Freedom of Religion = Freedom of Worship

It may not have even caught your attention. It may not appear to be that different. But when people, especially the current president of the United States, intentionally replace the words "freedom of religion" with "freedom of worship," is it just a distinction without a difference, or is it a major change about which we need to be concerned?

In order to explain what amounts to tremendous differences between the two phrases, let me offer a recent example. In Colorado, a religious freedom amendment to the state constitution has been proposed that prohibits the government from "burden[ing] a person's or religious organization's freedom of religion" unless it shows a compelling interest – which offers the highest level of protection. In comparison, the U.S. Constitution prohibits Congress from "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion.
Compare that to the proposed language submitted by a far-left group which begins: "Religious freedom. The free exercise and enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without discrimination, shall forever hereafter be guaranteed." Sounds okay, doesn't it? Or does it? Did you notice that freedom of religion quickly became religious worship? But there is more:

In assessing whether government has burdened freedom of religion, a person's or a religious organization's right to act in a manner motivated by a sincerely held religious belief is the ability to engage in religious practices in the privacy of a person's home or in the privacy of a religious organization's established place of worship.

Did you get that? There is no government burden on a person's free exercise of religion at all unless that burden occurs at home or at church. Let that sink in for a moment and you'll begin to appreciate how radical a change this is.
Let's see what that change looks like when applied to Scripture. The Gospel of Mark says, "Go into [only homes and churches] and preach the good news to all creation." Proverbs promises that "a generous man will himself be blessed for he shares his food with the poor [only when in his home or church]." Let's not forget Jesus' instructions when sending out the twelve to "heal the sick [only when you find them at home or in church]." And although I can continue, I'll end with one last example, Jesus himself. What was Jesus thinking when he ministered to the masses by feeding thousands and healing many while in public?

Freedom of religion encompasses many beliefs and actions, obviously including worship. But this rhetorical shift of limiting freedom of religion to only worship embodies a dangerous ideology that is shared by the current administration. Ironically, the former Soviet Union – a self described atheistic country – allowed "freedom of worship" but not "freedom of religion." Not only have President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently repeatedly used the same "freedom of worship" rhetoric, but this administration has engaged in several other hostile actions that also show a disdain for the freedom of religion, including the following:
1. Requiring religious organizations to provide abortion-inducing drugs and contraceptives free of charge.
2. Requiring individuals to pay a surcharge to fund abortions.
3. Overturning HHS protections for religious health care workers not to be forced to participate in abortions.
4. Using a recess appointment to place radical homosexual activist Chai Feldblum as a commissioner on the EEOC-who recently stated that when religious liberty and sexual liberty conflict, she has "a hard time coming up with any case in which religious liberty should win."
5. Refusing to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act.
6. Removing non-profit work that relates to "religious instruction" from the student loan forgiveness program.
7. Arguing recently at the Supreme Court that the government can interfere with the internal operations of religious organizations.
Religious freedom, our First Freedom, is part of what makes our country great. It allows us the freedom to practice our religion in the public square, not confined to home or church. But if the government takes away our right to practice our faith, whether by subtle shifts or by those that are more drastic, we forfeit what God has provided and what the Constitution has protected.
So the next time you see a shift in rhetoric, even if it appears slight at first glance, you may not want to brush it off so easily. Especially when it comes in prepared remarks by those who are very careful with their choice of words. We all need to stand up for freedom of religion to ensure that it is not whittled down to a nugget only tolerated in our own homes and churches (until they come knocking at those doors, too). I hear footsteps….

Russia says Iran, West "interested" in nuclear offe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian diplomat said on Wednesday that Iran and Western nations had shown interest in a Russian proposal aimed to help defuse the standoff over Tehran's nuclear program, but suggested it had not been the focus of talks this month.

Russia has been calling for a "step-by-step" resolution to the dispute over Iran's nuclear program, which Western nations fear is aimed at developing nuclear weapons and Tehran says is purely peaceful.

Moscow says Iran should take measures to ease concerns about its intentions and comply with U.N. demands, and in return be rewarded with the gradual easing of sanctions imposed by the U.N. Security Council and Western states.

In a proposal aired in February, Russia says that as a start, Iran could freeze the number of centrifuges for uranium enrichment at current levels and place other restrictions on its centrifuge use. In return, global powers would refrain from imposing new sanctions on Tehran.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the proposal was discussed at talks in Istanbul on April 14 between Iran and six world powers - Russia, China, the United States, Britain, France and Germany - the first such meeting in over a year. A new round of talks is to be held on May 23 in Baghdad.

Ryabkov said Iran and Western powers indicated they were "interested" in the proposal, which he suggested was one of a number of ideas being discussed by the global powers as they seek to forge a common position among themselves and to find room for progress with Iran.

"We are keeping all our proposals on the negotiating table, but the work now is proceeding in a somewhat different format," said Ryabkov, Russia's representative at the talks.
"We are working in order for the (six powers) to have a consolidated position, and our ideas are given weighty consideration in this regard," he said by telephone.
Russia has not specified whether it believes agreement by Iran to the centrifuge restrictions would require the European Union to abandon plans, agreed in January, to stop all Iranian oil imports as of July.
"Many (EU) member states remain concerned about the idea of forsaking sanctions before they have even begun, and without negotiations having moved to the second stage," one Western diplomat said.
In late March, Ryabkov said some Western states involved in the diplomacy over Iran's nuclear program were unlikely to be enthusiastic about the proposal. Iran has made little public comment about the idea.

Russia supported four rounds of sanctions against Iran in the U.N. Security Council, where it holds veto power, but has emphasized it opposes further sanctions and repeatedly said too much pressure can be counterproductive.

