SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE U.S.

In our last Update (#88), we published a special report from Continental Europe, showing European reactions to the war with Iraq. We pointed out that we do not necessarily agree with the opinions set forth in the report.

With this issue, we are bringing you a special report from the American point of view. As you will see, this report confirms, too, the ongoing alienation of the United States of America and continental Europe, as foretold in the Bible thousands of years ago. We want to point out that we do not necessarily agree with the opinions expressed in this report, either, but we feel that it is important to realize the different view points on the matter of Iraq, and that these things may well affect the future of all of us.

We would also like to mention that we do not vouch for the accuracy of the “facts” stated in contributions, as published in these special reports. For instance, in the last report from Europe, somebody stated that Germany was never a colonial power, which is of course not correct. In this report, you will find a statement by someone that no German leader compared Saddam with Hitler. Although technically correct, quite a few German leaders, including foreign minister Joschka Fischer (from the Green party), Angela Merkel (leader of the Christian Democrats) and Guido Westerwelle (leader of the Free Democrats) pointed out repeatedly the tyranny, evil conduct and suppression of Saddam. Still, we are bringing you those statements uncorrected, as to present their flavor in their original form.

This report will show the strong differences of opinions in the United States and continental Europe, especially in France and Germany. We don’t ignore the fact that there are dissenting opinions in both parts of the world, but the quoted statements in our reports seem to convey, in our judgment, the respective majority positions.

World Net Daily, April 8, 2003

Dear Germany: Have you learned anything?
By Dennis Prager

[Dennis Prager, one of America’s most respected and popular nationally syndicated radio talk-show hosts, is the author of several books and a frequent guest on television shows such as Larry King Live, Politically Incorrect, The Late Late Show on CBS, Rivera Live, The Early Show on CBS, Fox Family Network, The O’Reilly Factor and Hannity & Colmes.]

I grew up, as many Americans and nearly all Jews did, with a deep anger at your country. But as a young man, I began to rethink my views of Germans. Against the wishes of almost everyone I knew – most of whom would not even buy a German product – I decided to go to Germany. My visit in 1968, at the age of 20, was the first of at least a dozen trips to your country.

In fact, I became a defender of yours.

I argued that it was wrong to hold any German who had been younger than 13 years old during the war morally responsible for your country’s horrific crimes. I chose the age of 13 because in Judaism, that is the age of moral culpability. I argued in 1968 that every German then under the age of 40 must be regarded as blameless, and we should not assume the worst of every German over 40.
I argued that because Volkswagen and Mercedes defied the Arab boycott and did business with Israel, Jews should not boycott German products.

I argued that you were our staunch ally in the Cold War in confronting Soviet Communism.

I argued, most important of all, that Germans were ashamed of their Nazi past and had learned great moral lessons from it.

The last argument, I now realize, was more hope than fact. There is no question that the vast majority of Germans are ashamed of Nazism and the Holocaust. But I am now as certain as I am sad that you learned nothing about good and evil from it, and that you are as confused morally today as you were when you supported Hitler. Not because you are evil, but because you cannot recognize evil.
This is stunning. Unlike the Japanese, who have ignored their atrocities against the Chinese and Koreans, you confronted your evil. You taught the next generations of Germans about Nazism and about the Holocaust.
It is therefore incredible that all that education about evil has produced a generation that shies away from judging, let alone confronting, evil. It boggles the mind that a nation that was liberated from Nazism solely by armies waging war should embrace pacifism, that a nation that saw what appeasement of evil leads to now embraces it.
I was sure that some German leaders would stand up and say, “My fellow Germans, we know a Hitler when we see one, and Saddam Hussein is one.” But no German stood up to say this. Instead, one of your leaders compared the American president to Hitler.

I was sure that some German leaders would stand up and say, “My fellow Germans, we know genocidal anti-Semitism when we see it, and we see it in the Arab world.” But no German leader stood up to say this either.
Few of us expected anything from the French. From the Jacobins and the guillotine, to the Dreyfus trial, to the Vichy regime, to de Gaulle’s withdrawal from anti-communist NATO, France, with rare exceptions, has done little that is moral and nothing that is courageous. So the disdain that many Americans have long felt for France has merely been reinforced.

But I think that I speak in the name of many Americans in saying that we expected more of you. Because of what we did for you after World War II and during the Cold War. Because you, of all people, know that Americans are a decent people. And especially because of your experience with evil. How could you have produced a Hitler and not recognize another one just one generation later? How could you know firsthand about torture chambers and children’s screams and not ache to end them in another country? How could you side with amoral France against your friend America?

There is, it would seem, only one answer. Nazism taught you nothing. Instead of learning that evil must be fought, you learned that fighting is evil.

But thanks for Bach.

U.S. News & World Report:

December 23, 2002 (p. 56):

Put-up or Shut-up Time
By Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-in-Chief

Iraq’s declaration is manifestly false and surely amounts to a material breach of the U.N. security resolution calling for a “full, final and complete” declaration of Iraq’s weapons programs… America must be resolute. Should a member of the Security Council announce his attentions to oppose action against Iraq – and France and Russia may be tempted because of their eagerness to pursue economic self-interests with Saddam – we must stand firm… Forty years ago, President Kennedy observed that “we no longer live in a world where only the actual firing of weapons represents a sufficient challenge to a nation’s security to constitute maximum peril.” JFK acted. Today, the truth he enunciated is magnified a thousandfold, and it is to the great credit of President Bush that he recognizes it and is responding with the same courage and fortitude.”

U.S. News & World Report:

February 10, 2003

Clear and Compelling Proof
By Mortimer B. Zuckerman, Editor-in-Chief

A good part of the European moaning is really a psychological crutch to draw attention away from weaknesses at home – what the French writer Jean-Francois Revel called “weapons of mass destruction.” Europeans cannot muster the political will to develop their own military, so they recoil from any use of force. We cannot be constrained by these apologies for impotence when we face dangers that metastasize almost daily… If America’s partners in the West are in for a dime and not for a dollar, so be it… The president’s candor and courage leave not a shadow of doubt as to where we have planted our banner.

MSN, March 7, 2003:
Top This – The French-German Iraq Con Game

By William Saletan

Should the United States yield to the United Nations? The question makes no sense. The United States practically invented the United Nations… The United Nations needs us a lot mor
e than we need it… And we’re flattered that the only rival you [France and Germany] can put up against us is ourselves.

U.S. News & World Report:

March 10, 2003

Separated By More Than An Ocean
By Jay Tolson

President Bush’s rhetoric and actions appear to be fueling a new wave of anti-Americanism throughout Europe, not least among its chattering classes. Novelist John le Carre’s now famous charge that “America has entered one of its periods of historical madness” registers the shrill tone voiced by many of Europe’s leading intellectuals. “I’ve never seen so many bad feelings about America, not even during the Vietnam War,” says German author Peter Schneider… Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder played to German anti-war sentiments to win the last election, and President Jacques Chirac’s resistance to American “unilateralism” has become a test case of his Gaullist effort to make Europe a rival to the American superpower… Above all, Europeans, particularly those who live with large Muslim populations in their midst, cannot comprehend how hitting Saddam Hussein will help in the war against terrorism… [T]he majority of respondents in Germany and France believe that America’s real intent in the current conflict is to “control Iraqi oil.”

Time Magazine
March 17, 2003

France’s Game
By Charles Krauthammer

French opposition to the U.S. is not about Iraq but about who runs the world… France does not expect to rival America but to tame it, restrain it, thwart it – and to accept the world’s laurels for having led the way. Not only would this make France leader of global opposition. It would also restore France to what it sees as its rightful place as leader of Europe… If Blair can be politically destroyed, France will have demonstrated to the world the price of going with America – and defying France.

U.S. News & World Report:

March 24, 2003

A time for Certainty
By John Leo

So the French have been running around Africa urging tiny nations on the U.N. Security Council to help humiliate America and frustrate the war in Iraq. One French company has multi-billion-dollar oil contracts pending with Baghdad, and… another French firm is now supplying the Iraqi Air Force with spare parts for warplanes… More American soldiers may die because of France’s dubious diplomacy… It’s striking that the fecklessness of the U.N. and the treachery of the French draw so many yawns from establishment commentators and politicians. They much prefer to complain about Bush… We hear little these days about Saddam Hussein’s butchery or the relative ease of developing weapons of mass destruction.

