BofA Freezes Funds to AZ Gun Dealer

A Scottsdale gun manufacturer had a run-in with Bank of America. Joe Sirochman, is owner American Spirit Arms, which manufactures and sells rifles. Like other gun makers Sirochman saw a huge increase in sales last month.

KFYI: Due to the sudden increase in revenue, Sirochman tells KFYI News that Bank of America began putting his deposits on hold out of concern that they might be fraudulent. The bank told him that the deposits would be released after 48 hours.
But according to Sirochman, “48 hours turned into another 48 hours, which turned into a week, then two weeks.” He says his company was in a pinch because it needed that revenue to operate and to pay its own bills.
Sirochman called Bank of America again to complain, and ended up talking to a manager who told him the bank had concerns about his company’s product. “It’s because we sell guns and parts on the internet, and they believe we shouldn’t be selling guns and parts on the internet,” he said.

Sirochman is now in the process of moving his business to a locally owned bank.
 BofA Freezes Funds to AZ Gun Dealer http://conservativedailynews.com/?p=80486

CBS 5 – KPHO

Demand Full Benghazi Investigation

248,299 Letters and Emails Sent So Far

On September 11, 2012, America was under attack by radical Islamic jihadists. The result of this attack was not only the burning down and ransacking of American consulates and embassies throughout the Middle East. The end result included the atrocious, violent deaths of 4 Americans. Stand with us in fighting for these 4 men who gave all.

There were reports from the Lebanese website Tayyar.org as well as the Libyan Free Press regarding the rape and sodomizing of Ambassador Stevens. Within days of the attack, The Washington Times also posted a video from the Libyan Free Press which confirmed that gory detail. In addition, conservative talk radio host Michael Savage also reported on these events. Although there are now many people who are claiming that the account by these news agencies is incorrect, we will never know the full truth regarding what happened without a proper investigation and transparency regarding the findings to the American people.

I know. Even hearing the bare minimum details of these deaths and attacks is difficult to handle. Every American should have been and still be outraged at that act. One would think President Obama had similar thoughts, feelings, and concerns. He might claim now that he did. But, as they say, actions speak louder than words. Send Obama a message with your actions in helping us hold him accountable with signing this petition today and forwarding to all your friends, coworkers and family.

Top Netanyahu Aide Could Continue Strategic Shift in Israel’s Relations with U.S.

Ron Dermer. Photo: Miriam Alster/Flash90.

Rumors recently began to circulate that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may appoint his senior advisor, Ron Dermer, as Israel’s next ambassador to the United States.
Dermer’s appointment is currently being denied by Israel’s embassy, and the Prime Minister’s office has refused comment, but insiders suggest that the appointment—while not definite—is a serious possibility.
If Dermer is eventually appointed, he would be Israel’s second consecutive American-born ambassador to the U.S. Prior to becoming an Israeli citizen, Dermer was born in Miami, and both his father and brother served as mayors of Miami Beach.
Michael Oren, the current ambassador and the first in Israeli history who was born in the U.S., is set to conclude his four-year stint in the spring, shortly after Israel’s Jan. 22 national elections. Oren is generally considered to be a well-respected ambassador who has had to navigate an often-bumpy relationship between Israel and the U.S., and he has represented the State of Israel both on American television and in top American newspapers’ op-ed pages.
The selection of another native English speaker to one of Israel’s top diplomatic posts would indicate a continued strategic shift in the way the country conducts relations with the U.S. government, the broader Jewish community, and the general public. To that end, Lenny Ben-David—who served as deputy chief of mission at Israel’s embassy in Washington, DC, from 1997 to 2000—said the Jewish state’s criteria for selecting an ambassador has changed over the years.
“For years, the ambassador was picked for his or her diplomatic skills, or even as political payoff,” Ben-David told JNS.org.
“Today, it is important for the ambassador to look good on television, and to navigate the political waters of Washington, DC,” he added.
Prior to his appointment as Netanyahu’s top adviser, Dermer served as Israel’s economic attaché in Washington—a post for which he had to forfeit his American citizenship.
Many political commentators have noted that rumors of Dermer’s new appointment may be a trial balloon, to test the viability of such an appointment both within Israeli and American political circles.
“In addition to their qualifications, several different considerations must be taken into account before an ambassador is selected,” Mitchell Barak, political pollster and director of Keevoon Research, told JNS.org.
“Officially, the ambassador must report to the foreign minister,” Barak said. “If Netanyahu’s Likud party holds the Foreign Ministry following the next election, a Dermer appointment may be likely. However, if another party holds the Foreign Ministry portfolio in the next coalition government, appointing someone so close to the prime minister may cause political friction.”
“If Tzipi Livni (HaTnuah) or Shelly Yachimovich (Labor), for example, becomes Israel’s next foreign minister, it is extremely unlikely that Dermer will serve as ambassador, even though he is an extremely capable and qualified candidate,” he added.
For many Israelis, managing the relationship with the U.S. is considered one of Israel’s paramount foreign responsibilities, and the quality of the relationship is often a tool for measuring the effectiveness of the prime minister.
“It can be very useful to have someone who is a confidante to the prime minister as ambassador to the United States,” Ben-David said.
Such a distinction could increase the potential effectiveness of an ambassador in strengthening Israel’s embassy as the primary channel for bilateral communication.  Senior officials in the U.S. would understand that they are speaking to someone with an intimate grasp of the prime minister’s thinking and policymaking.
Netanyahu, who is often known for his eloquent, yet hard-hitting speeches—including those on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office, and at the United Nations—has been delivering addresses written by Dermer.
As senior advisor to the prime minister for four years, Dermer is widely considered to be the chief strategist behind Israel’s bilateral relations with the U.S.
With the strategic threats facing Israel, including Iran’s nuclear program, a Muslim Brotherhood-run Egyptian government, civil war in Syria, and internal clashes between Fatah and Hamas, maintaining a strong relationship with the U.S.—Israel’s primary military supplier and diplomatic supporter—could prove critical.
As tension between Netanyahu and Obama was palpable during the two leaders’ first terms, Netanyahu certainly doesn’t want the situation to get worse. With Dermer in Washington, it is unlikely that there would be any miscommunications—even if the two administrations are not always in agreement.
Navigating the relationship may be the toughest diplomatic challenge of the next term, and appointing Dermer may be an indication of how seriously Netanyahu takes the challenge. After all, the prime minister would be losing his senior advisor to fill this post.
And while Dermer may or may not get the appointment, insiders believe he is certainly worthy of consideration.
“Ambassador Oren is extremely eloquent, and Dermer is equally eloquent,” Ben-David said. “Rumors of his possible appointment already started floating over a year ago.”

