Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
THE 12th "IMAM"
The Return of the Mahdi Is Nigh
August 24, 2010 | From theTrumpet.com
Can anyone stop Iran?
Iran may be days away from going nuclear—in the full sense of the word. Russia is complicit, Israel is handcuffed, America’s will is broken, and Europe appears impotent. The countdown to a nuclear Iran is nearing its end. Will anyone stop Iran from unleashing a Muslim-inspired Armageddon?
On Saturday, Iran began commissioning its first nuclear power plant. Barring a full-scale invasion, it may now be impossible to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons (if it hasn’t already). With Russian-supplied uranium in its reactors, any aerial bombing risks spreading nuclear fallout far beyond the Persian Gulf region.
Who would take such a risk? Israel might have previously, but American handcuffing purposefully postponed military options until the risk of fallout made them possibly non-options.
America does not have the will to stop Iran either. It has proven great at talking, at negotiating, at pleading. And at being told what it can do with all its empty rhetoric.
Iran just doesn’t care!
On Friday, the day before it began loading its radioactive uranium rods, Iranian Defense Minister, Brig. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi announced the launch of a special new upgraded surface-to-surface missile. Written on the side of the missile was a very specific and literal message for President Obama, the world, and anyone who would oppose Iran.
“Ya Mahdi.”
Ya Mahdi—also known as the 12th imam—is the most important Shiite personage after Mohammad. The belief of a returning Mahdi, or 12th imam, is a defining doctrine within the most populous group of Shiite Muslims (known as the “Twelvers”), to which Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is a devout adherent.
Why is this important?
Twelvers believe that the 12th imam will emerge from hiding during a time of world chaos to bring order and exalt Shiite believers to their rightful place. Ahmadinejad belongs to this sect, which believes it is their job to pave the way for the Mahdi’s return. Ahmadinejad claims that Ya Mahdi has communicated with him personally and that it is within his ability to hasten the Mahdi’s return.
The televised viewing of the missile’s launch, which was accompanied by shouts of “Allahu Akbar” (meaning, our God is greatest) and timed to coincide with the arrival of nuclear fuel to the Bushehr reactor, sent an unmistakable message.
And if the world didn’t get it, Iran sent it another memo on Sunday, the day after the nuclear reactor got the fuel.
On Sunday, Ahmadinejad announced the completion of Iran’s very first unmanned aerial vehicle (uav) capable of delivering weapon payloads. Named the Karrar, Ahmadinejad said the new weapon would be an “ambassador of death” for Iran’s enemies.
In the past, American officials have scoffed at Iran’s uav technology, noting that past models were small drones, only capable of monitoring. This new model has a range of 1,000 kilometers and can carry two bombs weighing 250 pounds each. Analysts say Iran’s rapid advances are due to Russian technology.
In the same Sunday victory speech, Ahmadinejad also announced that Iran would begin mass production of the Bladerunner 51, a boat often referred to as the world’s fastest. Ahmadinejad christened the more heavily armed Iranian version of the Bladerunner “Zolfaqar.” Zolfaqar was the name of Shiite Imam Ali’s famous sword. Imam Ali, the first imam, was known as “Allah’s Lion” for his aggressive wars against unbelievers. Earlier, in June, Iran announced that it would no longer accept UN-approved cargo inspections on Iran-bound ships. From now on, Iran would use its burgeoning navy to retaliate by searching foreign vessels of offending nations.
So with Iran growing stronger and more radicalized, who is going to stop it from hastening the return of Ya Mahdi by getting the bomb?
It certainly won’t be the United States. Remember the famous 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (nie) released by the U.S. government claiming that Iran actually gave up its nuclear weapons program way back in 2003. That report also claimed that Iran was a “rational actor” not motivated by religion and that it could be coerced into giving up its civilian nuclear program by conventional means such as economic sanctions and political pressure.
At the time of the 2007 nie report, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote that the “report was America’s indirect announcement to a stunned world that we lack the will to ever stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons” (emphasis mine throughout).
“Americans prefer to live in a fantasy world—like the one portrayed in the nie,” he wrote.
A fantasy world is one in which someone tells you he is going to do everything he can to wipe you off the face of the map and you don’t believe him. A fantasy world is one in which a country labels you as “the Great Satan” because it wants to form a partnership with you. And a fantasy world is one in which a country with the world’s third-largest oil and natural gas resources builds a nuclear power station because it needs more electricity.
Unfortunately, when you are dealing with nuclear weapons, living in a fantasy world can lead to a nightmare.
Iran has sent a clear message to the world: We are going nuclear and there is nothing you can do about it. And even if you try, we will actually welcome that because you are just doing us a favor. Long live the 12th imam and hasten his return.
As America fades from Iraq, one nation is stepping into the power void. To learn what power the Bible predicts will actually put a stop to Iran’s nuclear program, read History and Prophecy of the Middle East. •
Thursday, August 19, 2010
BARRY CHAMISH
THE BIOGRAPHY OF BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
by Barry Chamish FROM THE FILES:
In 1976, the loss of his brother Yoni during the Entebbe raid put aAnd what a wise investment that turned out to be. Since putting Netanyahu in the Prime Minister's office, no matter how badly Labor was mauled in the polls, the
stop to
Binyamin's plans to become an architect. Instead he settled for an MA
in business administration and took a post at the Boston Consulting
Group. His boss was Ira Magaziner, the man who later was the
intellectual force behind the Clinton administration's failed health
reform package.
Already earning $100,000 and with a splendid career before him,
Netanyahu decided to give it all up and return to Israel to act as the
marketing manager of a furniture concern, RIM Furniture, for a fraction
of his Boston salary.
In 1979, Netanyahu organized an anti-terrorism conference in Jerusalem,
dedicated to his fallen brother. Somehow, the unknown 27 year old,
managed to attract the
likes of CIA Director George Bush, and Council On Foreign Relations
(CFR)
executives
George Shultz, and Richard Perle (President's
Reagan's chief arms negotiator) to the meeting and was thrust briefly
onto the world stage. But when the conference ended, it was back to
work at the furniture factory.
That all changed in 1982, when Israel's Washington Ambassador Moshe
Arens invited Netanyahu to be his deputy. This unprecedented career
rise has been a subject of much speculation. Arens was forced to
explain,
"People got a good laugh when they heard I phoned a
furniture factory to find a deputy. What sold me on Bibi was his
organization of the anti-terror conference and the strong impression he
made on American leaders who participated."
In the 2001 CFR annual report, Moshe Arens was listed
as a member of the CFR's Foreign Advisory Committee, followed, in
alphabetical order, by the PLO's Hanan Ashrawi. He admitted that Bush,
Shultz and Perle pressed him to advance Netanyahu's career and he fell
in
line.