U.S. and Philippine War Games

U.S. and Philippine commandos waded ashore on Wednesday in a mock assault to retake a small island in energy-rich waters disputed with China, part of a drill involving thousands of troops Beijing had said would raise the risk of armed conflict.
The exercises, part of annual U.S.-Philippine war games on the southwestern island of Palawan, coincide with another standoff between Chinese and Philippine vessels near Scarborough Shoal in a different part of the South China Sea.
China has territorial disputes with the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan across the South China Sea, each searching for gas and oil while building up their navies and military alliances.
China said last week the drill would raise the risk of confrontation. On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said China was committed to dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the dispute.
"We are certainly worried about the South China Sea issue," Cui told a news briefing in Beijing, saying "some people tried to mix two unrelated things, territorial sovereignty and freedom of navigation".
The comments come before high-level talks with the Obama administration. China, which claims the South China Sea based on historical records, has sought to resolve disputes bilaterally but its neighbors worry over what some see as growing Chinese assertiveness in its claims in the region.
"Location (of the drill) is irrelevant," Ensign Bryan Mitchell, spokesman for the U.S. Marines, told reporters.
"These exercises take place on a regular basis. This year it happens to be in Palawan. The planning for this took place months ago prior to any events that are currently in the headlines."
U.S. President Barack Obama has sought to reassure regional allies that Washington would serve as a counterbalance to China in the South China Sea, part of his campaign to "pivot" U.S. foreign policy towards Asia after wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Philippine military officials sought to play down the exercise. Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, military commander for the western Philippines, said the drill "simply means we want to work together, improve our skills".
Sabban's area of command includes Reed Bank and the Spratlys, a group of 250 mostly uninhabitable islets spread over 427,350 sq km (165,000 sq miles) west of Palawan.
The Spratlys are claimed entirely by China, Taiwan and Vietnam and in part by Malaysia, Brunei and the Philippines.
HUGE OIL, GAS RESERVES
Proven and undiscovered oil reserve estimates in the South China Sea range as high as 213 billion barrels of oil, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said in a 2008 report. That would surpass every country's proven oil reserves except Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, according to the BP Statistical Review.
A Philippine exploration firm, Philex Petroleum Corp, said on Tuesday its unit, Forum Energy Plc, had found more natural gas than expected around Reed Bank, where Chinese navy vessels tried to ram one of Forum Energy's survey ships last year.
The Philippines is due to open oil-and-gas exploration bids in Reed Bank on Friday.
Vietnam reasserted its claim to the Spratlys and the Paracel islands, known in Chinese as the Xisha islands, further west of Scarborough Shoal in what it calls the East Sea.
Self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers a renegade province, reiterated its claims over territories in the South China Sea and urged "countries concerned to exercise self-restraint so that peaceful resolutions can be reached through consultation".
Nearly 7,000 American and Philippine troops are taking part in the two-week drills that are taking place at sea and in different parts of the main Luzon island.
On Wednesday, about 100 commandos came ashore from U.S. and Philippine ships in a simulated amphibious assault at Palawan province to recapture an island supposedly taken by militants, officials said. Earlier estimates had put their number in the hundreds.
Jumping from rubber boats as they hit the shore, the commandos engaged in a mock firefight, making their way inch by inch from the beach to a navy facility to rescue "hostages" and recapture the base.
Four days ago, commando teams rappelled from U.S. helicopters and landed from rubber boats in a mock assault to retake an oil rig in the northern part of Palawan, 18 km (11 miles) off the town of El Nido on the South China Sea.
The annual war games come under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, part of a web of security alliances the United States built in the Asia-Pacific region during the Cold War.
The drills are a rehearsal of a mutual defense plan by the two allies to repel any aggression in the Philippines.
Hundreds of kilometers to the north, a Philippine coast guard ship patrols near Scarborough Shoal, a group of half-submerged rock formations 124 nautical miles west of the main Luzon island, where Chinese fishermen were accosted by Philippine officials three weeks ago, sparking the latest conflict between the two countries.
Manila officials say Chinese response on the Scarborough shoal issue was "based on inaccurate appreciation of the fact and dynamics of the negotiations."

A landmark statement has been made by the Obama administration

A crushing situation is emerging for, not only Barack Obama, but also for the American people as a landmark statement has been made by the Obama administration that is going to turn the entire 2012 Presidential race and potentially much more on its head.
Lawyers representing the current sitting President of the United States of America have been forced, under penalty of perjury, to admit that the long-form birth certificate presented by the White House in April of 2011 is a total forgery.
In a NJ ballot access eligibility case spawned by Tea Party activists, attorneys representing Obama had to admit the document presented to the American people by Obama himself is actually knowingly faked and was used to fool the American public into believing a complete fabrication.

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What could be the most shocking aspect of the situation, however, may be the fact that Obama and his attorneys have crafted an argument that truly boggles the mind.
In a direct assault on everything the citizens of the USA take for granted, in layman’s terms, his attorneys literally made the argument during a hearing on April 10th that because the document was so obviously faked and could not possibly be considered proof of citizenship, the document itself should not be allowed as evidence in the case.
Obama is now basically asserting that only a legitimate document should be allowed as evidence in this case and therefore this one should be thrown out due to the fact that it’s not real. The Judge agreed.
In what may turn out to be one of the biggest scandals in the history of the United States, the Obama administration itself has now virtually admitted to High Crimes and Misdemeanors and to deceiving the public into believing a lie that was ironically intended to distract awareness from the actual issue that truly determines his eligibility, or lack thereof.
Even though now it has become evident that Obama cannot prove he was born in the Unites States after all, even before that admission in court, it was already known that he was not actually eligible to become either Vice President or President, due to the fact that Obama is not a “Natural Born” Citizen.
Although presenting the fake birth certificate to the American people was an attempt to falsely prove his automatic eligibility, even prior to the ‘President’s’ issuance of the fabricated document to the public last spring, attorneys arguing against his eligibility since 2007 proved that Obama was simply ineligible due to the fact that only one of his parents was a US citizen.
Ironically, arguments have been made against this age-old constitutional mandate with regard to Obama’s eligibility by using John McCain’s ’08 eligibility situation as an example, while missing the fact that even McCain’s parents were both born in the USA and therefore was ultimately allowed to run for office, even though he was born on a US military base in Panama.
This simply isn’t the case for Obama, aside from the fact that his administration has now admitted to open criminal activity and blatant ineligibility on multiple fronts.
Daily Pen Editor, Pen Johannson released a story Monday in a devastating editorial explaining the circumstances as one that is sure to set off a firestorm of controversy and could end up creating a gigantic constitutional and legislative nightmare of epic proportions in the weeks and months to come.
Brace yourself folks, it’s bound to get a little bumpy.
Supporting Medium:
Obama eligibility: media pressure: Lawyers for the Obama campaign demanded that videos of a New Jersey administrative-law trial come down
American Thinker: The Sea Change: Obama's Confirmed Forgeries Are Not Going Away
Conservative News and Views: Obama eligibility: NJ ALJ ducks issues
Pen Johannson, The Daily Pen: ELIGIBILITY AND JUSTICE ARE BLIND REGARDING OBAMA…AND RUBIO
The Right Perspective: Obama Lawyer Admits Birth Certificate Is A Forgery
Tea Party Tribune: Obama Lawyer Admits Forgery but disregards “image” as Indication of Obama’s Ineligibility Damage Control
FEDupUSA: Obama Lawyer Admits In Court Birth Certificate On White House Website Is A Forgery
The Daily Pen: INS DOC FOUND: U.S. CERTIFICATE ISSUED TO ONE EAST AFRICAN-BORN CHILD OF U.S. CITIZEN IN 1961!
HillBuzz: Bill Clinton Knew Obama Was Ineligible
Sheriff Joe Arpaio: Cold-case investigation team press conference revealing forgery (YouTube)
NYT (2011): With Document, Obama Seeks to End ‘Birther’ Issue

