Posted on 01/17/2007 6:12:09 PM PST by NormsRevenge
Our best case scenario is for missiles to be hitting us in the next year or two. Either the West goes to war to stop Iran from going nuclear, and Iran fires conventional missiles at us in retaliation, or the West waits too long and Iran launches a nuclear first strike at us. Either way, a terrible war is coming. It cannot be avoided.”
That’s the sobering assessment a senior Israeli political leader shared with me over breakfast this week.
In that context, President Bush’s recalibrated Mideast strategy is resonating positively here. The combination of 20,000 more U.S. troops in Iraq, a second U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier headed towards the Persian Gulf, the buildup of more anti-missile batteries near Iran, and a flat out rejection of appeasement talks with Iran and Syria indicates that the White House is not only serious about defeating the forces of radical Islam in and around Baghdad, but may in fact be gearing up for a military showdown with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his fanatic disciples in 2007. Secretary of State Condi Rice, here in the region this week, downplayed that view somewhat, saying in Jerusalem that "the U.S. is simply responding to Iranian activities that have been going on for a while now that … endanger our forces." But there is no question that the Arab and Iranian press are interpreting the President's moves as a step towards war.
I’ve been in Israel for the past ten days filming an EPICENTER documentary for network broadcast and nationwide release later this year. Picking up on the themes from the book, the film will focus on the urgency of the Iranian nuclear threat; how Shiite eschatology is driving Iranian foreign policy; why Russia is selling Iran missiles, submarines and nuclear technology; the differences between Islamic conceptions of end times prophecy and Judeo-Christian expectations of the last days; and how evangelical Christians and Israeli Jews can work together in light of this common enemy.
I asked Netanyahu how much time the West has to stop Ahmadinejad. “Not much,” he said, noting that when he was Prime Minister both India and Pakistan tested nuclear weapons to the shock of all Western intelligence agencies and that Iran could be much closer to getting the Bomb than anyone realizes. “Nothing else matters – not Iraq, not the peace process with the Palestinians – if Iran is allowed to obtain nuclear weapons. They must be stopped.”
Sharansky warned that action needs to be taken in 2007, or it could be too late. Ambassador Gold told me that Ahmadinejad’s cult of “Twelvers” – Shiites feverishly preparing for the coming of the Twelfth Imam, or the “Mahdi” – recently claimed to have pre-positioned sleeper cells of Mahdi warriors in Jerusalem and that Messianic fever is sweeping the Shiite crescent from Iran and southern Iraq to Lebanon.
[A very special thanks to the staff of OneJerusalem.org who arranged these interviews for us. They are one of the leading organizations in the U.S. and Israel in helping journalists and bloggers understand the threats facing Israel and making top experts available for interviews.]
In addition to interviews, we’ve been doing a lot of on-location filming, including in the Netanyahu tunnels underneath the Old City, on Har Megiddo (the mountain known in the Bible as Armageddon), and Yad Vashem (the Holocaust memorial). The most remarkable moment of the week – aside from the half hour I spent interviewing Netanyahu this afternoon – was an hour-long helicopter ride with our film crew flying over Israel and Jerusalem at sunset. It was absolutely breathtaking. The footage is amazing. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do something like that. Can’t wait for you to see it. I’ll give you updates on the progress of the documentary in the weeks ahead.
Another objective of these past ten days was for Lynn and myself and members of The Joshua Fund board to meet with top Israeli evangelical and Messianic Jewish leaders find ways to bring more humanitarian relief into the country both to care for the poor and needy as well as to pre-position emergency relief supplies for the coming war with Iran, Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas. I’ll have more specifics to report to you on The Joshua Fund’s plans and partnerships in the next week or so. Thanks so much to all of you who have invested in this work to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus. It could not be more urgent.
By the way, I’d appreciate your prayers concerning an interesting opportunity that has arisen. I’ve been invited by a top Iranian evangelical leader to teach for three days on “God’s Love and Plan For Iran” in a series of programs that will be televised live by satellite into Iran in February. Each broadcast will be shown in prime time and seen by an estimated three to five million Iranians. The programs will be available to about 80% of Iranian households and could be seen top mullahs and intelligence officials, as well as Ahmadinejad himself. My talks will be translated simultaneously – phrase by phrase – into Farsi and since the programs are live, I will be able to respond in real time to phone calls and emails, answering people’s questions about the differences between the Islamic conception of the Messiah and the Biblical teachings about the Second Coming of Jesus, and helping both Iranian Christians and Shiites understand the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39. The programs will then be turned into a DVD to create a teaching tool for thousands of underground pastors operating in house churches throughout Iran. I’d be grateful for your prayers for wisdom to communicate accurately and clearly, and for physical and spiritual protection for myself and my family. Thanks so much.
Thought I'd post a cheery piece for a change. ;-) (ducks)
ping
I predict unseasonably warm weather for Tehran ... say about 10000 degrees.
He better be.
I think the US is just placing military assets for when the $hit hits the fan after the Israelis bomb the nuke facilities.
I think the US is just placing military assets for when the $hit hits the fan after the Israelis bomb the nuke facilities.
That would be beautiful!
That is good news indeed.
Makes sense. That would limit the response, if we don't have the many presidential candidates in the senate chicken out.
An Air War with Iran must be done sooner rather than later. We must destroy Iran nuclear facilities, military infrastructures, and command and control centers. The Iranian terrorist regime must be broken and humiliated. The terrorist mullahs should learn once and for all that they are not going to control the Middle East.
Bush is undoubtedly prepared for war with Iran. Whether he will go to war with Iran is a bit less sure. I hope for an unsuccessful and well publicized Iranian attack on a carrier group to prod him into the necessary action. An attack by a dozen small navy suicide boats that gets obliterated before they they do damage would be ideal.
(From our side, anyway. Iran, of course, has been at war with us for almost 30 years.)
I think you are right. Something has to be done to stop Iran and soon. I think we will let the Israelis hit first and be ready to join right in .
Great.....Just keep the politicians out of it and ban all media.
I'll believe it when I see it from President Bush.
Lost Confidence.
OH...I ONLY HOPE SO! 24 is just a TV show, but you and I both know it's happening out there...under the radar, ready to strike at the least unexpected moment, wait us out. What have they got to lose? AMERICANS BETTER WAKE UP!
Iran, of course, has been at war with us for almost 30 years.
--
From Tehran to Yemen, from Nairobi and Tanzania, from Khobar to Beirut.. for starters.
They have definitely left more than a hint of their long-term intentions and goals.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.