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THERE WAS, AND IS, NO OTHER WAY!

April 2, 2008

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

It was absolutely necessary for the West to get rid of Saddam Hussain, but it was not necessary for us to stay in Iraqi to establish a democratic government made up of Kurds in the North, Iraqis in the Central zone, and Shiites in the South. Why? – Because it is an impossibility which simply cannot be done no matter how many troops you put there or how long they stay.

Archive Prophecy Update Number 80A, which follows, made it clear I believed it absolutely essential to replace Saddam Hussian, and I never believed otherwise. The two Archive Updates that follow 80A, 114C, and 170B detail the reasons why Kurds, Shiites, and Sunnis will not be able to have a stable government until the Second Advent.

The May 5, 2004 Update is as valid today as it was the day it was issued. I have always believed what the first President Bush did was correct, namely, blow the Iraqi Army to Hades, but don’t go in to homestead and establish a Democratic government to replace it. I have advocated from the start, go in, stay long enough to eliminate the ungodly Saddam Hussein, then get out, and let the Kurds, Shiites, and Sunni slug it out for whatever type of government or governments came out of the conflict.

Once we were bound and determined to establish a democratic form of government that we thought would last, and determined to stay in Iraq come Hell or high water, I have supported the troops there and prayed for their survival, and will continue to do so.

Now that we have spent so much time there, I am not in favor of an immediate pullout, which might cost us greater loss of by a disorderly withdrawal, than would we would be likely to susta

in if we did not stay long enough to establish a greater degree of stability in the Iraqi forces we have trained.

The IHT Article, which follows our three Archive Prophecy Updates, is well worth the read.

Begin Archive Prophecy Update 80A

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 80A

August 11, 2002

SADDAM HUSSEIN – THE MIDDLE EAST WILD CARD!

WHY THE U.S. IS DETERMINED TO REPLACE HIM!

The United States has reason to be concerned about Saddam Hussain, not because of his military genius, or because he has a great army, for he has neither. The reason that we, and all the rest of the world should be concerned about him is because of his complete disregard for any human life, including his family and the people of his nation. One of the Roman Emperors once said of King Herod of Judea that he would rather be one of his dogs than one of his sons. Saddam has the same characteristics. The other Islamic leaders have sufficient intelligence to restrain themselves when it is obvious they are going to lose everything if they fail to do so. But Saddam is not only cold, heartless, and cruel, but he is also a crazy madman who makes decisions regardless of the consequences in his mad daydream of becoming the modern Saladin of the Middle East. His illusions of grandeur envision himself as being one who, like Saladin, can unite the Sunni and Shiite Muslins and thus become the Sultan of a vast domain that stretches eastward from Morocco to India. His recreation of a model city like Babylon at its old site was a mere reflection of the man’s belief he is destined to be as great as Mohammad. Do I think he could be the antichrist? No! But I can assure you he would like to fly to the heights the Bible predicts for antichrist before his Armageddon demise. The antichrist will be smooth as silk and more slippery than a greased pig.

Saddam Hussain reveals far too much outside, of what exists inside, to be a man we could identify as antichrist.

As an analyst I love predictability – that is what bothers me so much about Saddam. The only thing predictable about him is his unpredictability and I would love to see the end of his regime for this reason. None of the other Islamic nations would launch any missiles carrying biological, chemical, or nuclear warheads. Why? They know that Israel has some 300 Jericho missiles in Negev silos that can support chemical, biological, and nuclear warheads, but they also know that Israel will not launch them against them unless they first launch against them. They have enough sense and compassion that they don’t want to see the people of their nations and their families wiped out. But that is not the case with Saddam. He is just fanatical enough to launch first against Israel, with no regard for the consequences. That is why Israel struck from the air to destroy his ability to produce an atomic bomb in his first nuclear facility.

Begin Archive Prophecy Update 114C

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 114C

April 7, 2003

Iraq – A Biblical Land of Conquerors and Confusion

The post Saddam government’s character and temperament cannot be expected to maintain a personality that manifests a long-term gratitude for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Its history dictates that initial expressions of thanksgiving must slowly, but surely, return to the standard Islamic attitude toward the big devil United States, and the little devil Israel. It will never degenerate to the Saddam regime madness, but Iraq will be among the 10 nations that attacks Israel some three and on-half years before the final battle of Armageddon.

