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Twenty-First Century Watch |
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Vol. 2, No. 5 Published by the Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association |
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"PROJECT
MEGIDDO"... "Project Megiddo" is an alarming report sent to all law enforcement agencies in the United States by the FBI to warn of potential Y2K violence perpetrated by extremists and "doomsday cults" who believe the arrival of the so-called "new millennium" is the time for "Armageddon." What does the Bible say about "Armageddon" and the "end of the world?" by Garner Ted Armstrong Long ago, I predicted there would be some wild-eyed cultists who would choose the moment of midnight, December 31, 1999, to commit murder/suicide. Like the crazed fanatics who believed they were going to mount up to join the "mother ship" supposedly trailing along in the tail of comet "Hale-Bopp," who had their automobile keys and driver's licenses with them as they deliberately suffocated themselves to death, there are some today who place great biblical, spiritual and chronological significance on the arrival of the year 2000. Some of them may resort to murder and suicide. Of course, the only place the fanatics in San Diego went was to the county morgue. One year and three months ago, my wife and I changed planes in Denver as we traveled from one feast site to another during the 1998 Feast of Tabernacles. While in the airport waiting for our next flight, I picked up a local issue of the Denver Post, which announced that a bizarre cult had suddenly disappeared and were presumed headed for Jerusalem. The word was they had fled to Mexico, and intended entering Israel by indirect routes, so as not to call attention to themselves. Apparently, they called themselves "concerned Christians." They were ferreted out by Israeli police and deported. They had planned a "shoot out" with Israeli police, which they believed would trigger "Armageddon!" "Armageddon?" Can a group of wild-eyed fanatics who decide to gun down a few policemen trigger "Armageddon"? How utterly ludicrous! Here is the description of "Armageddon" from God's word: "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared [this is biblical metaphor, and entirely symbolic. Modern weapons such as airplanes, helicopters, IRBMs, cruise missiles and ICBMs render rivers ineffective as a barrier to military forces], And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. "For they are the spirits of devils [demons], working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty...And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armaged-don" (Revelation 16:12-16). "Armageddon" means "Hill of Megiddo." Megiddo is the site of several ancient cities, each built atop the rubble of the preceding one. I have been there, and still have a couple of small artifacts I picked up on the site. Tel Megiddo or the Hill of Megiddo overlooks a broad valley, and is a natural crossroads for the movement of armies. Some of the greatest battles have been fought there. The FBI chose "Megiddo" as the name for their special "heads up" alert to law enforcement because of the utterly ridiculous and wholly false assumption in the minds of many fanatics that the year 2000 will somehow trigger the "Battle of Armageddon." The Bible says NOTHING about a "Battle of Armageddon." It is the battle of that "great day of God Almighty" which is to take place AT Megiddo, not the "battle of Armageddon." Further, as the scriptures above prove, it is a battle in which a mind-boggling horde of TWO HUNDRED MILLION soldiers from the "north and the east" of Palestine advances into the plains before Megiddo to fight the armies of the Beast power, who will have occupied the Middle East! Compare Daniel 11:40-45 with the passage above for clarification. Just how a group of civilians who hope to shoot it out with a handful of police could bring about the advance of an army from Russia and China and all their allies of TWO HUNDRED MILLION to the plain in front of Megiddo is a bit obscure. But the tortured twists and turns of demented minds are beyond understanding. On October 29th, "Israelwire" news service reported that Israeli police had raided houses in the Azariya neighborhood of east Jerusalem and arrested 21 "Christians," including women and children, who were planning an attack on the temple mount. Several more were arrested in west Jerusalem. Police said the cult members arrested last year had planned to commit suicide in Israel! Today, Israel is jam-packed with people who plan on celebrating the dawn of the "new Millennium" either in ecstatic joy and rejoicing, or by violent attack! "Project Megiddo:" Why It As a subhead on their report, the FBI said, "For over four thousand years, MEGIDDO, a hill in northern Israel, has been the site of many battles. Ancient cities were established there to serve as a fortress on the plain of Jezreel to guard a mountain pass. As Megiddo was built and rebuilt, one city upon the other, a mound or hill was formed. The Hebrew word "Armageddon" means `hill of Megiddo.' In English, the word has come to represent battle itself. The last book in the New Testament of the Bible designates Armageddon as the assembly point in the apocalyptic setting of God's final and conclusive battle against evil. The name `Megiddo' is an apt title for a project that analyzes those who believe the year 2000 will usher in the end of the world and who are willing to perpetrate acts of violence to bring that end about." The FBI specifically named the following groups: "Christian Identity, White Supremacy, Militias, Black Hebrew Israelites, Apocalyptic cults, and those who believe in the "significance of Jerusalem." On page 2 of the report, the FBI said, "Militias, adherents of racist belief systems such as Christian Identity and Odinism, and other radical domestic extremists are clearly focusing on the millennium as a time of action. Certain individuals from these various perspectives are acquiring weapons, storing food and clothing, raising funds through fraudulent means, procuring safe houses, preparing compounds, surveying potential targets, and recruiting new converts." Later, the report admitted that MOST militia organizations are "reactive" rather than "proactive." The report said, "...the majority of militia groups are nonviolent and only a small segment of the militias actually