Sunday, November 29, 2009

Nigel Farage MEP Reprimanded for Criticising New EU Foreign Minister

Curt Here..

Thanks to Pastor Brian for finding the article that I have posted below and to a member of Fulfilled Prophecy for the video.

All is not right in the EU now that the Lisbon Treaty has been passed and the people for the two most powerful positions have been named. Not to mention that the new appointee for the foreign minister position Lady Catherine Ashton has ties to a pro communist organization called Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CDN).

The video posted below is quite interesting and a rather insightful look into how many members of the EU parliament feel about the way the bureaucrats of the EU have circumvented the democratic process in appointing these two new leaders. It features Nigel Farage MEP from the UK verbalizing his frustration with the whole process.

Like I said in an earlier blog entry the Lisbon Treaty was sold to the public and to the members of the Parliament as a way for the EU to unite under a united foreign policy with a single strong voice. It is clear that Lady Ashton was not what many had in mind. With a possible scandal evolving her ties to the CDN, will she make it through the EU Parliament who have the final say on whether or not she gets the appointment?

Stay Tuned

Curt



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Baroness Ashton denies taking funds for CND from Soviet Union

Baroness Ashton of Upholland’s past came back to haunt her yesterday when the European Union’s new foreign affairs chief was forced to deny taking funds from the Soviet Union during her days as treasurer for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

Lady Ashton, a surprise choice for her post, was challenged to deny that she had contact with Russian sources while she was in charge of its accounts at the height of the Cold War.

The Times has learnt that concerns about her CND involvement are felt across countries from the former Iron Curtain now in the EU and that MEPs plan to question her about it when she appears before them for the hearing to confirm her in her post.

Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party leader, raised the matter on the floor of the European Parliament yesterday, earning himself a reprimand for referring to Lady Ashton and Herman Van Rompuy, the new European President, as pygmies.

Mr Farage added: “She was treasurer during a period when CND took very large donations and refused to reveal the sources. Will Baroness Ashton deny that while she was treasurer she took funds from organisations opposed to Western-style democracy? Are we really happy that somebody who will be in charge of our overseas security policy was an activist in an outfit like CND? I do not think she is a fit and proper person to do this job.”

Lady Ashton was not present but her spokesman said: “This was more than 25 years ago. She left the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in 1983 and has had no involvement in the organisation since then. During her time in the CND she never visited the Soviet Union, had no contact with the Soviet Union and has never accepted any money from Soviet sources. The first time she visited Russia was as EU Trade Commissioner.”

All the candidates for the next European Commission must undergo formal hearings at the European Parliament and the European People’s Party, the main centre-right group, has pledged to reject any who have promoted communism in the past. Lady Ashton has denied being a member of the Communist Party.

She is due to have an informal meeting with the MEPs’ Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday and a formal hearing in January, although she starts her new job on Tuesday.

Krisjanis Karins, a centre-right Latvian MEP, said: “Some information has been published that she was involved in this Marxist movement. If this is the case it is disturbing. We are especially concerned how the High Representative for Foreign Affairs will conduct discussions with our eastern neighbour.”

Hynek Fajnon, an MEP for the Czech centre-right ODS party, told the newspaper DNES: “There is no doubt that the Kremlin supported CND activities. If Mrs Ashton as treasurer had played any role in that, it would be a great scandal.”

For more go here..

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6932391.ece

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Curt Here...

On this day of thanks, my prayer to each and everyone of you is that you found the time today to be thankful for the many blessings that our Lord and Savior has provided for us. Our God is a good God and he loves us all very much, and for this I am very thankful. As we get closer to the return of our Lord, let us never forget, that no matter how difficult the times may be, that he will always be there in our time of need. He will be there when we call. Praise God.

In the meantime, back to prophecy for a moment. I am still trying to sort out exactly what is going on with Javier Solana and the ENP theory. It is obvious that Solana was not appointed to newly created position from the Lisbon Treaty of foreign minister. On the surface this appears to be a problem for the ENP theory. It could be of course, but keep in mind that according to Bible prophecy the Anti-Christ rises out of a union of 10 kingdoms, not 27 which is the number of countries within the EU. There are however, 10 full member nations of the WEU, and as far as I know Javier Solana is still the head man of the WEU.

