Category Archives: Uncategorized

09/04/10

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* US envoy Oren: Hizbullah has 15,000 rockets on border Ambassador says Islamist group amassing arsenal in southern Lebanon with long enough range to hit Eilat.

* Hamas official: Israeli settlers are a legitimate military target Israeli settlers in the West Bank are legitimate targets since they are an army in every sense of the word.

* Radical Islam is world’s greatest threat – Tony Blair Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has described radical Islam as the greatest threat facing the world today.

* Iran’s Ahmadinejad calls on Palestinians to fight on Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad urged Palestinians to keep up their armed struggle against Israel.

* Muslims hold mass prayers at Jerusalem mosque Tens of thousands of Muslims poured into the heavily guarded Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem for the last Friday prayers of the holy month of Ramadan.

* Iraq dedicates international training center specializing in…roadside bombs Iraq has unveiled a training center meant to teach security forces to detect, identify and neutralize improvised explosive devices.

* Clinton warns of ‘last chance’ for Mid-East peace talks The US secretary of state has said the current round of Mid-East peace talks may be “the last chance for a very long time” to resolve the conflict.

* US military chief seeks Turkish support over Iran The United States’ top military officer stressed on Saturday the need for Turkey to help enforce United Nations sanctions against Iran.

* ‘US to continue supplying military assistance to Lebanon’ The US will continue to supply the Lebanese Armed Forces with equipment and weapons estimated to be worth approximately $100 million.

* ‘IAEA chief asked Israel to join nonproliferation treaty’ The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency asked Israel to consider signing up to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

09/03/10

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* ‘Jerusalem Day paves the way for Israel’s collapse’ Ahmadinejad says “the Zionists are hypocrite racists” at rally on Quds Day.

* Hezbollah leader praises Hamas for West Bank shooting attacks Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah praised Hamas on Friday for the West Bank shooting attacks which left four Israelis dead and two injured.

* Israelis, Palestinians to work out framework agreement In the first concrete decision to emerge from the direct talks that began here on Thursday, Israelis and Palestinians agreed to work out a framework agreement in the coming months as a first step to a full peace treaty.

* Nasrallah: Direct peace talks ‘born dead’ Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Friday slammed the Palestinian Authority’s decision to launch direct peace talks with Israel.

* Arab papers warn against talks: Abbas is weak The Arab press saw eye to eye with the Western media on Friday in the bleak outlook it forecasted in its coverage of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.

* Turkey’s incoming military chief warns government he will uphold secularism In what could portend another confrontatation, Turkey’s new military chief has warned that he would repel any government attempt to Islamize the country.

* Which is the real threat? Terrorism or China? Four facts pertaining to the People’s Republic of China, as Mao named his China in 1949, suggest Mao’s China’s conquest of the world.

* Experts Fear Mideast Talks Are Too Ambitious As the Israeli and Palestinian leaders pledged at the peace summit meeting in Washington this week to try to resolve the core issues that have long divided their people and bloodied the land, a growing number of stakeholders here in Israel worried that the two sides were aiming too high.

* Deal reached on pan-European financial supervisors After months of tough negotiations, the three sides of the EU triangle came to agreement on Thursday on the creation of financial supervisors.

* UN nuclear chief asks Israel to join treaty The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency asked Israel to consider signing up to the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

09/02/10

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* Middle East direct peace talks begin in earnest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas have begun direct peace talks in Washington.

* Settlers end freeze, resume construction While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in Washington to launch direct peace talks with the Palestinians, tensions are mounting in the West Bank.

* IDF warns of wave of violence as Hamas vows to sink peace talks The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday warned of a possible wave of attacks as Hamas militants try to sabotage Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

* UN chief ‘very encouraged’ by Israel-Palestinian talks Ban Ki-moon calls on both sides to show sincerity, flexibility ahead of Netanyahu-Abbas meeting in Washington.

* ‘Hamas won’t let the PA reach a peace agreement’ Yishai says renewed negotiations will lead to nowhere, as Hamas won’t honor Abbas’s agreement; Shas declares opposition to building freeze.

* Iraq on high alert for spike in Al Qaida attacks following U.S. exit Iraq is bracing for an escalation in Al Qaida mass-casualty suicide attacks, following the withdrawal of all U.S. combat troops.

* Islamist Turkey government finds arms requests being blocked by Congress Turkey has been concerned over delays in its arms requests from the United States.

* Peres, Pope to Discuss Peace Talks President Shimon Peres plans to meet Thursday with Pope Benedict XVI in Italy. The two are to discuss the peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

* Stephen Hawking: God did not create Universe There is no place for God in theories on the creation of the Universe, Professor Stephen Hawking has said.