The World We Live in

Today in a world of hate against the church, Gods people, there is a movement to suppress the word of God and bring in a new way of thinking that excludes God. What was right is now wrong. What was wrong is now right, people have become dependent on others instead of being self sufficient . There is no more of the independent thinking that brought this country to the heights that it enjoys now. It says in the last days that people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, without natural affection.

Ask yourself, does that describe the world around us right now? For those who say that its always been this way, here are some statistics,

Record 5.4 Million Sign Up For Disability...

Food Stamp Rolls Explode By 70%...

One Nation Under Debt With Endless Debt Slavery For All

#1 In 2011, the National Institutes of Health spent $592,527 on a study that sought to figure out once and for all why chimpanzees throw poop. #2 The National Institutes of Health has spent more than 5 million dollars on a website called Sex pulse that is targeted at "men who use the Internet to seek sex with men".  According to Fox News, the website "includes pornographic images of homosexual sex as well as naked and scantily clad men" and features "a Space Invaders-style interactive game that uses a penis-shaped blaster to shoot down gay epithets."
#3 The General Services Administration spent $822,751 on a "training conference" for 300 west coast employees at the M Resort and Casino in Las Vegas.
The following is how the Washington Post described some of the wasteful expenses that happened during this "conference"....
Among the “excessive, wasteful and in some cases impermissible” spending the inspector general documented: $5,600 for three semi-private catered in-room parties and $44 per person daily breakfasts; $75,000 for a “team-building” exercise — the goal was to build a bicycle; $146,000 on catered food and drinks; and $6,325 on commemorative coins in velvet boxes to reward all participants for their work on stimulus projects. The $31,208 “networking” reception featured a $19-per-person arsenal cheese display and $7,000 of sushi. At the conference’s closing-night dinner, employees received “yearbooks” with their pictures, at a cost of $8,130.
You can see some stunning pictures of GSA employees living the high life in Las Vegas right here.
#4 Do you remember a few days ago when credit rating agency Egan Jones downgraded U.S. government debt from AA+ to AA?  Well, someone in the federal government apparently did not like that at all.  According to Zero Hedge, the SEC plans to file charges against Egan Jones for "misstatements" on a regulatory application with the SEC.
Normally, the SEC does not go after anyone.  After all, when is the last time a major banker went to prison?
No, the truth is that the SEC is usually just a huge waste of taxpayer money.  According to ABC News, one investigation found that 17 senior SEC officials had been regularly viewing pornography while at work.  While the American people were paying their salaries, this is what senior SEC officials were busy doing....
One senior attorney at SEC headquarters in Washington spent up to eight hours a day accessing Internet porn, according to the report, which has yet to be released. When he filled all the space on his government computer with pornographic images, he downloaded more to CDs and DVDs that accumulated in boxes in his offices.
An SEC accountant attempted to access porn websites 1,800 times in a two-week period and had 600 pornographic images on her computer hard drive.
Another SEC accountant used his SEC-issued computer to upload his own sexually explicit videos onto porn websites he joined.
And another SEC accountant attempted to access porn sites 16,000 times in a single month.
#5 According to InformationWeek, the federal government is spending "millions of dollars" to train Asian call center workers.
#6 If you can believe it, the federal government has actually spent $750,000 on a new soccer field for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay.
#7 The U.S. Agency for International Development spent 10 million dollars to create a version of "Sesame Street" for Pakistani television.
#8 The Obama administration has plans to spend between 16 and 20 million dollars to help students from Indonesia get master's degrees.
#9 The National Science Foundation spent $198,000 on a University of California-Riverside study that explored "motivations, expectations and goal pursuit in social media." One of the questions the study sought an answer to was the following: "Do unhappy people spend more time on Twitter or Facebook?"
#10 The federal government actually has spent $175,587 "to determine if cocaine makes Japanese quail engage in sexually risky behavior".
#11 In 2011, $147,138 was given to the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Michigan.  Their best magic trick is making U.S. taxpayer dollars disappear.
#12 The federal government recently spent $74,000 to help Michigan "increase awareness about the role Michigan plays in the production of trees and poinsettias."
#13 In 2011, the federal government gave $550,000 toward the making of a documentary about how rock and roll contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union.
#14 The National Institutes of Health has contributed $55,382 toward a study of "hookah smoking habits" in the country of Jordan.
#15 The federal government gave $606,000 to researchers at Columbia University to study how heterosexuals use the Internet to find love.
#16 A total of $133,277 was recently given to the International Center for the History of Electronic Games for video game preservation.  The International Center for the History of Electronic Games says that it "collects, studies, and interprets video games, other electronic games, and related materials and the ways in which electronic games are changing how people play, learn, and connect with each other, including across boundaries of culture and geography."
#17 The federal government has given approximately $3 million to researchers at the University of California at Irvine to fund their research into video games such as World of Warcraft.
#18 In 2011, the National Science Foundation gave one team of researchers $149,990 to create a video game called "RapidGuppy" for cell phones and other mobile devices.
#19 The U.S. Department of Agriculture once handed researchers at the University of New Hampshire $700,000 to study methane gas emissions from dairy cows.
#20 In 2011, $936,818 was spent developing an online soap opera entitled "Diary of a Single Mom".  The show "chronicles the lives and challenges of three single mothers and their families trying to get ahead despite obstacles that all single mothers face, such as childcare, healthcare, education, and finances."
#21 The federal government once shelled out $2.6 million to train Chinese prostitutes to drink responsibly.
#22 Last year, the federal government spent $96,000 to buy iPads for kindergarten students in Maine.
#23 The U.S. Postal Service once spent $13,500 for a single dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
#24 In 2011, the Air Force Academy completed work on an outdoor worship area for pagans and Wiccans.  The worship area consists of "a small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with [a] propane fire pit" and it cost $51,474 to build.  The worship area is "for the handful of current or future cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of 'Earth-based', which includes Wiccans, druids and pagans."  At this point, that only includes 3 current students at the Air Force Academy.
#25 The National Institutes of Health once gave researchers $400,000 to study why gay men in Argentina engage in risky sexual behavior when they are drunk.
#26 The National Institutes of Health once gave researchers $442,340 to study the behavior of male prostitutes in Vietnam.
#27 The National Institutes of Health once spent $800,000 in "stimulus funds" to study the impact of a "genital-washing program" on men in South Africa.
#28 The National Science Foundation recently spent $200,000 on a study that examined how voters react when politicians change their stances on climate change.
#29 The federal government recently spent $484,000 to help build a Mellow Mushroom pizzeria in Arlington, Texas.
#30 At this point, China is holding over a trillion dollars of U.S. government debt.  But that didn't stop the United States from sending 17.8 million dollars in foreign aid to China in 2011.
Do you feel good about paying your federal taxes after reading all of those examples of wasteful government spending?
All over America, middle class families are scratching and clawing in an effort to survive in this economy, and the oppressive levels of taxation imposed on those families certainly does not make things any easier for them.
It is tremendously immoral for the federal government to take money out of the hands of hard working families and spend it on such ridiculous things.