In 1984, after two visibly successful years as Arens' deputy, Bibi was
named Israel's ambassador to the UN. In another of those ironies that
follow him, he was appointed to the post by Shimon Peres against the
objections of Yitzhak Shamir. It was the leader of the Labour
Party who promoted his early career.
leader of the Likud or its offspring Kadima, would give the leaderIn 1985, Shultz chaired another anti-terror convention in Washington supposedly
of Labor, a vital cabinet Post. Ehud Barak is now Defence Minister
though
Labor only won 8% of the vote. Sharon made Shimon Peres his Foreign
Minister, while Ehud Olmert appointed the incompetent Amir Peretz as his
Defence Minister.
organized by Netanyahu.
Further,whenever George Bush visited NewI received the following information from the CFR Roundtable website. (For info write: TomJefferson1976@aim.com):
York, and
that was often, he would call on UN Ambassador Netanyahu.
I took a look at my list of CFR members. I haveHaving groomed and financed Netanyahu into office, the CFR made certain
Netanyahu listed as NETANYAHU BENJAMIN,, 1988 annual rpt. I do not have
him as a member of the CFR but he did show up in the 1988 annual report.
Perle first showed up on the 1992 membership list. PERLE RICHARD N,CFR
'92. Kissinger shows up a KISSINGER HENRY A,CFR '84, 1988 annual rpt, TC
'92. TC is the Trilateral commission.
It seems that both Netanyahu and Kissinger showed up in the 1988 annual
report. Bush Sr. was head of the CIA. Perle was chairman of the Defense
Policy Board under Bush. Ira Magaziner has close CFR connections. He was
a Rhodes Scholar and was a chief health care policy advisor for CFR
member Bill Clinton.
his tenure as head of the opposition did not endanger the Oslo process.
Though Netanyahu had the goods and scandals to fell Labor, ie Peres' organization
of the Rabin assassination, he was a remarkably restrained opposition leader.
In September 1995, PM Rabin told what he thought was a funny story on
Israel Television One. It seems his CFR handler, Henry Kissinger phoned him
to relate that Netanyahu called to ask him to declare that American troops
would not be placed on the Golan Heights as part of a peace deal with Syria.
Who Kissinger was supposed to make this declaration to was not revealed.
Kissinger, according to Rabin, laughed at Bibi and told him to quit
bothering him. The next day Netanyahu confirmed his phone call but denied
Rabin's mocking version of it.
The moral of the story is that both the leader of the government and opposition got their commands from their same CFR officer. When most Israelis vote, they actually believe it is a personal lesson in democracy. They don't even consider that the timing of the election and the primary candidates for office, Left and Right, are run out of the New York office of the CFR.
Early in 2001, Binyamin Netanyahu was in the midst of a lucrative speaking tour when he shared a private meeting with George Shultz and Henry Kissinger. In Netanyahu's
own words, they told him it was time for elections in Israel. In fact, it wasn't. They weren't scheduled for another two years. Nonetheless, Netanyahu interrupted his tour, caught the
first plane back to Israel, had a few words with Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and caught the next plane back to New York. Two days later, Barak resigned as Prime Minister and called for new elections in which he would remain a candidate. It made no sense to Israelis who had no power over their electoral system; that was controlled from New York.
The timing of elections is to badly change the viability of Israel and quickly, while the new Prime Minister is immune from public revolt. In 1992, Rabin entered the Oslo process immediately after his election. In 1996, Netanyahu unilaterally pulled out of Hebron within days of forming a government. In 1999, the new PM Ehud Barak quickly ordered IDF troops out of Southern Lebanon, leaving the mostly Christian ally, the South Lebanese Army, helpless against retaliation. In 2001, a Right Winger would have to replace Barak to get Israel out of Gaza and Northern Samaria. Ariel Sharon was the man for the job.
But wait, you may ask! Wasn't Sharon ruined by ordering Falangist troops into their famed massacre at Sabra and Shatilla in 1982. Not at all. Once you have the CFR on your side, nothing will ever ruin your political career. Even Rabin's murderer Shimon Peres survived all indignities and is PM Netanyahu's President. But all is fair since, after all, Netanyahu got his
job by blackmailing Peres over the Rabin murder in 1996. (Scroll to the end for proof).
Will Israelis ever wake up and understand that they don't live in a democracy? Will they finally realize that the current PM Binyamin Netanyahu is not working in their interests but electing someone else will change nothing? Or that no common citizen can ever be Prime Minister. For that honor, you are chosen, financed and aided from the Manhattan headquarters of the CFR or you go on selling fish in the market.
end
My work is truly honored by blocking my website with this:
The Barry Chamish Website :: Barry's Homepage
Friday, August 06, 2010
MAKAROV PISTOL ARTICLE
MAKAROV ARTICLE
by Teddy Jacobson
Monday, November 15, 2004
Makarov - Part 1
THIS WILL BE A MULTIPLE PART COMMENTARY ABOUT THE RUSSIAN MAKAROV SEMI AUTO PISTOL AND IT WILL BE IN DEPTH.
Through out history Russia has always had a great deal of land to protect. In the late 1800 hundreds Russia purchased a great many handguns from other countries. A Russian named Alex Gorlov came to the United States and bought weapons from Gatling and from Colt in Ct. He also placed an order for Nagant revolvers that were of Belgium manufacture..
Another Russian who was a gun design engineer of semi auto pistols was a man named Sergey Korovin, this was in the time of World War 1 and he developed the Tula Korovin pocket pistol. Most all of the Russian handguns that were developed and used were very small calibers, and were not very suitable for a modern army combat man that depended on stopping power.
There was another Russian gun design engineer named Fedor Tokarev, who mainly designed rifles and it was he who designed and engineered the Tokarev semi auto pistol in 7.62 caliber, it was also known as the TT-33 .
Early in 1941, Russia was in deep trouble as they did not have the correct and proper weapons that could be used to stop the German invasion of Mother Russia. It was panic city and the Russians used anything they could get their hands on, but their handgun was still the under powered Tokarev TT-33 . The Russians were in serious trouble and lost a tremendous amount of civillian and military people to Hitlers superior invading army.
In 1945 an assembled group of Russian gun design engineers included one Nikolai Makarov. Russia was in desperate need of a new semi auto handgun that was completely reliable, the guide lines were set and it had to be easy to manufacture, it had to be inexpensive, and it had to be able to work flawlessly in freezing sub zero temperatures as well as hot climates.
The design engineers instructions were, it had to be a design of simplicity, because this new pistol regardless of which manufacturing plant it was made in, had to have the advantage that the interchangeability of its parts was mandatory. Russia's tremendous big break and advancement came when they captured German machinery and equipment along with live cooperating German arms engineers and personnel. This gave the Russian's a great leap forward into the future in manufacturing developement as the Germans were far more advanced in weapons engineering and knew how to mass produce everything.
This was how the Russian Makarov pistol was not only designed and manufactured but was adopted in the 1950's era of time by the Russian military because it was a truly superb pistol. The Russians had so many soviet bloc countries to think about and they all adopted the new 9x18mm Russian caliber. The new Russian Makarov in this new caliber was now the standard of not only the Russian army but it was used and adopted by all the soviet bloc countries as their military sidearm. This new 9x18mm Russian caliber is rated at 24,100 psi. A 380 acp (9x17mm) cartridge is rated at 18,900 psi. A 9mm (9x19mm) luger cartridge is rated at a maximum of 35,000 psi.
