post date: January 22, 2000)=20=20
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/01a/20010122c.shtml
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (1/22/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 14:36:03 -0500
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Monday, Jan. 22, 2001 / Tevet 27, 5761
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. BEN-AMI: "AGREEMENT NEEDED - EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF
UNITY"
2. NEGOTIATIONS AND TERRORISM CONTINUE
3. PERES IS "BOWED OUT" - FOR NOW
4. SHARON'S "EXTREMISM"
5. TEMPLE MOUNT EMERGENCY
6. PARTIAL STRIKE - TOMORROW, TOO
7. MODI'IN AREA RESIDENTS SUE IDF
8. ISRAELI SOLIDARITY
1. BEN-AMI: "AGREEMENT NEEDED - EVEN AT THE EXPENSE OF
UNITY"
Prior to last night's opening session of the marathon talks being held in
Egypt's Taba resort in Sinai, Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami said that now
is not the time for unity. "We must reach an agreement with the
Palestinians," he said, "even at the expense of tearing the nation apart
and a split. Unity is a recipe for no decision." MK Tzippy Livni, asked
for her reaction today, said, "The public is sick and tired of those who
arrogantly think that they can force their minority will on the
majority. Ariel Sharon, on the other hand, recognizes the need for
consensus, and said again today, even though not all of us liked hearing
it, that a national unity government is the only solution..."
Labor party Minister Chaim Ramon said yesterday that he objects to the
Taba
talks, calling them "not appropriate, not ethical, not proper."
Following the first session of the talks last night, the government agreed
to approve the entry of 16,000 Palestinian workers from Judea and Samaria
into pre-1967 Israel. The employees must be married and over the age of 35.
2. NEGOTIATIONS AND TERRORISM CONTINUE
Two new terrorism victims: An army sapper was wounded early this morning
while attempting to detonate a Palestinian-planted roadside bomb near
Netzarim. He is listed in moderate condition in Be'er Sheva's Soroka
Hospital. Soldiers returned fire towards the place from where the bomb was
activated... Last night, an 18-year-old resident of N'vei Yaakov in
Jerusalem was stabbed by an Arab in the neighborhood's business center;
he
was taken to Shaarei Tzedek Medical Center in light-to-moderate
condition... Palestinian terrorists shot at the Jewish Yesha towns of
Psagot and Ateret last night, and at IDF forces near N'vei Dekalim and at
the Ayosh Junction between Ramallah and Beit El... Later today, fire was
opened at Ganei Tal and at nearby IDF positions this afternoon.
A Palestinian explosive was safely dismantled on the Tunnels Highway
between Gush Etzion and Jerusalem this morning. It was the second such
bomb placed there over the night. The road was re-opened to traffic after
a short closure. Later in the day, Border Guard policemen dismantled
bombs
placed on the Beitar Illit road. The soldiers located the terrorist cell
that was responsible, and opened fire at them.
3. PERES IS "BOWED OUT" - FOR NOW
Some of Shimon Peres' supporters held a press conference today to
announce
that they were calling off their activities on behalf of their
"candidate." "Now is the time for us to unite on behalf of the common goal
of ensuring that Sharon is not elected," they said. They left a door open,
however, adding, "We are sure that Barak will know how to take
responsibility if the situation demands it." Other Peres supporters
objected to the press conference. A spokesman for Peres said that he had
no comment.
4. SHARON'S "EXTREMISM"
The Barak campaign has a new target: Ariel Sharon's interview in the New
Yorker magazine. "The interview shows the true face of the extremist
Sharon," according to Barak staffers. "Get the shelters ready. He will not
bring peace, but only [Avigdor] Lieberman [ed. note: see below]." Some
excerpts from the interview showing Sharon's "extremist" views: "Arafat is
a murderer and a liar... Peace cannot be achieved - only a no-warfare
agreement... The Moslems turn their back to the Temple Mount when they
pray." MK Rehavam Ze'evi (National Union) said that he thinks worse things
of Arafat. Former Defense Minister Moshe Arens (Likud) says that Sharon
did not say anything new, and that the interview will not hurt his chances
of being elected.
Yasser Arafat, too, is unhappy with Sharon. "He refuses even to shake my
hand," complained Arafat, who has overseen the murder of dozens of
Israelis, to the Daily Telegraph. Arafat said that a victory by Sharon in
the upcoming election would be a "real catastrophe." Nabil Shaath,
Palestinian Coordinator of International Cooperation, said today that the
Palestinians are prepared to continue the negotiations for peace if it
helps Barak win the election.
MK Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a staunch
supporter of Sharon for Prime Minister, caused the Likud some
embarrassment
when he was quoted as calling for a re-conquest of Beit Jalla. To Arutz-7,
however, he said that he was misquoted, and summed up as follows: "I said
three things. One is that Israel will certainly not initiate an attack
against any of its neighbors. The second thing is that the Barak
government has dealt a mortal blow to the army's deterrence, and we must
do
everything we can to restore it. Third, the next government must define
its clear red lines. For instance, I can promise you that the next
government will not allow Jerusalem to be shot on for even one day, no
matter what the cost. In addition, there will be absolutely no
negotiations while there is enemy fire." In reaction to criticism that he
is taking too strong of a right-wing line, he said, "I don't know how to
measure this. If we think back to [the late Labor party Prime Minister]
Golda Meir, for instance, and the views that she expressed, I think she
would probably be outlawed today..."
5. TEMPLE MOUNT EMERGENCY
The Antiquities Authority convened today for an emergency meeting, in light
of the heavy damage caused to the Temple Mount by the most recent
Moslem
Waqf construction there. No decisions were made, however. In compliance
with an order by Prime Minister Barak, the Waqf has halted work there, but
has given no guarantee as to how long it will do so. Police Chief Shlomo
Aharonishki denied today that any "new" excavations are being carried out
on the Temple Mount. Other sources, though, maintain that the Moslems
have
dug two tunnels: one, about 50 meters long, connects the Al Aksa Mosque
to
Solomon's Stables, and another, some 35 meters long, leads out of the
Ramah
at the Dome of the Rock - the raised portion on which most experts believe
the Holy Temples were centered. The tons of dirt are taken out of the
Temple Mount via a secret entrance dug in Solomon's Stables about a year
ago. In addition, construction, excavation, and flooring have been carried
out on the Mount's eastern side, near Mercy Gate. See
"http://www.templemount.org/solstables.html" for map.