The new civilian government, which will eventually be installed, will have a violent mixture of the intermingled blood of the 12 sons of Ishmael (the first son of Abraham), the six sons of Keturah by Abraham, and the two sons of Lot (Abraham’s nephew). The first post flood population in the Iraq area was ruled by Noah’s great grandson, Nimrod, who the son of Cush, the son of Ham. Asshur, the grandson of Shem, the son of Noah, peopled the northern part. So, in this area you have the intermingled blood of the descendants of all the aforementioned ancestors. As a matter of fact, the word translated as “mingled” in Daniel 2:43 is “Arab.” The seed of all these ancestors has certainly been “mingled” in the production of offspring, but they have not been able to cleave together continuously except under the control of a very strong leader, and then only for a relatively short period of time. The great Assyrian warrior kings of 800 to 600 B.C., followed by the great Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, and the famous Kurd Saladin from northern Iraq, who united the mingled tribes to drive the crusaders out of Jerusalem in 1187, have shown that only a strong-willed ruler can unite them, and then only for a specific purpose of conquest, which is invariably followed by a period of empire decay as the cleavage of many different bloodlines crumbles. The coming antichrist will be able to unite them for a while, but in the end they will break apart.

He will be like Nimrod in character.

Daniel 11:36 – And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.

Daniel 2:42,43 – And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

I have always taught that I believed the antichrist would come out of Syria (See Prophecy Updates 62,63,64,65,66,67,68, and 69), but I have repeatedly stated that I am only certain he will come out of the old Assyrian empire, which would include Lebanon, extreme southeastern Turkey, and northern Iraq. So I will be watching very carefully to see if someone from northern Iraq becomes the President of Iraq.

It will take a really strong, and extremely clever, ruler to unite the Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish factions across Iraq.

The 10 toes and 10 horns of Daniel are the same 10 horns of John’s first and second beasts.

They are not European nations, and the antichrist is not a European. He is the Assyrian of Micah’s fifth chapter, and the 10 toes and 10 horns are basically mingled (Arab) descendants of Abraham, who practice the Islamic faith – a faith that would be the worship of a strange god unknown to Abraham. The division of the vast riches of the Iraqi oil fields among the different ethnic groups within Iraq would most certainly gain him a loyal following among all the Islamic clerics.

Daniel 11:37,38 – Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. [38] But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. [39] Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain.

Daniel 7:24 – And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Revelation 17:12,13 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

So, Lord willing, I will be paying very close attention to the interplay between the new Iraqi government, Syria, and Iran. This is going to be a very interesting scenario.

SPECIAL PROPHECY UPDATE NUMBER 170B

May 5, 2004

A Democratic Government Cannot Stand in Iraq!

I was 100 percent in favor of invading Iraq and ending the reign of Saddam the Butcher, and 100 percent in the corner of those who wanted to see the Baath Party out of power, but I have consistently been 100 percent in favor of NOT trying to establish a democratic type of government like ours because such a government would only stand for a few months after U.S. troops pulled out, and the cost of American lives would not be worth the price. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN IRAQ THAT WILL LAST – IT WOULD ONLY LAST AS LONG AS A LARGE AMERICAN ARMY WAS IN PLACE TO ENFORCE IT, AND AMERICANS WILL CONTINUE TO DIE IN HIT-AND-RUN-ATACKS WHILE THEY REMAIN TO MAINTAIN SUCH A GOVERNMENT.

I could have gotten out of fighting in Vietnam, but I chose to go. I did not go because I believed we could win the war and establish a non-corrupt regime in the southern half of the country. I went because I believed it was essential to stopping the spread of communism to other countries in the Far East. The support the Soviet Union poured into Vietnam and Afghanistan broke the financial back of the communist monster, which led to the breakup of the Soviet Union, and its demise as one of two great world powers. I believe it was absolutely essential that we go into Afghanistan. Its unbelievable mountainous terrain and deep sheltered valleys made it the perfect terrain for a Taliban government to be the breadbasket of terror led by Osama bin Laden. And we simply could not eliminate the numerous terror camp training facilities and headquarters with missiles and air strikes, no matter how sophisticated the state of our technical expertise was at that time. And, for that reason, I am still in favor for troops to be maintained there in order to prevent a reoccurrence of the same scenario. Iraq is a flat land compared to Afghanistan, and, once we had deposed Saddam and crushed his regime, I knew we had the advantage of destroying any threat that arose against our interests in the region with missiles and air strikes following our withdrawal. I am 100 percent in favor of the worldwide war on terrorism, but 100 percent in opposition to attempting to form a democratic form of government in Iraq like ours in this generation. Sure, I wish it were possible, it is an idealistic, noble daydream, but we are fighting Islamic windmills with toothpicks, and the price in blood we are paying for it cannot be justified by a final result that will be marked by failure to see it fulfilled.