commit acts of violence to advance their political goals and beliefs. A number of militia leaders, such as Lynn Van Huizen of the Michigan Militia Corps - Wolverines, have gone to some effort to actively rid their ranks of radical members who are inclined to carry out acts of violence and/or terrorism." The Truth About What is PROPHESIED to happen from now on? For decades, even during the very depths of the "Cold War," I had been saying that Germany would reunite; that the Eastern European nations would eventually become a part of a kind of "United States of Europe!" I NAMED those nations before audiences of tens of thousands, and on a television program reaching from 20 to 30 million Americans every week! I said East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania would eventually revert to the same posture as during the days of the infamous "Holy Roman Empire!" The CIA DID NOT KNOW! The NSA (National Security Agency) did not know! The FBI did not know! But I DID, and so did hundreds of thousands of my listeners, and the members of God's church! Now, look at central Europe! Germany is reunited, and has rapidly become the GREAT POWER in Europe again, just as I said it would! All the aforementioned nations have come out from behind the "Iron Curtain" and are a part of an ever more united EUROPE! The Slavs and Czechs of the former Czechoslovakia effected what was called a "velvet divorce," and formed the nations of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The former Soviet Union imploded, and the many Soviet Socialist Republics went their own way! Currently, Russia is fighting another regional war, trying to hang on to breakaway Chechnya. The "BEAST" power prophesied by Daniel in his 7th and 11th chapters was always a great political and RELIGIOUS power; the fallen woman, picturing a great false church, ruling over the kings of the nations comprising the "Beast." Those who think the United States government is the "Beast" of Revelation are woefully ignorant of history, and of Bible prophecy. The "Holy Roman Empire," the successor to the four great world-ruling empires of history, was always a nominal "Christian" organization. Daniel foretold an end-time resurrection of this same system! Christ gave John visions of the same "Beast," comprising all the strongest characteristics of the four beasts of history, which were Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greco-Macedonia, and Rome. Notice it, "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea [symbol of vast multitudes among many nations], having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns [symbol of ten kings or absolute rulers over ten nations], and upon his heads the name of blasphemy [they called this politico/military organization "holy"]. "And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon [Satan: see Rev. 12:9] gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him?" (Revelation 13:1-4). Clearly, this is STATE WORSHIP! Adolf Hitler created the next-to-last resurrection of the Beast power, and is typified by Antiochus Epiphanes. Notice the parallels: "Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes [his name was "Heliodoris,"] in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. "And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries" (Daniel 11:20, 21). The "vile person" was Antiochus Ephiphanes, who is the LAST evil king mentioned in Daniel's 11th chapter. From the introduction of the "vile person," Antiochus, there is no additional king or dictator mentioned. The prophecy continues uninterrupted to the end of the chapter, with the "Battle of Armageddon." Kaizer Wilhelm was one of the Hohenzollerns. The German word Zollern has to do with a customs kiosk; a tax collector. Hitler came in during a time of "peace" and obtained the government by "flatteries"; telling the German people they were the predestined "master race!" Notice how the prophecy ends: "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. "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. "He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. "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. "But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. "And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him" (Daniel 11:40-45). This prophecy says the final, end-time "Beast" power, in response to something short of military attack called a "push" against him, mounts a furious, lightning-like attack into the Middle East! His armies swarm over many countries, including Egypt, but do not occupy Turkey or Jordan. Amman is the capitol of Jordan. The "glorious land" means Palestine, and Jerusalem! Now, notice what Christ said: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. "Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" (Luke 21:19-21). Now, notice Matthew's parallel account of this same time: "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) "Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains" (Matthew 24:15, 16). Antiochus set up a statue of Jupiter Olympus, and sacrificed to it in the Temple. The Temple was destroyed by the armies of Titus in 71AD. Clearly, the Bible indicates there will be a TEMPLE in place, and a great false prophet ensconced inside the Temple, claiming to be "God," and having the power of Satan to perform miracles! This is the meaning of the "abomination of desolation," or the abomination which will CAUSE destruction and desolation: Paul wrote, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4). The "false prophet" is the leader of a great universal religion, depicted by a woman, who sits astride the Beast, guiding and controlling it! "So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Revelation 17:3-5). The events prophesied by Christ consist of TWO PARTS: 1) the sudden occupation of the Mideast by the armies of the Beast, and, 2) the ensconsing in the Temple of a great false Christ; the false prophet, who controls the Beast, and who will masquerade as a "Prince of Peace." According to Daniel 11:40-45, it is WHILE this is occurring that "tidings out of the north and the east," meaning military intelligence, probably from spy satellites, inform him that a gigantic, massive army of 200 million is headed toward Palestine! THIS is the prelude to the "Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty," which is to take place AT ARMAGGEDON! How utterly RIDICULOUS to think that some wild-eyed fanatics shooting