January 14, 2003
Shalom from the Boskeys in Beersheva!
The nations are streaming toward the Middle East, but not to worship at the Mountain of the Lord. Aircraft carriers and destroyers are pouring into the Persian Gulf. World media brings non-stop coverage of UN inspectors. Once more Israel finds itself between Iraq and a hard place! How can believers in Yeshua measure and prepare for upcoming events, especially concerning Israel and the Jewish people?
The Old Shell Game
An old English game of chance is called ‘the shell game’. The barker has a table in front of him with three shells (anything from matchboxes to coconut shells) and a little ball. He puts a ball under one of the shells, moves the shells quickly around, and then stops and asks the audience where the ball is. For a cash bet, a player can make one guess and lift one shell. The hustler makes his profit by misleading his customer into focusing on the wrong shell.
A good military strategist also fools his enemy by getting him to concentrate on something other than the most important target. In World War II the Allies developed Operation Jael, later called Operation Bodyguard, to distract Hitler from discovering the real timing and invasion point for D-Day. One sub-plot (in which Ian Fleming of James Bond fame was involved) was called Operation Mincemeat. A suitable corpse, dressed up to impersonate a British Intelligence officer, was dumped on the Spanish coast with counterfeit and misleading war plans in a trench coat pocket. They made sure that the body was discovered by Nazi Abwehr intelligence, and this strategic deception significantly distracted Hitler’s military focus prior to D-Day (see ‘The Man Who Never Was: World War Two’s Boldest Counter-Intelligence Operation’ by Ewen Montagu and www.militaryhistory.about.com/library/weekly/aa010201a.htm).
It seems that a similar strategy is being used by evil spiritual forces today as the world focuses on the upcoming war with Iraq. Valid concerns (the needs to pray for one’s nation, for the coming battles, for protection against mega-terrorism, for revival and salvation to come to peoples shaken by war) are filling the horizon and attracting valid attention, while a satanic ‘stealth stratagem’ is sneaking through unawares. And what is this ‘stealth’ plot? World leaders are being catalyzed into dividing up the land of Israel. The Bible clearly says that any nation which attempts to shrink Israel’s borders will surely face divine judgment (e.g., Joel 3:1-2; Zech.14:1-3; Gen.12:3). The potential upshot of this scheme has more divine fallout than a nuclear suitcase bomb!
It may come as a surprise to some to learn that at this very moment the major world powers are already pressing for precisely this division of the land of Israel. On July 16 2002 the US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with representatives from the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia. The so-called "Quartet" was formed and issued a statement in New York City, part of which is quoted below.
The Quartet remains committed to implementing the vision of two states, Israel and…Palestine . . . The Quartet calls upon Israel to take concrete steps to support the emergence of a viable Palestinian state… The Quartet reaffirms that… the Israe occupation that began in 1967 must end…
On September 17 2002 the Quartet met again in New York and issued a further statement, part of which is quoted below.
The Quartet
is working closely…on a concrete, three-phase implementation roadmap that
could achieve a final settlement within three years… to be monitored and
assessed by the Quartet . . . The plan will contain in its initial phase
(2002-first half of 2003)… Israeli withdrawals . . . In the
plan's second phase (2003), our efforts should focus on the option of creating
a Palestinian state with provisional borders . . . In its final phase (2004-5)…consistent
with the vision expressed by President Bush, this means that the Israeli occupation that began in
1967 will be ended through… Israel withdrawal to secure and
recognized borders.
We encourage you to pray with us for your nation’s leaders, that revelation and wisdom will be given them regarding God’s fierce zeal for His people, His land and its God-given borders (Jer.30:16-17, 23-24; Joel 3:14-16; Gen.15:18-21).
Pray that your own leaders’ hands will not recklessly grasp the reigns of this spiritual trojan horse (Zech.2:8-9, 13).
Pray also that Israel’s leaders will not grow weary under constant international pressure, or cave in to manipulation and political witchcraft on these same points (e.g. Isa.31:1).
Pray that God will bring revival once again to Israel and save His people, revealing Messiah Yeshua to them (Psa.28:9; Zech.12:10).
Troops on the move
As you read this letter, a massive troop deployment similar to what happened prior to the 1991 Gulf War is taking place. By the beginning of February the US is expected to have well over 100,000 ground troops in the Gulf region, including the 82nd Airborne and the 101st Air Cavalry Division, as well as four aircraft carriers with 348 aircraft. Each carrier will be able to hit 700 targets a day by cruise missile, compared to a maximum of 162 per day during the 1991 Gulf War. www.cdi.org/terrorism/forcesinthemideast5.cfm
The British Royal Navy is planning it largest amphibious landing operation since the Falkland War, with combined forces at least 40,000 strong. The Royal Marines 3 Commando Brigade has already been vaccinated against anthrax and smallpox, and has been undergoing intensive training against biological and chemical attack. They are expected to be combat ready by the end of January.