U.S. News & World Report:

March 31, 2003

A Chronicle of a War Foretold
By Fouad Ajami

Like a river with many tributaries, the opposition to war against Iraq flows in countless lands. The French pour into this opposition a congenital anti-Americanism, the repressed anger of a decade – the 1990s – when America sat astride the world. French power is a distant memory, the pretensions of it pathetic in the extreme. The opposition to the United States indulges a French fantasy of grandeur. The Germans, for their part, are eager to put behind them the horrors of the Second World War… It is no accident that Germany has picked up this new anti-Americanism at a time when a rampant revisionism about the Second World War now tempts many in Germany… War is hell, and the American leaders dispatching a great big army to Mesopotamia know that. The wonder weapons at their disposal, and the smart bombs, and the big ships, offer them no consolation, no immunity from history’s anguish and history’s judgment.

U.S. News & World Report:

March 31, 2003

Command Presence
By Kenneth T. Walsh

Bush’s certainty has alienated much of the world… His self-assertiveness gets under the skin of Europeans… Adds [political scientist Ross] Baker, “The doctrine is, in effect, ‘We are the world’s policeman.'”… Despite his confidence, Bush’s immediate future is filled with risk.”
 

SPECIAL REPORT FROM CONTINENTIAL EUROPE

For decades, the Church of God has published and preached a warning message to this world, explaining the significance of events in light of Biblical prophecy. The Church has been announcing well in advance the reunification of Germany, the establishment of a powerful European power bloc – economically with one common currency, politically, militarily, and religiously.

The Church has also pointed out the increasingly influential role of the Catholic Church, the formation of a power bloc in the Arab world, an initial peaceful relationship between Europe and the Middle East, followed by European occupation of that region. The Church has also explained in advance the clear Biblical teaching that the United States of America, Great Britain, and other Commonwealth nations will find themselves more and more in opposition to the opinion of the other nations of the world, including continental Europe. Our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” explains these developments in much more detail.

As a service to our readership, we are bringing you in this special report the opinions and reactions of the continental Europeans as to the war with Iraq and the days thereafter. The Church of the Eternal God does not necessarily agree with the opinions set forth below, nor do we take any political side. However, we feel it is important that you know the feelings overseas, as they show clearly the continued fulfillment of prophecy in the direction as set forth in God’s word, the Bible, thousands of years ago, and they prove that the return of Jesus Christ is near.

INITIAL OVERSEAS FEELINGS AND REACTIONS AS TO THE WAR WITH IRAQ:

84 % of Germans Are Against the War: 62% believe that the war is in violation of international law. 49% believe that President Bush is mainly responsible for the war – only 26 % believe that Saddam Hussein is responsible (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 29, 2003).

The Reaction of the World: Vladimir Putin: “The attack is a serious political mistake.” Jacques Chirac warned against a humanitarian catastrophe. Pope John Paul II expressed his deep sorrow of the Vatican. Romano Prodi, President of the European Commission: “A sad moment for the nations of the world” (Bild, March 21, 2003).

Iraq War Prompts Massive Protests: About 200,000 people demonstrated in Germany against the attack of the United States. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder criticized in a television program the military action, stating that it was wrong… He said Germany would not participate in this war (Rhein-Neckar Zeitung, March 21, 2003).

War Under Protest: Never before in the history of Germany has a war led to so much resistance, protest and rejection… The protest is so severe because the reasons, given by President Bush, are equally as fundamentalist as those of his enemies. The concept of religious motives and his crusade in the name of good are met especially in Europe with serious concerns. This prompts the churches, which have in their history supported many times the powerful nations, to now form a never-before seen opposition (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 21, 2003).

Churches Attack US Government: The Catholic and Protestant churches in Baden-Wuerttemberg (in the southern part of Germany) criticized with unusually strong words the preventive war of the US. “We do not support those who fight a war,” they stated in a common declaration. They object that the Bush administration justified actions of war with religious language and a religious mission (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 21, 2003).

Bush Against the Rest of the World: There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a detestable dictator and mass murderer who is suppressing his people… There is also no doubt, however, that a preventive war by President Bush against Iraq without a UN mandate is an aggressive war, which violates international law and is illegal. The following is true for the only existing super power: One cannot defend law by breaking it (Stern, March 20, 2003).

Attack in the Name of Freedom: The American President has found stronger and stronger words to justify an attack against Iraq. To carry it out, he used every means – including the lies of propaganda and the breach of international law (Stern, March 20, 2003).

The War of Lies – a Protocol of Deceit: In war, truth dies first. This time, it died long before the first shot was fired. The invasion of Iraq has been planned by mighty men in Washington already six years ago (Stern, March 20, 2003).

For the first time, German President Johannes Rau attacked President Bush directly and strongly. He uttered doubts in regard to Bush’s godly mission. “There are situations where a war is unavoidable, but this was not the case with Iraq,” Rau said. Bush is suffering from a grandiose misunderstanding when he talks about a godly mission, which is inspiring him to fight this war, according to Rau… Nowhere in the Bible are we asked to start a crusade, Rau said (Der Spiegel Online, March 31, 2003).

Bad Suspicion Against the Americans: The International Federation of Journalists raised serious accusations against the Americans. [They claim] that the “Palestine”- hotel was attacked on purpose [In the attack, two camera men died.] It is in the best interest of the Americans [according to a Board member of the Federation] that journalists only report what the Americans want them to (Focus Online, April 9, 2003).

Federation of Journalists Accuse the United States of War Crime: The British BBC uttered doubts about the accuracy of the version of the US military that a US tank had been shot at from the building… The Spanish government demanded an explanation from Washington. The Greek government condemned the incidence (Der Spiegel Online, April 9, 2003).

Hate Against the Arrogant Super Power: What the world sees is quite different from the American promises to free Iraq from Saddam in a clean walk in the park. TV broadcasts and pictures show corpses without heads and burned people… Even if this was caused by Iraqis – hate and resistance grow day by day especially in the Arab world… Does President Bush know what is rising up against him?… America is virtually alone in this fight… Governments might support the United States – the peoples do not (Format, April 9, 2003).

[Austria’s] Hugo Portisch [speaks about] the Real Motives of the United States: “[The Americans] are in the process of winning… But to win means more than just to beat one’s opponents militarily. One has only won when one has reached one’s military goals… The official goals only covered and hid the real ones – to protect and secure the oil reservoirs in the Middle East… If they had made that clear they would not have received the support of the people for this war… Henry Kissinger told me once, when the U.S. goes to war, it has to be a crusade – otherwise, the people won’t support it. There has got to be a moral reason for a war. That’s why Bush speaks about a godly mission, and Saddam was declared to be a Ben Laden who threatens the United States and the world with weapons of mass destruction” (News Online, April 9, 2003).

REACTIONS BY THE POPE:

Pope Condemns War: The pope has again condemned the war against Saddam. Only peace is the way to establish a more just society, he said. “War threatens mankind” (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 23, 2003).

Vatican – Miraculous Healing: His energetic mission against the American-British war has given him new strength, believers claim (Der Spiegel, March 24, 2003).

Big Gulf Between Spain and the Vatican: When he visits Spain in May, pope Paul II will have to clarify some questions – such as, whether dedicated Catholics can violate orders of the pope. The president of the Spanish Conference of Bishops, Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco, pointed out that the position of the pope against the war with Iraq is binding on all Catholics. Cardinal Rouco mentioned recently that the pope could even excommunicate Catholic politicians because of their stance on the Iraqi question (Der Spiegel Onlin
e, April 6, 2003).

John Paul II Prays for Speedy End of Iraqi War: He mentioned that April 11 will be the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of the encyclical “Pacem in Terris,” in which Pope John Paul XXIII traced the great lines for the promotion of peace… “My thoughts turn in particular to Iraq and to all who are involved in the war that rages over there,” he added. “I think especially of the unarmed civilian population that is subjected to a harsh test in various cities”… [He] noted that there is a sign of hope amid the darkness, based on the general “conviction that eventual controversies among peoples must not be resolved with recourse to arms but, instead, through negotiations.” (Zenit, April 6, 2003).

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN IRAQ AFTER THE WAR?

Restoration of Iraq Will Take Many Years: It will cost between 25 billion and 100 billion dollars… The restoration of the Iraq is an explosive topic for Washington. The US government has been accused that it is only interested in the control of Iraqi oil. This the government has consistently denied. Officials insist that the oil belongs to the Iraqis… There is no doubt, however, that the Americans, after a victory, will be in control over Iraqi oil and they will decide who should be involved in the restoration of Iraq (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 29, 2003).