a few police in the streets of Jerusalem could bring such a STUPENDOUS, climactic battle about! Events, Not Jesus Christ warned His servants to watch for major EVENTS to occur; in this case, the setting up of the "abomination of desolation" and "Jerusalem surrounded with armies," NOT to depend upon fanciful chronological scenarios! Y2K is NOT the "beginning of a new millennium" at all, but the FINAL year of an arbitrary number of 1,000 years according to the Roman calendar called the "Julian" calendar! According to this flawed calendar, Christ was born in FOUR B.C., and not at the stroke of midnight between 1 BC and 1 AD, as many seem to think! The only difficulties which will be experienced as January 1st, 2000 arrives will be MAN-MADE; humanly-caused hysteria, deliberate acts by wild-eyed fanatics who are utterly IGNORANT of Bible prophecy, along with whatever technical problems due to some sectors not being "Y2K compliant" with their computers. There MAY be some power outages. SOME schools may close because their heating systems may not work. SOME airlines schedules may be difficult to meet. SOME telephone systems might not work. SOME credit cards may be refused. But there will be no "end of the world," nor will "airplanes fall out of the sky," nor will "Armageddon" occur! Christ said, after describing all the events to lead up to the abomination of desolation and armies surrounding Jerusalem, "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved [alive]: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" Matthew 24:21, 22). One should WATCH for a move toward building a temple in Jerusalem; for the formation of a ten nation powerful coalition of states in the same region as the old Holy Roman Empire; for a great religious leader to indicate he will go to Jerusalem; for a major northern power of ten nations to move into the Mideast; for the amassing of vast armies in Russia and China, with all their other allies. It is THESE EVENTS, and not "dates" on an artificial Roman calendar, for which Christ said we should watch. He said, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (Luke 21:36). q __________________________________________
The Movement Toward UNITY by Garner Ted Armstrong The "First Annual Interfaith Conference for World Peace" was held in Israel over November 21-23. It was sponsored by the "Jubilennium Foundation," and was billed as exploring "...the role of religion in pursuing conflict resolution and peace." It was attended by the most unlikely of religions leaders, from the Dalai Lama, the so-called "living god,"exiled from Tibet, to Wallace Dean Muhammad, leader of Black Islam in the U.S.; others included Bishop Michael Fitzgerald, an official representative of the Vatican, the Prime Minister of Italy, Julio Andreotti, Sheik Nazim El Hakani, world leader of the "Nakshabandi Sufi Order," Archbishop Ngada, president of the Federation of African Churches, Mr. Nichiko Niwano, head of a Japanese Buddhist organization, David Bleakly of North Ireland, former president of the Union of Churches in Britain, and many others. Earlier, on October 25th, representatives of twenty of the world's major religions accepted an invitation from the Vatican for an "interfaith dialogue on global problems." This, in the backdrop of the Russian bombing of Chechnya, NATO bombing of Kosovo, and the massacres in East Timor. The meeting was a follow-on to the pope's first interfaith council in 1986 in Assisi, Italy, and was attended by followers of Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Ba'Hai, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and others. While the meeting was supposedly conducted under the universal theme of "world peace," it quickly became embroiled in the three conflicts noted above, where, in Kosovo, Orthodox Serbs were locked in murderous combat with Islamic Ethnic Albanians; Chechnya, where Muslims are fighting Orthodox Russians, and Muslim Indonesia fighting against separatist desires of Islamic East Timor. A black Nigerian-born Cardinal, Francis Arinze, who is president of the Vatican's Interfaith Council, and who is widely hailed as a possibility to accede to the papacy, explained why, when it was time for prayer, the many religious leaders broke up to conduct separate prayers. Remarking that a "common prayer would be full of theological difficulties," he added, "Prayer depends on what you believe...if we do not believe in the same things, we cannot have the same prayers." One of the more bizarre suggestions to appear in the media was that a major religious leader could be "parachuted" into the next trouble spot in an attempt to bring peace. The pope addressed the some 230 participants in the conference on its last day in Rome, stressing the "need for inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue," and urged that the major religions "unite in responsible and courageous action to confront the world's most pressing social problems." Which begs the question: If they cannot agree on a common prayer, how much faith can one have that they will agree on the CAUSE of the world's problems, let alone the solution? For all the cosmetic meetings, the root cause of MOST of the world's bloodshed remains that of RELIGION! Bible prophecy says it will be a great false RELIGIOUS leader, who controls the developing "Beast power," who will bring about "The Great Tribulation" prophesied by Christ, whose main feature is violent religious persecution and martyrdom! John wrote, "I saw a woman [type of a false church] sit upon a scarlet coloured beast [see Revelation 13], full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour [the colors of whoredom], and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: "And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS [she has "daughter" churches] AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. "And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Revelation 17:3-6). For the ghastly end of this great system of false religion, read the prophecy of Revelation 18. q
