Creating your Next Enemy

Nations that rely on military power tend to create their next enemy. The United States has been doing this with Iran for a long time.

The scriptures teach that Iran (backed by a spiritual power called the Prince of Persia) will become a major stumbling block for the Western Empire (Dan 8). This seemed to be unbelievable, back in the 1960s, because Iran was tin pot nation of very little account. In every interaction with Iran since those times, the United States has taken actions that strengthened the hands of the Prince of Persia. Here are some examples.

• In 1947 Iran became a democracy. However, the British and Americans did not like the policies of elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq, so in 1953 the CIA and MI6 organised a coup to topple him.

• The Shah of Iran put in place by the Americans and British proved to be a cruel dictator. The secret police (SAVAK) killed hundreds of people and far more were imprisoned and tortured. America support allowed the Shah to destroy all opposition political parties opening the way for the Islamic revolution.

• The United States provide military equipment and trained the Iranian military forces, turning it in a significant military power.

• When the Shah was finally kicked out, following a mass Islamic Revolution in 1978. The United States responded to the loss of their man, by freezing billions of Iranian assets. Some of these are still frozen, although the United States has given up any hoping of restoring the Shah.

• In 1980, Saddam Hussein invaded Iran with US military and reconnaissance support. In those days, Saddam was an American client, so further sanctions were imposed against Iran.

• When it looked like the Iraqis might be defeated, the United States applied further sanctions against Iran in 1984 and 1987

• The sanctions against Iran were not removed when the war ended. Instead further trade sanctions were introduced during the 1990s. These harm the ordinary people far more than the people in power, which increases the hatred for the US.

• In 1988, the United States missile cruiser Vincennes shot down a civilian airbus operated by Air Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. All 290 passengers and crew were killed, including 66 children, but the United States has never apologised.

• In 2003, George Bush invaded Iraq as part of his War on Terror. This destroyed Sunni power in Iraq. This event more than other has strengthened the hand of Iran in the Middle East, as Iraq is now ruled by a government that is sympathetic to Iran.

• The United States has imposed further sanctions against Iran to prevent it from building a nuclear power station and enriching uranium, even though it is entitled to do so under Nuclear Proliferation Treaty, a treaty that the US has refused to sign.

• The United has parked a couple of carrier groups in the Indian ocean, just off the coast of Iran. If another nation, did this off the coast of the United States it would perceived as a threat.

• American congressmen love passing resolutions condemning Iran. These votes have little to do with diplomatic negotiations and are purely a tool for congressmen to prove to their electors that they are tough on the ememies of America. It is almost as if they know that the Bible says that Iran will become their empire's stumbling block, and are trying to take preemptive action.

Each of these actions has increased the hostility and mistrust towards the American government. Most of them have strengthened the power of hard-line leaders in Iran. When a nation is being bullied by a powerful enemy, it is easy for unscrupulous leaders to keep their people under control.

In 1978, I wrote the following words in the Gore Ensign, a local newspaper.

Daniel saw a ruler in Iran, who would become great and do just as he pleases… More interesting still, Daniel says that no nation would be able to "rescue from his power"… He saw the ruler of expanding his power to the west, the north and the south. To the West of Iran is the nation of Iraq, and to the south is the state of Saudi Arabia. These nations could fall under Iranian power by an expansion of the Islamic revolution or by military conquest… This would give the ruler of Iran control of one third of the Western world’s oil supplies.

This seemed to be impossible way back then. However, the mistakes of successive American presidents seem to be making it a reality. Iran already has a strong influence to the north in Syria and Lebanon. That should not be possible, because they belong to the Sunni stream of Islam, but US policies have forced these traditional enemies together. Iran now has a strong influence in Iraq to the west.

Although Saudi Arabia has a significant Shiite minority, the US has armed it to the teeth. This huge stash of American weapons will be handy when the Saudi Arabian domino falls in the direction of Iran. Just like the weapons American had supplied to the Shah of Iran, because he was their man.

The United States policy on Iran will eventually backfire. It is assisting Iran by imposing sanctions that restrict exports of oil and gas. It is forcing Iran to retain its oil and gas, when other Middle Eastern nations are running down their reserves. This is doing them a favour, because it forcing Iran to save oil and gas for the future when it will be more valuable. When oil is a really scarce resource, Iran will be more powerful, because it will be holding greater reserves at a time when they are increasing in economic and strategic value.

Daniel saw the Prince of Persia (a spiritual entity) moving toward the west, the north and the south.

I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great (Dan 8:4)

Iran has already had success in the North and West. It has won the struggle for Iraq. Syria is not that relevant, because it has no oil. The US and the UK are trying to make a big deal of Syria, and portray it as a defeat for Iran but that is because they are trying to make the best of bad job in Iraq.

The next big deal is the Prince of Persia pushing to the south towards the Gulf monarchies and Saudi Arabia. This is where we should be looking, if we want to understand events in the Middle East.