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Monday, February 14, 2011

Kosovo organs;Greece arrest militant;Cyprus:Lebanon;Tunisia boat people;Pirates;Saakashvili;Egypt churches targeted



Western governments knew all along that top politicians in Kosovo were involved in organ trafficking and organized crime, the council of Europe's special human rights alleged Saturday. "Western countries knew all the time what was happening in Kosovo but nobody did anything about it," Dick Marty said in an interview published in the Slovenian daily Delo. Last month, Marty published a 27-page report that outlined alleged abductions, disappearances, executions, organ trafficking and other serious crimes coordinated by Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci and other leading Kosovo politicians. In the report, Marty alleged that a group linked to Thaci -- a former leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA -- killed Serb prisoners held in special detention camps in Albania to extract organs and sell them on the international black market in the 1990s. Thaci's name had been appearing for years in intelligence and diplomatic reports from Kosovo sent by the FBI, MI6 and other western agencies, "but the western politicians persistently remained quiet," Marty said. Thaci has denied the allegations and threatened to sue Marty for libel. The EU has sent a special mission, called EULEX, to Kosovo to enforce the rule of law there and supervise Pristina's police, customs and judiciary.


Greek police have arrested a Palestinian suspected of belonging to an al-Qaida-inspired militant group in Lebanon. A police official in Athens confirmed that he was arrested “for national security reasons,” the AP reported. According to media, Galeb Taleb was a member of radical Lebanese Sunni group Fatah al-Islam. Taleb was allegedly a ringleader of a group of extremists whose members are located in Northern Europe, Germany, France and Bulgaria. Greek police say their counterterrorism services had been following Taleb and they decided to arrest him when the article about him appeared in some Italian newspapers, because they suspected he was going to flee the country.


The Lebanese expatriate community in Cyprus celebrated Saint Maroun's Day in a mass ceremony at the Maronite Parish Church in Nicosia, chaired by Parish Head, Bishop Youssef Soueif, which was attended by Cyprus Republic President, Dimitris Christofias. Also present was Lebanese Charge d'Affaires, Constantine Tabet, and members of the Lebanese Embassy and the diplomatic corp accredited in Cyprus. In his sermon marking the occasion, Bishop Soueif hailed the contributions of the Cypriot Republic to the Lebanon; praising the efforts of President Christofias in providing care and attention to the Lebanese expatriate community residing in Cyprus. He added that Lebanon is a country carrying the message of kindness, freedom and dialogue, and is a role model in the region; in addition to being a symbol of Marinate existence in the East. Soueif also described Lebanon as being a beautiful formula of co-existence and a meeting place for dialogue, intellect and social life. Hence, he implored all Lebanese officials to hold on to the mutual religious and heavenly values for the sake of ensuring Lebanon's persistence. Following the Church mass, the Cypriot President delivered a word, in which he described the relation between Lebanon and Cyprus as being at its best conditions; recalling herein the fruitful visit by the Lebanese President to Cyprus last year. He also expressed all appreciation and respect to the Maronite Sect for its contribution to the flourishing status of the Island of Cyprus and their participation in its rise. He hoped that Lebanon would also witness a near rise and recovery, and a new government of national unity. In response to a question regarding the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, President Christofias noted that the Lebanese people know exactly what they want; hoping that Lebanon would have a fair government that would work on uniting all Lebanese together.


The European Commission said yesterday (13 February) that it would help Rome to cope with the "exceptional pressure" created by thousands of illegal immigrants fleeing Tunisia for the Italian island of Lampedusa. Malta expressed fear that it would also become a landing point. Italy on Saturday declared a humanitarian emergency on the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa after 4,000 people arrived there by boat over the past week from Tunisia, which is experiencing unrest after a popular revolt ousted its president. After Rome appealed to Brussels for help, EU Home Affairs Commissioner Cecilia Malmström was said to be "fully aware of the exceptional pressure on Italy," the DPA news agency reported... Asked how the Tunisian authorities would respond to the problem, government spokesman Tayeb Baccouche told Reuters: "I cannot say as this is a response for the security forces... We need to discuss this in the cabinet once we have been alerted by the Italian government, because we have not yet been informed directly by the Italian government," said Baccouche, who is also Tunisia's education minister. Baccouche said the problem of illegal migration was not new but may have accelerated because of a deterioration in law and order inside Tunisia in the past few weeks, which the government is struggling to restore... Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said on Sunday that Europe was not doing anything to help stop the flow of migrants and that he would request permission from Tunisia for the Italian authorities to intervene, the BBC reported... He accused other EU countries of leaving Italy to deal with the situation alone, despite the impact it could have on other countries. Baccouche said the Tunisians would reject the idea of receiving foreign troops on their soil, but said the cabinet would debate the issue... In the meantime, Malta's justice minister, Carm Mifsud Bonnici, wrote to Malmström to express concern that his country could be soon affected by the immigration wave, the Times of Malta reported. He said Malta was backing calls by Italy for a forthcoming meeting of EU justice ministers to discuss the impact of developments in Northern Africa on immigration. According to the UN refugee agency that is monitoring the situation, Malta could be a landing point for Tunisian migrants who are fleeing in large numbers to Lampedusa.


A NATO warship has captured a vessel near the coast of Somalia, which served as pirates’ mother ship, an official with NATO’s counter-piracy mission said Sunday. Sixteen suspected pirates on board have been detained, he said. The officials also said that a weapons cache has been seized and two hostages from Yemen have been freed. Earlier this week, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners said Somali pirates were using at least 20 seized vessels as mother ships to launch attacks in the region.


Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said on Friday Georgia is ready for a dialogue with Russia. "Despite that fact Russia treats us as an enemy and considers us enemies, we are ready for and we want dialogue with [Russia]," Saakashvili said. However, the president added that the country will not change its European-Atlantic course. "We will never give up the Georgian people's choice, the European-Atlantic course," Saakashvili said. "We will never accept the dismemberment of Georgia, the occupation of parts of Georgia. Today, there is no alternative to Georgia's freedom of, today historical logic is on our side, of course, Georgia will be whole," he continued. Relations between Russia and Georgia have been sour since a brief war in August 2008 over the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia, which was attacked by Georgian forces in an attempt to bring it back under central control. Russia recognized South Ossetia and another former Georgian republic, Abkhazia, as independent states two weeks after the conflict. Georgia considers the two regions part of its sovereign territory.


Armed men broke into a church in the northern Sinai peninsula on Saturday and stole furniture, witnesses said. Attempts to break into two others in the town were thwarted by the Egyptian army and vigilantes. Vigilantes and the army have tried to fill a security vacuum left by the withdrawal of the police from the streets in the early days of a mass uprising against the rule of president Hosni Mubarak, who stepped down on Friday. An explosion hit a church in the nearby town of Rafah on Feb. 5. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. A church in Alexandria was targeted in a bombing on Jan. 1 that killed 23 people. Egyptian officials blamed the Gaza-based Army of Islam for the attack. The group denied the charge. Coptic Orthodox Christians form 10 percent of Egypt's 80 million population. Tensions with the Muslim majority have long been a source of concern. The protesters who helped oust Mubarak have called for solidarity between Muslims and Christians.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Iran warns U.S.;Balkans;Russia-Serbia,NATO,EU;Georgian rallies;Greece-Israel,EU;Prep for Lenten Journey



Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday that a new Middle East is being carved out that will be free of the United States and Israel, as he backed the revolts rocking the Arab world. Massive crowds of Iranians, waving flags and chanting: "Death to (Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak!" and: "Death to America!" descended on Tehran's Azadi (Freedom) Square to listen to the hardliner, who lashed out at the West and Israel in a speech marking the 32nd anniversary of the Islamic revolution. "We will soon see a new Middle East materialising without America and the Zionist regime and there will be no room for world arrogance (the West) in it," Ahmadinejad told the cheering crowds, who gathered despite the cold and cloudy weather. In a speech directed in good part at the Arab uprisings, Ahmadinejad said Egyptians needed to be vigilant of the United States. "They (the United States) have adopted a friendly face and say 'we are friends of the people of North Africa and Arab countries', but be watchful and united. You will be victorious ... but your path of resistance is a lengthy one," he said. "The Iranian nation is your friend and it is your right to freely choose your path. The Iranian nation backs this right of yours." Iran -- which has no diplomatic ties with Egypt -- has backed mass protests there, now in their 18th straight day, with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urging the people to establish an Islamic regime in the Arab world's most populous nation... The United States accused Iran of "hypocrisy" over the jamming and its own suppression of protests. "The recent arrests and effort to block international media outlets underscores the hypocrisy of the Iranian leadership," National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said. "For all of its empty talk about Egypt, the government of Iran should allow the Iranian people the same universal right to peacefully assemble, demonstrate and communicate in Tehran that the people are exercising in Cairo," Vietor said. The director of the BBC World Service, Peter Horrocks, said: "This jamming should stop immediately. "The events in Egypt are being viewed by the entire world and it is wrong that our significant Iranian audience is being denied impartial news and information from BBC Persian TV..." Ahmadinejad appealed to the messianic beliefs of Iran's majority Shiite faith, saying the world was witnessing a revolution overseen by Imam Mehdi, its 12th imam who disappeared as a five-year-old in the 10th century and who the faithful believe will return before judgement day. The president, wearing his trademark jacket, hit out at the United States, calling it an "accomplice to the oppression of the Zionist regime." "If you want people to trust you, first of all do not interfere in affairs of the region, including in Tunisia and Egypt. Let them be by themselves," he said.