Is China preparing for war or catastrophe? Mysteriously stockpiles rice and other commodities

Is China preparing for war or catastrophe? Mysteriously stockpiles rice and other commodities

  

January 12, 2013 – CHINA – Yesterday, it was reported that China – not currently suffering from any food shortages – is amassing rice stockpiles. This past year, the country mysteriously imported four times the rice over 2011 purchases: United Nations agricultural experts are reporting confusion, after figures show that China imported 2.6 million tons of rice in 2012, substantially more than a four-fold increase over the 575,000 tons imported in 2011. The confusion stems from the fact that there is no obvious reason for vastly increased imports, since there has been no rice shortage in China. The speculation is that Chinese importers are taking advantage of low international prices, but all that means is that China’s own vast supplies of domestically grown rice are being stockpiled. Why would China suddenly be stockpiling millions of tons of rice for no apparent reason? Perhaps it’s related to China’s aggressive military buildup and war preparations in the Pacific and in central Asia. Yesterday’s revelation follows reports over the past several years of the Chinese amassing commodities in warehouses throughout the nation. For example, Reuters reported last year that: At Qingdao Port, home to one of China’s largest iron ore terminals, hundreds of mounds of iron ore, each as tall as a three-storey building, spill over into an area signposted “grains storage” and almost to the street. Further south, some bonded warehouses in Shanghai are using car parks to store swollen copper stockpiles – another unusual phenomenon that bodes ill for global metal prices and raises questions about China’s ability to sustain its economic growth as the rest of the world falters. Several months ago, at least one analyst speculated that a commodities buying spree involving 300,000 tons of metals in another Chinese province was motivated by an attempt to keep local smelters running, thereby ensuring continued tax revenues to government. But that doesn’t explain the rice-buying. What we do know is that the world may be headed – led by the United States – toward a period of significant inflation if sovereign debt crises lead to additional “quantitative easing” and other expansions of the monetary supply

Obama Administration Seeks Approval to Test Anthrax Vaccine on Children

Obama Administration Seeks Approval to Test Anthrax Vaccine on Children

FYI / Action
A public meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues has been scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, January 14-15, to be held at the University of Miami Hospital Seminar Center, Florida:
The stated topic for discussion is “ethical issues associated with the development of medical countermeasures for children.”
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2012-12-26/pdf/2012-31037.pdf
The Obama Administration is seeking approval to conduct morally impermissible, wholly non-therapeutic medical experiments that would expose healthy children to risks of serious harm.
Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services is seeking to test the highly controversial, dangerous Anthrax vaccine, on children. Express Your Views to the Commissions Director, Hillary.Viers@bioethics.gov
For over a year, the Commission has been attempting to find a rationale for endorsing a proposed government policy that would violate fundamental medical ethics principles. Principles mandated under the Nuremberg Code after the atrocities committed under the Nazi regime came to light.
Under US Law, research involving greater than minimal risk and no prospect of direct benefit to individual [child] subjects, is prohibited in healthy children. (45 CFR 46, subpart D).
If not stopped, the US government would override ethical and legal prohibitions by testing “medical countermeasures” on unprotected children who are legally incapable of giving informed consent. The government would subject healthy but socioeconomically deprived American children to unjustifiable risks of harm–to be exploited as human guinea pigs.
The overarching question–Not specified by the Commission or the Administration–is, WHOSE CHILDREN ARE TO BE SELECTED for experiments that violate ethical and moral standards? If history is a guide, underprivileged children’s best interest will sacrificed to serve as a means to an end that will benefit powerful commercial and government entities.
More than a decade has passed since the US was attacked by terrorists, Sept. 11, 2001.
No biochemical weapon has ever been shown to pose a threat to Americans–neither military personnel nor civilians.
The only exception was the mailing of anthrax laced envelopes in October, 2001, by a US military scientist, om a US military laboratory-who is now dead.
There is no evidence whatsoever of an anthrax threat to American children.
Therefore, those who even consider exposing children to the documented harmful effects of the anthrax vaccine suffer from a “moral deficit disorder.”
Express Your Views to the Commissions Director, Hillary.Viers@bioethics.gov
Below are the warnings on the Anthrax Vaccine label.
Overarching all considerations is the question–
WHOSE CHILDREN WILL BE EXPOSED TO THE SERIOUS RISKS OF THE ANTHRAX VACCINE–WITHOUT ANY POTENTIAL BENEFIT FOR THEM?
WHOSE CHILDREN WILL BE USED AS HUMAN GUINEA PIGS?
FDA-Approved Label Warning (31 JAN 2002)
ANTHRAX VACCINE ADSORBED (BIOTHRAX™)
EXCERPT
“Approximately 6% of the reported events were listed as serious. Serious adverse events include those that result in death, hospitalization, permanent disability or are life-threatening.
The serious adverse events most frequently reported were in the following body system categories: general disorders and administration site conditions, nervous system disorders, skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders, and musculoskeletal, connective tissue and bone disorders.
Anaphylaxis and/or other generalized hypersensitivity reactions, as well as serious local reactions, were reported to occur occasionally following administration of BioThrax. None of these hypersensitivity reactions have been fatal.

