'The Hal Lindsey Report' - Hal Lindsey - www.hallindsey.com
Iraq is a mess. Eleven years after the U.S.-led coalition invaded to remove Saddam Hussein, and three years after the war was declared over and American troops withdrawn, it appears that what once was a promising future for the nation is crumbling.
But it seems that modern Iraq's prospects have been ill starred from the beginning. After the Ottoman Empire fell at the conclusion of World War I, Iraq and several of the other nations in the Middle East were created by the stroke of a pen. Literally.
Britain's Colonial Secretary, Winston Churchill, essentially drew the map of the modern Middle East. He once noted that he created the nation of Jordan "with the stroke of a pen one Sunday afternoon in Cairo." Such arbitrary lines defined the nations of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Prime Minister David Lloyd George admiringly commented that in Iraq, Churchill had turned "a mere collection of tribes into a nation."
In truth, what Churchill created was a time bomb. His new nation included heavy numbers of Sunni and Shia Muslims -- factions at war since the seventh century. He also arbitrarily threw in a completely separate people in the north known as the Kurds.
Shia Muslims make up the majority in Iraq, but Churchill installed Sunni leaders. And the Sunnis remained in power until the U.S. defeated Saddam Hussein. But the Shias were stronger and more numerous than the Sunnis. So, predictably, when the Iraqis were finally given free elections, the dominant Shias, backed by Iran, won the vote.
Iraq descended into civil war between these factions in 2006-2007, but the U.S. troop surge restored stability and Iraq remained relatively calm and stable until President Obama withdrew the American forces at the end of 2011.
Today, a rebel Sunni group formerly associated with al-Qaeda has captured three major Iraqi cities and set its sights on Baghdad. Calling itself Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), it is moving across the land like a plague; brutally feeding and growing on the spoils of the Iraqis it conquers.
ISIS is so extreme even al-Qaeda has disavowed any connection with it. The terrorists crucify Christians, amputate the hands of thieves, and kill anyone who stands up to them. Reports say the roads are lined with decapitated victims. Some observers say thousands have been executed.
Of course, Mr. Churchill isn't the only world leader who misunderstood the complexities of the Middle East. Unfortunately, most of them have walked into the buzz saw because they misunderstood Islam and its intolerant and brutal nature. Ironically, Churchill seemed to understand, but underestimate, the role of Islam in the Middle Eastern dynamic. He once called Mohammedanism (Islam) the most retrograde force in the world.
Immediately after 9/11, President George W. Bush spoke at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. He said, "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam's all about. Islam is peace."
So he started off the war against terrorism by commending Islam, not condemning it. He made the mistake of thinking that democracy would solve the problem. Either he didn't understand or didn't believe that Islam and democracy are incompatible. And it's gone downhill ever since.
Speaking of downhill. I think President Obama and his team may be the worst negotiators in U.S. history. Their deal with Iran has succeeded in igniting a nuclear arms race in the region. They have negotiated with Russia, China, and other countries around the world. In almost every case, America's leverage has been squandered and its power reduced to a whimper.
But the most shocking of all may be the recent deal with the Taliban. You remember the Taliban. They're the terrorists from whose brutal reign we liberated Afghanistan.
Well, apparently, we didn't finish the job. In fact, President Obama decided to return to them five of their most deadly leaders. Some intelligence sources describe the Guantanamo Five as the equivalent of 4-star generals. We've released them in exchange for one American soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who deserted his post five years ago and walked into the Taliban's waiting arms.
Many Americans (as well as most Afghanis as recent polls reveal) are furious. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani described the move as "one of the more irresponsible and dangerous decisions an American president ever made."
In breaking with historical precedent, President Obama has effectively encouraged America's enemies to target other Americans because they think we'll pay the ransom.
I guess one thing you have to say about this administration is that it's consistent. President Obama has shown he's willing to accommodate one terrorist organization, the Taliban, and now he's agreed to work with another, Hamas.
Even though U.S. law clearly prohibits the American government from funding or cooperating with recognized terrorist groups, the U.S. State Department has declared that it sees no problem in supporting the new Palestinian "unity government" consisting of Fatah and Hamas.
This in spite of the fact that PA President Mahmoud Abbas openly tells Palestinian officials that his strong words against Hamas's terrorist activities "are meant to trick the Americans."
One Israeli official has described the U.S. willingness to ignore the law and support Hamas as "a knife in the back" to Israel.
How can peace be possible if Hamas is involved? The irony is that we used to say we don't negotiate with terrorists. But realistically, we've been negotiating with them at least since we began dealing with Yasser Arafat.
Finally, as we celebrated Father's Day last week, I was reminded of the tremendous challenge all parents face in guiding their children through the minefields of our modern society. Unfortunately, we've become a celebrity-driven culture.
Young Americans tend to find their identity and express it by the choice of the celebrities they follow. Millions live vicariously through the wealthy, beautiful, shallow, and narcissistic people who grace our magazine covers and television screens.
What's the big deal about that, you may ask. Well, Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Did you catch that? "... the companion of fools will be DESTROYED."
This is a powerful warning to everyone, but especially the young person who doesn't have the knowledge or experience to determine who is a fool and who isn't. That's why they need your help and guidance.
If you're just letting your child find his or her own way, the Bible says you don't really love them. Teach your children not to continually subject their minds to the thoughts of the ungodly. Better yet, be an example for them.
We're in a war, but it's not physical. Most of the battles are won or lost in our minds. Romans 12:2 gives us the key to winning. It is literally translated: "Stop being conformed to this world system, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [by the Holy Spirit]."
