Watchman Newsletter

Obama promises Arabs Jerusalem will be theirs

WorldNet Daily (Link) - Aaron Klein (May 30, 2009)

President Obama and his administration told Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting last week the U.S. foresees the creation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, according to a top PA official speaking to WND.

"The American administration was very friendly to the position of the PA," said Nimer Hamad, Abbas' senior political adviser. "Abu Mazen (Abbas) heard from Obama and his administration in a very categorical way that a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is in the American national and security interest," Hamad said.

Another PA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told WND today that Obama informed Abbas he would not let Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "get in the way" of normalizing U.S. relations with the Arab and greater Muslim world.

"We were told from this new administration they will not allow a Netanyahu government to hurt their efforts of rehabilitating U.S. relations with the Arab and Islamic world, which is a high priority of Obama," the official said, speaking during a visit to Cairo.

"Emergent" or "Emerging"? Makes No Difference - Going in the Same Direction - Away from Truth toward Deception

Lighthouse Trails Research (Link) (May 30, 2009)

It was Shakespeare who said a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. In the case of the "new spirituality" that has pervaded so much of Christianity, emergent church by any other name is just as harmful. While some are saying they are not "emergent" but are emerging, the overall beliefs (and mission) of each--emergent and emerging--are the same.

A perfect example of this can be found in Mike Erre's book, Death by Church: Rescuing Jesus from His followers; Recapturing God's Hope for His people. Erre is the teaching pastor (and "lead theological architect"1) at RockHarbor Church in California and was the featured speaker at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa (Calvary Chapel's mother church) on Friday May 29th for a large youth rally called Movement 2009.

RockHarbor Church says it is not an "emergent church" but rather is an emerging church. What exactly does it mean when a church says it is emerging but not emergent? From their point of view, they mean that they are not like some of the hard--core emergent leaders such as Brian McLaren, Doug Pagitt, and Tony Jones. These men were part of the original late nineties group (birthed through Bob Buford's Leadership Network) who went by the name of "Emergent." Today, McLaren has renounced the biblical view of atonement, calling the doctrine of hell and the cross "false advertising for God." Jones and Pagitt have also clearly crossed the line from biblical to New Age type teachings. Thus, when a church, such as RockHarbor Church, says they are not emergent, they mean they do not agree with some of the more extreme views such as McLaren's view on salvation. But these churches will often readily say, "We are an emerging church." They say that means they are merely being relevant to the culture so they can reach the post-modern generation.

On the outside, it can sometimes appear that these "emerging churches" are just as orthodox as any other Bible-believing church. Online doctrinal statements and many sermons will sound no different from a Bible-based church. But more often than not when the outer layers are peeled back from these "emerging churches," a mystical-based, kingdom-now, panentheistic view of "God" is revealed. And this, dear friend, is no different from the view of "God" that the Emergent leaders (McLaren, Jones, Pagitt, etc) hold to as well. And this is why we say emergent and emerging are in fact kindred spirits--and they are going in the same direction, even if at times, it appears they are on different paths.

Missing Milton: Who Will Speak For Free Markets?

The Wall Street Journal (Link) - Stephen Moore (May 29, 2009)

With each passing week that the assault against global capitalism continues in Washington, I become more nostalgic for one missing voice: Milton Friedman's. No one could slice and dice the sophistry of government market interventions better than Milton, who died at the age of 94 in 2006. Imagine what the great economist would have to say about the U.S. Treasury owning and operating several car brands or managing the health-care industry. "Why not?" I can almost hear him ask cheerfully. "After all, they've done such a wonderful job delivering the mail."

I would rank Milton Friedman, next to Ronald Reagan, as the greatest apostle for freedom and free markets in the second half of the 20th century. I used to find great joy in visiting him and his wife and co-author, Rose, at their home in San Francisco. We'd have dinner at their favorite Chinese restaurant and chat about the latest silliness out of Washington.

I've been thinking a lot lately of one of my last conversations with Milton, who warned that "even though socialism is a discredited economic model and capitalism is raising living standards to new heights, the left intellectuals continue to push for bigger government everywhere I look." He predicted that people would be seduced by collectivist ideas again.

He was right. In the midst of this global depression, rotten ideas like trillion-dollar stimulus plans, nationalization of banks and confiscatory taxes on America's wealth producers are all the rage. Meanwhile, it is Milton Friedman and his principles of free trade, low tax rates and deregulation that are standing trial as the murderers of global prosperity.

