Saturday, May 31, 2008

Berlin, Germany and NATO PA's


Germany and NATO: One Mind

Germany Backs NATO

Secretary General meets NATO Parliamentarians in Berlin



In his keynote speech, Mr De Hoop Scheffer elaborated on NATO enlargement, on NATO's operations in Kosovo and Afghanistan and on the importance of NATO's partnerships. He also emphasized the role of parliamentarians in resourcing and explaining NATO policy, and urged them to maintain their commitment and support for a number of key issues on the agenda.

Jaap says, "I am very happy to appear before your Assembly again. And I am especially pleased to be able to do so in Berlin -- a city which stood for the success of transatlantic cohesion for over four decades, and which then became a symbol for the growing unity of this continent....

My appeal to you here today is to continue to support not only the NATO-led ISAF mission, but also the gradual rebalancing in the international community’s overall involvement, and to explain and build support for it among our publics".

Friday, May 30, 2008

Globalization And Its Discontents

FALLING BEHIND

Globalization and its discontents

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin Launches Interfaith Center In Israel: Come Now, Let Us Dialogue Together Says The Lord



Rabbi Shlomo Riskin is launching an Orthodox center for dialogue with Christians.

Organizers of the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation say it is the first Orthodox Jewish institution of its kind dedicated to theological dialogue with Christians.

The center, which is slated to open in June in Efrat, Israel, will host seminars for Jewish and Christian scholars and promote research aimed at making religion an instrument of peace in the world.

"A sea change has occurred since the Shoah,” Riskin, the chief rabbi of Efrat, told the Christian Post. “Most churches now teach that God remains faithful to His covenant with the Jewish people, and that the biblical promise is continually being reaffirmed by the Jewish return to its homeland in Zion."


The Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation (CJCUC)


Rescuing GOD FROM EXTREMISM:



First Orthodox Jewish Center to Dialogue with Christians Opens in Israel


For the first time in sacred history, a city Rabbi of the State of Israel, member of the chief Rabbinate of Israel, is reciprocating back to the Christians who have a heart for Israel and the Jewish people, by initiating a Center of Relational Dialogue in order to clarify the theological and faith areas in which we agree and in which we disagree in order to cement our common goals of Religion for Peace and security for the embattled State of Israel.

The center is founded on the proposition that each of our great faith communities, rooted in a shared Bible, which we both accept as the eternal word of G-d, must begin a theological dialogue. The discourse that takes place encompasses a mutual respect of each other's faith and defies any goal of converting one to the faith of the other. It also rejects the necessity of one compromising his or her theological truths in deference to the other.

Germany And Israel Will Always Have A Special Relationship, Steinmeier Said


Germany Pledges to Intensify Efforts in Mideast Peace Process


Stressing Germany's commitment to Israel, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has pledged to do more to help secure a lasting peace in the Middle East, ahead of a visit to the region starting on Saturday.



Marking the 60th anniversary of Israel's founding, German parliamentarians said on Thursday, May 29, the Jewish state's right to exist had the same status as a German national interest.


Germany has played a key role in reviving efforts by the so-called Middle East quartet -- made up of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States -- to help bring about a peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians.


Berlin has invited foreign ministers from the Middle East, Europe, the United States and several other countries to a conference on June 24 on efforts to assist the Palestinians in building up their police forces and justice system as steps toward creating a viable state.


SOURCE DEUTSCHE WELLE REPORTS

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Warren Buffett Looks To Germany For Future Investments

'Germans Know Something About Business'



REUTERS

Looking to the future? Warren Buffett has set his sights set on acquiring German companies.


US billionaire Warren Buffett talks to SPIEGEL about the consequences of the current financial crisis, his definition of true luxury and why he has suddenly developed an interest in German companies.


SOURCE DER SPIEGEL


The World's Billionaires

#1 Warren Buffett
03.05.08, 6:00 PM ET


SOURCE FORBES

Friday, May 23, 2008

Angela's Worries: Germany's Military Missions And The Future Of Transatlantic Relations

Angela's Worries: Germany's Military Missions and the Future of Transatlantic Relations with discussant Roland Freudenstein.


Transatlantic Institute
Brussels, Belgium
Oct 31st, 2007


The Transatlantic Institute hosts a lunch with Mr. Roland Freudenstein. He discusses Germany's military missions and the future of transatlantic relations.