 Israels Air Force is ready for war

Israel has once again demonstrated its readiness to launch a massive assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Israeli Air Force is geared up and ready to strike as soon as the order is given, a major Israeli TV station reported.
­A reporter from Israel's Channel 10 TV station has spent several weeks interviewing pilots and other military personnel at an Israeli air base. Dozens of pilots are inspired with the prospect of Israel’s first full-scale air campaign in 30 years. Most of the interviewees spoke openly about the “year's preparations” that are now almost over, as the country heads towards a hot and tense summer.
“Dozens if not more planes” are being prepared to carry out an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, the reporter Alon Ben-David said. This includes F-15 fighter jets, escort planes and air tankers to refuel the squadron en route to its target.
Unmanned drones are also expected to play a role in the operation. The all-weather fully-automatic UAV Eitan was designed for strategic reconnaissance but reportedly has assault capabilities as well. “This plane can do all that is required of it when the order is given,” one of the pilots said as cited in the report.
When the order is given, the assault will be “short and professional,” pilots say.
Former Mossad chief Meir Dagan warned earlier that, although IAF has the capability to deliver a crushing blow to Iran’s nuclear facilities and wipe out years of research, such an attack would have serious repercussions. He said that such an operation would trigger a war in Gaza – and that in retaliation, Iran would launch hundreds of missiles at Israel.
One of major problem the IAF will be facing is the Russian-made advanced anti-aircraft systems deployed in many countries across the region, including Iran and Syria. Israel's military personnel are aware that by no means will all of them get home safe from the mission.
Moreover, the pilots had already been told where their families would be moved when the assault begins – proof that attack day is drawing close, as the report mentions.
Israel believes that a nuclear-equipped Iran would pose an existential threat to it. As a result, Israel has repeatedly reiterated its threats to deal with the issue militarily. Defense Minister Ehud Barak even spoke of a three-month deadline for Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions, which ends in mid-summer.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is fully civilian, and any enriched uranium it produces is for medical and research purposes. The Islamic Republic has even said it is ready to make concessions on its nuclear program if the West takes “confidence-building measures” and lifts the crippling sanctions. “We are ready to resolve all issues very quickly and simply,” Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said in an interview with the Iranian news agency ISNA.
“It can speed up the process of negotiations, reaching results,” Salehi said, "if there is goodwill.” Iran is currently under four sets of UN sanctions over its nuclear program. The US and EU have also slapped Tehran with their own sets of sanctions, targeting the country's financial markets and oil industry.
The nuclear talks between Iran and six major world powers resumed on April 14. The latest meeting in Turkey was described as generally successful by the majority of participants, and the next round is scheduled for May 23 in Baghdad. Many consider these talks to be the last chance for a peaceful solution.

Obama’s secret dealings with Iran conflict with US-Israeli understandings.

Barack Obama and his double diplomatic track

The fundamental rift on Iran between US President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu burst into the open Monday, April 16 when high-ranking Israeli officials close to Netanyahu directly accused the president of reneging on the US-Israeli understandings reached ahead of the Istanbul talks between the six powers and Iran on April 14.
Behind the show biz of Istanbul, they charged, the US and Iran had reached secret agreements in clandestine bilateral contacts channeled through Paris and Vienna.
The row surfaced Sunday when Netanyahu said the US and world powers by agreeing to hold more talks in Baghdad next month had given Tehran a "freebie" of five more weeks to continue enriching uranium without restrictions. By singling out the US, the prime minister aimed his comment directly at the president.
Obama’s response was fast. At a news conference ending the Western Hemisphere summit in Cartagenia, Colombia, he commented sharply: "The notion that somehow we've given something away or a `freebie' would indicate Iran has gotten something. In fact, they've got some of the toughest sanctions that they're going to be facing coming up in just a few months if they don't take advantage of these talks."
That is the very point on which Israel accuses the US president of playing false: time. As disclosed by debkafile on April 9, American and Israeli officials preceded the Istanbul talks with an understanding for the US to put before Iran agreed demands/concessions: Iran would be allowed to keep 1,000 centrifuges for the low-level enrichment of uranium up to 3.5 percent purity, the first time Israel had accepted the principle of Iran enriching uranium at any grade at all.
It was also agreed between Washington and Jerusalem that Iran would not be permitted to keep 20 percent enriched uranium, which is a short step before weapons-grade, in any quantity.
These understandings, known as the “1,000 principle,” were meant to represent the final upshot of the formal negotiations with Iran, a consensus to which US diplomats would aspire in as short a time possible.
In the event, the US delegation did not present any of the agreed demands – or any other - to the Iranians attending the first round of talks in Turkey.
The belated sense of being misled prompted the prime minister’s exceptionally sharp reaction.
Israeli official sources now suspect that in their secret contacts, the US has granted Iran far-reaching concessions on its nuclear program - more than Israel would find acceptable. The formal talks in Istanbul and in Baghdad on May 23 are seen as nothing but a device to screen the real business the US and Iran have already contracted on the quiet.

