Volume XIV, Number 30a
INTERNATIONAL FOCUS
November 5 - 9, 2007
"Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!" (Matthew 3:2)
1. RICE ANNOUNCES REDUCED REMIT FOR ANNAPOLIS CONFERENCE
The US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice informed prime minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem Sunday, Nov. 4, that the US will not submit its own proposals to the coming Middle East peace conference at Annapolis. Olmert had already known for a week that President George W. Bush had come down against her broad conception of the event, as DEBKA-Net- Weekly 324 first revealed on Nov. 1. (Annapolis Devalued)
The emissary the White House chose to deliver the presidential decision to the Israelis and the Palestinians last week was Stephen Hadley, head of the National Security Council, DEBKA-Net-Weekly's Washington sources report, who carried Bush's decisions to shrink the content, format and expectations of the coming international peace conference:
1. No working papers or American bridging proposals would be presented before or during the Annapolis conference on core issues of the Isra eli-Palestinian conflict, i.e. borders, Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees and the war on terror.
2. Washington had no intention of imposing solutions or formulae either on Israel or the Palestinians.
3. The two sides must negotiate on their own without preset deadlines.
4. The Americans would be there to assist them both in the course of conference debates, but would not be an active participant.
These decisions mean that the Bush administration is pulling in its horns over the peace conference in support of Olmert's narrow approach and in diametric opposition to Rice's much bigger perception of the event as the starting-point for intensive and substantive Israel-Palestinian negotiations towards the establishment of a Palestinian state within a given timeline.
Affirming that the Israelis and Palestinians had not reached agreement on any issues at dispu te between them, Palestinian Authority Chairman, whom Rice m! eets in Ramallah Monday, said that his delegation would bring its own proposals to Annapolis. (DebkaFile; November 4, 2007)
· Praise the Lord, for He has heard the cries of His saints! America must not pressure Israel to give up land. Now we continue to pray that the conference will not be held at all, especially not within the borders of the USA. Praise the Lord that His servant President Bush has heard in his spirit the prayers of so many Americans, who understand the ramifications of a conference that Sec. Rice originally proposed. Pray over each of the four points listed above.
· "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High." (Psalm 92:1)
2. RICE: U.S. DISAPPOINTED BY MUSHARRAF'S ACTION
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the U.S. will review aid to Pakistan and denied that President George W. Bush's administration has "put all its chips" on Gen. Pervez Musharraf. A leading Democratic senator on foreign affairs said U.S. hands are "pretty well tied right now" because the Bush administration "has a Musharraf policy, not a Pakistani policy." While Rice's announcement puts in question some of the billions in U.S. assistance to a close terrorism-fighting ally, a Republican lawmaker urged Bush, silent so far, to speak out "in more specific terms" and suggested that Pakistan's shift from democratic, civilian rule could jeopardize U.S. military support. On a Mideast trip now overshadowed by the unfolding crisis in nuclear-armed Pakistan, Rice indicated the U.S. would not suspend aid wholesale. The U.S. has provided about $11 billion to Pakistan since 2001, when Musharraf allied his presidency with Washington after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
"Some of the aid that goes to Pakistan is directly related to the counterterrorism mission," Rice told reporters traveling with her. "We just have to review the situation. But I would be very surprised if anyone wants the president to ignore or set aside our concerns about terrorism." The top U.S. diplomat said she had not spoken directly with Musharraf since his announcement Saturday to suspend the constitution, oust the country's top judge and deploy troops to fight what he called rising Islamic extremism. She has decried those "extraconstitutional" moves. "I'm disappointed in his decision, sure," Rice said. "I think his decision sets Pakistan back in the considerable progress it made toward democratic change."
Bush, who has received steady updates on developments in Pakistan, is likely to make his first public comments Monday. He had not spoken directly with Musharraf as of Sunday afternoon, said national security adviser Gordon Johndroe. "The Pakistanis and President Musharraf know well our position, and the president's position," he said. "And they are hearing it from all different levels of the U.S. government." (AP)
· Offer continuing prayer in the spirit as events continue to unfold in this rapidly-changing picture in Pakistan. The key point is that Pakistan is a member of the nuclear club. Pray for RESTRAINT for the leaders of Pakistan, and for calm to return to that nation. Pray that the state of martial law is lifted in Pakistan, and for the democratic system of government to be honored once again by all who are in authority. Pray!
· Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (Romans 8:26)
3. U.S. DIPLOMATS RESIST FORCED IRAQ DUTY
Uneasy U.S. diplomats yesterday challenged senior State Department officials in unusually blunt terms over a decision to order some of them to serve at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad or risk losing their jobs. At a town hall meeting in the department's main auditorium attended by hundreds of Foreign Service officers, some of them criticized fundamental aspects of State's personnel policies in Iraq. They took issue with the size of the embassy -- the biggest in U.S. history -- and the inadequate training they received before being sent to serve in a war zone. One woman said she returned from a tour in Basra with post- traumatic stress disorder only to find that the State Department would not authorize medical treatment.
Some participants asked how diplomacy could be practiced when the embassy itself, inside the fortified Green Zone, is under frequent fire and officials can travel outside only under heavy guard. Service in Iraq is "a potential death sentence," said one man who identified himself as a 46-year Foreign Service veteran. "Any other embassy in the world would be closed by now," he said to sustained applause. (Washington Post; Reported by Intercessors for America)
· Pray for safety for all of our personnel who are serving in Iraq at this time: miliitary and civilian. Pray for WISDOM for President Bush and his advisors in the State Department and at the Pentagon, as they craft both short-term and long-term policy decisions for the future of U.S. - Iraqi relations.
· He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. (Psalm 91:11)
4. AL QAEDA LAUNCHES CYBER JIHAD
In a special Internet announcement in Arabic, picked up by DEBKAfile's counter-terrorism sources, Osama bin Laden's followers announced Monday, Oct. 29, the launching of Electronic Jihad. According to the Arabic language website, on Sunday, Nov. 11, al Qaeda's electronic experts will start attacking Western, Jewish, Israeli, Muslim apostate and Shiite Web sites. It states that they will begin by attacking 15 targeted sites and thereafter, expand the operation from day to day until hundreds of thousands of Islamist hackers are systematically on the offensive against untold numbers of anti-Muslim websites.
DEBKAfile's counter-terror sources report that, shortly after the first announcement, some of al Qaeda's own Web sites went blank, apparently crashed by the American intelligence computer experts tracking them. The next day, Oct. 30, they were up again, claiming their Islamic fire walls were proof against infidel assault. They also boasted an impenetrable e-mail network for volunteers wishing to join up with the cyber jihad to contact and receive instructions undetected by the security agencies in their respective countries.
Our sources say the instructions come in simple language and are organized in sections according to target. They offer would-be "martyrs", who for one reason or another are unable to fight in the field, to fulfill their jihad obligations on the internet. These virtual martyrs are assured of the same thrill and sense of elation as a jihadi on the "battlefield."
In effect, say DEBKAfile's counter-terror experts, al Qaeda is retaliating against Western intelligence agencies' tactics, which detect new terrorist sites and zap them as soon as they appear. Until now, the jihadists kept dodging the assault by throwing up dozens of new sites simultaneously. This kept the trackers busy and ensured that some of the sites survived, while empty pages were promptly replaced. (DebkaFile)
· Ask our Lord to grant great and unusual wisdom to the technical specialists who know how to build in fail-safe security systems for all of our online needs. Ask, too, that any "cyber jihadists" now working in secret for these tech firms be identified, removed, and brought to justice. Cover all internet communication lines with the Blood of Jesus, by faith, for only in Him do we find our protection.
· If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. (James 1:5)
5. U.S. MILLIONS TO BOOST FATAH
President George W. Bush has proposed an immediate escalation in financial aid to the Palestinian Authority [PA]. The cash splash will include US $150 million in a direct hand out to the PA. The money is believed to be an effort to keep the Annapolis peace conference breathing despite its current coma. Glenn Kessler, in an October 31 article for the Washington Post, estimated the additional aid to be offered as US $435 million, "on top of US $77 million requested earlier this year." The Bush administration previously restricted cash transfers to US $50 million, but now the Middle East Peace Plan needs a transfusion.
Earlier this week, the former PA Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei said the PA would withdraw from Annapolis unless they could be guaranteed finalization on the birth of the Palestinian state. This while missiles continued to rain on Sderot. Earlier, PA "moderate" Mahmoud Abbas [Abu Mazen] warned he would quit unless US Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice "delivered." He also threatened a failure at Annapolis would mean Fatah would have to revert to an intifada.
This week, the Palestinian Media Watch revealed song lyrics broadcast by Fatah TV laying claims to cities in Israel. The future residential locations for Palestinian development included Haifa and Eilat, and who knows what they will be called in days to come. The Annapolis conference is meant to be the platform to promote the demise of Hamas, the group previously elected to govern the PA.
