In This Issue• The Daily Brief
• The Middle East in Focus
• The Daily Jot
• Terror Update #1
• Terror Update #2
• Terror Update #3
• Link for Terror Alerts
• 30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
• The Good News Corner
Greetings!
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The Daily Brief - Friday, September 4, 2009
"Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite. The Lord lifts up the humble; He casts the wicked down to the ground. Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God." (Psalms 147:5 -7)
The Daily Brief
1. Former Attorney General Ashcroft can be sued for terror probe arrest, appeals - CNN
Former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is not immune from being sued by a man who claims he was illegally detained under Justice Department policies implemented after the September 11 terror attacks, a federal appeals court ruled Friday. The man, a native-born U.S. citizen who was once a college football star, was held and interrogated by the FBI for 16 days in 2003 and his travel was limited for another year, court documents said. A spokesman for Ashcroft, asked for his reaction, told CNN, "We're reviewing the decision and have no further comment." The court rejected Ashcroft's argument that his involvement was as a prosecutor, which would give him full immunity from lawsuits - not as an investigator, which could leave him liable.
- Lord, we pray that the courts of this nation will act with justice and not begin to create their own laws.
- "But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say." (Matthew 10:19)
2. Rifqa Remains In Florida For Now - Cfnews13.com/Orlando, Florida
Rifqa Bary, 17, the Muslim who converted to Christianity, will remain in Florida until the next hearing is held in her case. That hearing is set for the end of the month. In the meantime, the judge has ordered Rifqa, her father, Mohamed, and her mother participate in mediation before the next hearing to try to resolve the family battle that has turned into a religious confrontation. The judge also ruled that lawyers in the case can only discuss procedures and dates in the case. However, Rifqa is permitted to talk to anyone she chooses, including the news media. Her father is also permitted to talk the news media.
- Lord, we thank You for Your protection of this girl. We pray that there will be hedges of angels around her and all those who are defending her including her attorneys and friends. May this case be a clarion call to the nation about the dangers that exist for new believers who are saved out of Islam.
- "But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You." (Psalm 5:11)
3. 'Green Jobs' Adviser's Past Could Stir Trouble for White House at Critical Time - Fox News
President Obama's "green jobs" adviser could become a mounting liability for the Obama administration, as the latest revelation about Van Jones shows his apparent belief that the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks may have been an inside job.
- We pray for wisdom for all those who are given power in this administration. If they are working against the interests of American citizens, may they be exposed and removed from power.
- "Do not be deceived: 'Bad company corrupts good morals.'" (1 Corinthians 15:33)
4. White House Debunks Reports It Will Fly China's Flag on South Lawn - Fox News
The White House on Friday dismissed as inaccurate reports from China that the administration will mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic by flying the Chinese flag on the South Lawn. China Daily, citing other media reports, claimed the president of the Fujian Association of the United States had been granted permission to hoist the flag "in a ceremony in front of the President's residence." A ceremony, indeed, will take place. But it won't happen on the White House grounds -- rather, on the Ellipse, on the other side of E Street from the presidential residence. China Daily's report -- which said the flag would represent strong U.S.-Chinese relations and recognition of China's success in hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics -- set off howls of protest on the Internet and among conservative talk show hosts despite failing to receive confirmation from the White House.
- Lord, we pray as we approach the October 1 anniversary of the People's Republic of China that those who are being oppressed and attacked by that nation not be forgotten. We pray for strength and courage for believers in China who are risking their lives every day for the gospel. May we never be a nation that is subjugated to other nations for material gain.
- "Yet they did not listen to their judges, for they played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them. They turned aside quickly from the way in which their fathers had walked in obeying the commandments of the LORD; they did not do as their fathers." (Judges 2:17)
5. Gates, Mullen defend Afghan strategy - Politico
The war in Afghanistan is not "slipping through the administration's fingers,." Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters Thursday.
- We pray the military leaders of this nation will be given wisdom and that You will bring into leadership positions godly men and women who will be sensitive to Your will. We pray for the focus and health of military members and their families that will allow them to continue in their service.
- "The king is not saved by a mighty army; A warrior is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a false hope for victory; Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength." (Psalm 33:16-17)
6. NKorea says in final stage of uranium enrichment - AFP
North Korea said Friday it had reached the final stages of enriching uranium, a process that would give it a second way to make nuclear bombs, in a defiant response to tougher United Nations sanctions.