Other infrequently reported serious adverse events that have occurred in persons who have received BioThrax have included:
cellulitis, cysts, pemphigus vulgaris, endocarditis, sepsis, angioedema and other hypersensitivity reactions, asthma, aplastic anemia, neutropenia, idiopathic thrombocytopenia purpura, lymphoma, leukemia, collagen vascular disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, multiple sclerosis, polyarteritis nodosa, inflammatory arthritis, transverse myelitis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, immune deficiency, seizure, mental status changes, psychiatric disorders, tremors, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), facial palsy, hearing and visual disorders, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myocarditis, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, syncope, glomerulonephritis, renal failure, spontaneous abortion and liver abscess. Infrequent reports were also received of multisystem disorders defined as chronic symptoms involving at least two of the following three categories: fatigue, mood-cognition, musculoskeletal system.
Reports of fatalities included sudden cardiac arrest (2), myocardial infarction with polyarteritis nodosa (1), aplastic anemia (1), suicide (1) and central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma (1).
Revised package insert (May 2012) provides additional cause for alarm.
http://www.biothrax.com/prescribinginformation_biothrax_us.pdf
EXCERPT
1. The vaccine is dangerous in pregnancy. (Pregnancy Category D*: evidence of harm exists) ”BioThrax can cause fetal harm when administered to a pregnant woman.”
“Of women who received vaccine within 90 days of the estimated date of conception (n = 14), 2 spontaneous abortions and a first trimester intra-utero fetal death were reported, along with one report of a healthy term infant with mild right clubbed foot abnormality. ” page 6
Fifty-one pregnancies occurred during the trial. The package insert states, “Advise women of the potential risk to the fetus.” page 15
2. The Gulf War Syndrome definition remains a reported adverse event in the most recent version of the package insert: ”Infrequent reports were also received of multisystem disorders defined as chronic symptoms involving at least two of the following three categories: fatigue, mood-cognition, and musculoskeletal system.” page 9
3. The vaccine hurts more than other vaccines.  ”Up to 11% of subjects rated the brief pain or burning they experienced immediately after vaccine injection as 8 out of 10 or greater.” page 5
4. The “Information for Patients” page states, on page 16: “What are the possible or reasonably likely side effects of BioThrax?
• Pain, tenderness, redness, bruising, or problems moving the arm in which you got the shot
• Muscle aches • Headaches • Fatigue • Fainting”
Read the full article here: http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/902/9/

Patriotic Group To Build Armed 'Defensible' Neighborhood Fortress By Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr. January 12, 2013 Subscribe to Gregory Gwyn-Williams, Jr.'s posts A group of like-minded patriots, bound together by pride in American exceptionalism, plan on building an armed community to protect their liberty. The group, named Citadel, intends to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 acres for the project in western Idaho. The community will comprise of 3,500 to 7,000 families of patriotic Americans who "voluntarily choose to live together in accordance with Thomas Jefferson's ideal of Rightful Liberty." According to the Citadel website, Rightful Liberty means that "neighbors keep their noses out of other neighbors' business, that neighbors live and let live." Citadel explains that residents in the community will be bound by the following: Patriotism Pride in American Exceptionalism Our proud history of Liberty as defined by our Founding Fathers, and Physical preparedness to survive and prevail in the face of natural catastrophes --such as Hurricanes Sandy or Katrina -- or man-made catastrophes such as a power grid failure or economic collapse. Residents should also agree that being "prepared for the emergencies of life and being proficient with the American icon of Liberty -- the Rifle -- are prudent measures." Some of the benefits of the Citadel community include a safe, well-prepared, patriotic community where children will be educated in school, not indoctrinated. The community will be protected by a perimeter wall that will be inaccessible to "tourists." Each neighborhood within the community will have lower walls, dividing the town into defensible sections. The website has a link to applications where prospective residents can sign up. According to Citadel, more than 200 families have completed applications, even before any land has been purchased. While Citadel may sound wonderful to many who are reading this, the community has posted a warning on their home page: "Marxists, Socialists, Liberals and Establishment Republicans will likely find that life in our community is incompatible with their existing ideology and preferred lifestyles." Citadel says that every patriot selected to live within the community "will voluntarily agree to follow the footsteps of our Founding Fathers by swearing to one another our lives, our fortunes and our Sacred Honor to defend one another and Liberty against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Patriotic Group To Build Armed 'Defensible' Neighborhood Fortress

A group of like-minded patriots, bound together by pride in American exceptionalism, plan on building an armed community to protect their liberty.
The group, named Citadel, intends to purchase 2,000 to 3,000 acres for the project in western Idaho.  The community will comprise of 3,500 to 7,000 families of patriotic Americans who "voluntarily choose to live together in accordance with Thomas Jefferson's ideal of Rightful Liberty."
According to the Citadel website, Rightful Liberty means that "neighbors keep their noses out of other neighbors' business, that neighbors live and let live."
Citadel explains that residents in the community will be bound by the following:

• Patriotism
• Pride in American Exceptionalism
• Our proud history of Liberty as defined by our Founding Fathers, and
• Physical preparedness to survive and prevail in the face of natural catastrophes --such as Hurricanes Sandy or Katrina -- or man-made catastrophes such as a power grid failure or economic collapse.

Residents should also agree that being "prepared for the emergencies of life and being proficient with the American icon of Liberty -- the Rifle -- are prudent measures."
Some of the benefits of the Citadel community include a safe, well-prepared, patriotic community where children will be educated in school, not indoctrinated.
The community will be protected by a perimeter wall that will be inaccessible to "tourists."  Each neighborhood within the community will have lower walls, dividing the town into defensible sections.
The website has a link to applications where prospective residents can sign up.  According to Citadel, more than 200 families have completed applications, even before any land has been purchased.
While Citadel may sound wonderful to many who are reading this, the community has posted a warning on their home page:
"Marxists, Socialists, Liberals and Establishment Republicans will likely find that life in our community is incompatible with their existing ideology and preferred lifestyles."
Citadel says that every patriot selected to live within the community "will voluntarily agree to follow the footsteps of our Founding Fathers by swearing to one another our lives, our fortunes and our Sacred Honor to defend one another and Liberty against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

Did the Founding Fathers base the United States on God and Christianity?

Here are some quotes and such from our founding fathers:

1) On the Mayflower Compact - "Having undertaken, for the glory of GOD, and advancement of the Christian faith, and honor of our King and Country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually, in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves together..." [Argument from "No" Answerer: The Mayflower Compact was written 150 years prior to the Constitution. The Founding Fathers moved away from that perspective towards a belief that the country cannot impose one religion]

2) Then, John Adams stated "The general principles upon which the [Founding] Fathers achieved independence were the general principals of Christianity..."

