On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XX, Number 14

Notice:
On Capitol Hill This Week will not be published next weekend. Our next issue will be released on Monday, May 6, 2013.


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On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XX, Number 14a

INTERNATIONAL ISSUES

April 22 - 26, 2013

"Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness."
(Psalm 48:10)

	News from Israel

News from Israel

1. SALAFI GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROCKET FIRE
2. ISRAEL READY TO DEFEND AGAINST SYRIAN WMDS
3. ISRAEL SAYS CAN ATTACK IRAN BY ITSELF
4. IRAN SAYS IT WILL 'RAZE TEL AVIV, HAIFA' IF ATTACKED
5. FORCES THWART TERROR ATTACK AT CROSSING
6. HAGEL LEAVES SATURDAY FOR ISRAEL, PERSIAN GULF
7. U.S. TO FINALIZE $10B ARMS SALE TO MIDEAST ALLIES AMID IRAN THREAT
8. KERRY SAYS 'WINDOW' FOR MIDEAST PEACE ONLY 2 YEARS

1. SALAFI GROUP CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROCKET FIRE

The Mujahideen Shura Council of Jerusalem has claimed responsibility for the firing of rockets at Eilat, Arab media are reporting. A statement issued by the Salafi group [a movement among Sunni Muslims] said that two Grad rockets had been fired but did not disclose from where. It was further stated that the attack was in response to the killing of two Palestinians who hurled a Molotov cocktail at an Israel Defense Forces [IDF] post near the settlement of Einav earlier this month [April]. In March, the group, which operates both in Sinai and in Gaza, claimed responsibility for the firing of Gaza rockets during US President Barack Obama's visit to Israel.

Initially, Egyptian security forces were quick to deny that the firing had come from Sinai. A top military official told Sky Arabia that there had been no firing from Egypt and South Sinai Governor Khaled Fuda added that "Israel's claims on the origin of the fire are false." Fuda said that Israel is trying to hurt Sinai tourism and destabilize the region.

Also Wednesday [April 17], German news agency DPA quoted an Egyptian defense source as saying that Israel must examine the rockets before stating their origin. But the tone of the statements softened later in the day. Egypt's state news agency quoted sources as saying that authorities are conducting examinations to check Israel's claims. A local news website quoted other officials as saying that security forces are canvassing the Sinai Peninsula, mainly the border area.

Source (By Roi Kais, Ynetnews, April 17, 2013)

Read more
- Pray that Egypt and Hamas can get the Salafi faction to cease shooting rockets into Israel. Pray for safety and covering for those that are in Eilat and within range of rocket fire.

- O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked; do not further his wicked scheme, lest they be exalted.(Psalm 140:7-8)

2. PM: ISRAEL READY TO DEFEND AGAINST SYRIAN WMDS

In BBC interview, PM warns that Syrian chemical arms, anti-aircraft weapons could change balance of power in Mideast. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told the BBC on Wednesday that Israel is prepared to defend itself should Syrian President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons and anti-aircraft weapons fall into the wrong hands.

"The main arms of concern to us are the arms that are already in Syria - these are anti-aircraft weapons, these are chemical weapons and other very, very dangerous weapons that could be game changers," he said in an interview with the BBC. Netanyahu warned these weapons could change the balance of power in the Middle East, and stressed that it is not just in Israel's interest to stop these weapons from getting into the wrong hands, but it's in other countries' interest as well.

Despite this, Netanyahu echoed past statements that Israel doesn't seek to interfere in the Syrian civil war. "We are prepared to defend ourselves if the need arises and I think people know that what I say is both measured and serious," he said.

[Source Jerusalem Post]

Read article:
- O Heavenly Father, these chemical weapons held by President Assad's military in Syria are a nightmare ready to explode this region into an extremely dangerous and lethal series of confrontations. We fall before You, Lord, and plead that You clearly guide Israeli leaders and military as to when, where, and how to move to stop these weapons being obtained and used by the rebel forces, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.

- Do not keep silent, O God! Do not hold Your peace; and do not be still, O God! (Psalm 83:1)

3. ISRAEL SAYS CAN ATTACK IRAN BY ITSELF

As Israel celebrated its 65th Independence Day, Israeli officials ratcheted up the rhetoric directed against Iran, warning that Israel has the ability to attack Iran's nuclear sites, even without help from other countries. At the same time, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed a resolution stipulating that the US will assist Israel "diplomatically, economically and militarily" if the Jewish state is forced to attack Iran. The Committee's Chairman Robert Menendez, a Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, co-sponsored the resolution, which is expected to be adopted by the Senate.

The confluence of the statements and the resolution raised the question of whether there has been some dramatic development in Iran's nuclear program, which Iran insists is solely for peaceful purposes. "There is no doubt that this is the major challenge facing the international community," Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's spokesman Mark Regev told The Media Line. "Time is running out."

At the same time, one of the messages of President Obama's recent trip to Israel was a warning that an Israeli strike on Iran could cause more instability in the Middle East. Israeli officials have repeatedly stressed that Iran becoming a military power is dangerous to the entire international community, not just to Israel. Yet Netanyahu has repeatedly called Iran's nuclear program "an existential threat" and said Iran must be stopped. While sanctions have struck a blow at the Iranian economy and the Iranian rial [basic monetary unit], the country has not slowed down its nuclear program. Talks last month in Kazakhstan failed to make any progress either.

Would Israel attack Iran without at least tacit cooperation from the US? "If there is no actual red light, Israel will probably do what it thinks it needs to do," Asculai said.

Source (By Linda Gradstein, The Media Line, April 17, 2013) [Reported by BFP: Bridges for Peace]
- Pray that the hand of God will direct Israel in their defense strategies and movements. Pray that Israel will not take any action unless led by Him.

- The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.(Proverbs 12:15)

4. IRAN SAYS IT WILL 'RAZE TEL AVIV, HAIFA' IF ATTACKED

After IDF chief says Israel will act as and when necessary, leaders in Tehran shrug off 'threats by the Zionist regime' Two of Iran's top defense officials on Thursday launched a coordinated rhetorical attack against Israel, saying it couldn't carry out a successful military attack against the Islamic republic and restating their own ability to "raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground." "The constant threats by the Zionist regime against Iran are worthless, and they cannot do anything against our nation because they know that any measure will lead them to full annihilation," Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi told PressTV during Tehran's Army Day celebrations.

Similar statements were made by Iranian Army Commander Major General Ataollah Salehi. If the Israelis try "to commit a folly and implement their threat against Iran, we will not hesitate" to respond, he said. Iran doesn't need any help defending itself against the Zionist regime, he said.

During Israel's Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief of General Staff Benny Gantz said Israel could defend itself against any threat, and - if it needed to - would also act against Tehran's nuclear program. "The Iranian challenge is very significant and we must approach it with a responsible long-term strategy. We will do what is necessary when it is necessary," Gantz told Army Radio.

[Source the Times of Israel]

Read article:
- Abba Father, we come before You concerning this Iranian nuclear threat. Direct our prayers Lord, and assist Your people Israel to hear Your will as to when and how to handle this serious threat against them, and also against the rest of the world. In Jesus' Name we pray, Amen and Amen.

- Help us, O God of our Salvation, for the glory of Your name; and deliver us, and provide atonement for our sins, for Your name's sake! (Psalm 79:9)

5. FORCES THWART TERROR ATTACK AT CROSSING

A potentially deadly terror attack was thwarted yesterday morning (Saturday, April 13). A Palestinian male was arrested when he arrived at the Eliyahu crossing [major checkpoint between central Israel and Judea-Samaria], armed with an improvised firearm, ammunition, and a map of the crossing. He intended to commit a terror attack at the crossing, which services populations in transit between the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the Qalqilya area.

