Imagine arriving at the airport to travel to the United States to negotiate a contract with a lucrative US business. Landing this contract will produce a great deal of profit for your European company. You’ve taken the necessary precautions to ensure a smooth trip: arrived early for your flight, confirmed the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (“ESTA”) application you made last year is still valid, and book your hotel and car rental in the United States well in advance. However, when you get to the check-in counter, the flight agent begins questioning a recent business trip you took to the Middle East. After a bit of discussion, the agent apologises and informs you that you are not able to board the flight, and are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program. In shock, you must now return to your home, potentially lose out on business in the United States, and deal with the process of obtaining a US visa.

Why you may no longer be eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program?

Unfortunately, the above scenario is becoming increasingly more common. If you have applied for ESTA after February 2016, you may have noticed the addition of a number of questions on the application. For example, it now asks the applicant to declare whether they are now, or have been a citizen or national of any other country. The vast majority of people traveling to the United States on the Visa Waiver Program were likely unaware of any changes to the program, as the ESTA application is currently valid for two years.

Accordingly, citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries who have travelled to Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen on or after 1 March 2011, are no longer eligible to travel to the United States visa free. Further, citizens who are a dual national of a Visa Waiver Program country and Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria or Yemen, are also no longer eligible to travel visa free. There are limited exceptions for those present in one of the specified countries for military or diplomatic reasons.

Who does this Act affect?

On its face, the most obvious group affected by this new Act are those who have travelled to one of the listed countries since 1 March 2011. However, an even greater number of individuals who are also dual nationals may be restricted from applying under ESTA because of the new rules. As an immigration lawyer, clients often tell us they are not a national of a country simply because they do not maintain a valid passport for that country. It is important to note that a passport is just a travel document. While a valid passport can certainly be used for proof of citizenship, citizenship is not lost because the document is expired or damaged.

Citizenship of any given country depends on that country’s rules and regulations. For example, some nations do not allow dual nationality, and immediately revoke citizenship for nationals who have obtained a second citizenship. Alternatively, other countries require a formal process of renunciation before you are no longer considered to be a citizen. In the most extreme cases, a country may never allow you to renounce your citizenship, and will consider you to be a national for life.

Before applying for ESTA, you should be clear whether or not you are a dual citizen of one of the above mentioned countries. For example, Mohamed was born in Libya to Libyan parents. When he was a child his parents moved his family from Tripoli to Palermo, Italy. Mohamed maintained his Libyan nationality throughout his childhood, and when he turned eighteen-years-old he was naturalized as an Italian citizen. He did not renounce Libyan citizenship. He now wishes to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program on his Italian passport. Mohamed is not eligible to travel visa free because he is still considered to be a national of Libya.

A more difficult scenario to determine would be the following – Amira was born in Bagdad, Iraq. Her parents, both nationals of Iraq, fearing persecution, fled to the United Kingdom when she was a child. Her entire family obtained UK nationality when Amira was six years old. She has not been to Iraq since her family left, and she does not maintain any ties to the country – including a valid Iraqi passport. Amira, now thirty, wishes to travel to the United States to take her children to Disney World. She is unsure if she will be approved on ESTA.

Unfortunately, this case is difficult to analyse. Amira doesn’t know if she is still considered to be a national of Iraq. Without any formal renunciation or due process regarding her Iraqi citizenship, she likely is still considered to be a national of Iraq – despite not having a passport from the country. If Amira is in fact a dual national of the United Kingdom and Iraq, and she does not disclose this on her ESTA application, she may be found to have misrepresented herself. Misrepresentation is a serious offence, which renders a foreign national permanently inadmissible to enter the United States. As a precaution, Amira should obtain the proper visa before traveling to the US.

What is the next step?

If you are no longer eligible to travel under the Visa Waiver Program, either because you have visited one of the listed countries on or after 1 March 2011, or you are a dual national of a Visa Waiver Country and one of the countries listed, you must obtain the relevant US visa before traveling. If you wish to travel to the US for tourism, the B2 visa would be a suitable alternative to traveling under the Visa Waiver Program.

While it may be disappointing to no longer be eligible to apply for ESTA, obtaining a B2 visa offers many benefits. A B2 visa is typically issued for a period of ten years – allowing its holder to travel to the US regularly within that period, without having to apply for a new visa. Additionally, when you enter the United States on a B2 visa, the immigration officer will stamp your entry for up to six months. It is important to note that because the visa is valid for ten years, it does not allow you to remain in the US for that period of time. You should spend no more than six months out of every calendar year in the US on a B2 visa.

We hail Mets first baseman Carlos Delgado’s choice not to stand for “God Bless America” because for years we haven’t been standing for the National Anthem. For good reasons.

First, the Star Spangled Banner is, hands down, the most unsingable, un-hummable, worst nightmare of a song ever written. Worse than any Paul MaCartney song. Why Congress didn’t scrap it years ago and replace it with “Toxic” by Britney Spears is beyond us.

Second, we remain seated as a lesson to all the Fascists-in-training; the lesson being that the foundation of this Republic is two-fold: equal opportunity and freedom of expression (i.e. the First Amendment). If we want to sit during the national anthem, dammit, then we have the right to sit. The First Amendment, everyone seems to forget, protects unpopular speech and expression, including Nazis marching through Skokie (a Jewish neighborhood near Chicago), artists who paint the Virgin Mary with cow dung, gays tongue-kissing in public, the TV show Friends, and Carlos Delgado showing his opposition to the war in Iraq by not standing for God Bless America.