The real problem in Iraq began in 1932, the year I was born. Iraq was also born that year as the first of the League of Nations mandate states. So, after 1932, Iraq was formally independent. There was still, of course, a large measure of British influence and power there, but it was certainly independent earlier than any of the other Arab states. The British were largely responsible for the impossible attempt to merge together four major contentious groups into one state, the Shiite, the Sunni, the Kurds, and the Assyrians. It would have been far better to have four countries with separate borders than to attempt to put four wildcats into a sack and call the sack a state. And there are many other smaller groups of ethnic wildcats that also were placed in the sack. It was inevitable that a government would eventually come into existence that would be held together by absolute force of a dictator. It is most unfortunate that the dictator who finally grabbed power was Saddam. Most dictators are happy to rule their own country with an iron hand, but Saddam had illusions of grandeur to be the great Islamic messiah who would even exceed the greatness of Saladin the Kurd and, in the end, be ruler over all of the Arab world. The only real solution to the problem, generated in 1932, is to establish governmental borders that separate the four major ethnic groups, and let each group internally fight it out as to the kind of government they want. After the dust has settled you may only have two or three states continuing to fight each other for dominance, but they will be fighting each other rather than the United States and Israel.

The continuous argument I have heard echo across the world’s political scenario from before Operation Desert Storm through Operation Iraqi Freedom is this – DO NOT DISTURB THE STABILITY OF THE REGION! And everyone seems to agree on how important it is to NOT disturb it! I totally disagree! I was hoping we would go in, get rid of Saddam, his henchmen, and his Baath Party, then pull out as quickly as possible, and let all hell break loose between the Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds, and many other ethnic groups that make up Iraq. They would not be able to concentrate on how much they hate us and Israel, because they would be too busy hating each other. Then, after the smoke and killing ended in a truce, Iraq would probably be splintered into three separate countries, Kurdistan dominated by Turkey, Sunnistan dominated by Syria, and Shiitestan as a part of Iran. As far as I am concerned, the more instability, political turmoil, and confusion we see among all of the nations of Islam, the better off the United States (the big Satan as we are called) and Israel (the little Satan) will be in the world’s fickle climate. If I thought there was any possibility of actually installing a democratic type of government in Iraq, then I would say it would be worth the price we are paying in American blood to do so, but it is a futile pipedream, no matter how noble it may seem to those who favor it. I have been a supporter of both father and son Bush in their presidencies.

I do continue to admire them both, and will vote for the son in November.

However, I do not agree with the idea of attempting to establish a democracy in the midst of Islam because it is impossible – admirable, but beyond the scope of possibility in this generation.

We need to get out and let them slug it out among themselves. In any case, whatever happens, Iraq will be one of the tens associated with Daniel 2 & 7, and Revelation 13 and 17. The Lamb King of the soon coming Kingdom foretold in Revelation 17:14 is the King of the Kingdom found in Daniel 2:44 and 7:27, and he is the only one who can bring lasting peace and stability to the Middle East under a theocracy. The Old Roman Empire had a large southern flank that, at one time, included all of what we know as the Islamic nations stretching from Morocco to Iran, which number more than the ten required to choose from as being the toes or horns in Daniel and Revelation.

Daniel 2:42,44 – And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Daniel 7:24-27 – And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. [25] And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. [26] But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. [27] And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the

kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

Revelation 13:1 – And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 17:12-14 – And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. [13] These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. [14] These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

BEGIN IHT ARTICLE

A civil war Iraq can’t win

International Herald Tribune

By Anthony H. Cordesman

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

WASHINGTON:

Even if American and Iraqi forces are able to eliminate Al Qaeda in Iraq, there are still three worrisome possibilities of new forms of fighting that could divide Iraq and deny the United States any form of “victory.”

One is that the Sunni tribes and militias that have been cooperating with the Americans could turn against the central government and the United States. The second is that the struggle among Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and other ethnic groups to control territory in the north could lead to fighting in Kirkuk, Mosul or other areas.

The third risk – and one that is now all too real – is that the political struggle between the dominant Shiite parties could become an armed conflict, and one that Iran could easily take advantage of.

It is far from clear that the fighting is over in southern Iraq and parts of Baghdad between the Mahdi Army, which is under the control of the populist cleric Moktada al-Sadr, and a coalition of forces led by Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s Dawa Party and the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, a powerful party led by a Maliki ally, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim.

The Mahdi Army has stood down as a result of a cease-fire that seems to have been brokered by Iran, but the Mahdi Army remains largely intact despite the fact that Dawa and the Islamic Supreme Council had de facto control of much of the Iraqi security forces, and that Hakim’s group has its own militia, called the Badr Organization.

Much of the reporting on the power struggle in Basra and Baghdad – which was initiated by the Iraqi government – assumes that Sadr and his militia are the bad guys who are out to spoil the peace, and that the government forces are the legitimate side trying to bring order. This is a dangerous oversimplification, and one that the United States needs to be far more careful about endorsing.

