Latest Prophecy Commentary
US-Poland missile shield deal seen aimed at Russia; Russia: Poland risks attack because of US missiles; Russia: U.S. Missiles in Poland Won't Go Unpunished
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said
Friday he signed a cease-fire accord that orders Russian troops to withdraw from
his country, calling the Russians barbarians who had been plotting for months to
invade and occupy his country's sovereign soil.
The Georgian leader told a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice on Friday that his country would never be reconciled to losing
any of its territory to Russia. He also criticized the muted reaction by
European nations to the build up.
The U.S. and its allies had been pushing for Russia to agree
to restore the situation in Georgia to the status quo ante, or how it stood
before Georgian troops moved into South Ossetia last week prompting Russia's
severe response and seven days of bloodshed.
Now they have been forced to back down on the key issues of the mandate of
Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia, which did not previously include outside
patrols, and the territorial integrity question, which Russia ostensibly
accepted before but no longer does.
U.S. officials concede the agreement is not perfect but maintain it will get
Russian combat troops out of Georgia, hopefully in a matter of days.
In addition to the cease-fire document, Rice brought with her
a letter signed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy that clarifies the special
security measures that Russian peacekeepers will be allowed to take on Georgian
soil, officials said.
Sarkozy welcomed Georgia's signature of the ceasefire accord ending the
hostilities with Russia and said the way was clear for a UN Security Council
resolution to end the crisis. Haaretz.com
The short, sharp lesson that Russian tanks handed to the Georgians this week will have serious consequences in the Middle East.
First, it means that the Russians are back as pivotal players in the region, with the political will and the military capability to play once more in the game of nations south of the Caucasus mountain chain. That in turn means that Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Georgia, are at immediate risk of becoming client states.
It also means that Turkey and Iran will have to factor the Kremlin back into all their diplomatic calculations as a regional great power with vital interests, just as they did before the collapse of the Soviet Union. And the former Soviet republics of Central Asia would be advised to take the fate of Georgia as a warning to those who think the Kremlin can be defied with impunity.
Second, it means that Russia is once more within striking distance of controlling all the export routes for the oil and gas of the Caspian basin. That was the monopoly (that at times felt more like a stranglehold) that the Georgia-Turkey pipeline, carrying Azerbaijani oil from Baku to Ceyhan in Turkey, was intended to break.
The ability of the Georgians to protect and secure that pipeline is now clearly in question, and proposals to extend and increase the capacity of the pipeline will now have to be reconsidered. ME Times
As bad as the bloodying of Georgia is, the broader consequences are worse. The United States fiddled while Georgia burned, not even reaching the right rhetorical level in its public statements until three days after the Russian invasion began, and not, at least to date, matching its rhetoric with anything even approximating decisive action. This pattern is the very definition of a paper tiger. Sending Secretary of State Condeleezza Rice to Tbilisi is touching, but hardly reassuring; dispatching humanitarian assistance is nothing more than we would have done if Georgia had been hit by a natural rather than a man-made disaster.
The European Union took the lead in diplomacy, with results approaching Neville Chamberlain’s moment in the spotlight at Munich: a ceasefire that failed to mention Georgia’s territorial integrity, and that all but gave Russia permission to continue its military operations as a “peacekeeping” force anywhere in Georgia. More troubling, over the long term, was that the EU saw its task as being mediator – its favourite role in the world – between Georgia and Russia, rather than an advocate for the victim of aggression. Telegraph.co.uk
Analysis
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said Friday, after signing a
cease-fire peace agreement, that he believes Russia had been planning this
invasion (of Georgia) for months. That doesn't surprise me one bit, in
fact, it's really kind of expected. Certainly, Prime Minister Putin and
his puppet president Dmitri Medvedev, are no angels, but making backroom deals
with former Soviet states (Poland, Georgia, Ukraine, etc.), as the US has, is
asking for trouble. And the way things are shaping up, the trouble may be
more serious than anyone can imagine.
I'm sure, to the casual reader, most feel this flare up will in time take care of itself. I'm not so sure that will be the case. Yesterday, Poland confirmed that they had gone ahead and signed a controversial missile shield deal with the US. Russia's response to the deal was negative and vowed that Poland's decision would not and "cannot go unpunished".
"In initial reaction from Russia, the parliamentary foreign affairs committee chairman Konstantin Kosachev was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying the agreement will spark 'a real rise in tensions in Russian-American relations.' He also said the plan targets Russia — a claim strongly denied by Washington." The Independent
I'm actually a little surprised that Poland would go ahead and sign a defense deal with the US after this week's Russian show of force against Georgia...especially after the poor US response of sending humanitarian aid and issuing a weak Russian rebuke. Russia has sent a strong message that they are calling the shots in the region and will continue to do so in their timing. Not only is Russia not in any hurry to leave Georgia, Russian President Medvedev said that they can forget about the breakaway provinces of Ossetia and Abkhazia as well. Georgian President Saakashvili says that they will never be able to accept the loss of these two provinces, but frankly, I see no other alternative.
The end result of this conflict, the US was left with a black eye and will be seen as an unreliable ally when other so-called alliances fall apart. Look for Poland or any other country who signs a defense deal with the US to fold up their tents quickly if Russia begins amassing troops on their border.
So what does all this mean for this part of the world and the Middle East?
"First, it means that the Russians are back as pivotal players in the region, with the political will and the military capability to play once more in the game of nations south of the Caucasus mountain chain. That in turn means that Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Georgia, are at immediate risk of becoming client states."
"It also means that Turkey and Iran will have to factor the Kremlin back into all their diplomatic calculations as a regional great power with vital interests, just as they did before the collapse of the Soviet Union. And the former Soviet republics of Central Asia would be advised to take the fate of Georgia as a warning to those who think the Kremlin can be defied with impunity."
"Second, it means that Russia is once more within striking distance of controlling all the export routes for the oil and gas of the Caspian basin. That was the monopoly (that at times felt more like a stranglehold) that the Georgia-Turkey pipeline, carrying Azerbaijani oil from Baku to Ceyhan in Turkey, was intended to break."
"The ability of the Georgians to protect and secure that pipeline is now clearly in question, and proposals to extend and increase the capacity of the pipeline will now have to be reconsidered." ME Times
This likely sets the stage for the future Russian-Islamic attack against Israel in the near future. With the US entangled in two wars of their own, don't look for President Bush or the next president to be in any hurry to take on a world power such as Russia...that would be disastrous and politically suicidal. But on the other hand, something is going to spark the world war described in Revelation chapter six that will claim one-quarter of the world's population. Could this be the spark that quickly ignites into an uncontrolled fire that consumes the whole world?
Something that should be pointed out, when the Georgian-Russian conflict broke out, the US was nowhere to be found as a peacekeeper. With this being the case, it opened the door for the EU to take charge and act as peace broker between the two sides. With that being the case, French President Nicholas Sarkozy rushed to the region to play his role as international mediator. In Daniel 9:27, the Bible predicted that in the last days the revived Roman Empire would make peace with Israel and many other nations. This revived Roman Empire is believed by most to be the present day European Union (EU). It's ironic that they seem to be playing that exact roll of peacemaker in these last days.
Are you ready to meet the Lord? If not, your time is running out!
Terry Malone
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