At this moment U.S. warships equipped with the Aegis radar system are patrolling the eastern Mediterranean, monitoring potential Scud missile launches from Iraq towards Israel. It is also reported that Israeli air force officers are working with their Jordanian counterparts to monitor and interdict low-flying Iraqi planes heading towards Israel. On December 21 2002 over 1,000 US soldiers landed in Israel along with upgraded Patriot anti-missile batteries in preparation for Operation Jennifer Cobra in early January. This joint exercise seeks to successfully integrate two different anti-missile systems (the Arrow and the Patriot) as part of final preparations for a possible Iraqi attack. The US forces will probably remain in Israel after the conclusion of the operation, awaiting developments in Iraq.
Two British reports from October 2002 (Sunday Times Oct 29 and Foreign Report) indicate that Israel Defense Forces special operations team Unit 262 (Sayeret Matkal), composed of two teams of 24 commandos, has been inserted into western Iraq to detect Scud bases for upcoming elimination. This exact scenario also occurred in late January 1991, when Israeli special forces from three different Sayeret units were inserted into western Iraq in order to track down and destroy Scud launchers an extended mission which met with a fair degree of success. www.isayeret.com/operations/desert.htm
For the past four months Israel has been preparing her military and civilian population for an upcoming war. Elementary and high school students have undergone basic chemical warfare training. Israel’s Health Ministry has already inoculated between 15,000 and 20,000 medical and rescue workers (including police and firefighters) against smallpox, and has enough immunizations to vaccinate the entire population within days. Over 7,500 vibrating beepers for the deaf are being distributed throughout Israel in case of missile attack, which will allow them to receive silent instructions from the Home Front Command. The Director-General of the Defense Ministry Amos Yaron has recently stated that iodine pills (protecting against thyroid cancer caused by nuclear fallout) will probably be added in the near future to citizens’ protection kits. The majority of citizens have already renewed their gas masks at distribution points in shopping centers throughout the country.
It bears remembering that in 1991 Israel was attacked 39 times by Iraqi Scud missiles armed with conventional warheads. Its current preparations are a pretty accurate litmus test of whether or not it feels that war is likely.
All the information given above indicates that the US, Britain and Israel are taking war preparations very seriously. Dear intercessor in addition to holding up the people and land of Israel before the God of Jacob, be prayerfully aware of the immediate gravity of this near-war situation.
Cost-effective terrorism
World attention focuses on UN inspectors playing cat and mouse games with Saddam Hussein’s scientists regarding secret biochemical and nuclear labs. US, British and Israeli forces are gearing up for battle, as well as for Scud hunts and anti-missile defenses. But could it be that Saddam has also been planning for such contingencies? Could he be shrewder than is publicly acknowledged? What if Saddam and his closest aides have managed to keep their weapons of mass destruction (WMD) preparations really hidden, and have used the time to prepare counter-responses to the US-led coming attack? What if that vengeful counter-response happened to be cheap, low tech terrorism (chemical, biological or even suitcase nuclear weapons) detonated by pre-positioned sleeper cells or lone terrorists?
A brief documentation of Saddam Hussein’s track record on the following subjects follows. You can click or paste these links into your web browser to access these files.
* Iraq’s stockpiling and use of chemical weapons against civilians (one of 40 examples is Halabja, Iraq where 5,000-7,000 Kurds were murdered on March 16 1988, with at least 10,000 injured).
http://usinfo.state.gov/regional/nea/iraq/text/dossier01b.htm
http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/iraq/warning.htm
http://usembassy.state.gov/tokyo/wwwh2499.html
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gunning/interviews/hamza.html
http://user.tninet.se/~rwa187x/HALABJA.HTM
www.angelfire.com/nt/Gilgamesh/halabja.html
* Saddam Hussein’s attempt to assassinate former US President George Bush on April 14 1993. The Iraqi assassins Ra'ad al-Asadi and Wali al-Ghazali were captured in Kuwait City and interrogated by the FBI. They confessed to having been recruited by Iraqi intelligence in Basra, Iraq, who provided them with the explosive device four days before Bush arrived in Kuwait. (from the US government fact sheet: “The Department of Justice and the Central Intelligence Agency have concluded that Iraq planned, equipped, and ran the terrorist operation that threatened the life of President Bush in Kuwait City in April. Further, it is the firm judgment of our intelligence community, from all sources of evidence available to it, that this assassination plot was directed and pursued by the Iraqi Intelligence Service”.