There is no question that many elements of the Mahdi Army have been guilty of sectarian cleansing; that the Sadr movement is hostile to the United States; that some of its extremists have continued acts of violence in spite of the cease-fire Sadr declared last summer, and that some of these rogue elements have ties to Iran. No one should romanticize the Sadr movement, understate the risks it presents or ignore the violent radicals in the Mahdi Army.

But it is equally important not to romanticize Maliki, the Dawa Party or the Islamic Supreme Council. They are far from popular in many Shiite areas and have limited legitimacy.

The current fighting, which the government portrayed as a crackdown on criminality and insurgents, is better seen as a power grab – an effort by Maliki and the most powerful Shiite political parties to establish their authority over Basra and the parts of Baghdad that have eluded their grasp.

Moreover, Maliki’s gamble dragged American forces part-way into the fight, including air strikes in Basra, in ways that have made Sadr and the Mahdi Army far more hostile and which have made Iran a potential power broker.

Striking at violent, rogue elements in the Mahdi Army is one thing, but engaging the entire Sadr movement is quite another. The official cease-fire that has kept the mainstream Mahdi Army from engaging government and U.S. forces may well be rescinded, and the new cease-fire between the Sadr faction, and Dawa and the Islamic Supreme Council, is tenuous at best.

This looming power struggle was all too clear when I was in Iraq last month. The Supreme Council was the power behind the Shiite governorates in the south and was steadily expanding its influence over the Iraqi police. It was clearly positioning itself to counter Sadr’s popular support and preparing for the provincial elections scheduled for Oct. 1.

American military and civilian officials were candid in telling me that the governors and other local officials installed by the central government in Basra and elsewhere in southern Iraq had no popular base. If open local and provincial elections were held, they said, Dawa and the Islamic Supreme Council were likely to be routed because they were seen as having failed to bring development and government services.

There was no real debate over how bad the overall governance of the south was at the provincial level, how little money the region was getting from Baghdad, and how poor government-related services were, even in Shiite areas.

Incompetence and corruption are not sectarian. An ABC News poll released this month showed that only two-thirds of the Shiite population in Basra had a favorable opinion of the central government, down from three-quarters last summer, and that only 14 percent of all residents felt they could move about safely.

The American officials I met with differed in their views of the size of Sadr’s base around Basra, but most felt that Sadr still had a broad base of support in the rest of the south and in Baghdad – something indicated by the huge rallies on his behalf in the capital last week and the government forces inability to win any real victory over the Mahdi Army,

Many Iraqis that I have spoken to are worried about how the October elections would play out.

The first problem is that there are no real indigenous political parties operating with local leaders.

The second is the framework, which is still undecided. If the election follows the model of the 2005 vote, Iraqis will vote for long lists of candidates from the main parties (confronting many unfamiliar names) and there will be no allowance for the direct election of members of the Parliament who would represent a given area or district.

Optimists hope that local leaders and parties will emerge before the election; realists foresee an uncertain mess.

There are also differences of opinion over Sadr’s cease-fire. Before Maliki launched his offensive, Iraqis asked whether he was simply waiting out the American-Iraqi effort to defeat Al Qaeda before allowing his army to become active again.

Now they ask whether the new cease-fire between Sadr’s forces and those of Maliki and Hakim will last, whether there will be elections or more fighting, and why Iran seems to have been the key negotiating partner and neither side kept the United States informed.

In any event, it is clear that Basra has become a special case. Since the American-led invasion, it had been under the protection of the British, who opted for a strategy of not-so-benign neglect. Thus the power struggle in the city – Iraq’s main port – differs sharply from that in the other Shiite areas.

Basra was essentially divided up among Shiite party mafias, each of which had its own form of extortion and corruption. They sometimes fight and feud, and there are reasons to call them criminal gangs, but they have established a crude modus vivendi.

Basra also feels the influence of Iran far more than the other Shiite governorates. Iran’s religious paramilitary force, Al Quds, has been an equal-opportunity supplier of weapons and money to all the Shiite militias, effectively ensuring that it will support the winner, whoever

that turns out to be.

There were good reasons for the central government to try to reassert control of Basra.

It is not peaceful. It is the key to Iraq’s oil exports. Gang rule is no substitute for legitimate government.

But given the timing and tactics, it is far from clear that the Maliki offensive was meant to serve the nation’s interest, as opposed to those of the Islamic Supreme Council and Dawa. It is also unclear that the end result will strengthen any side other than Iran.

How will this intra-Shiite fighting affect America? If the fighting sets off a broad and violent power struggle between Shiite factions, most of the security gains of the last year could be lost.

The fighting that took place last week has already threatened stability and security in Shiite areas. It has made political accommodation even more difficult, and it may be a warning that the Islamic Supreme Council and Dawa will not permit fair elections and the creation of legitimate local and provincial governments.