After the War: Victory for Bush in this unnecessary war is certain. The only question is, For what price? (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 26, 2003).

Expensive Bill: Even 200 billion dollars might not be enough for the necessary replacement of weaponry and restoration of Iraq… After this war, we might see an economic crisis, which this world has never experienced before… And what is the price for the many many dead, maimed and injured? Only God can evaluate that (Bild, March 25, 2003).

The Bitter Victory: After the war, there will still be no peace in Iraq… Joy will end in tragedy… What does freedom and democracy mean in a country in which the people have known nothing for decades but violence, murder and war?… This war will depose of Saddam, but it will not lead to peace or freedom in the Middle East… It will end a terrible dream, only to replace it with another one (Stern, March 27, 2003).

Is Iraq Controllable – Or Will the Situation Be as Rocky as in Afghanistan?… It will be even rockier… Risk #1: The Turks will invade in the north, if the Kurds occupy the oil-producing city of Kirkuk… Risk #2: Islamic fighters will rise up against the Allies… Risk #3: Shiites plunder churches and rich cities… To whom does Iraqi oil belong? The Iraq – the oil industry is owned by the state. Former US vice-minister for energy, David Goldwyn: “The United States do not have the authority, according to international law, to sell Iraqi oil, as long as there is no resolution of the UN Security Council” (Bild Online, April 7, 2003).

Bush Must Present a Peace Plan – Interview with former American national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski: “The only possible outcome now is a new regime. Part of the definition of victory is that it results in stability and democracy, and not simply a military occupation that must be maintained to counter resistance on the part of the local population… Of course, the presence of the US military is necessary for a certain period of time, but hopefully not too long. However, an international body should assume supreme civil authority on a transitional basis as quickly as possible, and should then transfer power to the Iraqis… The problem posed by Iraq was tremendously exaggerated, particularly when compared with the challenge presented by North Korea” (Der Spiegel Online, April 7, 2003).

Counter Summit in Russia: Does Germany help with the restoration of Iraq? Russia’s President Putin, France’s President Chirac, and Germany’s Chancellor Schroeder will determine this weekend their course of action for the time after the war. The leaders of the anti-war coalition want to prevent a leadership of the United States in Iraq and demand a leadership role of the United Nations… The announcement of the meeting occurred at the same time, when Bush met with Blair in Belfast. Both agreed that the United Nations should play a “vital role” in Iraq. The two warlords did not announce further details. When a journalist asked what this phrase means, Bush answered in a nebulous way: “A vital role for the UN means a vital role for the UN” (Der Spiegel Online, April 8, 2003).

World Security Council Will Decide Soon About Reconstruction: Javier Solana, the foreign ambassador of the European Union, stated that a distinctive role of the UN in Iraq is a condition for economic and political participation of the European Union (Spiegel Online, April 9, 2003).

Economy of Fear: The war against Saddam and the restoration of Iraq will cost billions – that much is certain. The costs of uncertainty, caused by this war, will be much higher… “It can already be said that this war increases economic uncertainties and endangers, if not destroys, hope for economic growth,” according to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder… When US President George Bush refuses to accept phone calls from his French and German colleagues, then that is a political debacle (Spiegel Online, April 10, 2003).

The Change of the Regime — Too Early For Freedom:
“What liberation? What freedom?”, the musician Fais Chalil asked angrily. “They plunder everywhere.”… He does not understand the reason for the enforced regime change. “We have lived quite peacefully so far,” he said… The retired 63-year old Chalid Abduldschabar explains, “Our country has been occupied by the Americans. They only want our oil and our riches.” The partially brutal conduct of the Americans has increased antagonism against them… When on Wednesday a statute of Saddam in front of the “Palestine” hotel was destroyed, TV showed pictures of jubilant Iraqis… But pictures deceive sometimes. Firstly, the crowd was not all that big. And secondly, they did not represent the average people of Baghdad. “There we see people cheering,” according to an older Iraqi, ” who yesterday cheered for Saddam” (Der Stern, April 10, 2003).

Historical Experience – Excitement does not last long: Celebrations of joy were also seen in 1992, when US troops entered Somalia. A few months later, the same people dragged dead corpses of American soldiers through the streets… Washington is deeply satisfied about pictures of jubilant crowds in Baghdad, destroying symbols of Saddam’s power. But the population is already angry in Basra, which has been under British control since Monday, because the troops cannot prevent plundering and lawlessness in the city (Der Stern, April 10, 2003).

CALLS FOR EUROPEAN UNITY AND INVOLVEMENT

Interview with Raif Georges Khouri, Professor for Islam at the University of Heidelberg: “The Iraqis view the Americans as imperialists, rather than as liberators… Iraqis resist intervention from the outside, especially when it comes through Americans… The Americans do not understand the mentality of the people… In the hour of need, all Muslims gather together to defend the Islam identity. They feel like brothers. The Americans don’t want to understand that. They think, they march in, and the people feel liberated, because the Savior has come. But it’s not that easy… If the Americans are not careful, they will lose any sympathy in the Arab world… The risk of terrorist attacks has largely increased due to the war… At the moment, there is absolutely no foundation for a democracy in Iraq… One has to ask where there are any democratic powers in Iraq… After the war, mainly the Europeans must get involved. Only the European culture could give Iraqis more than just economic help… The Arabs trust Europeans more than Americans. They especially trust France, Germany and Russia. Why? Because Germany was never a colonial power” (Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung, March 29, 2003).

European Bishops Call for a More United EU to Promote Peace: A commission of European bishops called on t
he European Union to promote a more just and peaceful global order, as it considered the EU response to the Iraqi crisis… [The] bishops… urge[d] the EU leaders and institutions to work together for peace and justice in the Mideast and elsewhere (Zenit, April 1, 2003).

Common Army Planned: Germany, France and Belgium plan a common defense army. Other European Nations are asked to join the initiative (Bild, March 22, 2003).

More Europe: The political battle continues. Germany and France refuse to accept the superiority of the United States, not even after the war in Iraq. Berlin and Paris are planning the development of a 60,000-man intervention force… Along the long road to creating a European military force, officials in Berlin are already considering that each state would not necessarily need its own army, air force and navy… Although America and Great Britain can win the war on their own, they cannot win the peace… Chirac is determined, together with a coalition of those desiring peace, to break the hegemonic efforts of the US president… With great satisfaction, the Germans and French have found that this time they have gained an unexpected ally: British prime minister Tony Blair, who insistently pushed for a UN solution during last week’s meeting with Bush. According to French diplomats, Blair, unlike Bush, is a true moralist, one who places great faith in the law, justice and international consensus… Meanwhile, Schroeder and Fischer view the German-French cooperation as the most successful outcome of their diplomatic efforts…
The United States have 1.4 million soldiers. Presently, the Europeans have 1.6 million soldiers (This figure includes, however, the British contingent) The correct figures are as follows:

Germany 308,000
France 274,000
Italy 230,000
Great Britain 211,000
Greece 159,000
Spain 144,000
Netherlands 50,000
Portugal 44,000
Belgium 39,000
Austria 35,000
Sweden 34,000
Finland 32,000
Denmark 22,000
Ireland 11,000
Luxembourg 1,000…
The USA spends 322.4 billion dollars for the military. Europe only spends 149.3 billion dollars (Der Spiegel, March 31, 2003).

The Superpower and the Rest of the World: “He went without knowing where he would go.” With this verse from the Bible, President Bush started the day when he decided to begin the war… Saddam Hussein is done. That is the good news. The bad news is: Not only Iraq needs to be restored, the international relationships have to be restored, too… Bush and Rumsfeld have transformed the legitimate war against terrorists into a crusade against everything that does not match their world view… Europe has to emancipate and take their economic and political future into their own hands. In the end, the New World order might look quite differently than anticipated by the Bush-men (Stern, March 27, 2003)

Interview with Professor Paul Kennedy (He wrote a book in 1988 before the fall of the Berlin Wall, titled, “The Rise and Fall of the Great Powers.” In it, he stated that the influence of the United States would decline, due to “imperial overstretch”): “The Iraq war could prove to be one war too many… The war against Iraq is not the final destination… When an 85-year old senator such as Robert Byrd is the only one who utters essential criticism, then Congress cannot be in a healthy condition… Militarily, no one can compete with us in the short term. But the situation is different economically. The European Union is as strong as the United States… It is noteworthy that with the exception of Great Britain and Australia, no developed democratic country was really supporting the war against Iraq. The Americans have to rely on Rumsfeld’s absurd coalition of the willing, for instance Mongolia or El Salvador or Columbia.” (Stern Online, April 4, 2003).

