Daily WATCH! Volume 2 Issue 54, Monday, March 24, 2002
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ARAB LEAGUE SUMMIT: FLASH POINT!
By Randy Loudenslager
The much anticipated Arab League Summit is scheduled to unofficially start today with customary shoulder rubbing in Beirut, Lebanon. The actual two-day summit will commence on Wednesday and wrap up on the following day. Unlike most Arab League summits this one has aroused attention, speculations, suspicions and warnings from a widely diverse crowd.
The summit offers to be a flash point in some form or another. Whatever decisions are made in Beirut will have major repercussions all over the Middle East. Take Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon for example. He is asking the United States to help him secure a place of attendance at the summit so that he can present to the Arabs first hand his own plan on achieving a peaceful solution to the crisis in Israel. The latest speculation in Arab newspapers is that the so-called peace initiative of Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah will become a united Arab world's answer to the situation. The Saudi plan calls for Israel to pull back to pre-1967 borders and in turn the Arab nations will normalize relations with Israel. But what about Yassar Arafat? The Palestinians say there can be no decision without his presence at the summit and at present Sharon says this is unlikely until Arafat abides by a yet to be declared ceasefire. Arafat's dilemma appears to be not whether he can leave for Beirut but whether he will be allowed back into the territories if he leaves. Sharon says there are no guarantees. Moamar Kadhafi, Libya's leader and Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak have changed their minds about boycotting the summit and will now attend. Meanwhile thousands in Lebanon and Syria are protesting the league's possible acceptance of the Saudi plan, preferring a tougher stand against Israel. And adding to the worries of the summit are intelligence reports of terrorist plans to assassinate moderate leaders at the summit, particularly Mubarak of Egypt and King Abdullah of Jordan. These reports are considered credible after several attempts have already been made against Mubarak in the past. Also on the agenda is the overwhelming stance by the Arab nations, including moderates and American allies, against an American attack on Iraq. The Bush administration has made little headway in its efforts to gain support for its plans to topple Saddam Hussein. Lastly, the Iranian backed Hezbollah terror group is condemning any position of peace with Israel, suggesting that it is an American conspiracy against Islam and therefore the Arab nations must resist.
As can be seen there is little room to please everyone. Whatever decisions are made there will be offended parties and new promises of war and bloodshed. The world's attention is on Beirut and what happens there will dictate the foreign policy of powers and super-powers in regards to the Middle East.
For believers in Jesus Christ the decisions made in Beirut are of less importance than what the Saudi peace plan has caused, real unity of the Arab world. The nations that form the Arab League are nations that once formed much of the Roman empire. Bible prophecy tells us that the final empire will not be strongly united. The book of Daniel shows this confederation to have the strength of iron but held together in the weakness of clay. They will be peoples of the former Roman empire but will maintain some aspects of their sovereignty. They won't need to be a super state to gain power, unified they simply have to turn off the oil tap and they will do as they please. They are simply waiting for a hero to arise who will finish the unification process that has been started.
It is no mistake that the two issues unifying these nations at the summit deal with Israel, the peace initiative and support against America in favor of Israel's ancient enemy Iraq. A pending war with Iraq is causing America to compromise her support for Israel and causing a growing tide of support for Saddam Hussein. He has survived one war already, to survive again will kindle such a ground swell of support and unity among the peoples of the oil producing nations that America may compromise her devotion to Israel to meet her own need of oil. It should be no surprise that Washington and London are discussing the use of small battlefield nuclear weapons against forces who use nukes against them. The Bible prophesies an overwhelming army will be swept away by the king of the north (traditionally the region of Iraq).
When Israel makes peace by forsaking the covenant (giving her land to the Palestinians) then her protection will be removed. Although she will rest in peace for a short while she will not be able to repel the invasion that follows. Israel will enter her darkest period and if not for the LORD and his mercy on the faithful in Israel she would be utterly destroyed.
Copyright 2002 Randy Loudenslager Ministries
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Our web resources site: http://lastday.info
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