If anything, it may indicate that they and Iran are far more interested in a Shiite-dominated “Iraqracy” than in democracy,

Anthony H. Cordesman is a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

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Soldiers of the Prophesied Mahdi!

April 2, 2008

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

The Shiites of the Mahdi Army, now fighting the Iraqi government for control of southern Iraqi, is led by Muqtada Al-Sadr, who issued these chilling words regarding this Shiite Army’s role “At The End Of Time”: “This Will Be The Army Of The Reformer [The Mahdi], Allah Willing… At The End Of Time, The Mahdi Will Appear, And… We Will All Be His Soldiers”

The following excerpts, from an article presented by Mufti A.H. Elias and Mohammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali, describe some characteristics and events associated with the arrival of the Mahdi.

Begin Excerpts

Imam Mahdi (Descendent of Prophet Muhammad PBUH)

by Mufti A.H. Elias and Mohammad Ali ibn Zubair Ali

Who Is Imam Mahdi?

Note: Please do not confuse Imam Mahdi with Hadhrat Isa (Jesus) Alayhis Salaam. They are two different

persons, and both will come during the last days. According to Hadeeth, Imam Mahdi will appear first, and Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will appear during Imam Mahdi’s lifetime. Furthermore, only Hadhrat Isa (A.S.) will be able to kill Dajjal (the “anti-Christ”).

The term “MAHDI” is a title meaning “The Guided one”.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood (R.A.) says that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny does not rule over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name.” (Tirmidhi)

Hadhrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “Even if only a day remains for Qiyamah to come, yet Allah will surely send a man from my family who will fill this world with such justice and fairness, just as it initally was filled with oppression.” (Abu Dawood)

His Features

Hadhrat Abu Saeed Khudri (R.A.) relates that Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, “Al Mahdi will be from my progeny.

His forehead will be broad and his nose will be high. He will fill the world with justice and fairness at a time when the world will be filled with oppression. He will rule for seven years.”

End Excerpts

The Islamic Mahdi would be considered by Islam to be their version of their Messiah. I would consider him from our prophecies to be the one called the Antichrist. I would consider him to be the beast and his army among those who suffer the fate of Revelation 19:19-21.

Revelation 19:19-21 – And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. [20] And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

[21] And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Begin MEMRI Excerpts

Middle East Media Review Institute

Special Dispatch Series – No. 1883

March 31, 2008

Muqtada Al-Sadr, Iraqi Leader of the Al-Mahdi Movement, Supports Armed Attacks on U.S. Forces in Iraq, Says Al-Mahdi Army Will Be

The following are excerpts from an interview with Muqtada Al-Sadr, leader of the Al-Mahdi Army in Iraq.

The interview aired on Al-Jazeera TV on March 29, 2008.

To view this clip, visit here: http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1726.htm.

To view a MEMRI Iranian Media Blog post on this interview visit:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6541.htm.

“Saddam Was Occupying Iraq with his Dictatorship and his Reckless Policies… [But] the Military Intervention Of The Occupying Forces… [Is Not] Liberation”

Muqtada Al-Sadr:

[…]

“It is the duty of the Al-Sadr movement and of the Iraqi people to strive to gradually liberate Iraq. The liberation

of Iraq does not mean only bearing arms.

There is also cultural liberation, social liberation, military liberation, and so on. The assault against Islam is not only military. It is both cultural and military, and it requires, at any given period, diversification of the resistance.

But the liberation of Iraq remains a national duty, and a primary goal of the Al-Sadr movement.

[…]

“It is true that Saddam was occupying Iraq with his dictatorship and his reckless policies, which were hundreds of miles removed from reason – policies that were, in fact, devoid of any reason.

However, the military intervention of the occupying forces of all nationalities does not constitute liberation. The proof is that we did not get rid of Saddam or the Ba’thists. They are still around and still have a negative influence in Iraq.

“The second thing is that the American influence on the Iraqis is even more negative than that of the former Ba’th Party. The Iraqi people still suffers as it did in the days of the Saddam – there are no services, there is a lack of security, and we still suffer from all the things we suffered from in the past.

Therefore, this was occupation, not liberation. I call it occupation. I have said in recent years: Gone is the ‘little Satan,’ and in came the ‘Great Satan.'”

Interviewer: “After five years of war, do you still believe that Iraq is occupied?”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “Bush used to say that his picture would hang in all the Iraqi homes. No, sir. His picture is now trampled underfoot by the Iraqis.”

“Resistance Automatically Appears Wherever There is Occupation; Allah Willing, the U.S. Will Be Vanquished, Just Like It Was in Vietnam”

Interviewer: “But is Iraq still occupied by the American forces?”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “Yes, it is, and American popularity is dropping daily – why daily? It is dropping by the minute.”

