Philologos
BPR Mailing List Digest
May 29, 2001


Digest Home | 2001 | May, 2001

 

  1. THE STORY OF RUTH
  2. Meeting with US envoy Burns
  3. Jews fabricate holy sites, they do not matter
  4. China Clones Scores of Plants, Pigs, Sheep, Rabbits, Cows
  5. Israeli Wedding Hall Collapse Sharpens Quake Fears
  6. SPACE.com Update for Tuesday, May 29, 2001
  7. Arutz-7 News (5/29/01)
    1. AT LEAST TWO DEAD IN ESCALATED WAVE OF P.A. ATTACKS TODAY
    2. TERRORISM PROVOKES STRONG REMARKS
    3. ESCALATION INCLUDES BOMBINGS, SHOOTINGS, GRENADES, AND MORE
    4. LIVNAT: UNITY GOV'T COSTING US, BUT WILL PROVE WORTH IT
    5. KETZALEH AND ELON
    6. NATIONAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE BUILDING COLLAPSE
    7. KATZAV LEAVES FOR U.S.
    8. JEWS CAN'T ENTER OR PRAY THERE - BUT THEY CAN PROTEST
  8. Two articles on Russian plans to sell Syria over $1 billion in weapons
  9. 2 journalists kidnapped, freed in 'message' to U.S., Britain
  10. Religious holiday to be axed [Easter]
  11. Top Court Rejects City's Ten Commandments Tablet
  12. Boeing warns of disinfectant risk
  13. Russia's Putin warns Arafat Mideast crisis "almost out of control"
  14. NASA Photos Destroyed By Water Damage /Bacteria Study Gives New Meaning To 'Dirty Money'

==========
To: <bprlist@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] A message from SACS
From: "Thomas"
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 10:30:12 +0800
--------
THE STORY OF RUTH
A message from the Dean of St. Andrew's Cathedral, Singapore
 
Ruth is one of the two Gentile women mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 1 (the other woman is Rahab). The beautiful romance of Ruth and Boaz is set against the background of apostasy in the nation and adversity in Ruth's family.
The story is set in the days of the Judges, when the Israelites repeatedly turned away from God to worship idols and suffered oppression and disasters as a result of divine judgment. When they repented and turned back to God, He sent "judges" who delivered them from their enemies. Soon, often only after one generation, the people of Israel again turned their backs to God and the cycle was repeated.

During one of those periods, there was famine in the land of Israel. Elimelech ("my God is King") and his wife Naomi ("comforted, gracious, full of favor, pleasant") together with their two sons Mahlon ("to become sick") and Chilion ("to perish, to die") went to the land of Moab. The meaning of their names (shown in brackets) is full of meaning. Their two sons married Moabite wives: Orphah ("back of the neck", the rejecting part of the body), and Ruth ("a friend, comrade, partner").

Elimelech, Mahlon and Chilion all died in the land of Moab. The sons lived up to their names! After about ten years, Naomi decided to return to the land of Israel. Orphah chose to remain in Moab (note the meaning of her name), but Ruth clung to Naomi. Naomi called herself Mara ("bitter") and said, "Do not call me Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the Lord has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the Lord has afflicted me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" (Ruth 1:20-21) Boaz spoke well of Ruth: "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. The Lord recompense you for what you have done, and a full reward be given you by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge!" (Ruth 2:11-12)

Today many Jews are very bitter, and angry against God because of the holocaust. They are like Naomi, bitter in spirit. Ruth, a Moabite woman, represents the Gentile Church. Let us, as Gentiles, pray for the Jews, that their hearts may turn back to the God of their forefathers, and to Jesus Christ the Messiah. If the Lord so moves your heart, give financially to the Messianic Jews in Israel, as they seek to bear witness to Jesus in every town and city.

 
Copyright © 1996-2001 St Andrew's Cathedral Singapore, 11 St Andrew's Road, Singapore 178959, Republic of Singapore
Tel: (65) 3376104 Fax: (65) 3391197
www.livingstreams.org.sg/sac/

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made
known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my
insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed
by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together
with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.
       
       Ephesians 3 : 2 - 6 (NIV)

In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, SACS and I pray that all Jews and Israelis in particular will
be united together and pray together for their GOD-given-and-blessed land of Israel, and that the land of Israel only belongs
to GOD's chosen people, His beloved covenant people, the Jews as promised in the Holy Bible. Our gracious and awesome
LORD Jesus Christ is a Jew born with a blessed virgin Jew and of the Holy Spirit and therefore NEVER turn our LORD,
your GOD into a whiteman, blackman or colored man. Only together with the Jews and Israel, the Christians and the
Churches will be raised up gloriously together with the LORD's grace and power. Oh yes indeed, He will come and
He will punish dreadfully to those who don't fear Him like the ones who done harm to the Jews and Israelis and
asking His beloved covenant people to suffer and give His land to the foreigners instead of His chosen people, the Jews.
Earthly leaders may have the earthly power in this world, BUT if they GO AGAINST the MIGHTY GOD, THE
GOD OF ISRAEL, which is also our LORD JESUS CHRIST, they are asking for punishment that will be unbearable
to their countries instead of receiving abundant blessings from the GREAT LORD ALMIGHTY by helping the Jews
and praying for them to live in the land that our GOD have given them which was already blessed a few thousand years
ago when our GOD blessed and promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Ishmael was blessed somewhere else but
not in Israel.

I sincerely pray that all earthly leaders in this world will read Ezekiel 38 and 39 to beware of GOD's Wrath. I sincerely
pray that the leaders of Israel will read Ezekiel 40 to 48 to understand what GOD wants them to do to please
HIM and not to anger HIM because if HE IS ANGRY, what they hope for all these years may perish and may even
suffer a great deal more than their not blessed foreigners.

I am not a Jew or an Israelite but I am a GOD-FEARING Christian who believe that LORD JESUS CHRIST yearn
to heard HIS BELOVED PEOPLE, THE JEWS confessed to HIM that HE is their LORD, our GOD and our MESSIAH and
will be glad if all Jews say to HIM : Baruch habba be'shem Adonai!

Thanks for the attention.

Just a faithful servant of Adonai Yeshua,

Thomas Ho

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Meeting with US envoy Burns
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 08:50:15 -0400
--------
MEETING WITH US ENVOY BURNS Jerusalem, 27 May 2001- The Foreign
Minister emphasized the importance of adhering to the Mitchell Report -
without changes - as a framework for breaking the cycle of violence and
returning to the negotiating table.

Jerusalem, 26 May 2001

Net assessment of the last three days
(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Following the publication of the Mitchell report, which called
for an immediate, complete and unconditional halt to the
violence, Israel declared a unilateral cease-fire (except in
cases where life was in danger).