Benny Liss of Israel's Second Channel Television, who provided exclusive
photos of the excavations that helped force Barak to take some action to
stop the works, helped Arutz-7 listeners understand the absurdity of the
situation by recounting the following story:
"In 1948, a neighborhood was built in the town of Beit She'an [south of
the Sea of Galilee, just north of the Jordan Valley], and it was called
Shikun D. One day, it was discovered that a site of major archaeological
importance lay under the neighborhood. Since that time, every single day
an inspector makes the rounds of the neighborhood and makes sure that no
one so much as inserts a shovel in the ground; if he catches someone
digging in the ground for whatever purpose, he issues him a
ticket. Because it is a protected archaeological site, the law does not
permit the residents there to enlarge their houses or plant a garden. And
yet on the Temple Mount, our most important archaeological site in the
world, there is absolutely no supervision, and tons of precious artifacts
are dug up and thrown into the garbage..."
6. PARTIAL STRIKE - TOMORROW, TOO
Today's Histadrut Labor Union partial nation-wide strike will continue
tomorrow as well. The decision to continue for at least another day came
after Histadrut officials said that today's meetings produced no
results. Garbage is not being collected in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, or Haifa;
trains did not run this morning; certain government and municipal offices
are not open the public; and more. Ofer Eini, the secretary-general of the
public sector labor union, explained: "The main reason for the strike is
the Finance Ministry's insulting offer of a 30-shekel monthly raise to
low-level employees who can't finish the month [without going into debt],
while senior-level workers will receive 100 times that - 3,000 shekels a
month." Finance Minister Avraham Shochat says that when inflation is at a
rate of zero, and elections are only two weeks away, it is not the time for
major salary increases.
MK Rabbi Chaim Druckman (National Religious Party) says that it is strange
that while the government has no problem transferring parts of its people's
homeland to the enemy on the eve of elections, it finds it hard to give its
workers a raise at the same time.
Eini was asked by Arutz-7 today how he expects Ben-Eliezer to be able to
respond to their demands, only two weeks before the election: "After all,
he will open himself to criticism that he is giving in only because of the
election?" Eini answered, "We started these negotiations two years ago,
and at one point - before the elections were set - we said that if there
was no progress by December (2000), we would begin these sanctions.
Thus
that there was no surprise here..."
7. MODI'IN AREA RESIDENTS SUE IDF
Twenty-five residents of the Modi'in area filed a suit in the Supreme Court
today against IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Sha'ul Mofaz. They demand that
the IDF increase security along the Modi'in-Jerusalem highway (Route 443),
and especially during the night. Palestinian terrorist attacks of recent
weeks along the highway have killed one - Eli Cohen of Modi'in - and
wounded several others. The written petition argues that residents are
"terrified" to travel the road, and demands that the IDF re-deploy its
forces along the road "in a manner that will secure the safety of motorist
during all hours of the day." Atty. Nitsana Darshan-Leitner said that her
clients demand additional roadblocks and observation points on the highway,
as well as the sealing-off of escape paths that enable terrorist to flee
towards Ramallah.
8. ISRAELI SOLIDARITY
Some 6,000 students from Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are
guests
of the Tel Aviv municipality today. Under a joint program sponsored by the
Jewish Agency, the City of Tel Aviv, and the Israeli Solidarity
organization, the children are being treated to a day at amusement parks
and other activities. Further events are planned for next week.
Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Let's stay Biblical!!! Nostradamus? Re: [bprlist] For Your Consideration
From: PearlSnapp
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 18:34:50 EST
So what are you really saying?
"So
GOD put prophesy in patterns like he told Nostradamus to do."
Which god are you referring to as speaking to or through Nostradamus? Let's
not mix the occult or mysticism in. God (Yah Veh, Elokim) is not a mixture.
God doesn't stutter or repent that he used the word "eagle". He doesn't call
a tree a tree in Genesis and a bush in Revelations.
Yes, we are "free" to worship him in His Spirit, and in Truth. Deception and
mixtures are not free, but lead to the broad road of "The Great Apostasy" of
2 Thess. 2. When you mix paganism, or another "ism" with Truth you end up
with bondage.
Sorry, but Nostrodamus doesn't mix. Many occult prophets are very accurate
about some things, but that does not elevate them to be on the par with the
WORD of God and His Prophets in the Bible.
May all that seek HIM with all their hearts find HIM in His Spirit and in
Truth. ps
n a message dated 1/22/01 10:11:42 AM Mountain Standard Time,
tschill@home.net writes:
>
>
> > If I may, please allow me to suggest that the phrase "two wings of a
> great eagle" is a figure of speech, bringing to mind, specifically the
> Jewish mind, the event of the exodus out of Egypt where the care and
> nurturing nature of God was abundantly revealed to the Israelites. I
> believe the wings of the (and most texts suggest the article should be
> "the" and not "a") eagle is symbolically referring to God's intervention,
> not a nation's.
>
>
> I would like to add something to this if I may.
>
> I was meditating after reading some parts of the bible. I had questions
> as to the symbolic meaning and questions as to translation from many
> languages to English. I know that is not always easy.
>
> A couple of thoughts appeared to me and I saw them, this is how I
> understood them to mean. If GOD inspired the written text would not GOD
> have known how the meaning of words change with time and through
> translation. So as to inspire certain people through out history in
> their part of the world?