The head U.S. intelligence official says unresolved issues regarding Kosovo — including the future of Serb-majority areas in northern Kosovo — remain a challenge to stability in Europe. In written testimony to a House committee on Thursday about global threats, Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper said that a number of issues in the Balkans are “sources of tension requiring Western diplomatic and security engagement.” The testimony cited Belgrade’s efforts to reopen the question of Kosovo’s status as well as Pristina’s weakness in rule of law and democracy. A coalition government declared Kosovo independent from Serbia in 2008. Since then, the government in Pristina has struggled to establish Kosovo as an independent country. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo’s independence. The testimony also said that “ethnic Serb rhetoric about seceding from Bosnia will continue to inflame passions” in the region.


Talks on Russia-NATO cooperation on a European ABM system have gotten under way in Brussels. Representing Russia is Deputy Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov, RIA Novosti reports. The parties in principle agreed to jointly work on the so-called Euro-ABM in November 2010 at the Russia-NATO council meeting in Lisbon. However, NATO insists on building Euro-ABM as two separate but coordinated systems, namely a Russian and a NATO one. Meanwhile, Russia proposes introducing segment responsibility in order to ensure anti-missile defense.


It would be better if Serbia and Russia coulod develop a Spceial Eastern European Slavic relationship in which Serbia would not need to join the EU., Serbia could depend on Russia and China FOR FUTURE ECONOMIC assistance instead of the IMF and EU, this would be preferential.Furthermore, Serbia could form an economic relationship in which neither Serbia or Russia needs future dependence upon the EU or the NATO at all, but the inverse (let NATO and the EU come to Russia and Serbia for trade instead). This is not merely a pipe dream. Russia is an extemely vast territorial country, possessing most of the vital natural resources the United States and the EU necessitate importing for continued existance. Fellow Slavs ought to stick together and help one another, anyway.


Georgian opposition members gathered for a rally in front of the country's parliament on Friday ahead of President Mikheil Saakashvili's annual address to the nation. "Why do you force us out of our homes? Why do you condemn us to starvation? Why do you deprive us of our childhood? Saakashvili, bring us our native land back!" the protesters said. The participants of the rally, called One Citizen - One Accusation, blame the president for holding unfair elections, dispersing protests, expelling refugees and sacking schoolteachers. A member of the Conservative Party, Lasha Chkhartishvili, said the symbolic action gathers the representatives of various social groups who have problems "authored" by the country's president. Alexander Shalamberidze, the People's Party secretary general, said: "The action's aim is not reconciliation and the fight for our rights and freedoms. Rather than the government solving our problems, Saakashvili himself has become the problem." Eka Beselia, who heads the oppositional Solidarity to Illegal Prisoners movement earlier called on the opposition in the Georgian parliament to demand Saakashvili's resignation.


Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has promised to help Israel get closer ties with the European Union and gain access to European markets, in a meeting Thursday with a visiting delegation of American Jewish leaders. The promise is another sign of the fast improvement in once cool ties between Athens and Jerusalem. It is also seen as a drive to promote investment in Greece, a country severely hit by the economic crisis. Relations between the EU and Israel hit a low point two years ago after Israel's operation against Hamas in Gaza. Since then, Israeli efforts to upgrade its relations with the EU were put on hold, the Europeans repeatedly denouncing construction in the West Bank and east Jerusalem and linking EU-Israel upgrade to progress in the Mideast peace process... The Greek Prime Minister also said Greece would use its influence to call on Egypt to continue to observe its peace agreements with Israel. He said Greece would urge the EU build democratic institutions, drawing on its experience in post-Communist eastern Europe.


On Sunday, February 13, 2011, Orthodox Christians observe the beginning of the pre-lenten season of the Church year and start to make use of a liturgical book known as the Triodion. Use of the Triodion begins with the Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee -- the 10th Sunday before Holy Pascha and the 22nd day before the beginning of Great Lent, which in 2011 starts on Monday, March 7, and ends on Great and Holy Saturday, April 23. It is in the Triodion that the texts for the services of the pre-lenten season, the days of Great Lent proper, Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday, and Great and Holy Week are found. The Gospel reading for the first pre-lenten Sunday – Luke 18:10-14 – offers a striking contrast between the pharisee, a genuinely religious man, and the publican, an equally genuine sinner, a tax collector known for cheating others. In his prayers, the pharisee boasted before the Lord: "God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess." The publican, meanwhile, "standing afar off," begged for mercy: "[He] would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’" The pharisee’s religious yet boastful piety did not justify him, while the publican’s humble repentance – that repentance to which we especially aspire during the season of Great Lent – is revealed as the first step in our salvation. The pharisee sought adulation; the publican sought – and received – great mercy. On the second pre-lenten Sunday, the Parable of the Prodigal Son – Luke 15:11-32 – is read. In it, Our Lord reveals that our heavenly Father offers to us unconditional forgiveness and mercy if, like the prodigal son, we "come to our senses," see ourselves for who we really are, and turn away from the "hunger" of "riotous living" in a "far country." The prodigal son discerned his need to return to his true home, his father’s house, and acted decisively: "When he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him," exclaiming "’for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’" In the same way, our heavenly Father unconditionally forgives and receives us, His prodigal children – but it is we who, laying aside our pride, must "come to our senses," acknowledge that we "have sinned," and return to our "true home." The Parable of the Last Judgment – Matthew 25:31-46 – is read on the third pre-lenten Sunday, commonly referred to as Meatfare Sunday, since it is the last day on which we partake of meat before Holy Pascha. In this parable, Our Lord reveals that, while it is important for us to desire Him, to repent and seek His mercy, to see ourselves for who we truly are, and to return to Him, we also must discern His very presence in everyone around us, in the "least of the brethren," and minister to them as if we were ministering to Christ Himself – and for the sake of Christ Himself. Our Lord reveals that our salvation and judgment depend on how we put our desire, repentance, and the mercy we receive into action, in the midst of others, for their sake as well as for the sake of the One Who feeds us, clothes us, ministers to us, and ultimately calls us to the life of His Kingdom. "Good intentions," as Our Lord reveals, are insufficient; crucial as prayer, fasting and almsgiving indeed are, they certainly are not mere "religious exercises" performed for their own sake, and surely not for the sake of acquiring a sense of "pride in accomplishment." Discerning Christ’s presence in everyone – and especially in those who so often are ignored, forgotten, abandoned, or despised – while offering them the same loving kindness that He first offered to us is the ultimate "fruit" of genuine repentance. Forgiveness Sunday – commonly known as Cheesefare Sunday, since it is the last day on which we partake of dairy products before Holy Pascha – falls on the eve of the first day of Great Lent. In the day’s reading from the Gospels – Matthew 6:14-21 – we hear Our Lord’s teaching about forgiveness: "If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." We also hear His teaching about fasting: "When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father Who is in the secret place; and your Father Who sees in secret will reward you openly." Like Adam, exiled from Paradise, we lament our sins. Forgiveness and mercy are ours, but if only we fast from those things, those passions that, with Our Lord’s help, we can bring under control, even if we all too often allow them to control us. The pre-lenten Sundays prepare us for our "lenten journey." They arm us with that which we need to "enter the Fast with joy," to make the most of the "time for action," for as we sing on the first day of Great Lent, "salvation is at the door." This resource is also available for download in PDF format by clicking here.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

NATO:Israel,Palestine,Russia-missiles;Greece,Cyprus,Serbia-EU;Croat's detention;GOA grant,IOCC;"Staying on the Path"