The Palestinians, in contravention of both the Mitchell report
and Prime Minister Sharon's call for a cease-fire, are continuing
to carry out acts of terrorism and violence with greater
intensity.

At the same time, the Israeli Government continues to implement
its policy of easing restrictions on the Palestinian population.
Furthermore, Israeli restraint is intended to provide Chairman
Arafat with another opportunity to immediately halt terrorism and
violence, as called for by the Mitchell Commission report.

The following is a list of the events of the past three days:

A. 66 people were wounded in Friday's (May 25th) car-bomb attack
   in Hadera
B. A car-bomb attack on Friday May 25th in Netzarim in which no
   one was wounded.
C. The murder of an Israeli near Tulkarm.
D. One person dead and one wounded in a shooting attack near
   Ariel.
E. An 86-year-old man was shot and wounded in Gilo.
F. Two soldiers were wounded when their vehicle was fired on
   north of Jericho.
G. Continued mortar fire at Gush Katif.

Despite these acts of terror and the security risks involved, in
the past three days Israel has opened another crossing point from
Gaza to Israel, thus allowing several thousand additional
Palestinian workers to work in Israel.

The international community must make it unequivocally clear to
Arafat and the Palestinian Authority that they are responsible
for the escalation and that they, and they alone, bear
responsibility for the resulting deterioration - in contravention
of all agreements which they have signed and in violation of the
principles of the Mitchell report.

Israel continues to show restraint, but is nearing the limits of
its patience since our utmost commitment is to protect the lives
of our citizens. Therefore, we expect the international community
to do everything necessary in order to persuade Arafat and the
Palestinian Authority to lay down their weapons.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Jews fabricate holy sites, they do not matter
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 08:52:00 -0400
--------
Israeli Government sponsors Hebrew U. professor visit to USA to undermine
Israel's position - Jews fabricate holy sites, they do not matter

By Melissa Radler The Jerusalem Post 29 May 2001

NEW YORK (May 29) - Jews fabricated the existence of holy sites in the
West
Bank after the Six Day War, said Hebrew University Prof. Moshe Maoz to
New
York Jewish leaders on Friday during a visit that was sponsored by the
Israeli government.

"We invent all kinds of tombs" in Palestinian-populated areas, said Maoz at
a meeting with the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, citing
Joseph's Tomb, located in Nablus, which was destroyed by Palestinian
rioters
and rebuilt as a mosque in October 2000.

Maoz added that world Jewry has overreacted to the desecration of the tomb,
while failing to note that groups of all faiths, including the Moslem Public
Affairs Council in the US, recognized the site as being holy to Jews and
condemned its destruction.

"Sometimes I think Judaism is paganism," said Maoz, referring to holy sites
in general. "We sanctify stones and tombs instead of spirit."

Maoz's visit to the US was sponsored by the Israeli consulate's office of
academic affairs, which brought him over to discuss prospects for peace and
coexistence in the Middle East.

Following Maoz's speech, a consulate spokesman emphasized that
"speakers we
bring over do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the Israeli government
or the office of academic affairs in the US."

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] China Clones Scores of Plants, Pigs, Sheep, Rabbits, Cows
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 08:53:50 -0400
--------
Tuesday, May 29, 2001, updated at 14:03(GMT+8)
Sci-Edu

China Clones Scores of Plants, Pigs, Sheep, Rabbits, Cows

China has already developed 47 transgenic plant species, cloned goats
and transplanted genes into pigs, rabbits, sheep and cows, according
to an official report released Tuesday.

According to the report released by the Ministry of Science and
Technology at a press conference in Beijing, that by the end of 1996,
the transgenic plant species on which China had been researching
reached 47, concerning 103 kinds of genes.

The report said that China has been successful to clone goats by
adopting the fetus somatic cell of the transgenic goat and adult
somatic cell. "The rate of success is 10-20 times as many as Sheep
Doly," the report said.

China has also bred pigs, rabbits and sheep of growth hormone (GH)
transfer. According to the report, the general rate of external source
gene introduction into the animals was 2.1 percent, reaching the
world's advanced level. "China has obtained remarkable achievement in
animal cloning and transgenic animals," said the report, entitled
"Present Status of the Chinese Hi-Tech Agriculture and Its Goal during
the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2001-2005). "

The report said that through efforts in the past decade, China has
made remarkable achievements in pest and disease resistance, quality
improvement, herbicide resistance and security control in genetic
engineering of plants.

According to the report, China has reached the world's advanced level
in the research field of improving crops with radiation and of the
application of nucleon tracing technique to agricultural chemicals.
Among the mutation breeds which have been cultivated, ten have won
national invention awards.

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200105/29/eng20010529_71313.html

via: isml@yahoogroups.com


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Israeli Wedding Hall Collapse Sharpens Quake Fears
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 13:16:20 -0500
--------

------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Tue, 29 May 2001 12:54:46 -0400
Subject: Israeli Wedding Hall Collapse Sharpens Quake Fears

May 29 12:29 PM ET

Israeli Wedding Hall Collapse Sharpens Quake Fears

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The collapse of an Israeli wedding
hall has highlighted fears that poor building practices
could make many buildings "ticking bombs" in a country
located in an earthquake zone, building experts said on
Tuesday.

At least 23 people were killed and hundreds injured when the
dance floor of a Jerusalem wedding hall caved in under
hundreds of guests last Thursday, prompting a state inquiry
into building safety and a criminal investigation by police.

Israeli building experts said some contractors cut corners
and engineering standards are often not enforced, meaning
such a disaster had been only a matter of time. It was
Israel's worst civilian disaster.

"There are today many, many buildings in Israel that for
many reasons are like ticking bombs," forensic engineer
Reuven Katz told Reuters.

Katz said he was particularly concerned about what would
happen if a powerful earthquake hit the region, as some
geologists expect some time this century.

A report prepared by Israeli engineers after 15,000 people
died in an earthquake in Turkey in 1999 estimated that about
50 percent of buildings in Israeli cities could collapse if
rocked by an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the open-ended
Richter scale.

A separate report by a government committee said between
5,000 to 10,000 people would be killed and up to 8,000
buildings destroyed if an earthquake of that magnitude hit
Israel.

Israel is situated on two fault lines, and there have been
frequent earthquakes in previous centuries. A quake of 6.2
on the Richter scale hit the Jordan Valley area in 1927 and
in 1837, 5,000 people were killed in another big quake.

FEAR POWERFUL QUAKE MAY HIT THIS CENTURY

Geologists say that an earthquake that hit the region in
around 700 B.C., and another 1,400 years later in 730 A.D.,
point to the possibility of a quake measuring about seven on
the Richter scale shaking the region this century.

"The entire country is dangerous for earthquakes. The only
question is when and how strong," said engineer Uri Harmel,
who heads an engineering
standards board.

"If there is an earthquake of the estimated strength, I
would not want to be in a building in Israel," he said.