SOURCE FORA.tv

AIPAC 3rd Annual Wall Street Event Hears Former CIA Director Woolsey Now Turned Green Energy VantagePoint Ventures As AJC Is Warned Of Global Warming

Woolsey Speaks to Third Annual AIPAC Wall Street Event


Former CIA Director Woolsey spoke to AIPAC's Wall Street Event.


More than 400 investment bankers, hedge fund managers and financial planners attended the AIPAC’s third annual Wall Street Event in Manhattan.

Former CIA Director R. James Woolsey gave the keynote address, stressing the myriad threats to the United States and Israel from radical Islamic terrorists and the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran.

AIPAC Executive Director Howard Kohr also offered his take on recent developments in the Middle East and emphasized the importance of strong ties between the United States and Israel.


SOURCE AIPAC


Woolsey Tells American Jewish Committee Global Warming and Terrorism On Even Par


Former CIA chief frets double-barreled threats


Former CIA director R. James Woolsey says alternate energy sources must be developed quickly to safeguard against global warming and terrorist attack. Photo by Robert Wiener


Former top spy James Woolsey told a Jewish audience that the world faces two existential threats: global warming and terrorism.


“Malignant” is how he described the former and “malevolent” is how he described the latter as he paced across the small stage of a ballroom at the East Brunswick Hilton.


The former Central Intelligence Agency director under President Bill Clinton and current adviser to John McCain spoke May 13 at the American Jewish Committee Metro New Jersey Area’s National Community Relations Award dinner.



SOURCE NEW JERSEY JEWISH NEWS




Woolsey Now VantagePoint Ventures Green


From Government to Greentech

Former CIA director R. James Woolsey joins VantagePoint Ventures, while former Clinton technology adviser -- and DFJ Element partner -- Timothy Newell moves to Merriman Curhan Ford. Will others follow Al Gore's path from government to investment?

Inter-Religious Politics Defining Its Own For Future Foreign Policy: John McCain Rejects Incendiary Endorsements Of Evangelicals Hagee and Parsley


McCain Rejects Preachers' Endorsements

By LIBBY QUAID,

AP

Posted: 2008-05-23 07:16:44

STOCKTON, Calif. (May 22) - Republican John McCain on Thursday rejected endorsements from two influential but controversial televangelists, saying there is no place for their incendiary criticisms of other faiths.

SOURCE

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Trans-Atlantic Energy Security Strategy - The Trans-Atlantic Community Must Come To Grips With The Fact That Our Future Is Threatened


Lugar Calls for Trans-Atlantic Energy Security Strategy


Tuesday, April 15, 2008


U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Dick Lugar told the U.S. – Ukraine Energy Dialogue Series today that, “It is time for the trans-Atlantic community to establish a credible energy security strategy that diversifies energy sources for all Europe, establishes a collective framework to work with Russia, and refuses to tolerate the use of energy as an instrument of coercion.”

“The absence of a collective energy security strategy will lead to greater fragmentation among European nations and across the Atlantic. This fragmentation will not be exclusive to energy policy; it may also detrimentally impact our ability to act upon shared security and economic issues,” he said.

Russia will be Europe’s preeminent energy supplier for decades, but this does not have to be a confrontational relationship. Nor do European countries have to be in a weakened bargaining position because of their import dependence. Right now, NATO and the EU have tremendous leverage in developing a more constructive relationship with Russia on energy.”

Below is the entire text of Lugar’s speech:


Trans-Atlantic Energy Security Strategy


T. Boone Pickens, Billionaire Oil Investor Expects Oil To Hit $150

Oil To Climb Further After Hitting New $130 High


Yesterday, T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire oil investor, said he expected oil to hit $150 a barrel this year, after Goldman Sachs last week predicted that prices would reach $141 during the second half of the year. Credit Suisse and Societe Generale also both increased their forecasts.


Demand for fuel is expected to grow as crisis-hit China seeks extra diesel supplies while Opec, the 13 country cartel that produces 40 per cent of the world's oil, confirmed this week that it will not increase supplies before a key meeting in September, despite Saudi Arabia's pledge to President George W. Bush last week to raise production by 300,000 barrels a day.


UK Times Online reports

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Catch-22 in Europe: An Excellent Synopsis On Germany's Clever EU, NATO and World Domination Diplomacy Tactics

This article is very very outstanding in its synopsis of Germany's clever diplomatic maneuvers.

Ron Fraser nails it right on! Thank You Mr. Fraser for giving this to all of us.

johnny




Germany’s push for a European army gives France and Poland the jitters.

May 18, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com

It’s been interesting to watch Germany’s return from being the pariah of Europe 50 years ago to a nation now given international respect as a heavyweight on the international scene.