This is all very fluid and could change daily, but I will continue to watch the ENP/Javier Solana theory and report on it until the mid point of 2010 or until it has been clearly disqualified. One thing appears to be clear, there is a lot of power playing going on within the EU right now and it should be very interesting to watch how it all plays out.

Stay Tuned.

Curt

Thursday, November 19, 2009

EU Chooses Unknowns for New Top Jobs

Curt Here...

Today, the leaders of the EU have chosen Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to be the first President of the EU and UK trade commissioner Catherine Ashton to become the first EU foreign policy chief. Both of these appointees are virtual unknowns in the EU political world and are somewhat surprising selections.

Neither from my perspective appear to be political heavyweights, and specifically in the case Catherine Ashton. She has never held a senior ministerial position in the UK, and she has no foreign policy experience. Leaving Biblical prophecy out of this discussion for just a second and looking as this from a purely political perspective, I am having a very hard time making any sense of it.

Keep in my mind that the bureaucrats within the EU have been trying for years to get the Lisbon Treaty passed. They had fought for this treaty for many reasons, but one of the publicly stated reasons was so that they could unite under one foreign policy and have a strong single voice to articulate their positions to the world. No offense to Catherine Ashton (I have to admit I know nothing about here, and I suppose she could prove me wrong) but is this really the strongest voice the EU has to offer? Something is not adding up, and I am not sure what it is.

In the meantime, obviously Javier Solana did not get appointed to either position, but this does not necessary mean that this is the end for Solana. In another article published today he was asked by the author, why are you stepping down? He replied, "One thing is that the EU has opened a new page and different stories what individuals do. I am a European and I have been working for the EU … before I was born. But I think I've been working in the position for 15 years and the position had to be changed and people have to be moved and that is healthy for any organization. That is healthy for the countries that we represent. That does not mean that I am going to sleep – I will be working for the same ideals from a different position.

I have yet to hear what this "different position" is exactly, although it is rumored that part of it will be some sort of advisor to the newly appointed Foreign Minister Catherine Ashton. So Javier Solana is going to work for Catherine Ashton? That doesn't feel right at all.

Is this the end of the ENP/Solana theory? To soon to tell.

Stay Tuned

Curt

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EU chooses unknowns for new top jobs

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - EU leaders have chosen Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy to be the first president of the European Council, while UK trade commissioner Catherine Ashton will become the bloc's foreign policy chief.

Welcoming the decision on Thursday evening (19 November), Swedish leader Fredrik Reinfeldt said: "What we were seeking were people to create continuity" and "to be the voice and face of Europe throughout the world."

Mr Van Rompuy, from the centre-right political family, is a trained economist and has been running Belgium for less than a year. He writes Haiku (Japanese verse) and is known for his low-key style, which includes a line in self-deprecatory humour and caravan holidays.

He came to prominence after Germany and France a few weeks ago agreed between themselves to promote him. Several diplomats subsequently suggested that his short term in office stood to his advantage as he has had no time to make enemies among other EU leaders...

...Catherine Ashton, meanwhile, emerged relatively late in the race to be the EU's top diplomat. Her name appeared after UK foreign secretary David Milliband, the preferred candidate at the beginning, said he was not interested in the job.

With the EU president being a man, from a small country and from the centre-right, Ms Ashton balances the scales in terms of gender, coming from the left and being from a big country.

Balancing these criteria is a part of any major EU decision, with conservatives laying claim to the presidency post early on in the game and the left later saying the top diplomat should be one of their own.

Ms Ashton, trade commissioner since October last year, has no foreign policy experience and has never held a senior ministerial post.

She said it was a measure of "her slight surprise" that - unlike Mr Van Rompuy - she did not have a prepared speech but pledged to "represent [European] values across the world."

Ms Ashton, who still has to be approved by the European Parliament, highlighted her skills by pointing to her success in negotiating a free trade agreement with South Korea, the EU's largest ever bilateral trade deal.

http://euobserver.com/9/29024

Solana: I am not a revolutionary

When people are tired of you and you are not ready to leave that is not a democracy, believes Javier Solana, who is about to step down as the EU's foreign policy chief in an interview with RT.

Why are you stepping down?