EU – Enlargement — The Time Has Arrived: The European Parliament has resolved with a great majority to add ten new member states to Europe by next year… The need was stressed to act in a unified way… Next week, discussions about the new European Constitution will be held… Germany and France propose to create a new European Foreign Minister (Spiegel Online, April 9, 2003).

WILL THIS WAR GO BEYOND THE BORDERS OF IRAQ?

29% of the Germans fear that the war against Iraq will lead to a new World War (Bild, March 21, 2003).

The War threatens the entire Middle East, including Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia, and Catarrh (Bild, March 23, 2003).

The United States warn Iran, Syria and North Korea: The defeat of the Saddam regime should be used as a lesson by countries such as Iran, Syria and North Korea, which are likewise suspected of producing weapons of mass destruction, according to John Bolton, the U.S. commissioner for disarmament… 42 percent of the Americans would favor an attack against Syria, if Syria should in fact support Iraq (Spiegel Online, April 9, 2003).

“I Warn Against Repetitions”: Chancellor Schroeder conditioned German participation of a restoration in Iraq on the role of the UN in the process. At the same time, he warned the USA against further unilateral military actions… against other countries in the region (Der Spiegel Online, April 10, 2003).

USA Bring MOAB to the Middle East: The USA have transported their most powerful conventional bomb, MOAB, to the Golf region… There is no official explanation as to why the United States need this bomb at the end of the war with Iraq. The bomb with the nickname, “Mother of all Bombs,” is officially named, “Massive Ordnance Air Blast” (Der Spiegel Online, April 10, 2003).

GERMANS ARE ALREADY INVOLVED IN IRAQI WAR

The Weapons Speak in Iraq. We Germans think that that is far away. The Chancellor repeats daily his iron “No” to German participation in the war. But Germany is part of it. Whether we want to admit it or not. German soldiers are stationed in Kuwait… German airplanes with German soldiers, as part of AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) fly over Turkey to defend against Iraqi attacks… At the horn of Africa, German vessels with German marines are to prevent any terror initiated by Saddam. German participation cannot be denied (Bild, March 21, 2003).

HOW SAFE IS THIS WORLD APART FROM IRAQ?

The World of the Atom Bomb: Saddam Hussein is not the biggest problem in the world. More and more irresponsible regimes have nuclear weapons. While U.S. President Bush is attacking the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein with 200,000 soldiers, a new crisis is developing at the other end of the world — in North Korea… Another evil regime has nuclear weapons – it does not look good for the world… Albert Einstein, who had encouraged the United States in 1939 to develop the atom bomb, in order to preempt Hitler, subsequently realized that this would not lead to a good solution. He wrote in a letter to American President Roosevelt: “I’m not sure with what weapons World War III will be fought. But in World War IV, they will fight with sticks and rocks” (Max, April 2003 edition).
 

VICTORY — BUT AT WHAT PRICE?

As the ultimate battle for world opinion rages, US officials speak of the certainty of victory–the inescapable conclusion that the coalition will prevail and that Saddam and his regime will be removed. Yet, outside of the United States, including British opinion, the picture is not quite so rosy.
In a headline from Gannet News Service (4/1/03), under the banner, “U.S. losing international public-relations battle,” the following: “…massive antiwar and anti-U.S. protests have swept through the Middle East. Polls there show almost universal opposition. The United States is seen overwhelmingly as an invading aggressor out to colonize Iraq and its oil, not a liberator out to make the world safer.”

That this attitude is not confined to the Middle East was pointed out and summarized in the April 2, 2003, edition of the “Rocky Mountain News:” (The Times of India”) “…It is difficult to predict the outcome of the war. The only certainty is that a lethal blow has been inflicted on the U.N. by the unilateral Anglo-American action and from which the world body may not recover.” The “News” goes on to quote (The Moscow Times), “According to a number of recent television polls, some 80 percent of Russians–and probably more–want Iraq to win the war…”

There is a call for Jihad and martyrdom for the Islamic nation–all aimed at the US and its coalition partners. Inevitably, Israel is linked and targeted as a part of this call for revenge.

Although a different powerful enemy will arise in the near future against the British and American peoples, current events appear to be setting the stage for the world of Islam to seek to unify and develop the combined power to resist the “infidel” that threatens them. The Middle East is the world’s greatest resource for oil, and because of that, tremendous wealth will continue to flow into the region. That wealth will once again be turned into armaments. Note this precise prophecy in Daniel 11:40, ” ‘AT THE TIME OF THE END the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North (the coming Beast Power) shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through.’ ” This speaks of a time yet to be fulfilled. The very dramatic events of the current Iraq war are merely setting the stage for the conclusive “time of the end” leading to the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of God’s Kingdom. A Kingdom that will begin to rule in Jerusalem, and one that will quickly fill the earth!

 

COLD WAR IN ASIA

News reports of recent weeks highlight the war of words between North Korea and the United States. However, an epic conflict with troublesome potential is smoldering between North Korea and Japan. Note this report from The Coloradoan (4/1/03): “The North Korean test of the short-range, ground-to-ship missile came just days after Japan launched two satellites into orbit to keep watch over Pyongyang’s missile and suspected nuclear arms programs.”

China is also deeply suspicious of Japan’s capacity to mount a military presence. Chinese news reports continually cite with muted alarm any actions on Japan’s part that hint of Japan’s former worldwide military influence. This regional fear only tends to propel the various sides into a growing armaments race.

Once again, we must continue to look at where the events of the moment are leading. The stage is being set as all of the pieces of prophecy are now coming together to clearly mark what the Bible calls “the time of the end!”

A RISING MILITARY POWER

Lost in the headlines and play by play events of the Iraq war, events are now shaping up in central Europe that will profoundly affect the balance of power that places the US as the only super-power. In The Coloradoan for April 1, 2003, a short summary reports on the ascending role of the EU–this time, militarily: “the European Union took over peacekeeping duties in ethnically divided Macedonia on Monday, A FIRST MILITARY MISSION that will test the EU’s ability to handle trouble spots without help from NATO or the United States. …The mission, dubbed Concordia, is set to last six months and cost $6 million. It is considered a key test of the 15-nation bloc’s ability to eventually build a 60,000-strong rapid reaction force able to deploy swiftly for humanitarian operations.”

Biblical prophecy clearly reveals that this emerging power will become the greatest of all history. As it dwarfs and surpasses the US and Britain, the ominous repercussions for these two peoples will be catastrophic! Only if those who watch these things turn wholeheartedly to God in obedience to Him will there be safety in the tumultuous times shortly ahead.
 

WAR WATCHING

This week has witnessed the full eruption of war between the US led “coalition of the willing” and the country of Iraq.

A peaceful solution to this conflict was unobtainable–not in the United Nations and not between the adversaries themselves.

In both the Moslem world and the Western nations, live coverage pervades the media. A new component of war is the “embed”. This term describes reporters who are traveling with coalition forces–embedded within the various elements of this massive onslaught. New technology such as the latest video phones has brought this war into our living rooms as we watch events unfold on our television sets.

As war rages and the world watches, many are expressing their outrage. Worldwide demonstrations against this war are mounting. The hope for a peaceful aftermath of this conflict is quickly fading. There is a flood of resentment now taking root across the globe. This quote from The Associated Press on 3/25/03 highlights the problem: ” ‘Hatred against America is increasing,’ said Shahid Shamsi, spokesman for the United Action forum, a hard-line Islamic group in Pakistan, where an estimated 100,000 people marched through the city of Lahore Sunday.”

Protestors are effectively organizing via the internet. Well timed rallies are being orchestrated in nations around the world.

And although the US, Britain and the rest of the coalition are claiming the moral high ground to justify this war, it appears that a permanent erosion and ultimate division is being created with those nations and peoples who are in opposition.

UN ROLE IN POST-WAR IRAQ?

Even as the war in Iraq has entered an intense period, nations are jockeying for a role in its aftermath. Once again, it appears to be a proposition that will continue to isolate the United States. Tony Blair was in the US this week to lobby for some reconciliation with the UN and its recalcitrant members. From Reuters, 3/26/03, “British Prime Minister Tony Blair flew to Washington Wednesday for a war council with President Bush, insisting that the United Nations must play a central role in post-war Iraq. But his twin aims of healing a transatlantic rift between America and Europe, and binding the United Nations into reconstruction of Iraq, represents a huge challenge while Washington is still smarting at a snub from the Security Council.”