North Korea’s Missile Launch

As the United States attempts to convince North Korea to cancel a planned launch of an ICBM that is supposed to put a satellite in orbit, several Far East nations are making preparations to intercept the missile if it flies over their air space and divert air traffic from its expected flight path.
Japan, South Korea, Philippines, and Indonesia are taking steps to protect themselves from the unpredictable actions of the North Koreans, as well as the possibility that the unsophisticated design and poorly built missile might veer off course and cause damage if it crashes in their territory. Pressure on North Korea to cancel the launch has been intensifying in the last 48 hours as China and Russia — two of North Korea’s few friends in the world — have indicated their opposition to the launch. And if tensions weren’t high enough, South Korea intelligence is reporting that the North is readying another test of a nuclear weapon — a tremendously provocative action that, taken in context with the launch of the ICBM, sends an unmistakable signal that North Korea is approaching the point that it can deliver its nuclear weapons thousands of miles from its homeland.
The US has already suspended a recent agreement to supply North Korea with 240,000 metric tons of food and is threatening a complete cut-off if the missile is launched. But some analysts believe that the North Korean military is calling the shots on the missile launch and opposed the food agreement made by the civilian government. Other observers believe that the North Korean government has calculated that it is more important to boost the image of their new leader, Kim Jong-Un, than bow to pressure from the US in order to feed its starving population.
The missile launch is supposed to take place any time between April 12-16, although a spokesman for the North Koreans says it is ready to fly now. Washington not only believes the launch will be “provocative,” but that it would be a direct threat to regional security.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pointed out after talks with the Japanese foreign minister that the launch would violate several UN Security Council resolutions. UN Ambassador Susan Rice warned that there was “no disagreement among members of the [security] council that this is a provocative act, and an act that the North Koreans should refrain from undertaking.” Both Rice and Clinton said that “appropriate action” would be taken at the UN if North Korea went through with its plans.
Japan and South Korea will have their anti-missile defenses on high alert and will attempt to shoot down the missile if it violates their air space. The projected path of the missile is over water but past launches by North Korea have not been accurate. In 1998, a long range missile fired from North Korea passed over Japanese territory eventually falling into the ocean. There have also been several failures of North Korean rockets, including several that have blown up on the pad or shortly after liftoff. Japan has deployed its interceptors from southernmost Okinawa to the capital Tokyo, as well as sending three Aegis class destroyers armed with anti-missile technology into the East China Sea area. Experts worry that if Japan or South Korea end up shooting down the missile, that the North would take some kind of retaliatory action that might ratchet up tensions in the region even more.
The waywardness of North Korea’s missiles in the past has prompted authorities in several countries to take precautions this time by diverting aircraft from their normal routes in order to keep them out of the way of  any hazard. About 20 flights, including “Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, All Nippon Airways, Japan Airlines, Korean Airlines, Garuda Indonesia and Delta Air Lines” will be re-routed between Thursday and Monday — the expected dates for the missile launch.
The North Korean government dismissed concerns over the launch of the missile by claiming “a) the rocket uses liquid fuel not solid fuel and b) if this was actually a ballistic missile, it would require a much larger payload than is currently being used.” John Hudson, writing in the Atlantic Wire, destroys the North Korean’s argument, pointing out that “a ballistic missile can contain ‘either liquid or solid fuel.’” An example was the American Titan I and II ICBM that was propelled by liquid fuel and carried a large nuclear payload. Titans were still in the US arsenal into the 1980s.
Hudson writes that the claim about payload size is more realistic, but still worrisome. The point isn’t how much the satellite weighs, but rather what the payload capability of the Taepdong 2 missile is. Some experts think that the potential payload of the missile is 9 times larger than the announced weight of the satellite. If that were the case, the North Koreans are well on their way to marrying the bomb with a delivery vehicle capable of hitting the West coast of the US.
It seems incomprehensible that with their country broke and starving, that the North Koreans would deliberately antagonize the United States to the point that we would refuse to honor a deal to supply them with 240,000 tons of food that we negotiated just last month. White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters, “It’s impossible to imagine that we would be able to follow through (and) provide the nutritional assistance that we had planned on providing, given what would be a flagrant violation of North Korea’s basic international obligations.”
But the inner workings of the power centers in North Korea are sometimes unknowable. Some experts believe that the North Koreans think it more important to boost the image of their young leader Kim Jong-Un by showing that the entire world has its eyes on the country in advance of what the official newspapers are referring to as the “glorious” rocket launch. Apparently, the new leader is not universally admired among the North Korean people and it is thought that the launch will shore up support for Kim. The launch is being portrayed as part of the 100th birthday celebration of the nation’s founding dictator Kim Il-Sung, Kim’s grandfather — a man elevated to the status of a deity.
There is also speculation that the deal with the US for food was opposed by the military, and the generals scuttled the agreement by pushing for this launch. In what is perhaps unrelated news — or not, given the difficulty in reading the tea leaves from inside the leadership caste — a new defense minister was named along with the elevation of two other generals to the rank of vice marshal. It could be that the shakeup was more connected to the party congress that starts tomorrow rather than any internal bickering over the missile launch and food deal. It is doubtful if we’ll ever be sure.
The missile launch may also be just the start of a series of North Korean provocations. South Korean intelligence is reporting that the signs are present that indicate the North may be planning another test of a nuclear weapon. Significantly, Hillary Clinton warned “This new threat comes only weeks after North Korea agreed to a moratorium on nuclear and missile testing,” said Clinton. “The speed of the turnaround raises questions about Pyongyang’s seriousness in saying that it desires to improve relations with us and its neighbors.”
“The effort is believed to be in its final stages,” said the report.“The soil around the tunnel’s entrance appeared to have been brought in from another region and has been growing in amount since March.” But the opposition press in South Korea speculates that the report is bogus as the government tries to garner support in advance of elections on Wednesday.
But the intelligence fits the pattern of past North Korean nuclear tests, which closely followed their missile launches. If Secretary Clinton is right and further “provocative actions” are taken by the North following the missile launch, tensions in the Far East are sure to rise.

