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Iraq president arrives in Tehran 
Iran seeks summit to assert role as regional power broker

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani arrived in Tehran on Monday amid increasing calls for Washington to enlist Iran's help in calming the escalating violence in neighboring Iraq.

"Talabani arrived in Tehran minutes ago as the head of a high-level delegation," Iran's state-run television reported.

Iran has been trying to organize a summit joining hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Talabani and Syrian President Bashar Assad in a bid to assert its role as the top regional power broker.

Talabani had planned to come to Tehran on Saturday but had to postpone his trip until Baghdad's airport, which was closed in a security clampdown, reopened Monday.

Iranian officials have said an invitation was extended to Assad, but Syria has not responded.

Talabani was scheduled to meet with Ahmadinejad at Iran's Presidential Palace later Monday, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

The United States has refused to negotiate with Iran and Syria to seek their support to bring stability to Iraq, accusing both Tehran and Damascus of aiding insurgent groups in Iraq.

Iran is believed to back Iraqi Shiite militias blamed in sectarian killings that have killed thousands this year. Iran has repeatedly denied the allegations.

But U.S. President George W. Bush, who was scheduled to meet with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki later this week in Jordan, has come under increasing pressure at home to engage Iran and Syria into a dialogue.

The New York Times reported in Monday's editions that a draft report by the study panel led by former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III recommends increased regional diplomacy, including holding talks with Iran and Syria.

Ahmadinejad has said Iran is willing to help Washington with Iraq if the U.S. drops its "bullying" policy toward Tehran. Iran also has made clear that it wants to exert its influence in Iraq on Tehran's terms, not Washington's.

"(Iraq's) occupiers need countries to help them get out of the quagmire," IRNA quoted Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki as saying Monday.

Syrian officials have been silent for days over whether Assad would attend, apparently to avoid embarrassing Iran with a direct rejection.

Iran is Syria's only close ally and a rejection would be an unusual snub, but Damascus may be more worried about angering the United States by joining Iran's overt attempt to assert itself in Iraq. Instead, Syria may likely be looking further down the road to potential talks with Washington.

It is the fourth visit by Talabani, who speaks fluent Farsi, since he took office. He is a member of Iraq's Kurdish minority, but he had close ties with Iranian officials before Saddam Hussein was driven out by the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Hmmmm, now thats some food, for thought.

Iraq is the modern name for an area often referred to in the Bible. It lies along the southren Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Arab armies conquered the area about 637 A.D., the term Arab originally referred to nomadic tribes of the Arabian Peninsula.  It came to refer to those who speak the Arabic language and that became the language of Moslem culture.  Today it refers to a group of nations which share a common political interest across the top to Africa and in western Asia. Bagdad, which now is the capitol of Iraq, was the capitol of the Arab Empire from 750 to 1258 A.D.

Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.  But, do you know which nation is second?  It is Iraq!!  However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.  The names used in the Bible are Babylon, Land of Shinar, and Mesopotamia. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.  The name Iraq, means country with deep roots.  Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.

Yes brother I see things coming together here also. I do believe that we will see a very large Caliphate out of this.

Then you and I, are seeing the same thing brother.

We might be watching the unfolding of Prophecy. The Middle-East is dead-center of where all the action will take place, and we also see a coalition forming to go against Israel - Israel being the absolute key to all end of this age Prophecy. The time may be soon when GOD gives human beings their last chances to accept JESUS CHRIST, and it appears that many will laugh and mock when that chance is given. However, people are still accepting JESUS CHRIST as Lord and Saviour, and hosts of others are convicted and possibly on the right path to JESUS.

Regardless of the timing and sequence of the Rapture, this will be an increasingly difficult time for Christians. May GOD give us strength and guidance to keep standing and trying. I feel very sorry for those who will laugh and mock. If Christians during this age and time have an easy time without the powers of darkness attacking them, it might mean they aren't Christians, or it might mean they are weak and silent Christians who are ashamed of the things of the LORD.

It's far past time for Christians to give the undiluted TRUTH of GOD'S WORD with no regard at all for being politically correct. Nothing will be politically correct in hell, and that's where hosts are headed. The GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST and the Cross is the only thing that can save them. LET'S ALL STAND UP AND GIVE IT TO THEM! If we face some trouble and trials - GOOD! - it will mean that the devil is trying to stop us.

Love In Christ,
Tom

1 Corinthians 2:2-5 NASB  For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.

Love In Christ,
Tom

Philippians 4:8 NASB  Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

I have been thinking about this and the reason why the Iraq President would have a meeting with Iran at this point. He realizes that he is up against some pretty stiff odds. If he doesn't have help of some sort then his nation and him as well will fall to the terrorists which is being supported in their actions by Iran. With the democrats taking so many offices here in Congress and threatening to pull out of Iraq He has absolutely no chance of maintaining control in Iraq unless he bows down to the pressures of the terrorists and Iran.

Another big win for the democrats.

Pastor Roger,

Sadly, I think that you hit the nail on the head. In reality, who's going to take the word of the U.S., keep a treaty, honor commitments, or finish anything? Next comes the thoughts of the terrorists that we are weak, easy to beat, and it's time to hit us at home.