- May the world be awakened to this threat and may we act to shield the innocent against these weapons.
- "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed." (Romans 13:11)
7. 'Gaddafi okayed Lockerbie bombing' - Jerusalem Post
Adding more heat to the boiling controversy in the US and UK over Britain's recent release to Libya of the only man ever convicted in the Lockerbie bombing, the senior FBI agent in the case has told The Jerusalem Post he believes Libya's Col. Muammar Gaddafi must have personally sanctioned the atrocity.
- We praise You that the deeds of this man are being brought to light. We pray that You will break all plots that are currently being formed against the innocent.
- "For your hands are defiled with blood And your fingers with iniquity; Your lips have spoken falsehood, Your tongue mutters wickedness." (Isaiah 59:3)
The Middle East in Focus
This week, for all the headlines cited below, please join us in proclaiming THIS DECREE:
No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, says LORD. (Isaiah 54:17)
1. IAF strikes Gaza tunnel - Ynet News
The Israel Air Force struck a smuggling tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip Thursday night.
2. Report: Hizbullah Chemical Weapons - Media Line
Iran is providing the Lebanese based Hizbullah with weapons, and protective gear against chemical and biological weapons, a new report says.
3. Netanyahu to okay hundreds of new settlement homes before freeze - Jerusalem Post
In a move certain to cause consternation in the Arab world, but likely to relieve pressure from within his own Likud party, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu next week intends to approve plans for hundreds of new housing units in the West Bank. Only after this new building is green-lighted will he consider a moratorium "for a few months" on further construction, a senior source in the Prime Minister's Office told The Jerusalem Post Thursday night.
4. Evangelicals join March of the Living for first time - Jerusalem Post
Amid a push to bolster pro-Israel activism on campus, an Evangelical Christian group has partnered with March of the Living to bring Christian students to Poland's Nazi death camps.
5. Israeli team working to decipher ancient texts - AP
Israeli researchers said Thursday they are developing a computer program to make ancient documents more legible and easily indexed, which could eventually lead to a searchable catalog of archived historical texts.
6. World powers meet in Germany to discuss Iran nuclear program - Deutche Welle
After a meeting near Frankfurt on Wednesday, representatives of the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany issued a statement urging Iran to begin talks on its controversial nuclear program.
7. Report: Russian official confirms Syria jet deal - Ynet News
A top Russian official confirmed the existence of a contract for the supply of MiG-31 fighter jets to Syria but said work on the planes had been frozen, the daily Kommersant reported on Thursday.
The Daily Jot
White House Secretly Planning To Collect Information On Anyone Criticizing Presidency
Your Constitutional right to free speech will soon collide with the objectives of the White House in its war against Americans. While investigating procurement by the White House New Media Office, the National Legal and Policy Center discovered a plan by the White House New Media operation to "conduct a massive secret effort to harvest personal information on millions of Americans from social networking sites." NLPC says on its website "the information to be captured includes comments, tag lines, emails, audio, and video. The targeted sites include Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and others - any space where the White House "maintains a presence.""
The NLPC provided a link to the Request For Quote from the White House calling for collection of all information relating to the Executive Office of the President that is posted on the world wide web. The 51 page document states in its objective that: "The contractor shall if possible, capture, store, extract to approved formats, and transfer content published by EOP on non-public websites. The contractor shall include in the information posted by non-EOP persons on publicly-accessible web sites where the EOP maintains a presence both comments posted on pages created by EOP and messages sent to EOP accounts on those web sites. Publicly-accessible sites may include, but are not limited to social networking sites."
The White House cites the Presidential Records Act of 1978 as its authority to collect such information. The PRA, as it is called, establishes that records of the President are public property and cannot be unreasonably withheld from the public. It in no way implies or requires that records be kept on non- Presidential information, such as citizens commenting on the president. This White House, however, justifies collecting information on citizens under the law in its request for quote. It says, "Out of an abundance of caution, we are treating comments made by non-PRA personnel on sites on which a PRA component has a presence as presidential records, requiring them to be captured or sampled."