THIS MAKAROV COMMENTARY WILL BE CONTINUED TOMORROW IN PART 2 AND I WILL CONTINUE IT THIS WEEK UNTIL IT IS FINISHED. THIS WILL BE VERY DETAILED AND WILL BE VERY THOROUGH FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND, NOT ONLY HOW THIS MAKAROV HAS BEEN DEVELOPED BUT I WILL EXPLAIN IT ALL IN AS MANY COMMENTARY PARTS AS IS NECESSARY. I SUGGEST YOU PRINT THIS SERIES AND PUT IT IN A BINDER FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
AUTHORS PERSONAL NOTATION: This commentary as well as all my previous commentaries are my personal opinion only and my own viewpoint. I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I have no personal agenda and I lie for no one and I am certainly not motivated by BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. I do all this because I want to help educate those that are sincere and really want to learn the truth.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
Makarov - Part 2
The 9x18mm Russian Makarov is a direct blow back design. You can "NOT" convert this pistol to safely work with a 9mm Luger caliber (9x19mm). The 9mm Luger or Parabellum (the word Parabellum is Latin and it means "FOR WAR") as it is called should be used in a locked breech designed pistol.
Buying a box of ammo for your 9x18mm Russian Makarov you can expect a 90 grain (refers to weight of the bullet) bullet to achieve approx. 1000 FPS. A Makarov pistol of any origin was almost unknown of in the United States about 13 years ago. I am quite familiar with most Makarovs coming from different countries of origin, such as Russia, Bulgaria, East Germany, and of course the Chinese version. I do not see many Chinese Makarovs.
All of the East German Makarovs imported into this country are used and some are still in very good condition. I have always considered the East German Makarov to be the very best of all the imports. Finding one today is not that easy. The East German Makarovs were used by the East German Police. If I could buy just one Makarov today it would be the East German model if I could find one in mint condition and I would have it hard Chromed. My second choice would be Bulgaria. I would only buy it in 9x18mm caliber in the 8 shot version. There are others out there in a wide body high capacity design and I do not recommend them. There are some in 380 acp caliber and I would not recommend them if I could get 9x18mm caliber.
The Makarov pistol resembles the Walther PP, and the initial take down is very similar. You need to pull down the front of the trigger guard on either the Walther or the Makarov, aside from this feature its a completely different internal design and the Makarov is far more reliable than the German Walther in feeding and extraction.
The Soviet made Makarov including the magazine and springs has a total of about 30 parts. A German Walther whether it is a PP, PPK, or PPK/S contains more than 50 parts which includes the magazine and springs.
If I had to point out the most common denominator of both the Makarov and the Walther, it would be the fixed barrel which is permanently attached to the frame which gives these pistols the advantage of being more accurate that many other type designs using a floating or movable barrel design. The other pistol that comes to mind which is my favorite is the HK P7 M8, and the HK P7 M13 also having a fixed barrel design which is super accurate.
There are a number of countries now making these Makarovs. The down side to the imported Russian made Makarov is the adjustable rear sight. Thanks to the Clinton administration who sent all the replacement parts back to Russia, which has caused untold grief if you were to break the rear sight, there are no current rear sight replacements that I know of. That is what I have been told by doing extensive research of the Russian parts years ago.
I have had to repair many of these adjustable rear sights that were broken by making a plate using hardened flat steel stock and using screws to piece it back together. I had to drill and tap holes using either size 72 or 80 stainless steel screws to hold it together, this is not an easy job and certainly should not be attempted by a "NEWBIE SMITH" , it was a nitemare, as parts of the sight are hollow. I will no longer take in jobs like this.
These problems with the adjustable Russian rear sight usually happen when some one tries to disassemble the rear sight, in order to remove it off the slide to plate or refinish the slide. They do not realize that the main cross pin which is hollow and goes thru both legs of the rear sight, this cross pin is FLARED on both ends. You must very carefully cut the flared end off "BEFORE YOU EVER" try to drive the pin out "OR" you will break the leg of the adjustable Russian rear sight right off instantly. This usually happens when a person working for a plater attempts to remove the rear sight not understanding the problem.
This rear sight problem only effects the Russian made adjustable rear sight model, which is the very type of Makarov that I own. All the other Makarovs from different Soviet bloc countries are not effected because they use fixed rear sights. There is no way to convert the Russian model to adapt it to install the tiny fixed rear sight used by everyone else.
Wednesday, November 17, 2004
Makarov - Part 3
I WANT TO DEDICATE THIS ENTIRE MAKAROV SERIES OF ARTICLES TO MY FRIEND "JOHN DRAKE" WHO DIED SUNDAY NOV. 14, 2004 IN GALVESTON, TEXAS. I WILL MISS HIM. JOHN WENT HOME.
The Soviet made Makarov visually looks like the German Walther PP series of handguns, but I am now going to set the record straight once and for all.
Besides the removal of the slide from the frame in the same manor, and the fixed barrel design, the similarities go no further.
POINT OF FACT 1A. The Makarov does not have a loaded chamber indicator like the German Walther series.
POINT OF FACT 2B. The thumb safety on the Makarov is pushed in the "UP" position in order to initiate a safe condition, where the German Walthers thumb safety must be rotated "DOWN" in order to achieve a safe condition.
POINT OF FACT 3C. The Makarov uses a flat leaf mainspring, where the Walther pistols use a coil main spring. (main spring is also called a hammer spring)
POINT OF FACT 4D. The Russian Makarov as with all copies use a Trigger, Hammer, and Sear that have a totally different design compared to the Walther pistols.
POINT OF FACT 5E. The Makarov pistols use a different type of breech face and the extractor system is totally different and it is far more rugged and designed to withstand extreme service that is required for a military sidearm.
POINT OF FACT 6F. The ejector in the Makarov is part of the manually operated slide stop and it is designed for extreme service. The German Walther has no manually operated slide stop. In order to release the slide of the Walther that is locked back in the rear position, the magazine must be lowered or removed.
POINT OF FACT 7G. The magazine lock and release on the Makarov is located at the bottom rear of the magazine well. The German Walther has a magazine release button which is located on the left side of the frame below the slide in the upper portion of the left grip panel.
You are now starting to see we are not comparing apples to apples as there are very few similarities between these two very different designs .
The Russian military had major requirements and problems with supplying this Makarov not only to their own military, but they had to supply this Soviet pistol to all the Warsaw Pact countries everywhere.
They used stamped parts where ever possible, where as if you compare it to the German Walther they used many fully machined parts. Looking at these two very different handguns, the Makarov vs. the Walther PP, PPK, PPK/S, it is my personal opinion based on my experience and viewpoint that the Russian Makarov design is with out question far superior in every way to the Walther design.
Russian military handgun design engineers realized that the 380 acp cartridge was not adequate in stopping power for a military pistol. A 380 acp pistol in years past was a very poor man stopper using ammunition technology of years ago. They did not have the advancement of powders and bullet design to achieve a satisfactory load that would be superior in 380 acp caliber.