From an article by Karl Taro Greenfield in this week’s Sports Illustrated:

Delgado says that his refusal to stand for the singing of God Bless America in 2004 and ’05 to protest the Iraq War was simply a logical extension of the values that he and his family had long held. ‘I think it’s the stupidest war ever,’ he told The Toronto Star in ’04. “Who are you fighthing against? You’re just getting ambushed now.’

Since then — big surprise — Delgado has gotten booed by legions of knuckleheads (Yankee fans) who would no more volunteer to fight in Iraq than we’d go back to teaching junior high school.

At last, a public figure with cajones, like his hero Roberto Clemente.

Let ’em boo, Carlos, let ’em boo.

What do the major generals who are leading the war efforts in Iraq have in common with executives and entrepreneurs who are conducting business back home? When it comes to leadership, the answer is probably a lot more than you think.

In a recent study conducted by the Army War College, subordinates of the major generals who are leading the war efforts in Iraq were asked to rate the performance of their superiors.

The survey revealed that the best leaders:

• Keep cool under pressure
• Clearly explains the missions, sets standards and priorities
• See the big picture; provides context and perspective
• Make tough, sound decisions on time
• Adapt quickly to new situations; can handle bad news
• Give useful feedback; sets a high ethical tone
• Are positive, encouraging and realistically optimistic

According to retired Gen. Walter Ulmer, coauthor of the study, “The study showed that even when tactical and technical competences are excellent, interpersonal skills are critical.”

What’s that? People skills are critical in fighting a war? General Patton must be spinning in his four-star grave.

According to Ulmer the survey revealed that it is easier to teach technical skills than to teach people how to gain trust and build teams. In other words, trained tacticians are important, but the worth of a true leader may best be measured by how he leads, motivates, and treats his troops.

The study further showed that many key behaviors these generals exhibit were learned by example. Their former superiors displayed people skills and whether intended or not, taught those skills to their subordinates. This means that good leaders produced good leaders. I’m sure the flipside is just as true. Bad leaders often produce the next generation of bad leaders. We see it in business everyday. The recent rash of corporate scandals didn’t just involve the bad guys at the top. They often involved subordinate executives who were following the leader’s example and carrying out his not-so honorable plans.

Not surprisingly, the same traits found in the generals leading the effort in Iraq are the same traits found in many successful executives and entrepreneurs.

Keeps cool under pressure

Contrary to what many believe, being an entrepreneur is not always a walk in the park. There is constant pressure coming from many fronts. Pressure to make a sale, to meet payroll, to keep the doors open, to keep the employees in line, and on and on. The best entrepreneurs learn to thrive under pressure. Pressure becomes a motivator, not a detractor.

Clearly explains missions, sets the standards and priorities

Successful entrepreneurs understand that the organization runs smoother, better, faster if everyone is on the same page. A good leader makes sure his subordinates understand the mission at hand. He makes sure that everyone understands the expectations, goals and objectives. He shares his vision and lays out the plan of attack.

Sees the big picture; provides context and perspective

Many executives and entrepreneurs can not see beyond the edge of their desk. Great leaders not only see the big picture, they make sure their team sees it, as well. They share their vision and perspective for the long haul, not just the battle being waged today.

Makes tough, sound decisions on time

One trait of the successful entrepreneur is the ability to make decisions soundly and quickly. You must weigh your options and choose a direction with minimal consideration time. Procrastination has no place in battle or in business. Procrastinating entrepreneurs will quickly become someone else’s procrastinating employees.

Adapts quickly to new situations; can handle bad news

In business some days are diamonds and some days are coal. Successful entrepreneurs are prepared to deal with the day no matter what it brings. They do not stick their heads in the sand and wait for the bad news to go away.

Gives useful feedback; sets a high ethical tone

A good leader listens more than he speaks. He takes input from the team and makes decisions based on that input and his own expertise. He sets the example that he expects his team to follow.

Is positive, encouraging and realistically optimistic

A good leader never lets his team see him sweat. He does not broadcast his negativity because he knows negativity is contagious and will spread faster than the plague. A good leader encourages his team to perform no matter the odds. He is the positive force that keeps everyone motivated to win.

Every entrepreneur should take a lesson from these generals, as should every corporate executive. I’m sure it would cut down on the time many of them are now spending in the stockade.

Here’s to your success!

As we all painfully know, gasoline prices have soared from approximately $1.50 a gallon to as high as $4.25 a gallon since the Bush administration came into office. Many believe that this sudden rise in the price gouging of oil is due to the war in Iraq – a sort of sanction placed upon us for our continuing military presence and warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan. But is this the reason? President Bush argues ” I’ve set a great goal for our country, and that is to reduce our dependence on oil by investing in technologies that will produce abundant supplies of clean and renewable energy.”

Attending an International Renewable Energy Conference in March, President Bush said, “America has got to change its habits. We’ve got to get off oil.” Please do correct me if I’m wrong, but why are we being forced to pay higher prices for oil — as oil companies reap the benefits in skyrocketing profits — before these so called ‘abundant supplies of clean and renewable energy’ sources have been identified and set into motion with some measure of success? I can’t help but wonder, who exactly in our current administration are investors in the oil industry?