>
> GOD also has to get a message through to people that are not in
> existence yet in a place that is not there and a language that does not So
> GOD put prophesy in patterns like he told Nostradamus to do.
> exist. Futher complicated by a prophets ability to describe what they
> could not understand. Like a rocket or a gun to atomic explosion. Like a
> paraphrase. Or a Tom Cruse movie.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Daily World Affairs Report items (1/21/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 19:59:29 -0500
GERMANY IN SECRET TALKS WITH RUSSIA TO TAKE BACK=20
KONIGSBERG=20
Germany has launched a secret initiative to acquire economic domination=20
over the former East Prussian capital of Konigsberg in return for waiving=20
part of Moscow's =A322bn debts to Berlin. German officials confirmed=20
last week that the idea of a trade deal with the European Union, a proposal=
=20
that would effectively return the territory to Berlin's sphere of influence=
,=20
was "floated" during a private visit to Moscow earlier this month by=20
Chancellor Gerhard Schroder.=20
It came up as he discussed the contentious issue of Russia's debt to=20
Germany with President Vladimir Putin. As part of a deal aimed at=20
persuading Moscow to break the deadlock over repayments, Mr Schroder=20
has agreed to provide German help in securing an "association agreement"=20
between the EU and the economically crippled enclave. Moscow has made=20
it clear that its faltering economy means that it is in no position to repa=
y all=20
its debt to Berlin. Instead, it has offered Germany equity stakes in Russia=
n=20
companies - a development which, if fully implemented, could give=20
Germany unprecedented influence over Russian economic policy.
If realised, the proposals for Kaliningrad would make Germany the=20
dominant economic player in its former Baltic stronghold which, until now,=
=20
had been considered irrevocably consigned to Russia. The area, which is=20
about the size of Northern Ireland, is on the Baltic coast, bordered by=20
Lithuania and Poland and without direct access to Russia. Any suggestion=20
publicly that Germany may be attempting to reclaim "East Prussia"=20
continues to be politically and diplomatically taboo, particularly as Germa=
ny=20
has officially declared 2001 "Prussian Year" and is involved in a=20
comprehensive reappraisal of the former German state that was disbanded=20
by the WW2 victors in 1946.=20
Chancellor Schroder has therefore passed on the idea of an association=20
agreement for Kaliningrad to the EU's current Swedish Presidency. At a=20
recent meeting in Hanover he suggested to the Swedish prime minister=20
Goeran Persson that Sweden rather than Germany, should promote the=20
initiative. Sweden has already indicated that it wants to make Kaliningrad =
a=20
priorityduring its presidency. Mr Persson was last week reported to be=20
giving the Schroder initiative favourable consideration. "The idea will be=
=20
discussed at the next Russian-German summit in April and later at the EU-
Russian summit in May," a German spokesman said last week.
Sweden has no illusions about the worsening economic and social conditions=
=20
in Kaliningrad since the break-up of the former Soviet Union and of the=20
potential to ignite civil unrest. Russian hopes of turning the enclave into=
a=20
"Hong Kong of the Baltic" have proved hopelessly optimistic. Mr Persson=20
said in an interview last week, "The region is heavily polluted. There are=
=20
diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis and there is nuclear waste. Almost=20
every problem imaginable can be found in Kaliningrad."=20
An estimated 30% of Kaliningrad's 1mn Russian inhabitants are living=20
below the minimum existence level according to recent EU reports. The=20
region's development has gone into reverse, since the Russian parliament=20
bowed to the military in 1993 and refused to open the strategically importa=
nt=20
area to economic reform. The EU is concerned by the difficulties that are=20
bound to arise for Kaliningrad through European enlargement. The inclusion=
=20
of its immediate neighbours, Lithuania and Poland, into the Union over the=
=20
next decade will leave the region effectively cut off from its hinterland.=
=20
Poland and Lithuania will insist on visas from Kaliningrad citizens wishing=
to=20
enter their territory.
The collapse of the Soviet Union during the early '90s that led to Lithuani=
a's=20
independence turned Kaliningrad into a Baltic exclave, geographically=20
separated from Russia but still controlled by Moscow. For Germans,=20
Kaliningrad is still important from an emotional standpoint. German cash=20
has been raised to reconstruct the ruined Konigsberg cathedral and=20
thousands of Germans make pilgrimages to the city each summer in an=20
attempt to rediscover their lost roots. (The London Telegraph)
A CAPITAL ROLE IN FORGING GERMAN UNITY=20
Strictly speaking, it was a bit of legerdemain when, 300 years ago,=20
Frederick III, Elector of Brandenburg, created the Prussian crown and=20
placed it with his own hands atop his peruke. By doing so, he transformed=20
the Elector into King Frederick I -- but only in Prussia, that easternmost=
=20
corner of his territory, which was not part of the Holy Roman Empire. In=20
Brandenburg and in Berlin, he remained a vassal of the Emperor.=20
But time soon erased this difference. In retrospect, it was with the=20
coronation in 1701 that, for the first time, a Berlin political body became=
a=20
sovereign state. Then, in 1871, it was in Berlin that a united Germany was=
=20
forged. Today, Berlin is once again the sovereign seat, and once again a=20
unification of states is underway. Obviously, this is why the Berlin republ=
ic=20
of 2001 looks back to the Berlin monarchy of 1701 with interest and a=20
secret sense of kinship.=20
What first comes to mind in this connection is that neglected part of the=20
island in the Spree river where a labyrinth of gutted cellars yawns in the=
=20
torn-up asphalt: the remains of a royal palace. Built under Friedrich I as =
a=20
magnificently imposing castle, it was to the last the symbol of the Prussia=
n=20
monarchy. Walter Ulbricht, the head of the East German government, had=20
it blown up in 1950. Now almost everybody -- the chancellor, the CDU, the=20
Greens -- wants to have it back. A commission will meet shortly to discuss=
=20
what is needed.=20
But what is it about the splendor of monarchs that so fascinates the=20
Republic? Several convenient answers spring to mind: It is the German=20
penchant for Prussian militarism, the spirit of subservience, the yearning =
of=20
the powerful for yet more power. Such suspicion may be justified here and=20
there, but it ignores other traditions of the monarchy of 1701 -- tradition=
s=20
that are essential today in building up the newly united country.=20
Although the core of democratic legitimacy -- majority rule, rule of law, a=
=20
code of individual rights -- was foreign to the land ruled by Frederick I, =