The Russians are no fools, they needed a pistol that was simple and something that was easy to manufacture in a direct blowback design that could be made cheaply and efficiently and they needed the most powerful cartridge they could use. The result was the 9x18mm Russian caliber. If the Russians would have made a pistol with a locked breech design in 9mm Luger (9x19mm) caliber it would have cost a great deal more money and it would have been a much more complicated design. At that point in time their resources were limited.
PLEASE NOTE: For so many of you that emailed me and requested an indepth commentary about the Makarov, I am keeping my promise. When this series is completed you will know more about the Makarov than all the "EXPERTS" . I have no agenda other than the truth. I have no intention of writing articles for monetary compensation for publications where a person with a fraction of my knowledge would be allowed to scrutinize and change my article to satisfy his or her agenda, for what ever reason. Whether it would be to justify their salary or to save money or protect advertisers. I have been down that road before and I did not like the ride, its a dead end. If you sincerely want the truth and no nonsense facts you have come to the right place.
Thursday, November 18, 2004
Makarov - Part 4
Lets go back to the end of World War II, The Russian army also known as the Red Army captured the German Walther plant in 1945. This became a great asset to the Russian army and the Russian Military small arms design engineers, the captured people cooperated and it all started from that point in time. The Russians did not have the ACLU to worry about, Stalins word was final, it was either cooperate or a bullet in the head, they had no liberal press to worry about.
And certainly no video cameras.
The Makarov has a completely different type of firing pin design as compared to the German Walther PP, PPK, and PPK/S. The Makarov uses a free floating firing pin design and does "NOT" use a firing pin spring. The German Walther uses a completely different type of firing pin and it utilizes a typical coil firing pin spring. The Makarov has a uniquely triangular shaped firing pin that is totally free floating. If you were to carry your Makarov pistol with a bullet in the chamber, the free floating pin could move about 1/16 of an inch and its limited free travel is so slight there is no way I can ever forsee an accidental discharge with this design.
I have had people call me many times being concerned about this design. I do not see a problem, being as conservative and as cautious as I am, I am not the least bit worried about this firing pin design. I do not see a problem. So the more I point out the differences between the Makarov and the Walther you are getting to see that there are very few common parts after I have explained it to you in complete detail. These Two different pistols are worlds apart.
The thumb safety of the Makarov is brutal and trying to move it up and down is very difficult. I will explain why, the Russian designer decided to use a piece of hardened spring steel wire that is inserted in to the inside of the thumb safety and rides in the detents of the slide. This decision had to be to save money in manufacturing. They should have used a ball bearing or a spring activated pin detent. This can all be corrected and smoothed out.
The operation of the Makarov thumb safety is similar to the Colt 1911 pistol. When the thumb safety is in the "UP" position it is in the safe mode, and when it is in the "DOWN" position it is in the firing mode and good to go by just pulling the trigger.
The flat leaf mainspring is an ingenious design and it does a number of things. The largest leaf operates the hammer, looking from the rear it is on the left side. The thinner leaf spring leg which is on the right also looking from the rear operates the trigger bar assembly. The very bottom of the main spring is used as a magazine catch, this retains the magazine in the pistol.
A separate part called the mainspring clamp secures the mainspring in place against the rear of the frame. This clamp has a hole so that when the mainspring clamp is in place, and the grip is installed which is actually a one piece wrap around design that slides into place from the rear. The unusual looking grip screw is actually screwed through the grip, through the hole in the mainspring clamp and threaded directly into the FRAME which is at the very rear of the frame. The only major problem you would ever have is if you buy an after market grip and the screw turns in to deep it could bind your magazine from either entering the magazine well, because the screw is in to deep and or you will not be able to remove your magazine unless you back out the grip screw a little, by turning it counter clockwise.
So now you see even more proof that there is no similarity to the Walther design beyond the very few things I have already mentioned early on, as some ignorant people would have you believe.
There are some after market grips that are sold for these Makarovs, but they are too thick for my application of a concealed carry handgun. I took the original grips on my chrome plated Makarov and removed the lanyard ring off the grip and the Russian symbols and totally recontoured it to my hand, then I blackened it and then used fiberglass to refinish it. My Russian Makarov is beautiful and its picture has been in many published gun magazines. As you can now see Nickolai Makarov was a truly brilliant handgun designer.
Please Note: Tomorrow, Makarov - Part 5 . This will be Makarov week and I am sure by now you realize I know a great deal about handguns as I work on over 100 different models. I will not be teaching anyone what I know other than what I write about in these commentaries. It all goes to the grave with me. Please print anything that interests you and save it for future reference. I have quite a bit more to write about this Makarov pistol.
POINT OF NOTE: I am of 100% Russian ancestry, My Grandfather was in the Army of the Czar in approx. the year 1890.
Friday, November 19, 2004
Makarov - Part 5
I have decided to write this continuation a little earlier than usual. I want to start this segment with a list of the Makarov parts so you can see what the Russian design engineers have accomplished with so few parts. This is remarkable.
Parts for the Makarov are as follows; ( I have used the non Russian model for this list, using fixed sights)
1. Slide
2. Extractor
3. Extractor plunger
4. Extractor spring
5. Fixed rear sight
6. Firing pin
7. Thumb safety
8. Thumb safety detent spring
9. Recoil spring
10. Slide stop and ejector
11. Hammer
12. Sear
13. Sear Spring
14. Trigger bar assembly
15. Barrel
16. Trigger
17. Trigger guard
18. Trigger guard pin
19. Trigger guard spring
20. Trigger guard spring plunger
21. Magazine assembly
22. Mainspring
23. Mainspring clamp
24. Grip
25. Grip bushing
26. Grip screw
27. Barrel pin
The following is the disassembly procedure for cleaning and field stripping.
You must always make sure the pistol is unloaded. Safety must come first, Always, repeat, Always remove the magazine before you rack the slide to empty the pistol of any cartridges.
You are going to pull the front portion of the trigger guard down and push it over very little to either side and let it rest on the frame while it remains in the down position. Now you will pull the slide all the way to the rear and lift up the back end of the rear of the slide and you will be able to now ease the slide slowly forward and off the frame. With the help of the recoil spring, it will have helped you guide the slide off the front of the barrel.
You can remove the recoil spring off the fixed barrel. To remove the grip off the frame you must remove the grip screw by turning it counter clockwise. When the screw has been removed, pull the one piece grip straight back off the frame.
YOU HAVE NOW FIELD STRIPPED THE MAKAROV PISTOL.
The Makarov can now be cleaned executing this procedure and no further disassembly is required for the average person that justs wants to clean and maintain their pistol by cleaning it and replacing the lubrication.
At this point I would clean everything using LPS MICRO X contact cleaner and when it is totally clean I would re lube all the contact and moving parts using Militec gun oil. Be sure to clean the chrome lined bore using the proper cleaning rod and jag. Use a bore cleaner and be sure all fouling is removed from the bore.