Russia massing troops on Iran border

Russia massing troops near northern Iranian border?

April 10, 2012 – IRAN – The Russian military anticipates that an attack will occur on Iran by the summer and has developed an action plan to move Russian troops through neighboring Georgia to stage in Armenia, which borders on the Islamic republic, according to informed Russian sources. Russian Security Council head Viktor Ozerov said that Russian General Military Headquarters has prepared an action plan in the event of an attack on Iran. Dmitry Rogozin, who recently was the Russian ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, warned against an attack on Iran. “Iran is our neighbor,” Rogozin said. “If Iran is involved in any military action, it’s a direct threat to our security.” Rogozin now is the deputy Russian prime minister and is regarded as anti-Western. He oversees Russia’s defense sector. Russian Defense Ministry sources say that the Russian military doesn’t believe that Israel has sufficient military assets to defeat Iranian defenses and further believes that U.S. military action will be necessary. The implication of preparing to move Russian troops not only is to protect its own vital regional interests but possibly to assist Iran in the event of such an attack. Sources add that a Russian military buildup in the region could result in the Russian military potentially engaging Israeli forces, U.S. forces, or both. Informed sources say that the Russians have warned of “unpredictable consequences” in the event Iran is attacked, with some Russians saying that the Russian military will take part in the possible war because it would threaten its vital interests in the region. The influential Russian Nezavisimaya Gazeta newspaper has quoted a Russian military source as saying that the situation forming around Syria and Iran “causes Russia to expedite the course of improvement of its military groups in the South Caucasus, the Caspian, Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.” This latest information comes from a series of reports and leaks from official Russian spokesmen and government news agencies who say that an Israeli attack is all but certain by the summer. Because of the impact on Russian vital interests in the region, sources say that Russian preparations for such an attack began two years ago when Russian Military Base 102 in Gyumri, Armenia, was modernized. It is said to occupy a major geopolitical position in the region.

Brotherhood candidate: Suleiman presidential bid

Photo by: reuters

Brotherhood candidate: Suleiman presidential bid an insult

CAIRO - A bid for power by Hosni Mubarak's former intelligence chief is an insult to Egypt's revolution that, if successful, would trigger a second nationwide revolt, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate for Egypt's presidency said. In his first public comments since being nominated by the Brotherhood on March 31, Khairat al-Shater played down fears of a clash between the powerful Islamist movement and the army generals who have ruled Egypt since Mubarak was ousted last year. But he warned the Brotherhood would not back a $3.2 billion emergency IMF loan requested by the army-backed government unless the terms are changed or the government steps down and lets a new administration oversee how the funds are spent. In an interview with Reuters on Sunday, the 61-year-old millionaire businessman denounced former intelligence chief Omar Suleiman's eleventh-hour decision to seek his former boss's job. Mubarak made Suleiman vice president just before losing power. "I consider his entry an insult to the revolution and the Egyptian people," said Shater, who said he spent 12 years in jail during the Mubarak era. "Omar Suleiman has made a big mistake. He will only win through forgery and, if this happens, the revolution will kick off again." The military council, which took over from Mubarak in February last year, has said it will hand power to civilians after a presidential election due to be held in May and June. More than 20 candidates completed the formalities to run for head of state and the top contenders are all Islamists or Mubarak-era politicians. Support from the Brotherhood's formidable campaign machine makes Shater an immediate front-runner in the vote. Suleiman is a dark horse who proved he still wields political clout by quickly collecting the 30,000 signatures of eligible voters that he needed to run. Violent protests and sectarian clashes have prolonged an economic crisis since Mubarak's overthrow but the streets have returned to relative calm after a parliamentary election as the country's political forces maneuver for influence and the army prepares to step aside. The Brotherhood, which built support for its project of an Islamic state through decades of preaching and charity work, was suppressed by Mubarak but shifted to the center-stage of politics after the January 2011 popular uprising begun by liberal and left-wing revolutionaries. It promised not to monopolize power in the style of Mubarak and his associates but its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) now has almost half the seats in parliament and dominates an assembly tasked with drawing up a new constitution. Now it has reversed a pledge not to field a candidate for the presidency. "Clash with military must be avoided Shater, who stepped down as Brotherhood deputy leader to run for the presidency, said the decision was motivated by fear that the army-backed government was failing to cooperate with the Brotherhood-dominated parliament and the movement needed an executive post in case the assembly lacked teeth. But he said a clash with the military - backbone of national security - must be avoided. "Even if there are issues with the military council's handling of the transitional period, such issues must be resolved in a way that does not lead to a real clash with the armed forces," he said. "We must, in fact, work to strengthen and develop the army." Egypt's new government would exercise civilian oversight over the armed forces' budget and their business interests, said Shater. The military makes substantial profits from an extensive and tax-exempt business empire that ranges from real estate and heavy industry to home cleaning services and gasoline stations. "It is not just taxing the military that is an issue. There is the problem of conscripts who are forced to work in army economic projects without payment. What about the land that the army controls for free? All these issues will be addressed by the new government," Shater added. Should he reach the presidency, Shater said he would seek to reform government institutions and society on the basis of Islamic teachings. "Our foremost aim is achieving progress based on Islamic principles". Egypt's military-appointed government began negotiating a loan with the International Monetary Fund in January to help it avert a balance of payments crisis. The IMF has said broad political support in Egypt is a pre-requisite for the loan deal and the Brotherhood has yet to provide its backing. The government now says the talks might not conclude before June. "We told them (the government), you have two choices. Either postpone this issue of borrowing and come up with any other way of dealing with it without our approval, or speed up the formation of a government," Shater said. The Brotherhood could also accept a loan if the size of the initial disbursement is reduced so that most of the funds are paid out after a new government takes power following the completion of a presidential vote in June, he added.