I do agree. We need to find alternatives to oil, and relinquish our dependency on foreign oil that is only supporting terrorists with the means to attack the multitude of innocent bystanders who have nothing to do with, and very often, do not even support the current war in Iraq. After all, this is the very result of all wars; the resultant deaths of innocent men, women and children. But not all of our oil suppliers are originating out of the Middle East. Alaska alone has billions of barrels of untapped oil lying beneath her uncharted territories. And as stringent as our laws are in America to safely drill and yet also protect the surrounding environment, I see no reason why we should not attempt to tap into the natural resources there. Obviously, this is no alternative to oil, but the one most effective alternative to which I am aware of is marijuana. Yet, this is sadly illegal; and therefore not really an alternative.

And so we have solar energy and hybrid cars. We also have public transportation systems and we always have the option to and even the incentive to car pool, as many of our nations highways are being given extra lanes especially for those who are involved in car pooling. And, many of our Fortune 500 companies are offering the advertisement and management of car pooling groups for such employees who volunteer for such ventures.

However, I still do not understand the record breaking costs of oil when it is coinciding with record breaking profits for oil companies. And although this is one of the hot topics discussed in our current election process, I’m still not seeing any individual efforts to protest this very costly oil ‘crisis’ that we are suffering from. I really don’t see this as a supply and demand problem due to a true shortage that is yielding the large profits being made by oil investors; who by the way, must be thrilled to see the ‘no end in sight’ lack of effort to end the war. It’s a sort of Enron corruption once again rearing its ugly head. Ironically, I implore us all to use the same Enron slogan used for years within the corrupt company, and by all means necessary, “Ask Why!”

Basic Principles of Understanding the Events Before the Tribulation Period

Most Christians are aware of the events that have been prophesied in the book of Revelations in the Bible. They are aware for the most part that a seven year period, called the tribulation period, will occur on the Earth when extraordinary natural events will cause devastation to an extent never witnessed before. There will be constant war between world powers. Control of the world political landscape will change like hands in a poker game. It will be a time of unrivaled moral decadence and decay. Many theologians and students of biblical prophecy have done an exhaustive analysis of this period described in the book of Revelations, the most notable in the last 10 years would be Jerry Jenkins and Tim Lahaye, the authors of the Left Behind series. What these scholars have overlooked in their analysis of the scriptures is that the Bible describes events that occur just prior to the tribulation period. The purpose of this book is to establish a timeline of these events that occur prior to the tribulation period, a timeline of events that have escaped the notice of the experts.

You ought to notice one very specific thing about the timeline I will propose: it does not contain a prediction about the Rapture of the Church. The Rapture of the Church is God's plan to remove those that believe in Jesus Christ from the Earth prior to the tribulation. The New Testament is very clear that no one knows the timing of the Rapture. However Jesus mentions in the Gospels that there will be definite signs of when "the latter days" will occur ("latter days" has long been thought to be a code phrase for the tribulation period). Therefore I believe scripturally I shouldn't be able to speculate intelligently about the timing of the Rapture of the Church, but I do believe there is a ton of evidence for the other events that occur during the time prior and during the tribulation period.

The book of Daniel is the key to understanding the events that happen prior to the tribulation. So if one wants to understand the book of Daniel one must understand the history of the life of Daniel. When Daniel is a teenager he is removed from Israel and sent to Babylon with many of the other bright young men that Nebuchadnezzar takes as part of his conquest of the region. This action occurs very near the beginning of what is called the Babylonian Conquest in the Old Testament. The Babylonians rule for the next 49 years until the Persian Empire rises and the Persian ruler, Cyrus the Great, conquers the last Babylonian ruler mentioned in the book of Daniel, Belshazzar. Cyrus makes an announcement shortly thereafter that the Israelites may return to their homeland and rebuild the Temple that Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed. Many of the Israelites returned to Israel, however many remained in Assyria and Babylon. Twenty one years later, the Macedonian ruler, Alexander the Great, conquers the Persian Empire (conventional historians claim that the Persians ruled for over 200 years; I believe they only ruled 21 years and I provide evidence of this in my book The Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically Accurate ). Alexander dies shortly after this conquest and the Macedonian Empire is divided among his generals. Eventually the Roman Empire becomes the next great power in the region displacing the Macedonians (Macedonia and Greece are used interchangeably by historians as references to the same empire).