3) Patrick Henry: "This is all the inheritance I give to my dear family. The religion of Christ will give them one which will make them rich indeed" [Argument from "No" Answerer: Patrick Henry was referring to his own private faith, not talking about the country as a whole]

4) 1782 Congress "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools." [N.B. The Constitution was written in 1787]

5) John Quincy Adams - "The United States of America were no longer Colonies. They were an independent nation of Christians" [N.B. John Quincy Adams was apprenticed to a lawyer, going to school at Harvard, and then becoming a member of the bar during the time in which the Constitution and Bill of Rights were being created -- he is not one of the original founding fathers]

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Excerpt from George Washington's Farewell Address:
"The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discrimination's With slight shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. ...Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. The mere politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths which are the instruments of investigation in courts of justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. "

One Nation... Under God?
The Founding Fathers Speak Out on God, Religion and the First Amendment
"In God We Trust" According to the U.S. Dept. of Treasury, the motto 'In God We Trust' came about not at the time of the Constitutional Conventions, but due to increased pressures to recognize God on coins and money during the Civil War.  In April 22, 1864, Congress passed an Amendment authorizing the motto to be placed on the two-cent coin.  It appeared on various coins throughout the years, and appeared on paper money in 1957.  The phrase was eventually printed on all paper bills, superseding the motto "E Pluribus Unum" (From Many, One) adopted by the Union in 1782.
As we enter the Independence Day weekend, it seems appropriate to examine some of the freedoms that we in the United States enjoy because of our Constitution and our Bill of Rights.  One of these rights is the Freedom of Religion - guaranteed to all Americans in the First Amendment.  The wording of the phrase pertaining to religion, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof", has been the subject of endless speculation in our country's history.  Perhaps these quotes, from the men who wrote, debated and ultimately adopted the Bill of Rights, can shed some light on their view of God, religion in general, and the meaning of the Separation of Church and State.
 "I believe in one God, Creator of the universe.... That the most acceptable service we can render Him is doing good to His other children.... As to Jesus ... I have ... some doubts as to his divinity; though it is a question I do not dogmatize upon, having never studied it, and think it needless to busy myself with it now, when I expect soon an opportunity of knowing the truth with less trouble."
See Founding Fathers Religion Debate and Poll
- Benjamin Franklin (Alice J. Hall, "Philosopher of Dissent: Benj. Franklin," National Geographic, Vol. 148, No. 1, July, 1975, p. 94.) "Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness, with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon, than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness, that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind." - Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)
Every man "ought to be protected in worshipping the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience." - George Washington (Letter to the United Baptist Churches in Virginia in May, 1789)
"Question with boldness even the existence of a god." - Thomas Jefferson (letter to Peter Carr, 10 August 1787)
"When a Religion is good, I conceive it will support itself; and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its Professors are obliged to call for help of the Civil Power, it is a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one." - Benjamin Franklin (from a letter to Richard Price, October 9, 1780;)
I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of... Each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all."- Thomas Paine (The Age of Reason, 1794-1795.)
"Is uniformity attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch towards uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error
all over the earth." - Thomas Jefferson (Notes on Virginia, 1782; from George Seldes, ed., The Great Quotations, Secaucus, New Jersey: Citadel Press, 1983, p. 363.)
"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution." - James Madison (Memorial and Remonstrance against Religious Assessments, 1785.)
"Where do we find a precept in the Bible for Creeds, Confessions, Doctrines and Oaths, and whole carloads of other trumpery that we find religion encumbered with in these days?" - John Adams
"The civil rights of none shall be abridged on account of religious belief or worship, nor shall any national religion be established, nor shall the full and equal rights of conscience be in any manner, or on any pretence, infringed.'' - James Madison (Original wording of the First Amendment; Annals of Congress 434 (June 8, 1789).)
"As the Government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility, of Musselmen; and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries." - (Treaty of Tripoli, 1797 - signed by President John Adams.)
Also see Treaty of Tripoli
"As to religion, I hold it to be the indispensable duty of government to protect all conscientious protesters thereof, and I know of no other business government has to do therewith." - Thomas Paine (Common Sense, 1776.)
"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded not by religionists but by Christians, not on religion but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We shall not fight alone. God presides over the destinies of nations." - Patrick Henry
"That religion, or the duty we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience." - Patrick Henry (Virginia Bill of Rights, June 12, 1776.)
Also see A Letter Concerning Toleration by John Locke
Thomas Jefferson's Letters on Liberty and Religion

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U.S. Drones Pound Pakistan, Which Responds by Doing Exactly Nothing

Airmen prepare to load an AGM-114 Hellfire missile onto an MQ-9 Reaper drone at Creech Air Force Base, April 2009. Photo: U.S. Air Force

Make that seven U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan during the first 10 days of 2013. But the recent uptick in drone strikes hasn’t yet coincided with a resurgence in Pakistani outrage that marred Washington’s relationship with Islamabad in 2012.
At least five people are dead in a drone strike near Mir Ali, in North Waziristan, launched on Thursday. That makes seven drone strikes in Pakistan since 2013 began, with an estimated death toll, according to Danger Room’s tally, of at least 40 people. (One of the strikes on Tuesday killed a “key al-Qaida commander” named Sheikh Yasin al-Kuwaiti, the Long War Journal reports.) By contrast, in 2012, the U.S. launched 43 drone strikes in Pakistan, with an average pause of between 7 and 8 days between them. Even beyond the drones, Thursday was a violent day in Pakistan: A pair of bombings in Baluchistan left at least 32 people dead and more than 100 wounded.
Some observers are starting to think the drop off in U.S. drone strikes was a strategic pause — buying time before a ramp-up that appears to be underway, even before White House drone overseer John Brennan becomes CIA director.
The reaction from Pakistan has been “noticeably muted,” as the Associated Press observes. The Pakistani government has yet to issue a condemnation of the new strikes. The Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman, was said to be traveling; other Pakistani officials in Washington have yet to respond to Danger Room’s request for comment.
According to Pakistani press reports, tribesman rallied on Saturday in the “thousands” to protest the killing of Taliban commander Maulvi Nazir, who had reached a truce with the Pakistani military. So far, the main Pakistani politician speaking out against the drones is Imran Khan, who condemned the new strikes on Sunday as a violation of Pakistani sovereignty.
Khan led a high-profile pilgrimage last year to Taliban-controlled parts of South Waziristan to raise Pakistani awareness about the U.S.’ lethal drone campaign. Although Khan had to turn back because of the security risk, his march was part of a year of setbacks for Washington’s relationship with Pakistan.
For the first half of the year, Pakistan blocked NATO logistics shipments through its territory, in protest of a chaotic November 2011 U.S. assault in eastern Afghanistan that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead. It took a U.S. apology for Pakistan to reopen its border to trucks resupplying the Afghanistan war. The closure reflected lingering acrimony in Islamabad related to U.S. counterterrorism efforts, from the drones to the Afghanistan war, and especially the unilateral Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden. While the Pakistani had quietly tolerated the drone campaign for years, in December 2011 it kicked the CIA out of a Pakistani airbase it had loaned the agency for years.
“We will seek an end to drone strikes and there will be no compromise on that,” Amb. Rehman told the Aspen Security Forum in July.
Reportedly, Pakistan’s spy chief, Lt. Gen. Zaheerul Islam, reiterated that demand in a summer meeting at Langley with then-CIA director David Petraeus. The U.S. drone strikes hardly ended in 2012, but the U.S. launched fewer of them in Pakistan than at any time since President Obama took office.
It’s still very early in 2013, but some are starting to think the drone reprieve is done.  The U.S. needed to slow the the drones’ roll in 2012, a former Pakistani official tells Danger Room, so that anti-U.S. anger in Islamabad could die down. At a certain, unknown point, the ex-official added, an uptick in drone strikes will prompt greater official Pakistani outrage. But until then, the U.S. has some leeway to attack (especially if the U.S. offs militants that the Pakistani army and intelligence service want killed).
That outrage may not sway Washington. At the White House, Brennan has had little sympathy for the concerns of Pakistani intelligence, according to the former official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Brennan is do-what-we-must,” the former official added, citing the unilateral bin Laden raid as evidence. Should Pakistani officials break their silence about the drone escalation, they may soon encounter a deaf ear at Langley.