Harmel and five other prominent engineers have appealed to
the Supreme Court to order the government to establish a
center to enforce Israel's building standards. So far their
appeals have not been answered.

Professor Yaakov Glick said Israel's preparedness for
earthquakes is "somewhere in the middle, not as good as in
California, but better than in Turkey."

He said one of the problems was that thousands of buildings
built in Israel before the 1970s were constructed partly on
stilts and would be susceptible if a quake hit.

"Buildings that were built before the 1970s may be
dangerous," said Glick, from Haifa's Technion university.

Katz and other experts say the problem is one of
enforcement.

Last week's wedding hall collapse was the worst in a chain
of building disasters in Israel which include the deaths of
four Australian athletes when a sub-standard bridge
collapsed at the opening ceremony of the Maccabiah "Jewish
Olympics" in 1997.

------- End of forwarded message -------

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To: bprlist <bprlist@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Fwd: SPACE.com Update for Tuesday, May 29, 2001
From: "Patt A."
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 11:26:43 -0700 (PDT)
--------

 
Today on SPACE.com -- Tuesday, May 29, 2001 -- http://www.space.com/

-------------------------------------

Today in Science/Astronomy:

* Cryobot Explores Antarctica, Preparing for ET Hunt
http://www.space.com/searchforlife/ice_probe_scitues_010529-1.html

The search for extraterrestrial life -- on Mars, Jupiter's moon Europa, or anywhere -- is not likely to be an easy chore. It's a pretty safe bet that there won't be any critters, or even fossils, lying around on the surface.

* Moon Seen as Haven for Protolife
http://www.space.com/searchforlife/moon_protolife_010529.html

Earth's moon might be a biological preserve, a celestial cemetery where protolife or fossil extremophiles are awaiting discovery in volcanic shadowed sites.

* New Streaks Revealed on Martian Surface
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/solarsystem/mars_streaks_010529.html

Now in its Extended Mission, Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) is into its second Mars year of systematic observations of the red planet. With the Extended Mission slated to run through April 2002, the Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC) is being used, among other things, to look for changes that have occurred in the past martian year.

------------------------------------

Today in Missions/Launches:

* Russia Finally Completes Space Station Airlock
http://www.space.com/news/spacestation/russia_iss_airlock_010528.html

Russia is ready to add its third piece to space station Alpha. A combination airlock and spacecraft docking area, its construction was delayed while the Russians gathered money for the work. The Russian Space Agency is grappling with a budget of about $100 million -- about one-fifth the cost of a shuttle launch.

------------------------------------

Today in Business/Industry:

* Orbital Sciences To Sell Magellan Subsidiary, Interest in NavSol
http://www.space.com/spacenews/remotesensing/orbital_magellan_010529.html

Orbital Sciences Corp., Dulles, Va., reached an agreement to sell its Magellan Corp. subsidiary and its interest in Navigation Solutions LLC (NavSol) to Europe's Thales Group for $70 million, the two companies reported May 29. Orbital and Thales expect to close the deal by the end of June.

* Weldon Proposes Tax-Exempt Spaceport Bonds
http://www.space.com/spacenews/spacepolicy/spaceport_bonds_010529.html

U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) has introduced legislation to allow local governments to issue tax-exempt bonds to finance improvements at spaceports, as they can already do with air and sea ports.

* Senator Holds Up Space GeneralÕs Promotion
http://www.space.com/spacenews/spacepolicy/hamel_delay_010529.html

The U.S. Senate voted to confirm 25 U.S. Air Force brigadier generals for promotion to major general May 24, but notably absent from that list was Brig. Gen. Mike Hamel, Air Force director of space operations and integration.Senator Holds Up Space General´s Promotion

By Jeremy Singer, Space News Staff Writer
posted: 10:17 am ET, 29 May 2001

    

 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted to confirm 25 U.S. Air Force brigadier generals for promotion to major general May 24, but notably absent from that list was Brig. Gen. Mike Hamel, Air Force director of space operations and integration.

U.S. Sen. Bob Smith (R-N.H.), an outspoken advocate for military space, placed a hold on Hamel´s nomination May 19. Smith wants more time to review Hamel´s promotion due to concern that the general has obstructed progress on space programs by asking for unnecessary studies, said Eryn Witcher, a spokeswoman for the senator.

Hamel is involved with the Pentagon effort to implement recommendations to reorganize itself to better focus on space by a space commission that was headed by Donald Rumsfeld before he was nominated to serve as secretary of defense in December. Smith called for the commission in 1999 legislation.

"Senator Smith wants to make sure whoever is serving the secretary [of defense] is serving capably and loyally," Witcher said.

Smith plans to meet with Hamel to resolve the issue, she said.

Hamel has publicly voiced his support for efforts like developing space-based radar and implementing the space commission´s recommendations in recent interviews with Space News and briefings for reporters.

The Air Force stood behind Hamel in a written statement provided by Air Force Capt. Joe Della Vedova, a service spokesman, in response to questions from Space News.

"General Hamel has been the driving force behind the Air Force´s efforts to implement the Commission´s recommendations since its report was released," Della Vedova said.

"Like all military officers, [Hamel´s] loyalty throughout his career has been to his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States," said Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Ryan in the statement. "Our Nation is fortunate to have a man like Mike Hamel as one of its military leaders."

Hamel has worked in space-related jobs throughout his entire career in the Air Force, beginning in 1972 when he served as a staff development planner at the Space and Missile Systems Organization, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif.

Prior to his current stint at the Pentagon, Hamel served as the vice-commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center from August 1998 to November 1999, and as director of requirements at Air Force Space Command.

He also served at the White House as military adviser to Vice President Al Gore from July 1996 to August 1998.

 

------------------------------------


SOLAR and SPACE WEATHER (May 29, 2001)

3-Day Solar Forecast
Solar activity is expected to be low. Three new sunspot regions were named Monday: 9479, 9480, and 9481.

3-Day Aurora Forecast
The geomagnetic field is expected to be unsettled to active through Tuesday, then becoming quiet to unsettled through Thursday.