FINAL Y2K UPDATE ...Will Chaos Strike? by Garner Ted Armstrong As we near the so-called "New Millennium" (which it is not), millions grow ever more apprehensive about the possible extent of disruptions due to the "computer bug." By now, the bulk of the population should be aware of the fact that, unless the tens of millions of computers in use have been made "Y2K compliant," (meaning the computers have been reprogrammed to recognize the year 2000, rather than assuming the double digit "00" means 1900), they may shut down, or begin spewing out false data. Computers virtually manage everything in our technological age; from the automatic doors at the supermarket to the Air Traffic Controllers who direct the thousands of flights across the country; from the guidance systems in the nose cones of ICBM's to payroll information in small businesses; from your local utilities to your local bank—all depend upon the continual operation of computers. Over a year and a half ago, I began advising people to make a few telephone calls to determine what might be the extent of disruptions in their own locality. I urged that they call their local electric company, their water company, their telephone company, and their bank. I suggested they begin viewing their homes as a "tent," absent water and power, and make sensible and affordable preparations "just in case" there comes a power outage, or their water ceases to flow. As I have continually searched the vast amount of information available on the World Wide Web concerning Y2K, I have come to believe there WILL definitely be disruptions here and there, but that most of them will be no worse than those caused by floods or winter storms; that the more "developed" countries will experience a series of ongoing difficulties in the months ahead, particularly in global financial markets, and that the "developing" countries could well be hard hit. Among these are dozens of America's trading partners in both hemispheres. Mexico, for example, may well experience far more disruptions due to malfunctioning computers than does the United States. Eastern Europe, Russia, China, India, Indonesia, Central and South America may well experience fairly serious disruptions. If such occurs, it could mean a ripple effect upon America. As a microcosm of the above, consider your local bank. While the bank may well have tackled its potential Y2K computer problems, and believe itself to be more than "90 percent compliant" (a term I have seen many times), having ensured its bookkeeping department, its tellers' computers, and its records department are "compliant," and that it will be open for business as usual on Monday, January 3rd, 2000, it cannot be sure that its hundreds of clients and borrowers, such as the dozens of small businesses who depend upon lines of credit and bank loans, have insured that their computer hardware and software are "Y2K compliant." I have no doubt there will be disruptions here and there, and that the more severe ones will occur outside the United States. The point is that the U.S. is deeply involved in dozens of countries all over the world. To underline this concern, notice that the US State Department has recalled large numbers of personnel from Russia, believing that the lights may go out in Moscow, and that real hardship may set in as many countries find themselves in winter's icy grip. Hysteria, Hype, and Hoaxes Recently, a retiree told the news media he had withdrawn his nest egg of $700,000 from the stock market and converted it into cash. His reasoning? "I'll wait and see. I can always get right back in if the markets remain stable." In this is the potential of a major disruption in the national economy; that of a run on the banks. Many months ago, I reported that the Fed had printed up 50 billion dollars in new currency in anticipation of such an emergency. Public hysteria could: Close some banks; close down some supermarkets; overload the telephone system (if millions pick up their telephones and dial a loved one at a minute after midnight, December 31st, just to see "if the phones are working," for example); overload the electrical system; deplete the water supply (if millions use an extra 100 gallons on the night of December 31st filling their bathtubs); and, if the criminal mind is any indication, drive the police crazy with 911 calls as burglars attempt to get at all that cash they believe people will have hidden in their homes. The purely humanly-caused disruptions could prove more serious than any computer failures. By the way, beware! Many crooks are finding ways to steal from a panic-stricken public. If someone calls you, claiming to be with the IRS, and asks for your social security number and your credit card number, hang up! If you have caller identification, report the incoming call to the police. If someone claims to represent your bank, and tells you that you need to "put your cash in a safe place," asking for information, it is a hoax! There are people masquerading as representatives of credit card companies, banks, and the IRS who are getting rich off unsuspecting people—especially the elderly! Don't respond to ANY telephone solicitations! "Y2K" Has No Biblical Or Prophetic Significance Very likely, we will hear of violence from Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel, as well as possible terrorist attacks here and there in the united States. Today, Jerusalem is PACKED with people in anticipation of a great "celebration" as they greet the "New Millennium!" It is NOT the "New Millennium" at all, but the last year of the last millennium, and even that is purely an arbitrary date from a corrupt Roman calendar! The Israeli government has tried hard to ferret out the various doomsday cults who have descended on Israel, intending to somehow "trigger Armageddon." Have they found them all? Soon, we shall know. In addition to weird, wild-eyed fanatics, there are hundreds of thousands of "pilgrims" in Israel, some of whom may believe that the dawn of the year 2000 may bring the Messiah, or the return of Jesus Christ. There is no telling what some of them may do, frustrated because their dream fails to materialize! The Bible does not acknowledge the pagan Roman calendar. The artificial date of 2000 has no biblical significance whatsoever. There is no prophecy in the Bible which suggests that man's flawed chronology, in which it is assumed we are at or near the end of man's "allotted 6,000 years of human history" is of significance. Christ said to watch for specific EVENTS which "MUST come to pass" prior to His return, not to depend upon pagan calendars! In my most recent research, I have found mountains of information from hundreds of companies, all reporting on their "readiness" for Y2K. In almost ALL cases, companies like IBM, Boeing, Chrysler, Merrill-Lynch, Micro-soft, and hundreds of others, say they are "ready." Yet, there is always that caveat. As "Sivy on Stocks" said in his "Money.Com Investing" site, "I don't expect any doomsday disruptions. If you want to stock up a few extra days of food and gas up the car, that's a reasonable thing to do." q __________________________________________
THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE by Garner Ted Armstrong For decades, I have been foretelling the creation of a "United States of Europe!" During the depths of the Cold War, while the West sat mesmerized like a rabbit watching a snake because of fears that the Soviet Union was bent on world conquest, I constantly proclaimed that Russia was NOT the "Beast" of prophecy which would sweep into Palestine, but that an end-time resurrection of the old "Holy Roman Empire" IS the "Beast" which is to form IN EUROPE! While all of Eastern Europe lay under the heel of Soviet domination, I continually told millions over television and radio, and tens of thousands in live audiences, that the eastern European nations of East Germany, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Rumania would eventually become a part of a ten-nation coalition in the "heartland" of Europe! I have always added that I believed Britain would NOT be a part of the final ten nations! Today, while the European Union continues to expand, and wrestle with tariffs and taxes, the implementation of a new European currency, and the manifold difficulties of attempting to weld many disparate languages, cultures, and economies into one United Europe, Britain finds herself increasingly at odds with the Germans and the French! Decades ago, I interviewed Franz Josef Strauss, then the head of the CDU/CSU coalition in Germany, and Minister of Defense. He told me Germany would not long remain "an economic giant and a political dwarf," and spoke clearly of his vision of a powerful European defense organization "equipped with nuclear weapons." Now, as a NEW ARMS RACE has begun, this time not just between the U.S. and Russia, but with such nations as Pakistan, India, North Korea, China, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others feverishly working on advanced surface to surface missile programs, and on chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, Europeans are becoming increasingly apprehensive about their own security. When Clinton decided to bomb Yugoslavia, he outraged the Russians and the Greeks. Witness the violent, massive protests against Clinton's November visit to Athens. The Serbs are Orthodox, and therefore religious brothers to the Greeks. Russia was furious that NATO forces "bombed Yugoslavia back into the 1950's," and many provocative and threatening statements came out of the Kremlin, not the least of which was Yeltsin's dark warning that Clinton was risking "World War III!" Clearly, there was no cohesion between the U.S. and Europe over Kosovo. The two main partners, the U.S. and Britain, staunchly remained firm, and therefore persuaded reluctant cooperation from other NATO nations, who sent token forces. As I warned for many years, the two vanquished former enemies of the U.S.; Germany and Japan, would eventually rewrite or reinterpret their western-crafted post World War II constitutions, (which had proscribed against either nation possessing armed forces for purposes other than self-defense), so that either country could participate in military action outside their own borders. As recently as the debacle in Kosovo, and the massacres in East Timor, German troops have been sent under the aegis of either NATO or the United Nations. Now, tired of the tangled political, cultural, and religious frictions, the "Western European Union" looks toward the creation of an all-European army! A report from Brussels, Belgium in mid-November, 1999, said the Europeans had "...advanced another step towards the creation of a working security force" [translated: Army] when the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, was named head of the "WEU," or the "Western European Union." Solana succeeds Jose Cutileiro as the Secretary General of the Western European Union defense force. A week later, all the foreign and defense ministers of the Union were scheduled to hold a meeting in Luxembourg, during which they were to discuss "...the next steps in the restructuring of the European security apparatus," meaning the creation of a separate European Army OUTSIDE THE CONFINES OF EITHER NATO OR THE UN! As Europe moves closer to complete economic, political, and social unity, watch for the eventual creation of the army of "The UNITED STATES OF EUROPE!" q __________________________________________
WHY DO VIOLENT America's so-called "criminal justice" system is a farce! Continually, violent criminals; murderers, rapists, arsonists, robbers and pedophiles are released back onto the streets; this, after they have been tried and convicted of horrible crimes! WHY? What is behind the sob-sister, breast-beating, cries from liberals to mollycoddle vicious criminals? What does the Bible say about criminal justice? Should vicious criminals PAY for their crimes, or should they be set free, instead? by Garner Ted Armstrong Most of today's news is bad news! Every newscast consists of the latest airplane crashes, floods, volcanic eruptions, violent regional wars, and crime. Crimes such as violent shootouts are reported virtually every day. Tens of thousands of Americans are murdered each year. Every day, our local news from the large cities around, such as the Dallas-Fort Worth "Metroplex" are of shootings, rape, knifings, and deadly automobile crashes. You and I are given a steady diet of nothing but bad news. Why is it that today you have a greater chance of being a victim of violent crime than of being hurt in a traffic accident? Why is it that since the 1970s the average young American boy has stood a greater chance of being put to death by a gunshot in the streets of our cities than the average GI had a chance of being killed during World War II? And why is it that with a 95 percent chance of never doing any jail time people continue to commit crime after crime? It is because criminals do not fear being caught, and they do not fear punishment! Bible prophecy plainly describes modern-day America! The prophet Ezekiel cried out: "Make a chain for the land is full of bloody crimes and the city is full of violence." Why did God tell Ezekiel to "make a chain"? He was illustrating the fact that crime is linked to another