Reserve soldiers at the site were alert to his suspicious behavior and thwarted a potentially deadly attack, which could have also impacted the quality of life of the area's residents by affecting the operations of the crossing.

Source (By Israel Defense Forces, April 14, 2013) [Reported by BFP: Bridges for Peace]

Read article:
- Thank the Lord that the forces at the crossing were alert. Thank Him for their safety. Pray that God will continue to watch over those that stand at the crossings, keeping Israel safe.

- The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

6. HAGEL LEAVES SATURDAY FOR ISRAEL, PERSIAN GULF

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will travel to Israel on Saturday to kick off a five-nation tour of the Middle East, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday. Israel is the first country besides Afghanistan that Hagel will have visited since becoming secretary. Typically, for security purposes the Pentagon does not announce the secretary of defense's overseas travel in advance of his departure. But Israel is not a typical destination. Hagel was hotly criticized before his February confirmation as being anti-Israel. Since taking office, Hagel has stressed his support for Israel, and greeted Israel's then-Defense Minister Ehud Barak as his first foreign visitor to the Pentagon.

Hagel's Israel stop this weekend follows recent visits by President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry. There, Hagel will meet with Minister of Defense Moshe Ya'alon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres, Pentagon officials said.

The secretary then will visit Jordan to assess the U.S. military's efforts to prepare regional forces for "a number of contingencies" for a post-war Syria, a Pentagon statement said. On Wednesday, Hagel revealed that last week he deployed a U.S. Army headquarters element to Amman, where U.S. soldiers will continue training Jordanian armed forces in how to manage possible loose chemical weapons and post-conflict security. Hagel then will visit senior military officials in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates.

(Foreign Policy/National Security)

Read article:
- Father, this man who now heads up the US Department of Defense is traveling to several middle eastern nations, starting with Israel. In the past, He has been known for statements against Your land and people. Be in the midst of all talks and negotiations, exposing all hidden things to the light. Let Israel's leaders clearly discern all motives. Keep Israel safe, Lord, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.

- It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, or to overthrow the righteous in judgment. (Proverbs 18:5)

7. U.S. TO FINALIZE $10B ARMS SALE TO MIDEAST ALLIES AMID IRAN THREAT, NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS

The United States is expected to finalize an agreement next week in which it will provide $10 billion worth of weapons to its allies in the Middle East, including Israel, in an effort to bolster defenses against Iran, the New York Times reported Thursday. The arms deal is designed to beef up the military capabilities of Israel, Saudia Arabia and The United Arab Emirates, and is the second in scope only to the $29.5 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets to the Saudis announced in 2010, according to the report.

In the agreement reported on by the Times, Israel is authorized to buy new refueling tanker planes that will increase the country's strike range and ability to reach Iran, new missiles designed to target air-defense raiders, and aircraft for transporting troops, which would mark the first sale of the V-22 Osprey to a foreign military. During his upcoming visit to Israel and the Middle East, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will work to seal the agreements, which have been negotiated in secret for the past year, the Times reported. Hagel's visit comes on the heels of the trips by U.S. President Barack Obama and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Israel. Obama promised to augment security assistance and provide advanced military technology to Israel, the Times said.

The American weapons proposal is intended to preserve Israel's qualitative military edge in the region, sources told Haaretz. However, the Times reported, the deal was carefully crafted not to imply a green light for an Israeli strike on Iran. The United States' goal, according to the report, was to upgrade Israel's military capabilities without bolstering the hawkish elements in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government who are pushing for a strike on Iran.

Read article:
- We thank you Lord, that the US is still assisting Israel with weapons and supplies. However, we ask that Israel will have the freedom to use these weapons when they feel it is necessary. Abide in the midst, Lord, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.

- Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, than great treasure with trouble. (Proverbs 15:16)

8. KERRY SAYS 'WINDOW' FOR MIDEAST PEACE ONLY 2 YEARS

WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday underlined the difficulty he will face in trying to chart a path toward Mideast peace, urging patience on the details of any two-state plan while stressing that Israel and the Palestinians might only have two years left for a deal.

He told the House Foreign Affairs Committee that he was committed to breaking a logjam that includes nearly no Israeli-Palestinian talks in the past 4½ years and no solution in sight after more than six decades of conflict.

But Kerry, who visited Jerusalem and the West Bank last week, said he sensed a "seriousness of purpose" in his meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He said the objective now is translating that seriousness into quick action. The former senator has put new attention on restarting the peace process after his predecessor, Hillary Rodham Clinton, did not. "I can guarantee you that I am committed to this because I believe the window for a two-state solution is shutting," Kerry told lawmakers. "I think we have some period of time - a year to year-and-a-half to two years, or it's over."

Kerry did not spell out why he believes so little time is left for an agreement that would establish an independent Palestine existing alongside a Jewish state recognized by its neighbors.

But several factors are likely to only make peace more difficult in the coming years, including the growing numbers and political strength of Israel's settlers.

Conscious of the failures of Democratic and Republican administrations past, Kerry has tried to avoid setting any benchmarks for progress or deadlines for steps such as the resumption of direct talks. He told lawmakers he would not lay out a "schedule or define the process, because we're in the process of working that out with the critical parties."

Read article:
- Abba Father, You know what is in the hearts and minds of mankind. This article seems to reflect a different tone and attitude to the peace talks. If there is deception of motives by the Arabs or by Kerry, bring forth the truth, in Jesus Name. We ask that You keep Your warrior angels fully around Your land and people, in Jesus' Name, Amen and Amen.

- Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. (Galatians 6:7)

	More International News

More International News

1. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ARRESTS 'AL-QAEDA TERROR SUSPECTS'
2. TIES BETWEEN ISLAMIC EXTREMIST GROUPS AND CHECHNYA WELL-DOCUMENTED
3. IRANIAN NAVY TO START USING NEW WARSHIP, MINESWEEPING SYSTEM
4. IRAN TRIPLES INSTALLATIONS OF CENTRIFUGES AT NATANZ
5. AYATOLLAH: AMERICA ON BRINK OF FALL
6. TALIBAN: 'WHEREVER WE FIND AMERICANS WE KILL THEM'
7. ASSAD SAYS WEST WILL PAY FOR BACKING AL QAEDA IN SYRIA
8. RADICAL EGYPTIAN CLERIC: BOSTON BOMBING MEANT TO SEND A MESSAGE
9. NORTH KOREA VOWS BLITZ ATTACK ON SOUTH WARNING 'RETALIATION
10. DRUGS TO FIGHT DEADLY SUPERBUGS IN SHORT SUPPLY

1. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ARRESTS 'AL-QAEDA TERROR SUSPECTS'

BBC News reports: "Seven members of an alleged al-Qaeda cell have been arrested over plans to attack targets in the United Arab Emirates, officials tell state media.

The group was planning actions which compromised the Gulf nation's security, according to state news agency WAM.

An unidentified source told the agency the cell recruited people, promoted al-Qaeda and provided finances and logistical support to the organisation.

All seven members are believed to be Arab nationals. Last December, the UAE arrested members of what it called a terror cell which it said was planning to attack targets in the Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

Another 94 people, said to be members of an Islamist organisation, are on trial in the UAE charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

The detainees, all Emiratis, include prominent human rights lawyers as well as judges, teachers and student leaders. . ."