While the Israeli-Palestinian conflict may no longer be seen as the “only problem in the region,” it is still – even with the turmoil roiling the area – “a major impediment in addressing other issues that threaten regional stability,” the head of NATO said Wednesday. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the secretary-general of the alliance, told the Herzliya Conference that “the lack of a solution to the Israel- Palestinian conflict continues to undermine the stability of the region.” Rasmussen stressed that NATO was neither involved in the Middle East diplomatic process, nor seeking a role. However, he said that NATO would consider possible involvement if three conditions were met: a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace being reached; both parties requesting NATO help in implementing the agreement; and the UN endorsing NATO involvement. “Of course, at the moment, these three ifs are far from being met,” he said. Rasmussen met earlier in the day for over an hour with Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and discussed expanding cooperation between Israel and NATO in a wide range of fields. Sources in the Prime Minister’s Office would not say whether the possibility of US-led NATO forces along the Jordan Valley in the event of a peace accord was discussed. While this was something that both former prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas reportedly agreed upon in the past, Netanyahu said on a number of occasions, even before the tumultuous events in Egypt, that there would have to be some kind of Israeli presence on the eastern border of a future Palestinian state, and that a thirdparty force would not be sufficient. The events in Egypt, government officials have said in recent days, have only reinforced in Netanyahu’s mind the need for an Israeli presence along the Jordan River. Rasmussen also met Wednesday with Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who said that the recent events in the region obligated rethinking long-standing security conceptions, and necessitated thinking “out of the box.” According to a statement issued by Lieberman’s office, he told the NATO secretarygeneral that the events proved that the West, especially NATO, had only one reliable ally in the Middle East: Israel. He said now was the time to strengthen the cooperation between Israel and the alliance.


Russia and NATO began talks in Brussels on Thursday on the creation of European anti-missile defense. NATO and Russia agreed to cooperate on the missile defense project at a summit in November 2010. The parties agreed to formulate terms for missile defense cooperation by June 2011. "These talks are very important and should lay the groundwork for determining the scope of possible cooperation in the European missile defense project," Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said on Wednesday. Moscow insists on setting up a joint European missile defense network with NATO to ensure that the planned placement of elements of a U.S. missile defense system in a number of European countries will not threaten Russia's national security. NATO, however, proposes creating two separate systems that would exchange information.


Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Demetris Droutsas will be visiting Cyprus on February 14, to discuss developments in the Cyprus problem and the next steps in the process for a solution. Droutsas is expected to be received by President of the Republic Demetris Christofias and to meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcos Kyprianou. On February 17, Droutsas will be flying to New York for a meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon. On their agenda will be the Cyprus problem, developments in the Middle East and the issue of the name of FYROM. In view of his meetings, Droutsas met in Athens on Thursday with the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer, to hear his views and assessment concerning the Cyprus problem. According to Spokesman for the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Gregoris Delavekouras, the purpose of Droutsas' meetings is to discuss the Cyprus problem and express Athens' concern over the slow pace of the talks for a settlement and the absence of any will on the Turkish Cypriot side for substantive talks. Delavekouras noted that Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu should sit at the negotiating table with constructive positions and a will for progress, having first committed himself clearly to the basis of a solution. Referring to demonstrations by Turkish Cypriots in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, Delavekouras said that they reflect a reality and a situation that is not viable, which has been formed as a consequence of the Turkish occupation and the oppression of the Turkish Cypriots by the Turkish troops. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Christofias and Eroglu are currently engaged in UN-led negotiations with an aim to reunify the island.


Officials of the Serbian and Greek ministries of foreign affairs had talks in Belgrade on intensifying the cooperation of the two countries in the fields pertinent to the continuation of European integrations of Serbia. The meeting was held as part of realizing the Memorandum on Cooperation between the two countries, signed by heads of diplomacy Vuk Jeremic and Dimitris Droutsas, July last year. The Greek Embassy underlines that the cooperation in the domain of Serbia’s association with the EU is important part of activities prior to the Greek chairing of the Union in 2014, when the summit of Balkan countries’ leaders with European ones is planned in Thessalonica. The Greek Government has announced it will ask the EU partners to adopt a plan to enable the West Balkan countries to be admitted to the Union in 2014, on the centennial of WWI.


The Bosnia-Herzegovina court decided on Wednesday to extend the extradition detention for Croatian citizen Tihomir Purda to six months. The decision came so that the court could have enough time to decide on the request for Purda's extradition filed by Serbia, where he is charged with war crime committed in Vukovar in 1991. Croatian electronic media reported spokesperson of the court Selma Hadžić as saying that following the Wednesday discussion, the Trial Chamber decided to comply with the detention extension request filed by the Bosnian Public Prosecutor's Office, as Purda's extradition prison of up to 40 days is due to expire on February 14. Purda's attorney Josip Muselimović announced that he will appeal the court decision since, as he said, there are no grounds for either detention or extradition of his client. The law on international legal assistance states that there can be no extradition if there is no final verdict or well-grounded suspicion that the crime has indeed been committed, which is lacking in Purda's case, Muselimović said. Purda is being kept in prison ever since his arrest on January 5, when he was captured on a warrant issued by Serbia as he was trying to cross the border between Bosnia and Croatia. Croatia could not file a request for Purda's extradition as the Croatian Public Prosecutor's Office carried out an investigation into Serbia's charges against him and established that Purda is innocent. Serbia points out that Purda has admitted to having committed the crime he is charged with and admitted that he and several other soldiers shot at a group of wounded members of the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) in Vukovar in November 1991 and killed two of the JNA soldiers, while one more died in the hospital soon afterward. The conclusion on the potential extradition will be adopted by the BiH Criminal Chamber, but the final decision will be made by Bosnian justice minister.


Wildfires that swept through southern Greece in 2007 claimed 84 people, over 25,000 cattle and sheep and destroyed more than 667,000 acres of farmland, homes and forests. Three years later, small family farms on the Peloponnese Peninsula may become the next victims of the disaster as Greece's economic struggles and the difficult farming conditions challenge the economic viability of the region's small farms. A $300,000 grant from the Greek Fire Relief Fund of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America to International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) aims to help young families in the Prefecture of Ileia to modernize their small family farms and help them become economically viable. The six month project will focus on the areas around Zacharo, Oleni, Pinia, Andritsena, and Alifira... Two hundred young farmers and their families in Ileia will receive grants to assist them in meeting short-term agricultural needs or in improving their farming equipment. The grants will be repaid through in-kind support provided by the farmers to meal distribution centers of the Church of Greece and the Municipality of Athens. The advanced age of many farmers in the Peloponnese region discourages them from investing in their farming facilities and from adopting new practices, which are critically needed in order to meet the demands of international markets for farming products. By providing assistance to young people with families, the grants are intended to help families maintain their farms rather than being forced to migrate to urban areas. In addition to the grants, farmers in fire-stricken areas will receive assistance through soil analysis. Priority will be given to farmers who produce olives, grapes and vegetables. Technicians will take samples from the farmers' fields and perform the tests. Using data gathered through the soil tests, technicians will provide instruction to farmers on how to use the data to improve their yield. The soil laboratory, constructed by IOCC beginning in 2008 in Pyrgos, the capital of the Prefecture, was funded through a grant from the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America and The Pancretan Association of America. It has been in operation since the middle of 2009 to provide for reliable, local testing of soils for farmers in the region. To date the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has provided a total of more than $3.6 million to fund projects carried out by IOCC following the fires in Greece. In addition to the soil lab, emergency provisions of animal feed and forage seed were provided to more than 2,000 Greek farmers in the provinces of Ileia and Arcadia who lost livestock and pasturelands in the fire. New equipment was also provided to firefighters in the region. IOCC, founded in 1992 as the official humanitarian aid agency of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA), has implemented programs in more than 35 countries around the world.