[…]

Interviewer: “What we abroad understood was that you disbanded the Al-Mahdi Army, because you had lost control over it.”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “The Al-Mahdi Army is under control, or at least most of it.

They are obedient, loyal, and faithful.

They are even capable of gradually liberating Iraq, Allah willing, along with some other resistance forces.” […]

“This Will Be The Army Of The Reformer [The Mahdi], Allah Willing… At The End Of Time, The Mahdi Will Appear, And… We Will All Be His Soldiers”

“This will be the army of the Reformer [the Mahdi], Allah willing. At the end of time, the Mahdi will appear, and if by that time, we are still around, and if we are capable mentally, physically, militarily, and in terms of faith, we will all be his soldiers, Allah willing.

Hence, the Al-Mahdi Army is a matter of faith, and it cannot be disbanded.”

[…]

Interviewer: “What is the strategic goal of the Al-Mahdi Army?”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “At present, it is to liberate Iraq, and to defend the Iraqi people in times of crisis, and at the moment Iraq is in a crisis – it is occupied – and should be liberated.”

Interviewer: “So you state clearly that the goal of the Al-Mahdi Army is…”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “To defend Iraq. I never have and never will deny this.”

Interviewer: “So you continue with this?”

“What Is More Important is to Make Society, Not Just the Government, Islamic”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “Of course, and if I’m not around – if I am killed, if I die, retire, or whatever – the goal of the Al-Mahdi Army will remain the liberation of Iraq.”

Interviewer: “Let me say that this comment might sound peculiar to many…”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “It will sound peculiar only to the Americans.”

Interviewer: “The general belief abroad is that you are retiring…”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “These are merely tactics… Allah willing, these tactics will not weaken our resolve to liberate Iraq.”

[…]

“As Long As There Is Occupation in Iraq, Federalism Will Constitute The Partitioning Of The Country”

Interviewer: “You say this unequivocally?”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “Yes. If there was no occupation, my answer would be different. Then there would be room for discussion.”

[…]

Interviewer: “Do you fear there will be more sectarian violence in Iraq in the near future? I am not talking about the resistance, but about internal violence.”

“The Al-Sadr Movement is Islamic Even More Than it is Iraqi; An Attack Against Any Islamic Country or People Will Mean that the Al-Sadr Movement will Become an Interested Party”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “Sectarian violence? It’s possible, because the Americans are in Iraq, and they are constantly touching on this sensitive spot – Shiites against Sunnis, Kurds against Arabs… They are always… I have seen this on TV or somewhere… The Americans are responsible even for the car bombs.

[…]

“The Al-Sadr movement is Islamic even more than it is Iraqi. An attack against any Islamic country or people will mean that the Al-Sadr movement will become an interested party.”

Interviewer: “In what way?”

Muqtada Al-Sadr: “It will defend Islam however necessary. It will do whatever it can at the time. If any Islamic or Arab country is attacked, the Al-Sadr movement will be an interested party.” […]

“I Am Close to the Shiites Ideologically – But Politically, I Am Close To The Sunnis”

“Obviously, I am close to the Shiites ideologically, but politically, I am close to the Sunnis and the decisions they make.

Many of the decisions of the Al-Sadr movement correspond to those of the Sunnis.”

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the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site. However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.

THE EVENTUAL WAR TRIGGER!

April 1, 2008

http://www.tribulationperiod.com/

The trigger is in place for the scenario that will lead to the fulfillment of the following Scripture at some future point in time, likely between 2010 and 2015.

Daniel 11:40,41 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

The following article, from Independent OnLine (IOL), describes the trigger, which is now in place.

Our article, which follows theirs, details what is prophesied to occur when the trigger is pulled.

Begin http://www.iol.co.az article

Barak warns Hezbollah

April 1, 2008

Jerusalem – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday warned the Lebanese Hezbollah movement not to “test” Israel along its heavily guarded northern border.

“The soldiers of the Israeli army are watching everything that occurs near the frontier with Lebanon and I would not advise anyone to test Israel, which is the strongest country in the region,” Barak told public radio.

Barak made the remarks while on an inspection tour of the border, where Hezbollah militants seized two Israeli soldiers in a deadly cross-border raid in 2006, kicking off a 34-day war.

Israel has been on high alert after the end of a 40-day mourning period for top Hezbollah commander Imad Mughnieh, who was killed in a February 12 bombing in Damascus that the militia blamed on the Jewish state.

Israel welcomed Mughnieh’s death but denied any responsibility.

According to public radio, Barak told parliament’s powerful foreign affairs and defence committee at a closed-door meeting on Tuesday that “Hezbollah continues to build up arms, with the help of Iran.”

The 34-day conflict ended under a United Nations-brokered ceasefire after more than 1 200 Lebanese, mostly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers, were killed.