Solar Data
The current sunspot number is 190, and the solar wind speed recently clocked in at 411 kilometers per second (919,378 mph). The solar wind density was 5.5 protons per cubic centimeter. (Speed and density values are snapshots in time and change during the day.)

http://www.space.com/spacewatch/space_weather.html

-------------------------------------


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===
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (5/29/01)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 17:59:03 -0400
--------
Arutz Sheva News Service
  <http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Tuesday, May 29, 2001 / Sivan 7, 5761

TODAY'S HEADLINES:
   1. AT LEAST TWO DEAD IN ESCALATED WAVE OF P.A. ATTACKS
TODAY
   2. TERRORISM PROVOKES STRONG REMARKS
   3. ESCALATION INCLUDES BOMBINGS, SHOOTINGS, GRENADES,
AND MORE
   4. LIVNAT: UNITY GOV'T COSTING US, BUT WILL PROVE WORTH IT
   5. KETZALEH AND ELON
   6. NATIONAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE BUILDING COLLAPSE
   7. KATZAV LEAVES FOR U.S.
   8. JEWS CAN'T ENTER OR PRAY THERE - BUT THEY CAN PROTEST

1. AT LEAST TWO DEAD IN ESCALATED WAVE OF P.A. ATTACKS
TODAY
"Blood mixes with blood" [Hosea 4,2]. Residents of the Gush Etzion city of
Efrat, south of Jerusalem, set off this afternoon for the funeral of this
morning's terror victim - and themselves fell victims to murderous
terrorist fire. The security officer of the Shomron Regional Council,
Gilad Zar, was murdered this morning by Arafat's Fatah agents. Zar was
pronounced dead on the scene after Arabs shot two rounds of fire at his car
on the southern Shechem bypass road, between Kedumim and Yitzhar.
Some
forty bullet casings were found near the car. The attack occurred near the
Arab village of Kafr Jit, and the killers apparently escaped into
Shechem. Although Zar traveled in a clearly recognizable security vehicle,
Brig.-Gen. Benny Ganz, Commander of IDF forces in Judea and Samaria,
says
there is no sign that the terrorists had specifically targeted him.

The victim, Gilad Zar, had been seriously wounded in a similar attack just
over two months ago. A resident of Itamar, he leaves behind eight
children. His father, Moshe Zar, is one of the pioneer settlers of the
Shomron. The Yesha Council called upon all residents of Judea and
Samaria
to close their businesses and schools this afternoon and participate in the
funeral, which departed this afternoon from the plaza outside the Prime
Minister's Officer in Jerusalem. Government ministers Ze'evi and
Lieberman, Yesha Council head Uri Ariel and others eulogized him. The
Council chose the site as a way of showing its extreme anger at the
government for the series of murders. The Yesha Council holds the
government responsible for three things: its dangerous policy of restraint,
the diplomatic activities of the last few days, and finally - the scheduled
security meetings tonight. "In the morning they shoot, and in the evening
they sit with us," the Council statement said.

In response to the murder, the IDF imposed an encirclement, which is a
near-total closure, on villages in the Shechem area while it searches for
suspects.

Assaf Yitzchaki of Karnei Shomron, head of Firefighting and Rescue
Services
there, was one of the first people on the murder scene today. Later asked
by Arutz-7 to say a few words about his friend Gilad Zar, Yitzchaki said:
        "Who am I to speak about such a person? Gilad was a man of
accomplishments in the Shomron, one of the pillars of the Shomron region,
in many aspects - security, helping others, morale. I visited him in the
hospital after he was wounded two months ago, and he was happy and
optimistic, and insisted on returning to work even though he hadn't
completely recovered. The terrorists had good reason to try to get him..."

2. TERRORISM PROVOKES STRONG REMARKS
While Israel maintains its unilateral ceasefire, PA terrorists continued
their unilateral war against Israel this afternoon when they murdered an
Israeli woman and seriously injured at least two other people near N'vei
Daniel. The murderers shot at a van on its way north from Efrat to
Jerusalem; one woman died of her wounds, her husband and child were
wounded, another woman was critically wounded, and two others are listed
in
moderate condition.

Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that Israel would maintain its
unilateral ceasefire for as long as there is a chance that international
peacemaking efforts may yet produce fruit. Coalition leader Likud MK Ze'ev
Boim, on the other hand, said that Israel must call off its ceasefire, as
the continued murder of Israeli citizens cannot be tolerated.

MK Tzvi Hendel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu) demanded today that
Prime
Minister Sharon announce the end of his unilateral ceasefire
immediately. "He who prevents the army from fighting the terrorists will
not be able to later claim that his hands did not shed the blood that
flowed as a result," Hendel said. His party colleague MK Benny Elon later
said that "loyalty" should be shown the Prime Minister; see article 5
below. In any event, the Prime Minister told American mediator William
Burns last night that Israel will continue its ceasefire, and even implied
that there will be a freeze on geographical expansion of existing Judea and
Samaria towns.

Rabbi Yitzchak Levy, leader of the National Religious Party, said today
that the government must initiate actions that will lead to the collapse of
the Palestinian Authority.

3. ESCALATION INCLUDES BOMBINGS, SHOOTINGS, GRENADES, AND
MORE
Other attacks last night and today: Two Palestinian Authority attackers
shot at and bombed an IDF post near N'vei Dekalim late this afternoon. The
soldiers shot back and killed one of them, and two soldiers were
wounded... Fatah terrorists shot at two Israelis east of the Tapuach
Junction, between Shomron and the Jordan Valley. One man was wounded
moderately-to-seriously, while a woman from Ma'aleh Ephraim was
moderately
wounded...

Bomb demolition sappers dismantled at least two undetonated mortar
rockets
that were found in downtown Jerusalem this morning. They were apparently
shot out of the carbomb that exploded this past Sunday morning;
miraculously, none of the five or six shells that were fired randomly at
downtown Jerusalem on a holiday-eve morning exploded, and no one was
significantly hurt. One of the shells was found today on a rooftop on
Shammai Street, while another was found not far away.

Ten hand grenades were hurled this afternoon at an IDF outpost along the
Israeli-Egyptian border. No one was hurt, and IDF soldiers did not return
fire… Israeli forces opened fire at three Arab terrorists near Jericho and
apprehended them… A 16-year-old Arab girl attempted to stab a Border
Guard
policeman in the back this afternoon on the Temple Mount. Her screams of
Allahu Akbar caused him to turn around and catch her in time.

An official army announcement stated that alert IDF soldiers prevented what
could have been a major terrorist attack this morning on the Karni-Netzarim
road in Gaza. An IDF force noticed a group of terrorists attempting to
place a bomb on the road; the soldiers opened fire, causing the terrorists
to scatter. PA sources say that five of their men were hurt.

Jews lobbed rocks at Arabs in Itamar and Hevron this morning, following the
murder of Gilad Zar. Three siblings of the victim live in Hevron, although
they were on their way to Itamar when the disturbances in Hevron
began. The police dispersed the rock-throwers.

*******************************************************
Up-To-The-Minute News From Israel, New on Arutz Sheva's Homepage
<a href ="http://IsraelNationalNews.com "> www.IsraelNationalNews.com
</a>
*******************************************************

4. LIVNAT: UNITY GOV'T COSTING US, BUT WILL PROVE WORTH IT
Education Minister Limor Livnat called on the residents of Yesha to
continue to back the Prime Minister. She said that if it was not for the
national-unity government, "we would be taking stronger action against the
terrorism," but this price of unity is worthwhile and "in the end, it will
prove itself even in the war against terrorism."