Gasoline Prices More than Double Under Obama: $1.84 to $3.85

In this Monday, Sept. 10, 2012 photo gasoline prices are displayed at a Mobil station in Needham, Mass. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

(CNSNews.com) – Average retail gasoline prices have more than doubled under President Obama, according to government statistics, rising from $1.84 per gallon to $3.85 per gallon.
The average gasoline price is calculated by the Energy Information Agency, and shows that over the past 43 months of President Obama’s term retail gasoline prices have more than doubled, rising from an average of $1.84 per gallon to $3.85 per gallon.
Rising gasoline prices were particularly prevalent in August, which saw a 9.0 percent rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for gasoline, a rise that almost entirely accounts for the general increase in prices seen by families across the country over the past month.
In other words, the recent spike in prices for all goods – tracked by the government’s Consumer Price Index – can be almost entirely accounted for by the rise in gasoline prices. Prices in the economy rose by 0.6 percent overall in August.
“The seasonally adjusted increase in the all items index was the largest since June 2009. About 80 percent of the increase was accounted for by the gasoline index, which rose 9.0 percent and was the major factor in the energy index rising sharply in August after declining in each of the four previous months,” the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in a press release announcing the new CPI figures for August.
Over the past twelve months, general prices have risen 1.7 percent, BLS reported.
CPI is a measure of the average change in prices for goods and services in the economy seen by consumers – making it the leading indicator of the inflation experienced directly by consumers throughout the country.

Sweeping new gun laws proposed by influential liberal think tank

With President Obama readying an overhaul of the nation’s gun laws, a liberal think tank with singular influence throughout his administration is pushing for a sweeping agenda of strict new restrictions on and federal oversight of gun and ammunition sales.
The Center for American Progress is recommending 13 new gun policies to the White House — some of them executive actions that would not require the approval of Congress — in what amounts to the progressive community’s wish list.
CAP’s proposals — which include requiring universal background checks, banning military-grade assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition magazines, and modernizing data systems to track gun sales and enforce existing laws — are all but certain to face stiff opposition from the National Rifle Association and its many allies in Congress.
Obama — as well as Vice President Biden, who is leading the administration’s gun violence task force — has voiced support for many of these measures. Yet it is unclear which policies he ultimately will propose to Congress. Biden is planning to present his group’s recommendations to Obama on Tuesday.
CAP’s recommendations, presented Friday to White House officials and detailed in an 11-page report obtained by The Washington Post, establish a benchmark for what many in Obama’s liberal base are urging him to do after last month’s massacre at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn.
“There’s nothing here that interferes with the rights of people to have a gun to protect themselves,” CAP President Neera Tanden said. But, she added, “we have daily episodes where it seems that guns are in the wrong hands, and that’s why we think it’s important that the president acts.”
On Monday, Tanden will moderate a public discussion with three Democrats who have played leading roles in the gun debate: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who during the Clinton administration helped get the 1994 assault-weapons ban passed; Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.), who helped write that bill as a House member; and Rep. Mike Thompson (Calif.), who chairs the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
One of CAP’s suggestions to toughen federal regulation of gun sales is to make the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which is currently an agency within the Department of Justice, a unit of the FBI. CAP says absorbing the ATF into the FBI would better empower the ATF to combat gun crime and illegal trafficking.
“It is a beleaguered agency lacking leadership and resources,” said Winnie Stachelberg, senior vice president of CAP. “It needs to be a well-functioning federal law enforcement agency, and we need to figure out ways to ensure that happens.”
CAP’s top recommendation is to require criminal background checks for all gun sales, closing loopholes that currently enable an estimated 40 percent of sales to occur without any questions asked. The organization also wants to add convicted stalkers and suspected terrorists to the list of those barred from purchasing firearms.
CAP is urging the Obama administration to back Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s proposal to ban assault weapons. The California Democrat wants to prohibit the sale, transfer, importation and manufacture of military-style assault weapons and ammunition magazines that carry more than 10 bullets.
The group also suggests requiring firearms dealers to report to the federal government individuals who purchase multiple semiautomatic assault rifles within a five-day period. Current law requires reporting multiple purchases of handguns, but not semiautomatic assault rifles.
CAP also wants the administration to free public health research agencies, including the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to study the impact of gun violence on injuries and deaths. For years, lawmakers, urged by the NRA, have placed riders on spending bills that restrict these and other agencies from conducting such research.

Obama Quietly Launches New FEMA Youth Corps Division With 240 Inductees

Obama is gathering counselors for Camp FEMA
Obama promised that he would create a civilian army in 2008 (see video below) that would eventually be as strong and as aggressive as the United States military. Here we see Step One towards accomplishing that goal.
FEMA Camps did not start under Obama, but he may be the leader under which people will begin to be placed in them.
RELATED STORY: Obama’s Private Army and FEMA Detention Camps
From FEMA.gov: VICKSBURG, Miss.– A historic new collaboration between two federal agencies to strengthen the nation’s disaster response capabilities was launched today as the nation’s first 240 FEMA Corps members were sworn into service at an induction ceremony in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Vicksburg, Miss., Sep. 13, 2012 — Image from the Induction Ceremony for the inaugural class of FEMA Corps members. FEMA Corps members assist with disaster preparedness, response, and recovery activities, providing support in areas ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovering centers to sharing valuable disaster preparedness and mitigation information with the public.