Read more
- Lord, thank You for this arrest. As more and more of these cells are arrested, cause authorities to learn their tactics, so we may stay a step ahead of their plans.

- Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. (Matthew 10:16)

2. TIES BETWEEN ISLAMIC EXTREMIST GROUPS AND CHECHNYA WELL-DOCUMENTED

Reports that the suspects in the Boston bombing are believed to be from the region near Chechnya may have caught some by surprise -- rebels in Chechnya are known for their violent and long-running campaign to break away from Russia, but not for exporting terror to America.

But congressional researchers and foreign policy analysts have long tracked a connection between the Chechnya region and Islamic extremists sympathizing with Al Qaeda and the Taliban. If the suspects are indeed Chechen, analysts told Fox News they may represent part of a jihadi network which has made its way to American soil. "The Chechen jihadi network is very extensive," Middle East analyst Walid Phares said Friday. "They have a huge network inside Russia and Chechnya."

John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Chechen rebels are motivated by two things -- a desire for independence from Russia and Islamic radicalism. He speculated that, if the suspects are Chechen, they could be motivated more by the latter. "They could well be supported by a significant international network," he said.

Sources said authorities are investigating whether Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev, 19, of Cambridge, Mass., and his brother may have had military training overseas. Reports have also indicated they have a connection with Dagestan, another restive Russian region where Islamic militants have gone after Russian targets. . . The ties between major Islamic extremist groups and Chechnya, though, are well-documented, particularly pertaining to extremists' support for the separatists in Chechnya.
Signs of Islamic radicals fueling unrest in Chechnya continued to surface. According to the report by the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, foreign fighters have flocked to places like Chechnya, Bosnia and others with a jihadi presence. The 2010 report said lands like Chechnya -- as well as Pakistan and Somalia -- are seen by "jihadi theoreticians" as places where "fighting is not only legitimate but also compulsory." The same report also noted Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov has tried to align the insurgency "with the global jihadist narrative," supporting the establishment of an "Islamic emirate in the Caucasus." (Fox News) Read more.

- Pray for a severing of the Chechens, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban. Bring the Sword of the Spirit against these ties. Pray for the youth of Chechnya so that they put aside anger and resentment and do activities that will benefit the improvement of the country. Pray for truth to invade the minds of the youth, not bombing and killing innocent children. What advantage has Chechnya gained from these bombings?

- "With long life willI satisfy him and show him My salvation." (Psalm 91:16)

3. IRANIAN NAVY TO START USING NEW WARSHIP, MINESWEEPING SYSTEM

The Fars News Agency reports: "Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari announced on Thursday that his forces plan to put into operation a new warship and display a minesweeping system in the next few weeks.

'In the month of Ordibehesht (April 21 - May 21) Bayandor warship, which is equipped with new and advanced tools and systems, will be put into operation and also the Navy's minesweeping system will be unveiled,' Sayyari told reporters on the sidelines of the military parades held in Tehran on the occasion of the National Army Day.

They will boost our capabilities in these fields, he added. Sayyari at the same time stressed that Iran does not intend to invade other states, and stated that the country seeks to ensure security in the region. . ."

Read more
- Lord, may authorities hold Iran to their word that they do not intend to invade other states with their new warship. Keep a watch on Iran, Lord. Bring confusion to every plan Iran has for evil.

- Look, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. (Luke 10:19)

4. IRAN TRIPLES INSTALLATIONS OF CENTRIFUGES AT NATANZ

Iran is increasing the number of advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges installed at its Natanz underground plant, despite tightening international sanctions aimed at stopping Tehran's nuclear progress, Western diplomats said on Wednesday.

For years, Iran has been trying to develop centrifuges that are more efficient than the erratic 1970s era IR-1 machines it now uses, but efforts to introduce new models have been dogged by technical hurdles and difficulty in obtaining key parts abroad.

If launched and operated successfully, the new centrifuges would enable the Islamic Republic to sharply speed up sensitive atomic activity, which it says is for peaceful energy purposes but which the West fears may be aimed at building nuclear bombs.
"It is clear Iran can build them. The question is how many and how good they are," one Western envoy said. Another envoy commented: "A decade of diplomatic efforts has failed." (Israel Hayom) Read more.

- Pray that Iran's technical problems with its nuclear development continue. Pray against the lust for power that Iran is exhibiting.. Pray for more glitches in the operations of these centrifuges. The Lord does not want Iran to impose nuclear power against Israel. Pray in His Name . . . the Name of Jesus, amen.

- "Therefore I will look onto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Rejoice not against . O my enemy when. I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." (Micah7: 7)

5. AYATOLLAH: AMERICA ON BRINK OF FALL

The supreme leader of the Islamic regime ruling Iran in a speech has blamed America and the Western culture for the world's problems and promised it soon will fall. And he's compared the Boston terrorism to military actions in Afghanistan and other troubled Middle East locations.

According to Mashregh News, an outlet run by Iran's Revolutionary Guards' intelligence corps, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a speech yesterday to members of the military and their families compared the killing of the innocent people in Boston to military actions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and Syria, which have resulted in "the killing of innocent people."

The ayatollah, referring to "America's claim" of being against weapons of mass destruction, stated, "Despite these claims, America's pilotless planes (drones) mass murder innocent children, women and people of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the terrorists who visibly or in secret are supported by America kill people in Iraq and Syria."

He added, "America and others claiming human rights who choose silence over the killings of innocent people in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, after a few explosions in America make a big deal in the world."
Khameni accused the West of a double standard, claiming it has a belief that killing innocent people in Boston is wrong but killing innocent people in other parts of the world is fine. (WND) Read more.

- Pray that the Lord reaches into the heart of this Iranian ayatollah and removes from him that lying spirit that he has given a home to. How could he allow Christians to be persecuted in Iran? How could he allow dissenters to be killed in the streets of Tehran? The ayatollah speaks of a double standard when he is guilty of the same double standard. Pray that the ayatollah's words fall on deaf ears. Pray for the ayatollah to receive the words of God and becomes the leader God made him to be.

- "The Lord is good; a strong hold in the day of trouble, and He knows them that trust Him." (Nahum 1:7)

6. TALIBAN: 'WHEREVER WE FIND AMERICANS WE KILL THEM'

Israel National News reports: "While the Pakistani Taliban has denied involvement in Monday's Boston marathon bombing, it has openly applauded the heinous attack, which killed three and injured over a hundred more.

'Wherever we find Americans we will kill them, but we don't have any connection with the Boston explosions,' Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said, according to reports.

While no one has claimed responsibility for the attack, there has been increasing speculation that the Pakistani Taliban is to blame.

The terrorist group harbored Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan until the U.S. invasion of 2001. It claimed responsibility for a botched car bombing in New York's Times Square in 2010, for which a Pakistani-American man, Faisal Shahzad, is serving a life sentence, as well as countless other attacks against American targets. 'This was a heinous and cowardly act, and given what we now know took place, the FBI is investigating it as an act of terrorism,' President Obama said following the attack. 'Any time bombs are used, it is a terrorist act. . ."

Read More
- Father, vengeance is Yours. We pray protection on all Americans, wherever they may be across the globe. Shut the mouths of our enemies, In Jesus Name.

- Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.(Romans 12:19)

7. ASSAD SAYS WEST WILL PAY FOR BACKING AL QAEDA IN SYRIA

Reuters reports: "Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Western nations will suffer the consequences for what he said was their support for al Qaeda militants in his country's civil war.