Leap in U.S. debt hits taxpayers with 12% more red ink

USA Today (Link) - Dennis Cauchon (May 28, 2009)

Taxpayers are on the hook for an extra $55,000 a household to cover rising federal commitments made just in the past year for retirement benefits, the national debt and other government promises, a USA TODAY analysis shows.

The 12% rise in red ink in 2008 stems from an explosion of federal borrowing during the recession, plus an aging population driving up the costs of Medicare and Social Security.

That's the biggest leap in the long-term burden on taxpayers since a Medicare prescription drug benefit was added in 2003.

The latest increase raises federal obligations to a record $546,668 per household in 2008, according to the USA TODAY analysis. That's quadruple what the average U.S. household owes for all mortgages, car loans, credit cards and other debt combined.

"We have a huge implicit mortgage on every household in America — except, unlike a real mortgage, it's not backed up by a house," says David Walker, former U.S. comptroller general, the government's top auditor.

U.S. economy at risk of double-dip recession

Reuters (Link) - Emily Kaiser (May 28, 2009)

The U.S. economy appears destined for several years of weak growth and high unemployment that leave it vulnerable to a recession relapse after the massive dose of government stimulus wears off.

While tepid growth looks likely to resume late this year and build modestly into 2010, the credit bust has left households and businesses unable or unwilling to borrow and spend as freely as they did before the crisis.

The U.S. government has stepped in as lender and spender of last resort, but its deep pockets are not bottomless. Waning political and investor appetite for taking on more debt could stand in the way of any additional big spending plans.

"When you remove the government stimulus, what the private sector can generate in terms of growth feels like a recession," said Jeffrey Rosenberg, head of global credit strategy at Banc of America Securities Merrill Lynch in New York.

Israel and Prophetic Proof Part I

The Berean Call (Link) - Dave Hunt  (May 28, 2009) Part II

"And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them....And they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God." Amos 9:14-15

About 250 years ago, the King of Sweden had troubling doubts about whether the Bible was really true in every word. He asked Count von Zinzendorf, bishop of the Moravian Church, to give him proof that the Bible was truly inspired of God. The King had set aside 10 hours to hear what might be said. To his majesty's surprise, Zinzendorf informed him that the time allotted was far too much. He only needed to say one word. Astonished, the King asked what that could be. The Count replied, "Jews."

Today we would add one more word, "Israel." In Zinzendorf's day, that tiny and beleaguered nation, born on May 14, 1948, did not exist except in the hearts of Zionists who had never given up awaiting the fulfillment of the "God of Israel's" solemn promises. The continued existence of Israel today, surrounded by more than a billion Muslims who have sworn to exterminate her and who continually plot and repeatedly attack her in the attempt to do so, is one of the most astonishing miracles of modern times.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has blessed the Jewish people with a brilliance that generally far exceeds their cousins the Arabs and the rest of the Gentile world.

Powerful quake strikes off Honduras

The Globe And Mail (Link) - AP - Freddy Cuevas (May 28, 2009)

A strong earthquake killed at least one man early this morning as it collapsed homes in Honduras and Belize and sent people running into the streets in their pyjamas as far away as Guatemala City.

The magnitude-7.1 quake struck at 3:24 a.m. at the relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometres, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. The epicentre was 130 kilometres northeast of La Ceiba, Honduras.

“People were running for the door,” said Alfredo Cedeno, an employee at the Gran Hotel Paris in La Ceiba. “You could really feel it and you could see it — the water came out of the pool.”

A man died after his house collapsed in Pineda de la Lima, 200 kilometres north of the capital, Tegicugalpa, according to Carlos Gonzalez, deputy director of Honduras' Permanent Emergency Commission. A neighbour's house also collapsed, he said.

“Dozens of workers have been evacuated from factories in San Pedro Sula (in northern Honduras) because the buildings have cracks,” he said. “There are cracks in the roads in several cities.”

Juan Sevilla, a spokesman for Honduras' firefighters, said wooden homes collapsed in Puerto Cortes, 200 kilometres north of Tegucigalpa, as did a stadium wall in Comayagua, 100 kilometres north of the capital.

U.S. Inflation to Approach Zimbabwe Level, Faber Says

Bloomberg (Link) - Chen Shiyin and Bernard Lo (May 27, 2009)

The U.S. economy will enter “hyperinflation” approaching the levels in Zimbabwe because the Federal Reserve will be reluctant to raise interest rates, investor Marc Faber said.

Prices may increase at rates “close to” Zimbabwe’s gains, Faber said in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Hong Kong. Zimbabwe’s inflation rate reached 231 million percent in July, the last annual rate published by the statistics office.