* ‘You got the Belgians running Europe?’ Bush asked Blair Ex-UK prime minister Tony Blair has burst back onto the media landscape in the UK after a three-year absence with the publication of his keenly awaited memoir.

Obama’s Iraq Address Misses the Mark

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By: Robert Maginnis – Human Events

President Obama’s Oval Office speech on Tuesday night celebrating the end of American combat operations in Iraq included four messages but failed to address our most pressing regional problem, Iran. That was a strategic mistake.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is arguably at the center of every security problem in the Middle East. It defies logic how Obama could deliver his most important foreign policy address to date and completely ignore Iran. No doubt, Tehran was pleased with the speech and our allies are rightly nervous.

Consider Obama’s four somewhat disjointed messages and then what he should have said about Iran.

First, he confirmed his intent to leave Iraq next year whether Baghdad is ready or not. He used the speech to formally announce the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the beginning of Operation New Dawn, our “advise and assist” mission.

The President said the “Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.” He admitted there is still a lot of violence but expressed confidence Iraq will eventually contain the problem.

On Aug. 25 alone, militants conducted 34 attacks in 16 cities across Iraq that killed at least 77 and wounded more than 400. Iraqis are buying weapons to defend themselves and key leaders are complaining that America’s withdraw is premature.

Obama encouraged Iraq’s leaders to move forward with a sense of urgency to form an inclusive government—now six months in the making—but then announced “all U.S. troops will leave by the end of next year.” He pledged even though “our combat mission is ending … our commitment to Iraq’s future is not.” He failed to clarify that “commitment.”

Obama’s second message was to the parties engaged in the Afghan war. He announced Washington’s clock in Afghanistan begins running out next summer.

He warned the American people “Don’t lose sight of what’s at stake.” Then he restated the threat, our strategy, and policy objective in Afghanistan. He said “al Qaeda continues to plot against us, and its leadership remains anchored in the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan.” His strategy which was first announced last December remains to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat al Qaeda, and his policy objective “is to prevent Afghanistan from again serving as a base for terrorists.”

Obama referenced his 30,000-man surge in Afghanistan and reminded the American people that our additional troops are “under the command of General David Petraeus,” the author of our success in Iraq.

“As with the surge in Iraq,” Obama said, “these forces will be in place for a limited time to provide space for the Afghans to build their capacity and secure their own future.” But then he cautioned, “next July, we will begin a transition to Afghan responsibility.” He intends to begin troop reductions next summer “because open-ended war serves neither our interests nor the Afghan people’s.”

The President’s restatement of his intent to begin withdrawing forces next summer sealed any hope we have that the counterinsurgency will ever work. Historically, successful counterinsurgencies on average take 14 years.

Obama’s third message was to the American people and was an indirect plea for patience. He indicated the end of combat operations in Iraq allowed him to shift resources to Afghanistan and by implication to finish that war sooner.

His plea for patience was linked to widespread concern about the economy. Almost as if he considers our wars a distraction, Obama said “Our most urgent task is to restore our economy, and put the millions of Americans who have lost their jobs back to work.” He understands that his sinking job performance polling is tied to the economy and not to the wars.

His final message was to the veterans. “Our troops are the steel in our ship of state,” the commander in chief said. He praised their sacrifice and pledged “to maintain the finest fighting force that the world has ever known” and “to serve our veterans as well as they have served us.” He promised long-term healthcare and funding for education.

These messages—Iraq, Afghanistan, the economy, and veterans—were loosely linked together. But he missed an opportunity to deliver a message to the radical regime in Iran.

Iran is behind the unrest in Iraq, feeds the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, and threatens to cut-off the flow of Persian Gulf oil which could devastate the global economy. Its nuclear weapons program will soon spark a Middle East arms race which will create nightmares for the Pentagon.

Obama as the leader of the free world should never miss an opportunity to show the connection of crises, warn our adversaries, and reassure our allies.

The President should have used his speech to make clear that America will stay at Iraq’s side until it is stable and able to secure itself, internally and externally. That sends a strong message to Iran to keep its distance.

He should have renounced his previous announcement that U.S. forces will begin withdrawing in July 2011. By restating that deadline Obama encouraged our enemies and discouraged our allies.

Obama mentioned the al Qaeda terror threat in the context of both Iraq and Afghanistan but ignored Iran’s Middle East-wide support for terrorism, the threat that regime poses to oil shipments through the Persian Gulf, and its rapidly advancing atomic weapons program.