I use a VERY thin film of lithium base Militec grease on the rails. DO NOT APPLY ANY LUBRICANT OF ANY KIND ON THE BREECH FACE OR THE EXTRACTOR. Spray the Micro X cleaner into the magazine using the 5 inch red spout that comes with each can, until it runs clean. DO NOT PUT ANY LUBRICATION IN THE MAGAZINE.
If you have a blued pistol you can wipe it down with a Sentry Tuff Cloth that will prevent rust.
IN MY NEXT COMMENTARY I WILL TELL YOU HOW TO DETAIL STRIP THE ENTIRE PISTOL. I WILL GO SLOW AND I WILL BE VERY CLEAR SO YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERY THING IN DETAIL. I INTENTIONALLY LISTED ALL THE PARTS AND NUMBERED THEM, SO IN CASE I HAVE TO REFER TO THEM FOR CLARITY. THERE ARE VERY FEW SEMI AUTO PISTOLS THAT I KNOW OF WITH THIS FEW PARTS THAT HAVE BECOME SUCH A SUPER RELIABLE AND ACCURATE SEMI AUTO PISTOL THAT HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE ENTIRE WORLD. NOW YOU SEE HOW VERY SMART THE RUSSIAN DESIGN ENGINEERS REALLY WERE.
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Makarov - Part 6
I have decided to continue this very indepth commentary and cover all bases so that you will know how to completely disassemble the Makarov pistol and we will go thru the complete reassesmbly. I do not plan on going into this much detail on future commentaries because with out drawings to show you its very difficult on my part. You can be certain that even though this is a fairly inexpensive pistol with approx. 30 parts, it is an all time world classic. If you own one its a keeper.
The following is the detailed disassembly procedure;
As always make sure the pistol is empty, "BEFORE" you pull the slide back to check the chamber, remove the magazine. This is a standard safety rule of practice for all semi auto pistols. The mainspring clamp must be pushed down to remove it, the hammer must be rotated forward while doing this. If the mainspring clamp is too tight, use a nylon or brass punch and tap it using a small brass hammer. Be sure to cover it with your hand or it will go flying.
You can now remove the mainspring from the frame. Your next step is to release the sear spring off the slide stop using a very small screw driver. In order to remove the sear and the attached sear spring, rotate the sear forward and line up the flat end of the sear pin with the corresponding sear pin hole in the frame and you can remove it from the frame holes.
You will now remove the hammer by rotating it forward so that the ends of the hammer pin match up with the cutouts in the frame that hold the hammer pin. One end of the attached pin is flat, it is a keyed installation. It only goes in and out one way, similar to the sear and its attached pins. They are one piece designs.
To remove the trigger bar from the trigger, just lift the trigger bar out after separating it from the trigger. In order to remove the trigger from the frame, you must pull the trigger guard down, in the down position, much the same way as you did in the basic field stripping operation. Push the trigger forward and unhinge it and pull down out of its recess in the frame.
You have now removed everything out of the frame, except the trigger guard assembly. I see no reason to go any further and remove the trigger guard unless you are preparing to refinish the frame. If it must be removed, a pivot pin must be removed from the frame which includes a strong trigger guard spring and a pin.
I see no reason to remove the barrel. There is a special press fixture tool made by Federal Arms Company that will make this an easier operation.
Now you are ready to disassemble the slide. In order to remove the thumb safety, it must be rotated ALL the way up and it will match up with the cut out in the slide and you can easily remove it. To remove the firing pin, tilt the slide with the muzzle end up and it should drop right out.
To remove the extractor from the slide, I always tape the slide with masking tape to protect the finish around the extractor. I put the slide on my work towel and using a small screwdriver, depress the extractor plunger and while it is depressed you can rotate the extractor out. Now you can release the plunger and spring out of the extractor tunnel assembly of the slide. The slide is now fully stripped, except for the rear sight and there is no reason to remove the rear sight. If you have a Russian Makarov with the adjustable sight I suggest you leave it alone.
All you have left is the magazine assembly and you can remove the plate on the very bottom (magazine floor plate) , now you can remove the magazine spring and follower from the bottom of the magazine body.
This Part 6 concludes the complete stripping of this very good pistol that is a superb design using about 30 parts and springs.
PLEASE NOTE: I will conclude this Makarov series very soon as I want to first explain to you the total reassembly of this pistol. At one time these Makarov's were very cheap, now that people realize how good they are prices have sky rocketed. I have always suspected the reason the Russian Makarov had an adjustable rear sight was because the US Government set up that requirement in order to allow the Russian Makarov to be imported. My opinion only.
Sunday, November 21, 2004
Makarov - Part 7
THIS IS THE LAST SEGMENT OF THIS SERIES. We are finally finishing this commentary about a remarkable handgun. We are going to discuss reassembly.
Start with installing the extractor in the slide, install the extractor spring and plunger in the slide extractor tunnel. You must be sure the claw is facing the breech face as it appeared originally. Insert the extractor by pushing the spring detent pin, (using a small screwdriver) in while you rotate the extractor into place. Remember to use masking tape to protect the slide.
Now install the triangular firing pin, there is no firing pin spring. The rear of the firing pin has a cut out that must be aligned correctly in order to allow you to install the thumb safety. The thumb safety is inserted with the lever above the slide and when it is positioned correctly it can be rotated down into position. The internal spring wire on the inside of the thumb safety will mark the slide but this is normal and it can not be helped. The slide is now fully operational.
We now go to the frame and install the trigger, pull down the trigger guard and push it over to either side of the frame so it remains in the down position. With the trigger aligned correctly insert it in to its respective slot in the frame, move the trigger guard into its normal position, which locks the trigger in place. You can now move the trigger in the rear position and connect the front of the trigger bar pin into the hole in the trigger. The rear of the trigger bar is the hinged cocking lever which is installed into its recess in the right rear inner section of the frame below the area where the hammer will be installed.
To install the hammer with the trigger fully forward, insert the hammer pins in their respective open slots in the frame, the hammer must be rotated forward to line up these attached pins in the frame cuts.
You will now install the flat mainspring. The trigger must be fully forward and the cocking lever placed in its proper recess. Insert the dual flat mainspring into position in the rear opening in the frame. The thin leaf of the right side of the mainspring (looking from the rear) will rest on the cocking lever and the larger leaf of the main spring on the left side fits into the hollow recess in the bottom rear of the hammer. Align the hole in the mainspring into position on the raised boss on the back of the frame, and reinstall the mainspring clamp which secures it in place.
Now you will install the slide stop / ejector on the left side of the frame. You will install the sear and sear spring assembly with the slide stop / ejector in place. Install the pin on the spring side first then the other pin and rotate the sear and sear spring toward the hammer, the right attached pin is keyed and lines up with the opening in the frame to accept the sear pin. ALL REFERENCES I SPEAK OF ARE VIEWED FROM THE REAR. Use a small screwdriver and lift up the very end of the sear spring, which has a bend for this very purpose, over the slide stop / ejector where it remains.