VII. ORTHODOXWAYOFLIFE - Staying on the Path

There are many forces at work which will try to lead us astray from living a God-pleasing life. It is important to continually pay more attention to the inner nudging of our conscience than to external things. This is not to say we should ignore or separate from external events, as this is also a reality of our life. But first and with the highest priority is giving our attention to our inner life directed toward our relationship with God. Saint Theophan reminds us that this takes courage -- Provide yourself with only one thing, strong encourage: no matter what happens, stay with what you have begun... no matter how life goes, whatever successes and failures there are, you should give all of this over to God's will. When we examine the lives of saints we see that they have been led, often through great difficulties, with God's love. We see that when they devote themselves to perfecting their way of life through God, God leads them to perfection in differing ways. Living a life focused on God does not necessarily eliminate the difficulties of life in this world. We will surely encounter numerous difficulties, both inner and outer. These are all things that God allows to happen for our benefit. There is one potential danger, however, and that is one of becoming overconfident when we do not encounter such difficulties. Saint Theophan says, Those who do not encounter inward or outward impediments and who see that everything is going smoothly began to fantasize that this is the way things are, and they suppose they have driven out all adversaries, who were unable to show themselves. As soon as such thoughts have settled in, the adversary immediately enters and begins fabricating vainglorious dreams from which are born self-conceit, the falling away from God's help, and the cessation of searching and striving after this help. Therefore, it is important never to let up. Our entire life is one that involves spiritual warfare. We must constantly be alert and humble, recognizing that there is an enemy who is continually trying to distract us from the path.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Greece's role,FYROM,Cyprus,Arab markets;NATO-Serbia;Russia-Mistral-Kurils;Pirates;Report:Christians,Turkey



Without a doubt, recent developments in the Middle East have had a negative impact on Israel’s security. The popular uprising in Egypt casts doubt on all existing arrangements, while its outcome remains unknown; it could well end up producing another hostile Islamic country. At the same time, Hizbullah has strengthened its grip on Lebanon, relations with Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Turkey keep deteriorating, Iran appears steadfast on its path to acquire nuclear weapons and Hamas is entrenched in Gaza. Within this framework of uncertainty, insecurity and danger, the emerging informal Israeli-Greek alliance has the potential to bring Israel closer to Europe and act as a source of regional stability. Over the past few months, and following Binyamin Netanyahu’s historic visit to Greece last August (the first by an Israeli prime minister), cooperation between the two countries has been broad and multifaceted. It covers the realms of defense (joint air force exercises), culture, tourism (a 200 percent rise in Israelis visiting Greece) and economics (with several projects being discussed in fields such as agrotechnology and energy). Also noteworthy is the mission that Athens underwrote during the recent Carmel wildfires. It included a 70-member rescue operation comprised of crewmen, pilots, firefighters and several planes. A bilateral cabinet meeting is to be convened this spring in Israel announcing several major new projects. This rapprochement enjoys broad bipartisan support in Greece, and hence is essentially administration-proof (a qualitative difference from the Turkish-Israeli alliance of the 1990s, which was opposed by the Islamists from the beginning). In addition to mutually beneficial aspects, this new alliance can contribute to regional stability in a series of concrete ways. First, by continuing to maintain excellent relations with the Arab and Muslim peoples of the Middle East, Athens can contribute to the maximum extent possible (for a country of Greece’s size) toward alleviating regional conflicts and facilitating peace efforts. Prime Minister George Papandreou’s attempts to visit Cairo during the uprising offers an example of the kind of action that could take place. Second, Greece can help ease tensions between Turkey and Israel. This may sound surprising, but we should keep in mind that Athens maintains good relations with Ankara, and fervently supports the country’s European perspective. The elimination of all strained regional relations is ultimately in its best interest. Third, there is the huge Leviathan natural gas field. The construction of an undersea pipeline possibly connecting Leviathan to Cyprus and Crete is apparently being discussed. Such a development could be a game changer. It would certainly alter Israel’s position vis-a-vis Europe, and lessen the continent’s energy dependence on Russia (especially significant now, since the Nabucco gas pipeline project appears problematic). In addition, it is not necessarily farfetched to envision a network of pipelines bringing together Israel, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt (if it stabilizes in a responsible fashion), a future Palestinian state (if there is gas in its putative territorial waters) and Iran (if there is ever a regime change there)... Furthermore, Greece and Israel have to get to know each other in a much better way. Frequent visits by journalists, politicians, diplomats and youth groups are now necessary. Understanding can be deepened through the contribution of think tanks and academics, perhaps on an institutionalized basis; and businesspeople should be at the forefront of significant cooperative ventures. Finally, Athens can create a legal framework allowing Israeli citizens who can prove descent from Greek Jews who survived the Holocaust to claim Greek (and hence EU) citizenship (a precedent exists for Greeks from former Soviet republics). Such an inclusive gesture would probably solidify cooperation among the two peoples for at least a generation. An informal Israeli-Greek alliance deserves to be better understood and fully supported.


UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has expressed hope that a mutually acceptable solution to the dispute over the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) will be found, ahead of talks on Wednesday between representatives of Greece and FYROM mediated by UN envoy Matthew Nimetz. The UN chief made the statement on Tuesday, after briefing the UN Security Council on the results of his recent tour of Europe and Africa. Responding to questions about the meeting with Nimetz, he said that the envoy was continuing talks to find a solution. He urged the leaders of both countries to resolve the issue of the name as soon as possible so that FYROM, in particular, might be able to progress toward accession of NATO and the European Union. "There are many important issues that must be dealt with as soon as possible for peace and security in the region," he added. The UN Secretary General also expressed an intention to meet again with the leaders of the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities on Cyprus but did not specify when and where, indicating that this would depend on the results of the meetings being held in Cyprus by the UN special envoy for Cyprus Alexander Downer. The precise time, the daily agenda and the location are to be decided since Alexander Downer is continuing to evaluate the situation on the ground, he said. Ban Ki Moon called on the two leaders on Cyprus to intensify negotiations so that they might bridge their differences. Concerning the meeting held in Geneva, he said that Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and Turkish-Cypriot community leader Dervis Eroglu had outlined some of their differences, while adding that "more work needs to be done". Asked whether he was satisfied with the point reached in the negotiations so far, the UNSG stressed that he will be satisfied "when the two leaders agree on all the fundamental issues". He indicated his satisfaction, however, with a commitment by Christofias and Eroglu to deal with all the issues through negotiations.


With their domestic market reeling from a bruising debt crisis, Greek companies are looking again to the Arab world for new trading partners, with Cyprus serving as their springboard to the region. This week, representatives of more than 70 Greek agricultural, pharmaceutical and construction businesses met with their counterparts from Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon during a two-day event in Nicosia called the EU-Arab Countries Bridge Greek Business Delegation. Dozens of Cypriot companies were on hand as well, sniffing out alternative markets as they grapple with weakening consumer demand on the island, an EU member state since May 2004... Greece has traditionally been happy to meet its own internal demand, with exports contributing only seven percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), according to data from the Greek International Business Association (SEVE). That is far below the EU average of 20 percent -- and even then, less than 10 percent of Greek exports went to Arab markets. Greece is keen to reverse that state of affairs, and indeed exports have gone up since last July, but so far the biggest hurdle is proving to be red tape.


Serbia will host an annual NATO conference this year, in a sign of improving ties between the alliance and the country it bombed over Kosovo in 1999. Serb Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac says NATO's decision to hold the conference in Belgrade in June is an important boost for the Balkan country. In Brussels, NATO said the annual gathering will be held from June 13-15 in Belgrade and focus on strategic issues of common interest. Wednesday's statement says the conference will include delegations from member and partner nations. Serbia is part of NATO's Partnership for Peace program for former Communist nations, but many here remain opposed to full membership because of the 1999 air war which forced Serbia to relinquish control over Kosovo.


The two Mistral class amphibious assault ships built in France for the Russian Navy will be put in service with the Pacific Fleet, a Russian Defense Ministry source said Wednesday. "After the [first two] Mistral ships are built and enter service, they are expected to join the Pacific Fleet," the source said. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev earlier on Wednesday ordered naval and ground-based units deployed on the disputed South Kuril Islands, located in the Pacific, to be equipped with advanced weaponry. Moscow and Paris signed an intergovernmental agreement to jointly build four Mistral class ships on January 25. Under the Russian-French agreement the first Mistral-class ship, with a price tag of 720 million euros, is expected to be built in late 2013-early 2014 and the second in late 2014-early 2015. A Mistral-class ship is capable of carrying 16 helicopters, four landing vessels, 70 armored vehicles, and 450 personnel. Russia will also invest heavily in the modernization of the defense infrastructure on the four Kuril Islands and in the upgrade of weaponry used by units deployed on these islands. The South Kuril Islands were seized from Japan by Soviet troops at the end of World War Two and remain a source of tension between Moscow and Tokyo. Russia claims that the islands are "unalienable Russian territory."