End IOL article

Begin http://www.tribulationperiod.com/ article

Hizbollah Will Eventually Trigger An End Time Jihad!

Daniel 11:40 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

Alexander the Great, the “notable horn” in Daniel 8:5, was “broken,” and then replaced by four other horns in Daniel 8:8. They represented the four generals who would divide his kingdom among themselves after his death. Alexander was still very much alive when he captured Israel in 332 B.C., but fell dead nine years later in 323 B.C. just as Daniel had prophesied.

Daniel 8:5 – And as I was considering, behold, an 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.

Daniel 8:8 – Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

The “little horn” of Daniel 8:9 was not the Antichrist, but was an evil king in the Syrian Kingdom, which was one of the four horns which came up out of Alexander’s Empire. He was Antiochus Epiphanes, and some consider him a “type” of Antichrist, because the real Antichrist is likely to arise in Syria.

Daniel 8:9 – And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land.

In the division of his kingdom into four parts, Egypt and Israel were given to Ptolemy I, and his descendants ruled over Israel until 212 B.C., when Antiochus III conquered Israel from the north, and the Seleucids ruled over Israel until 167 B.C. The many Seleucid kings that ruled over Syria were individually identified as the “king of the north” by Daniel, and he called the individual Ptolemaic kings that ruled over Israel and Egypt the “king of the south.”

Daniel prophesied Alexander’s death some 268 years before it occurred.

In Daniel’s prophecies from Daniel 11:5 to 11:45 he refers to two types of kings, kings of the north, who would rule as Syrian kings to the north of Israel, and to kings of the south that ruled over the territory that made up the Ptolemaic kingdom to the south of Syria. So the king of the south in Daniel 11:40 is the ruler in Israel “at the time of the end,” while the willful king of the north is the ruler in Syria.

I firmly believe that it will be the terrorist army known as Hizbollah, under the directions of Syria and Iran, that will deliberately perform an act designed to get Israel to push north into Syria and Lebanon as an act of retribution, which will give international justification for 10 Arab nations, led by the Syrian ruler, to rumble south into Israel in a lightening surprise Jihad.

I have watched the rise of the Hizbollah terrorist arm for some 26 years, and observed a weaving of its tentacles across many nations in an ever increasing involvement in the amazing recent growth of worldwide terrorism. I think it worthy of giving a brief history of the movement, and an outline of its current activities, because I believe it will be the catalyst used by Islam to lure Israel into the “end time” push into the territories of Syria and Lebanon. And I believe this push is likely to occur at some point in time between 2010 and 2015. If I am still alive in 2015, and the attack has not occurred, then I will simply admit I was wrong, but will continue to believe such an event is in the immediate future.”

Much of the information which follows was taken from a report by Lewis Lipkin, which was listed under the title “HIZBOLLAH INTERNATIONAL.”

Hizbollah was officially inaugurated in June of 1982. At that time the Sunni Syrian government allowed the Shi’ite Iranian government to send a specialized group of 1000 into the north-south oriented Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, a long valley that had been occupied by some 60,000 Syrian forces. The group of 1000 was made up of military and religious teachers, who were members of the Ayatollah Khomeni’s Revolutionary Guards, and whose primary function was to establish a connection with Lebanon’s Shi’ia revolutionists. The first year of activity by this group was directed toward staying out of the limelight, during which time it could grow into a structured operational army of terrorists dedicated to the destruction of Israel and, eventually, when it grew sufficiently, to the destruction of all nations outside the protection and approval of its god Allah. It grew rapidly from its onset, recruiting the young Lebanese Shi’ites to its mission. Its military wing swelled due to abundant Iranian funding from huge oil revenues and the Syrian permissive attitude, which grew as long as western and Israeli forces stayed in Lebanon to promote a fragile peace. By late 1983, the Hizbollah terrorist army had risen to almost 10,000 in number, and then it came out of the international terrorist closet forever by the truck bombing of the U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut. The ruthless slaughter of 241 of the 300 sleeping marines, as well as 56 France paratroopers in a separate incident, led to the withdrawal of the multilateral peace keeping force from all of Lebanon, with the exception of Syria, which then, for all practical purposes, took over Lebanon, at times referring to it as “greater” Syria. The loss of American marines was officially denounced by the Islamic governments while their people celebrated wildly in their streets. Hizbollah had been so cleverly kept under wraps by Syria and Iran, that the attack was attributed to some vague “Shi’ite militant group.”

The Iranians succeeded in gaining the most control over Syria’s Shi’ite group, the Amal militia. They expanded from the Bekaa valley and became dominant in all of Lebanon’s southern Shi’ite villages, such that now, in reality, this area is both the territory and stronghold of Hizbollah. The growth of the Hizbollah military wing has been marked by many car-bombings, kidnappings of some West Europeans and Americans, kidnappings and murders of Israelis, many intermittent outbreaks of the shelling of Israeli communities in northern Israel, and, by the close of the twentieth century, more than 4,000 rockets of the Katyusha series had been fired at the single town of Kiryah Shemona.

