I. BREITBART - Greek Church takes on 'antichrist' in ID card row
Senior clerics in Greece have told the state in no uncertain terms that vigilance is required to prevent the antichrist from making a manifestation on new ID cards to be issued next year. The authorities must ensure that the cards contain no mention of the number 666, which in Greek Orthodox tradition is associated with the antichrist, the Church of Greece said in a statement. "In no way should the 'citizen card' contain the number 666, either in visible or invisible manner," the Holy Synod, governing council of the Church of Greece, said after a meeting between canon scholars, legal experts, computer specialists and government officials. "The Church is obliged to protect personal freedom and defend the integrity of the faith," the Holy Synod added. State planners have pledged to take the observation on board, it said. The new cards are to be finalised early next year. The Church is officially part of the state in Greece. Frequently criticised as backward and superstitious by liberal circles, Orthodox custodians strongly adhere to tradition surrounding the number 666, which appears in the biblical Book of Revelation, believed to have been written by the Apostle John in the first century AD. Also known as the figure of the Beast, the number has led ultra orthodox clerics to oppose the use of bar codes on goods, as well as electronic checks carried out under the border-free Schengen Area of which Greece is a member. A decade ago, the Church of Greece had fought tooth and nail to prevent the removal of religious affiliation from the previous batch of identity cards issued to Greeks, even organising a referendum on the issue.
II. ANA - Greek President on FYROM, Cyprus issue
Greek President Karolos Papoulias sent a message to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) from here that "as long as they insist on their intransigent positions, so much the more they shall keep the door of NATO closed and the accession procedure towards the European Union frozen," as well as to Ankara that the issue of Cyprus is an issue that "deeply affects Greek-Turkish relations" and constitutes "a substantive obstacle for the European Union's relations with Turkey." Speaking during the official dinner hosted in his honour by his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov, President Papoulias, referring to FYROM, stressed that "the problem lies in that Skopje show the entire geographical area of Macedonia as the fatherland of their own nation," and noted that "Greece supports a solution that will reflect the reality of the region." On the question of Cyprus, President Papoulias said that "it is an international issue of invasion and occupation" and added that "Greece supports a solution that will respect the principles of freedom, democracy, the state of law and of human rights. A European solution that will implement the acquis communautaire and will implement the resolutions of the Security Council for Cyprus."
A group with avowed Al-Qaida links issued a threat in Hebrew on Thursday, swearing to avenge Israel's killing of two Gaza militants, in what an expert said was the first use of the language for such propaganda. In the half-minute-long recording posted on a website used by declared Al-Qaida affiliates, a hoarse male voice tells the "aggressor Jews" they will not be safe from rockets and other attacks until they "leave the land of Palestine". The speaker identifies himself as a member of the group Jemaa Ansar al-Sunna or "Community of Sunna Supporters", which has a presence in Gaza. Matti Steinberg, an Israeli intelligence veteran who specializes in Islamism, said it was unprecedented for Hebrew to be used on an Al-Qaida forum. While Osama bin Laden's followers have made public appeals in languages other than Arabic, this was usually to "win over, educate and preach to the wider Muslim world", Steinberg said. "Here, by contrast, it seems the idea to make Jews feel that the threat is close at hand - and not some distant menace." The recording, which was quoted on Army Radio, ends by invoking "al Quds", Arabic for Jerusalem. The speaker's reference to rockets suggests links with Palestinians in Gaza, where this has been a favorite mode of attack against Israel. Steinberg said Jemaa Ansar al-Sunna has had a presence in Gaza for several years and was independent of the Army of Islam. Al-Qaida and its leader Osama bin Laden have frequently mentioned Israel in its messages in the past, and an Al-Qaida linked group recently claimed responsibility for dispatching two mail bombs from Yemen which were addressed to locations of synagogues in Chicago.