A supertanker loaded with 270,000 metric tons of crude oil was attacked early Wednesday morning off the coast of Oman, the vessel's manager said. The incident, the second against a tanker in the region in 24 hours, comes after unrest in Egypt rekindled concerns over the reliability of oil transit in the Middle East and East Africa. The owners of the vessel, Greece-based N.S. Lemos & Co., said separately that the ship was hijacked. Twenty-five crew members were on board, including seven Greek nationals, 17 Filipinos and one Georgian, according to a statement from Greece's Enesel SA, which manages the ship. "All the appropriate authorities have been contacted and made aware of the situation, including the flag state and the counter-piracy coordination force," it said. It was referring to the European Union Naval Force Somalia, or Eunavfor, which confirmed the hijacking. The vessel was headed to the U.S. Gulf Coast from Mina Al Ahmadi, Kuwait, according to the statement. The very large crude carrier Irene SL has ceased all communications with its owners, according to Eunavfor. Mohamad Al Shatti, manager for the office of the chief executive at Kuwait Petroleum Corp., denied reports by ship brokers that it had chartered the ship. "The hijacked vessel was not chartered by KPC; there is no relation," he told Zawya Dow Jones. Eunavfor said separately that Italian-flagged oil tanker MV Savina Caylin was hijacked 670 nautical miles east of Socotra Island in the Indian Ocean in the early hours of Tuesday. The vessel, which has a deadweight of 104,255 metric tons, was on passage from Sudan to Malaysia when it was attacked, it said. Political unrest in Egypt in recent weeks has led to fears oil routes crossing the country—including the Suez canal—could be disrupted, pushing oil prices above $100 a barrel. But the transit through the North African country has so far suffered no disruptions.


Turkey has been a secular republic for almost a century. Nevertheless, the country is being pulled in opposite directions by powerful forces. On one side are secularizing pressures, which have led many in Turkey to look increasingly westward toward Europe. In 2005, Turkey formally applied for full membership in the European Union, a process that has still to run its course. The EU is calling for Turkey to liberalize many of its political, social, and economic policies, including full implementation of freedom of religion among Turkish citizens, a concept enshrined in the Turkish Constitution. On the other hand, the historic orientation towards the Muslim Middle East, facilitated by Turkey’s 99% Muslim population and grounded in Turkey’s Ottoman past, has provided a competing set of pressures, especially over the last two decades. In November 2002 the Islamist-based Justice and Development Party won a landslide election victory, cooling interest among some Turks in the European connection and reinforcing ties with certain Muslim nations of the Middle East. The Turkish government officially recognizes three minority religions: Greek Orthodox, Armenian Orthodox, and Judaism. However, rising Islamic consciousness has led to an increase in discrimination and persecution directed against religious minorities. Here are several manifestations of that problem: 1.Turkish identity cards, a government prescription, stipulate the religious affiliation of each citizen of the state. These expose individual non-Muslims to discrimination and harassment, including lack of access to careers in state institutions. 2. “Religious minorities [report] difficulties opening, maintaining, and operating houses of worship.” Unfortunately, this accords with public sentiment: In a 2009 survey of a sample of Turks, 59% of respondents considered that non-Muslims should not be allowed to hold open meetings where they can discuss their ideas. Furthermore, 54% of respondents believed that non-Muslims should not be allowed to publish literature that describes their faith. 3. Violence against Christians is on the rise. In 2006, a Catholic priest was shot and killed in Trabzon, Turkey. In April 2007, three Christians were bound, tortured, and killed by young Muslim radicals at a Christian publishing house at Malatya in southeastern Turkey. In August 2009, a Muslim held a knife to the throat of a convert to Christianity, denouncing him as a “missionary dog,” who had betrayed Turkey by leaving Islam and evangelizing others. This 2009 incident perfectly represents the mindset described by Ziya Meral, a London-based Turkish scholar and activist: “To be a Turk is to be a Muslim, thus to leave Islam is to betray the Turkish nation.” This same mindset prompted retired Turkish general Veli Kucuk to observe, in testimony at the Malatya trial, that the state lumped Christian missionary activity in with Muslim extremism, both seen as a threat to the nation. How sad and strange that Christians are abused today in Turkey. This was the land of Paul’s first missionary journey, of his epistles to Galatians and Ephesians, of Peter’s letter to the saints in “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1 Peter 1:1), of Revelation’s letters to the seven churches, and of early Church councils in Nicaea, Ephesus, and Chalcedon. But by A.D. 674, Muslims had already begun attacks on Constantinople, a campaign that would finally succeed when the Ottoman Turks captured the city in 1453. Thus, the land changed hands, and with it, the fortunes of its churches. Turkey is clearly at a hinge point in its history, with the next decade likely to reveal whether the country moves closer to Western Europe or the Muslim world to the east. That decision will significantly impact Turkey’s fledgling and beleaguered Christian community.

Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Iran rally;U.S. Jewish leaders,Greece;HRW,Kosovo organs;Cyprus talks,Russian tourists,Arctic;Shortcomings with Passion



Iranian opposition leaders are organizing a solidarity rally in Tehran to support anti-government protesters in Egypt and Tunisia, officials said. Opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi wrote a letter to Iran's Interior Minister, seeking permission to hold a rally scheduled for next Monday, Radio Zamaneh, a Persian-language radio station based in Holland reported. The government has yet to respond to the request. Attempts by Iranian opposition leaders to stage peaceful protests in Iran from June to December 2009 were systematically crushed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's regime. A group of Iran's Green Movement posted a Facebook page dubbed "25 Bahman" -- the Iranian date for next Monday -- to drum up support for the rally, the report said. So far more than 9,000 people have friended the page.


An association of American Jewish community leaders begins Tuesday a first-ever visit to Greece in the latest demonstration of Greek efforts to improve relations with Israel, officials said. Around 60 representatives of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organisations will visit Athens and Thessaloniki for talks with Greek state and Jewish community officials, a Thessaloniki community leader said. "This visit is held at the invitation of Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou," said David Saltiel, chairman of the Thessaloniki Jewish community. The visit to February 13 is part of an annual trip to Israel by the group, a central coordinating body that represents 52 American Jewish agencies across the political and religious spectrum. This is the organisation's first visit to Greece according to the government. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Avigdor Liebermam both recently visited Athens and Greek officials have also travelled to Israel to discuss potential projects in recent months. "Relations with Israel have never been better," Saltiel told AFP. "There is daily contact between Greek and Israeli ministers...."


Human Rights Watch is demanding a credible and independent investigation into the allegations of organ trafficking in Kosovo, said reports. According to Deutsche Welle radio, the international human rights organization is urging that the probe be conducted by a specially formed team of experts in fighting crime and corruption, which would have sufficient political power to carry out the investigation and protect witnesses. In mid-January HRW recommended that the international team should be based outside of the region due to possible intimidation of witnesses and investigators. Council of Europe (CoE) Rapporteur Dick Marty indicated in his report that in 1999 and 2000, Serb and other civilians fell victim to the members of the ethnic Albanian KLA... Other than being located outside Kosovo, such a body should also have at its helm high-ranking investigators given powers and jurisdiction to find the necessary information. In 2009, HRW said it had information that "at least 400 persons were taken from Kosovo to Albania, where all traces of them disappear". It was stressed then that the case is important because the alleged trade in human body parts took place after international presence was established in Kosovo in 1999... HRW says that in their efforts to secure a credible investigation, they were talking to representatives of "Germany, France, Britain and Brussels".


Two members of a global peace initiative who have visited Cyprus say its long-running peace talks appear to be at a standstill. Former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Brundtland and South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu met on Tuesday with Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias. Afterward, the two members of the Elders, a group of international statesmen and women brought together by Nelson Mandela, said the talks have "gone backward" on some issues. But Brundtland also said she's convinced a peace accord is still possible. Cyprus was split into the Greek Cypriot south and a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north in 1974 when Turkey invaded. Negotiations between Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu have yielded little progress.


Vice President of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Yuri Barzykin has recommended Russian tourists, who cannot travel to Egypt, to visit Cyprus and Greece, the portal ellada-russia.ru has reported. According to Barzykin because of the continuing unrest in Egypt, package tours to quieter destinations in the region have already risen by 10-15% in the Russian market and Russian tourism professionals and their customers are seeking alternatives options. Speaking to television network “Vesti”, Barzykin advised Russian tourists to adjust their plans and options and choose other destinations. According to his words a tourist ''can book early a package to Greece for summer and get a discount up to 35% and can also visit Cyprus in April”. The events in Egypt, a country which absorbs more than two million Russian tourists every year, are expected to cause upheaval across the Russian tourist market and redefine prices and priorities. In previous statements, however, press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry Irina Tyurina had said that most packages to Egypt that have been canceled are replaced in priority order with destinations like Turkey, Thailand, Goa, Israel and the Maldives.


Russia is opposed to the militarization of the Arctic, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Serdyukov spoke after a meeting with his Danish counterpart, Gitte Lillelund Bech, in Moscow. "The sides shared their views on the situation in the Arctic. Russia is against the militarization of the north and sees no need for a military presence in the region today," Serdyukov's press secretary Irina Kovalchuk said. Arctic territories, seen as the key to huge untapped natural resources, have increasingly been at the center of mounting disputes between the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, and Denmark in recent years as rising temperatures lead to a reduction in sea ice.