The fractured, penitent society, split asunder by the Berlin Wall, has been transformed, after the Wall fell in November 1989, into a unified, economically powerful nation with significant global influence.


The Trumpet has been observing and reporting on this phenomenon for the past 18 years. Prior to that, Herbert Armstrong had tenaciously prophesied its future reality from the time of Nazi Germany’s defeat in 1945 right up to the point of his death on Jan. 16, 1986.


Mr. Armstrong did not live to see the inerrant Bible prophecies that forecast Germany’s revival to lead a literal resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire come to fruition. Now, even some of the very words he used do describe the revival of Germany and the final resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire are being used by secular commentators to describe the emerging globalist EU giant, under the powerful political motor of a united Germany.


German PR


Germany united east and west under the chancellorship of Helmut Kohl. The nation was encouraged out of an almost-60-year mode of penitence for its massive military sins of World War ii under the pugnacious leadership of Chancellor Gerhard Schröder. Germany has since projected a softer, more feminine and benign image under the matronly leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel.


Germany received a mighty PR boost via massive media coverage over the past few years: The tremendous exposure given to the German Pope Benedict xvi during his election in 2005; the fifa World Cup of 2006; the 2007 50th anniversary celebrations of the Treaty of Rome held in Berlin coinciding with Merkel’s term as president of the EU. Germany is now one of the most popular of tourist destinations.


Symbolism counts for much in Germany. Thus, in order to break free of the psychological torment of the Nazi hair shirt the nation has worn for so long, over the past 10 years the government has enacted a number of symbolic gestures designed to remind the German people of their imperial heritage and historic ties.


First of these was the decision of the Schröder government, enacted in 1998, to relocate the seat of German government from the westward-looking and rather benign city of Bonn to Berlin in the east, historical capital of imperial Germany. Just one year later, the German parliament moved back into the old imperial Reichstag headquarters in Berlin. Not only did these moves consolidate an impression that Germany was now a fully united society, east and west, but they informed the world that Germany was back as a force to be reckoned with in European, if not in world, politics.


Less publicized were two further initiatives by the German government that would have the leaders of the old World War ii Allied victors over Nazi Germany, if it were possible, turning in their graves.


In 2002 the German General Staff was revived under its old name as it was known under the Nazi regime, The Command Staff of the Armed Forces, and its headquarters centralized in Berlin. The international community had so come to trust that Germany had totally changed from its past aggressive history that not one objection was publicly raised to this initiative.


The British and American peoples had by then apparently lost sight of one of the binding promises that their leaders had made as a guarantee that Germany would never be permitted to show the militaristic side of its character again. In February, 1945—just a few months before the end of the war—President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill announced the joint American-British policy on Germany. Quote: “It is our inflexible purpose to destroy German militarism and Nazism and to insure Germany will never again be able to disturb the peace of the world. We are determined tobreak up for all time the German General Staff that has repeatedly contrived the resurgence of German militarism ….”


Just one year later, in 2003 the German security services—the German Federal Intelligence Service (bnd) and the secret police (BfV)—having been deliberately split up after World War ii by the Allies, were again centralized in Berlin. Thus the German security services were returned to their World War ii status as a centrally administered body in the imperial capital. Those with a mind to remember should have shuddered at this move, since the last time Germany’s secret services were administered centrally from Berlin they wielded their cruel and sinister power under Hitler then known by their Nazi regime names, the gestapo and the SS. (As a side note, it is interesting to observe, with Germany being a prime mover behind the much-debated EU constitution, that the German secret police currently go by the name the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.)


This spring has brought forward some overt rhetoric from German political leaders in support of the next German initiative for the EU: the establishment of a unified European police force and a centrally administered European army.


Two nations in particular have been quick to signal their support of a European army: France and Poland.


French and Polish Jitters


From the earliest moves to establish a unified Europe not long after World War ii, France has sought to align itself as closely as possible with Germany. The strategy was to bring France and Germany so closely together that the risks of a repetition of Germany’s past three invasions of France would be quashed. This meant that France had to be in the driving seat in all initiatives involved in the developing unification of Europe.


This strategy worked well under Charles de Gaulle and, to a greater or lesser extent, under the Gaullist presidents of France who followed him up to the time of François Mitterrand, who presided as president of France during the time of German reunification. Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, who was to follow him as leader of the French Republic, struggled to maintain France’s pseudo-leadership of the unifying Europe against increasingly bellicose German administrations after German unified in 1990. Now, with Gaullism dead and President Nicolas Sarkozy bringing his own unique and controversial brand of politics to Brussels, Germany is becoming even more strident in its efforts to lead the European Union.