Hugo Chavez weeps and calls on God to spare his life

Chavez condemned Israel in June 2010:
"I want to condemn from the bottom of my soul, from the bottom of my guts: Damn you State of Israel. Damn you terrorists and assassins."

During a broadcast on Venezuelan national television and radio, Chavez said, "I want to condemn from the bottom of my soul, from the bottom of my guts: Damn you State of Israel. Damn you terrorists and assassins."

"The Golan Heights belong to the Syrian people ... the genocidal state of Israel will be put in place,
and hopefully a democratic state will be born, with which to share ideas.

"The Israeli Government has become the murderer arm of the U.S. Empire,
a threat to people struggling for their freedoms.

"... We have a common enemy: the U.S. Empire, and the genocidal state of Israel ...
[We share the goal] to carry out a socialist revolution, putting ahead the interests of our people.

"Where are the values of humanity, where are the battles waged in the human cause,
[the values] of Muhammad and Christ, are [present] throughout Latin America and in all Arab countries."

Hugo Chavez weeps and calls on God to spare his life

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez during a mass for his health in Barinas Photo: AFP/GETTY

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wept and asked God to spare his life during a
pre-Easter Mass on Thursday after returning from his latest session of cancer treatment in Cuba.

In a televised speech to the Catholic service in his home state of Barinas, Chavez cried and his voice broke as he eulogised Jesus, revolutionary fighter Ernesto "Che" Guevara and South American independence hero Simon Bolivar.

"Never forget that we are the children of giants ... I could not avoid some tears,"
the former soldier said, his parents and other relatives looking on from the church rows.

"Give me your crown, Jesus. Give me your cross, your thorns so that I may bleed. But give me life, because I have more to do for this country and these people. Do not take me yet," Chavez added, standing below an image of Jesus with the Crucifix.

Is Iran about to drag us into Armageddon?

Should we be worried that Iran is about to tip the entire world into World War III?  Are some folks reading far too much into all of today’s saber-rattling? Are they drawing wild conclusions from popular interpretations of Bible prophecy flying around the Internet?
Or is history’s final battle just around the corner?
Many Christians grew up hearing that the Bible foretells of one final war between Israel and many of the nations of the world. Popular interpretations of Old Testament prophecies leave little doubt that Israel – as “God’s chosen people” – will win.

The Prophet Isaiah by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo

For example, Isaiah 17 tells of a war that results in the capital of today’s revolt-torn Syria, Damascus, the world’s oldest continually inhabited city, ceasing to exist and becoming a “ruinous heap.”
So, is this the beginning of the end?
A number of Internet commentators have also thought it relevant to report odd reports in the news of strange, trumpet-like noises heard around the world, citing such scriptures such as Ezekiel 7:14: “They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.”
They cite a number of such trumpet reports on YouTube, that do-it-yourself video website where anybody with a video camera can post their homemade news report, movie or a video of their baby dancing with their cat.
They also pass along Bible prophecy tidbits, such as a 2009 report by Campbell Robertson in the New York Times: “The Euphrates is drying up. Strangled by the water policies of Iraq’s neighbors, Turkey and Syria, a two-year drought and years of misuse by Iraq and its farmers, the river is significantly smaller than it was just a few years ago.”
Even the Times acknowledged the biblical relevance, calling the river “so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times.” Indeed, Revelations 16:12-14 foretells: “And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.”
But does a lack of water in Iraq’s main waterway mean Armageddon is on the horizon? And do the much-cited Bible prophecies foretell a nuclear Iran wiping Isreal off of the map? For that matter, is the Islamic Republic of Iran even mentioned anywhere in, say, Isaiah 17, Psalm 83 or Zechariah 12?

The Prophet Daniel

The prophet Daniel describes Persia as having a major role in world events. Iranians will tell you they are modern-day Persia. But there’s no Persia in such key end-of-times prophecies as Psalms 83:8, which tells us that “even Assyria has joined them; they lend support to the sons of Lot.” Assyria? It ceased to be a world power about 2,500 years ago. But, get out your atlas of the ancient world and you’ll see that it included parts of Iran.
Psalm 83 predicts defeat for those who will attack Israel, particularly those intending to “wipe her off the map.” Iran’s president, Mahmoud Amadinijad has repeatedly made that specific promise. In fact, he has repeatedly lectured the General Assembly of the United Nations during his annual addresses to that body, telling them that the Shi’ite messiah, the “Hidden Imam” is about to return to Earth to establish worldwide Islam – but cannot return until Iran has eliminated Israel.
In the Bible, the prophet Jeremiah doesn’t specifically mention Iran or Persia in his visions of the end. However, he does mention Elam – an ancient power which included Iranian territory. Jeremiah 49:34-39 says Elam will experience devastation and the scattering of her population to many other nations as a result of the same attack that devastates Damascus.

The Prophet Jeremiah by Michaelangelo

Could there actually be such a war? Is Damascus at risk?
Throughout the Cold War, a policy of “Mutual Assured Destruction” kept NATO and the USSR from going at each other with nuclear weapons. It was well understood that automatic systems and official policies were in place that would trigger a massive response– even if the attacked nation was in ashes. Had the Soviets wiped out U.S. leadership and command, the consequences would have been submarine-launched total devastation of Russia.
So why should Iran expect anything less? A senior official in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard a few days ago told a Tehran newspaper that the United States is within reach of Iranian attack. If the U.S. hits key targets in Iran to halt its nuclear weapons program, “we will have a crushing response,” said Massoud Jazayeri, quoted by Reuters, the British news agency. “We will not only act in the boundaries of the Middle East and the Persian Gulf; no place in America will be safe from our attacks.”
Surely he knows that the U.S. response to an Iranian attack – particularly a nuclear strike – would be cataclysmic. If Iran somehow managed to nuke Washington, D.C., no Russian or Chinese veto in the United Nations could prevent Tehran and every other major Iranian city from becoming smoking, radioactive ruins two or three times over. Mutual assured destruction has been U.S. policy for 50 years and even the most peace-minded leadership in the White House would have an impossible time tempering a response to a nuclear Pearl Harbor.
But Iran has indicated that they don’t fear such a fate.
“Are Iran’s Leaders, Well…Crazy?” ask Kimo Quaintance and Bernd Kaussler on The Diplomat magazine’s website. “The most vocal supporters of preventative military strikes against Iran’s nuclear weapons program claim that Iran is developing nukes to use them, rather than to deter the United States and its allies from invasion.