'The West has paid heavily for funding al Qaeda in its early stages in Afghanistan. Today it is supporting it in Syria, Libya and other places, and will pay a heavy price later in the heart of Europe and the United States,' he told Syrian television channel al-Ikhbariya, according to extracts published on the Syrian presidency's Facebook page on Wednesday.

Assad was speaking a week after Syria's rebel al-Nusra Front, one of the most effective rebel forces battling his troops, formally pledged allegiance to al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri.

The United States has designated the Nusra Front a terrorist organization and the presence of militant Islamists in Syria's two-year conflict poses a quandary for Western powers who favor Assad's overthrow, but are alarmed at the growing influence of the Islamists in Syria.

'The truth is, what is happening is that we are mainly facing extremist forces,' Assad said in the interview. . ."

Read more
- Father, we continue to pray over the Syrian conflict. Guide the United States in its involvement in Syria. If the U.S. is funding the same rebel organizations that are trying to harm us - forgive us, Lord.

- When a man's ways are pleasing to the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.(Proverbs 16:7)

8. RADICAL EGYPTIAN CLERIC: BOSTON BOMBING MEANT TO SEND A MESSAGE

A radical Egyptian Salafi cleric said that the terror attack in Boston this week was meant to send a message to the West, that terrorists are alive and well. The cleric, Sheik Murgan Salem, also warned that similar attacks were expected in France. Salem made the comments during an interview on Tahrir TV on April 16, 2013. The interview was translated and posted to the internet by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

"Obviously, I do not know who carried out that operation, but if it was done by the mujahideen, it serves as a message to America and the West: We are still alive," he said.

"Contrary to what you say, we have not died. The [Americans] wanted to send a message to the entire world that they had finished off the mujahideen - not just the mujahideen of Al-Qaeda, but the mujahideen all over the world. I do not know who carried out this attack, but if it was indeed the mujahideen, it was meant as a clear message to America and to the West," continued Salem, who said the terror attack "was not up to the standards of Al-Qaeda. It was extremely amateurish. The standards of Al-Qaeda are much higher."
A leader of Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood on Tuesday linked the Boston bombings to an anti-Islam conspiracy. In a post on his personal Facebook page Muslim Brotherhood Vice President Essam el-Erian suggested the attack was part of a global plot to discredit Islam, citing violence in Mali, Syria, Somalia and other Muslim nations. "Our sympathy with the families of the victims, and the American people do not stop us from reading into the grave incident," he wrote. The Freedom and Justice Party officially condemned the Boston attacks, saying they "categorically" rejected the "intolerable" attack, claiming it violated the principles of Islamic Sharia law.

The Pakistani Taliban, meanwhile, denied involvement in the Boston marathon bombing, but openly applauded the heinous attack. "Wherever we find Americans we will kill them, but we don't have any connection with the Boston explosions," Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan said, according to reports. (Israel National News) Read more.

- Pray against the mutterings of the heads of these terrorist organizations, each unwilling to admit or even implicate their groups in this "amateurish" bombing in Boston. May the words of the Moslem Brotherhood in Egypt, declaring an "anti-Islamc conspiracy," fall to the ground and be of no effect. Moslems are still nursing wounds from the Crusades, events that happened at least 7 centuries ago. Many Christians have repented for the acts of the church during the Crusades; now it is time for the children of Islam to do the same. Pray that the one true God will show them how to repent, forgive others, and find peace and salvation in our Messiah. Amen.

- "But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one. Therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail; they shall be ashamed; for they shall not prosper; their everlasting confusion shall not be forgotten." (Jeremiah 20: 11)

9. NORTH KOREA VOWS BLITZ ATTACK ON SOUTH WARNING 'RETALIATION WILL START WITHOUT NOTICE'

NORTH Korea's military has today (Tuesday, April 16) issued a stark warning saying it will launch retaliation against South Korea without warning if "anti-North Korean" activities continue. Threatening that it would not give any advance notice before attacking South Korea, the North warned: "Our retaliatory action will start without any notice from now." North Korea said it was responding to insults from the "puppet authorities" in the South, who yesterday held a rally against the North in Seoul.

Anti-North Korea protesters burnt effigies of past and present leaders of the secretive state while the North celebrated the 101st anniversary of its founder's birth. Branding the rally a "monstrous criminal act," the North warned "all the service personnel and people of the DPRK are simmering with towering resentment" towards the South. . . "The DPRK's revolutionary armed forces will start immediately their just military actions to show how the service personnel and people of the DPRK value and protect the dignity of the supreme leadership."
"The military demonstration of the DPRK's revolutionary armed forces will be powerful sledge-hammer blows at all hostile forces hurting the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK." (Express) Read more.

- In spite of these bellicose words, the fact is that, as of today, all is still rather calm on the Korean Peninsula. God answers prayer, and there has been MUCH PRAYER offered up this past month for the well-being of the people of both North and South Korea. Intercede that other, quiet measures now being taken in this Asian nation will be successful in deterring military action, and that God's will shall be done in these two nations. There is a harvest of souls waiting to be borne into the Kingdom of God. Let's claim those souls today. Amen.

- "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

10. DRUGS TO FIGHT DEADLY SUPERBUGS IN SHORT SUPPLY

An antibiotic apocalypse looms, and only seven new drugs are in development to combat the most lethal superbugs, including carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), the often incurable "nightmare bacteria" that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned about last month, citing a new report from the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA).

"We're on the precipice of returning to the dark days before antibiotics enabled safer surgery, chemotherapy and the care of premature infants," says Dr. Helen Boucher, an infectious diseases specialist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston and lead author of the IDSA report, published online in Clinical Infectious Diseases.

With the seven new drugs years away, if they win FDA approval at all, "we're down to one last-resort antibiotic to fight an epidemic of highly resistant gram-negative bacterial infections," reports Brian Currie, MD, vice president and medical director for research at Montefiore Medical Center in NYC.

- Lord, help us in the fight against these superbugs. Keep us safe from these diseases. You are our healer. Give wisdom for the creation of new antibiotics, in Jesus Name.

- The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.(Deuteronomy 7:15)

On Capitol Hill This Week Volume XX, Number 14b

DOMESTIC ISSUES

	Focus on Boston

Focus on Boston

1. MUSLIM KILLERS CAUGHT IN BOSTON
2. QUDS FORCES PLANNED BOSTON BOMBINGS FOR 2 YEARS
3. DEBKA: THE TSARNAEV BROTHERS WERE DOUBLE AGENTS . . .
4. U.S. DEPORTING SAUDI "PERSON OF INTEREST"
5. HAGEL: CANNOT TIE BOMBING SUSPECTS YET TO MILITANT GROUP
6. FBI LOOKING FOR "SLEEPER CELL" TIED TO MARATHON BOMBERS
7. FEINSTEIN REGRETS "MILITARY COMBATANT" TALK
8. OBAMA: BOSTON IS "TERROR" BUT NOT FORT HOOD
9. MOSLEM CLERIC: "FLAG OF ISLAM WILL SOON FLY OVER THE WHITE HOUSE"
10. 10. BREAKING NEWS: SURVIVING BOMB SUSPECT TO BE TRIED IN CIVILIAN FEDERAL COURT

1. MUSLIM KILLERS CAUGHT IN BOSTON

One Muslim Chechen is dead, and his brother captured. Many members of the liberal media expressed disbelief that Muslims could be involved and until the proof was at their door insisted that the Tea Party or Christian "right-wingers" were somehow involved. (William Murray, Religious Freedom Coalition)

- Heavenly Father, we give thanks to You that these satanically inspired perpetrators were found. We ask that all those who were involved in any way that have not been revealed would also be exposed and brought to justice.

