ICG, Wars, and Rumors of Wars

American and British Aircraft Carriers Are Used As Parts of Threats and Wars

Yesterday, the following was in the news:

2 US aircraft carriers headed for Gulf

Jerusalem Post – Aug 7, 2008

Two additional United States naval aircraft carriers are heading to the Gulf and the Red Sea, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Kuwait Times…

Meanwhile, the Arabic news agency Moheet reported at the end of July that an unnamed American destroyer, accompanied by two Israeli naval vessels traveled through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean. A week earlier, a US nuclear submarine accompanied by a destroyer and a supply ship moved into the Mediterranean, according to Moheet.

Currently there are two US naval battle groups operating in the Gulf: one is an aircraft carrier group, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln, which carries some 65 fighter aircraft. The other group is headed by the USS Peleliu which maintains a variety of planes and strike helicopters.

The ship movements coincide with the latest downturn in relations between Washington and Teheran. The US and Iran are at odds over Iran’s nuclear program, which the Bush administration claims is aimed at producing material for nuclear weapons…

Kuwait, like other Arab countries in the Gulf, fears it will be caught in the middle should the US decide to launch an air strike against Iran if negotiations fail…

The standoff between the US and Iran has left the Arab nations’ political leaders in something of a bind, as they were being used as pawns by Washington and Teheran, according to The Media Line analyst. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1218104233164&pagename=JPArticle%2FShowFull

In his update last night, ICG’s Mark Armstrong reported:

By now you know that a war is underway in the newly independent state of Georgia, a former possession of the Soviet Union. Georgia is a “staunch ally” of the United States, with two hundred of their own fighters contributing to coalition efforts in Iraq. Those troops are reportedly being called home as Russian fighter jets have begun bombing Georgian air basses in South Ossetia. Georgia’s leadership is accused of igniting the hostilities by attacking the breakaway province of South Ossetia, prompting the Russians to get involved. But they were already involved, since they had “peacekeepers” stationed in the province, reputedly supporting factions working against independent Georgia. The situation has a long history, and is complicated, as you can see.

Russia has shown irritation as eastern European provinces have independently established diplomatic relations with the U.S., and lined up to come under the NATO umbrella. The U.S. and Russia have seen relations grow increasingly chilly in recent years, lining up on opposite sides of Iran, Eastern Europe, and there has even been some chatter about the possibility of Russian nuclear equipped bombers using Cuban airfields. U.S./Russian relations seem to have drifted back to a type of Cold War standoff reminiscent of the pre-1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.

Iran remains the ultimate concern at the present time, despite some presidential campaign quips to the contrary. Iran’s potential for devastating the U.S.A. with an EMP attack has gained tremendous attention over the past couple of weeks, including discussion with John Bolton, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN on CNN Headline News. He gave the concern credence, as has the EMP Commission in its reports to Congress.

An Associated Press article yesterday ran with the headline, Israel Considering Military Strike on Iranian Nuclear Sites. It mentions that Israel has purchased ninety F-16’s that put Iran within range, and two Dolphin submarines from Germany, capable of firing nuclear warheads.

Other reports have a “massive armada” made up of American, British and French ships heading for the Persian Gulf to join the formidable carrier groups already stationed there. Those reports are a little sketchy at this time, and only featured on some lesser-known outlets. If the reports are accurate, they’ll be confirmed by the major wire services within a couple of days. The “war fever” we’ve pointed out is building.

Sounds like wars and rumors of war.

Jesus taught:

6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows (Matthew 24:6-8).

As I have been writing for most of this year, at most we are near the place that Jesus referred to as “the beginning of sorrows. The end is not yet–though it is getting closer.

Several documented articles of possibly related interest may include:

End of Mayan Calendar 2012–Might 2012 Mean Something? There is a Mayan calendar prediction for change in 2012. 2012 changes were also centuries ago predicted by the Hopi Native Americans and the Hindu Indians (who were not even on the same continent). Do these Mayan/Hindu/Hopi prophecies have any value? Why might Satan have inspired this date? Does the Dresden codex show destruction of the earth by flood? Can the great tribulation start before 2012?
There is a Place of Safety for the Philadelphians. Why it May Be Petra This article discusses a biblical ‘place of safety’ and includes quotes from the Bible and Herbert W. Armstrong on this subject–thus, there is a biblically supported alternative to the rapture theory.
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Is There A Future King of the South? Some no longer believe there needs to be. Might Egypt, Islam, Iran, Arabs, or Ethiopia be involved? What does the Bible say?
Who is the King of the North? Is there one? Do biblical and Roman Catholic prophecies point to the same leader? Should he be followed? Who will be the King of the North discussed in Daniel 11? Is a nuclear attack prophesied to happen to the English-speaking peoples of the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? When do the 1335 days, 1290 days, and 1260 days (the time, times, and half a time) of Daniel 12 begin? When does the Bible show that economic collapse will affect the United States?