“I am 100 percent sure that the U.S. will go into hyperinflation,” Faber said. “The problem with government debt growing so much is that when the time will come and the Fed should increase interest rates, they will be very reluctant to do so and so inflation will start to accelerate.”

Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia President Charles Plosser said on May 21 inflation may rise to 2.5 percent in 2011. That exceeds the central bank officials’ long-run preferred range of 1.7 percent to 2 percent and contrasts with the concerns of some officials and economists that the economic slump may provoke a broad decline in prices.

EU: ECB chief should head new EU oversight agency

Syracuse.com (Link) - AP - Aoife White (May 27, 2009)

The European Central Bank president should head a new oversight agency to monitor risks to the European Union economy and help prevent a repeat of the financial crisis that has dragged the region into recession, the EU executive said Wednesday.

It also proposed giving the central banker for the 16-nation euro zone a say over EU countries that don't use the euro, including Britain. London, the center of a once-vibrant and lucrative financial services industry, has for decades fiercely opposed more EU oversight of its financial sector.

The EU's top economy official Joaquin Almunia told reporters "it was logical" that a new European Systemic Risk Council organized around the EU's 27 central banks "is chaired by the president of the European Central Bank."

North Korea threatens US, reportedly restarts reactor

The Jerusalem Post (Link) - AP (May 27, 2009)

North Korea warned South Korea and the United States on Wednesday that Seoul's participation in a US-led program to intercept ships suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction is equal to a declaration of war.

South Korea announced its participation in the US-led program on Tuesday, one day after North Korea defiantly conducted a nuclear test, drawing international criticism.

The North's military said in a statement that it will respond with "immediate, strong military measures" against any attempt to stop and search North Korean ships under the Proliferation Security Initiative.

The statement, carried by the North's official Korean Central News Agency, also said the regime no longer considers itself bound by the armistice that ended the Korean War. It accused the US, a signatory of the armistice, of "dragging" the South into the program under its "hostile policy" against the North.

It also said it cannot guarantee safety for South Korean and US navy ships sailing near the disputed western Korean sea border.

Cyclone Aila kills nearly 200 in Bangladesh, India

Reuters (Link) - Anis Ahmed (May 26, 2009)

Nearly 200 people have been killed by a cyclone that ripped through Bangladesh and eastern India, while millions remained marooned by floodwater or forced to live in shelters.

The death toll in Bangladesh rose to more than 130 following recovery of dozens of bodies Tuesday, newspapers and private television channels said, while Indian officials said at least 64 people had died in West Bengal state.

Cyclone Aila slammed into parts of coastal Bangladesh and eastern India Monday, triggering tidal surges and flooding that forced people from their homes.

Officials in both countries said they feared the death tolls would rise although relief and rescue efforts were being intensified.

Israel fears Hezbollah anti-aircraft missiles could spark war

Al-Manar (Link) (May 26, 2009)

“The defense establishment is concerned that Hezbollah will try to smuggle advanced anti-aircraft missiles into Lebanon in the near future - yet another reason for the rising tension on the Israel-Lebanon border,” Haaretz newspaper said on Tuesday.

"Israel has made it clear in past statements that it will consider such a development as crossing a red line, which might necessitate preventative measures," the daily said. “It is believed that Hezbollah would like to deploy SA-8 batteries in Lebanon. Such weapons could pose a threat to Israel Air Force jets flying over the country.”

According to Haaretz, the Soviet-made missiles are part of Syria's military arsenal, and Hezbollah resistance fighters have received training on their use, inside Syrian territory.

It said Syria remains the main channel through which arms are transferred to Hezbollah, adding that almost a year ago, Israel relayed messages to both Damascus and Hezbollah, through several channels, warning that the Jewish state would consider launching air strikes against the convoys delivering the weapons, if they were brought into Lebanon.

Iran watching US reaction to N. Korea

The Jerusalem Post (Link) - Hilary Leila Krieger (May 25, 2009)

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spent Monday engaged in "intensive diplomacy" concerning North Korea's reported nuclear test, according to the State Department.

She had spoken by phone to her Japanese and South Korean counterparts by press time and was due to consult with Chinese and Russian leaders later in the day.

While it wasn't immediately clear what steps the US would be taking in response to the test, US President Barack Obama paused before his Memorial Day visit to Arlington Cemetery Monday morning to denounce the "blatant violation of international law."