Again from Reuters, 3/26/03, “The United States will not cede control of Iraq to the United Nations if and when it overthrows President Saddam Hussein, Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Wednesday. “We didn’t take on this huge burden with our coalition partners not to be able to have a significant dominating control over how it unfolds in the future,” Powell told a House of Representatives subcommittee.”

In another article, this from globeandmail.com, 3/26/03: “the United States appears committed to a scheme for postwar Iraq that would give the United Nations a limited role in humanitarian relief but exclude it from the country’s administration.”

This article notes an immediate problem that will occur, ‘It’s going to confirm in the eyes of so many that this is a U.S. colonial enterprise,’ said Robert Malley, Middle East project director for the International Crisis Group, a Brussels-based think tank.” Continuing, “Without UN involvement, key members of the world organization could be reluctant to help the United States pay for reconstruction efforts in Iraq. A recent report by the New-York-based Council on Foreign Relations said rebuilding could cost $20-billion (U.S.) a year for several years.”

The EU has positioned its support directly with the UN. From Daily Nation on the Web, 3/26/03: “We believe that the UN must continue to play a central role during and after the current crisis. The UN system has a unique capacity and practical experience in coordinating assistance in post-conflict states. The Security Council should give the United Nations a strong mandate for this mission,” said the EU statement.

WILL THERE BE PEACE?

The humanitarian effort that will be necessary after the Iraq war is now being heralded as perhaps the greatest in history.

The logistical aspects of feeding and caring for a nation the size of Iraq will take years, and at this point it doesn’t appear that the “coalition of the willing” will get much help from those major nations that did not sanction this war. Deep divisions were created leading up to the war, and comments ablaze in press reports point to ongoing if not deeper rifts in the immediate future.

Behind the scenes, events continue to show that the US role as a world super-power doing what it chooses will not go unchallenged. In a report from Parade this past Sunday, 3/23/03, titled “Former Enemies May Form European Supernation”, this stunning scenario takes form. “For centuries, they were bitter enemies, but now Germany and France are talking about merging into a kind of European supernation. Their leaders have proposed offering dual citizenship to French citizens living in Germany and Germans living in France. They held a joint meeting of both parliaments. Now the two are considering the creation of a confederation with joint government agencies, joint diplomatic missions abroad and shared defense and foreign policies. (They recently were united at the UN in opposing President Bush’s Iraq initiatives.) Germany and France already are each other’s biggest trading partners and share a common currency, the Euro. If they unite on other fronts, they would present a formidable force within Europe and the European Union – perhaps forcing others, especially Britain, to cultivate their own strategic alliances in an effort to curb the duo’s power.”

The sad truth is that after this current war in Iraq, peace will not be the outcome. The stage is already being set for even deeper problems that will lead to greater and greater difficulties for Britain and the US. In Deuteronomy 29, God sternly warns Israel of old to carefully heed the warnings and consequences for disobedience. In particular, verse 19 states, “and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart as though the drunkard could be included with the sober.”

Neither nations nor individuals will ever find peace by following the dictates of their own heart–although all proclaim, “peace, peace” (Cp Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11). Peace will not come to this earth through its wars. Peace will only come when God sends His Son to establish the Kingdom of God on this earth

JUST THE BEGINNING

In a timely news report written far ahead of its time, the Bible in Matthew 24, verses 6-8, records the following:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

“CNN EFFECT”

As war with Iraq begins, people gather around radios, televisions and, now, computer screens to monitor events as they unfold in real time. This event of spectacle received the name, “the CNN Effect”, after the Gulf War when reporters were able to give a running commentary of that event.

Virtually all regular programing is giving way to the war. It should not be overlooked that only in the most recent times has technology made it possible for all to “hear of wars and rumors of wars” to the extent we now do. In this same context, Revelation 11 speaks of “two witnesses” who prophesy in Jerusalem in an approaching future time. At the end of one thousand two hundred and sixty days, they are murdered. In verse 9 of this chapter, it states that, “Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will SEE their dead bodies three-and-a-half days…” Although this is a prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled, we have now arrived at a time in human history in which it is possible for this to happen!

WAR

The news of this week–in the light of prophetic events forecast so long ago–finds its chilling fulfillment in almost breath-taking circumstances! Words like deadline; imminent; impending; ultimatums, on the brink; and, time running out, all point to our most current war which pits America and its allies against Iraq and Saddam Hussein’s dictatorial reign. However, far beyond a “good versus evil” scenario of former days and earlier international conflicts, this war has effectively reshaped political alliances.

From the online edition of BBC News for March 19, 2003: “Germany’s Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, said his country ’emphatically rejects the impending war’ and added that ‘there is no basis in the UN Charter for a regime change with military means.’ ” Continuing, “His French counterpart Dominique de Billepin echoed the sentiment, saying those who believed terrorism would be eradicated through war on Iraq ‘run the risk of failing in their objectives.’ “
In addition, this article quotes UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as warning the US and UK that “under international law, the responsibility for protecting civilians in conflict falls on the belligerents”.

In another report, this from www.msnbc.com, March 19, 2003, “Russian foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said there was no proof Iraq threatened the United States and that the Security Council had been brushed aside.”

In a somewhat unexpected move, Robin Cook, Leader of the House of Commons, resigned from Tony Blair’s cabinet because of his unwillingness to support his country’s participation in the Iraq conflict. BBC News (3/17/03), reports this interesting perspective from Mr. Cook: “As President of the Party of European Socialists, of which the Labour Party is a member, it troubles me that I know of no sister party within the European Union that shares our position.”

Meanwhile, the cost of this war and its follow-up is estimated in amounts ranging into the hundreds of billions. This will come atop an economy in the US fraught with precarious issues that in themselves lack any immediate resolve.

At its core the run up to this war along with the war itself and its aftermath, will have vastly greater consequences for the United States and its closest allies. The world that emerges after this war will see nations banding together in order to withstand America with more than words.

PESTILENCE

SARS, severe acute respiratory syndrome, has the world community mobilizing against this latest deadly foe. In an article from msnbc online edition (3/19/03), Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson “…said authorities are working to prevent the spread of the illness within the United States. He told senators Wednesday morning the Bush administration wants to spend $100 million to prepare for a possible outbreak of the disease in the United States.”

This disease is receiving a worldwide travel alert and is classified as highly contagious. There is no known treatment or cure at the present time, and the death rate is especially alarming.

SNOW

Keeping pace with the unusual weather patterns of extremes, the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado and Wyoming received record snowfalls this week. Airports, schools, businesses and major highways were all closed because of the heavy snowfall. Even with the inconveniece, most people were expressing gratitude for this mixed blessing. The entire area has suffered from several years of drought. The needed moisture will at least replenish severely low reservoirs that threatened to place most of the area into very strict water conservation policies.

UNRAVELED ECONOMY

We have all read or at least heard the story of how David killed Goliath with a well placed stone flung from a sling. He turned the mighty Philistine army into a quivering, fleeing and defeated mass who were then plundered by the victorious Israelites.

In a not dissimilar fashion, a small determined group of Spanish invaders overthrew and murdered the indigenous populations of Mexico and Central and South America in centuries gone by.

Now it seems that the multifaceted repercussions of the cowardly attack on September 11, 2001, by an ill-determined group of nineteen terrorists, have turned all of the United States on its head–at least financially. Nowhere is that more obvious than in America’s struggling airline industry.

The web page of MSNBC News for March 12, 2003, pointed out that U.S. airlines have cut some 100,000 jobs since Sept. 11 and they lost nearly $10 billion last year. They attribute over $4 billion of that loss to security and fees mandated by the government. Nor have the effects been limited to these shores. British airways announced last month it was trimming back its service to the Persian Gulf region and requiring its crews to stop overnight in Cyprus rather than Saudi Arabia and other destinations. It already warned that a war with Iraq might rub out its profits and it has cut 13,000 jobs since the Sept. 11 attacks.

Now the U.S. is precipitously close to unleashing a war–all in the name of security for America and the world against further terrorist attacks. This action has the potential of realigning the world into a U.S.–British and Israeli camp with the rest of the world at serious odds with all three. This new international structure will dramatically change the economic fortunes of entire nations as trade wars and reprisals on a global scale begin to take effect.

Tourism, exports and imports, control of oil resources and, most importantly, world opinion, all now hang on a precarious balance. The news for now and for the immediate future is not optimistic. The Bible speaks of these days as “…the time of Jacob’s (modern America’s and Britain’s) trouble” (Jeremiah 30:7). For more detailed information about this world’s imminent future, write for our free booklets, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord,” and “Europe in Prophecy”. These are also available on our web site.