FEMA Corps is an innovative partnership between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to enhance disaster response and recovery capacity while expanding career opportunities for young people.
Established as a new unit within the existing AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC), FEMA Corps engages young adults ages 18 to 24 to provide ten months of full-time service on disaster response and recovery projects.  Members will be deployed to assignments ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovery centers to sharing disaster response and mitigation information with the public.
At today’s induction ceremony, members of the inaugural FEMA Corps class took the AmeriCorps pledge to “get things done for America” and heard from agency leaders about the important work that lies ahead.  FEMA Deputy Administrator Richard Serino and CNCS CEO Wendy Spencer were on hand to welcome the members and thank them for their commitment to service.
“When I visit communities devastated by disasters like Joplin, Mo., I always find members of AmeriCorps lending a helping hand to survivors,” said Serino. “Today’s inductees are taking part in an exciting new pursuit — combining the exceptional record of citizen service at AmeriCorps NCCC with FEMA’s specialized mission of supporting survivors with their recovery after a disaster. I commend and thank every member of the inaugural class of FEMA Corps for their dedication to helping communities in need.”
“I commend you for answering the call to serve and making a difference for people and communities in need,” said Spencer.  “As the nation’s very first FEMA Corps members, you are helping write a new chapter in the history of national service.  With your training, backed by your team, and inspired by your passion, you will bring much-needed hope and assistance to disasters survivors. As you help others, this year will help you – giving you skills, expanding your opportunities, and setting you on a lifelong path of service to others.”

Today’s induction ceremony marked the end of one month of AmeriCorps NCCC training and the start of FEMA position-specific training. After completing training this month, members will be deployed to their first assignments. FEMA Corps will supplement FEMA’s existing Reservist workforce in assisting citizens and communities who have been impacted by disasters.

After completing 1,700 hour of service, FEMA Corps members will receive a $5,550 Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay for tuition or pay student loans.  Members will gain significant training and experience in disaster services that can serve as a pathway to employment in the emergency management profession.
FEMA Corps members will be based out of five AmeriCorps NCCC campuses across the country: Sacramento, Calif.; Denver, Colo.; Vinton, Iowa; Perry Point, Md.; and, Vicksburg, Miss.  The program will engage 1,600 members annually when fully operational next year. source – FEMA

Executive Order 9066: The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation

Executive Order 9066: The President Authorizes Japanese Relocation

In an atmosphere of World War II hysteria, President Roosevelt, encouraged by officials at all levels of the federal government, authorized the internment of tens of thousands of American citizens of Japanese ancestry and resident aliens from Japan. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, dated February 19, 1942, gave the military broad powers to ban any citizen from a fifty- to sixty-mile-wide coastal area stretching from Washington state to California and extending inland into southern Arizona. The order also authorized transporting these citizens to assembly centers hastily set up and governed by the military in California, Arizona, Washington state, and Oregon. Although it is not well known, the same executive order (and other war-time orders and restrictions) were also applied to smaller numbers of residents of the United States who were of Italian or German descent. For example, 3,200 resident aliens of Italian background were arrested and more than 300 of them were interned. About 11,000 German residents—including some naturalized citizens—were arrested and more than 5000 were interned. Yet while these individuals (and others from those groups) suffered grievous violations of their civil liberties, the war-time measures applied to Japanese Americans were worse and more sweeping, uprooting entire communities and targeting citizens as well as resident aliens.

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Executive Order No. 9066
The President
Executive Order
Authorizing the Secretary of War to Prescribe Military Areas
Whereas the successful prosecution of the war requires every possible protection against espionage and against sabotage to national-defense material, national-defense premises, and national-defense utilities as defined in Section 4, Act of April 20, 1918, 40 Stat. 533, as amended by the Act of November 30, 1940, 54 Stat. 1220, and the Act of August 21, 1941, 55 Stat. 655 (U.S.C., Title 50, Sec. 104);
Now, therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, and Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy, I hereby authorize and direct the Secretary of War, and the Military Commanders whom he may from time to time designate, whenever he or any designated Commander deems such action necessary or desirable, to prescribe military areas in such places and of such extent as he or the appropriate Military Commander may determine, from which any or all persons may be excluded, and with respect to which, the right of any person to enter, remain in, or leave shall be subject to whatever restrictions the Secretary of War or the appropriate Military Commander may impose in his discretion. The Secretary of War is hereby authorized to provide for residents of any such area who are excluded therefrom, such transportation, food, shelter, and other accommodations as may be necessary, in the judgment of the Secretary of War or the said Military Commander, and until other arrangements are made, to accomplish the purpose of this order. The designation of military areas in any region or locality shall supersede designations of prohibited and restricted areas by the Attorney General under the Proclamations of December 7 and 8, 1941, and shall supersede the responsibility and authority of the Attorney General under the said Proclamations in respect of such prohibited and restricted areas.
I hereby further authorize and direct the Secretary of War and the said Military Commanders to take such other steps as he or the appropriate Military Commander may deem advisable to enforce compliance with the restrictions applicable to each Military area hereinabove authorized to be designated, including the use of Federal troops and other Federal Agencies, with authority to accept assistance of state and local agencies.
I hereby further authorize and direct all Executive Departments, independent establishments and other Federal Agencies, to assist the Secretary of War or the said Military Commanders in carrying out this Executive Order, including the furnishing of medical aid, hospitalization, food, clothing, transportation, use of land, shelter, and other supplies, equipment, utilities, facilities, and services.
This order shall not be construed as modifying or limiting in any way the authority heretofore granted under Executive Order No. 8972, dated December 12, 1941, nor shall it be construed as limiting or modifying the duty and responsibility of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with respect to the investigation of alleged acts of sabotage or the duty and responsibility of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice under the Proclamations of December 7 and 8, 1941, prescribing regulations for the conduct and control of alien enemies, except as such duty and responsibility is superseded by the designation of military areas hereunder.
Franklin D. Roosevelt
The White House,
February 19, 1942.
[F.R. Doc. 42–1563; Filed, February 21, 1942; 12:51 p.m.]
Source: Executive Order No. 9066, February 19, 1942.
See Also:Korematsu v. United States: The U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Internment
"Evacuation Was a Mistake": Anger at Being Interned
Milton Eisenhower Justifies the Internment of Japanese Americans

Can Barack Obama Ban Guns By Executive Order?