Obama’s Oval Office speech scratched his need to celebrate a campaign promise—“bring our combat brigades out of Iraq”—but completely ignored our most pressing problem in the region: Iran. That was a strategic mistake which will drain confidence from our allies and encourage our enemies like the Taliban, al Qaeda, and the mad mullahs in Tehran.

Please note: These stories are located outside of Prophecy Today’s website. Prophecy Today is not responsible for their content and does not necessarily agree with the views expressed therein. These articles are provided for your information.

09/01/10

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* Obama declares U.S. combat mission in Iraq over After more than seven years of war, President Barack Obama declared the combat mission in Iraq over on Tuesday night.

* Trying to Buck Odds, Obama Takes On 3 Big Mideast Tasks President Obama is attempting a triple play this week that eluded his predecessors over the past two decades.

* Barak to Haaretz: Israel ready to cede parts of Jerusalem in peace deal Ehud Barak has always vacillated between peace and security, dovishness and hawkishness, left wing and right wing.

* A Peace Plan Within Our Grasp It’s been 10 long years since the Palestinians and Israelis last came close to establishing a permanent peace.

* Sarkozy, Mubarak see role for Mediterranean Union in Mideast talks French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his Egyptian counterpart, Hosny Mubarak, said Monday in Paris that the Mediterranean Union (UPM) could yet become an important factor in finding a peace settlement in the Mideast.

* US moves into final military phase in Iraq The U.S. on Wednesday moved into the final phase of its military involvement in Iraq.

* Dr. Kedar Warns: Iran May Take Over Persian Gulf Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an expert on Arab politics and Islamic Fundamentalism at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies warns that Iran may be planning a full takeover of Persian Gulf states.

* Italian Outrage Over Gaddafi ‘Convert-to-Islam’ Party in Rome Italian politicians and media expressed outrage this week over a “convert-to-Islam” party held in Rome by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

* Barroso blames capitals for plunge in EU popularity Faced with a plunging popularity of the EU institutions, European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has blamed national capitals for not defending the European project.

* Ashton: West Bank killings aimed at peace talks The gunning down of four Israeli civilians in the West Bank on Tuesday (31 August) must not derail the new round of Middle East peace talks.

08/31/10

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* Iraq ‘independent’ as the US combat operation ends Iraq’s prime minister has said the country is “independent” as the US formally ends combat operations.

* Netanyahu heads to Washington as settlement building casts shadow over peace talks Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boarded a plane for Washington on Tuesday morning to begin new negotiations with the Palestinians.

* PA Prime Minister’s Diplomatic War Against Israel As negotiating teams from Israel and the Palestinian Authority prepare to head to Washington for the first direct talks in more than two years, PA officials are quietly working hard to sabotage the effort.

* Israel training troops for unconventional warfare Israel’s military, preparing for regional war, has been enhancing its skills to fight during a nonconventional weapons attack.

* Putin hints will return to Kremlin in 2012 Russia’s paramount leader, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, hinted on Monday he would return to the presidency in 2012 for six more years.

* Gaddafi wants EU cash to stop African migrants Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi says the EU should pay Libya at least 5bn euros (£4bn; $6.3bn) a year to stop illegal African immigration and avoid a “black Europe”.

* Israeli academics boycott West Bank settlements In a letter, they said they supported the recent decision by a group of actors and others not to take part in cultural activity there.

* UK and France to share aircraft carriers Britain and France are preparing to reveal unprecedented plans to share the use of their aircraft carriers in a controversial step to maintain military power in an era of cost-cutting.

* Netanyahu’s Office Joins World of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s Office (PMO) has joined the modern world of social media.

* Football hooligans to launch ‘European Defence League’ in Amsterdam The English Defence League (EDL), the anti-Muslim ‘street army’ composed largely of football hooligans that burst onto the front pages of British newspapers.

08/30/10

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* Report: Hezbollah, Syria to join forces in future clash with Israel Kuwait’s al-Rai daily says Lebanon-based group, Syrian army have created a joint military command, dividing potential war fronts.

* US: Rabbi’s ‘offensive’ remarks harm peace efforts US State Department spokesman condemns Rabbi Ovadia Yosef’s ‘inflammatory’ statement that all Palestinians should perish.

* Netanyahu: I never promised to extend West Bank settlement construction freeze Netanyahu tells Likud ministers that future of settlements will be discussed as a final-status issue in peace talks with the Palestinians.

* Ashton hits back at Kouchner over Middle East talks EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton has defended her plan to go to China instead of to Thursday’s Middle East peace talks following criticism by French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner.

* Abbas wants talks according to Quartet PA launches campaign to sell peace talks to Palestinians and Israelis.