ASSASSINATION ATTEMP IN SERBIA

How fragile and temporary man’s attempts are to create permanent peace could be seen this week by the tragic assassination of Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic. USA TODAY stated that this brutal murder will “make it more difficult for one of Europe’s most restless regions to enjoy peace and stability.” Mr. Djindjic had brought democracy to former Yugoslavia. This assassination, which took place in Belgrade, was the first of a sitting European head of government since Swedish Prime Minister Olaf Palme was killed in Stockholm in 1986, according to the article.

The region of the Balkans is certainly worth watching. We all may recall that World War I was triggered when Archduke Francis Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was gunned down by a Serbian nationalist in Sarajevo, which is now the Bosnian capital, on June 28, 1914.

“MOAB” — THE MOTHER OF ALL BOMBS

“Moab” — a Biblical name — was tested this week by the U.S. in Florida — in the form of the biggest existing non-nuclear bomb of 21,000 pounds. Newscasters analyzed the explosion as an attempt to intimidate Iraq and other potential enemies. MSNBC News wrote on its Webpage that the “Air Force expected to have the bomb available for use in an Iraq war.” CNN, when broadcasting about the blast, compared the bomb with Biblical prophecies about the destruction of “Moab,” as can be found, for instance, in Isaiah 16 and 25:10-12. God is indeed angry with Moab because of Moab’s pride. Tragically, the Bible also foretells the destruction of the modern nations of Israel and Judah for the very same reason — pride against God and His will. Is it mere coincidence that the biggest non-nuclear bomb available today is called “Moab” — perhaps indicating the coming downfall of the very nation which developed it?

ONGOING CONFLICT IN NORTH KOREA

In response to the U.S. Air Force’s announcement on Wednesday that stealth warplanes will arrive in South Korea this week for annual military drills, North Korea has accused the United States of “sinister” plans for nuclear war, according to MSNBC News, adding that “nuclear war may break out any moment” on the Korean peninsula. Earlier this week, North Korea had launched a second surface-to-ship missile toward the Sea of Japan (A first missile had been fired to the same area on February 25).
 

IS “BIG BROTHER” AMONG US? — Growing Scrutiny, Control, and Restrictions of Personal Freedom

An article appearing on www.usatoday.com on Feb. 27 shows just how much our Western world is changing. It reports that the U.S. government is ready to test a new risk-detection system that would be based on an individual’s background and then have a threat level assigned to that particular person before they could board an airline.

Note how far reaching this new program will be: “Transportation officials say a contractor will be picked soon to build the nationwide computer system, which will check such things as credit reports and bank account activity and compare passenger names with those on government watch lists.”

Among the many changes in our new, post-September 11th world, the greatest change is that of people living in fear. Regardless of formerly “safe” areas of the world, the new reality is that no one feels safe anymore–anywhere! This is being reflected by governments as burgeoning new laws in the name of security are rushed into place. Many fear that the cost to personal freedoms has already suffered, will suffer increasingly and will be “the way things are” from here on out.

Those restrictions are not limited anymore to certain tyrannies, but they are now being introduced to Western democracies. Der Spiegel published an article on March 5, 2003, informing its readership of an attempt by the United States government to introduce a law that would strip Americans of their citizenship if they are felt to be supportive of terrorist activities. Those accused could be incarcerated secretly. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) speaks about a blatantly unconstitutional law, much worse than the “Patriot Act.” They ran an ad in the “New York Times,” titled, “Keep America safe and free,” comparing the current attempts of the U.S. government with the persecutions under the McCarthy era. One serious concern is the definition of terrorist groups in the proposed new law, which, according to law experts, could even include militant organizations for the protection of animals. “If during a demonstration a bystander should lose his life, the demonstrators could face the death penalty,” according to the article.

Yahoo! News reported on March 5 that “Hollywood Actors Raise McCarthyism Specter.” The article stated, “The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) said a slew of hate-mail directed at actors who have taken a public personal stand against war, along with calls for boycotts of movies and albums on the nation’s talk radio airwaves and Internet message boards, ‘suggest that the lessons of history have, for some, fallen on deaf ears.’ SAG said suggestions that ‘well-known individuals who express ‘unacceptable’ views should be punished by losing their ‘right to work’ was a ‘shocking development’ which recalled the 1950s House Committee on Un-American Activities. More than 230 people, including Arthur Miller, Orson Welles, Dashiell Hammett, Paul Robeson and Charlie Chaplin were placed on a blacklist that stopped them working for the entertainment industry because of views considered left-wing or unpatriotic… [Martin] Sheen, along with actor Sean Penn…, singer Sheryl Crow…, and scores of other celebrities have been slammed for being unpatriotic… G.I. Jargon.com, a Web site representing U.S. military, police and firefighters, dubbed the celebrities ‘Taliban’ and called for a boycott of ‘anti-American entertainers,'” according to the article.

These limitations of personal freedoms and attempted restrictions of free expressions are just the beginning. The Bible speaks of a time when the entire world will fall under the control of a looming end-time religious/political power, currently rising in Europe. A time when personal freedoms will disappear, war will be glorified, and the world will be in subjection to the exacting controls and dominance of this final superpower. Revelation 13 speaks of religious and political/military leaders who hold power over people to enforce worship (at the cost of their lives) and control the commerce of the world: “He [the religious leader] causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast [the political/military leader], or the number of his name” (verses 16-17).

Something to watch–something for all of us to earnestly pray about!

THE POWERFUL EURO

From msn.com for March 5, 2003, the pressure on the dollar is noted: “The euro was trading around $1.0966 compared with $1.0956 in late U.S. trade on Wednesday, when it hit a four-year peak of $1.1005.” Der Spiegel commented that experts expect a further upward trend of the euro and a further downward trend of the U.S. dollar.

Aside from the immediate monetary repercussions, the growing strength of the euro against the dollar only reflects the rapidly changing roles of a more and more isolated U.S. and an emerging financial powerhouse in an increasingly influential Europe.

U.S. AND UK IN ISOLATION?

Yahoo! News reported on March 5 that “Chinese leader Jiang Zemin gave his support to European-led opposition to a war on Iraq… Jiang told Chirac that Beijing agrees with a statement made Wednesday by the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Germany, who said they would ‘not allow’ passage of the U.S.-backed resolution.” Der Spiegel commented on March 6 that “the United States and Great Britain become more and more isolated…. The American attempts to change the picture appear motivated by despair… Now there is also open disagreement between the United States and Hans Blix.”

In addition, the United States suffered a setback this week by the refusal of the Turkish parliament to allow the Pentagon to base a large ground force in Turkey. USA Today quoted a Senior Defense official as saying, “‘We are not going to wait for Turkey. We’ll go on our timetable.'”

The troubles for the U.S. mounted further this week, when tensions increased in the standoff over North Korea’s nuclear programs. Russia and China both urged the United States to try to “defuse the standoff peacefully,” according to Yahoo! News. Washington had ordered the deployment of 12 B-1 and 12 B-52 bombers last Friday in Guam, which is about 2000 miles from North Korea. President Bush has now stated, according to the article, “that the military option was on the table as a last resort.” North Korea has repeatedly threatened with nuclear war, if the United States does not relent in the present conflict.

THE CATHOLIC POSITION ON WAR

Cardinal Pio Laghi, former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. and a Bush family friend, met with President Bush on Wednesday. As an emissary from Pope John Paul II, he delivered the pope’s message, as quoted in Yahoo! News: “A war would be a ‘defeat for humanity’ and would be neither morally nor legally justified. In a letter to Bush, the pope stood by his view that a pre-emptive strike on Iraq is immoral ‘unless it gets backed’ by the United Nations.” The article continued, “Bush, a Methodist, has taken pains throughout his presidency to court Catholic voters, who made up a quarter of the electorate in 2000 and split their votes between Bush and Democrat Al Gore.”

The Catholic position on the issue of Iraq becomes more and more muddled. Zenit stated on March 4 that Archbishop Celestino Migliore explained the Vatican’s position in this way, “It is not of pacifism, but rather of working as an architect of peace. The problems exist and they must be resolved, but not by taking recourse to war.” One day later, as stated above, the pope’s position was communicated to President Bush that he would approve of war — even of a pre-emptive strike — if the U.N. were to support it. Clearly, the position of the Catholic Church on war is not one of conscientious objection.
 

EUROPE WATCH!