the=20
history of European monarchies infuses our time with strengths that=20
republics can hardly generate on their own. This is their great value as=20
traditions. Two basic principles of monarchy must be mentioned here: First,=
=20
the repraesentatio in toto -- the idea that beyond thousands of individual=
=20
interests within the state, the interest of the whole possesses a legitimac=
y of=20
its own; second, the conviction that the present is responsible to the futu=
re.=20
Both are weak points in a federally organized liberal democracy. But the=20
monarchy, at least in its idea of legitimacy, was, in this respect, very st=
rong.=20
Amid the diversity of class and regional interests, the king was to maintai=
n=20
the repraesentatio in toto. It was he who embodied the corpus regni=20
mysticum . The unity in diversity, manifest today as "cooperative=20
federalism," was at that time still based on religious conviction.=20
Is it surprising that such a notion piques the curiosity of the elite in a =
country=20
so recently united, where special interests persist and an inimical ideolog=
y=20
continues to make itself felt? The monarchistic repraesentatio in toto=20
corresponds to a fundamental need in united Germany -- a need that was=20
the driving force behind the move to Berlin: to present the whole beyond th=
e=20
concerns of the parts, and to make universally binding the as yet unfamilia=
r=20
values expressed in the constitution.=20
In addition to the concept of total representation, the monarchy has also=20
handed down to posterity the biblical idea of responsibility for the future=
.=20
Edmund Burke, the proponent of a parliamentary monarchy in England,=20
wrote of the state as a kind of permanent partnership formed of perishable=
=20
elements: "As the ends of such a partnership cannot be obtained in many=20
generations, it becomes a partnership not only between those who are=20
living, but between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who=
=20
are to be born."=20
In Prussia, Frederick William I wrote in his testament: "It is for you, my=
=20
dear successor, to preserve what your forebears have begun." In our times,=
=20
this kind of commitment to the future has a crucial weakness. Its basic=20
assumption -- the perfection of humankind in a generation-long dialogue=20
with God -- no longer convinces many people. But is this decisive? In the=20
dynastic principle, the monarchy passed on one more mechanism=20
committing the present to the future.=20
Far from wanting to hark back to the institution of hereditary executive=20
office -- the vision of society as a continuum of parents, children and=20
grandchildren may arouse the sense of permanency which democracy=20
alone has such difficulty summoning. Here, too, the key words come from=20
Burke: "In this choice of inheritance we have given to our frame of polity=
=20
the image of a relation in blood; binding up the consitution of our country=
=20
with our dearest domestic ties; adopting our fundamental laws into the=20
bosom of our family affections."=20
For this concept, the '60's Flower Power generation coined the phrase: "We=
=20
have merely borrowed the Earth from our children." So not everyone who=20
pauses to look back to 1701 scorns democracy. As with every transitory=20
form of government, even generations after the demise of the monarchy, its=
=20
flotsam is still washed up on the shores of the present. And every now and=
=20
then, it contains a gem. (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)=20
BAROQUE POMP & PRUSSIAN VIRTUE=20
For foreign guests in Germany, what is typical of the country in the middle=
=20
of Europe often seems to be linked to the state of Bavaria -- yodeling=20
Alpine mountaineers in lederhosen, Munich's Oktoberfest and King=20
Ludwig's castles in Neuschwanstein and Chiemsee come to mind quickly.=20
But for Germans, the symbols of their nation are quite different, and many=
=20
of them have to do with Prussia and the country's ties to that former duchy=
=20
on the shores of the Baltic Sea.
The road from the margraves of Brandenburg to present-day Germany and=20
the state of Brandenburg winds through some centuries of European=20
history, and it takes a while to find out why that state, together with the=
city-
state of Berlin, celebrates "Prussia's Year 2001" to mark the anniversary o=
f=20
an event that occurred 300 years ago.=20
In a Europe dominated by the monarchies of England, France, Russia and=20
Austria, Brandenburg's elector Frederick III of the Hohenzollern family,=20
who was also the Duke of Prussia, wished to establish a status of equality=
=20
for the group of small states under his rule and the smaller kingdoms on th=
e=20
continent, such as Denmark, Sweden and Poland. After careful=20
international negotiations and under the watchful eyes of the neighboring=20
monarchies and Austria's Hapsburg dynasty, Frederick crowned himself in=20
K=F6nigsberg, now Kaliningrad, on Jan. 18, 1701. He became Frederick I,=20
king in Prussia, and began to turn the modest electoral residence in Berlin=
=20
into a royal court with all the contemporary Baroque splendor. He gave the=
=20
young monarchy the symbols and rituals that constitute identity, among=20
them the Prussian Black Eagle.
When writing the History of the House of Brandenburg, Frederick II the=20
Great criticized his grandfather severely for overspending the national=20
budget to create the courtly pomp he deemed fit. He rather praised his=20
father, Frederick William I, the soldier king, who reformed the country's=20
administration, centralized it and geared it to the military and its needs =
and=20
control. He raised the army to 80,000 men, and upon his succession to the=20
throne Frederick II had the best-trained army in Europe and a huge=20
financial reserve. The country's administration was run by an efficient and=
=20
conscientious bureaucracy.=20
Frederick the Great's view of Prussia's achievements has formed the image=20
posterity has of Prussia to this day; the virtues he praised as predominant=
in=20
his kingdom -- modesty and conscientiousness, diligence, industry and=20
parsimony -- are still synonyms for what is good and praiseworthy about=20
Prussia -- and Germany.=20
In 18th-century Prussia, they led Frederick II to continue the improvements=
=20
to the administrative system his father had begun, concentrating on the=20
judicial and educational systems. Under his successor, these reforms=20
culminated in 1794 with the implementation of a general civil code, which i=
s=20
considered one of the landmarks of Enlightenment. It covered a multitude=20
of cases in constitutional, canon, civil and criminal law, aiming to give c=
lear=20
and concise guidance. It granted freedom of conscience and religion, but=20
the state would decide which religions were permitted. Until the modern=20
Civil Code, the BGB, was introduced in 1900, the Prussian Civil Code was=20
the accepted state law in nearly all German states.