VII. ORTHODOXWAYOFLIFE - Seek Your Shortcomings with Passion

Continuing our discussion on confession from the previous post, Saint Theophan reminds us that it is important to take on this task with passion. You must critically judge yourself without making any excuses. You must have confidence that with God's help you can overcome your weaknesses once you recognize them and accept responsibility for all of your actions. Saint Theophan says, When you come to say in your heart “I am guilty,” you must supply the fear of Divine judgment. We must always remember that God is most merciful. He will forgive us of all of our shortcomings as long as we are repetitive and working to make improvements. Saint Theophan says, A gracious God gives us the hope of forgiveness of guilt, if we repent with contrition and set forth a firm intention to flee past sins and not anger God by them. This is the essence of repentance. Do not just be a passionless seeker of your shortcomings; mourn for them, and sincerely regret that they were committed. Mournings begets the humble resolution to flee shortcomings; while knowledge alone, although it is accompanied by the intention to be cautious, leads to pride... It is important to record all of your shortcomings as soon as we become aware of them. In addition, make the extra step to write out a plan for how you can go about correcting them. Then, you need to include in your prayers this effort, asking the Lord to grant His help in overcoming your sinfulness so you can better do His will. With this approach and attitude you can then approach the sacrament of Confession at which time God will fully forgive you for all of your sinful actions clearing your Divine record of all sins. He also recommends that you read the story of how blessed Theodora endured the toll-houses. This story is included in the life of St. Basil the Younger celebrated on March 26.

Monday, February 07, 2011

NATO,Egypt,Tunisia;Greece,Egypt talks;UN,Kosovo,2/16;Russia,jihad;START?;Cyprus rejects;Zacchaeus Sunday



NATO is warning that the unrest in countries such as Egypt and Tunisia could cause economic hardships and increase illegal immigration to Europe. Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the resulting instability also may have a negative impact on the Mideast peace process. But he noted that the turmoil does not pose a threat to NATO's member states. Rasmussen said Monday the alliance has close ties with Egypt and Tunisia and other moderate Mideast nations, but it has no intention of intervening in those countries. He urged European NATO members to stop slashing defense budgets, noting that current events "serve as a timely reminder that we cannot take security for granted, even in our immediate neighborhood."


Prime Minister George Papandreou has cancelled his proposed trip to Cairo on Sunday to hold talks with embattled President Hosni Mubarak. Papandreou said after a meeting of European Union leaders in Brussels on Friday that he had informed his EU colleagues that he would be flying to Egypt. "I have decided to go to Cairo, probably on Sunday, to carry there the EU's spirit and current debate as well as Greece's thoughts,» Papandreou said. "I have informed my (EU) colleagues, they think this is a positive initiative," he added. "I want to carry a message to President Mubarak and have talks with him." Papandreou said he spoke on the telephone on Friday with Mubarak and other leading Egyptian figures. However, a statement from the prime minister’s office in Saturday said that Papandreou has postponed his planned visit because of developments in Egypt. No alternate date for the visit has been set. Papandreou has consulted by phone on Saturday's developments in Egypt with the prime ministers of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.


The UN Security Council will discuss the situation in Kosovo and the latest report by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting scheduled for February 16. According to the UN website, Ban states in his report that the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is willing to support an investigation into human organ trafficking, and he hopes Belgrade and Priština will soon establish a dialogue. The report covers the period between October 19, 2010 and January 15, 2011. UNMIK handed over its findings on organ trafficking to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia back in 2003, Ban writes, adding that all of those files were given to the EU Mission in Kosovo late 2008 and early 2009. The secretary general regrets that the collapse of the government coalition in Kosovo and the subsequent elections have postponed the start of the talks with Belgrade. He hopes the dialogue begins as soon as possible and that the events in Kosovo lead to political stability. Ban describes the situation in Kosovo as relatively calm, but potentially unstable, where organized crime is still a cause for concern and where smuggling and drug trafficking are particular problems.


The leader of Islamist rebels suspected of bombing Moscow's main international airport last month is pledging to step up deadly attacks in Russia. In a video message posted Sunday on a pro-rebel website, Doku Umarov stopped short of claiming responsibility for the January 24 airport bombing, which left 36 people dead. But the self-titled Emir of the North Caucasus vowed to deliver "a year of blood and tears" to Russia, saying that there were dozens of rebels prepared to carry out attacks. "I won't tell you there are hundreds of us prepared for Jihad. But 50 or 60, God willing, we will find," Umarov said in Russian, wearing camouflage combat fatigues. "Those operations will be conducted monthly or weekly, as Allah allows us," he said... Sunday's video message from Umarov was posted on a website that often carries messages from the rebel leadership. Sitting beneath a black flag and flanked by two other bearded rebels, Umarov names the young man to his left as "Mujahedeen Seifullah." He said the man was being sent on a mission, although it is not clear from the video if this was the suspected Moscow airport bomber, or when the message was recorded. "I would like Putin and Medvedev and all other kaffirs and enemies to understand that there are many of us who will follow in our footsteps and give their lives for Allah," Umarov said.


Russia will consider the sense of observing of the strategic arms reduction treaty (START) if the U.S. or NATO change the scale of their missile defense systems, Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Ryabkov said Monday. He said if the U.S. continues to build up its missile defense system, Moscow will have to take measures of a “military technical” nature. Ryabkov stressed that the link between offensive and defensive weapons is binding under START. The new agreement obliges Russia and the U.S. to cut the total numbers of warheads by one third and the numbers of carrier missiles by more than half.


Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou has said Cyprus was among EU member states, which expressed their opposition to positions put forward by France and Germany with regard to taxation and social policy issues, during the EU summit held on Friday. Stephanou said that such positions could not be accepted because they undermine the welfare state. “Issues concerning social benefits, taxes and other relevant matters have to do with each state’s national policies and neither the Lisbon Treaty nor the acquis communautaire provide for something different than that,” he added. The Spokesman said that the discussion at the Council has shown that many countries to do not accept the proposals put forward by Germany and France and that these reactions will determine the outcome of the discussions among EU member states.


In the beginning chapters of the book, Unseen Warfare, St. Theophan tells us plainly, “If a man wants to realize his weakness from the actual experience of his life, let him but for one day observe his thoughts, words and deeds. He will undoubtedly find that the greater part of his thoughts, words and deeds were sinful, wrong, foolish and bad.” This simple truth is offered to us not as condemnation, but as a simple tool for realizing what need we have of being perfected by Christ—regardless of how satisfied our ego is with our current, imperfect state. After humbly realizing and accepting our terribly imperfect state, we utilize additional tools of virtue: private prayer, attending services, fasting, prostrations, keeping vigil, good works, bridling the tongue, and amyriad of other practices of personal asceticism. And yet these too are the means, not the end, for, as St. Theophan continues, “I tell you plainly: the greatest and most perfect thing a man can desire to attain is to come near to God and dwell in union with Him.” Yet a man’s effort at every virtue cannot of itself perfect this drawing near to God and dwelling in union with Him. To man’s voluntary effort must be added the grace of God, which is encountered in its fullness only in the sacramental life of the Church. It is the gifts of grace, primarily conveyed in Baptism, Chrismation, Eucharist and Confession, that begin the process of perfecting a human being, drawing him near to God and initiating eternal and infinite union with Him. To refuse to acknowledge our own imperfection, to refuse a life of virtuous practices, to refuse the fullness of grace offered by Christ through His holy Church, to refuse to enter into Confession for the sake of receiving the Eucharist and renewing our Baptism and Chrismation, is to freely choose a destructive existence in everything “sinful, wrong, foolish and bad.” St. Gregory of Nyssa, in his Great Catechism, observes that a Christian who is baptized but experiences no change in his life is, in the words of St. Paul, “a man who thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, and deceives himself.” In addition, St. Gregory offers us the example of Zacchaeus, from whom we can learn what it means to realize our own imperfection, make a voluntary effort to be united to Christ, and experience the beginning of perfection through obedience to Christ, repentance, and transformation. Initially, Zacchaeus comes up short in a lot of ways. He’s not tall enough to see over the crowd, he is a tax collector, made wealthy by extortion, and despised by the people. Yet when he hears that Christ is about to pass his way, “he wanted to see who Jesus was.” This is the initial act of faith that we must never abandon.Who is Jesus? If He is the Son of God, our lives are about to be transformed forever. Does each of us believe He is the Son of God? The real answer to this question is manifested in our thoughts, words, and deeds. Thorough repentance often includes admitting that we ‘know’ Jesus is the Christ but we don’t truly ‘believe’ this. Zacchaeus wanted to know who Christ was, so he climbed the tree. When Christ calls him down from the tree, “he made haste and received Him joyfully.” And when reviled for his sins, Zacchaeus repents and makes a radical change of life. After the Resurrection, Zacchaeus became a disciple of the Apostle Peter, who eventually appointed him bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, where he faithfully served the Gospel and died peacefully. We too come up short most of the time. Often as well, when we look inside ourselves, the chaos within paralyzes us rather than motivating us to action. We must be a people of action. Do I believe Christ is the Son of God? Yes! Have I been baptized into his Church and for the remission of sins? Yes! Do I confess my sins for the renewal of my Baptism and in preparation for holy Communion? Yes! Do I pray regularly in church and privately for discernment of my own condition, the illumination of my soul, and the continual advancement of my salvation? Yes! Do I observe my life and actively work, study, and discipline myself consistently for the eradication of sin and ever-increasing spiritual understanding? Yes! We do not need self-help books; we have Christ and His holy Body, the Church. To procrastinate or ignore this simple reality is to choose ignorance over knowledge, death over life, emptiness over fulfillment, mortality over immortality, and in the end hell rather than heaven. Like Zacchaeus, we too must want to know who Christ is and enter into communion with Him. Now is the time to take action. Today is the day of salvation. For in the end, even a lifetime is too short.