Arutz-7's Haggai Segal spoke with Cabinet Secretary Gideon Sa'ar today:
"I'll ask you pointedly: How many Jews must yet be killed on the altar of
this unilateral ceasefire?" Sa'ar: "Look please, we are aware of the
difficulty of the situation, and exactly for this reason we want to try
every possibility to try to calm matters down. It could be that this
attempt will fail, in which case the IDF will again initiate the necessary
actions, but we are trying to do everything we can in order to see if..."

Segal: "Yes, this is why I asked until when. What yet must happen in order
for the Prime Minister to reach the conclusion that --"
Sa'ar: "Prime Minister Sharon told Burns last night that our patience is
not unlimited... There is no magic solution..."

5. KETZALEH AND ELON
Yesha settler leader Yaakov (Ketzaleh) Katz - a long-time army
acquaintance
of Ariel Sharon, who served under then-Housing Minister Ariel Sharon as
Assistant for Settlement Affairs from 1991-93, and who has been described
in HaTzofeh as "the man directly responsible for the construction in
eastern Jerusalem, and communities in the Golan and in Yesha" - spoke
with
Arutz-7's Haggai Segal today about the changes that have overcome Ariel
Sharon over the past years:
        "I have seen the deterioration in Sharon's relationship to the Land of
Israel and the People of Israel for several years. It was manifest clearly
in his decision to detach himself from people in Yesha, and not to include
them among his aides, advisors, and members of his inner circle. Instead,
he has begun to think along the 'practical' and faithless lines of the left
wing, all based on his conception that the People of Israel do not have the
strength to deal with the problems that face them.
        "I have heard him say several times, including to me, 'It would be great
if the entire nation was as strong as you guys in Judea and Samaria, but
unfortunately this is not the case, the people of Israel are weak, and we
must therefore compromise and be flexible...' He simply does not believe
in the country's strength, which is basically the post-Zionist approach of
Peres and his friends, and the same approach that he was elected to
oppose. He is making a bitter mistake: The residents of Israel are very
strong, and not only in Yesha, but in Netanya and Jerusalem, they are not
running away. The only one who is weak is Arik Sharon, as well as his
advisors who point him only to what is being said in the media, and are
constantly caught up in the tactical questions of how to run away from the
problems that face us today. A leader who talks to his great nation only
in terms of tactics and not vision brings upon it mourning and destruction
and murders...
        "The Arik Sharon of today has no vision, and is instead just like the
other Galut [Diaspora]-mentality leaders that Israel has had... One of the
messages here is that nationalist camp Knesset Members like Benny Elon
should not speak in cliches about 'loyalty' to Sharon, but rather with
vision. Courage comes before loyalty, and if this is not clear to Sharon,
then he will be replaced. I don't think it will take long before this
happens... The Jewish people must speak with vision, and cannot allow
residents of Yesha to be wantonly killed, just like anti-Semites used to
freely kill Jews in the street in Germany and Poland without anyone opening
his mouth to protest. Our MKs must speak with courage and strength and -

Segal: "- and quit the coalition?"
Ketzaleh: "I don't want to speak now about that detail. This situation
cannot continue. Arik Sharon called the previous government a 'washrag'
leadership because of the murders that took place here, and now he must
look in the mirror and see if the same cannot be said about him."

MK Benny Elon's response:
        "First of all, when speaking to Army Radio today, I said there that I
agree with every word that [MK] Tzvi Hendel said, but I only added that I
would not publicly criticize Ariel Sharon in the media, because I am part
of the coalition and we must show loyalty. We offer the criticism where it
needs to be offered... I agree that we must always be breathing down
Sharon's neck. If I am correct that we are on the eve of real war - and it
might not only be in Judea and Samaria - and if I am right that Sharon's
strategy is to strengthen the unity in the country so that we can go out to
fight the war without half the country protesting against the other half -
if this is in fact Sharon's strategy, then I believe that I am doing the
right thing.
        "If, however, Sharon is simply trying to fool me and is really taking the
path of negotiations and withdrawals and diplomatic defeats and the like -
then I am very wrong. But as long as I am a member of the coalition, I
will continue to try to ascertain the truth from within, and at the same
time abide by the [loyalty] rules that come with being a member of the
coalition. If people think I should leave the coalition, then they have
the right to criticize me - but Ketzaleh did not answer you when you asked
if we should remain in the government... My feeling at present is that
Sharon does, in fact, have a plan to fight terrorism very strongly. I can
only add that the second I am shown to be wrong and that we are being
used,
we will not only leave the government, we will do everything we can to
topple it."

6. NATIONAL COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE BUILDING COLLAPSE
The government decided today to establish a national commission of inquiry
to investigate the Versailles wedding hall collapse. The commission will
also have a mandate to investigate the state of other public buildings
throughout the country. The police have asked the Jerusalem municipality
to cease its own internal investigation of the Versailles tragedy, and the
permits that were or were not given for the renovations carried out there
over the past several years. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert refuses to call
off the inquiry, however.

The Pal-Kal ceiling of the Versailles wedding hall, under which three
floors collapsed this past Thursday night, remained standing until last
night, when it itself fell. No one was hurt. The Local Government Center
has instructed all municipalities to carry out a comprehensive check of all
buildings that use the Pal-Kal construction method. This is an
Israeli-patented method that was ruled unacceptable by the Interior
Ministry in 1996. However, many existing buildings were built with this
method before 1996, and some were built afterwards. The Israel
Construction Center reports that there are some 6,500 buildings in Israel
whose floors are built partially or completely with Pal-Kal.

Pal-Kal supporters say that no ceiling could have withstood the damage that
was caused by the removal of supporting pillars from the Versailles
hall. This charge is also being investigated.

7. KATZAV LEAVES FOR U.S.
President Moshe Katzav departs today for a state visit to the United
States, and Prime Minister Sharon will see him off at the airport. Rabbi
Mordechai Eliyahu, the former Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel, will not be
in Katzav's entourage, despite indications that his intervention could help
secure the release of Jonathan Pollard, and despite requests by Pollard's
wife that Katzav include Rabbi Eliyahu.

8. JEWS CAN'T ENTER OR PRAY THERE - BUT THEY CAN PROTEST
The Jerusalem Magistrates Court ruled last week against a police request to
distance Kach protestors from the Temple Mount gates. Justice Michal
Agmon-Gonen ruled that the Kach protest against allowing Jewish entry to
the Mount is legitimate, and that the arrest of Kach activist Itamar
Ben-Gvir for allegedly attempting to fight his way onto the Mount. The
judge ordered the immediate release of Ben-Gvir and said, "The police must
find the appropriate way to deal with the protest." Ben-Gvir said he would
file a civilian suit against the police for false arrest.