The Dream of Nebuchadnezzar's Statue

The circumstances of the historical events that surround the life of Daniel become important during a particular dream of King Nebuchadnezzar. One of the first tests of faith in the life of Daniel is a situation in which King Nebuchadnezzar has a dream that disturbs him greatly yet he can't remember the details of the dreams when he awakens. Therefore he orders the wise men of his kingdom to analyze his dream but they must also tell him the details of the dream; if they can't he is going to have all of them executed. Since Daniel is part of the group of wise men he seeks God in prayer to reveal the mystery of the King's Dream (Daniel 2: 28-45):

"But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart. Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upo n his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; But there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation is sure. "

The first thing to note here is that Daniel says that this vision is a vision of the events of "the last days", therefore this is not a vision of the events of right after the death of Nebuchadnezzar. Yet as one looks at this vision it is uncanny how similar it is in describing the events soon after Nebuchadnezzar's life. I believe the reason this is so because because the events that lead up to the tribulation period will closely track with the historic events that occurred from the Babylonian Conquest until Alexander the Great. Let's analyze this passage to identify the similarities.
Daniel says that Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, represents the golden head of the statue and the first kingdom. This kingdom is a kingdom over other kingdoms, a world superpower. I believe the gold represents a kingdom that is unmatched in its prosperity. Daniel then mentions that the second kingdom is a kingdom of silver and comes after Nebuchadnezzar. The silver indicates it is a kingdom of great wealth but not as wealthy as the first kingdom. Since this part of the statue represents the arms and chest, it is a divided kingdom like the arms are divided from one another; the divided kingdom of the Medes and the Persians. The third kingdom of bronze that came after the Medes and the Persians, the kingdom of the belly and the thighs represents a kingdom that is unified when it begins but then is divided in the same way that the belly is one part of the body and the Thighs represents two parts. The "bronze" represents a kingdom that is militarily strong but not necessarily economically strong since bronze was used for weapons in the Bible but was not as valuable as silver or gold. It is apparent that Alexander the Great and the Greek Empire represented the kingdom of bronze. Alexander had a very strong military and he was a very strong unifying presence for his new kingdom. However after his death the kingdom became divided and was ruled by his three generals. The fourth kingdom, the kingdom of the iron legs that became the iron and clay feet and toes, is a kingdom that is much more militarily strong than the bronze kingdom in the same way that iron is much more strong than bronze. Yet it is as brittle as iron since it does break and the broken pieces are joined together with clay but the iron / clay feet represent a weak union. This kingdom represents the Roman Empire that came after the Greek Empire known for its military strength. The Roman Empire was also divided (the two iron legs represents a kingdom that had two parts) in the sense that it had two capitals Rome and Constantinople (modern day Istanbul, Turkey). The Roman Empire represented a kingdom with two very diverse cultures, the European culture and the Middle Eastern culture.

If the events that occur before and during the tribulation parallel the description above then we would expect the first world superpower of this era to be a economic powerhouse and associated with Babylon. The second world power of this era would be very economically powerful yet not as strong as the first and would be associated with the Medes and the Persians. The third world power would be militarily strong and rule the world yet not as economically strong as the first two kingdoms and it would be associated with Greece. The fourth kingdom will be exceedingly strong militarily yet be broken in pieces and form an unsteady alliance of countries and be associated with the two capitals of the Roman Empire, Rome and Constantinople. We will use this information as a foundation to understand Daniel's vision of the four beasts.

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

Later in his book, Daniel describes a vision he has that describes four beasts. Many theologians believe these beasts are kingdoms that arise in the last days that are analogous to the four empires described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream (Daniel 7: 1-8):

"In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night , and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it. And behold another beast, a second, like a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of It four wings of a fowl; the beast also four heads; and dominion was given to it. After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dre adful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. "

There are a few things to keep in mind while analyzing these beasts. First, all these beasts represent a partnership between multiple nations. Theologians have taken this approach with all the beasts except the first beast and I will demonstrate in what manner it is a symbol of two separate nations. Secondly, these beasts also represent the nations mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue. For instance, the lion with the eagle's wings must be associated with the golden head of Nebuchadnezzar's statue; the bear with the 3 ribs in its mouth must be associated with the silver chest and arms of Nebuchadnezzar's statue, etc. Thirdly, I believe the animals used to describe individual beasts describe the relative strength of the beasts. The lion is stronger than the bear; the bear is stronger than the leopard; the fourth beast is described as being "terrible" so I believe it is stronger than them all. Finally, I believe these animals can be easily identified with their respective countries in the same way that the eagle is identified with the United States.

The First Beast: The Lion with Eagle's Wings

The first beast, the lion with eagle's wings, is probably the most enigmatic of all the beasts described. Most conservative theologians believe that the lion with eagle's wings represented Babylon, modern day Iraq, by comparing Babylon with the head of gold mentioned in Nebuchadnezzar's dream. Daniel as much as stated that Nebuchadnezzar's kingdom, Babylon, represented the head of gold. Archaeologists have found several statues in ancient Babylon during the period of Nebuchadnezzar's reign of lions with eagle's wings, so it would appear this would be a relatively sound interpretation. I think there is something of significance missing. All of the other beasts are symbolic of many nations: the bear with the three ribs in its mouth is representative of four nations, the leopard with four heads is representative of (at least) four nations and beast with ten horns is representative of (at least) ten nations. Is it possible that the lion with eagle's wings refers to multiple nations?

If you think of the first beast as two animals, a lion and an eagle, it becomes easier to visualize the interpretation of Daniel's vision regarding the first beast. Consider three prophecies in the scriptures that involve eagles: 1) the riddle of the two eagles, 2) two eagle wings that transport the Jews to a safe refuge during the tribulation period and 3) the description of Nebuchadnezzar being like an eagle during his 7 year period of insanity.

The Riddle of the Two Eagles

The riddle of the two eagles is described in Ezekiel 17: 2-8:
"Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel;
And say, thus saith the Lord God; a great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers, which had diverse colors, came unto Lebanon, and took the highest branch of the cedar:
He cropped off the top of his young twigs, and carried it into a land of traffick; he set it in a city of merchants.