* Obama says not worried by Muslim ‘rumors’ Asked about persistent accusations that he wasn’t born in US, president responds, ‘I can’t spend all my time with my birth certificate plastered on my forehead’

* Gaddafi gives lesson on Islam to young Italians Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, who considers himself self-styled feminist, gives lesson on Islam and copies of the Quran to a few hundred young Italian women recruited by modeling agency in Rome.

* Chinese state TV confirms visit by NKorea’s Kim China and North Korea confirmed Monday that their leaders met while Kim Jong Il was on a secretive trip to China.

* 2,000 year-old cameo found in Jerusalem Israel Antiquities Authority excavation yields semi-precious onyx.

08/28/10

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* ‘War talk is Zionist propaganda’ Ahmadinejad’s top adviser says no war currently on the horizon.

* France wants EU seat at Mideast peace talks France wants the European Union to have a seat at the table during next week’s start of US-backed peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in Washington.

* 190 antiaircraft missiles found in Sinai Egypt has prevented a shipment of antiaircraft missiles and explosives from entering Gaza.

* Israeli intel confirms Iran backing Shi’ite rebels in northern Yemen Israel has determined that Iran is acting to destabilize Yemen.

* Russian subs stalk Trident in echo of Cold War Russian submarines are hunting down British Vanguard boats in a return to Cold War tactics not seen for 25 years.

* Barack Obama ‘to visit Jerusalem and Ramallah to press for peace’ President Barack Obama will visit Jerusalem in coming months to press for a Middle East peace deal to be signed this year.

* The battle for Wikipedia: Palestinians counter Israeli editing group After a rightist group opened the first-ever Zionist editing group aimed at defending Israel on Wikipedia, a Palestinian organization plans to create its own Wikipedia editing program.

* Lebanese ruling party: Disarm militias Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri convened a meeting of the ruling party Saturday.

* Obama marks formal end of Iraq combat US President Barack Obama said Saturday that the end of combat operations in Iraq doesn’t just reaffirm that country’s sovereignty, but also makes good on one of his principle campaign pledges.

* Erekat rejects fortnightly meetings plan Palestinian Authority Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat rejected Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s calls for fortnightly face-to-face meetings with PA President Mahmoud Abbas.

08/27/10

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* ‘Israel ready to destroy Lebanese Army in four hours’ The US warned Lebanon that if it did not prevent any recurrence of the border-fire incident that occurred earlier this month, the IDF would destroy the Lebanese Armed Forces.

* Iran: Dimona is in Our Crosshairs An unnamed senior officer in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned Thursday that Iran would strike Israel if it is targeted.

* New book: Arab lobby rules America The Arab lobby and most particularly the Saudi lobby, one of the strongest in America-even stronger than Israel’s.

* Israel working to thwart Russia arms deal with Syria Israel is trying to prevent an arms deal between Russia and Syria.

* EU popularity plunges right across the bloc People’s confidence in the the European Union has dropped to record lows.

* PM wants regular talks with Abbas Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will propose next week, at the launching of direct talks with the Palestinian Authority in Washington, that he and PA President Mahmoud Abbas meet every two weeks.

* Radical groups demand Abbas resign PA president urges Israel to seize ‘historic opportunity.’

* Afghanistan’s Karzai criticises US troop pullout Mr Karzai said that announcing a date for the withdrawal had given the Taliban insurgency “a morale boost”.

* US Sends Ross to Talk Freeze United States diplomat Dennis Ross was in Israel Thursday.

* Hamas: PA can’t give up Jerusalem in direct Mideast peace talks Palestinian negotiators are not mandated to surrender Jerusalem or any part of Palestine.

Serving Israel on a Silver Platter

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By: David Wilder

Part 1. Direct talks

The United States: Welcome to resumption of direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel.  The goal of these talks is establishment of a Palestinian State, the borders of which, to be agreed upon during negotiations, will be established according to the pre-June 4, 1967 boundaries. The sides will have an unlimited opportunity to express their opinions and set forth their proposals during these talks, which will be completed within one year.  At this point I would request Israel to make an opening statement.

Russia: Thank you very much, Mr. President. It is our honor to be participating in these discussions. We agree with most of your opening statement, with a significant addition. It should be clear that we support weapons control for all the parties involved, provided that Israel and Palestine have equal opportunity to defend themselves against any external aggression. Therefore, we expect the sides to agree to international observation and intervention at all military facilities, including the Israeli nuclear reactor in Dimona. This is an axiomatic principal which must be applied, prior to any other discussions.

The United States: Thank you Mr. Representative. Now, please, Israel.