- "For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open." (Mark 4:22)

2. QUDS FORCES PLANNED BOSTON BOMBINGS FOR 2 YEARS

Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's Quds Forces, ordered reconnaissance and intelligence gathering on various events and public gatherings in the United States years ago, culminating in the bombings at the Boston Marathon one week ago, WND has learned.

According to a source within Iran's intelligence services, the Islamic regime's Quds Forces, a special unit of the Revolutionary Guards in charge of extraterritorial operations, have done extensive planning on gatherings, events and high-value targets in the United States for some time, but for two years focused on events such as the Boston Marathon.

The source had earlier provided information that tied the Islamic regime to the Boston attack and pointed to the collaboration of the regime's Quds Forces with the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah and elements of al-Qaida with links to an operational center in South Asia. He said that under Quds Force guidance, Hezbollah recruited sympathizers through collaborators connected to South Asia for terrorist activities in the U.S.

Another source in December told WND that the Quds Forces had drawn up plans for terrorist attacks in the U.S. starting within six months and that an operational team was in the United States to prepare for the attacks. He also said then that suicide bombers and potential terrorists were ready to attack Canada and European countries, including France and England.
The plan was to be automatically launched if America did not accept Iran's nuclear program, if sanctions increased or a military confrontation took place. The regime felt it must act because current sanctions, which have already devastated Iran's economy, could spark civilian rioting. (WND) Read more.

- The exposure of this Iranian plot to exact insane vengeance upon our nation is yet another answer to prayer. Continue to lift up all of our intelligence agents inside and outside our mainland so that every hidden thing is revealed, and thwarted, before it can take root. Please intercede specifically over these cities: New York City, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, WA.

- "He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light."
(Job 12:22)

3. DEBKA: THE TSARNAEV BROTHERS WERE DOUBLE AGENTS . . .
Decoyed US into terror trap

The big questions buzzing over Boston Bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have a single answer: It emerged in the 102 tense hours between the twin Boston Marathon bombings Monday, April 15 - which left three dead, 180 injured and a police officer killed at MIT - and Dzohkhar's capture Friday, April 19 in Watertown.

The conclusion reached by DEBKAfile's counterterrorism and intelligence sources is that the brothers were double agents, hired by US and Saudi intelligence to penetrate the Wahhabi jihadist networks which, helped by Saudi financial institutions, had spread across the restive Russian Caucasian. Instead, the two former Chechens betrayed their mission and went secretly over to the radical Islamist networks.

By this tortuous path, the brothers earned the dubious distinction of being the first terrorist operatives to import al Qaeda terror to the United States through a winding route outside the Middle East - the Caucasus.
According to DEBKAfile's counter terror sources, four questions should top the interrogators' agenda:

a) At what date did the Tsarnaev brothers turn coat and decide to work for Caucasian Wahhabi networks?
b) Did they round up recruits for those networks in the United States - particularly, among the Caucasian and Saudi communities?
c) What was the exact purpose of the Boston Marathon bombings and their aftermath at MIT in Watertown?
d) Are any more terrorist attacks in the works in other American cities?
(Read more)

- Pray that these four questions are answered. Sever all cords of wickedness between evil forces in the Caucasus and our own nation. In Jesus' Name, amen.

- "The Lord is righteous; He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked." (Ps. 129:4)

4. U.S. DEPORTING SAUDI "PERSON OF INTEREST"

The Reuters news agency reported President Barack Obama met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Wednesday, noting "the meeting was not on Obama's public schedule." After that meeting was mentioned, Emerson told Hannity, "That's very interesting because this is the way things are done with Saudi Arabia. You don't arrest their citizens. You deport them, because they don't want them to be embarrassed and that's the way we appease them." The foreign student from Revere, Mass., is identified as 20-year-old Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi."I just learned from my own sources that he is now going to be deported on national security grounds next Tuesday, which is very unusual," Steve Emerson of the Investigative Project on Terrorism told Sean Hannity of Fox News. (Read more)
> > > Read additional, indepth details on this case by going to Hebrew Nation News here.

- Father, we bring this young man to You, and ask that You would intervene in his situation, reveal that which was/is done in secret, and expose any works of evil. We ask that You, Who searches the hearts and minds, would bring glory to Yourself, and bring freedom to those trapped as pawns of the enemy. We ask Your light to shine and expose the works of darkness, and may many people put their faith and trust in You, and look to You for salvation and protection. In Yeshua's Name we pray, Amen.

- "For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret." (Ephesians 5:8-12)

5. HAGEL: CANNOT TIE BOMBING SUSPECTS YET TO MILITANT GROUP

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel said Sunday he hasn't seen enough intelligence yet to say the Boston Marathon bombers were inspired by or connected to a militant group.

"I have not seen any intelligence that would make such a link," Hagel said in Tel Aviv, Israel, during a trip to the Middle East. "But as you know, all of the facts are not in. All of the dynamics of intelligence is not complete. And until we know that, until we get more pieces, we won't be able to answer some of those questions." Hagel also said the Obama administration doesn't have enough information yet to decide whether the surviving suspect should be sent to the Guantanamo Bay prison for terror suspects.

"We don't know all the facts -- what these two brothers were up to, why, what motivated them, were they associated with foreign governments or non-state actors or global terrorist organizations," he said. "Until we get the facts, then it will be the responsibility of law enforcement, (Justice Department) and other institutions to make some determination as to how that individual should be treated, detained, charged and all that goes with it."

Two bombs placed Monday near the marathon finish line killed three people and injured 176 others. (Fox News) Read more.
- Father God, it is disturbing to hear such a lack of firm resolve in a case where so much evidence points to enemy combatant status. We cry out for this man to be prosecuted according to our laws for enemy combatants and that no indecision be used to cover up for what this man did and with whom he has been associated. Thank You that Your ways are higher than our ways at revealing the truth and bringing Your kind of justice to this situation. In Jesus' Name, amen.

- "How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!" (Obadiah 1:6)

6. FBI LOOKING FOR "SLEEPER CELL" TIED TO MARATHON BOMBERS

As easy as these bombs are to build and detonate, it is very surprising that more of this hasn't occurred more. Check it out:

Reports indicate the FBI is searching for a 12-person "sleeper cell" tied to the Boston Marathon bombers. This is an outworking of the belief that "Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev were "specially trained" to carry out their attack.

The UK's Daily Mirror quoted an anonymous source with knowledge of the investigation:

We have no doubt the brothers were not acting alone. The devices used to detonate the two bombs were highly sophisticated and not the kind of thing people learn from Google. . . . Someone gave the brothers the skills and it is now our job to find out just who they were. Agents think the sleeper cell has up to a dozen members and has been waiting several years for their day to come. (Breitbart) Read more.
- Mighty God, we ask that You speak to every member of this sleeper cell to turn against their handlers and come out from their grasp and find Jesus as the Savior of their souls. Show them Your presence by vision, dream or voice and draw them out of a life filled with hellish deeds and to bow before our Holy God to deliver them from serving the devil. May the Blood of Christ cleanse their souls from sin and turn their lives around to serve the living God. In the Name of Jesus the Christ.