Frederick II the Great also won acclaim as a military genius when he=20
acquired the territory of Silesia, a rich and flourishing province, after 3=
wars=20
he fought against Austria. East Frisia and West Prussia also became part of=
=20
the kingdom during his reign. With these and other territorial gains he=20
acquired stature among the European rulers. Luck turned in the following=20
century under Frederick William III, who suffered defeat at the hands of=20
Napoleon in 1806, lost all possessions west of the Elbe River and had to=20
accept French occupation.=20
This was also the year that Austria resigned the imperial crown of the Holy=
=20
Roman Empire, which ceased to exist, leaving Austria and Prussia side by=20
side as the major European powers with a German-speaking population.=20
Prussia concentrated on inner reforms. Under Karl vom Stein and Karl von=20
Hardenberg, serfs were emancipated, trade and business liberated, and=20
citizens allowed to take a more active part in public affairs. Berlin's=20
university was founded in 1810, with Wilhelm von Humboldt as a chief=20
promoter. Conscription was instituted in 1814, and military reforms were=20
begun by Gerhard von Scharnhorst and Neidhardt von Gneisenau.=20
When, after Napoleon's defeat in 1814, the Congress of Vienna=20
restructured Europe, Prussia lost parts of its eastern territory, but stret=
ched=20
west of the Elbe River into western Germany. In 1815, the German=20
Federation united 39 German states and Austria -- under Austrian=20
leadership -- to replace the German Reich. But in 1833, the majority of=20
German states and Prussia founded the Customs Union, of which Austria=20
was not a member. Moderate customs dues and a simplified tariff paved=20
the way for economic success.=20
When the national uprisings throughout Europe led to the constitution of a=
=20
German National Assembly in Frankfurt in 1848-49, Frederick William IV=20
of Prussia was offered the crown of a new German empire. Largely owing=20
to the continued rivalry between Austria and Prussia, the attempt at=20
unifying Germany failed -- the Prussian king refused the crown, the=20
parliament was dissolved.
But when, under its premier Otto von Bismarck, Prussia was victorious=20
over Austria in 1866 in a conflict over territory in Schleswig-Holstein, th=
e=20
German Federation was dissolved, as Austria pulled out. Under Prussia's=20
leadership the Northern German Federation was founded, with a=20
conscription army under the command of the Prussian king, then William I.=20
When he became German emperor in 1871, the histories of Germany and=20
Prussia were one -- until the end in 1947, when the Allied Control Council=
=20
dissolved the state of Prussia.=20
The best and the darkest strands of a common history seem to bind=20
Germany and Prussia together, in the minds of historiographers and=20
politicians.With "Prussia's Year 2001," Brandenburg and Berlin=20
commemorate the first step on a long and bumpy road -- toward a Germany=20
that, reunited once more, seeks reconciliation with its complex heritage.=20
(Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)=20
IRANIAN PARLIAMENT CHIEF CALLS JERUSALEM "KEY"=20
ISLAMIC ISSUE=20
Middle East peace cannot be achieved without an Israeli withdrawal from=20
all Palestinian lands, including Jerusalem, the "key issue" for the Islamic=
=20
world, Iranian parliament speaker Mehdi Karubi saidSunday on the start of=20
a visit to Jordan. "There will be no peace in the Middle East without the=20
Palestinians' recovery of all their terriories and rights and the liberatio=
n of=20
the occupied territories," Karubi, the highest-ranking Iranian official to =
visit=20
Jordan since Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, told parliamentarians.=20
"The Islamic nation must assist the liberation of the occupied territories,=
=20
without abandoning the slightest part of Jerusalem or Palestine," said=20
Karubi, calling "the liberation of Jerusalem the key issue for the Islamic=
=20
world." Alluding to US-brokered accords under which Israel has given=20
Palestinians some autonomy, Karubi denounced "intermediate or unilateral=20
agreements that do not permit the installation of a stable peace. Seven=20
years after these accords, the Palestinian people have not recovered their=
=20
rights and have chosen the example of the Lebanese resistance by=20
launching their intifada."=20
Karubi arrived in Amman on Sunday with a large delegation for several=20
days of talks, which he said were aimed at "expanding Jordanian-Iranian=20
ties," particularly in the cultural and economic fields. The parliament=20
speaker was received by King Abdullah II and is due to meet Sunday=20
evening with Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb. Karubi said on arrival that his=
=20
talks with Jordanian officials would center on "the Palestinian question an=
d=20
the intifada." During his several-day visit, Karubi will also visit Palesti=
nians=20
who were injured during the intifada and are hospitalised in Amman, a=20
Jordanian parliament source said.