Installing the one piece grip is done by sliding it into the rear of the frame. Install the grip screw through the grip and turn it clockwise into the threaded hole into the frame. you must always check that the grip screw never goes in to deep in the magazine well or it will restrict the magazine.
You have now completed the installation of the frame and slide, and now you will install the recoil spring on the fixed barrel. Cock the hammer and leave it in the single action engagement. Pull the trigger guard down and push it to either side of the frame where it will stay temporarily. Insert the recoil spring into the slide guiding the barrel forward and pull the slide all the way back, raising the rear of the slide over the frame and push it down into position, allowing the slide to go fully forward into battery. Put the trigger guard back into its normal position.
The only thing left to reinstall are the magazine components. Insert the magazine follower into the magazine body and install the magazine spring. Be sure the magazine spring at the very top is angled with the high side under the front of the follower, you will now compress and captivate the magazine spring, protect your eyes, you will install the magazine floor plate exactly as it was originally by siding it into position.
Always check everything before you ever attempt to take anything apart. You should have an exploded drawing and a parts list of every gun you work on. In my case I often take pictures first or make hand made drawings when I do not have a second gun that is identical.
THIS CONCLUDES YOUR REASSEMBLY PROCEDURE AND ENDS THIS ENTIRE SERIES ON THE MAKAROV PISTOL. IT IS VERY HARD TO EXPLAIN ALL THIS IN WORDS AND I DOUBT I WILL DO ANOTHER COMMENTARY EXACTLY LIKE THIS BECAUSE IT MAY BE VERY BORING TO THOSE THAT ARE NOT INTERESTED IN COMPLETE DETAIL. THIS WAS A VERY DIFFICULT COMMENTARY FOR ME TO WRITE AND EXPLAIN. I GO THROUGH THIS WITH EVERY HANDGUN I WORK ON, AND THAT IS OVER 100 DIFFERENT MODELS.
YOU MUST READ PART 1 THROUGH 7 TO UNDERSTAND THIS ENTIRE SERIES OF COMMENTARIES OF THIS EXCELLENT MILITARY PISTOL OF THE RUSSIAN MILITARY AND POLICE. ANY QUESTIONS CALL ME OR EMAIL ME AND I HOPE YOU NOT ONLY LIKED THIS 7 PART COMMENTARY BUT ALSO REALIZE HOW MUCH TIME I DEVOTED TO THIS SERIES IN ORDER TO HELP YOU.
ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT I DO THIS BECAUSE I WANT TO HELP YOU AS I DO NOT GET PAID ONE DIME FOR THESE COMMENTARIES OR MY TIME.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
www.rabbiyess.com
Esau's Angel Has Fled to Batzrah (Basra)
Here is a reprint of a response to a recent letter from a friend of this blog:
Since the first Persian Gulf War in 1991, when Gog Sr. stopped at the outskirts of Basra and permitted 2 Babylonian divisions to return to Baghdad, I knew that the second Gog would be back to place Babylon under his thumb. In 1994 when he became Governor of Texas, I knew he was the second Gog. Yechezkel repeats himself in chapters 38 and 39, hinting that there would be two men named Gog. Until Gog W. became Governor, there was no way of knowing that the second Gog would be the son of the first one. Yet, every Shabbat since March 1991 when the Gulf War ended, I have made it a point to sing Droch Pura B'Toch Batzrah VeGam Bavel Asher Gavrah (Tread the winepress in the city of Batzrah {Cause Edom's blood to flow there} and also in Babylon which arose with strength.) This is, of course from the third verse of Dror Yikrah, by tenth century Baghdad poet Donash ibn Labrat who understood that the last war between Edom and Yishmael would lead to the destruction of both, Yishmael in Baghdad and Edom in Batzrah.
The real source to all this lies literally "In the Beginning". On the third day of Creation G-d planted a garden in the eastern half of Eden. (According to Dr. Gerald Schroeder's calculation in The Science of G-d using the General Theory of Relativity, the remaining three days of Creation elapsed over two billion of our years. Of course, these were three 24 hour days by G-d's clock since he fills the universe with His Glory, but His clock ticks one million million times more slowly than our terrestrial clocks in accordance with Einstein's Theory. Therefore, since the third day of Creation took place over a two billion years between two to four billion years ago, the Garden, which exists even now if we could experience the passage of time as G-d's "Divine Presence" experiences it, has existed for at least 2 to 3 billion of our years.) This is important to understand what came next. See my article from last year on this subject.
The text of the Bible is very straightforward but puzzling. And HaShem, G-d, caused to sprout from the ground every tree that was pleasing to the sight and good for food; also the Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Here comes the puzzling part. The Torah spends the next four pasukim discussing four rivers that issue from Gan Eden. Only then does the Torah bother to tell us that oh by the way about that tree of knowledge of good and evil: On the day you eat of it, you shall surely die.
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch on verse seven dealing with the breathing of Man's neshama into his nostrils explains to us the reason why there is this interlude in the text about the four rivers. In the Torah itself G-d always introduces the tikun (the repair) into the world before the sin. Therefore G-d placed into these four rivers the mineral wealth of repairing the sin of Adam HaRishon. Here another problem arises. The Torah only tells us about the mineral wealth associated with the River Pishon. The good gold is for hashra'at Shekhina (induction of the Divine Presence) on a bed of gold between the Cherubim. The onyx is for Aharon and his descendants to feel the pain and ecstasy of every Jew as the Kohen Hagadol goes about his avodah (Divine service), literally carrying the onyx on his shoulders as the he carries out his daily tasks. These two minerals are therefore integral in returning the world to a Gan Eden existence.
The problem arises with the remaining three rivers. They are mentioned with no mineral wealth associated with them. Chazal (our Sages of the Ages) tell us the Euphrates is mentioned in association with the final borders of Eretz Yisrael, but this does not explain why the Torah seems at first glance to waste print with regards to the Gihon (Ganges) and the Hiddekel (Tigris). For this we need to skip forward 2200 years to when Yakov and Esau received their blessings.
It is with regards to the blessings of Yakov and Esau that we get the keys which unlocks why these remaining three rivers are mentioned if the principle reason for mentioning all four of them is to show us how we can return to a Gan Eden existence. Yakov is told that "Elokim will give you from the dew of heaven and the fat/oil of the earth." There are three things to recognize about this verse.
1. Yakov would get his blessing from Elokim. Therefore he would suffer for his sins in this world so that he would be certain to have a place in the World to Come.
2. Yakov principally gets his blessing from the dew, which emanates from the mouth of G-d. Where there is no dew, he gets no blessing. Everything for Yakov emanates from the dew.
3. The Torah leaves us with a double entendre'. Mishmanei ha'aretz can either mean from the shumanei ha'aretz (fats of the earth) or from the shamnei ha'aretz (oils of the earth). For Yakov Avinu there is no question. Since the shuman (fat) is dependent on the dew for its purpose, the Torah is referencing the fats of the earth which gives forth its blessing dependent on the dew.