He called the test a threat to the populations in the region and a violation of North Korea's own commitments made under multilateral negotiations - known as the six-party talks - over ending its nuclear program.

"The United States and the international community must take action in response," he declared. "North Korea will not find security and respect through threats and illegal weapons."

Obama added, "We will work with our friends and our allies to stand up to this behavior and we will redouble our efforts toward a more robust international nonproliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet."

Russian Official Says that Israel is Behind Continuous Tension in the Middle East

Syrian Arab News Agency (Link) (May 25, 2009)

Vice-president of the Academy on Geopolitical Affairs in Moscow General Leonid Ivashov said that Israel is behind the continuous conflicts and tension in the Middle East.

In a statement to Russia Today Satellite Channel, Ivashov said on Monday that achieving a comprehensive and just peace doesn't only serve the Middle East, but it also serves all humanity and in spite of that Israel doesn't work for achieving it.

In another context, Ivashov said that Syria is considered as a real partner to Russia, pointing out that trade exchange between Russia and Syria increased seven-fold during the last three years, the thing which asserts that there is a common interest and language between the two countries.

Ivashov hailed the deep historical relations between Syria and Russia which are in continuous advance, saying that Syria is considered a cultural center and a cradle of civilizations and that is why the cultural relations and values between Syria and Russia in the fields of military, economy and tourism must be bolstered.

Iran sends six warships to international waters

World Bulletin (Link) - Reuters (May 25, 2009)

Iran has sent six warships to international waters, including the Gulf of Aden, to show its ability to confront any foreign threats, its naval commander said on Monday.

Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, quoted by the ISNA news agency, made the announcement five days after Iran said it test-fired a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2,000 km (1,200 miles).

Iran said on May 14 it had sent two warships to the Gulf of Aden to protect oil tankers from the world's fifth-largest crude exporter against attacks by pirates but ISNA did not make clear whether they were among the six Sayyari talked about.

Iranian waters stretch along the Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman. Iran has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 40 percent of the world's traded oil is shipped, if it were attacked over its nuclear programme.

North Korea tests nuclear weapon 'as powerful as Hiroshima bomb'

Guardian UK (Link) - Justin McCurry and Tania Branigan (May 25, 2009)

North Korea today risked further international isolation after it claimed to have successfully tested a nuclear weapon as powerful as the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima.

The test comes less than two months after the North enraged the US and its allies by test firing a long-range ballistic missile.

The KNCA news agency, the regime's official mouthpiece, said: "We have successfully conducted another nuclear test on 25 May as part of the republic's measures to strengthen its nuclear deterrent."

Officials in South Korea said they had detected a tremor consistent with those caused by an underground nuclear explosion. The country's Yonhap news agency reported that the North had test-fired three short-range missiles from a base on the east coast immediately after the nuclear test.

The underground atomic explosion, at 9.54am local time (0154 BST), created an earthquake measuring magnitude 4.5 in Kilju county in the country's north-east, reports said.

Netanyahu: We'll build in existing settlements

Yahoo! News (Link) - AP - Amy Teibel (May 24, 2009)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel will continue to build homes in existing West Bank settlements, defying U.S. calls to halt settlement growth.

The comments came days after a contentious visit to the White House and threatened to widen a growing rift with the Obama administration. The U.S. considers the settlements — home to some 280,000 Israelis — obstacles to peace since they are built on captured territory the Palestinians claim for a future state.

Netanyahu told the weekly meeting of his Cabinet that he would not allow any new settlements to be created, but said existing settlements must be allowed to expand for "natural growth," the ill-defined term Israel uses for population growth in the settlements.

"We will not build new settlements," he said, according to remarks released by his office. "But it is not fair not to provide a solution to natural growth." An official who attended the meeting quoted Netanyahu as saying, "There is no way that we are going to tell people not to have children or to force young people to move away from their families." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting was closed.

Netanyahu sounds alarm over Hizbullah control of Lebanon

The Jerusalem Post (Link) - Herb Keinon (May 24, 2009)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu expressed concern during his talks in Washington last week that Hizbullah could gain considerable strength in the upcoming Lebanese elections and possibly put together a Shi'ite bloc that would control the country.

According to government sources, Netanyahu described Hizbullah control of Lebanon as a "dangerous" and "worrisome" possibility that needs to considered very seriously. This is a scenario that Netanyahu has been warning about in private meetings in recent weeks.

Lebanon is scheduled to hold its elections on June 7. US Vice President Joe Biden went to Lebanon on Friday to reinforce US support for the government ahead of the elections.