Javier Solana: One thing is that the EU has opened a new page and different stories what individuals do. I am a European and I have been working for the EU … before I was born. But I think I've been working in the position for 15 years and the position had to be changed and people have to be moved and that is healthy for any organization. That is healthy for the countries that we represent. That does not mean that I am going to sleep – I will be working for the same ideals from a different position.

http://www.russiatoday.com/Politics/2009-11-19/solana-eu-russia-democracy.html

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Netanyahu Threatens to Retaliate if Palestinians Declare Statehood

Curt Here...

According to the article posted below Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to retaliate if the Palestinians declare a unilateral state. The Palestinians are also considering seeking a UN resolution to declare a state of Palestine. He said, "Any unilateral action would only unravel the framework of agreements between us and can only lead to one-sided steps on the part of Israel." The implications are clear, Israel will do whatever it takes to protect themselves no matter how it may affect those around them.

The article goes on to say that the declaration would largely be symbolic as the US would likely veto any UN resolution. This I am not so sure about. As I stated in one of my past commentaries on this subject I don't believe the Palestinians will seek a UN resolution until they are convinced that it will pass. I think they are actively working behind the scenes to convince the leaders of the world to support this eventual UN resolution. In my mind there are a couple of very telling statements in this article that supports this idea.

The first is from Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat when he said, "We are going to have to prepare for this well and to hold political and diplomatic talks. We want the Security Council to discuss this only after we've been given assurances. There is no point in rushing just so that we collide with an American veto." He went on to say, "The endgame is to tell the Israelis that now the international community has recognized the two-state solution on the '67 borders."

I think most of the rest of the world is already on board with this idea as it is suggested at the end of the article, and with an already strained relationship between the Obama Administration and Netanyahu, I don't suspect it will be to long before the US decides not to veto such a resolution.

Time is short.

Stay Tuned.

Curt

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Netanyahu Threatens to Retaliate if Palestinians Declare Statehood

JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to retaliate if Palestinians declare a unilateral state, saying such a move would unravel existing agreements with the Israelis.

Netanyahu’s stern comments come the same day that a senior Palestinian official told Fox News they are considering a U.N. resolution to declare a Palestinian state. Palestinian officials had said Sunday they were preparing to ask the United Nations to endorse an independent state without Israel's consent because they were losing faith in the peace talks.

But Netanyahu, speaking at the Saban Forum in Jerusalem, said there is “no substitute” for negotiations.

"Any unilateral action would only unravel the framework of agreements between us and can only lead to one-sided steps on the part of Israel," he said. He did not elaborate further.

The statehood idea appeared to be largely symbolic. The U.S., Israel's closest ally, would likely veto any initiative at the United Nations, and Israel controls the areas where the Palestinians want to establish their homeland. Nonetheless, the move reflected growing Palestinian frustration with the deadlock in peace efforts....

...Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said frustrated Palestinians had decided to turn to the U.N. Security Council after 18 years of on-again, off-again negotiations with Israel. The Palestinians seek an independent state that includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem — areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war.

"Now is our defining moment. We went into this peace process in order to achieve a two-state solution," he said. "The endgame is to tell the Israelis that now the international community has recognized the two-state solution on the '67 borders." ...

... "We are going to have to prepare for this well and to hold political and diplomatic talks. We want the Security Council to discuss this only after we've been given assurances," he told the Israeli daily Maariv. "There is no point in rushing just so that we collide with an American veto."

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, the U.S. wields veto power over any resolution. Israeli media predicted that the U.S., Israel's key ally, would veto the move. Hamad said Abbas would travel to Cairo Wednesday to discuss the plan with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

There was no immediate reaction from Security Council members. But Erekat said Russia, another permanent member of the Security Council, and unspecified European nations are "on board" with the Palestinian plan.

For the rest of the article go here.. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575223,00.html

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

EU to Name New Foreign Minister on November 19th

Curt Here...

Just a quick update as it looks like the date of November 19Th will be the date the EU selects it's first president and first foreign minister under the ratified Lisbon Treaty. These selections will occur at a EU summit called specifically for this purpose. There was some speculation earlier this week that this would be accomplished faster, but after a few days of behind the scenes negotiations it is clear the powers that be in Brussels have not yet reached an agreement on who should head these posts.

A couple of interesting developments as it appears that Tony Blair and David Miliband, both from the UK have been eliminated as possible candidates. The current leading candidate for the position of EU president is Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy, and since Miliband took himself out of consideration for the FM position there does not appear to be a anyone right now that is currently favored.