crime; that there is no end to it. Our so-called "criminal justice system" has utterly FAILED! When you consider that 70 percent of all violent crimes are committed by only 6 percent of all violent criminals, and that more than half of these are released to the streets after the crime, and that of this 3 percent 20 percent escape because they're out on bail, and that 16 percent of those out on bail commit another crime while they are waiting for trial on the first crime, and that for every 100 serious crimes committed, only 5 criminals go to jail, and that few of those in jail ever serve their full term, you have a small glimpse of the problem! Wayne Buntian had 11 felony convictions; had done 9 prison terms, and on one occasion served only 15 months of a 15-year sentence! When arrested again, he was sexually assaulting a child! Yet, not so long ago, 38 states were under court order to release tens of thousands of prisoners! So Carl Wayne Buntian, now under arrest for sexually assaulting a child, is released for the sixth time. Only a few weeks later he killed Houston police officer Jim Irby! Here was a man who was a KNOWN FELON; a police record as long as your arm, and yet a stupid parole board RELEASES him! THAT is part of what is wrong with our so-called "criminal justice system!" Consider another case, that of Samuel Barnett, who had 20 convictions, dating from 1969. He served half of a 12-year sentence for raping a 9-year old girl, and then he was released. Only days later, he raped the same girl again, who was now 15, in the very same East Oakland, California garage! Another case history: that of Allen Rose, who shot and killed his own wife. He was arrested and tried. They sentenced him to jail for only 7 years. He served 7 months! The men and women of the parole board reviewed the case, and decided to put him out on the streets on probation! Then, he promptly shot and killed his girlfriend! How about the case history of Donald Leroy Evans, who had a long arrest record dating from 1974, and who served only 5 years of a 15-year sentence for sexual assault. He was paroled by the men and ladies of the parole board. He was arrested later in Louisiana, where he confessed to having killed 60 people in a ten-year crime spree across 20 different states! Another case history; that of Raymond Paul Wisecarver. He served 4 years of an 8-year sentence for voluntary manslaughter. This was very likely plea-bargained down from murder one, as deliberate murder is called, but, eventually, he was released after serving only 4 years of an 8-year sentence. He was later arrested in California after a 7-month crime spree in which he committed 60 armed robberies! Police records indicate that 2 out of 3 released criminals are arrested again within 36 months. About 4 out of 5 state prison inmates are repeat offenders. That is an horrendous 80 percent. Committing a serious crime in the United States such as arson, rape, armed robbery, auto theft, murder, or assault with a deadly weapon will cost the criminal an average of only 8 days in prison! What if you were planning a life of crime? Wouldn't you say the odds are stacked definitely in your favor? What if you could go to Las Vegas, and have only a tiny percent of a chance to LOSE? Criminals know they have a 95 percent chance of getting away with their crimes! How about the case of James Poe, charged with manslaughter. This was back in 1971. He plea-bargained to aggravated assault, and "served" 5 years on probation. He never went to jail. Therefore, his criminal record was expunged. But in 1990, he went on a suicidal shooting rampage in Florida and killed 9 people! I have cited the disintegration of the American home and family as a major underlying CAUSE of crime. The fundamental building blocks of an orderly society are the home, church, and school! But when almost 50 percent of all children born are illegitimate; when divorce outpaces marriage licenses in many big cities; when "live in" couples replace the family; when "same sex" marriages are tolerated, and when our bleeding heart judges and parole boards ooze pity for hardened criminals while ignoring the sobs and cries of the victims, America is in deep trouble! America's grave danger is her paucity of spiritual character! We have forgotten God! Those who give Him lip service openly flaunt His laws! If the laws of God were applied to our criminal justice system, we could reduce crime down to a tiny 2 or 3 percent ratio! God said, "...thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe" (Exodus 21:23-25). If murder resulted in swift DEATH for the murderer, the murder rate in this country would plummet dramatically! Instead, even mass murderers are kept alive for years; sometimes decades, while appeal after appeal drags its way through our courts! Isaiah indicted our society when he said, "Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths. "The way of peace they know not; and there is no judgment in their goings: they have made them crooked paths: whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace. "Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us: we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness" (Isaiah 59:7-9). q __________________________________________
Is It TOO LATE To Get Red China Out
IN LAST MONTH'S ISSUE OF THE INTERCONTINENTAL NEWS, YOU READ AN ARTICLE ABOUT HOW THE U.S. WAS HANDING OVER THE VITAL SEA GATE, THE PANAMA CANAL, TO THE PANAMANIAN GOVERNMENT, WHICH WAS IN TURN EFFECTING AN "OPEN ENDED" LEASE, ALLOWING A MAJOR CHINESE CORPORATION WITH DIRECT TIES TO THE CHINESE ARMY TO CONTROL THE PORTS AT BOTH ENDS. IS THE PANAMA CANAL FOREVER LOST TO AMERICA? WILL THE RED CHINESE SOON POSITION MISSILES THERE, AIMED AT AMERICAN CITIES? by Garner Ted Armstrong Surely one of the most incredibly stupid things any American administration has done was the Carter-Torrijos Treaty, whereby then President Jimmy Carter proposed to hand over the vitally strategic sea gate of the Panama Canal to the Panamanians! Now, as December 31st looms, the fateful date has arrived! Last month, in our newspaper, I quoted how two of America's top admirals sternly warned against this foolish move. While the Clinton Administration's spokesman, Joe Lockhart, refers to such concerns as "silly stuff," many conservatives in the private sector, as well as in congress and the military, are very apprehensive. Former President Carter managed to influence congress to pass the 1978 