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This week Vice President Joe Biden alluded to Barack Obama possibly using executive order to impose gun control. Biden said this during a meeting surrounded by several gun control groups and gun violence victims. The question on many people’s minds is, “Can this actually happen?”
First, let’s understand what an executive order actually is. It is supposed to be an order delivered by the President to those under his authority, sort of like the CEO of a company giving direction to those under him. According to the National Archives:

Executive orders are official documents, numbered consecutively, through which the President of the United States manages the operations of the Federal Government.
The text of Executive orders appears in the daily Federal Register as each Executive order is signed by the President and received by the Office of the Federal Register. The text of Executive orders beginning with Executive Order 7316 of March 13, 1936, also appears in the sequential editions of Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Robert Longley at About.com also confirms this is how executive orders work and adds, “While they do bypass the U.S. Congress and the standard legislative law making process, no part of an executive order may direct the agencies to conduct illegal or unconstitutional activities.

Executive orders are not to be used to bypass the legislative branch, to implement lawful laws for the people, but they are to be used simply under the executive branch. Typically these are used for the purpose of:

1. Operational management of the executive branch
2. Operational management of federal agencies or officials
3. To carry out statutory or constitutional presidential responsibilities

At least that is what they are supposed to be used for. The Constitutional authority for presidential executive orders are found in Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution, which reads, “The executive power shall be vested in a president of the United States of America,” and Article II, Section 3 which states, “The President shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed…”
So there is authority granted to the President and executive orders are just that, lawful orders from the executive branch, and that has been recognized even by our first President, George Washington, who signed his first executive order in 1789. He was not alone. Many of the founders, who became President, such as John Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe issued one executive order each. While President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued 3,522!
So the question we have to deal with is “Is it possible that Barack Obama could sign an executive order to impose gun control?” The answer is, “Yes, it is possible he could sign such an executive order.” The issue though, is whether or not such an executive order would be upheld by the Congress or the Supreme Court. Congress may pass a law that alters an executive order, and they can be declared unconstitutional and vacated by the Supreme Court. A recent Congressional response to an executive order can be found here.
One wonders, after the ruling from the Supreme Court in 2012 on the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), how they would rule on an executive order regarding the Second Amendment. Fox News’ 19′s Ben Swann says they would probably not allow it to stand.
Swann asks, “Is the President attempting to issue an executive order on gun control, violating Second Amendment rights?”
The example would be that if Obama signed and executive order to ban what he calls “assault weapons” or rifles with high capacity magazines, that order would have to go before the Supreme Court. The issue before the Court would then be for them to decide what weapons Americans have rights to. We can see a glimpse into how they have ruled in the past in at least two cases that have dealt with this issue (not the executive order).
The most recent Supreme Court decision was District of Columbia vs. Heller. The legal contention was whether banning handguns in Washington D.C. was a violation of the Second Amendment. In that case, the Court ruled that it was a violation. Justice Antonin Scalia wrote in the majority opinion:

“the Second Amendment extends, prima facie,to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding.”

All of that sounds great. However, within the opinion, Scalia also referenced the 1939 Supreme Court case United States vs. Miller, writing:

We also recognize another important limitation on the right to keep and carry arms. Miller said, as we have explained, that the sorts of weapons protected were those “in common use at the time.” 307 U. S., at 179. We think that limitation is fairly supported by the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of “dangerous and unusual weapons.”

But wait, he does clarify what he means in the following paragraph:
It may be objected that if weapons that are most useful in military service—M-16 rifles and the like—may be banned, then the Second Amendment right is completely detached from the prefatory clause. But as we have said, the conception of the militia at the time of the Second Amendment’s ratification was the body of all citizens capable of military service, who would bring the sorts of lawful weapons that they possessed at home to militia duty. It may well be true today that a militia, to be as effective as militias in the 18th century, would require sophisticated arms that are highly unusual in society at large. Indeed, it may be true that no amount of small arms could be useful against modern-day bombers and tanks. But the fact that modern developments have limited the degree of fit between the prefatory clause and the protected right cannot change our interpretation of the right.
Some may argue that AR-15′s and Ak-47′s are dangerous, but aren’t all weapons? After all, isn’t that part of the definition of a weapon, that it’s dangerous? Could this apply to a tank or a rocket propelled grenade launcher (RPG)? Perhaps, but from Justice Scalia’s writings it does not apply to rifles, such as the AR-15.
How about “unusual?” Well, considering that millions of gun owners own semi-automatic rifles, which the Left refers to as “assault weapons,” and that they are even sold at your local Wal-Mart hardly makes them unusual.
Should Obama seek to push through something along these lines, there is no doubt that it would be a long, tedious process in court. With that said, let me interject that if conditions were made right, then perhaps the Supreme Court and even the Congress might just go along with it. What do I mean? Given that FDR’s Executive Order 9066 was the order that directed the interment of more than 120,000 Japanese Americans, many of whom were U.S. citizens, we should not be asleep at the wheel on this issue. In the heightened state of acting on emotion following the attack on Pearl Harbor, it seems this was a clear violation of the Constitution. This is why so many people oppose the National Defense Authorization Act and it is why citizens must always be alert and sober to what happens around them.

Read more: http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/01/can-barack-obama-ban-guns-with-executive-order/#ixzz2HosgDzPv

Obama To Enemies In Afghanistan: Don’t Worry, We’re Leaving Soon

Weekly Address: Ending the War in Afghanistan and Rebuilding America: http://youtu.be/jrax-OJZrs0 via @youtube

HEALING

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed

 mark 5 healing though jesus: http://youtu.be/2G1TqDNVGPc via @youtube

²¹ Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. ²² And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet ²³ and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” ²⁴ So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
²⁵ Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶ and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷ When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸ For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”
²⁹ Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. ³⁰ And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”
³¹ But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”
³² And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. ³³ But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴ And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
³⁵ While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?”
³⁶ As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” ³⁷ And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. ³⁸ Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. ³⁹ When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”
⁴⁰ And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. ⁴¹ Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴² Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. ⁴³ But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.

France airstrikes in Mali repel Al Qaeda-linked militants

French forces push back the Ansar Dine militia from the city of Konna. A West African alliance promises to immediately deploy troops to Mali.