Why would France and Poland, each so drastically affected by German militarism in the past, be so anxious to support Germany’s calls for a European military force, knowing that Germany has revived its military High Command no doubt with the intent of leading such a centralized force?


France and Poland are in a typical Catch-22 conundrum. They are quite aware of Germany’s history. They are both quite aware of Germany’s status as the dominant political and economic power in the European Union. They are aware of German moves to consolidate European arms manufacture throughout Europe and of the many German investment initiatives throughout Europe that aid in pursuing this course. French and Polish leaders are quite aware that the German horse has already bolted. If they are to avoid a repetition of their past blood-soaked history with Germany, they have but one choice: Embed themselves in the hierarchy of the coming combined European military force so that they have some hope in influencing its future decisions. This they are setting about aggressively to do.


The catch is that Germany knows it is feared by both France and Poland, and thus it will seek to milk these fears to serve its own interests. Already, one of the stoutest of voices calling for a European army, Germany’s vice chancellor, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has publicly mentioned that, in the words of EUobserver, “from Berlin’s point of view, France is the key partner for this. Mr. Steinmeier said he had already spoken with his French counterpart, Bernard Kouchner, on concrete steps to improve common areas in the military field. These include the areas of transport, helicopter capacity and procurement. The end result of a consolidation of military capacities must be a European army, said Mr. Steinmeier, according to German news agency dpa” (May 8).


In July, France takes over the EU presidency for the latter half of this year. There is an observable synergy between France and Germany on the question of creating a European military force, though for differing reasons: for Germany, to enhance its power; for France, to contain German belligerence. EUobserver notes that “The German politicians’ comments appear to be in line with the views of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has in the past made several statements on the need for common European defense. … Mr. Sarkozy is expected to return to the issue in the second half of this year, during his stint at the EU helm. The EU treaty, which has to be ratified by all 27 countries to come into force, allows for a group of member states who are politically willing to go forward to structured cooperation in defense” (ibid.).


EU vs. NATO


What about Poland, that benighted nation that
has so often seen its soil overrun in multiple Prussian grabs for power? On the very day that the German vice chancellor vocalized the need for a unified European army, Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich announced that “Poland has opted to become a full member of the EU and nato-linked military club, Eurocorps, in a move designed to spur on the creation of a significant European defense capability. Warsaw from 2009 is to pledge 3,000 soldiers to the existing 60,000-strong Eurocorps force, hold 15 officer-level posts and forward a deputy director to the Strasbourg-based outfit, Polish media reported ” (ibid., May 15).


Eurocorps, though not an EU institution, has strong political links to Brussels. It is a Franco-German initiative, launched in 1992 coincident with the Balkan wars. Eurocorps provides support services to EU, nato and UN operations. It could very well be the microcosm for a new European military force, in particular if nato assets and personnel were to transfer to it under a central command structure.


With an eye to the changing status of nato and an ear to voices being raised in support of a European military force, especially from Germany, Polish Defense Minister Bogdan Klich also stated, “Our decision to fully join Eurocorps comes from the conviction that Europe is becoming the second pillar of our national security alongside nato. We treat nato as the main security pillar, but we cannot forget Europe is increasing its capabilities and this stands behind our desire to join this process” (ibid.). There’s more to that statement than meets the eye. Unless Poland can get in early, before the formation of the new European army, and obtain more than one seat within its main decision-making levels, then its very future could yet again be determined by the revived German High Command.


Watch for Germany to cleverly use the French presidency of the European Union to manipulate an EU decision in support of the creation of an EU military force. Watch for French and Polish maneuvers to seek positions of influence in that force in efforts to put the brakes on rising German militarism. Especially watch for the EU to develop its strategy to face the nato summit next spring with an ultimatum concerning the future of the Western Alliance.


As you watch, remember this was all prophesied in your Bible millennia ago, portrayed in startling detail though countless magazine articles, letters, books and broadcasts by Herbert W. Armstrong throughout the greater part of the last century. And watch the Trumpet, as we link Bible prophecy to current world events to explain to you why these things are happening and where they are destined to end in the future.


Ron Fraser’s column appears every Sunday.

