While much of our attention in recent days has been focused on discussing
the ongoing nuclear threats emanating from the nuclear reactors in
Fukushima, Japan, the situation in North Africa and the nations of the
Middle East likewise continues to deteriorate, as various national
governments continue to take violent action against their own citizens in
order to preserve the status quo.

In thinking about everything that is going on right now, I was again
reminded of Jesus' words when He prophesied the following in the Gospel of
Matthew:

"And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled:
for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation
shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are
the beginning of sorrows." Matthew 24:6-8, KJV

As some of you will know, a number of years ago, I in fact wrote a
fourteen-part series -- entitled "Fulfilled Prophecy: The Beginning Of
Sorrows" -- which centers around those very verses, and which seeks to
demonstrate -- by offering verifiable data from a variety of respected
government and academic sources -- that Jesus's words are indeed coming to
pass in our modern day.

Concerning "wars and rumours of wars", as most of you will know by now, on
Friday, March 18th, the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution
1973, which authorizes member states to use all means necessary -- including
military force -- to protect the civilian population of Libya from the
military onslaughts of their unhinged dictator, Moammar al-Gaddafi. Among
other things, Resolution 1973 authorizes a no-fly zone over Libya, as well
as aerial bombardment of the Libyan government's military assets.

As I write this, even now Gaddafi's forces are nearing the rebel stronghold
of Benghazi on the Mediterranean coast in eastern Libya. While the
government of Moammar al-Gaddafi has supposedly declared a cease-fire, the
primary members behind the United Nations resolution -- the United States,
Great Britain and France -- are taking the Libyan leader's declaration of a
cease-fire with a grain of salt, and have insisted that actions on the
ground will be required, in order to persuade them to halt the impending
military assault against Libya.

It is interesting to note that five of the fifteen members of the UN
Security Council -- Brazil, China, Russia, India and Germany -- abstained
from the vote, possibly due to their own ties to the government of Libya,
and other strategic considerations.

While the civilian populations of Tunisia and Egypt continue to work towards
building new democratic governments in their lands, protest movements in
other nations of the Middle East are not faring nearly as well. Latest media
reports indicate that approximately forty-five protesters were killed on
Friday by government security forces in Sana, Yemen. In Sunni-controlled
Bahrain, Friday also saw the government destroying a monument at the center
of the Pearl Roundabout in the capital city of Manama, which had become a
symbol of pro-democracy for the protesters. What may come next in Bahrain is
anyone's guess.

Concerning United Nations Resolution 1973 and the involvement in, and
commitment of the American government to the same, I have very mixed
emotions. Obviously, like most other law-abiding, decent people, I am
opposed to any government which oppresses, persecutes and kills its own
citizens, and my heart truly goes out to those people who are victimized by
the same.

However, at the same time, as a peace-loving Christian who abhors all manner
of violence and war in accordance with Jesus' own teachings -- Matthew
26:52, John 18:36, etc. -- I must question the wisdom, legality and
motivations behind the Obama administration making this decision. In recent
days, certain officials of the Obama administration have publicly stated
that Libya is not a "vital national interest", yet once again, we find the
American government becoming embroiled in yet another foreign war,
supposedly motivated by humanitarian concerns.

Of course, as I have stated many times before, the very fact that the US
government is now supporting these democracy movements and revolutions in
the nations of North Africa and the Middle East stinks terribly of
hypocrisy; because in some cases, for decades the American government has
supported the very same thugs and dictators which it is now condemning and
helping to remove from power. American administration after American
administration basically ignored the atrocities that these despicable
leaders where committing against their own people, all for the sake of
keeping the oil flowing, and maintaining some level of peace and stability
in the Middle East.

What I also find troubling is the fact that this new war has not received
congressional approval -- as is mandated by American law -- and neither does
it have overwhelming public support either. Furthermore, by even committing
itself to Resolution 1973, the United States -- and other UN member nations
-- are basically declaring war on a sovereign nation. While these
governments may attempt to cloak their actions under the umbrella of
humanitarianism -- and there is indeed some legitimacy to this claim -- the
bottom line is that they are continuing the questionable policy of previous
American presidents; and that is forceful regime change.

While UN Resolution 1973 clearly prohibits the deployment of ground troops
in Libya, as other writers have already noted, and as recent history in Iraq
and elsewhere clearly demonstrates, an aerial assault is never enough to
achieve military objectives. Sooner or later, unless the rebel forces in
Libya are able to achieve military superiority, the American government --
and other UN member states -- will be forced to commit ground troops to
Libya.

While US president Barack Obama has pledged that this is not going to
happen, the situation on the ground may soon force his hand, whether he
likes it or not, and America will find itself embroiled in at least three
foreign wars all at the same time. In the meantime, competitors such as
Russia and China -- who abstained from the UN vote -- will sit back and
watch as the United States continues to spread itself thin, and depletes its
military assets. Then what?

While Barack Obama obviously recognizes some of the serious mistakes that
have been made in Iraq, it seems that against his better judgment, he has
allowed pressure from his critics -- who have painted him as being weak --
to control his decision to support and promote UN Resolution 1973. While
other nations -- including a few Arab League nations -- have pledged to go
the distance with the USA, if recent history is any indication, the United
States may very well find itself holding the bag at the end of the day, as
the Libyans -- who are divided by their loyalties to their individual tribes
-- struggle to create a united, democratic nation in a post-Gaddafi Libya.
Again, look at the ongoing nightmare between Sunnis, Shi'ites and Kurds that
is now Iraq, or look at the corrupt government in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, there is no doubt in my mind, that Western governments -- led
by the USA -- simultaneously involved in three wars in Muslim nations, is
not going to sit well with many Muslims around the world. Such involvement
only feeds and confirms their fears. Furthermore, it is this writer's view
that UN Resolution 1973 may basically amount to free advertising for
al-Qaeda, and similar Muslim extremist networks. Time will certainly tell.

Finally, it should be of concern to us all that with each passing year, the
United Nations appears to be more willing to become directly involved --
including militarily involved -- in the affairs of sovereign nations.
Between the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and a military
force comprised of the forces of UN Security Council states, are we slowly
seeing the emergence of a One World Government whose decisions and actions
will override those of sovereign nations? If we stop to consider how much
the world is already connected through trade agreements, global financial
institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,
intelligence databases, etc., the revelation of a One World Government does
not seem so far-fetched.

What do you think?



Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23
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