In a related item, Temple Mount Faithful leader Yehuda Etzion was recently
acquitted - for the third and final time - of charges relating to his
attempts to protest against the refusal to allow Jews to pray on the Temple
Mount. After each of the first two acquittals, the State Prosecution
appealed - until finally the aforementioned Hon. Agmon-Cohen recently
handed down the final ruling, sharply criticizing the Prosecution in the
process.

***Correction:
In an attempted terrorist attack in Hadera this past Friday, the only two
who were killed were two suicide terrorists inside a car. Four people were
moderately injured, and 65 were lightly hurt. The two terrorists had
planned to blow themselves up several minutes apart inside a Hadera
shopping center.

Stay Up-to-the-Minute with News from Israel: http://IsraelNationalNews.com
Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Two articles on Russian plans to sell Syria over $1 billion in weapons
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:05:14 -0400
--------
Two articles on Russian plans to sell Syria over $1 billion in weapons -
including advanced missiles, jets and S-300 air defence systems

[IMRA note: A key argument of proponents of withdrawal from the Golan was
that Syria could never significantly change its military situation because
the break up of the USSR denied it access to advanced weapons.]
.
www.clw.org/cat

Russia to meet Syrian requirements in defence weapons

Kommersant, Moscow- May 25, 2001

Yesterday 24 May , Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov received the Syrian
defence minister, who was visiting Moscow. Prior to this, the Syrian defence
minister had met with his Russian counterpart Sergey Ivanov. The talks
discussed military-technical cooperation, which both sides have an interest
in reviving.

The Syrian army is currently 90-per cent equipped with Soviet hardware, of
which almost 80 per cent requires renewal. Following the collapse of the
USSR, military-technical cooperation with Syria declined. Before this visit
it was unclear which option Damascus would prefer - upgrades or new
purchases. The current talks have made it possible to clarify Syria's
intentions.

Marshal Mustafa Talas brought two lists to Moscow. One of them records the
Russian military hardware in use by the Syrian army and in need of
upgrading. This includes S-200E surface-to-air missile systems, T-55 and
T-72 tanks, BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, MiG-25 interceptors, and
MiG-29 fighters. But Damascus did not limit itself to this alone.

Moscow was also given a list of modern arms and military hardware that
Syria
would like to acquire. These include eight Iskander-E operational-tactical
missile systems, 30 Su-30 fighters, the S-300PMU-1, Buk-M1, and Tor-M1
surface-to-air missile systems, the Mi-35 and Ka-52 combat helicopters, and
the Project 12418 and 12421 Molniya combatant craft. Moreover, Damascus
expressed a desire to train its military personnel (up to 100 men a year) at
Russian military academies and schools.

Moscow can expect to earn more than 1bn dollars as a result of the
implementation of these plans for upgrades and deliveries of military
hardware. Russia needs to resume large-scale military-technical cooperation
with Syria - it should help Moscow pass the target set by President Putin
for 4bn dollars worth of arms sales this year.

During the talks, Marshal Talas voiced concern about the military-technical
cooperation between Moscow and Tel Aviv. Last year, Russia launched the
Israeli EROS-A1 spy satellite from the Svobodnyy space centre and
announced
the possible launch of seven further satellites. With the help of that
satellite Israel has been able to conduct round-the-clock monitoring of all
Near East countries.

In response to this rebuke, Moscow proposed that three-to-five of the 30
MiG-25's due to be upgraded be reconfigured by Damascus as the MiG-25RE
export-version high-altitude intelligence-gathering aircraft, which will
allow Damascus to carry out airborne reconnaissance of Israeli territory
with impunity. To which Marshal Talas agreed.

       ________________________________________________

Izvestiya, Moscow - May 25, 2001

Syria's purchases of Russian S-300 might cause "international scandal"

No sooner had Israeli Foreign Minister Shim'on Peres departed from Moscow,
than the Russian leadership welcomed a new guest: Syrian Defence Minister
Brigadier General Mustafa Talas. His visit will continue until 25 May. He
already held principal talks with his Russian partners on Wednesday and
Thursday 23 and 24 May , all in an atmosphere of heightened secrecy.

At the Syrian side's request, journalists were denied even an official photo
opportunity during Mustafa Talas' meetings with his Russian partners -
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, Defence Minister Sergey Ivanov, Security
Council Secretary Vladimir Rushaylo, Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov
and
State Duma Defence Committee Chairman Andrey Nikolayev.

In this particular case, the heightened secrecy is easily explained: the
conversations touched on very delicate issues of resuming the full-scale
military-technical cooperation between the two countries that was suspended
in the early 1990s but has gradually begun to return to life over the last
two years.

According to "Izvestiya" information, the Syrians are ready to pay up to 1bn
dollars within the next few years for repairs of its existing military
equipment and the purchase of new military hardware...

What is primarily being discussed in Moscow is the question of repairing and
upgrading existing weapons. We are talking about 4,000 tanks, including
T-72s, and over 500 warplanes (mainly MiG-21s, MiG-23s, and about two
dozen
MiG-29s). Russia is guaranteeing a full programme of cooperation in this
area.

Another issue that the Syrians are persistently raising is far more
sensitive: the sale of Russian S-300 air defence systems to Damascus.
These
systems are so effective that they could change the entire
military-strategic situation in the potentially explosive Near East region.
As follows from the experience of the purchase of our S-300 systems by
Cyprus in 1997, this issue is primarily political. If Russia says yes to
Damascus' request, it will not be able to avoid an international scandal.
"The purchase by the Syrians of the short-range TOR M-1 and Buk M-1
systems
could be the most sensible alternative," Konstantin Makiyenko, a leading
expert at the Russian Centre for the Analysis of Strategies and
Technologies, believes.

--------------------------------------------
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] 2 journalists kidnapped, freed in 'message' to U.S., Britain
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:10:09 -0400
--------
2 journalists kidnapped, freed in 'message' to U.S., Britain

                 May 29, 2001 Posted: 11:40 AM EDT (1540 GMT)

                           
GAZA CITY (CNN) -- Two journalists -- one from the United States, another
from Britain -- were kidnapped Tuesday and then released hours later in what
was called a warning to the U.S. and British governments.

A group of militants distributed a leaflet in Gaza City announcing the
kidnapping.

They identified themselves as members of the Fatah Hawks, an organization
affiliated with the Palestinian Authority.

However, in a statement released by Information Minister Yasser Abd-Rabbo
and Mohammed Dahlan, the head of Palestinian security, the Palestinian
Authority condemned the holding of the two journalists.

"We are pursuing the perpetrators and they will be punished in accordance
with the severity of their crime," the statement said.

It added that the Palestinian Authority guarantees the security of all foreign
journalists in Palestinian-controlled areas.

The Fatah organization said it was not responsible and believed that the
kidnappers were activists in the Palestinian intifada.