Esau swaggers in, begs his father for one blessing, and he receives the following: From the fats/oils of the earth you will receive a dwelling and from the dew of heaven above. The two differences stick out like a brilliant flash.
1. Esau does not get his blessing from Elokim. Therefore, he will not suffer for his sins in this world. Therefore, he may lose his world to come by not being chastised down here.
2. His bracha is reversed! Therefore, even though he does get reward for the good that he does through dew, his blessing for the oil of the earth is not contingent upon his receiving dew. When he deserves blessing, the dew comes to water the fatness of the earth, but Rashi says that even if he is a total rasha (wicked person) with no more merits for the dew, he will still receive from the oil of the earth. Notice that here the double entendre' matters, for without the blessing of water from heaven, he will either depend upon irrigation for the the fat of the earth, or it does not mean fat at all. When it does not mean fat of the earth, it means oil of the earth a.k.a. bubbling crude.
At this point I would need to explain why I believe the end of Esau's bracha came during the Clinton years, but Shabbat is approaching and I must go.
Just food for thought. The Pishon tells us about the tikun to build Olam Haba (World to Come). The other three rivers are the source for the principle mineral wealth of this world. Therefore the Torah which is interested in building Olam Haba does not tell us about the mineral wealth of the other three rivers. The principle mineral wealth for two of the remaining three rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, is of course 55% of the world's sweet oil reserves. These reserves are located along the banks of these two rivers in northern and central Iraq and of course at the mouth of these two rivers as they enter the Persian Gulf. This is why, except for Iraq itself, most of the Persian Gulf oil is close to the coast of the Gulf. The city which is at the confluence of these two rivers of Eden as they enter the Persian Gulf is of course Basra. Whoever controls the confluence of two rivers which exist to bestow the world with an existence before Mashiach comes can try to dictate terms to others about how they should run their affairs in Olam HaZeh (this world where the wicked are rewarded for the good that they do and where the righteous suffer for their few sins). Gog W. and Blair have come to do just that.
The fact that the oil is "sweet" requires a scientific explanation. In the course of my research on this subject I came across an intriguing fact about oil fossilization. When ancient mulch contains a high concentration of dead animal decay, the resulting fossilized crude will have a high percentage of the high melting point oils. It is therefore not desirable as a source for the more highly volatile, low melting point gasolines which power Western Civilization. Crude oil which is fossilized over eons is considered "sweet" and desirable for energy when the original mulch had negligible amounts of dead animal products. Since these two rivers come from Gan Eden where animals do not die but trees natuarally shed their leaves, one would expect that the original organic mulch would have a non-existent amount of animal decay in it. Therefore, Persian Gulf oil is some of the sweetest oil on the planet. Secondly, the Torah tells us that the river which waters the Garden of Eden goes way underground to become the source of the four rivers, placing the organic waste under intense heat and pressure in an oxygen starved environment. This environment of anaerobic heat and pressure favored oil production over coal production when the organic decay fossilized. G-d has been setting up the conditions of Edom's destruction for a long, long time.
The geulah process is unfolding before our eyes, and I have to finish planting my tree of becoming a teacher. What a bummer! I am figuring that he (Gog) will not attack Iran until at least September or October when night cover for air raids becomes lengthier. America does very well when it starts its air wars as the nights are getting longer and longer. If a ground assault becomes necessary, which is probably the case, Gog W. would like to wait until Spring when it stops raining. If on the other hand, he is expecting to need to launch a ground invasion almost immediately, then you are right, and hostilities are imminent. My reading of Debka.com which is right about 90% of the time is that he wants to begin the air war in the dead of winter (Chanukah?) allowing for a possible ground invasion in the Spring. Yet, you are right. The British are scared to death of this one. Both passages in Isaiah describe exactly the end of Edom's malkhut. I did an entire blog on Isaiah 34 called "Let the Skies Roll Up." The destruction in Basra there is quickly followed by a description of massive oil fires:
Its Rivers will be filled with tar and the soil to sulfur, and its land will become burning tar. Night and day it will not be extinguished; its smoke will ascend forever. (Isaiah 34)
It appears that Red "Edom" Adair who has now passed on has no replacement. He put out the oil fires in the first Gulf War for a million dollars a well. For some reason noone will put the fires out this time. It will no longer be worth a million bucks for each well. By the way the preceeding verse to the above passage tells us why Edom's angel is being slain in Basra: For it is a day of vengeance for HaShem, a year of retribution for the grievance of Zion.
The Talmud in Makkos in the perek of Eilu hen hagolin discusses in detail the ins and outs of a negligent murderer who can flee to a city of refuge. There Reish Lakish makes a striking prediction which you can take to the bank. He says that at the End of Days, the angel of Rome will make three mistakes.
1. He will flee to Basra thinking that it provides refuge like Betzer which is one of the six cities of refuge for negligent but unintentional murderers.
2. An angel like a man can find refuge in a city of refuge. (This is of course not true.)
3. One who has murdered intentionally (bemayzid) can find refuge like one who has murdered unintentionally (beshogaig). This is of course absurd. One who murders intentionally is liable for the death penalty. One can pursue such a murderer into the city of refuge, put him on trial, and if found guilty execute him.
Monday, July 26, 2010
AMERICA HAS WON ITS LAST WAR
Unwinnable Wars
July 26, 2010 | From theTrumpet.com
The experts seek ways out of Iraq and Afghanistan without loss of face and credibility. Their efforts are doomed to fail.
Herbert Armstrong said it decades ago, “America has won its last war!”
He was right!
Yes, once again, he was right. World War ii was the last great conflict that the Anglo-Saxon nations clearly won in a victory which vanquished the enemy and brought a very temporary peace to the world.
But that peace did not last. Hardly had the smoke and dust of war settled when Russia revealed its true imperialist intentions. Soviet-style communism was intent on global rule. The Communist message appealed to Chinese elites. The result was the Korean War, followed by the Vietnam War. The West failed to win in both Korea and Vietnam. The United States was sent packing with its tail between its legs in Lebanon, Rwanda and Somalia. It is patently failing in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Following the end of the 40-year Cold War, terror attacks mounted by Islamist extremists on Western targets escalated. The U.S. and Britain became particular targets of terrorists. The horror of 9/11 showed just how significantly emboldened these terrorists had become as a result of Western society growing too weak in will to win and too profligate in habits to pursue any war to real victory.
In a commentary on the state of military preparedness in the United Kingdom, the SpectatorJuly 17). observed, “The last decade saw the British government fight five wars on a peacetime budget, thereby stretching the military to (and often beyond) breaking point. The cost of this was avoidable deaths and inevitable defeats”
Faced with drastic cuts in Britain’s defense budget, much of it at present committed to the war in Afghanistan, the nation’s new defense chief, Sir David Richards, has opined that “perceived defeat in Afghanistan will be calamitous for Britain’s status as a world power, badly damaging our power to speak softly while carrying a big stick. [O]ur enemies will be emboldened. The world would become more dangerous” (ibid.).