He took also of the seed of the land, and planted it in a fruitful field; he placed it by great waters, and set it as a willow tree.

And it grew, and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him, and the roots thereof were under him: so it became a vine, and brought forth branches and shot forth sprigs.

There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers: and, behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him, and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her plantation.

It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches, and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine. "

I believe this passage describes two nations that are very similar in their relationship to Israel. The first eagle is "a great eagle with great wings" so it is a powerful nation. It is "full of feathers" so it has many people. It is "longwinged" so it is located far away from Israel. It has "diverse colors" so it is nation of people of different colored skins (black, yellow, white, red, etc.). The eagle comes to Lebanon and takes a sprig from the highest branch of the cedar: the cedar of Lebanon is used in many places in the Old Testament to represent the people of Israel (Lebanon was actually part of the nation of Israel in the Old Testament ). Therefore the first eagle carries a small group from nation of Israel and transplants them in the far removed country of the first eagle. They are transplanted in a "land of traffick", a nation with a strong economy and are set in a "city of merchants", a city that is associated with trade. If you pull all these descriptions together of the first eagle it appears this parable is describing the United States and its relationship to Israel prior to the establishment of Israel as a nation in 1948. The United States like the first eagle, is a large nation far removed from Israel that is an economic power with a "melting pot" of different colored peoples. Prior to and after 1948 many Jews settled in the United States and more specifically New York City, New York which can be described as one of the world's largest centers of trade. The phrase "he took also the seed of the land, and planted in a fruitful field" refers to the United States involvement in the establishment of the Jewish people as a nation in Israel in 1948. The phrase "it became a vine of low stature "indicates that Israel, at least while the United States is still powerful, is a nation of lowly stature.

Then along comes the second eagle. It is a "great eagle with great feathers"; It is a powerful nation. Israel relies on this nation in the same way that Israel relies on the United States now. Israel becomes a goodly vine, a very prosperous nation during this period because of the trade it has with the second eagle. This second eagle is Babylon, the nation of the antichrist during the tribulation, the "little horn" and also as I described in chapter 1 of this book, the Kurds of northern Iraq.

I believe the lion with eagle's wings describes two nations, the United States and the Kurds of northern Iraq.

The Two Eagles Wings

As I mentioned in chapter one of this book I proposed that the "conspicuous horn" on the goat that is broken represents the end of the United States position as the world's lone superpower, sometime in the future. Also remember from chapter one of this book that the "conspicuous horn" is referred to as the first king. I propose that this "first king" refers to the first beast, the lion with the eagle's wings. Therefore the eagle's wings are cut off of the lion; This is a picture of when the United States is no longer the world's lone superpower. These two eagle's wings occur in another instance in the scriptures (Revelations 12:14):

"And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."

I believe this scripture is referring to the time three and a half years into the tribulation when the Jewish population from the United States (represented by the two eagle's wings) will return to Israel at a time when the United States is no longer the world's lone superpower.

Nebuchadnezzar Appears as an Eagle

Daniel the prophet records the events that lead to Nebuchadnezzar's seven year period of insanity. Nebuchadnezzar demonstrates a lack of humility before God for his kingdom so God punishes Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar apparently has the mind of an animal for seven years and ironically has the following symptoms (Daniel 4: 32-33):

"And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds 'claws.'

This passage is amazingly similar to the description of the lion with eagle's wings in that the lion is clipped of its wings and then rises to act like a man. Nebuchadnezzar acts like an animal, has some features of an eagle, for a period of seven years and then regains his reason so that he can act like a man again. I believe the account of Nebuchadnezzar's insanity has a prophetic element to it. I believe that the United States fulfills its role as the first eagle and then is broken as a world leader. Then for a period of seven years, like Nebuchadnezzar, neither the United States nor the Kurds of Iraq are powerful nations. Three and half years into the tribulation the antichrist and the Kurds rise as the world superpower, seven years after the United States is devastated.

What the Bible Doesn't Say

The Bible does not always reveal everything God knows and in the case of the first beast this also appears to be true. There seems to be something missing in this interpretation of the vision of the first beast. How are the United States and the Kurds of northern Iraq related to one another? Recent events in the "war on terror" in Iraq may shed some light on this. When the US soldiers entered northern Iraq and liberated the Kurds from the Saddam's reign of terror, one group among the Kurds was particularly glad to see them, the Yezedi. The Yezedi are one of the religious groups among the Kurds. They were glad to see the US troops because their religious writings prophesy the coming of holy people with red faces and blue eyes that would free them ( The New Republic online, "The Devil's Advocates, 06/11/06 , www.tnr.com Another web article said that many of them believed that a blue-eyed man will come from the West to free them from oppression ( World Media Watch, "The Lost Faith", 12/28/05). antichrist comes from America and sets up his future kingdom through this obscure religion?

The Yezidi are also unique for several other reasons. The most outstanding feature of their religion is that they worship Satan, the Devil. They believe that rather than being punished by God in the garden of Eden that the serpent, Satan, was actually being rewarded. They worship Satan, and refer to him as Malak Taus, a term that literally means Peacock Angel. The Yezidi have taken great offense when their Muslim countrymen end their prayers by saying such things as "God protect us from the Devil." What better place would there be for the future antichrist to establish as home base than a sect of devil worshipers?