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Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Energy Security: The #1 Issue On Every Governments Agenda



Gideon Rachman, from the Financial Times, has written a very interesting piece on America's Top Priority, "Energy Security". Although this piece is tucked away in the FT, his FT Blog has yielded some interesting comments. As FT's chief foreign affairs columnist since July 2006, after spending 15 years at The Economist, his blog covers a wide range of topics, from US foreign policy to the European Union and the "war on terror".

Just thought you might want to know about this. :)

Johnny



With the oil price heading upwards and President George W. Bush heading for Saudi Arabia, as part of a Middle Eastern tour, it is time to accept the truth. The pursuit of oil is fundamental to US foreign policy.


The importance of oil to American foreign policy is both obvious and curiously difficult to acknowledge in public. In the run-up to the Iraq war it was left to the left to make the argument that this was a “war for oil”. Establishment people – those in the know – rolled their eyes at this “conspiracy theory”.


Yet in recent months, both Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, and Senator John McCain have come close to saying that Iraq was indeed about oil. In his memoirs Mr Greenspan said he regretted that it was “politically inconvenient” to acknowledge that “the Iraq war is largely about oil”.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Germany's Grand Strategy



Nations have personalities. It’s a fact clearly documented by history, but which few people talk about. Each nation has its own innate strengths, talents and peculiar abilities—each has its own weaknesses.


Given a nation’s historic tendency to react in a given way under certain stimuli, one can deduce a definite habit pattern that will be repeated should similar circumstances recur.


A number of those who have been keen observers of the national traits of the German peoples and who deeply understand both the character and the history of the nation are increasingly concerned about Germany’s current intentions.

Religious Politics - Hagee Genuflects To His "Great Whore" Remark: Catholics See This As The Quickest About Face in 15 Years

John Hagee, pastor at San Antonio's Cornerstone Church, has apologized for statements that have offended Catholics. (AP Photo)


Pastor Hagee Asks' For Forgiveness For His Anti- Catholic "Apostate Church" Remarks

Will Now Aid In Strengthening Global Interfaith Inter-Religious Movement

“Indeed, the Catholic League welcomes his apology,” he wrote. “What Hagee has done takes courage and quite frankly I never expected him to demonstrate such sensitivity to our concerns. But he has done just that. Now Catholics, along with Jews, can work with Pastor Hagee in making interfaith relations stronger than ever. Whatever problems we had before are now history. This case is closed.”

Friday, May 9, 2008

C. H Spurgeon: Preaching The Wrath To Come, From A Sermon Entitled "The Portion Of The Ungodly," Delivered April 13, 1862




The Lord Jesus, though the most loving of spirits, was the most awful, (- in the old-fashioned sense of awe-inspiring or terrifying of preachers) and in his sermons, while there is everything that could melt and woo, there is no lack of the great and terrible thunderbolt, and the sounding forth of wrath to come, and the judgment which must await the impenitent.

But again, you will say to me, wherefore speak you thus?

Why not dwell upon more pleasant themes?

Because, as the Lord my God liveth, before whom I stand, I would be free of the blood of all men.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Global Warming Or Global Governance?

Medvedev Becomes Russian President

Russia's new president, Dmitry Medvedev, attends his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow. Photograph: Vladimir Rodionov/AFP/Getty Images

Dmitry Medvedev today became Russia's new president and the country's third post-Soviet leader during a glittering ceremony at the Kremlin which – formally at least – brought down the curtain on Vladimir Putin's eight tumultuous years in power.


Tuesday, May 6, 2008

EvangelicalManifesto.com

Manifesto aims to make 'evangelical' a less-political term

An "evangelical manifesto" being released today by a group of Christian scholars and theologians is expected to try to take back the term "evangelical" from politics and return it to its theological roots.

EvangelicalManifesto.com

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Angela Merkel Gets The Charlemagne Prize

Angela Merkel was described by José Manuel Barroso as a “woman of conviction”. EC

Angela Merkel Awarded the Charlemagne Prize


By Mark Latham

01.05.2008 / 18:37 CET

The annual Charlemagne Prize was awarded in Aachen on 30 April to German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her work to unite Europe.

Speaking at the prize ceremony, José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, described Merkel as a “woman of conviction” and said that working alongside her during Germany's presidency of the EU in the first half of 2007 had been an experience of “extraordinary intensity”.

SCHMOOZEFEST IN AACHEN

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy were all smiles on Thursday in Aachen.

Sarkozy Gushes Praise for Merkel at Charlemagne Ceremony

When German Chancellor Angela Merkel received the 2008 Charlemagne Prize on Thursday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was on hand to sing her praises. He said he liked her "a lot more" than people say, and that they make a "harmonious couple."