In America, the current U.S. administration has committed to draw down its military engagement in Iraq and transfer its principal war focus to Afghanistan. All that remains in respect of Iraq is a negotiated settlement which, inevitably, will yield up control of Iraq, either directly or indirectly, to that perverse terror sponsor Iran. Then yet another war will be lost to the West.
Thus the focus swings increasingly to Afghanistan.
The British ought to have known from their own past history in Afghanistan. Russia’s failed Afghanistan experience certainly taught them the lesson that the Brits, the Americans and their allies in the Afghanistan conflict have also had to learn the hard way. You never win in Afghanistan!
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton voiced the obvious at the Kabul conference when she declared, “Citizens of many nations represented here, including my own, wonder whether success is even possible—and if so, whether we all have the commitment to achieve it.”
Thus it was that a gathering of national representatives in Afghanistan’s capital gave the impression, almost to a man, that they were all weary of the loss of life, the destruction of property, the huge expense, the corruption of the Karzai government, the general untrustworthy nature of the locals that all make up the sad equation of the Afghan war.
Those assembled ostensibly did so in what the Economist termed, “The hope … that this might prove to the world that, nine years after the international community descended on the pile of rubble made by 30 years of war, Afghanistan’s government is on the way towards being able to look after itself” (July 20).
Some hope. Some vain hope!
History will prove other wise in the wake of the impending withdrawal of those who have fought the battles for Afghanistan over the past 40 years. It is inevitable. The very nature of the Afghan people, the nature of their enemies, the war-weary mindset of their “protectors” all will work to guarantee the grand failure of all that the West has sought to implement in Afghanistan.
One of the key factors that will work to further entrench instability in Afghanistan will be the impending withdrawal of the U.S.-led coalition in another war—Iraq. Nothing appears to have changed in the Obama administration’s stated policy to have all U.S. combat troops out of Iraq by 2011. A few months ago the New York Times noted the conundrum that President Obama faces on this question: “The situation presents a test for Mr. Obama’s vow to end the war, perhaps the most defining promise he made when he ran for president. While Mr. Obama has proved flexible about other campaign promises and deadlines, his plan to pull out combat forces by August and the remaining 50,000 trainers and advisers by December 2011 has been the most inviolate of policies” (April 27).
So “flexible” has the American president been on so many of his campaign promises that if he dares to become “flexible” on the Iraq withdrawal it could excessively exacerbate his already rapidly declining support from the American electorate. For this reason, we doubt the president will publicize any change in this policy till the fall election results are in.
Either way, Iran, the Wahhabi Saudi underwriters of terror and the Taliban insurgents all read the writing on the wall. The U.S. may have the military hardware to blow them all sky high, but both the public and the current U.S. administration lack the spine to use that power to vanquish terror from the Middle East and from further threatening incursions into the Anglo-Saxon nations.
But what they are beginning to witness, and will increasingly fear, is the assertiveness and determination of Germany’s minister of defense, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. Those terror mongers that have any capacity for logic and any access to reliable intelligence must clearly see that Germany’s defense minister is embracing the every same strategy that led to phenomenally successful results against Germany’s declared enemies in the early stages of World War ii. The military elites in Germany are gearing for blitzkrieg, and their first victim will be the upstart extremists of Iran.
Guttenberg is clearly steamrolling ahead with a total revamp of the structure of the Bundeswehr. He is intent on upgrading its officer cadre to the very best of professional status, its supportive military industry to a consolidated well-oiled machine Europe-wide, its equipment, logistics, communications and military intelligence plus it space-age surveillance capacity to cutting-edge state-of-the-art. In the process, he is carefully underwriting a change in mood within the German electorate to the point where it will embrace the concept of active military involvement in theaters of choice, globally.
In this latter effort, Guttenberg is way ahead of Britain and the United States. He is on the same page as those who are needling away so successfully at the West in the war on terror. As the Spectator so rightly comments, “The battles of the next decade will be fought … for influence. That is why Hezbollah’s leaders have become world experts on post-conflict reconstruction, realizing that every conflict is now a battle for hearts and minds. … From Iraq to Afghanistan, everyone is now fighting for the same objective: popular control” (op. cit.).
This has been the Anglo-Saxons’ great mistake. Their leaders have lacked the vision to turn the minds of the masses to support for victory rather than settling for unworkable compromises with the enemy. This outcome is entirely consistent with the biblical prophecy that our nations are in the literal process of perishing due to the overwhelming lack of real vision in their leaders (Proverbs 29:18).
There is an institution that has proven its power in Europe to win over hearts and minds to its cause either voluntarily or by force. Its vision is long term, extremely long term. In fact, it is as old as ancient Babylon. Throughout its modern history it has been referred to as “the Holy Roman Empire.” It has a record of garnering mass support for crusading wars over many generations. It is an institution not happy to accept defeat in its efforts to embrace the world with its ancient ideology. Its seat of power is in Rome.
For over 30 years its heads have been calling on Europe to return to its ideological Roman roots. Pope John Paul ii set the scene for the beginnings of this crusade upon his election to the papal throne. His successor, Pope Benedict xvi, has continued emphasizing that theme.
With the return of the significantly Roman Catholic nations of Eastern Europe to Rome’s fold following the collapse of the Soviet empire, Rome stepped up its campaign for seizure of the hearts and minds of Europe’s masses. This has engendered a powerful anti-Rome campaign from secularists and liberals in Europe, with much support from a secular press fearful of a return to Middle Ages-style censorship should Rome get its way.
The Vatican is employing every available and relevant high-tech method in this war for the minds of the people. Last October, during an assembly of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the pope declared, “[A] genuine revolution is taking place in the realm of social communications of which the church is ever more responsibly conscious. These technologies make possible a speedy and penetrating communication,” and talked of a continuing “careful analysis on the presence and action of the church in this field.”
Both Guttenberg’s defense strategy and Pope Benedict’s initiatives to gear the Vatican to effectively exploit high-tech media are part of the equation that will soon merge Rome and Berlin in a common strategy to influence the minds of Europe’s masses to support one final great crusade in the name of the Holy Roman Empire. Then the gainsayers who mocked Herbert Armstrong will know, without doubt, that he was right!
Britain and America won their last war 65 years ago. Bible prophecy indicates that a resurrecting Holy Roman Empire has one last great battle to fight, after which it will cease to exist forever. After that will occur a huge mind change in the nations of Israel as Almighty God turns the hearts and minds of the people toward obedience to Him and to outgoing concern for their neighbor. The “battle for hearts and minds” will be won by the Creator Himself! Then the world will witness “post-conflict reconstruction” of an order far surpassing anything humankind has ever witnessed. Then, and only then, will wars and strife among humankind cease and the peace of God spread internationally to be enjoyed by all people on Earth.
You need to read our booklet He Was Right. It supplies powerful proof of manifold events prophesied in detail by Herbert W. Armstrong decades before they happened. It will prove to you just where God is working today to revive the work that He established through Herbert Armstrong during the last century—a work that even now is being positioned to bring to the world that same message that Herbert Armstrong delivered yet with far greater impact due to the urgency of the times in which we live today. •
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