The leaflet said, "This will only be a message to the American and the British
governments to re-evaluate their policies and that all their citizens in
Palestine and in the Arab world will be subject to kidnapping and to being
killed. That is if they continue in their total support and unjustified bias to the
government of the killer Sharon," referring to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon.

After being released, the two journalists, who both work for Newsweek
magazine, said they were unharmed.

In New York, Newsweek identified the two as Jerusalem Bureau Chief
Joshua Hammer and photographer Gary Knight.

"We are enormously relieved they are released unharmed," said Richard
Smith, Newsweek chairman and editor in chief. "But we remain outraged that
two journalists who were doing their job were subjected to this kind of
treatment."

Hammer was allowed to call Newsweek while he and Knight were being held,
said Smith.

Knight said their kidnappers were "almost apologetic" and quoted his
kidnappers as saying that if he and Hammer came back to Gaza "we would
be welcome."

http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/meast/05/29/mideast.kidnapping/


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Religious holiday to be axed
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:14:24 -0400
--------
Religious holiday to be axed

Christian anger over schools shake-up

Special report: religion in the UK EducationGuardian.co.uk

                                          Kamal Ahmed, political editor
                                          Sunday May 27, 2001
                                          The Observer

Schools are to be told to scrap Easter holidays and replace them with a non-
religious 'spring break' as part of a fundamental overhaul of the way children
are taught.

Despite objections from the Church of England and Christian pressure
groups, supporters of the proposals say a specific Easter holiday is
incompatible with a modern school system because it is on a different date
each year. Moving to a fixed holiday would reduce teacher stress and pupil
truancy and improve exam results.

The proposals say schools should be more ready to celebrate non-Christian
festivals such as Diwali and the end of Ramadan. Head teachers will be
allowed 10 'flexible days' each year to hold holidays which reflect the ethnic
make-up of the school.

'Many schools will now have as many as 12 religions represented in the
classroom,' said Chris Price, the head of the Independent Commission on
the School Year which came up with the plans to be implemented in autumn
2003. 'We want schools to be able to reflect that.'

On Friday, the commission will publish the findings of an eight-month
consultation on the blueprint during which 2,700 organisations and individuals
were sent questionnaires. Sources at the Local Government Association,
which is overseeing the changes, said that the responses were 'broadly
positive' and would go ahead.

Other changes include moving the summer holidays to the beginning of July,
changing the date of the main exams to April and introducing a two-week
autumn holiday in October. Term times will be shorter, which supporters say
will reduce the stress on teachers, improve the classroom environment and
stop bored pupils playing truant.

Church leaders, including senior figures in the Church of England, are now
gearing up for a sustained campaign against the Easter proposals.

'Easter is the central festival for the Christian church and to act as though it
has no significance for schools is incompatible with the duty of teachers to
address the spiritual as well as the intellectual needs of young people,' said
Martyn Eden of the Evangelical Alliance. 'We will strongly oppose any move
to bring in the changes and we expect those from other faiths and traditions
will agree with us.'

Religious pressure group the Christian Institute said that it found the plans of
'great concern'. 'This is yet another secularising measure,' said Colin Hart of
the institute. 'One third of people still go to church at Easter and Christmas
and it is important to them. That is why we have holidays that fit around the
Christian festivals.'

David Blunkett, the Secretary of State for Education, has said that school
terms and holidays are a matter for local authorities and should not be set by
the Government. Blunkett is said to be 'relaxed' about the changes as long
as they are widely supported.

The commission proposes that the two-week Spring holiday should start in
the last week of March, regardless of the date of Easter. If the changes had
already been in place, the past two Easter festivals would have fallen outside
the holiday and would only have been marked by schools being closed for
the two bank holidays of Good Friday and Easter Monday. Easter next year
would fall within the Spring holiday.

The changes reawaken memories of the 'Winterval' row in the late 1990s
when Birmingham City Council abandoned the traditional Christmas holiday
for a 'non-Christian' December break.

The changes in the school year come as part of a complete overhaul of the
present three-term system.

Price said that having an earlier Spring holiday would make it easier to plan
exams and would stop the anomaly of having a long term between Christmas
and Easter and a short term after it. The date of Easter can move by up to a
month, making it difficult to plan the school year sensibly, Price argued.

http://www.observer.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,6903,497302,00.html


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Top Court Rejects City's Ten Commandments Tablet
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:16:25 -0400
--------
Tuesday May 29 11:59 AM ET

Top Court Rejects City's Ten Commandments Tablet

 By James Vicini

 WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court (news - web
 sites) on Tuesday allowed the removal of a granite monument of the Ten
 Commandments from the front of an Indiana city hall, letting stand a
 ruling that the display unconstitutionally endorses religion.

 By a 6-3 vote, the justices rejected an appeal by Elkhart, Indiana,
 arguing that the monument, which contains the text of the Ten
 Commandments as part of a larger civil display, did not violate
 church-state separation under the First Amendment.

 The Supreme Court action, in denying the appeal, came without hearing
 oral arguments and does not set a national precedent.

 The monument has stood on the lawn outside of Elkhart's City Hall since
 its donation by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, a service organization, in
 1958 as part of a national program.

 The city defended the monument as a historical artifact and one of a
 number of displays across the country depicting America's heritage.

 Elkhart residents William Books and Michael Suetkamp, represented by
 the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, sued the city in 1998 over the
 monument, which is near the building's main entrance.

 They said they were offended by the monument on city property and
 claimed their constitutional rights were violated because they had to
 view the religious message when they went to the building for civil
 functions.

 The court's three most conservative members, Chief Justice William
 Rehnquist (news - web sites) and Justices Antonin Scalia (news - web
 sites) and Clarence Thomas (news - web sites), said they would hear
 the city's appeal.

 Rehnquist wrote in dissent that the monument and the surrounding
 structures ``convey that the monument is part of the city's celebration of
 its cultural and historical roots, not a promotion of religious faith.''

 Justice John Paul Stevens (news - web sites) responded to the
 dissenters, saying the first two lines of the monument's text appear in
 significantly larger font than the rest and declare, ``THE TEN
 COMMANDMENTS -- I AM the LORD thy GOD.''

 He said the emphasis on those first lines made it hard to argue the
 monument expressed no particular religious preference.

 A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, ruling the monument was part of a
 historical display that passed constitutional muster. But a U.S. appeals
 court disagreed, declaring the monument unconstitutional.

 ISSUE AT CENTER OF NATIONAL DEBATE

 ``We are disappointed that the Supreme Court will not consider this
 most important First Amendment issue,'' said Francis Manion of the
 American Center for Law and Justice, which represented Elkhart in its
 high court appeal.

 He said the court's decision not to weigh in on the issue ''will only add to
 the confusion surrounding the displays of Ten Commandments in
 communities across America.''