The US State Department in their aid request reportedly said, the money "supports a critical and immediate need to support a new Palestinian Authority (PA) government that both the US and Israel view as a true ally for peace." The request has been sent to Congress. Analysts are already predicting "close scrutiny" of the details. (Bridges for Peace)
· Pray that our Congress not approve these monies for Fatah in "Palestine." God WILL unveil another way to bring peace to this region, if we pray.
· He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; The LORD has given a commandment against Canaan, to destroy its strongholds. (Isaiah 23:11)
6. MORE THAN 60 YEARS LATER, SHIP "EXODUS" RETURNS TO ISRAEL
A reenactment in the port of Haifa this morning [November 1] will honor the 60th year since the sailing of the ship Exodus, one of the most famous immigration events in Jewish history. Three hundred French Jews, including new immigrants and Holocaust survivors, will take part in sailing on the memorial trip according to a press release from the Jewish Agency for Israel.
Michael Jankelowitz, liaison to the foreign press for the Jewish Agency for Israel, felt that using the trip to bring new immigrants to Israel was an important aspect to the memorial. "That is what the Exodus symbolized; it symbolized the creation of the State of Israel, and the creation of the State of Israel was to serve as the refuge and homeland for Jews all over the world," said Jankelowitz. "So it's not only a reenactment of the event, but it's also something tangible. Even today, immigration is one of the cornerstones of the existence of the State of Israel." The Exodus sailed from France on July 11, 1947, with 4,500 Holocaust survivors on board, only to be prevented by the British from entering Mandatory Palestine in an effort to stop illegal immigration to the area. (Bridges for Peace; Excerpt)
· Pray that the Jewish people in Israel and around the world will never have to face this kind of situation again.
· "Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; Your elders, and they will tell you." (Deuteronomy 32:7)
7. VENEZUELA'S ASSEMBLY APPROVES CHAVEZ'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
Venezuela's pro-government National Assembly overwhelmingly approved constitutional reforms on Friday that would greatly expand the power of President Hugo Chavez and permit him to run for re- election indefinitely. The 69 changes to Venezuela's Constitution now go to Venezuelan citizens for a single yes-no vote on Dec. 2.
The proposed changes, Chavez's most radical move yet in his push to transform Venezuela into a socialist state, threaten to spur a new wave of political upheaval in this oil-rich South American country already deeply divided over Chavez's rule. The amendments would allow the government to expropriate private property without a court ruling and take total control over the Central Bank, create new types of property managed by cooperatives, and extend presidential terms from six to seven years while allowing Chavez to run again in 2012. (AP)
· Continue to maintain a vigilant watch over this trouble-making country in South America. Chavez may think that he has all power, but all power belongs to the Lord. May he come to know Jesus Christ as his own savior soon; and may all matters related to Venezuela end in peace.
· 0 Lord, God of our fathers, are You not God in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? In Your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand You. (2 Chronicles 20:6)
8. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER FOR THE PERSECUTED CHURCH This Week, Worship Our Lord As . . . This name, Adonai, LORD is too sacred even to pronounce as it really is. Lord, Your name is all I need in this life to get by. I don't need wealth, fame, power -- all I need is You. You give me the fulfillment within that nothing else will ever satisfy. How beautiful is Your Name. (Taken from: Intimate Moments with the Hebrew Names of God, by Barri Cae Malin and Shmuel Wolkenfeld; Bridge-Logos Publishers; Gainesville, FL, 32614. ISBN: 0-88270-801-5)
November 11 marks the 11th observance of the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, a day set aside by Christians around the globe to remember and pray for their brothers and sisters suffering for their faith. To learn how your church or prayer group can get more information, prayer kits and bulletin inserts that will help you highlight and observe this year's event, visit the website for IDOP at this link.
[Even if your kit arrives after November 11, prayer can STILL be offered, ANY TIME, for our brothers and sisters who are suffering around the world today for the cause of the Gospel. Offer special prayer, too, for those "secret believers" in Moslem nations, who must hide their identities for safety's sake.]
· Pray for a tremendous, global response in prayer next Sunday on behalf of the persecuted church worldwide.
· Your people will volunteer freely in the day of Your power . . . (Psalm 110:3 NASB)
ADONAI (Adoni)
That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth. (Psalm 83:18)
Thank You that Your holy language is sacred. Your name is sacred. How I praise You for this knowledge. May I honor Your life in me, as I journey onward, desiring to do Your will. Blessed by Your Name!
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On Capitol Hill This Week (the "OCAP") is published by Capitol Hill Prayer Partners. All scriptures are quoted from the King James Version of the Bible, unless otherwise noted. For further information about legislative matters on Capitol Hill, you may call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to the representative or senator of your choice.
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Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. (I Timothy 2:1,2 NKJV)
