“THIS MEANS WAR!”

by Mark Armstrong

That's what the teaming angry mob streaming through the streets of Gaza was chanting. Immediately following Israel's helicopter missile attack which killed Sheik Ahmed Yassin, one of the founders of the militant Hamas group long linked to terrorist activities against Israel, protesters filled the streets in their tens of thousands in Gaza to chant, “This means WAR!”

You mean it wasn't war already? The Arab nations, with the intermittent exceptions of Egypt and Jordan, have for decades maintained that they were in a permanent state of war with the Jewish state whose right to exist they've always denied. Sheik Yassin was always anxious to take credit for suicide bombings, praise the bombers and the families who supported their suicide missions. He was “credited” with recently convincing a mother of two to blow herself up, taking innocent Israeli civilians with her. He is believed to be responsible for planning scores of terrorist attacks over recent years, responsible for hundreds if not thousands of  Israeli citizen casualties. If more proof of these people's blind dedication to their cause is needed, consider this quote printed by an Associated Press writer reporting from Gaza City within one day of the strike which killed Yassin.

“Outside the morgue at Shifa Hospital, Hamas official Ismail Haniyeh, a close associate of Yassin, had tears in his eyes as he confirmed Yassin's death and pledged revenge. “This is the moment Sheik Yassin dreamed about. Sheik Yassin lived and died and offered his life to Palestine. Sheik Yassin was a hero and a fighter and the leader of a nation, and is in heaven now.”

Yes, the true believers in the religion of Islam believe that blowing oneself up and causing the deaths of infidels is the most direct route to paradise. And while the Wahibi sect may be the most radical among them, there is something my Dad often referenced obliquely that I think deserves notice. Have you noticed that you almost never hear any Islamic religious leaders coming out to condemn these murderous terrorist acts against civilians? Nor do you hear any of their social or political representatives here in the U.S. out demanding a stop to it.

The story which follows illustrates more on this point. In the summer of 2002, I went to a local gas station/mini market to buy a fishing license. September 11 was certainly fresh on everyone's mind, and as I waited for the computer to print out the little document, I asked the swarthy middle-aged gentleman with the thick accent behind the counter where he was from. He replied, “Pakistan.” As he was the owner/ operator of this convenience store in rural East Texas, I asked if local sentiment had caused any significant decline in his business. He said yes. I asked if he was Moslem. He said yes. “But surely you don't agree with what the terrorists did on September 11,” I stated. In his thick accent he told me, “You must understand! The people are frustrated!”

Thankfully, I'd already paid for the fishing license and another customer was coming in to pay for gas. Otherwise, there's no telling where that conversation would have ended up. But it illustrates something which has become undeniably clear as incidents of terrorism continue to be perpetrated against helpless civilians going about their daily lives, who have no personal involvement in the issues which lead to their violent deaths or lifelong maimings. And that is that the rank and file Moslem believers apparently are universal in their belief that the Palestinian/Israeli 'struggle over the “Holy Land” with its “holy places” justifies attacks on innocent men women and children! “You must understand! The people are frustrated!” Lucky for me and the Pakistani, other customers entered and gave me time to consider whether pursuing the conversation was a good idea.

Political Fallout

Years ago, it was a bus somewhere in the new city of Jerusalem, or a theater in Tel Aviv. We saw the blood and body parts on the news, read about suicide bombings in the papers. It made us heartsick, but still, it was way off over there somewhere, and we were here, in the safety and security so taken for granted. It was Israel's problem, this terrorist phenomenon, and we here in the U.S. were only marginally aware or concerned. Americans weren't worried that coordinated cells of murderous radicals might eventually have the clout to affect all our alliances in Europe. It never occurred to us that they'd have the ability to take down U.S. landmark office buildings, dive-bomb the Pentagon, change the very manner in which we travel, cripple our economy, or alter our elections. Now, however, we're wondering where it will stop, or if it ever will!

According to recent polls, George W. Bush may be in real trouble already as we approach the upcoming presidential elections. The political opposition seems to think the U.S.A. should behave like a subsidiary of Europe! The Europeans have traditionally sided with Arab viewpoints in the Middle East. They've apparently done so not only to assure the availability of oil, but also to help secure contractual arrangements on everything from construction projects to military hardware. Since the toppling of the regime in Iraq, evidence has been uncovered which indicates that French politicians were engaged in business dealings with Saddam to supply everything up to and including Exocet missile systems, in defiance of United Nations sanctions and embargoes. And yet the French maintain a finger-wagging self righteous attitude of disdain toward America. More has surfaced recently, indicating that U.N. representatives responsible for administering the “Oil for Food” program also engaged in something akin to bribery which allowed Saddam to sock away tens of millions of dollars in hidden bank accounts. As the U.N. has become the most visible forum for European disdain of America, the argumentative posturing over what has transpired with Iraq will undoubtedly go on and on. That is, until some more urgent event takes center stage. Perhaps Pakistan's nuclear arsenal falls into the hands of radical Islamists? Or North Korea goes ballistic with their nuclear weapons?

The U.S. has always bolstered and stood by Israel, as the only democracy in the Middle East our one and only dependable ally in the region. This divergence in interests has, over the decades contributed to an ever deepening rift between the U.S. and Europe. Now that terrorism has become such a major factor, these conflicting interests threaten to tear apart the very fabric of the NATO alliance. Europe seems to be standing on the theory that America has brought terrorism upon itself by continually supporting Israel. Furthermore, we've overreacted to the attacks on U.S. soil, they say. And President Bush's Democratic opponent has made it a theme of his campaign that we in America should heed Europe's advice. The U.S. should not be taking unilateral action without the consent of the United Nations, or at least the blessing of Europe, Russia and the Pope! Not to get carried away.

Will the United States eventually be conquered by some “New World Order”? Or will our elected leaders simply sign us up?

The America we grew up in is in danger from so many various angles; it gives you a headache to dwell on it. But keeping WATCH as events hurtle us inexorably toward the fulfillment of Bible prophecies is the mission of this organization. It is heartbreaking to witness the rapid and radical changes that are reshaping nearly every aspect of this nation we love. Garner Ted Armstrong set the tone, and here I'd like to wrap this article up with something he wrote very near the end of his life.

“I am a fervent patriot. I believe the documents written by our founding fathers are like a ‘civil Bible,’ that our Constitution was guided by God; that it is the basis of all our liberties; our laws; our moral values!

“I also believe that our Constitution is under attack! I see our nation plunging into the morass of hedonism, nihilism, self-indulgence, amorality, crime, divorce, illegitimacy, pornography, homosexuality; that our families are disintegrating, our most important institutions being infiltrated by anti-American, anti-God factions who seek only personal power!

"The prophecies of Isaiah are frighteningly close to fulfillment. ‘As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths’ (Isaiah 3:12).

“This is a work of WITTNESS AND WARNING; a work of ‘cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their sins!’ (Isaiah 58:1).

“And because of this, when the hedonists, nihilists and anti-God people ascend to the positions of power in this country, God's work will come under attack! The most patriotic people in the country will be accused of being ‘anti-American!’”

Thanks to the support of so many of you, the legacy of Garner Ted Armstrong and the Work of the Watchman will be accomplished.