The Iraq oil flow is not what it should be, and yet, who is to blame for all that? Well, it’s safe to say that the new provincial government cannot get’s affairs in order, and there is a bit of sectarian struggle from within. Then there is the Kurds to the North, and even if they for the most part keep to themselves, there are factions within who are constantly at odds within Turkey, and that certainly isn’t helping their cause or ours – our need for oil flow that is.

Not only does the US need the oil, but more oil on the market would help India, and China, not to mention alleviate some of the price gouging going on at the top of the supply/demand curve. Well, OPEC, aside, we need that oil flowing in Iraq on the World Market. It has been estimated that we can expect a high oil output of 12-13 Billion barrels per year out of Iraq in the future, but right now we are lucky we can get 2.7 Billion barrels.

Still, the good news is things are changing, for instance Exxon has made a deal with the Kurdish area of Iraq. In fact, there was an interesting article on this recently in Industry Week on November 11, 2011 titled; “Exxon Inks Deal with Iraqi Kurdistan – Company could lose existing deal in Southern Iraq due to this deal,” by Salam Faraj, Agence France-Pressse.

Okay so there is good and bad about this deal, but consider also that, this would involve the right for Exxon to explore and exploit “six blocks” in the Kurdish area. The central government of Iraq obviously is a little concerned, they believe that the oil found belongs to all the people of Iraq and thus, any royalty proceeds should go to it.

So, now it is about money, after the agreement between the Kurds in the North and the central government in the South had already been hammered out. Well, that’s just the Middle East way of doing business, first an agreement is made and then the negotiation starts. From a Westerners perspective, yes, that takes a little getting used to, and unfortunately, we seem to be learning the hard way – over-and-over again. Remind me what the definition of insanity is?

Now then, we still need those pipelines in, but the violence needs to simmer down first -fat chance with Iran’s influence in the mix and the ongoing sectarian struggle jockeying for power. The Saga goes on, with more chapters to write, in fact, another one is about to begin and it will be a big one which may define permanent changes in the region, right here, right now, history is being made in the present period. Please consider all this.

Another Memorial Day has come and gone. Everybody feels good for having watched the required number of parades; for having listened to the usual blasts of hot air, exuded from the usual politicians, extolling the sacrifices made by “Our Veterans.” And our President has made the usual stiff-legged walk, with the floral wreath, at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetery.

In the meanwhile, the wounded from the Iraq war are beginning to come home in increasing numbers for (mis)treatment at Walter Reed Hospital and for the interminable delays combined with callous indifference at Veterans Administration facilities. Incompetence and confusion, the dominant features of the Bush Administration in connection with the Iraq war, continues — now, with the returning Iraq war wounded and those scheduled for their second, third or fourth Iraq deployment.

Post Traumatic Shock Syndrome, the “hidden” casualty number, may well be a far greater casualty percentage in the Iraq war compared with earlier wars because of the repeated redeployments of reserves in an Army already stretched beyond the limit. Neither has it been sufficiently understood how different the Iraq war is compared our nation’s previous wars.

Every soldier knows that each trip in the “Sunni Triangle,” or in almost any other part of that wretched country, is a date with possible death or injury at the hands of an Iraqi who is indistinguishable from any other, an Iraqi insurgent who has become increasingly more adapt at killing Americans. It is only a question of the number of trips it takes before a soldier’s increasing mental strain becomes Post Traumatic Syndrome, a true illness that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

For the first time in our nation’s history of waging war, we are in an “Assymmetric” war, one in which our enemy’s weapons are simple, inexpensive and easy to make compared to our sophisticated and expensive weaponry, requiring massive and long lead research and development time and costs. Ironically, our enemy’s kill rate is greater than ours. It costs the enemy far less to kill one of our soldiers than it takes for us to kill one of theirs.

Seemingly, there is no end in sight. Can any one predict with even a 50-50 chance of success that, in the foreseeable future, the Iraq government will be able to enforce stability and security throughout the country?

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel: the Bush Administration has warned that American troop withdrawal at this time will lead to utter chaos in Iraq. Since Bush & Co have been consistently proven wrong about virtually everything for the past six plus years — ergo this means that we should immediately withdraw all of our troops.

Withdrawal will be the spur to action for all concerned in bringing stability to Iraq itself, to all of its Middle Eastern neighbors, especially including Saudi Arabia whose aristocracy doesn’t want to see Iran become the dominant figure in that region.

Besides, could anything be worse in Iraq than what has been going on? It would be a Win Win for the US. We would put an end to the loss of our blood and treasure. And then we could concentrate on the real War on Terror, striking at Al Queda in Afghanistan, in Pakistan, in Stupidstan and elsewhere.

From Personal Struggle, to the Conflict of Battle, to a Changed Life

“Hired Guns in Iraq” is an eye-opening revelation of the aftermath of war. Brogan Kessler, an ex-military family man, found himself failing in a dream to build his own business in South Africa. In desperation he realized that he could no longer justify the sacrifice and hardship he was putting on his family. A former friend from military days, Peter, enticed Brogan to take a job with a security detail contractor working to rebuild Iraq. The job offered high pay which provided Brogan with the opportunity to be able to resume his dream and get out of debt in a very short time.