"That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness: and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:9-10)

7. FEINSTEIN REGRETS "MILITARY COMBATANT" TALK

Sen. Dianne Feinstein said Sunday she "regrets" discussions on whether the surviving Boston bombing suspect should be interrogated as a potential enemy combatant. The California Democrat told "Fox News Sunday" the Obama administration's High Value Interrogation Group will interview suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, he will be read his Miranda rights at a later date and federal courts, not a military commission, can handle the case. "I really regret all of this discussion, which is creating a conflict that need not be there," she said. "The administration is ready. I don't think all of this is very helpful."
Rep. Peter King, among the first to call for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to be handled as a potential enemy combatant, on Sunday stood by his position. But he agreed with Feinstein that the suspect could be tried and convicted in federal court. "He's going to be convicted," King, R-N.Y., told Fox. "I'm not worried about a conviction. I want the intelligence."

Right now, the suspect remains in stable condition at a Boston hospital and has yet to be interviewed by the FBI team. His Miranda rights were suspended for 48 hours under the public safety exception. However, trying Tsarnaev under the combatant status extends the time and would deny him a government-appointed lawyer.

King also was critical of the FBI, questioning why agents didn't follow up on Tamerlan Tsarnaev after interviewed him in 2011, based on a tip from Russian authorities about his possible extremist views. Tsarnaev later made a six-month overseas trip, primarily to Russia. "Why didn't the FBI go back and look at this," King said. "This is at least the fifth case I'm aware of." (Fox News) Readmore.
- O Lord, how suspicious is this change of heart! Senator Feinstein was at first firmly in favor of prosecuting these men as enemy combatants; but then, in a few short hours, she turned around to change her position as if someone got to her. In the name of Jesus, we bind away all influences that would cause her to render an opinion that is not of You and that hurts our country. Father, reveal the source of the pressure for her to change her mind and eliminate it. We ask this in Jesus' Name, amen.

- "A faithful witness will not lie:but a false witness will utter lies." (Proverbs 14:5)

8. OBAMA: BOSTON IS "TERROR" BUT NOT FORT HOOD

Under immediate criticism for not saying that the Boston Marathon bombing was terror related, President Obama's spokesman said that yes indeed, it was terror. However the killing of 19 at Ft. Hood by Nidal Hasan while he shouted Allah Akbar, is still "workplace violence." Because the Boston bombing occurred on Tax Day, perhaps Obama thought it was not Muslim related and he was safe to call it "terror." (William Murray, Religious Freedom Coalition)
- Dear Lord, we offer thanksgiving to You for so quickly leading the investigators to bringing the main actors in this terrorist action to justice. We also want to ask You to expose the prejudice that this current Obama administration has toward Christian patriots. The response offered by Obama to the "Moslem" Hasan calling it "workplace violence" in no way balances with the rhetoric used in the Boston terror attack.

- "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him." (John 9:31)

9. MOSLEM CLERIC: "FLAG OF ISLAM WILL SOON FLY OVER THE WHITE HOUSE"

Editor's Note: The Western media would go berserk if a well known American Christian leader would suggest that the Catholics should have the White House, the Baptists the Congress, The Methodists the police and the Pentecostals the Army. Yet there is no reaction in the press to one of the leading Islamic scholars in Egypt stating which branch of Islam should run which branch of government.

Top that off with someone like Dr. Richard Land of the Southern Baptists stating that the Christan flag would soon fly over the White House and MSNBC's Chris Matthews would have a stock on live TV. When these statements are made Muslim clerics they are never mentioned in the media.

Egyptian Cleric Abu Islam outlines this form of government for Egypt and then ends his TV interview stating that the White House will soon fly the flag of Islam because "They are already holding [Muslim] prayers in the White House." Do you have anything to say about these comments ABC, CBS, NBC, Washington Post or even Fox News? Didn't think so. (William J. Murray - Editor)

> > > To read the full article, go to section 4 of this issue of our OCAP. Thank you.
- Heavenly Father, we as Americans know that we have much to repent of in this nation under God. We thank You for bringing the plans of satan and his minions (Moslems et al) to the light. We know that we wrestle against the forces of darkness, but also know that You have all authority over these demonic forces. We know that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that You are Lord. Our hope is in You O Lord. Remove the evil from this land in Your perfect timing. We ask this prayer in Jesus' Name, amen.

- "I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned." (John 15: 5-6)

10. BREAKING NEWS: SURVIVING BOMB SUSPECT TO BE TRIED IN CIVILIAN FEDERAL COURT

WHITE HOUSE announces that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing, will not be treated as an enemy combatant and instead will be tried in a civilian court, despite calls from Republican leaders to consider the military court option.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said the suspect remains in "serious condition" at the hospital. As the complaint was filed, Carney made clear that the suspect would go through the civilian court system, and would not be handled as a combatant. "He will not be treated as an enemy combatant," Carney said. "We will prosecute this terrorist through our civilian system of justice." (Fox News) Read more.

- Begin to pray immediately that justice be fully served in this case. In prayer, let's "nail this villain to the wall," demanding justice. Even so, continue to pray that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will yield in repentance and will find Jesus Christ as his own Savior and Lord. Pray!

- "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)

	On the Hill

On the Hill

1. URGENT! CONGRESS PREPARES TO TAX INTERNET SALES
2. RUBIO DEFENDS IMMIGRATION BILL AHEAD OF HEARING
3. HOUSE PASSES CYBERSECURITY BILL AS PRIVACY CONCERNS LINGER
4. SEN. GRASSLEY URGES CONGRESS: DEFUND THE COMMON CORE CURRICULUM
5. SENATE DEMOCRAT PREDICTS "TRAIN WRECK" FOR OBAMACARE
6. BOEHNER: 5 COMMITTEES INVESTIGATING BENGHAZI TERROR ATTACK
7. BIDEN: "PRESIDENT IS ALREADY LINING UP ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE ACTIONS FOR GUNS"
8. SENATE DECLARES SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AGAINST IRANIAN THREAT

1. URGENT! CONGRESS PREPARES TO TAX INTERNET SALES

[Submitted by HSLDA]

The U.S. Senate is preparing to vote on allowing taxation of internet sales. The vote will come as early as this afternoon. The bill is S. 743, the so-called "Marketplace Fairness Bill."

This legislation will directly affect many families who operate home businesses and sell items online. Currently, a small business only needs to collect sales taxes in states where the business has a physical presence. The proposed Senate legislation will give the states the authority to force businesses to collect sales taxes from all online customers, even if the customer lives in a state where the small business has no physical presence. HSLDA believes that this will significantly hurt many small businesses, as well as any person who buys items online. We urge you to click here to visit Taxes Without Borders to learn more about this issue, and to also send prepared emails to your two U.S. senators and your U.S. representative.
Can you imagine small businesses being required to file monthly sales tax returns in all 50 states?

If you do not want to use the pre-written service above, please contact your federal elected officials and ask them to reject the Marketplace Fairness Bill and any other federal legislation which taxes internet sales. You can reach your federal officials at the Capitol Switchboard, 202-224-3121, or by typing in your ZIP code in our Legislative Toolbox.

Very truly yours,

J. Michael Smith, Esq.
President, HSLDA
- This is another call for prayer and for action. Thank the Lord for HSLDA -- another team of watchmen on the wall who can and will alert us whenever there is legislation pending that would curtail our freedoms as American citizens.

Bind the spirit of python (Leviathon) that is behind this move . . . a spirit that literally would wrap its arms around its victims, to squeeze the life out of them by blocking their support. Loose the Spirit of grace over the millions of small businesses in America that use online services to function. Finally, ask our Lord to cast down the passage of S. 743, in Jesus' Mighty Name, amen.