Iraq is a mess. Eleven years after the U.S.-led coalition invaded to remove Saddam Hussein, and three years after the war was declared over and American troops withdrawn, it appears that what once was a promising future for the nation is crumbling.
But it seems that modern Iraq's prospects have been ill starred from the beginning. After the Ottoman Empire fell at the conclusion of World War I, Iraq and several of the other nations in the Middle East were created by the stroke of a pen. Literally.
Britain's Colonial Secretary, Winston Churchill, essentially drew the map of the modern Middle East. He once noted that he created the nation of Jordan "with the stroke of a pen one Sunday afternoon in Cairo." Such arbitrary lines defined the nations of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq.
Prime Minister David Lloyd George admiringly commented that in Iraq, Churchill had turned "a mere collection of tribes into a nation."
In truth, what Churchill created was a time bomb. His new nation included heavy numbers of Sunni and Shia Muslims -- factions at war since the seventh century. He also arbitrarily threw in a completely separate people in the north known as the Kurds.
Shia Muslims make up the majority in Iraq, but Churchill installed Sunni leaders. And the Sunnis remained in power until the U.S. defeated Saddam Hussein. But the Shias were stronger and more numerous than the Sunnis. So, predictably, when the Iraqis were finally given free elections, the dominant Shias, backed by Iran, won the vote.
Iraq descended into civil war between these factions in 2006-2007, but the U.S. troop surge restored stability and Iraq remained relatively calm and stable until President Obama withdrew the American forces at the end of 2011.
Today, a rebel Sunni group formerly associated with al-Qaeda has captured three major Iraqi cities and set its sights on Baghdad. Calling itself Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), it is moving across the land like a plague; brutally feeding and growing on the spoils of the Iraqis it conquers.
ISIS is so extreme even al-Qaeda has disavowed any connection with it. The terrorists crucify Christians, amputate the hands of thieves, and kill anyone who stands up to them. Reports say the roads are lined with decapitated victims. Some observers say thousands have been executed.
Of course, Mr. Churchill isn't the only world leader who misunderstood the complexities of the Middle East. Unfortunately, most of them have walked into the buzz saw because they misunderstood Islam and its intolerant and brutal nature. Ironically, Churchill seemed to understand, but underestimate, the role of Islam in the Middle Eastern dynamic. He once called Mohammedanism (Islam) the most retrograde force in the world.
Immediately after 9/11, President George W. Bush spoke at the Islamic Center of Washington, D.C. He said, "The face of terror is not the true faith of Islam. That's not what Islam's all about. Islam is peace."
So he started off the war against terrorism by commending Islam, not condemning it. He made the mistake of thinking that democracy would solve the problem. Either he didn't understand or didn't believe that Islam and democracy are incompatible. And it's gone downhill ever since.
Speaking of downhill. I think President Obama and his team may be the worst negotiators in U.S. history. Their deal with Iran has succeeded in igniting a nuclear arms race in the region. They have negotiated with Russia, China, and other countries around the world. In almost every case, America's leverage has been squandered and its power reduced to a whimper.
But the most shocking of all may be the recent deal with the Taliban. You remember the Taliban. They're the terrorists from whose brutal reign we liberated Afghanistan.
Well, apparently, we didn't finish the job. In fact, President Obama decided to return to them five of their most deadly leaders. Some intelligence sources describe the Guantanamo Five as the equivalent of 4-star generals. We've released them in exchange for one American soldier, Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who deserted his post five years ago and walked into the Taliban's waiting arms.
Many Americans (as well as most Afghanis as recent polls reveal) are furious. Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani described the move as "one of the more irresponsible and dangerous decisions an American president ever made."
In breaking with historical precedent, President Obama has effectively encouraged America's enemies to target other Americans because they think we'll pay the ransom.
I guess one thing you have to say about this administration is that it's consistent. President Obama has shown he's willing to accommodate one terrorist organization, the Taliban, and now he's agreed to work with another, Hamas.
Even though U.S. law clearly prohibits the American government from funding or cooperating with recognized terrorist groups, the U.S. State Department has declared that it sees no problem in supporting the new Palestinian "unity government" consisting of Fatah and Hamas.
This in spite of the fact that PA President Mahmoud Abbas openly tells Palestinian officials that his strong words against Hamas's terrorist activities "are meant to trick the Americans."
One Israeli official has described the U.S. willingness to ignore the law and support Hamas as "a knife in the back" to Israel.
How can peace be possible if Hamas is involved? The irony is that we used to say we don't negotiate with terrorists. But realistically, we've been negotiating with them at least since we began dealing with Yasser Arafat.
Finally, as we celebrated Father's Day last week, I was reminded of the tremendous challenge all parents face in guiding their children through the minefields of our modern society. Unfortunately, we've become a celebrity-driven culture.
Young Americans tend to find their identity and express it by the choice of the celebrities they follow. Millions live vicariously through the wealthy, beautiful, shallow, and narcissistic people who grace our magazine covers and television screens.
What's the big deal about that, you may ask. Well, Proverbs 13:20 says, "He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed." Did you catch that? "... the companion of fools will be DESTROYED."
This is a powerful warning to everyone, but especially the young person who doesn't have the knowledge or experience to determine who is a fool and who isn't. That's why they need your help and guidance.
If you're just letting your child find his or her own way, the Bible says you don't really love them. Teach your children not to continually subject their minds to the thoughts of the ungodly. Better yet, be an example for them.
We're in a war, but it's not physical. Most of the battles are won or lost in our minds. Romans 12:2 gives us the key to winning. It is literally translated: "Stop being conformed to this world system, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind [by the Holy Spirit]."
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