Recent shifts in Syria toward a more militant policy toward the U.S., has caused it to change some of its playing second fiddle to Iran in the control of Hizbollah. This trend will continue until the aforementioned Jihad against Israel occurs. Syria is currently in control for when, and how, long shelling of Israel attacks will be conducted, but the real control of Hizbollah still lies in the hands of Iran.

Hizbollah has been steadily spreading its terrorist cells across the surface of the earth.

It has organized cells in Europe, the United States, and South America. They are named “The Party of God,” and the following quote from Martin Kramer’s book, “Hizbollah’s Vision of the West,” makes plain their future intentions and bonding with Iran.

“We are the sons of the Nation

of Hizbollah, whose vanguard God made victorious in Iran, reestablishing the nucleus of a central Islamic state in the world.

We abide by the orders of the sole and wise and just command represented by the Supreme Jurisconsult who meets the necessary qualifications, and who is presently incarnate in the Imam and Guide, the great Ayatollah Ruhallah Al-Musawi Al-Khomeini, may his authority be perpetuated, enabler of the revolution of Muslims and harbinger of their glorious Renaissance.”

The Iranian–Hizbollah program for WORLD conquest was set forth by Khomeini while he was still in exile. He stated: “There are two kinds of war in Islam: one is called jihad (holy war), which means the conquest of other countries in accordance with certain conditions. The other type of war is to preserve the independence of the Muslim country and the repulsion of foreigners.

Jihad, or holy war, which is for the conquest of other countries and kingdoms, becomes incumbent after the formation

of the Islamic state in the presence of the Imam or in accordance with his command. Then Islam makes it incumbent upon all adult males, provided they are not disabled or incapacitated, to prepare themselves for the conquest of other countries so that the writ of Islam is obeyed in EVERY country in the WORLD.”

The planned conquest of Israel by Islam is not the end of Islamic fanaticism generated out of Iran.

This is the pure religious zeal that drives men and women to pay the ultimate price of their lives to bring the religion of Allah to all nations of the world through conquest. This religion represents the joy of physical death in Jihad as a rare privilege that gives one a position of eternal joy in the heaven of Allah.

The day after September 11, 2001, President Bush was quick to declare that a war on terror would be directed against ALL terrorist groups of “global reach.” The Party of God is just as much a terrorist group as the Al Queda, but does not arouse the same degree of reaction or concern in the American media and government, most likely because it has not yet struck at America’s heartland. Rest assured that in time it will soon do so at the command of Syria and Iran.

A 2004 article by Haaretz Correspondence Nathan Guttman stated that Hizbollah had been moving many fighters to Iraq to battle American troops and those who favor the new Iraqi government. The transfer has been carried out through Syria, following an Iranian initiative. The transit through Syrian territory is being permitted by Damascus along its lengthy porous border with Iraq.

Lebanese Hizbollah fighters are part of a broader force of pro-Iranian militants that operates in Iraq to destabilize the country and undermine the intent of the Americans to formulate an independent country with civil liberties. Both Syria and Iran are anxious to see the Hizbollah establish solid operational units in Iraq before the new government is in place next week.

The Congressional bipartisan commission, in its interim report, indicated its inquiry into the 9/11 event showed that cooperation between Hizbollah and Al-Qaida is extensive.

The local Hizbollah “specialty,” the occasional shelling of northern Israeli towns, is now almost certainly under Syrian control. The timing and intensity of such recent shelling has been taken as a barometer of Syria’s choice of Iraq as its bedfellow as it pulls ever further from any meaningful relations with the U.S. and Israel. One of these days, likely between 2010 and 2015, Hizbollah will launch a particularly heavy shelling into some of the northern Israeli cities, which will be intended to be the straw that breaks the back of Israel’s patience. The Syrians and Iranians will have a massive force lying concealed in the long, deep NE-SW Palmyra fold valleys of southwestern Syria, poised and waiting for the push north into Lebanese-Syrian territory by Israel, the king of the south, in retaliation for the shelling.

Israel will be stunned at the massiveness and effectiveness of the force repulsing them, and the following Scriptures will

be fulfilled in quick order. The king of the north will drive south in Israel to Beersheba and conquer all of Egypt.

Daniel 11:40-43 – And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. [41] He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. [42] He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. [43] But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

Zechariah 13:8 – And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.

Revelation 12:6 – And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more detailed information go to:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.

You may use material originated by this site.

However, if you wish to use any quoted copyrighted material from this site, which did not originate at this site, for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner from which we extracted it.