People wave a French flag in Bamako, Mali. France has sent troops and launched airstrikes to help Malian forces hold back an advance by Islamist rebels. (Habibou Kouyate / AFP/Getty Images / January 12, 2013)

• French troops in Mali; Hollande vows to stop Islamists
• Islamist rebels move into central Mali in new clashes with army
• Tuareg separatists and Islamic extremists clash in northern Mali

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By Robyn Dixon, Los Angeles Times

January 12, 2013, 3:40 p.m.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — French airstrikes in Mali turned back Al Qaeda-linked militants who recently began moving south after seizing a vast northern desert region of the West African nation last year, French officials said Saturday.
French forces drove the Ansar Dine militia from the city of Konna after deploying warplanes and hundreds of troops on Friday to Mali, its former colony, the officials said. A French helicopter was downed in the operation and its pilot, Danien Boiteux, was killed.
An alliance of West African nations, which had spent months planning a long-delayed operation to fight Ansar Dine, responded to the French intervention by promising Saturday to immediately deploy troops to Mali.
The U.N. Security Council last year agreed to the intervention by the alliance, known as ECOWAS. But months dragged on with no action, as Ansar Dine tightened its grip in the north and Western nations grew increasingly alarmed at the prospect of a terrorist haven at Europe's back door.
The French intervention followed a request from the Malian government to help its ill-equipped forces fighting the militants, who were advancing toward Mopti, a major town where government troops are based, and potentially threatening the capital, Bamako.
"Already, thanks to the courage of our soldiers, a quick stop and heavy losses have been inflicted on our adversaries," French President Francois Hollande said Saturday in Paris. "But our mission is not at an end. I have made sure that the military presence in Bamako has been reinforced to protect our citizens."
"The threat is a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe," French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters.
French warplanes and helicopters attacked the militias, dropping bombs and launching rockets in an operation that French military officials said also wiped out a major Ansar Dine base near Konna.
Hollande announced a tightening of French domestic security and said the Mali operation would last as long as necessary. He said brutal terrorist groups, drug traffickers and extremists threatened everyone.
Mali, long seen as a stable democracy in a volatile region, was split in two last year when Tuareg rebels who had fled Libya after the fall of Moammar Kadafi seized the major northern towns of Gao, Kidal and Timbuktu.
The Tuareg fighters were swiftly outflanked by Al Qaeda-linked militants who imposed a severe form of Islamic law in the north, amputating convicted thieves' limbs, stoning those accused of adultery and destroying ancient World Heritage monuments such as mausoleums in Timbuktu.
France has been playing a more interventionist role in Africa, declaring that it would fight terrorism anywhere on the continent. On Saturday, French forces also launched a raid in Somalia to rescue a French secret service agent held by Islamist militants since 2009; the agent and a French soldier died in the rescue attempt, as did at least 17 militants.
France has about 6,000 citizens in Mali, and numerous French have been kidnapped with the rise of militant groups in the Sahel region, including Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Eight French are still being held hostage.
France sees Mali as a particular concern because human traffickers and drug smugglers have been able to cross the region's porous borders and get to Europe without difficulty. The fear is that terrorists based in northern Mali could use the same routes to cross into Europe and launch devastating attacks.
Kadre Desire Ouedraogo, chairman of the ECOWAS commission, said Saturday that the regional group had decided to swiftly send troops into Mali because of the urgency of the situation. However, the alliance did not confirm how many troops would be sent or when they would arrive.
Ansar Dine threatened to target French citizens in retaliation for the French military operation.
"There are consequences, not only for French hostages, but also for all French citizens wherever they find themselves in the Muslim world," said Ansar Dine spokesman Sanda Ould Boumama, according to Reuters news service. "We are going to continue resisting and defend ourselves. We are ready to die fighting."
Malian military spokesman Diarran Kone said the army was combing Konna to ensure no militants remained, the Associated Press reported.
"We are doing sweeps of the city to find any hidden Islamist extremist elements," Kone said. "The full recovery of the city is too early to determine as we do not yet control the city, and we remain vigilant."

Hundreds of French troops drive back Mali rebels

Associated Press

Posted on January 12, 2013 at 10:02 AM

Updated today at 10:06 AM

BAMAKO, Mali (AP) — France says its troops and warplanes in Mali have driven Islamist rebels from a key city and destroyed a militant command center.
France has sent its forces to the West African nation in response to an appeal from the country's president. Al-Qaida-linked militants have seized control of the vast, desert region of northern Mali over the past nine months.
Other nations in the region also are sending troops to support the government of the former French colony.
France's defense minister the militants threaten to create "a terrorist state at the doorstep of France and Europe."
Al-Qaida's affiliate in Africa, Ansar Dine (dih-NEH'), has been a shadowy presence for years in the forests and deserts of Mali, a country hobbled by poverty and a relentless cycle of hunger. Most Malians adhere to a moderate form of Islam.
%@AP Links
134-c-09-(Jamey Keaten, AP correspondent)-"had recently taken"-AP correspondent Jamey Keaten reports French airstrikes in Mali have driven back the jihadists who'd been advancing toward the country's key military facility. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *134 (01/12/13)>> 00:09 "had recently taken"
135-c-15-(Jamey Keaten, AP correspondent)-"French president yesterday"-AP correspondent Jamey Keaten reports a French pilot has died of his wounds while being evacuated to safety as airstrikes hit Mali Islamists. ((refers to Friday as yesterday)) (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *135 (01/12/13)>> 00:15 "French president yesterday"
136-c-17-(Jamey Keaten, AP correspondent)-"for terror groups"-AP correspondent Jamey Keaten reports the French are very concerned about its own people in Mali, and also that an international terrorist threat is building there, right on the doorstep of Europe. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *136 (01/12/13)>> 00:17 "for terror groups"
137-c-16-(Jamey Keaten, AP correspondent)-"accelerate their timetable"-AP correspondent Jamey Keaten reports France launched its military operation when the al-Qaida-linked militants in northern Mali started heading south. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *137 (01/12/13)>> 00:16 "accelerate their timetable"
103-a-15-(U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in AP interview)-"other regional powers"-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the U.N. has authorized an African-led force to support Malian troops in recovering the north. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *103 (01/12/13)>> 00:15 "other regional powers"
102-a-13-(U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in AP interview)-"very difficult situation"-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he follows the developments in the region closely. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *102 (01/12/13)>> 00:13 "very difficult situation"
101-a-16-(U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in AP interview)-"as human rights"-U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says he is 'deeply concerned' with the ongoing violence in Mali. (12 Jan 2013)
<<CUT *101 (01/12/13)>> 00:16 "as human rights"
APPHOTO NY215: FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2012 file photo, fighters from the al-Qaida-linked Islamist group Ansar Dine leave after performing a public amputation, severing the hand of a young man found guilty of stealing rice, in Timbuktu, Mali. France launched a military operation Friday, Jan. 11, 2013 to help the government of Mali defeat al-Qaida-linked militants who captured more ground this week, dramatically raising the stakes in the battle for this vast desert nation. (AP Photo/File) (16 Sep 2012)