The European Union: Clearly, one of the most important points is security. Palestinian security has been languishing for over 100 years, ever since the Zionist invasion of Palestine. Palestinian security must be ensured. The only way to guarantee their safe sanctuary is via secure borders. These borders must be properly patrolled at all times by international forces, to be armed and prepared to repel any and all aggressors. It is imperative that the Palestinians also be allowed to have a hand in guarding their lives and country, Therefore the EU will assist in arming a full-fledged Palestinian military defense force, to be called the PDF. This has already been promised to the Palestinian leadership, and as we speak, the PDF framework is being established.

The United States: Thank you, Mr. Representative. Mr. Israeli Prime Minister, please.

The United Nations: Mr. President, please note: 1) The UN, in the 1970s, passed a resolution stating that Zionism is Racism. 2) The UN, in 1947, passed resolution 181, calling for a partition of Palestine. We believe that the time has come to finally implement that resolution, which will bring about a quick solution to all the issues at hand.

The United States: Thank you, Mr. Representative.

Mr. Israeli Prime Minister, in all actuality, I believe there is nothing left to be said. There seems to be unanimous agreement around this table, and with some arm-twisting, we should be able to convince the Palestinians to accept this agreement. Of course, we expect that Israel will assist, with immediate gestures of goodwill, proving your authentic desire for the peace we are on the verge of achieving. Your quiet, relaxed form of expression is much appreciated.

Thank you all for attending. These talks are now adjourned.

Part 2: Suicide watch

Let’s stop and take a look at the map of Israel.

To our north, we must deal with Hizballah in Southern Lebanon. These terrorists are being fed weapons from Syria, Iran, and other friendly nations. According to intelligence reports, they have chemical warheads capable of reaching Tel Aviv.

A little further east we reach Syria, who also maintains an arsenal of unconventional long-range missiles.

Of course, to the north we have Iran, in the process of mixing a nuclear cocktail, aimed also at Tel Aviv.

The eastern border, the Kingdom of Jordan, seems stable. Except for the fact that the King’s enemies attempted to kill his daddy, the late Hussein, numerous times.

Egypt has maintained a cold peace with Israel since the early 1980s. However, President Mubarak is terminally ill, and the Islamic Brotherhood has its eyes on the President’s palace. Should they take over, that 30 year old peace would fizzle up in an instant.

And then, last by not least, we have Hamas sitting to our south, also with missiles capable of hitting deep into the heart of Israel.

That having been said, what happens when another Arab state is formed on our eastern border. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Abu Mazen really has repented. He no longer denies the Holocaust, he’s sorry about Kiryat Shemona and Ma’alot, and really wants to live peacefully with the Jews. Great. Except, what happens post-Abu Mazen. He’s already announced his intentions to retire. What if his successor has yet to reach the repentant level already achieved by his predecessor? What then?

Or, another possible scenario. It’s quite likely that, following a full Israeli withdrawal from Judea and Samaria, our southern neighbors, down there in Gaza, will attempt to overthrow ‘the good guys,’ in the newly created state of Palestine, leaving Israel to deal with Hamas a few kilometers from Kfar Saba and Petach Tikva. It’s a well known fact that the only reason Hamas still hasn’t succeeded in Yehuda v’Shomron as they did in Gaza is solely due to the presence of the IDF. What happens when they’re gone? Another 8,000 rockets, shot into every Israeli city on our western coast?

Another, no less important factor. From the hills of northern Samaria, there is a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean Sea, from Netanya to Ashkelon. It’s quite exciting to observe a multitude of planes taking off and landing at Ben Gurion airport. Should these hills be abandoned to our enemy, these terrorists will easily be able point a sixteen kilogram shoulder-held Stinger missile at one of our aircraft and pull the trigger, blowing up the plane and killing 300 people instantaneously.  And this is not some imaginary hallucination. Israeli intelligence is working hard to find a solution to this much too realistic possibility.

And perhaps last, but not least. What about us, those of us slated for expulsion from our homes. Optimistic figures are somewhere in the vicinity of 200,000 Jews to be affected in Judea and Samaria. Would our leaders expect us to live under a ‘friendly’ Palestinian leadership? And if not, where are we supposed to go. Israel still hasn’t found homes for the 10,000 people expelled from Gush Katif and the northern Shomron five years ago. What are they going to do with 200,000 people? Where will people work? Where will kids go to school? Perhaps Israel will establish Jewish  refugee camps in the Negev and Galil?

Direct talks, leading to a Palestinian state, is nothing less than suicide, serving up Israel on a silver platter.

With blessings from Hebron,
David Wilder

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Please note: These stories are located outside of Prophecy Today’s website. Prophecy Today is not responsible for their content and does not necessarily agree with the views expressed therein. These articles are provided for your information.