While the world focuses on Iraq and North Korea, other developments of prophetic significance are taking place elsewhere.

We need to note especially the increasing influence on world affairs of a unified European Union.

On February 21, 2003, Der Spiegel reported that the European Union wrote an “angry letter” to Israel, condemning Israel’s recent military operations against the Palestinians. The magazine commented, “The relationship between Europe and Israel is near the freezing point.”

The Australian reported on February 20 that the European Union “lashed out at Australia’s foreign policy priorities, accusing the Federal Government of being blind to the new political reality emerging in Europe.” The article quoted Europe’s position that “the EU was politically integrated… as a single trading bloc.”

The Washington Post published its opinion on February 21 that “France’s current dispute with the United States is not really about Iraq… The Iraq crisis has provided France an opportunity to create the first coherent challenge to [United States] dominance — and to give France a unique position as leader of that challenge. Last Friday at the Security Council was the high water mark. France stood at the head of an impressive opposition bloc — Germany, Russia, China, perhaps seven other members of the Council and dozens of other smaller countries — challenging American policy and, implicitly, American hegemony…. France is reaching to become not only the leading power in Europe…, but also the leader of a new pole of world power opposite the American ‘hyperpower.'”

Similar sentiments were published in an article of Der Spiegel, dated February 24, titled, “The Kaiser of Europe.” In the article, French ambitions are described to become the leader of Europe, while acting independently from the United States. The magazine pointed out, “Jacques Chirac wants to place Europe under the leadership of France and Germany…. Chirac, the Kaiser of Europe? A triumph over the emperor of the U.S. empire would constitute his coronation.”

The Bible reveals, however, that ultimately Germany, and not France, will lead Europe, but France will, no doubt, play an important role to bring about a unified Europe.

At the same time, the United States is being forced more and more into isolation over the Iraq issue. Imagine the potential consequences for the U.S., if it finds itself in the position of having to pay for most of the costs of the war. The estimated costs are indeed staggering, ranging from 99 billion dollars to 1924 billion dollars (Der Spiegel Online, February 26). In addition, the pope has again reiterated his opposition to war — and with it, his opposition to current U.S. politics. According to Zenit of February 29, the Vatican stated in an address to the Security Council, “In the end, it is conscience that will have the last word, stronger than all strategies, all ideologies and also all religions… War is never just another means that one can choose to employ for settling differences between nations.”

Of course, an ardent student of history may recall that the same religious power that now utters words of peace was actively engaged in the past in war and military confrontations. One may wonder whether the leopard has indeed changed its spots. But — the Bible reveals that Europe will be guided, led and supported by a religious power, claiming to represent true Christianity. However, Scriptures describe this power as “a beast coming out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon.” (Revelation 13:11). This power is also described as a woman “drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.” (Revelation 17:6). This description does not just apply to past conduct. Revelation 6:11 speaks about a future martyrdom of the saints. Revelation 17:18 identifies the future persecutor as the modern city of Babylon. It states in Revelation 18:24, “And in her [the modern city of Babylon] was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth.”

As we see a political, military and religious power arising in Europe, we know that the end is near. We need to pray as never before to be counted worthy to escape all these things that will shortly come to pass.
 

AMERICA AND EUROPE — A GREAT DIVIDE

MSNBC News published this week on its Webpage an article from Newsweek, titled, “A Great Divide.” The article stated, “Europe and America are largely split over whether a war to change the regime in Iraq is now justified. But the divisions go much deeper than that – to differing perceptions of history and politics, power and God.”

It is interesting how the author, Christopher Dickey, recognizes the ever-increasing divide between the two power blocs. He asks, “How did the magnificent alliance between democratic Europe and the United States… reach this sorry state of affairs?” He continues, “In some eyes, the problem today is not what France, or the Europeans, have forgotten; it’s what they remember… Europe’s critical experiences of faith and history, God and War, are not the same as America’s… [A] basic source of resentment against the United States is a kind of strategic envy. American military power is simply overwhelming…”

The article continues, “Americans are religious in ways that many Europeans find almost incomprehensible… Why? Because in America religious faith is increasingly tied to freedom of choice. Europeans grow up in their Roman Catholic or Protestant cultures… To most Americans it seems natural enough that President Bush, a born-again Christian, would incorporate religious references into his speeches. His Manichaean descriptions of good versus evil, with us or against us, are rooted in his reading of the Bible and strike many in the U.S.A. as strong, righteous and decisive. But all this sounds to Europeans very much like the kind of theology – or ideology – that led them to slaughter each other for centuries.”

On Sunday, February 16, 2003, the San Diego Union Tribute published commentaries from Henry Kissinger and John Keegan. Mr. Kissinger, former secretary of state and presidential advisor, stated that the “Atlantic Alliance is in its greatest crisis.” Mr. Keegan, a military historian and defense editor of “London Daily Telegraph,” felt that “‘Old Europe’ may push America too far.”

At the same time, massive anti-war demonstrations of millions of participants took place this week all over the world, including in London, Berlin, Paris, Madrid and Rome, as well as several cities in the United States. Der Spiegel asked, “What now, Mr. President?” The magazine continued, “Suddenly, those who are against war with Iraq are not isolated anymore, but the world power – the United States – is. The appearance of Blix before the Security Council has made true the worst fears of the U.S. military… It was exactly the situation in which President Bush never wanted to be… Suddenly, the entire world is against… Washington…”

And so it seems. The AP reported Wednesday that the Vatican warned again against unilateral action against Iraq. This was perceived to be a veiled message to the United States. USA Today ran an article, titled, “U.S. struggles for support on Iraq.” It continued, “The overwhelming opposition to the Bush’s administration’s policies on Iraq… set back plans for the introduction of a new resolution Wednesday… Over nearly four hours Tuesday, a parade of ambassadors spoke out during an open debate in the Security Council in favor of disarming Iraq through continued weapon inspections, not war. Only Australia and Japan supported Washington and London in seeking a quick new Security Council resolution… Representatives of the Non-Alignment Movement, the Arab League, the European Union and other Asian, African and Latin American nations staunchly spoke out against the idea.”

All of this prompted Secretary of State Colin Powell to say on Wednesday on French radio that countries like France that oppose swift military action against Iraq are afraid of upholding their responsibility to disarm Baghdad by force, according to an article published by the AP, widening the rift between the Bush administration and the French government.

Manfred Guttamacher of the Potsdam University in Germany was interviewed by CNN. He stated, “We are on the brink of a fundamental rift between the United States and Europe which goes much deeper than the rifts that came up in the course of anti-American sentiments in the 60’s or the early 80’s.”

How deep the rift already is can also be seen by the fact that most Germans – as well as most British – say that President Bush is a greater threat to world peace than Saddam Hussein. CNN.com published an article on February 14, stating, “Anti-Americanism in Europe deepens,” voicing the opinion that a “new generation of U.S.-haters” is “being created” in Europe.

Der Spiegel Online ran an article Wednesday, titled, “Americans come from Mars, Europeans from Venus.” It continued, “European and American NATO-partners are alienated as never before.”

On Monday, the 15 European states agreed on a unified position. Both France and Germany acquiesced to a statement that war against Iraq as a last resort is no longer rejected. Although some feel that this statement constitutes a defeat especially for Germany, the German tabloid “Bild” commented: “It was important for the European Union to find a compromise. They can now demonstrate to the United States that they are unified. A decision regarding peace or war stays within the United Nations.”

Some observers concluded that Germany’s modified stance constitutes a victory for Joschka Fischer in an internal power struggle between Chancellor Schroeder and the Foreign Minister. Nevertheless, both politicians declared afterwards that Germany would under no circumstances actively participate in a war against Iraq. Germany was also successful, according to AP, to block a European “declaration from warning Saddam Hussein that ‘time is running out’ – a phrase favored by Britain, as well as the United States.”

Der Spiegel Online reported on February 19 that Joschka Fischer again strongly criticized the policy of the Bush administration. He asked for a “strategic debate regarding the preventive-war-doctrine of the United States.” Although the U.S. might be strong enough militarily to fight alone against Iraq, they need the UN, and firstly Europe, to build and maintain peace, Fischer said in an interview with the German newspaper, Die Zeit. At the same time, German Minister for the Environment, Juergen Trittin, stated in an interview with the German newspaper, “Die Welt,” that America wants a war against Iraq to secure the oil in the region.

As Der Spiegel Online reported on Wednesday, Russia’s Vladimir Putin criticized the United States’ and Great Britain’s routine air bombings of places in Iraq. He said that these attacks are violations of the UN-resolutions that cannot be justified.

