A heavyset man in a brown gown stepped forward, announced he was Iraqi and fingered through the American passport he had confiscated.

"'We know all American journalists are spies. Now tell us what you are doing here and who you are spying for,' he said in English before going on to accuse the U.S. of the destruction of Iraq and Afghanistan.

"'I really want to cut your head off right now,' he added, telling his men, many of whom appeared to have North African accents, that this American kills Muslims.

"With the intervention of nearby villagers, the confrontation eventually was defused. But it underscored the unpredictable element that foreign fighters bring to the Syrian conflict" ("Extremists Showing Up on the Front Lines in Syria," Sept. 19, 2012).

This account reinforces what most geopolitical aficionados understand, although the mainstream media ignores or slants this kind of story to support their liberal leanings. The fact is that Islamic extremists are rigorously promoting their own agendas, particularly in Syria at the moment, hoping that they might gain the hegemony in the Middle East.

The Bible in Psalm 83 reveals the coming rise of a confederation of Muslim nations in the Middle East opposed to Israel. It seems that they will come under a single powerful ruler referred to in Daniel 11:40 as the final appearance of "the king of the South"—possibly a new caliph over a restored Muslim caliphate (restoration of the caliphate is a major goal of Al Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood). See our Bible study aid The Middle East in Prophecy to learn more. (Source: Associated Press.)