The official Iranian IRNA agency said a joint Jordanian-Iranian commission=
=20
was to be created and chaired on the Iranian side by Trade Minister=20
Mohammad Shariatmadari, who is part of Karubi's 20-strong delegation in=20
Amman. Karubi told the press that relations between their countries had=20
"considerably developed over the past few years".=20
Iran's links with Jordan have greatly improved since Abdullah succeeded=20
his father Hussein on the throne nearly 2 years ago. Tehran opposed the=20
late king's sympathies with the ousted shah of Iran, his support for Baghda=
d=20
in the Iran-Iraq war and his 1994 peace treaty with Israel. Iranian=20
ambassador to Amman Nasratollah Tajik said Thursday that the Jordanian=20
monarch was was expected in Tehran by the end of February, for his first=20
visit to Iran since he came to power. After Amman, Karubi is scheduled to=20
visit Bulgaria. (Agence France-Presse)=20
CLINTON IS A VICTIM OF AMERICA'S 3RD GREAT RELIGIOUS=20
AWAKENING=20
As retrospectives of the Clinton administration begin stacking up and its=20
achievements are tallied, we are hearing about America's unprecedented=20
prosperity, about the balanced budget and future surpluses, about=20
peacekeeping missions and peacemaking efforts. We even hear about a=20
new spirit of tolerance that President Clinton promoted, making it more=20
difficult for his successors to exploit the old buzzwords of racial and sex=
ual=20
prejudice.=20
Despite these accomplishments, though, Mr. Clinton is likely to be=20
remembered as only the 2nd president to be impeached and tried. Future=20
historians will probably see Mr. Clinton's impeachment and trial as one of=
=20
the major battles in an ongoing cultural war, and Mr. Clinton himself as th=
e=20
whipping boy of America's 3rd great awakening, a powerful religious=20
revival that decisively reshaped the political landscape.=20
The 1st great awakening, which occurred in British America from about=20
1720-50, was a series of revivals intended to reawaken the flock to Christ=
=20
at a time when religious belief was withering under the assault of=20
Enlightenment rationalism. While stressing God's implacable wrath,=20
revivalists offered salvation to anyone who acknowledged sinfulness. The=20
result was a reinvigorated American Christianity. The 2nd great awakening,=
=20
which flared 50 years later and lasted into the 1830s, had a less strident=
=20
tone.=20
As one historian characterized them, the 1st great awakening was a "First=20
Commandment" movement, predicated on the authority of God and=20
engendering fear, while the 2nd was a "Second Commandment" movement,=20
predicated on the singularity of God and engendering love. It was not until=
=20
the 1980s, with the rise of the Christian right, that another sustained=20
religious crusade worthy of being called an awakening took hold - a crusade=
=20
that continues to this day.=20
Like its predecessors, the 3rd great awakening is an effort to reignite=20
religious fervor. It seeks to stem creeping secularism and the moral=20
dissolution that it says accompanies secularism by stressing the inherent=20
sinfulness of man and the need for God's restraints in a world of temptatio=
n.=20
While allowance is made for salvation through conversion, the core=20
movement seems more interested in attacking miscreants than in saving=20
them.=20
The first 2 great awakenings had deep political implications. The religious=
=20
passions that fed the 18th century revivals were transmuted into political=
=20
passion for American independence from England and its institutions,=20
including religious ones. Similarly, the focus of the 2nd great awakening o=
n=20
living a religious life would be transmuted into the temperance movement,=20
abolitionism and women's rights.
The 3rd great awakening takes its political mission even more seriously and=
=20
aims it more directly at its enemies. While it began by organizing ad hoc=20
campaigns against everything from the teaching of evolution to a woman's=20
right to an abortion, it empowered itself by sending its Christian soldiers=
=20
onward into the Republican Party, commandeering it through money and=20
grassroots mobilization. The 3rd great awakeners converted the Republican=20
Party from a political organization dedicated to effecting policy, as parti=
es=20
traditionally did, into one that was also dedicated to eradicating sin, whi=
ch is=20
an entirely new function.
The 3rd awakeners are determined to combat what they see as a vulgar=20
popular culture, promiscuous sexual mores, recreational drugs and other=20
forms of licentiousness not just through moral suasion or socialaction but=
=20
through government action. The transformation of the Republican Party into=
=20
a religious instrument is probably the biggest American political story of =
our=20
time and one of the biggest cultural ones, too.=20
Mr. Clinton could have been secularism's poster child. Long before=20
Americans heard of Monica Lewinsky, he was the personification of=20
everything the awakeners detested, everything they believed was leading=20
the country astray, and virtually from the moment of his election, the=20
awakeners disputed his legitimacy as president, putting their newfound=20
political muscle behind their moral disapprobation.
When Mr. Clinton's dalliance with Ms. Lewinsky was revealed, the=20
awakeners bagged their sinner and could subject him to ritual damnation. If=
=20
Mr. Clinton was the symbol of secular evil, his impeachment and trial would=
=20
help rescue the nation. Punishing him would be purgative, literally and=20
figuratively. Thus was the Clinton presidency turned into a struggle=20
between the forces of cultural secularism and moral religiosity.=20
Impeachment was to be the Armageddon.
It didn't turn out that way. Instead, the war continued right through the l=
ast=20
election and into the Supreme Court, where the awakeners found a way to=20
change their moralisms into legalisms. Whether he comes to be viewed as=20
champion of secular tolerance or symbol of immorality, Mr. Clinton will=20
almost certainly be defined by his relationship to the 3rd great awakening=
=20
rather than by the achievements of his administration. For better or worse,=
=20
that is his place in history. (Int'l Herald Tribune)=20
MAKING ROOM FOR THE MASSES=20
Remember when "Texas" was almost synonymous with "Baptist"? Baptists=20
are still strong. But Texas also is becoming a cradle of Catholicism.=20
Catholics outpace Baptists in growth and outnumber them in many parts of=20
the state, including Dallas. Parking is such a problem at some area Catholi=
c=20
churches that Monsignor Kilian Broderick walked into Mass one Sunday=20
and told some worshipers they might want to leave for a moment. "If you're=
=20
parked in the wrong spot, better move your car," said the pastor of St. Ann=
=20
Parish in Coppell. "Last night, police gave out 24 tickets."
The 630,000 Catholics in the Diocese of Dallas now make up more than a=20
fifth of the area's population. But the diocese isn't keeping pace with=20
demands for new churches and schools. The struggles are multiple: land=20
costs, a priest shortage and cultural challenges presented by a surging=20
Hispanic population. "It's a struggle, but a good struggle to have," said=20
Bishop Charles Grahmann, who leads the diocese.