THE EURO ON THE RISE

All of these developments have influenced the value of the European currency – the euro. MSNBC News reported on January 31, that the U.S. dollar is no longer seen as a safe haven, and that the euro has risen more than 20% since it was introduced a year ago, due to “growing fear of war in Iraq.” The article continued, “Analysts say the euro is showing signs of becoming a serious rival to the long-dominant dollar on world markets… International investors are worried that the United States and Britain would be isolated in a war against Iraq and that a conflict could be prolonged and draw in other countries such as Israel and Saudi Arabia. There is also concern that the United States would have to bear most of the cost of a war, which some analysts estimate could be as much as $200 billion.”

IS THE WORLD FACING SELF-DESTRUCFTION?

Another insightful article from the Washington Post was published on February 14 in the San Diego Union-Tribune, titled, “The world is at a major turning point.” In the article, Charles Krauthammer points out, “Anyone with a reasonable education in modern physics, chemistry or biology can brew” weapons of mass destruction. There is no avoiding the danger any longer… We are in a race against time. Once such hostile states establish arsenals, we become self-deterred and they become invulnerable. North Korea may already have crossed that threshold. There is a real question whether we can win the race. Year One of the new era, 2002, passed rather peaceably. Year Two will not: 2003 could be as cataclysmic as 1914 or 1939.”

Then, the following poignant question is asked: “What are the odds that our species will manage to contain this awful knowledge [of weapons of mass destruction] without self-destruction – not for a billion years or a million or even a thousand, but just through the lifetime of our children? Those are the stakes today.”

DROUGHT IN AUSTRALIA AND THE US

At the same time, parts of the world are facing serious food shortages as a consequence of unusual droughts. For instance, ABC News Online reported that Australia will be forced to keep importing a “considerable” amount of grain. The Australian government stated that 2002/2003 is “turning out to be one of the worst years on record for Australian grain producers.” The summer crop for 2003 is estimated to be the smallest in 20 years. In the United States, especially Colorado faces dire consequences of a prolonged “dangerous drought,” according to MSNBC News.
 

THE WORLD AT THE BRINK OF WAR?

Actually, this headline does not even accurately reflect the grim reality — since the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, including the red horse, signifying war, have already been riding on this earth for quite a while. Many of today’s battle fields remain virtually unnoticed by the general public.

CNN.com published an article on January 31, titled, “Conflicts rage across the globe.” It pointed out the following: “Iraq and North Korea have dominated the world’s attention in recent months, yet in countries and regions around the globe, strife smolders with sporadic notice. Civil war. Mutilations. Threat of nuclear deployment. Human trafficking. Starving babies. Those are some of the seeds and harvest of conflicts in Africa, Asia, Europe and South America… Millions of Zimbabweans face starvation… Since tensions broke out in the African nation of Burundi in 1993, more than 200,000 people have been killed… Burundi could evolve into a genocide without too much imagining… The conflict over Kashmir has raised the specter of nuclear conflict… Most regions in conflict suffer from long absences of international attention until overwhelming bloodshed or combat renews interest…”

This week, the world was shocked to learn that North Korea has “an untested ballistic [long-range] missile capable of reaching the western United States,” according to USA Today. This revelation followed North Korea’s announcement that they will use nuclear weapons if the United States maintains their troops in the region.

At the same time, a worldwide terror alert has prompted the governments in Great Britain and the United States to increase measures to defend against such an attack, including the stationing of military personnel at Great Britain’s airports in London and Heathrow. According to the “Guardian,” terrorists have allegedly smuggled rockets into Great Britain.

Truly, Christ’s warning that we will hear, in these end times, of wars and rumors of wars are being fulfilled before our very eyes and ears. And, no one is safe anymore, no matter where one may be, UNLESS one has God’s protection.

As prophesied, the friendship between the United Sates and Germany (and much of the rest of Europe) continues to cool off. This week, we witnessed a further heated exchange between American and German government representatives. While Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had declared earlier that he did not want to attack Germany, when comparing the country with Libya and Cuba, his advisor Richard Oerle stated, “The Germans do not play a role any more.” (Bild-Online). This was followed by a statement of Donald Rumsfeld that countries such as France and Germany that favor giving Iraq another chance to disarm are undermining what slim chance may exist to avoid war. (msnbc.com, February 8). Der Stern ran an article on February 7, pointing out that the “marriage” between Europe and the United States was in a “deep crisis.”

During the Munich Conference on Security Policy, Mr. Rumsfeld encountered strong resistance from Germany’s Foreign Minister, Joschka Fischer. As Netzeitung.de reported on February 8, Fischer addressed Rumsfeld personally in a speech, saying, “You have to convince us. We have to discuss the matter together.” He also stated to Rumsfeld, “Excuse me, I am not convinced.” (Der Spiegel, February 8). He added, “We have not completed our job yet (in Afghanistan). Why now these priorities? I don’t understand the reasoning.” According to Bild Online, Mr. Rumsfeld “did not explain the reasoning.” Der Stern wrote, “The ditches between Germany and the United States have deepened.”

At the same time, Joschka Fischer had a private audience with the pope. The pope criticized the first official draft of the future European Constitution, presented by former French president Valery d’Estaing, as it makes “no mention of Europe’s religious roots nor the juridical status of churches,” according to Zenit, February 7. The pope expressed his support to Fischer for Germany’s position toward Iraq, according to Bild Online. The paper added, “Catholic Fischer gave the pope a promise: He will see to it that God is going to be included in the European Constitution.”

The relationship between the United States and some European countries increasingly worsened this week, when Germany, Belgium and France vetoed a NATO proposal to help Turkey arm for a conflict with Iraq. This action has caused great concern within the United States. Some even went so far as to say that the survival of NATO is at stake.

In light of all of these events, observers waited anxiously for German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s parliamentary address on Thursday. If anyone had thought, however, that Mr. Schroeder might modify his stance, they were disappointed. Mr. Schroeder insisted that there is still a peaceful solution, and that his government will not support a war against Iraq. He also emphasized that Germany is not isolated at all, but that France, Russia and China are supporting Germany’s position. He stated that Resolution 1441 does not authorize a preventive war against Iraq, and that only the Security Council of the U.N. has the jurisdiction to decide what the next steps should be. Mr. Fischer added that he has received more support from the pope than from the Christian parties in Germany (CDU and CSU).

At the same time, Belgium angered Israel’s President, Ariel Sharon. Brussel’s Court ruled that Sharon could be sued in Belgium for alleged atrocities against Palestinians in 1982, but only, once Sharon loses his immunity after his term as President. Israel’s Minister of Justice, Meir Schitrit, responded that it is unacceptable that such a “little and insignificant nation” should become the judge of the world (Spiegel Online, February 13, 2003).

New alliances are being formed. We will see soon a strong coalition of continental European countries, with the support of the pope, protecting and advocating what they determine to be their interests and values. Ultimately, this coalition will be at odds with the United States, Great Britain and the nation of Israel.

In observing these events, we must not forget why these developments occur. God is very angry because of the sins of the modern nations of the houses of Israel and Judah. God will use a modern United Europe, mainly under the leadership of modern Assyria, to punish modern Israel and Judah. Isaiah 10:5-6 reads, “Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger And the staff in whose hand is My indignation. I will send him against an UNGODLY nation, And against the people of MY WRATH. I will give him charge, To seize the spoil, to take the prey, And to tread them down like the mire of the streets.” God describes the modern nations of Israel and Judah as “ungodly nations.” He says in Isaiah 1:2-4: “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD has spoken: ‘I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me; The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master’s crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.’ Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.”

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse — religious deception, war, famine and death — have been riding for a while. The very next event — pictured by the fifth seal — describes the Great Tribulation: religious persecution and captivity of national and spiritual Israel and Judah.

But, it does not have to include you. You can be protected from war, terror attacks, sickness, plagues and death. Notice Psalm 91:2-10:

“I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence… You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day [wars and terrorist attacks], Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday [at
tacks with chemical and biological weapons]. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling.”

Have we made God our refuge? Or do we believe that man’s wars are the solution to our problems? Ari Fleischer made some interesting comments to the press on February 12, 2003, as shown on CNN. He said that the President of the United States respects the train of thought by those who believe that war is never the answer. He added that there is a long-standing tradition in the United States for this position. We hope that, when the times comes, this statement will be remembered and applied towards God’s people who are conscientiously objecting against any wars fought by men.