Could Javier Solana be sitting in the shadows, waiting to ride in and save the day?

Stay Tuned

Curt

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EU to name first permanent president on 19 November

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The Swedish presidency has called an EU summit on 19 November to decide on the bloc's new top appointments, with a Polish proposal to hold candidate hearings gaining limited acceptance.

The summit will be in the format of an EU leaders' dinner in Brussels and comes after two weeks of consultations between Stockholm and the other EU capitals.

"It is hoped that at the summit, agreement can be reached on the appointment of the three new top EU posts regulated in the Treaty of Lisbon," the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday morning (11 November).

The move will be a significant moment in the history of the EU, which started out as a free trade bloc 50 years ago but which is little by little acquiring the trappings of a genuine political union.

The three positions in question are the new president of the European Council and EU foreign relations chief, as well as the largely bureaucratic appointment of a new secretary general of the Council, the Brussels-based institution which prepares member states' day-to-day meetings.

Gossip still favours Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy for the presidency post but British foreign minister David Miliband's denials of interest in the second post have thrown the race open on the foreign relations side.

For more click the link...
http://euobserver.com/9/28973/?rk=1

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Possible Unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Statehood

Curt Here...

Things are starting to get real interesting, as the article posted below suggests that the Palestinians are close to a declaration of independence within the 1967 borders. The article goes on to say that the UN could then potentially recognize this state via United Nations Security Council Resolution. This would be a very bold declaration by the Palestinians, but in my humble opinion not one that the they would attempt unless they knew for certain that they had international support for it.

As the article suggest there could very well be international support for this, not only from the EU but also from the United States. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to discuss this very issue with the President Obama as he lobby's the President to veto such a resolution in the UN Security Council if it were to come up. If he is not successful in convincing Obama, then the writing could be on the wall. This would be a good time to pray for our Nation.

If this were to happen, then this would pave the way for future fulfillment of prophecy, as the areas that fall within the 1967 borders, are Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem including the Temple Mount (See Luke 21:20-21,Zechariah 14:2 and many other passages). This has been hinted at for quite some time as I have been reporting, and it is exactly what I suspect will happen, whether it happens in the very near future or down the road a ways.

On top of this news, the next week is a very important week within the EU as they select their first president and first foreign minister under the Lisbon Treaty. The latest suggest that this could occur as soon as Monday, but it could get very interesting as the fight for power is played out. I will update as the news breaks.

Stay Tuned.

Curt

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PM heads to U.S. under threat of Palestinian statehood declaration

Concerns are growing in Israel's government over the possibility of a unilateral Palestinian declaration of independence within the 1967 borders, a move which could potentially be recognized by the United Nations Security Council.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently asked the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama to veto any such proposal, after reports reached Jerusalem of support for such a declaration from major European Union countries, and apparently also certain U.S. officials.

The reports indicated that Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad has reached a secret understanding with the Obama administration over U.S. recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Such recognition would likely transform any Israeli presence across the Green Line, even in Jerusalem, into an illegal incursion to which the Palestinians would be entitled to engage in measures of self-defense.

In late August Fayyad presented the international community with a detailed plan for building up Palestinian Authority institutions and set a timetable of up to two years for its implementation. Senior Israeli officials said Fayyad's plan initially met with positive reaction in Jerusalem for its emphasis on institution-building and making security services more efficient.

But some Israeli officials told Haaretz that alongside the clauses reported in the media - which are similar to elements of Netanyahu's call for "economic peace" between Israel and the Palestinians - Fayyad's plan also contains a classified, unreleased portion stipulating a unilateral declaration of independence.

The plan specifies that at the end of a designated period for bolstering national institutions the PA, in conjunction with the Arab League, would file a "claim of sovereignty" to the UN Security Council and General Assembly over the borders of June 4, 1967 (before the outbreak of the Six-Day War, during which Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza).

Fayyad is also seeking a new Security Council resolution to replace Resolutions 242 and 338 in the hope of winning the international community's support for the borders of a Palestinian state and applying stronger pressure on Israel to withdraw from the West Bank.

Several Israeli officials told Haaretz that Fayyad had spoken to them of positive responses he had received over the plan from prominent EU member states, including the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Sweden. Fayyad added that he presented the proposal to the U.S. administration and did not receive any signal of opposition in response.

