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Thanks for the historical update on that, a-Turk.

I was not aware of that situation, only that access was denied US Troops from the North after cooperation had been sort of expected.
I for one was really sorry to see that apparent breakdown in Turkish - US relationships, too.

Turkey seems to have about the goingest form of rational Civilization over there as far as I can tell, and we were hoping that it could occupy a position of leadership and strength in the ME after things get sorted out over there... assuming that they ever will be.

There are probably a lot worse things that could happen to the ME than a benevolant, reconstituted Ottoman Empire... as long as it gives up it's former agenda of taking over the World, that is!

I speculate that one factor in the coalition's hesitancy to go it with the Turks might have been concern for the fate of the Kurds, who seem to have been a valuable ally in the area for some time and one of the very few peoples to have managed any sort of significant resistance to Saddamn in Iraq without having been summarily exterminated for their trouble.

Sadly, Kurds and Turks don't seem to be getting on all that well lately, and mixing them up could have dire consequences I'm afraid...

Admittedly, I don't know much about the history and dynamics behind the unfortunate relationship between Turks and Kurds, but anyone who would like to see freedom and Peace coexist in the area seems to have plenty of reason to regret it.

It might be pretty easy for us armchair strategists to yell suggestions from the sidelines here, and I'll confess to being among that crowd. But when one has friends in the conflict and concern for the Human Race in general, it's hard not to get really emotional about the whole thing.

Although there is yet a great deal I have to learn about the ME culture and history, one impression I do come away with is that you seem to generally be a "People of Passion", which might be hard for a lot of Americans to relate to.

Prosperity over here may have made a lot of us sort of "superficial"; we tend to dwell in the moment with limited regard for the past or the future.

Way too many of us are absorbed within, if not entirely obsessed with, our selves and disregard or overlook the matrix of relationships we live in, or the greater existential questions life confronts us with.

As long as there's a 6-pack in the fridge, the Cable TV and remote is working and the Home Team is winning the Super Bowl or World Series, we're cool.

Oh!; don't forget the "Viagra"!

And I think that these are the "Americans" who are drawing, and admittedly probably fairly earning - the disgust and contempt of a lot of people in the rest of the World, not just in the ME.

This may come as news to you, but they are a source of considerable shame and disgust to a lot of us Americans, too!

But what I for one yearn to share with our fellow inhabitants of Old Terra is that not all of us are that way, nor perhaps, by God's mercy and grace, do we have to be forever.

One of the miraculous blessings endowed upon us by our mutual Creator as individuals, communities, and a species - whoever or whatever we believe that to be - is the capacity to learn, grow, develop, and heal.

And to facilitate this innate growth and healing process, we need to be communicating, as much as possible, instead of confronting, IMHO.

Glory and praise be to whoever is in charge "up there" (I think it's Jupiter's day off today, isn't it?), but that's exactly what I see happening from time to time right here on the FR!

Sure we have our "flame wars", regrettably; but here I see a Turk and a Greek having honest and open dialouge, and apparently getting along a lot better than History suggests that they should!
I don't know about you, but this Yankee celebrates that phenomenon!

Might it be that the Treasure and Sacred Trust that you, and I, and the Greek over here and the Italian over there and the Bantu down in Africa all hold is that of... "Humanity"?

Not only the Humanity around us; but the precious Humanity cloistered deep WITHIN us!

For you see, when a man enslaves his Brother, does he - must he - not first deny him his Humanity?

When a man takes the life of a precious unborn little baby from it's Mother's womb, or the Mother for whatever rationalle rejects that little spark of Life that lies asleep within her, do they not wrest from those tiny hands and tiny heart it's holy gift of "Humanity"?

It is said that in order to kill a man, we must first "Dehumanize" him in our own heart and mind, lest our inherrant moral conscience forbid us, and stay our hand that he might kill us and/or our Loved Ones instead.

So we come up with "pet" names for our enemies, like "Hun", "Gook" or "Commie";
"Sand Nigger", "Raghead"... "Infidel"...

The Christian's Jesus admonishes us to consistantly avoid this practice, suggesting (at the very least) that it essentially amounts to "Murder in the Heart", which our God considers to be a pretty serious sin.

So as "Christians", do we do it anyway?

Sure we do!

Now that I come up for air and think about it for a minute, you know...; I've done it all the time - and probably pretty recently at that.

Am I committing the grave sin of "murder" against and before my God each time I deny my fellow man his humanity?

Can I really obey and fulfill the great commandment to Love, while forgetting to respect the humanity of another?