Treaty, which squeaked through by only one vote! Now, says the Conservative Caucus, along with Phyllis Schafly, writing for The Washington Times' national weekly edition, it is a "Disaster We Can Still Prevent!" Schafly brings up flaws in the Treaty; says the U.S. could legally renounce it by claiming the U.S. government and the Panamanian government did not ratify the same treaty. It seems Senator DeConcini, in an attempt to calm fears in the senate, added a "Reservation" to the text which stated that the U.S. retained the unilateral right to intervene in Panama if we believe the canal is threatened. According to her article, published on November 14th, 1999, the Panamian version of the treaty contains a "three-paragraph counter reservation, never submitted to the U.S. Senate, that requires Panama's `cooperation' before we try to defend the canal." In the same issue of The Washington Times, on page 9, was a full-page ad run by the "Conservative Caucus," which said, in part, "WHEREAS narcotics-funded terrorist forces in Columbia have spread their bases and logistical operations into Panama; "WHEREAS Panama does not have any army, navy, or air force, and the country's national police units lack adequate training, manpower, and equipment to deter heavily-armed hostile narcotics terrorist forces or to adequately defend the Canal against sabotage or terrorism from internal or external threats; "WHEREAS the Russian Mafia, Chinese Triad criminal organizations, Cuban government entities, and certain groups from the Middle East, all of whom who (sic) have been hostile to the United States, are active in Panama, conducting weapons smuggling, money laundering, and massive counterfeiting and piracy of United States products and intellectual property...(and) "WHEREAS the Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa company, which has close ties to the People's Republic of China and has served as a conduit for funding and acquiring technology for the Chinese People's Liberation Army, has been granted a 25- to 50-year lease to control the Balboa and Cristobal ports on the Atlantic and Pacific ends of the Panama Canal...Resolved (that) 1. The United States Government should request that the new government of Panama, under the leadership of President Mireya Moscoso, nullify the lease agreements for the Balboa and the Cristobal port facilities...and initiate a new bidding process that is both transparent [it was alleged by others that bribery of Panamian officials had helped Hutchison Whampoa land the contract] and fair..(and that)...The United States Government should negotiate security arrangements with the government of Panama that will protect the canal and ensure the territorial integrity of the Republic of Panama." Strong stuff. But if you think Clinton or the congress will act upon it in the next week or so, you are dreaming. As Phyllis Schafly said, "Immense pressures are working to close our eyes to the national security danger from the Panama-China leases. Mr. Clinton doesn't dare upset the Chinese with whom he has suspect political and financial ties, and too many senior Republicans are committed to the fantasy China is just a trading partner, not a potential enemy." Whether we know it not, Britain and America are the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, upon whom the name "House of ISRAEL" was placed. When aging Jacob, who was renamed "Israel" blessed his two grandsons, the sons of his favorite son Joseph, he "...stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. "And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, "The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. "And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. "And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. "And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations" (Genesis 48:14-19). These two brother nations, one, a "multitude of nations" or a "company of nations" and the other the single greatest nation, were to possess between them the "gates of their enemies." If you have not yet read my major book on this intriguing subject, entitled Europe and America In Prophecy, please call (903) 561-7070 or write to me at Box 747, Flint, TX., 75762, for your copy! As was revealed last month in the newspaper, the Panama Canal is VITALLY important to America's security! Admiral Moorer, quoted in that article, also said, "...we are on what I consider to be a collision course with disaster in the very near future...I truly can't remember a time when I have been more concerned about the security of our country." NEWSFLASH: By now you know that China launched an unmanned vehicle into space only weeks ago, as if to underline the fact that China possesses powerful ICBM'S capable of hitting American cities! China is working toward putting a man into space! The MILITARY applications of China's space program, and its nuclear capabilities should be lost on no one. But THIS time around, if hostile missiles are based in America's back yard as they were in Cuba by Nikita Khruschev, there will be no will left among American leadership to blockade the Chinese and the Canal, and bring the world to the brink of a nuclear war. Incidentally, there will be a big celebration in Panama on New Year's Eve. Rumors are that the Panamanian Government has invited Castro, and is also hoping Clinton or Gore will attend! q __________________________________________
Could Nuclear War Begin By At this moment, in the nose cones of thousands of multi-megaton nuclear missiles, the computer guidance systems are programmed to strike major population centers and strategic military bases half a world away only 90 minutes after launch. Such missiles are in hardened missile silos, on mobile , all-terrain launch vehicles, and aboard nuclear submarines. Are they all "Y2K compliant"? Could any of them be launched by accident? by Garner Ted Armstrong Picture the possible scenario: The Pentagon, nervous about Russian compliance with fixing their "Y2K" bugs in their vast array of nuclear weapons, urges the Russians to TURN THEIR POWER SUPPLIES OFF over the fateful moments of midnight, December 31st, 1999. But what will the Russians think? Naturally, they will be very suspicious of such a request, thinking the U.S. wishes to have them totally defenseless while the U.S. launches a massive "first strike" with no possibility of a Russian response! Such suspicions work both ways. Should the Russians ask the U.S. to