The diocese has tripled in Catholics since its boundaries were formed in=20
1987. An influx of immigrants from Latin America and white-collar=20
workers from the North is driving the growth. The growth has set off a=20
building boom unseen in the diocese since the '50s, officials said. The=20
growth corridors are in the northern suburbs of Frisco, Plano and Coppell,=
=20
as well as at the downtown cathedral and south in the Oak Cliff=20
neighborhood. Weekly offerings average $53,000at the affluent St.=20
Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Plano. The 18,600-member parish has a staff=20
of 33 and offers more than 75 ministries.=20
Southern states =96 especially Texas and Georgia =96 are among the fastest=
=20
growing for the nation's 62mn Catholics. But traditionally, the South hasn'=
t=20
been a stronghold for Catholics, who make up the country's largest=20
denomination. Early Catholic immigrants to the US settled in the Upper=20
Midwest and the Northeastern US. "But as they've assimilated and gotten=20
successful, they've moved South to the good jobs in the suburban areas,"=20
said Mary Gautier, a researcher at Georgetown University. A surge in=20
immigrants from Latin America also is reshaping the church. Hispanics=20
now make up 20-30% of the Catholic population nationally and 66% of the=20
Catholics in the Dallas Diocese.=20
A few decades ago, many Catholic schools were on the verge of closing.=20
Now the demand is so great that some schools are turning students away,=20
diocesan officials said. That's true across the country. In the last decade=
,=20
250 Catholic schools have opened =96 37 in the past year. (A $30 million=20
capital campaign is under way for a new school in Plano: Pope John Paul II=
=20
High School.)=20
Meanwhile, the rapid growth in North Texas made Frisco, Allen and=20
McKinney among the fasting-growing cities in the country. From 1990-99,=20
Frisco's population grew from 6,517 to 32,101. "Frisco used to be so dead=20
that even the Dairy Queen closed," said Monsignor Leon Duesman, pastor=20
of St. Francis of Assisi Parish. "Now we're the epitome of Texas growth.=20
We've got a big new mall. The population is booming. Even Starbucks is=20
here."
Bishop Grahmann said the biggest hindrance to starting new churches isn't=20
money; it's a lack of priests. The diocese has 1 priest for every 3,580=20
Catholics, a ratio 3 times more severe than the national average. The clerg=
y=20
shortage is so acute nationally that 13 of every 100 Catholic parishes are=
=20
without a resident priest. Dallas doesn't have any priestless parishes, but=
=20
officials say that day may soon come.=20
Protestant observers have suggested that Catholics address overcrowding=20
and clergy shortages by building megachurches with 5,000 or more seats.=20
Catholics balk at that. Unlike mainline Protestant churches, such as=20
Presbyterians and Lutherans, the Catholic Church in the US has grown=20
significantly over the past 30 years. As they have for many years, Catholic=
s=20
make up about 23% of the US population. (The Dallas Morning News)=20
GLOBAL ELITE, AND PROTESTERS, TO HEAD FOR TOP ALPINE=20
SUMMIT=20
The world's political and business elite gather in the Swiss alpine resort =
of=20
Davos next week for an annual top-flight summit to ponder global woes and=20
ways to solve them. Bridging the divide between the haves and the have-
nots in the aspects of health, wealth, knowledge, technology and digital=20
know-how will be one of the central themes at the annual talk-fest. The lin=
e-
up of this year's World Economic Forum (WEF) does not match the highs=20
of last year's which had outgoing President Clinton topping the bill with a=
1-
day appearance.=20
But protestors have already vowed to descend on the chic ski resort where=20
they caused havoc during Clinton's 2000 visit, and the Swiss government=20
says it will mobilise the army. Claude Smadja, WEF managing director, told=
=20
a pre-summit news briefing the security aspect of the January 25-30=20
summit was "in the hands of the legitimate authorities of the host country"=
.=20
He said the "real damage" of any disturbance would not be to the WEF.=20
"The real damage will be to Switzerland, to the image of Switzerland, to th=
e=20
image of Switzerland as a democratic country, as a country able to uphold=20
the values of a democratic society."=20
The conference brings together about 30 heads of state and government,=20
dozens of ministers, top business chiefs and non-governmental organisations=
=20
for brainstorming sessions. Mexico's new president Vicente Fox, Yugoslav=20
President Vojislav Kostunica, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori and=20
Yasser Arafat are among those due to attend. UN Secretary-General Kofi=20
Annan and WTO Director-General Mike Moore are also on the list.=20
The meeting, this year entitled "Sustaining Growth and Bridging the Divides=
:=20
A Framework for Our Global Future" aims to prompt discussion on the=20
direction of the global economy. "The issue of globalisation and its impact=
=20
continue to dominate discussions about foreign investment and economic=20
development but the longterm health of the international economy is also=20
critical," Smadja said. "After all it will be harder to bridge the divides=
=20
without strong economic growth."=20
The new wave of Internet technology, biotechnology, corporate=20
responsibility and the integration of art and culture into everyday life al=
so=20
dominate many of the 300 sessions. Some of the more unusual topics on the=20
programme include yoga for the hands, the end of Hollywood, the mystery=20
of pain and 'NGOs -- ultimate global regulators?'. Smadja said the regional=
=20
outlooks for Europe and Asia would also come under the spotlight, as well=20
as the future for the US under the new administration of President George=20
W.Bush.=20
Anti-globalisation protestors have appealed a ban on holding a=20
demonstration at the prestigious forum, which was marred last year by=20
violence when protestors rampaged through the streets. The Swiss army=20
has quadrupled its contingent from last year with the first members having=
=20
been sent in to Davos some 10 days before the start. Other opponents have=20
come up with different strategies. Alternative forums are planned including=
=20
the 'Public Eye on Davos' offering what organisers say is "an independent=20
surveillance" of the WEF discussions.