Israel Defense Forces

“This inversion of the Cold War theory of nuclear deterrence assumes that Iran doesn’t have the capacity for rational choice. After all, as the argument goes, if the Iranians are crazy, then the certainty of national suicide won’t stop them from seizing the opportunity to unleash their new nuclear weapons on Israel.
“A state that believes the end of the world is coming (never mind thinking it has the special responsibility to usher in Armageddon) can’t be considered likely to weigh costs and benefits in any rational, self-preserving way.”
Or perhaps does Iran disbelieve the U.S. would  retaliate? Just days ago, not 24 hours after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned the United States that any pre-emptive strike against Iran by the U.S. or Israel would violate international law, Moscow put muscle into his warning. On April 3, the Russian guided missile destroyer Smetliviy and its support group arrived  in the Syrian port of Tartus from its Black Sea base for a naval exercise.
Just the day before, the Israeli news analysis website DEBKAfile reported that Russia and Iran are set to counter any U.S. Israeli strike against Iran. Lavrov’s comments, made during a visit to Armenia, stopped short of threatening any consequences.
“But,” reported Reuters, “they backed up and were in tune with the explicit threat from Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of strong Iranian resistance to foreign intervention in Syria and a vow to defend Damascus as the ‘center of resistance against Israel.’”
So, does Iran think Russia would protect them?
All this comes as Saudi Arabia and Qatar have established an international fund to pay a regular wage to rebel fighters in the Syrian Free Army, which is trying to depose the current pro-Iranian regime in Damascus. Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the U.S., Israel and Greece have engaged in a “shadowy air-naval exercise” in the Mediterranean codenamed “Noble Dina.”
“It appears to range across a broad sweep of sea up to Crete and including the waters off Turkey, Cyprus, and Israel Navy bases in Haifa and Ashdod ports,” reported the British news agency. The American, Israeli and Greek fleets are reportedly led by the USS Enterprise strike force and supported by a British Royal Navy flotilla.
So, are we dancing around the edge of the abyss? Is Armageddon around the corner? Internet prophecy enthusiasts are certain of it. They cite Luke 21:20, which tells us “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”
How about the repeated warnings from Russian and China that the U.S. should not intervene in the Syrian civil war? Or reports that the U.S., France, Great Britain, Turkey and Italy are planning to implement an aerial blockade of Damascus without United Nations backing?
Turkey? Why would anybody give any thought to Turkey? Historians would remind that Turkey was the Ottoman Empire that defeated the Crusaders and for almost 1,000 years held onto Palestine until those same former crusaders won World War I? Turkey also ruled Syria during that time period. And Iraq. And Iran.
Some who enjoy end-of-the-world debate would say that the United States is not mentioned in Bible prophesy. Others respond that a great “he goat” from the West will retaliate against the Medians (modern Syria) and Persia (today’s Iran) in the final battles. Daniel 8:5-6 foretells: “And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.”
What will be the result of such super-powers butting heads? Prophecy enthusiasts cite Isaiah 17:1, which tells us that “Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap” and Isaiah 17:3, which predicts victory for Israel: “The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.”
Isaiah 17:7 goes on to say, “At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel.
They predict Ahmadinejad  will hit Israel with nuclear weapons, but that Jeremiah 49:34-39 describes his failure – that any such attack will backfire and cause his own people to evacuate the smoking ruin that will be Iran.

Iran's Mahmoud Amadinejad

Without a doubt, whether you believe in Bible prophecy or not, today the Middle East is the most keenly watched area of the world. And little wonder – it is central to the economic stability of the world. Conflicts in the Middle East inevitably draw in the major powers. As a result, for many years it has been the most likely place for World War III to begin.
Why do the superpowers care about the Middle East? The same kinds of conflict in Indonesia’s East Timor or South America’s Andes or between nations along Africa’s Great Rift seldom drag in the super-powers or prompt worries about Armageddon.
What is it about the Middle East that holds our attention? An easy answer is: Oil. The world’s economies are dependent upon Middle Eastern petroleum. After the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Arabs used the oil weapon to devastating effect. Western economies were severely disrupted. The developed nations suffered crippling burdens of inflation, recession, debt and unemployment.
So, what’s next? The battle of Armageddon is described in part in Ezekiel 38: the prophet foresees a massive confederacy of nations invading Israel. The leader of the confederacy is called Gog of the land of Magog. Many Bible students have expected Russia to fulfill the role of Gog. Magog was an ancient name for the land of the Scythians in the southern part of what is now Russia. This invader unites other enemies against Israel.
Israel is referred to in Ezekiel 38:8 as: “The land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations.”
Ezekiel 38:5 adds that in league with Gog (Russia) will be “Persia (Iran), Ethiopia, and Libya.” Impoverished Ethiopia? A player in the final battle? In the Old Testament, “Ethiopia” often refers to the Nile valley south of Egypt, including Nubia (today’s Sudan and the new nation of South Sudan) and Abyssinia (today’s Ethiopia and Somalia). Ethiopia in Bible times was an influential country – home of the legendary Queen of Sheba.
Today, the former Ethiopian province of Somalia is frequently in the news as a collapsed state with no government. Its anarchy has spawned ruthless pirates stalking the busy shipping lanes in and out of the oil-rich Persian Gulf, constantly taking ships and crews hostage – and holding them for multi-million-dollar ransoms. And Sudan has been the site of a horrific genocide – as the Arab north has attempted ethnic cleansing of the predominantly black population of the oil-rich south — with the West and China squaring off, hoping to be the recipients of that oil.
What about Libya? This oil-rich nation for years financed worldwide terrorism and was responsible for one of the worst mass-murders of civilians, the bombing of a PanAm 747 airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland.
Jeremiah 3:17 foretells that all these enemies of Israel “shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem.” Indeed, Jerusalem is at the meeting point of three continents. Ezekiel 5:5 says: “Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.”
Ancient cartographers, taking this passage literally, placed Jerusalem at the center of their maps, an example of which is the famous Mappa Mundi in England’s Hereford Cathedra