- "And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." (Matthew 21:22)

2. RUBIO DEFENDS IMMIGRATION BILL AHEAD OF HEARING
Critics cite enforcement concerns

Authors of the newly released Senate immigration bill touted the package Thursday as a "bipartisan breakthrough" in advance of a critical hearing, as opponents began to organize against the bill -- claiming it doesn't do enough to enforce existing immigration law.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who has put his conservative reputation on the line with his involvement in writing the bill, took to the floor late Thursday afternoon to defend it. Though critics have homed in on the bill's pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants, Rubio said the package would also fix a "broken" legal immigration system so that foreign students trained in America would not be sent back home once they've learned their skills. "If there wasn't a single illegal immigrant in the United States, we would still have to do immigration reform," Rubio said.

As for the path to citizenship, which would give up to 11 million illegal immigrants a shot at legal status, Rubio said "the alternative is to do nothing" -- which he described as "amnesty."
Rubio and the seven other co-authors, who formally unveiled the legislation at a press conference Thursday, are hoping to avoid the fate of the 2007 immigration bill, which died amid heated criticism from both sides of the aisle. Republicans have bluntly professed an interest in courting Hispanic voters, and some prominent members, including Rubio, have lent their name to the effort.

But critics were building a multi-faceted case against the bill, in advance of Friday's hearing on the Senate Judiciary Committee. They claimed the bill grants "amnesty" without enough enforcement provisions. They claimed it would burden taxpayers by eventually plugging legalized immigrants into the public welfare system -- a claim Rubio has strongly challenged. And Republican critics joined immigration enforcement officers in claiming the bill would not address a major loophole -- giving the government "discretion" to choose when to enforce immigration laws.

"No immigration bill should ever pass Congress that the law enforcement officers on the ground tell us won't work or can't be enforced," Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., said Thursday. (Fox News) Read more.
- Father God, there are 11 million immigrants from foreign nations in America. Many are dangerous criminal aliens, two of whom wreaked havoc, death, and dismemberment of limbs to innocent people watching a marathon in Boston here in our country last week. A beautiful 8-year old boy's life was snuffed out by terrorist hatred and evil. America's lifestyle of loving God and country is foreign to many of these immigrants. God, remove the terrorists, the dangerous criminal aliens out of our country by Your mighty hand. Save America from this evil. Save the souls of all 11 million immigrants, that they cry out to the Lord Jesus Christ to save their souls from sin and forsake their evil ways. We cry out that the Blood of Jesus cleanse our land and deliver us from destruction. In Jesus' Name we pray.

- "Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there is more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh: but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles." (II Chronicles 32:7-8)

3. HOUSE PASSES CYBERSECURITY BILL AS PRIVACY CONCERNS LINGER

The House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday designed to help companies and the government share information on cyber threats, though concerns linger about the amount of protection the bill offers for private information. This is the second go-around for the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act after it passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate after President Barack Obama threatened to veto it over privacy concerns.

The bill drew support from House Democrats, passing on a bipartisan vote of 288-127, although the White House repeated its veto threat on Tuesday if further civil liberties protections are not added. Some lawmakers and privacy activists worry that the legislation would allow the government to monitor citizens' private information and companies to misuse it.

U.S. authorities have recently elevated the exposure to Internet hacks and theft of digital data to the list of top threats to national security and the economy. Though thousands of companies have long been losing data to hackers in China and elsewhere, the number of parties publicly admitting such loss has been growing. The bill's supporters say a new law is needed to let the government share threat information with entities that don't have security clearances. "If you want to take a shot across China's bow, this is the answer," said the House bill's Republican co-author and Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers.

Senator Jay Rockefeller, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee, said he will work with Republican Senator John Thune of South Dakota and leaders of other committees to bring cyber legislation to a vote in the Senate as soon as possible. "Today's action in the House is important, even if CISPA's privacy protections are insufficient," Rockefeller said in a statement. "There is too much at stake - our economic and national security - for Congress to fail to act." (Reuters) Read more.
- Lord God, with this bill comes an invasion by the government having access to private information of our citizens. Father, we are at the altar reaching up to You our mighty God to fight for us and let America not fall into the hands of the wicked. You see all things from heaven and we pray for Your merciful hand to save us. Give us protection by the Blood of Jesus over all our lives and property. We ask in Jesus' Name.

- "For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16)

4. SEN. GRASSLEY URGES CONGRESS: DEFUND THE COMMON CORE CURRICULUM

(Source: HSLDA)

Dear HSLDA Members and Friends:

HSLDA strongly opposes the Common Core State Standards Initiative, and the curriculum, tests, and databases that are being created as part of this misguided attempt to nationalize our nation's education system. You can read our recent article on the Common Core here, and our recent article on national databases here. You can watch a video interview of HSLDA's Director of Federal Relations discussing the Common Core here.
Thankfully, Senator Chuck Grassley (Iowa) understands the problems with the Common Core, and is urging his fellow senators to oppose the federal government's funding and support of this nationalized curriculum. He is circulating a letter to senators urging them to sign onto the letter to stop the federal government's funding of the Common Core. Please call your two U.S. senators and ask them to sign onto Senator Grassley's letter to end federal funding for the Common Core. You can reach your senators at the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, or visit this page to find your senators and to email them. Since the Common Core impacts all parents, there is no need to identify yourself as a homeschooler.

Your message can be as simple as: "Please sign onto Senator Grassley's letter urging Congress to defund the Common Core Curriculum Standards Initiative. The federal government should not be using tax-payer dollars to pressure the states into adopting educational goals and curriculum which should be decided by local parents, teachers, and schools."
> > > To read the text of Senator Grassley's letter, and to track the links cited in this article, go here.

- The Common Core Curriculum Standards Initiative is truly a danger to the well-being of our children. Please track the links available, do your homework, and do whatever you can to block the passage of these "Standards" in your own state or local community. The enemy is crouching at the door; we must fight for our children!

- "It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble." (Luke 17:12)

5. SENATE DEMOCRAT PREDICTS "TRAIN WRECK" FOR OBAMACARE

A high-ranking Senate Democrat who supported President Obama's health care overhaul now says it's a disaster in the making. Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus grilled Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a Senate budget hearing Wednesday.

Baucus cited concerns that new health insurance marketplaces for small businesses and consumers won't be ready in time in every state. Those marketplaces are supposed to be up and running next year. Baucus also said consumers don't have the information they need to make good choices. "I just see a huge train wreck coming down," Baucus said.

Sebelius says implementation of the exchanges is on track. She blamed congressional Republicans for hampering progress by denying funds for Obamacare. (CBN; Christian Coalition of America) Read more.
- Our Dear Lord, we thank you that high ranking members of the Senate are able to see what a disaster this healthcare bill is and how difficult it will be to be carried out. Father, we pray for more and more members of Congress to see how harmful this is to our country and to create ways to stop this from being implemented. We fully come against this assault on our economy and our freedoms and ask You to bring the healthcare needs of our country into Kingdom alignment. In Jesus' Name, we ask this prayer, amen.

- "A wise man will hear and increase learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel." (Proverbs 1:5)

6. BOEHNER: 5 COMMITTEES INVESTIGATING BENGHAZI TERROR ATTACK

Last year, Speaker John Boehner directed five House committees to begin investigating the terrorist attacks in Benghazi. At his press conference today, the Speaker said the committees will soon release a progress report outlining their findings and the next steps in the investigation:

"We are determined to get to the truth regarding the terrorist attack on our Mission in Benghazi, Libya, in which three Americans lost their lives.