The White House New Media Office is the same office that encouraged Americans to turn in their fellow citizens at flag@whitehouse.gov if they were speaking misinformation about the White House healthcare socialization plan. Now it is planning to secretly collect information on anyone who discusses the president online. Psalm 64:5-8 says, "They encourage themselves in an evil matter: they commune of laying snares in secret; they say Who shall see them? They search out iniquities; they accomplish a diligent search. . . But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded. So they shall make their own tongue fall upon themselves."
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
Terror Update #1
EXCLUSIVE: CIA asks Justice to probe leaks of secrets
Besieged by leaks of several closely held secrets, the CIA has asked the Justice Department to examine what it regards as the criminal disclosure of a secret program to kill foreign terrorist leaders abroad, The Washington Times has learned. Two U.S. intelligence officials, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because of the sensitivity of the case, said the leak investigation involved a program that CIA Director Leon E. Panetta told Congress about in June and that surfaced in news reports just a month later. The vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence declined to discuss any possible leak investigations but told the Times on Thursday that a growing number of disclosures of highly secret programs, tactics and other information had caused "irreparable damage" to the U.S. intelligence community. (Washington Times)
Terror Update #2
Yemeni Liberal Criticizes Appointment of Dalia Mogahed as Obama's Advisor on Islam
In an article posted on the liberal website www.metransparent.com, reformist Yemeni journalist Dr. Elham Mane'a came out against the appointment of Muslim American writer Dalia Mogahed to Obama's Interfaith Advisory Board. Mane'a claimed that Mogahed purported to represent all Muslims, but in fact represented only a limited, extremist view of Islam. This, she said, was reflected in Obama's statement in his Cairo speech about the Muslim women's right to wear the hijab. (MEMRI)
Terror Update #3
Honor killings on the rise
In Texas last year, a horrible 911 call came from two sisters. "Oh my god! I'm dying. What's wrong ma'am? I'm bleeding everywhere," one of them is heard screaming. The father is the accused killer. His reason? They were dating boys. "Most Westerners wouldn't understand that and wouldn't even believe that people think that way," says Robert Spencer, founder of JihadWatch.org.His website attempts to raise awareness about the activities of global jihadists. One of those activities is what's called honor killings, a practice which has its roots in the Middle East, and is now happening in the West. "What they're concerned about is restoring the purity of the family in this world, and they do that by eradicating the member that is stained," says Spencer. (Fox 35 News - Orlando)
-- Please also note our prayer request for the case of Rifqa Bary in Florida. To read the entire article about her case, go here.
Link for Terror Alerts
The Terror Alerts cited above were taken from the website for Steve Emerson's Investigative Project:
http://www.investigativeproject.org
30 Days of Prayer for the Muslim World
Covering RAMADAN in prayer - August 22 - September 20
During these 30 days when the people of Islam observe Ramadan, we encourage you to visit this site in order to view daily prayers. May we raise up the people of the Muslim world in prayer that they will come to salvation in Christ Jesus.
Prayer For Friday, 4 September, Ramadan 2009
"Loving Muslims Through Prayer"
Dreams of Peace
Almost all Somalis in America are refugees from their own civil war. All face complex issues regarding their future and their commitment to Islam. They tend to settle in cities where they have been welcomed. Often they live in tight knit communities that emphasis adherence to Islam and are not generally open to other beliefs. However, they are still known for warm hospitality and deep friendship. Many first generation immigrant Somalis (age 35 and older) dream of returning to a restored, peaceful Somalia. Second and third generation immigrant Somalis (age 34 and younger) face a tremendous identity struggle.
Minnesota is home to between 30,000 and 70,000 Somalis. The vast majority work hard at learning English and adapting while trying to earn enough money to support themselves, as well as their families back in Somalia. Since December 2007, six Somali young men have been murdered by other Somalis as a result of tensions in the community.
Prayer Starters:
- Pray that God would give true "shalom" peace to Somalia and its people around the world.
- Pray that God would open the eyes of Somalis in the States to see the surpassing value of the Kingdom of God (Matthew 13:44-46).
- Pray for the Christians, churches and ministries in the USA who are becoming friends with the Somalis. (Read the entire article here.)
http://www.30-days.net/islam/usa-somalis/
The Good News Corner
"God Bless America"
Have a blessed weekend as you spend time with our King of Kings and Lord of Lords during this holiday. Praise God!