Netanyahu's "kitchen cabinet" has held a number of meetings on the matter in recent months. "It's a very dangerous move," said a senior Israeli foreign-policy official. "More and more cabinet ministers understand that diplomatic inaction on Israel's part is likely to bring international support for the Fayyad program."

Israeli sources said Netanyahu discussed the proposal in meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and special Mideast envoy George Mitchell and requested that the U.S. tell Fayyad that it would not support his proposal and would veto it in the Security Council. Netanyahu has yet to receive a clear response from Washington on its stance on Fayyad's plan.

For more click the link...
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1126594.html

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Czech President Vaclav Klaus Signs EU Lisbon Treaty

Curt Here...

Hello everyone, today brings some exciting news, especially if you are a student of Bible Prophecy. This morning, November 3rd, 2009 the Czech President Vaclav Klaus signed the EU's Lisbon Treaty, becoming the 27Th and final EU country to ratify the Treaty, effectively putting it into law.

He signed the Treaty soon after the Czech Republic's constitutional court ruled that the Lisbon Treaty was compatible with the Czech constitution. The Treaty could come into force as early as next month, which would bring about what many Biblical prophecy students have been watching for and that is the Revived Roman Empire.

With the new Treaty comes two new jobs, the president of the European Council, and a EU foreign minister. The latest news suggests that negotiations on who will be appointed to these new posts will begin as soon as November 12. Of these two new positions the EU foreign minister is the one to watch as it will have the most power under the Lisbon Treaty.

The real questions that are yet to be answered from my perspective is of course centered around the future of Javier Solana. He was scheduled to retire in the middle of October, but his retirement was delayed because the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty was delayed, due to the Czech Republic's constitutional question. Since that has now been resolved, what happens to Javier Solana? Will he actually retire? Does he somehow become the new foreign minister? Does the 7 year ENP agreement that Javier Solana crafted and convinced Israel to sign have any prophetic Biblical significance?

My guess is that over the next couple of months, some of these questions may begin to get answered.

Stay Tuned

Curt

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Klaus signature completes EU treaty ratification

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – Czech President Vaclav Klaus has finally signed the Lisbon Treaty, ending a highly drawn out ratification process that left many wondering whether the document's provisions would ever see the light of day.

"I signed the Lisbon Treaty today at 15.00 (CET)," Klaus told reporters on Tuesday (3 November).

His signature, the last of EU leaders, follows on from a Czech constitutional court decision early on Tuesday morning that ruled in favour of the Lisbon Treaty's compatibility with the Czech constitution.

"It's now absolutely clear that the Lisbon Treaty will enter into force soon," said European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso upon hearing the news.

Swedish prime minister and current EU president Fredrik Reinfeldt also sought to draw a line under the process.

"His signature ends a far too long period of institutional focus within the EU. It opens up for a more democratic, transparent and efficient Union," he said.

Welcoming the news, European parliament president Jerzy Buzek said his institution was now ready to swing into action to get a new commission up and running.

"We need a new and strong European Commission in place as soon as possible. The European Parliament will be ready as of the 25 November to start the hearings of the new commissioners- designate," he said.

New Jobs

As well as appointing a new set of commissioners, the EU can now move ahead with the planned overhaul of its institutions and the appointment of several new positions intended to increase the bloc's standing on the world stage.

All of these decisions had been held up by the political uncertainty in Prague, with Mr Barroso saying he can only assemble his commission team when it is clear who will become EU foreign minister, a new post that will see the person also act as vice-president of the commission.

Mr Reinfeldt said he would now engage in a round of name consultations for the new posts to be set up under the Lisbon Treaty. "As soon as possible I will also call for an EU summit," he said, with current rumours suggesting the meeting could be held as soon as 12 November.

The other top post created by the treaty is the president of the European Council.

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair's chances of securing this job suffered a setback last week when some Socialist leaders failed to support his bid. Current Dutch prime minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, and the current Belgian prime minister, Herman van Rompuy, now look like frontrunners to secure the job.

Both are from Europe's centre-right family, leaving the position of high representative for foreign affairs likely to go to a Socialist. The UK's current foreign minister David Miliband is though to be a favourite. However, it is not precluded that new names emerge for the posts in the coming days.

The treaty, which reduces member states' veto power in several areas and hands a chunk of co-legislative power to MEPs, could come into force as early as next month.

http://euobserver.com/9/28932