Friday, February 04, 2011

U.S.,Mubarak,Russia,Journalists;Afghan 2014 date;UK,terrorists;KFOR-КФОР;Cyprus gas;Church,dealing w/stray thoughts



The White House was discussing a plan in which Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would resign immediately with Egyptian officials, The New York Times reported Thursday evening. The plan would place newly-appointed Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman in charge of a transitional government with the support of the country's military establishment, according to the report. Another White House official, however, disputed the New York Times' suggestion that the two countries were close to reaching a deal, telling CNN that "It's simply wrong to report that there's a single US plan that's being negotiated with the Egyptians." U.S. National Security Countil spokesman Tommy Vietor told the cable news network that in addition to the proposal outlined in the Times, Washington was discussing "a variety of different ways" for bringing an Egyptian transition to democracy. He emphasized, however, that "all of those decisions must be made by the Egyptian people." Officials quoted in the report, in an attempt to lower expectations, pointed out that there was have not been any signs that either Suleiman or Egypt's army were willing to participate in such a plan as long as Mubarak opposed it. Leslie H. Gelb, president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, told the Times that Mubarak fears that even if he steps down that he will be subject to further demands, pointing out that "he's not dealing with a legal entity, but a mob." U.S. officials have reportedly been putting forth several scenarios to Egyptians in the past days, but clarified that their preferred outcome was a plan that saw Omar Suleiman heading a transitional government... The embattled president said in the interview that he was ready to leave office, but could not, for fear his country would sink deeper into chaos.


Russia is urging all sides in the current conflict in Egypt to immediately provide security for media representatives covering the ongoing disorder, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday. A RIA Novosti cameraman in Cairo said on Thursday that police and supporters of embattled Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had started attacking photo and television reporters. "We [Russia] believe that the oppression of media representatives...is unacceptable. We also urge an end to the violence and a start to the resolution of the crisis," the statement said. According to the Reporters without Borders organization, 26 journalists in Egypt have been subjected to attacks, 19 were arrested or kidnapped, three are missing and one is in coma. There are suggestions that the authorities have informally instructed their supporters to prevent any photo and video coverage of the ongoing events so the moment a person with a camera appears in the street, he is attacked. In the best-case scenario his camera is taken away but physical violence has become common. Anti-government protests broke out in Egypt on January 25. The unrest has already claimed the lives of at least 300 people and injured several thousand across the North African state.


A senior U.S. military commander said on Tuesday setting a 2014 goal for halting NATO combat operations in Afghanistan weakened the Taliban's arguments although he was "militarily uncomfortable" with it. NATO agreed at a Lisbon summit last November to hand control of security in Afghanistan to Afghan forces by the end of 2014 and said the NATO-led force could halt combat operations by the same date if security conditions were good enough. President Barack Obama has also said his aim is to halt major U.S. combat operations by the end of 2014. Some critics argue that setting a target date plays into the hands of Taliban insurgents by encouraging them to wait out NATO forces. General James Mattis, the head of U.S. Central Command which oversees the war in Afghanistan, said he was not concerned about the approach the United States was taking in Afghanistan "so long as it is done in concert ... with the allies." In the short term, a target date may give the Taliban heart "to some degree," he said, speaking at an event in London hosted by the Policy Exchange thinktank. But he said: "Having a conditions-based withdrawal is also a way to refute the enemy line that somehow we are there to occupy this country forever. I think there is actually a strength to it. "Militarily, I'm uncomfortable with it, as all military men are, with the uncertainty, the unpredictability of war,... But we fight wars for a political reason. I hope we do. I hope we are not just fighting for the fun of it.".. Mattis said the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan were under the most significant pressure since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion "and we intend to keep it that way. The security progress is undeniable. In key areas in Afghanistan the enemy is disoriented and on the defensive," Mattis said, although he said there would be very tough fighting ahead.


The British secret service was warned the country faced threats from home-grown terrorists still unknown to British intelligence, a leaked document indicated. The alarm was raised during a private briefing in from a senior M16 official to visiting U.S. congressional members in 2008 on growing concern in America about British-born radicals who receive training and become "suicide operatives," The Daily Telegraph reported Friday. British officials would be "hard pressed" to prevent an attack by home-grown terrorists, a counter-terrorism official in the Secret Intelligence Service said. Details of the warnings and concerns were in diplomatic cables that are part of a cache of more than 250,000 U.S. State Department documents obtained and released by WikiLeaks and distributed to certain media outlets, including The Daily Telegraph. During the April 2008 meeting, a top British intelligence officer told the U.S. delegation Britain faced threats from terrorists abroad and "internal home-grown" terrorists, making the situation "uniquely challenging," the leaked information indicated. "Moreover, the internal threat is growing more dangerous because some extremists are conducting non-lethal training without ever leaving the country," the U.S. Embassy's secret record of the meeting indicated. "Should these extremists then decide to become suicide operatives ... intelligence resources, eavesdropping and surveillance would be hard pressed to find them on any 'radar screen.' [The intelligence officer] described this as a 'generational' problem that will not go away anytime soon." Simultaneously, documents indicated the U.S. government was growing more frustrated with what it saw as British leaders' inability to appreciate an increasing threat from Somalia, where growing numbers of British Muslims reportedly received terrorist training, the Telegraph said.


KFOR Commander of the Multinational Battalion North, Colonel Benoit Roux said that the situation in the zone controlled by this unit is peaceful, yet fragile, and that, even after reduction of the number of troops, northern Kosovo will be a priority for KFOR. Our job is primarily to protect the population, and both multinational maneuver battalions will not abandon the regional responsibility and will be able to react in all circumstances, Roux told a press conference at KFOR Camp Belvedere, near Kosovska Mitrovica. Roux said that KFOR will provide security in Kosovo, which, as he says, of course, includes UN SC Resolution 1244. He added that as of March 1, some 500 KFOR soldiers will be in northern Kosovo. KFOR announced earlier that 5,000 international soldiers, i.e. two battalions, will remain in Kosovo until spring.


Following a meeting in Athens, Prime Minister George Papandreou and Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias have suggested that the two countries could cooperate on the exploitation of what are thought to be substantial reserves of natural gas. “Greece and Cyprus have converging interests, including in the energy sector,” Papandreou told journalists. “As in all matters, we are coordinating closely on the issue of delineating sea zones... Solon Kassinis, the head of the energy department at Cyprus’s Commerce Ministry, said last month that there are indications of some 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas deposits beneath the seabed in the island's waters near Israel's giant Tamar and Leviathan gas fields. “The facts have changed dramatically… and Cyprus could begin exploiting its natural gas reserves in the area in three to five years, much sooner than anticipated or planned,” said Kassinis, who produced a study last month that reportedly urged the Cypriot government to concentrate on exploiting the country’s own natural resources rather than a possible long-term deal to import liquefied natural gas. However, Turkey objects to Nicosia exploring in Cyprus's 51,000-square kilometer exclusive economic zone (EEZ), which lies south of the island. Christofias told reporters after his meeting with Papandreou that Cypriots and Greeks had to be careful not to get carried away with the idea of tapping into gas reserves. “We are coordinating daily [with Greece] but I want to pause for a moment to stress the seriousness with which we should approach the issue because we have a tendency to overreact, which is one of our characteristics,” said the Cypriot president. “We have to be sure about what [reserves] exist and we have to be sure about the actions that we may take.”