http://dosfan.lib.uic.edu/ERC/briefing/dispatch/1993/html/Dispatchv4no27.html
www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/1993/930626b.htm
www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/1993/936763-941058.htm
www.edwardjayepstein.com/2002question/saddams_acts.htm
* Iraqi intelligence involvement in four terrorist attacks against the USA the 1993 World Trade Center bombing in New York City; the 1995 bombing of the U.S. training mission for Saudi troops in Riyadh; the 1996 attack against the U.S. base in al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia that killed 19 U.S. servicemen; and the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.
www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/rbartley/?id=95001389
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/gunning/interviews/mylroie.html
See also Dr. Laurie Mylroie’s book "Study of Revenge: Saddam Hussein's Unfinished War against America"
* FBI evidence that Saddam Hussein was involved in the March 1995 Oklahoma City bombing
www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110002217
www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=papers&code=02-D_59
www.centerforsecuritypolicy.org/index.jsp?section=static&page=jaynadavis
* Clear evidence that senior Iraqi intelligence met with Mohammad Atta, the 9/11 ringleader, in April 2001 in Prague. This was Atta’s last trip out of America before 9/11.
www.edwardjayepstein.com/2002question/prague.htm
www.edwardjayepstein.com/2002question/salmanpak.htm
www.edwardjayepstein.com/question_anthrax5.htm
www.edwardjayepstein.com/question_atta.htm
www.edwardjayepstein.com/question_nato.htm
www.johnstonsarchive.net/nuclear/osamanuk.html
Saddam Hussein has shown murderous cruelty, cunning and deception, brinksmanship, and an active ability to take revenge. He has repeatedly managed to use strategic deception and terror against his enemies, with particular fury against Israel and America. Pray that these two countries especially will be kept safe from WMD attacks, and that God’s angels will help in thwarting such terrorist plans.
There may also be a personal factor in this coming conflict. President George W. Bush might have a score to settle with the man who attempted to murder his father.
President Bush’s access to top intelligence allows him to get a comprehensive and deep understanding of what really has gone on behind the scene, and a clear read of Saddam’s exact responsibilities on many levels. Much of this information will never be publicly divulged, because to do so would involve ‘burning’ precious intelligence sources. Pray for President Bush to have God’s mind, wisdom and discernment as he weighs all possible options. As the sign on President Truman’s desk said so simply, “The buck stops here!”
“It’s déjà vu all over again” (quote attributed to Yogi Berra)
In 1990-91 Rachel, the kids and I experienced the Gulf War firsthand. I was in the IDF reserves in Hebron, King David’s ancient capitol, watching Scuds fly overhead across the Judean Hills to land about 6 miles from our house in Kfar Saba (just north of Tel Aviv). Our children learned to recognize the boom of the Patriot anti-missiles and the crump of the Scuds landing, the heart-freezing wail of the air raid sirens, the metallic smell of gas masks. Standing in the guard tower overlooking the valley of Hebron, I witnessed thousands of Arab men, women and children climb up onto the roofs of their houses and scream out in Arabic, “Ya Saddam! Slaughter the Jews! Destroy Tel Aviv!”
We would like to quote from our newsletter of December 1991, describing those events: “The cease-fire went into effect on Purim (the Feast of Esther), the Jewish holiday associated with the destruction of one of Israel’s many Middle Eastern enemies (cf., Gen.12:3, where God promises to unconditionally curse any nation or person who seeks to harm the Jewish people). It is Rachel’s and my feeling that what happened during this war is only the opening shot of what will be an extended struggle, and that not everyone will get off as easily in times soon to come.”
Our feeling 12 years ago was that the Gulf War was part one of an extended campaign, and that ‘Gulf War Part Two’ would soon be upon us. We also felt that the Gulf War (‘Desert Storm’ as it was then called) would be preparing the world for another campaign (call it ‘Desert Jew’, if you like) where all the nations of the world would arise to come against the State of Israel and the Jewish people (see Zech.14:1-2).
As of tomorrow January 15, Operation Red Hail (a state of high military alert) will kick in here in Israel. This code name first surfaced in 1998 to describe a national military alert strategy in response to a renewed Iraqi WMD threat. Preparations probably involve round-the-clock immediate air force response readiness, as well as armed forces on trigger alert. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Pray for wisdom and God’s discernment to be abundantly poured out on Israel’s Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and his counselors. Pray for the preservation of much life and for people’s hearts to be opened to the goods news of Messiah Yeshua’s atonement, kingdom and soon coming!
We appreciate your concern, your prayers for us, and your support of our ministry in the land to the youth, in worship and intercession, and in fostering the prophetic and the creative arts.
Blessings from Beersheva!
Avner for Rachel, Daniel, David, Asaph and Elisha Boskey
FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES, BOX 121971 NASHVILLE TN 37212-1971 USA