A new survey has shown that more than 80 percent of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo support the formation of a Greater Albania. Greater Albania would comprise Albania and territories of other countries: Kosovo, and parts of Macedonia. Gallup's Balkan Monitor survey conducted in June and July 2010 also showed that 48.8 percent of interviewed Kosovo Albanians believe this will soon happen. A majority of those interviewed also said that the Kosovo Unilateral Decleartion of Independence was "a good thing". In Albania, 62.8 percent of respondents said they supported the Greater Albania idea - down from last year's 68 percent. But in Kosovo, the figure grew since the unilateral declaration of independence, and reached 81 percent compared to the previous figure of 54 percent. In Macedonia, ethnic Albanians are also more supportive of a Greater Albania. This year 51.9 percent backed the idea, compared to 44 percent two years ago, but the percent of those who believe the idea would in fact be realized is lower than last year - at 41.8 percent. Asked whether they supported a partition of Kosovo, 2.6 percent of respondents in Kosovo said yes, while 3.7 percent were in favor of an "exchange of Serb and Albanian territories". 69.8 percent of ethnic Albanians also said they believed in that peaceful coexistence was possible with Serbs - ten percent up on last year, while only 2.6 percent of Serbs shared the same sentiment regarding ethnic Albanians. The Gallup survey asked those participating "when will Serbia recognize Kosovo", to which 67.4 percent of respondents in Serbia said, "never", while 21 percent said "in ten year's time or sooner". By contrast, in Kosovo 28.5 percent said this would happen "in ten year's time at the latest", while 17.4 percent said: "never".
V. RIANOVOSTI - Iran: NATO has no future, poses no threat
The possible deployment of elements of a NATO missile defense system in Turkey poses no threat to Iran, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Thursday at a press conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. "NATO poses no threat to Iran. NATO is not capable of playing any role in future global development," Azerbaijani news agency Trend quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. "The time when military potential was used to resolve political issues has passed," he added. Last week Turkish media said Ankara would agree to deploy a missile-defense system if three conditions were accepted. First, the Turkish authorities insist on building a NATO, but not a U.S. missile defense system. Second, the anti-missile shield should protect all the alliance's member states. And third, Ankara would not allow NATO to turn Turkey into the alliance's frontline state as it was during the Cold War. On Tuesday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it was currently holding consultations with Turkey over the possible deployment of NATO missile defense system elements. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on November 12 said Ankara would announce its final decision over the deployment in time of the forthcoming NATO summit in Lisbon.
President Obama will meet on Thursday with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, three former U.S. secretaries of state, top senators on the Committee on Foreign Relations and other officials to emphasize the importance of the Senate ratifying the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia. The Obama administration had hoped to have a bipartisan domestic policy meeting Thursday; the president was scheduled to meet with Congressional leaders to discuss the future of the Bush tax cuts, which will expire in January and raise tax rates if Congress doesn't act. President Obama still plans to meet Thursday with Congressional Democrats. Republicans asked that the meeting be rescheduled to Nov. 30. Instead, the Obama administration will use the meeting on New START -- as well as a photo opp with military officials -- to pressure Republicans intent on blocking the treaty from passing in the Senate. President Obama has called passing New START his foreign relations priority during the lame duck session. Under the treaty, the United States and Russia would both reduce their number of deployed nuclear warheads to 1,550 and allow inspections to verify the reductions. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said Tuesday that he did not think New START should be considered during the lame duck session because of unresolved issues with the treaty. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid issued a statement Wednesday saying the treaty was vitally important to America's national security interest and that the treaty could be ratified after Thanksgiving.
VII. USDEPTOFSTATE - International Religious Freedom Report 2010
The Department of State submits this report to the Congress in compliance with section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA) of 1998. The law provides that the Secretary of State, with the assistance of the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, shall transmit to Congress "an Annual Report on International Religious Freedom supplementing the most recent Human Rights Reports by providing additional detailed information with respect to matters involving international religious freedom." To read a comprehensive report on specific countries, please click here.