But WEF chiefs stress the number of representatives from NGOs and civil=20
society attending the forum has jumped this year to more than 70 from 51=20
last year. Between 12 and 15 top union leaders are expected, they say. The=
=20
Geneva-based WEF was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a German-
born economic professor whose idea was a forum for European business=20
managers to learn from each other. Over the years the event has gathered=20
steam, assuming an increasing political role as well as continuing to attra=
ct=20
corporate movers and shakers. (Agence France-Presse)
MICHAEL TURNER =0F
(mykelturner@airmail.net)=20
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Infobeat News items (1/22/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 20:12:49 -0500
*** Soccer nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
OSLO, Norway (AP) - The game of soccer has been nominated for the
2001 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting understanding between nations.
Although fans from opposing nations often seem more hostile than
harmonious when their teams meet, Swedish lawmaker Lars Gustafsson
on Monday insisted the game helps international relations. "Soccer
has and will continue to play an important role in the global arena,
when it comes to creating understanding between people," Gustafsson
wrote in his nomination letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee in
Oslo. Gustafsson said soccer has survived two world wars and scores
of ethnic and regional conflicts. Sometimes, he wrote, hostile
nations meet on the soccer field when other contact would be
unthinkable. He noted that Iran played the United States in the 1994
World Cup, and that North Korea faced South Korea in a 1991 youth
championship.
*** Putin transfers Chechen war command
MOSCOW (AP) - President Vladimir Putin on Monday transferred control
of the war in breakaway Chechnya from the Ministry of Defense to the
country's main intelligence agency, a Kremlin spokesman said. Putin
signed a decree giving Federal Security Service director Nikolai
Patrushev full authority over Russia's war effort, the presidential
press office said. Putin also announced that military forces in the
region would be reduced as earlier promised, but did not say when or
by how much. Putin's order follows months of inconclusive fighting,
with scores of soldiers lost in rebel hit-and-run attacks. Putin
said the transfer of authority will not mean less Russian pressure
on rebel groups or an end to the military operation, but is rather a
change in tactics. Russian army troops moved into Chechnya in 1999
after rebels based there invaded a neighboring Russian province, and
after apartment bombings in Moscow and other cities killed about 300
people. The Federal Security Service blamed rebels for the
explosions.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=405920917
*** God's Army twins admit no powers
SUAN PHUNG, Thailand (AP) - The teen-age twins who led the God's Army
rebel group acknowledged on Monday they have no mystical powers to
repel bullets and said they want to give up fighting. Wearing
oversized soccer shirts, Johnny and Luther Htoo, who led a
hit-and-run campaign for three years against the Myanmar military,
said their days as soldiers are at an end. Luther said the God's
Army, a rag tag guerrilla group, had 150 soldiers at its peak while
fighting to try to win autonomy for the ethnic Karen minority. When
they surrendered to the Thai army last week, driven by hunger and
exhaustion, the God's Army had probably not more than 20 followers.
Seventeen of them, including the twins, surrendered Jan. 16 and Jan.
17. Luther said he knows of only three comrades still in the
jungles. The twins' legend began around 1997 when Myanmar troops
came to their village during a sweep of Karen areas.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=405923214
*** Scientists fear Indonesian volcano
YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Scientists are growing increasingly
fearful of a major eruption at Mount Merapi volcano. But in a bamboo
house high on its slopes, a traditional shaman says not to worry -
he's taken care of the problem. Villagers had sacrificed a chicken
and made offerings of rice and clothes to the volcano, shaman
Maridjan said Monday, ensuring that the Indonesian mountain won't
blow despite spewing lava and ash clouds for the last two weeks. He
officially represents the local ruler, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, in
dealings with the mountain's notoriously unpredictable spirits.
About 50 volcanologists are monitoring Merapi, and the government
has offered incentives to vulnerable villagers to move to safer
regions. However, with the nation's economy in its worst slump in a
generation and promises from spiritual leaders that the mountain is
safe, many farmers are refusing to leave the mountain's fertile
slopes.
Full article at: http://www.infobeat.com/fullArticle?article=405919697
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] BNI.Priority News 1,2 (1/21/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 20:16:47 -0500
1. P=92sagot attacked by PA gunfire=09
2. More attacks in Gaza during the night=09
3. 16,000 additional PA residents being permitted to work in Israel
4. Rabbi Mordehai Gifter to be laid to rest=09
5. New commander of police Shai District=09
6. Partial list of agencies impacted by Histadrut strike=09
********************************
22-JAN-01 =96 5:35am
********************************
1. P=92sagot attacked by PA gunfire
(BNI-JAN.22) Not long after Israeli and PA negotiators sat down in Taba
for the start of marathon peace negotiations, gunfire was directed at the
community of P=92sagot, in Samaria, which borders the PA autonomous city of
el-Bireh. There were no reported casualties in the attack which
concentrated on the road leading to the Jewish community.=20=20=20
++++
2. More attacks in Gaza during the night
(BNI-JAN.22) Shortly before midnight, PA gunfire was directed at IDF
positions in the communities of Gadid and Neve Dekalim in Gaza. There were
no Israeli casualties. Soldiers returned fire.=20=20
++++
3. 16,000 additional PA residents being permitted to work in Israel
(BNI-JAN.22) In the hope of reducing tensions at the negotiating table,
Israel will beginning on Monday permit an additional 16,000 residents of
PA areas to enter into =93Israel proper=94 to return to their jobs. The
laborers have been barred from entering by a closure that was placed into
effect by the security establishment following the recent wave of terror
attacks.
The laborers were to have been permitted to enter =93Israel proper=94 some
time ago but implementation of the government decision was delayed
following the Jan. 1, 2001 car bomb attack in Netanya.
The reduction of restrictions in this case will permit laborers
35-year-old or older, married and with children, to enter Israel to work
providing they do not have a criminal record pointing to terrorist or
hostile activities against Israel.=20=20
&n