turn off the power supply to all our nuclear missiles, including those aboard prowling submarines in the White Sea off Russia's northern borders, the Pentagon might well believe such a request is a Russian ploy to render the U.S. helpless. Therefore, the most likely scenario is that both powers CLAIM to have ensured there is no remote likelihood of any computer glitches which would launch missiles accidentally, or CLAIM they have turned off all power to the guidance and launch controls, while nervously keeping many of them hot and ready, hoping they have solved the computer glitches! Can you imagine India's response if such a request came from Pakistan? Or China's response if such a request came from the U.S.? Worrisome is Russia's angry response to Clinton's bombing of Yugoslavia and Kosovo. Prior to the bombing campaign, U.S. and Russian military commanders had been sharing information; cooperating on Y2K preparedness, even though Russia uses different systems than does the U.S. But, when Clinton started bombing Serbs, cousins to the Russians, Russia was furious. They quickly cut off all cooperation. Of course, there is NO cooperation between the U.S. and China, or any number of other nuclear powers. In a recent article from Millennia Monitor published on their web site entitled: "The year 2000 problem and the danger of nuclear war," the problem of potential nuclear war by accident was addressed. The complete article is at "http://www.fas.org. 2000/y2k/analysis.htm." Here is a brief excerpt: "...public alarm would not be entirely misplaced, as sustaining high alert levels would seem to be directly contributory to the nexus between the Y2K problem and the risk of accidental or inadvertent nuclear war. Initially preventing Y2K glitches would almost certainly have the consequence of rendering information systems inoperable to a greater or lesser extent. But the mandate to sustain very high alert levels could impel system operators to improvise technical implementations and operational procedures. Normally contingency procedures may also in turn manifest Y2K anomalies." John Hamre, Deputy Secretary of Defense, speaking before a joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Government Management, Information and Technology, said the Pentagon was not concerned that the Russians would accidentally launch missiles if their computer systems malfunctioned because of year 2000 problems. However, he added, "...we are less than optimistic that Russian early warning systems will function...it is possible that Russian computer screens could go blank." The deliberate shooting down of the Korean 747 off Sakhalin Island bears poignant testimony to Russian paranoia. One wonders what the Russians would do if all those early warning radar screens suddenly went blank, and they assumed they had been jammed by an enemy. However, all the research I have done strongly suggests that no nuclear power wants a nuclear launch by accident, and that all of the military commands have been working to ensure that no Y2K glitch causes accidental launches. However, since Russia finally confirmed that the missing 100 suitcase-size nuclear weapons are indeed missing, and since it has been acknowledged some of them may well be in the United States, there remains that nagging concern that Islamic terrorists would love to see the U.S. and Russia at each other's throats in a devastating nuclear war. The Japanese very carefully selected that early Sunday morning on December 7th, 1941, when they knew the habits of the anchored U.S. Pacific Fleet; Saturday night hangovers, church services underway, large segments of the crews ashore, large numbers allowed to "sleep in," and the usual state of idleness and ease. Law enforcement officials know that criminals might well take advantage of overloaded telephone systems and the possibility of power outages to commit robberies at the stroke of midnight, December 31st, 1999. Terrorists, or rogue nations might likewise know there could arrive no more propitious time for another thousand years to catch an enemy totally unprepared, in the midst of wild orgiastic celebration and drunkenness. Like all other Y2K concerns, officialdom says "not to worry." One can only hope they are right. q __________________________________________
SHOCKING HEADLINES THE NEW SPACE RACE: PENTAGON ENVISIONS WAR IN THE HEAVENS! ISRAELI ARMY ANNOUNCES BIOLOGICAL ATTACK DRILL ARAFAT SAYS NO DEAL UNLESS JERUSALEM IS PALESTINIAN CAPITAL IRAN VOWS ONGOING STRUGGLE AGAINST "THE GREAT SATAN," THE UNITED STATES PAKISTANI MILITANTS RALLY TO PLEDGE "HOLY WAR" PROJECT "MEGIDDO" WARNS AGAINST Y2K VIOLENCE HUGE MONUMENT BLESSED BY POPE, SHIPPED TO BETHLEHEM, SYRIANS SAY UNABLE TO CONTAIN HEZBOLLAH 30 EGYPTIAN HIGH-RANKING OFFICERS WERE ON EGYPTAIR FLIGHT, INCLUDING TWO GENERALS EGYPTIANS FURIOUS OVER MEDIA CLAIMS COPILOT CRASHED PLANE — MOST BLAME ISRAEL, U.S. MEXICAN CARDINAL SAYS "NATURAL DISASTERS NOT PUNISHMENT FROM GOD." RUSSIAN GENERAL LASHES OUT AT US MISSILE DEFENSE ITALY, NETHERLANDS, SAY NUCLEAR WEAPONS NECESSARY IN EUROPE ISRAEL TELLS CHINA IT WORRIES ABOUT IRAN'S WEAPONS ISRAEL URGING CHINA TO BUY MORE AEW SYSTEM — CHINESE OFFICIALS SUPPORT PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD GIGANTIC TIDAL WAVE THREAT FROM UNDERSEA VOLCANO MEXICAN RIVER FLOODS THREATEN 475,000. COLIMA VOLCANO BELCHES STEAM; POWERFUL EXPLOSION FEARED KINNERET (SEA OF GALILEE) FALLS BELOW `RED' DANGER LINE; ISRAEL SAYS IT MUST IMPORT WATER FROM TURKEY. U.S. CROPS, CATTLE SAID VULNERABLE TO BIOLOGICAL ATTACK DEADLY NEW FLU VIRUS SPREADS NEW FLU VIRUS COMPARED TO FLU BUG OF WORLD WAR I WHICH TOOK MILLIONS OF LIVES DRUG-RESISTANT STRAIN OF TB SPREADS WORLDWIDE PALESTINIAN PRESS CLAIMS ISRAEL "COUNTING DOWN HOURS" UNTIL IT DESTROYS AL-AKSA MOSQUE ISRAEL CLEARS WAY FOR MUSLIM MOSQUE IN NAZARETH PANAMA TAKES CONTROL OF U.S. MILITARY BASES U.S. BISHOPS PROTEST MOSQUE PLANS FOR NAZARETH GERMANY'S KOHL CALLS FOR EUROPEAN UNITY DURING VISIT TO ISRAEL RACE FOR NATIONS TO JOIN EUROPEAN UNION HEATING UP RABBIS CLAIM JEWISH LAW PROHIBITS ISRAEL "GIVING UP LAND TO GENTILES." CHINA DEVELOPING NEW AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM—REPORT NEW CHINESE RADAR MAY RENDER U.S. STEALTH AIRCRAFT OBSOLETE SYRIA TESTED CHEMICAL BOMB FORECAST FOR HURRICANES: IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE q __________________________________________
GTAEA
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