One of the problems we all face is the tendency for our minds to take over while we are in church where we are supposed to be in prayer. This happens to all of us as it i the nature of our mind to be always active unless we command through our soul to stop. This part of our mind is part of the body and needs to be controlled by the higher part of our being. Here is some advice from Saint Theophan the Recluse: First we are to pray as follows - Pray with sincere warmth, with an outpouring before God, with feelings of contrition, humility and reverential fear and with diligent petitions for your spiritual needs. When we even approach prayer in church with this attitude we will still be faced with stray thoughts. Here is how how recommends to deal with them: As soon as you notice your thoughts have left church, turn them back and do not ever allow yourself consciously to daydream or to stray in thought... When the thoughts stray unbeknownst to you, this is also a small sin; but when you begin wandering off in thought purposely while you are in church , this is as sin...It is like a man who has gone to the king in order to ask him for something who then begins to make faces and fidget in the king's presence, without paying any attention to him... With respect to thoughts there are these two rules: 1) As soon as you notice this straying, turn the thoughts back, and 2) do not consciously allow the thoughts to wander. A remedy against straying thoughts is mental attention, attention to the fact that the Lord is before us and we are before Him... The attention is attached to the Lord by fear of God and by the desire to please God. From these come warmth of the heart, which draws the attention to the One Lord... Without labor and mental effort you will not attain anything spiritual.

Thursday, February 03, 2011

Egypt-Israel treaty;UN staff,Cyprus talks;Kosovo elections;NATO-Russia;Alexander the Great;The "Fear" of God



The Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest opposition force, will take steps to have a peace treaty with Israel cancelled after President Hosni Mubarak steps down. A Muslim Brotherhood leader, Rashad al-Bayumi, told the Japanese NHK television that the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty is detrimental to the dignity and interests of Egypt and the Arab world. He said the Muslim Brotherhood wanted to form an interim government in cooperation with other opposition parties.


Some 350 people working for the United Nations in Egypt will be evacuated to Cyprus because of security concerns in the country. A spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission on the Mediterranean island says two U.N. chartered aircraft will each make two round-trip flights from Cyprus to Cairo today to collect U.N. staff and their family. He says arrangements have been made to accommodate up to 600 staff and dependants at Cyprus hotels. The spokesman says some U.N. staff will remain in Egypt to continue carrying out "essential functions."


Prospects of a breakthrough in talks between Greek and Turkish Cypriots have receded after a fruitless meeting of the leaders of the two communities in Geneva last week under United Nations auspices. Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, convened the 26 January meeting between Demetris Christofias for the Greek Cypriots and Dervis Eroglu for the Turkish Cypriots in a bid to meet the informal March deadline he has set. But the hoped-for agreement on a roadmap for the settlement talks did not emerge. Senior diplomats speak of a growing sense of the impotence of the international community – at the UN or the EU level – to influence the process and of growing pessimism about progress. Despite more than 90 face-to-face meetings between the leaders of the two communities since talks began in 2008, and agreement on the concept of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation with a single international personality, the talks remain blocked by the question of how to deal with property abandoned by Greeks who fled Turkey's invasion in 1974. Each side accused the other of stalling since Ban met the two leaders in New York in November. The Turkish Cypriots “procrastinated on purpose”, a senior Greek Cypriot diplomat told European Voice, while a senior Turkish Cypriot source said that the Greek side was “comfortable with the status quo”. Both sides are, however, downplaying the importance of Ban's March deadline.


The Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission has rejected all complaints to the final results of the parliamentary elections in Kosovo. The final results were announced by the Kosovo Central Election Commission on January 30. The elections were repeated several times due to numerous irregularities. The Election Complaints and Appeals sub-Commission has rejected 22 complaints and parties that are not satisfied with the decision can file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Kosovo, which needs to decide on the appeals in 72 hours. According to the results, Hashim Thaci’s Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) won the highest number of votes.


Russia will do whatever is necessary to ensure its security if NATO attempts to give Moscow a raw deal in building a joint European missile defense system, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. Russia and NATO agreed to discuss the creation of the European missile defense system in Lisbon in November last year, but as yet the talks have not brought any positive results. "If negotiations between NATO and Russia will only be used as a cover for a NATO-American missile defense system that ignores the Russian interests then of course we will have no choice but to take adequate measures to protect ourselves," Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today international TV channel to be aired on Saturday. Moscow insists on setting up a joint European missile defense network with NATO to make sure that the planned placement of elements of a U.S. missile defense system in a number of European countries will not threaten Russia's national security. NATO, however, proposes creating two separate systems that would exchange information. Lavrov reiterated that the future missile defense system "must be equal" and "must not create any risks for the strategic arsenals of the Russian Federation... If these two [issues] are resolved positively, I believe we will achieve huge success," the minister said. The missile defense issue will be on the agenda of the upcoming global security conference in Munich on February 4-6.


An exhibition of more than 500 objects, most of them never before seen outside Greece, is set to rewrite knowledge of the Macedonian civilisation that brought forth Alexander the Great – the man who conquered most of the known world, from Greece to Egypt, Afghanistan and India, in the 4th century BC. A magnificent array of objects, from intricate golden crowns to finely sculpted heads, will travel to the Ashmolean in Oxford this spring, for the first major archaeological exhibition to be held in the museum's newly expanded galleries. The exhibition, Heracles to Alexander the Great, will show the fruits of recent excavations in Aegae, the ancient capital of Macedon. Artefacts in the exhibition will include objects from the burial tomb of the powerful King Philip II, Alexander's father, and his son, Alexander IV – and splendid jewellery and ornaments from the tombs of various Macedonian queens. Some of the most revelatory objects in the exhibition are portrait heads. Unlike the idealised faces of classical Athens, they show furrowed brows, wrinkles and laughter lines and may transform understanding of the history of portraiture. "The Macedon of Philip II is the birthplace and birth-time of realistic portraiture," said Dr Angeliki Kottaridi, the lead curator of the exhibition and the director of excavations at Aegae. Among these sculpted heads will be a portrait of Philip II, with a remarkably lived-in face and crinkly eyes. And even more intriguingly, there will be a set of lifesize and lifelike terracotta heads that are, according to Kottaridi, "absolutely unique". Twenty-six were found, by Kottaridi herself, in the grave of a Macedonian queen dating from about 500BC. Dr Susan Walker, keeper of antiquities at the Ashmolean, speculated that these remarkable objects could seen as forebears of the kind of elaborate Hellenistic portraiture created in Alexandria centuries later, which in turn influenced Roman "true" portraiture... The exhibition will show how an introverted, small tribal kingdom – mythologically founded by the descendants of Heracles – was, said Walker, gradually "drawn into the wider world, developing relationships on the eastern side of the Aegean and forming a key relationship with Athens, which it eventually pushed out of the region".


What is meant by "fear of God"? C.S. Lewis describes it in his book, The Problem of Pain, and states that fear of the God is not a fear that one feels for a tiger, or even a ghost. It, is one filled with awe, in which you "feel wonder and a certain shrinking" or "a sense of inadequacy to cope with such a visitant of or prostration before it". It is a fear that comes forth out of love for the Lord. Saint Theophan tells us, as do many other Church Fathers, that having this "fear" is the first step. It is a feeling that comes with our first encounter with God where we know without doubt that He exists. It is the beginning of faith which is necessary for grace to work within us. To nurture this "fear of God" prayer combined with the reading of spiritual books is recommended. Instead of filling our minds with the endless content of the TV, give up some of this time and instead make time at the beginning of the day for prayer and reading of spiritual books including the Scriptures. Saint Theophan says, This reading with prayer preceding strengthens the sole and gives us strength for the entire day. Doctors say you should not leave the house on an empty stomach. With respect to the soul, this is fulfilled by morning prayer and reading. The soul is fed by them, and sets out on the business of the day nourished. To help this process he suggest to get a notebook and to write down the thoughts that you have as you read the Gospel and other spiritual books. This helps you keep focused on the reading material and to nurture the thoughts that are stimulated from it. One of the challenges with such reading and with prayer is that often thoughts overtake our concentration. It is almost like an involuntary distraction. They seem to come from nowhere uninvited. The main problem comes when we do not take action to deal with them. St. Theophan tells us, “as soon as you notice your thought wandering off, immediately put it back in its place.” Prayer and reading of spiritual books are an essential part of our spiritual development. The key is to make choices to provide time for this new activity. You will need to get up at least 30 minutes earlier in the morning. This means you will have to go to bed thirty minutes earlier in the evening and give up some activity. When your desire for grace is strong enough you will be able to act on it and make the necessary changes. Our laziness is our worst enemy.

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