 Alabama, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Carolina
 and Texas supported the appeal, saying a Supreme Court ruling would
 provide much-needed guidance for many other similar pending cases.

 ``In short, in this case, the Ten Commandments need not be viewed in
 exclusively religious terms. Here, they serve a secular purpose as well --
 as a monument to America's cultural heritage,'' the states said.

 Lawyers for the Indiana Civil Liberties Union urged the Supreme Court
 to deny the appeal.

 They said the two men ``come into direct and unwelcome contact with
 the monument during their normal daily activities. To avoid the
 monument would cause them to assume special burdens and would, in
 the words of Mr. Books, relegate them to the status of second-class
 citizens.''

http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20010529/ts/court_commandments_dc_2.h
tml

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===
To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Boeing warns of disinfectant risk
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:18:07 -0400
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Boeing warns of disinfectant risk

                          Special report: foot and mouth disease
                          Special report: transport in Britain

                          Andrew Clark
                          Saturday May 26, 2001
                          The Guardian

Foot and mouth disease could make planes fall out of the sky, according to
Boeing, which is concerned about the disinfectants used at airports to thwart
the outbreak.

In a warning to airlines, the US aerospace group said that the use of
disinfectants can make brakes, axles and landing gear brittle. Many
European airports have been spraying planes with disinfectants such as
sodium hypochorite in an attempt to stop the international spread of the
disease.

According to reports from the US, Boeing issued the warning in March,
although it admitted it was unaware of any specific mechanical failures
resulting from the procedure.

The US air force backed the warning, saying it found that disinfectant could
corrode steel in tests at its Hill Air Force Base, near Salt Lake City. The
airbase maintains the landing gear of US military planes. More than 40 US
air force jets have been sprayed with disinfectant after landing in Europe.

One military source at the airbase claimed that in experiments, a small steel
bar broke under pressure after being submerged in sodium hypochorite.
Disinfectants have been used at airports in Britain, France, Italy and Spain.

http://www.guardianunlimited.co.uk/footandmouth/story/0,7369,496888,00.ht
ml


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To: bprlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Russia's Putin warns Arafat Mideast crisis "almost out of control"
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 18:19:10 -0400
--------
Tuesday, May 29 9:52 PM SGT

Russia's Putin warns Arafat Mideast crisis "almost out of control"

    MOSCOW, May 29 (AFP) -

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Tuesday at a Kremlin meeting with
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat that the eight-month spiral of violence in the
Middle East was "almost out of control."

Putin said Russia, a co-sponsor of the stalled Middle East peace process,
had "made an honest decision to help the people of the region" in a bid to
stop the escalating bloodshed between Israelis and Palestinians.

"Today we feel the hurt which both sides are suffering. The situation is
almost, almost out of control," the Kremlin chief added.

Immediately before the meeting, Putin had discussed the latest diplomatic
efforts to halt the violence during a telephone conversation with Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon.

The Russian president said he had called Sharon 20 minutes before meeting
Arafat in order "to check the clocks" with the Israeli side.

Arafat, who flew to Moscow 10 days ahead of schedule in a dramatic bid to
stop the bloodshed, told journalists at the Kremlin that the Palestinians
"have made a serious effort in order for the peace process to work. It is a
peace for the brave."

http://asia.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/world/article.html?s=asia/headline
s/010529/world/afp/Russia_s_Putin_warns_Arafat_Mideast_crisis__almost_o
ut_of_control_.html


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To: bprlist <bprlist@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [bprlist] Fwd: NASA Photos Destroyed By Water Damage /Bacteria Study Gives New Meaning To 'Dirty Money'
From: "Patt A."
Date: Tue, 29 May 2001 21:42:54 -0700 (PDT)
--------

  NASA Photos Destroyed By Water Damage
May 25, 2001 8:00 CDT

According to a report from NASA, thousands of historic space images stored at the Goddard Space Flight Center have been destroyed by water from a burst pipe. The basement archives included original photos, negatives and transparencies from the beginning of the space age in the 1950's all the way to today's Hubble Space Telescope. NASA sells the images to the public for a small fee and uses them for documentation and educational brochures.

When the accident occurred, archivists rushed to the scene to try to rescue the most valuable images and sent them to restoration experts. According to NASA pubic affairs official Elvia Thompson, "We called Kodak, Polaroid, the National Archives, the Smithsonian, National Geographic. All the leading experts." Some of the images have already been restored and Thompson reported that "they look pretty good."

A few years ago, it was announced that the official documents concerning the Roswell crash were all "lost." We hope that images like the Mars Face have not been irretrievably damaged in this latest accident.

Cosmiverse Staff Writer

http://www.cosmiverse.com/paranormal05250101.html

 

Bacteria Study Gives New Meaning To 'Dirty Money'
May 25, 2001 8:00 CDT

A dollar doesn't go as far today as it once did, but it may get you more than you bargained for. "Paper currency is commonly contaminated with bacteria and this may play a role in the transmission of potentially harmful organisms," says Dr. Peter Ender of the Medical Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. The findings from his study into the true filthiness of "filthy lucre" were presented Wednesday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.

It makes sense that paper money, passed from person to person dozens of times each day, might pick up some bacteria along the way. To figure out just how dirty our money is, Ender asked cashiers at two Dayton, Ohio retail outlets--a concession stand at a high school sports event and a grocery store--to exchange 68 old one-dollar bills for crisp new ones. Then they took the old bills back to the lab for analysis.

According to Ender, 64 (94%) of the bills were contaminated with bacteria known to cause either serious or mild illness. "Five bills (7%) were found to be contaminated with bacteria which can cause infections in healthy people," he said. Those bacteria included Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae, both of which can cause pneumonia or blood infections.

Fifty-nine of the bills were contaminated with bacteria that are generally harmless in healthy individuals, but can still trigger serious illness in those with depressed immune systems, such as individuals going through various types of medical treatment or those with HIV.

Ender said in a Reuters interview that the fact that we get a bacterial bang for our buck comes as "very little surprise" to infectious disease specialists. "The surprise," he said, "may be the wide diversity of organisms detected and the high percentage of contamination."

He pointed out that health risks to the average consumer are pretty low, adding that US dollar bills may be no more or less covered in germs than doorknobs, pens or computer keyboards. But Ender points out that, unlike many objects, "Money tends to move" and US currency, especially, "finds its way into all areas of the world."

He speculated that the real threat would be that paper money may serve to globally spread disease. "With the rapid dissemination of money in the era of drug- resistant bacteria, perhaps a resistance clone could be spread from one geographic location to another," Ender explained.

Unfortunately, there are few things we can do to avoid the germs carried by money, other than using our charge cards. "Frequent hand washing is always a good idea," Ender said, "particularly when caring for sick or hospitalized patients."

Cosmiverse Staff Writer

http://www.cosmiverse.com/paranormal05250102.html


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