Yikes! On bended knee I had best get before my King, repent, and beg forgivness!

How does the Quoran treat that sort of thing, by the way? I'd be interested to know.

What does your minor Prophet and my Savior Yeshuah of Nazareth suggest we do about it, then?

Dare we doff our helmets, be they of linen, steel, kevlar, or tin-foil, in hopes that we might discover that we each have brains, and minds, and the capacity for rational thought?

If we should lower our shields a bit or leave our armor in the tent, we might be centerpunched with an RPG for our trouble... but then again, what could happen if we each could see beyond our respective fortifications that most of us carry a heart that has, or at least had, the capacity to be a model and extension of the Holy and Eternal Life entrusted to us by our common Creator?

Did Allah put one heart in you, while Jehovah put another brand of heart in my breast?

Is there a special heart for the Jew, and a different sort just for the Arab?

Does Brahman craft an entirely unique line of hearts and Souls for his Children, while Jupiter ran out of them a while ago and has gone back to his contractor for a fresh supply?

I find such a paradigm to be a bit of a stretch, really.

The Bible, especially the sayings of Yeshuah (Anglicized as "Jesus") warn us that the struggles we face are not so much "carnal", waged with weapons such as swords and bullets and bombs... as they are essentially "Spiritual" in nature.

Even in the absence of "incoming ordnance", the Battle rages all around - and even within - each and every one of us.
And the outcome will determine the eternal fate of Planet Earth and Species Homeo Sapiens.

That's US, folks! ; You in the tuban, and him in the sarong, and me over here in the dungarees and T-shirt, too!

Now I don't know about you, but I see what's happening in the ME today as perhaps one of Earth's most pivotal Battles in an ancient ongoing Spiritual War - one which very well could be coming to a climactic culmination any day now.
All of the car-bombs, the RPGs, the air-stikes and beheadings are, I opine, pretty much the side - show in this circus - as spectacular as they might be.

The Prophets of the Old Book tell of a time not at all unlike that which we are currently living in, leading up to events in which all "scores" are to be settled and eternal Justice to be rendered at last, to both the quick and the dead.

Your mention of a hostage being saved by Prayer strikes me as particularly interesting.

That Truck Driver who "somehow managed" (Thank you, Lord!) to escape his captors a few Months ago said that he prayed many times daily, as his Loved ones were in constant prayer for him.

I have often thought about what I would do if i were to find myself a "Guest" of AlQuida in a similar situation, and have determined that I would try, as best I could anyway, to worship and praise my God and King in word and song to the very end, and enter into His presence before his rightous, eternal throne for my ultimate judgement with songs of praise and adoration upon lips and heart.

I wonder if AlJizzera would show a dilapidated, blindfolded, bearded old American in his orange prison suit about to be decapitated, sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of his executionors singing the old "Doxology";

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow!;
Praise Him all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host!
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
Amen."

"...As it was in the beginning;
Is now, and ever shall be;
World without end -
Amen; Amen!"

Don't know if I'd have the courage to pull it off.

But I know who did... and who still does.

The Bible also tells us that God's message to this World regarding our salvation will not be so much advanced by intellectual argument, debate or persuasion, (nor by the force of arms), as it will be by the clear and convincing demonstration of God's supernatural power; "Dunamus", in the context of our living reality.

I think that in Iraq as well as through the ME, we can expect to start seeing things that we might have a hard time imagining in either of our cultures.
And I'm not so sure but what that expected outpouring of God's Power, Spirit, and Love might even now have begun, ...but we are not supposed to know about it.

But sooner or later, no man will be able to hold back the Light.

Your sick are going to be healed here and there... a few at first, probably. Wait and see.

Blind Moslems are going to look up, and see the Light... and the faces of those who love them.
The lame will walk, and the deaf will hear; the mute will break out singing.

Holy Fire will come down from heaven, and reach into men's hearts, and grab them, and shake them.

Hard...

Sisters; Can't you see it, just beyond the sunrise?

Brothers; Can't you hear it, breaking clear and free with the Morning?

I'm sure trying to, here... It's not an easy vision to see; but oh!; if we only might!?

All of man's wisdom, tradition, custom and law will be put to shame by the power of God's Holiness, and all of our lies will fall before His Eternal Truth.

Glory!

And Moslem and Jew, Protestant and Catholic, Turk and Greek, slave and free, Yankee and Biafrian, might at last lay down our armor and swords, and embrace in the full Light of the One who made us all...

And calls us all once more, Home to His bosom!

Amen?