"Last year, I directed five Committees to look at various parts of this investigation. Next week, these committees will provide a comprehensive progress report on the investigation up to now. This progress report will NOT represent the conclusion of their investigation, but it'll be the beginning of what I would describe as the next phase.

"This is a matter of national security and national importance, and our investigation will in fact continue." (Christian Coalition of America) Read more.
- Thank You, Lord for the tenacious actions of the Speaker of the House in pursuing the highly questionable actions surrounding the attack on the Benghazi consulate. We ask that all secret things be revealed concerning who was involved in the attack and what and when all individuals in our government agencies and high offices knew about it. Father, we look to You to shine Your light of truth into this dark matter.

- "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets." (Daniel 2:28 a)

7. BIDEN: "PRESIDENT IS ALREADY LINING UP ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE ACTIONS FOR GUNS"

Vice President Biden told White House allies in the gun control fight Thursday that President Obama will be announcing new executive actions on gun violence in the days after the Senate voted down a gun violence bill. Gun control measures failed in the Democratic-controlled Senate earlier this week. (The Weekly Standard) Read more.
- Father, we come against these unilateral "executive actions" that this President seems so intent on invoking against the will of Congress and the people he is to serve. We know that "executive orders" are meant to be used only when Congress is not in session, and when we are in a national crisis, such as an attack against us. We ask that both Congress and our Supreme Court would uphold our Constitution and its intent in securing that we maintain our system of "checks and balances", and there be no governing through the misuse of Executive Orders. We do not want to have a dictatorship, and we pray against the "spirit of lawlessness" that desires to thwart the will of the people. We pray that the restrictions on such actions be strengthened by our Congress, and enforced. Amen.

- "For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world, [but it is] restrained only until he who restrains is taken out of the way." (2 Thessalonians 2:7)

8. SENATE DECLARES SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL AGAINST IRANIAN THREAT

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee adopted Senate Resolution 65 on Tuesday, declaring bi-partisan support for Israel in the case of military action against the threat from Iran. The resolution specifies that the United States should provide diplomatic, military, and economic support to Israel "in its defense of its territory, people, and existence." The Senate was set to vote on the resolution later in the week. According to the resolution, sponsored by Sen. Robert Menendez and Sen. Lindsey Graham, the US's policy is to halt Iranian nuclear ambitions.

AIPAC issued a statement praising the resolution, which also reiterates that the policy of the United States is to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability and to take such action as may be necessary to implement this policy.

US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said he would be traveling to Israel next week, his first trip to there since he took over at the Pentagon. Hagel mentioned the trip during congressional testimony on Tuesday as lawmakers pressed him on whether the United States would support Israel if it launches a strike against Iran. Hagel told a House panel that such a policy decision would be made by President Barack Obama.
Israel fears that Iran is close to producing a nuclear weapon. Tehran insists that the program is for peaceful purposes.

During his contentious confirmation hearing, Hagel faced tough questions on whether he was sufficiently supportive of Israel. He insisted that he was despite previous statements and votes while he served in the Senate. (Times of Israel) Read more.

- Join us in praising the Lord for the passage of this bill in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and ask that this now be passed by the full Senate when it votes on this bill, probably later this week.

We praise God for the continued, strong stance demonstrated by our Congress in support of the safe and secure nation of Israel. Praise God.

- "Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen." (Psalm 41:13)

	Bush Library To Be Dedicated This Week

Bush set to dedicate presidential library Thursday

This week, President George W. Buxh steps back into the public spotlight as he and former first lady Laura Bush dedicate the $250 million George W. Bush Presidential Center -- a three-story, 226,565-square-foot complex that includes a library, museum and institute -- along the edges of Southern Methodist University in University Park.

On Thursday, the center honoring the country's 43rd president will be unveiled to the world during an invitation-only gathering of thousands of dignitaries, world leaders, family and friends.

The event also features a reunion of "the world's most exclusive club": President Barack Obama and the four living ex-presidents.
"The significance of the dedication ceremony is greater than normal due to the very low profile Bush has kept since leaving office," said Mark P. Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. "Had he maintained the active public life of his immediate predecessor, the ceremony would not hold as much significance."

But he didn't -- and it does.

Thousands of high-profile guests are invited to the . . . outdoor ceremony to formally dedicate the Bush presidential center.

"President and Mrs. Bush will be joined by family, friends, supporters and special guests as they present this national treasure to the American people," Mark Langdale, president of the George W. Bush Foundation, recently said.

The center will open to the public May 1.
Heavy security

The invitation-only event will be a rare gathering that includes Obama and first lady Michelle Obama and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush and their wives, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Rosalynn Carter and Laura Bush.

Many other Bush family members -- including former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and his son, George P. Bush, a 2014 candidate for Texas land commissioner -- are expected as well.
Many involved in the administration of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney -- such as former national security adviser and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former White House strategist Karl Rove, former national security adviser Stephen Hadley and former Ambassador Tom Schieffer of Fort Worth -- are believed to be among those invited to the dedication.

Officials decline to detail security plans for the gathering Thursday, even though plans have been in the works for months. Hundreds of law enforcers and many Secret Service agents are expected at the ceremony. (Star Telegram) Read more here.
- Father, we ask that Your holy presence come down upon this event in Dallas and send Your mighty angels to mingle with the crowds to protect all Heads of State from danger. God, the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. We cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. In Jesus' Name.

- "God has a mighty arm: strong is His hand, and high is His right hand." (Psalm 89:13)

	Moslem Prayers Said inside the White House

Egyptian Cleric Says "Flag of Islam Will Soon Fly over White House"

Claims Moslem Prayers Are Said inside the White House
Following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian cleric Abu Islam, which aired on Al-Kahera Wal-Nas TV on March 18, 2013:

Abu Islam: We have four large Islamic groups: The Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, and Al-Gama'a Islamiyya. These are the four significant powers.

Is there anyone more qualified to lead the country than the Muslim Brotherhood? Then let the Muslim Brotherhood assume this responsibility.

Who should be in charge of religious affairs in Egypt? The Salafis.

Is any group more qualified than the Salafis to regulate ideology? I choose the Salafis to run Al-Azhar and the Ministry of Religious Endowments.
We are left with the army and the police. Which is the best to run the police? The Muslim Brotherhood? No. The Salafis? No. Al-Gama'a Islamiyya is the best for the job. This leaves the army for the Egyptian Islamic Jihad.

This is how disagreements can turn into pluralism, and I pray to Allah that this will be accepted by all, and the various powers of the Islamic nation will come together.

Trust me, very soon we will see the flag of "There is no god but Allah" flying over the White House. They are already holding [Muslim] prayers in the White House. (MEMRI; Reported by William Murray) Read more.  

	This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . .

LORD GOD OF GODS
(Adoni Ehl Eh-lo-heem)

"The LORD God of gods . . . He knows . . .." (Joshua 22:22)

When I stop to think of all the concerns of others, the major events and needs in the world, how comforted I am to know that You care. Just as You know every sparrow, You know the hairs on my head. Thank You for Your sovereign love and care for me. How I praise Your Name!

( Source: THE NAME- HaShem: Daily Devotional Worship by Dr. Barri Cae Mallin)
Available on Amazon.com by going here:

http://www.amazon.com/THE-NAME-HaShem-Devotional-Worship/dp/1439263396