Shaun Schutte graphically articulates the carnage of war in Baghdad, Iraq. He describes how ignorance of the local language and culture, and the difficulty in differentiating between combatants and non combatants often leads to offensive behavior by multinational forces, security contractors, as well as mercenaries. The tragic deaths of innocents oblige insurgents to attack coalition forces to avenge the deaths of their relatives. Through incidents of irrational decisions and careless actions, Brogan and his team learn the critical need for teamwork as the key survival tactic in a country where religious zealots and avenging family members wage a holy war against infidels and occupational forces.

Brogan miraculously escaped from an exploding vehicle only to be taken hostage by insurgents. As a result of these circumstances he learns to listen to the voice of God through life or death struggles as a target of insurgents who are intent on his destruction.

Schutte incorporates the essence of his personal faith throughout the story as he relates the message of God’s love for sinful man, His redemptive plan of love and grace in sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for those sins.

Schutte’s writing is riveting, packed with suspense right up to a surprising climatic finish. Striking word pictures left me with an ineradicable glimpse into the frailties of man. Schutte powerfully describes the repercussions of war, the fear, courage, and anger. He understands, from personal experience, the drive for survival in the life and death struggles of an environment where little value is placed on the life of an individual by opposing ideologies. “Hired Guns in Iraq” exposes the cost and sacrifice of rebuilding a country destroyed by bloodshed and war. The book is timely and relevant.

Pleasant Word, A division of Winepress Publishing Group, 978-1414111360

As reviewed for Midwest Book Review

After joining the nationalistic al Karh Secondary School in Baghdad, in 1957, at age twenty, Saddam joined the Ba’ath Party, whose best ideological goal was the unity of Arab states in the Middle East. On October seven, 1959, other members and Saddam of the Ba ath Party attempted to assassinate Iraq’s then president, Abd al Karim Qasim, whose opposition to joining the nascent United Arab Republic as well as alliance with Iraq’s communist party had placed him at odds with the Ba ‘athists. Although survived, during the assassination attempt, Qasim’s chauffeur was murdered, and Qasim was shot a few times. Saddam was shot in the leg. Some of the would be assassins have been found, tried and executed, though several others and Saddam was able to escape to Syria, in which Saddam remained briefly before fleeing to Egypt, wherever he went to law school.

Rise to Power In 1963, when Qasim’s government was overthrown in the so-called Ramadan Revolution, Saddam returned to Iraq, though he was arrested the following season as the outcome of infighting in the Ba’ath Party. While in prison, nonetheless, he stayed engaged in politics, and also in 1966 was appointed deputy secretary of the Regional Command. Shortly after that he was able to escape prison, and also in the decades that followed, went on strengthening the political power of his.

In 1968, Saddam participated in a bloodless but self-made Ba ‘athist coup which resulted in Ahmed Hassan al Bakr becoming Iraq’s president and Saddam became his deputy. During al-Bakr ‘s presidency, Saddam proved himself being a progressive and effective politician, albeit a decidedly ruthless one. He did very much to modernize Iraq’s health-care system, industry, and infrastructure, and also raised community services, training, and farming and provided financial assistance in amounts unparalleled in some other Arab nations in the region. Also, he nationalized Iraq’s oil business, just prior to the energy problems of 1973, that generated substantial revenues because of the embargo. During that same period, nonetheless, Saddam really helped develop Iraq’s very first chemical weapons system. In addition, to guard against coups, he created a strong security apparatus, including both Ba ‘athist paramilitary organizations and also the People’s Army which often used assassination, rape, and torture to attain its objectives.

In 1979, when al Bakr attempted to unite Syria and Iraq, in a move that could have left Saddam successfully powerless, Saddam forced al Bakr to resign, and also on July sixteen, 1979, Saddam Hussein became president of Iraq. Less than 7 days later on, he called for an assembly of the Ba’ath Party. During the conference, a summary of sixty eight so called opponents was read out loud, so each individual on the list was arrested and taken out of the political arena. Of those sixty eight, most have been tried out and found responsible for treason and twenty two had been sentenced to death. By early August 1979, a huge selection of Saddam’s political foes were definitely decimated.

When Saddam ascended to the presidency, an Islamic revolution in Iraq’s neighbor to the northeast, Iran, started under the leadership of Ayatollah Khomeini. Saddam was concerned that developments in Iran might result in a similar uprising in Iraq. In response, on September twenty two, 1980, Saddam ordered Iraqi forces to invade the oil rich area of Khuzestan in Iran. During the conflict, these very same fears would bring about the overseas community to basically dismiss Iraq’s usage of chemical weapons. On August twenty, 1988, after many years of intensive conflict that left a huge selection of thousands dead on each side, a ceasefire was at last reached.