It's pretty pitiful thinking that 50 years of history in Israel with terrorists is something that could never happen here. It appears that very few have an understanding of the enemy and what they will definitely do. It is a "will do", not a "might do". The brave men and women fighting the war understand it perfectly, and they believe in what they're doing. They firmly believe they are fighting terrorists on foreign soil so we won't have to fight them on our soil, and they are right. The terrorists can't wait to start their work on our soil. The will and backbone of Congress is at best "wimpy", and the same can be said for support of our troops. Congress has given a clear message to the terrorists that we are weak, and it appears that they will soon put the welcome mat out for the terrorists to come get us. Take it to the bank - they will come get us, and it won't be the fault of the brave men and women in our military.

You're right on the nail also brother. My thoughts on this came to me when I remembered back to the Cuba crisis. It is another one of those things where people will not learn from the mistakes of the past. When the U.S. refused to negotiate and work with Cuba the Russians moved in setting up missile bases. We are now seeing the President of Iraq willing to do the same thing with Iran because of the fear of loosing support from the U.S.

Brother, we are on the same sheet of music and singing on the same key. If the President of Iraq can't trust the U.S. to do what we said we would, what else can he do? Iraq doesn't have the military might, muscle, and professionalism to defend themselves. If we leave them to the mercy of the terrorists, who in the world will ever trust the word of the U.S. again? Our allies won't even trust us, and millions of innocent people will die because we broke our word.

Three million innocent people died in Vietnam when we left and broke our word. We had the means and power to win at any time, but we didn't use it. I'm not talking about nuclear weapons. Our armed forces were disgraced and humiliated because of wimpy politicians and the far left, the same powers that are destroying our society as we speak. We have the means and power to win this war, but we'll need the backbone to use it. The fault then and the fault now is wimps at home - NOT the OUTSTANDING and BRAVE members of our armed forces. There will be at least ONE HUGE difference in this war:  the Vietnamese didn't come get us at home, but the terrorists WILL! This time, millions of innocent people on our own soil will be put at risk, and we could have daily 9-11's or WORSE. The responsibility and the blame will rest with our wimpy Congress.

Someone else with a little foresight on this same subject.


A Lebanese-born Christian who was forced to flee her native country believes there will be serious consequences if the United States decides to pull out of Iraq and allow Iran to take it over. Brigitte Gabriel is founder and president of the American Congress for Truth. She is concerned that the new Democrat-controlled Congress will force a premature withdrawal from Iraq, giving Tehran the go-ahead to move in. "If we withdraw [from] Iraq like the Democratic Party wants to do -- they want to pull our troops and bring them back home -- ... Iran will sweep into Iraq like lightning. They'll go over and take Iraq immediately," she states, noting they will then control the oil fields in Iraq. "And then Afghanistan will fall like a bird," she continues. "[The Iranians will] sweep into Afghanistan, and then they will go all the way to India." Gabriel says even countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan could be swallowed up by an Iranian caliphate.

Pastor Roger,

Brother, I agree there are plans for a caliphate, but I think they are much larger than anyone thinks. I think that many countries and many entities around the world want a global caliphate, so I don't think it would simply be Iranian. Islam has been waiting for their version of a messiah of sorts, and they expect him soon. I think there are already massive numbers of Muslims around the world who would go to their death for that global caliphate. The thinking is very simple - destroy anything that gets in the way, and there are no innocents other than those of Islam. If I remember correctly, they call their version of a messiah of sorts the Mahdi. If a leader radical enough to be thought of as the Mahdi arose, fanatics around the world would give their all, including their lives. I really don't think it would make a difference which country the supposed Mahdi appeared in.

I think that one of the biggest world problems today is thinking TOO SMALL about what Islam really wants to do.

I agree completely brother. What I was pointing out is the same as what Brother Bob was saying. What is taking place in the ME is just the start, the setting up of the Caliphate in that area. We know from the Bible that that area will be the center of it all. A Caliphate consists of one primary leader with ten leaders under him. Each of those leaders will be in control of their own individual geographical area under the primary control of the Khalif, the senior leader, which is known as Mahdi. Before this Mahdi comes there will already be the major portion of the different Caliphates already in place. As I see it all this coincides with what the Bible tells us of the antichrist and the nations that he will rule over (the whole world).

You are also right in saying that most people do not see the overall picture here and think that the Caliphate will not be in control of the entire world. They think that they will be safe from it and that it will stay confined just in the ME.

Those people have a rude awakening coming.

Brother, I think this rude awakening is coming soon. This very easily could be Bible Prophecy unfolding. We obviously don't know, but I think that most of GOD'S children are eager to go home. I know that I am, and most of my Christian friends feel the same way. The only reluctance I've heard from some is unsaved friends and family members they are still trying to help. Other than these burdens that many of us feel, home for eternity with JESUS will be a JOY that none of us can even imagine.

Love In Christ,
Tom

1 John 5:4-5 NASB  For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

AMEN! I'm looking up!