In the aftermath of the struggle, seeking a way of revitalizing the ravaged economy and infrastructure, during the conclusion of the 1980s, Saddam switched his focus toward Iraq’s prosperous neighbor, Kuwait. Using the justification that it had been a historic component of Iraq, on August two, 1990, the invasion of Kuwait was ordered by Saddam. A UN Security Council resolution was faster passed, imposing financial sanctions on Iraq and establishing a deadline by what Iraqi forces should impart Kuwait. When the January fifteen, 1991 deadline was ignored, a UN coalition pressure headed by the United States confronted Iraqi forces and within a mere 6 days, had pushed them from Kuwait. A ceasefire was signed, the conditions of which included Iraq dismantling its biological as well as chemical weapons applications. The in the past imposed financial sanctions levied against Iraq stayed in position. Despite this and also the reality that his army had endured a crushing defeat, victory in the conflict was claimed by Saddam.

The Gulf War ‘s ensuing financial hardships further divided an actually fractured Iraqi population. At the same period, Iraq stayed under intense overseas scrutiny too. In 1993, when Iraqi forces violated a no fly zone applied by the United Nations, the United States released a harmful missile strike on Baghdad. In 1998, additional violations of the no fly zones as well as Iraq’s alleged continuation of its weapons applications resulted in more missile attacks on Iraq, that would happen intermittently until February 2001.

Members of the Bush administration had suspected the Hussein government experienced a relationship with Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda group. In the January of 2002 State of the Union address, U.S. President George W. Bush reported that the nation was building weapons of supporting terrorism and mass destruction.

Later that year, UN inspections of suspected weapons of mass destruction in Iraq started, but small or maybe no proof that such applications existed was eventually discovered. Despite this, on March twenty, 2003, under the pretense Iraq did actually have a covert weapons system which attacks were being planned by it, Iraq was invaded by an U.S. led coalition. Within months, the federal government and army was toppled, and also on April nine, 2003, Baghdad fell. Saddam, nonetheless, was able to elude capture.

In the months that followed, an intensive hunt for Saddam started. While in hiding, Saddam made available many CD tracks, in that he denounced Iraq’s invaders and called for resistance. Lastly, on December thirteen, 2003, Saddam was discovered hiding in a little subterranean bunker near a farmhouse in Ad Dawr, near Tikrit. From there, he was transferred to a U.S. base in Baghdad, exactly where he will stay until June thirty, 2004, when he was formally handed over to the interim Iraqi authorities to stand trial for crimes against humanity.

During the consequent trial, Saddam will prove to become a belligerent defendant, generally boistering the court’s power and making bizarre statements. On November five, 2006, Saddam was found guilty and sentenced to death. On December thirty, 2006, at Camp Justice, an Iraqi platform in Baghdad, Saddam was hanged, despite his petition to be shot. He was buried in Al Awja, the birthplace of his, on December thirty one, 2006.

Yes rent a fan, to fill those empty seats that you may find yourself with for those less profile matches, that is what you may have to do. South Africa will not be the first to do this. In the recently concluded Olympic Games in China it happened. For some games the organisers found themselves with empty sits and to avert an embarrassment to the great spectacle these games were, volunteers were bussed in. These volunteers were instructed to cheer all teams competing and stand up and leave if paid up fans showed up.

There a lot of conspiring factors that may lead to empty stadiums in the Confederations Cup.

o The world economy is in doldrums. Many football tourists will be forced to keep away.

o New Zealand has only 4 million people and a net recipient of immigrants. It is therefore difficult to find New Zealand citizens in South Africa.

o New Zealand is a rugby and cricket nation. Football though loved, comes a distant third.

o Iraq on the other hand loves football but the country is knee deep in problems that to expect her citizens to show up in numbers in South Africa is to believe in miracles.

o The onus falls on South Africans to fill these stadiums. But, whoever knows South African football knows that on many an occasion their own national team has played before empty stadiums. To expect them to easily fill the stadium when New Zealand is playing Iraq is to be very optimistic.

o It will be extremely cold, it will be winter.

The easiest option out of an empty stadium scenario is to rent a fan the Beijing way. Rent a fan worked and saved Beijing the embarrassment Athens was when only two thirds of the available tickets were sold and many seats went empty.

The more difficult option will be to go in an all out marketing and selling blitz not for the Confederations Cup as a whole but for those less profile games. These are some of the tactics that may help you fill a stadium for these matches:

o Go to schools and get children interested. Let them know the available tickets. If you make an impression on the children you get to the parents. The parents will oblige and buy the tickets.

o Get sponsors for giveaways. Promote the availability of this gift in all your promotions. Acknowledge the sponsor at the stadium.

o Go on all out drive to sell these tickets directly to companies and organizations. Promise them acknowledgment and deliver on that promise.

o Promote the Confederations Cup as an experience of a lifetime. With the World Cup (the host of the World Cup hosts the Confederations Cup) going back to the traditional system of the best prepared country hosting it, we may never see the opportunity of both tournaments on this continent in our life time ever again.

o Ease the system in place to purchase these less than attractive games. Communicate with all those that miss out high profile game tickets the opportunity to purchase the available tickets and still partake in this great spectacle.

o Create a spectacle to remember. It should not be soccer only, entertain in other ways. Let people get photo opportunities with players. Communicate this before hand.

o Appeal to community minorities, by for example attracting their singing artists to the game.

o Enlist local football teams and the rugby union to help, by reaching out to their fans on a one-to-one basis.

o Do everything that you think about! In marketing some things work many do not. The people decide what touches them and react positively.

There will be rush for high profile games. But it will take a bit of effort for those less profile ones. And marketing never works however clever it is, until people can establish what is in it for them.