World News and Trends: Digging a moat around Baghdad?
It appears that the Middle Ages moat has not gone out of style.
It appears that the Middle Ages moat has not gone out of style. "Iraqi security forces will dig trenches around Baghdad and set up checkpoints along all roads leading into the city to reduce some of the violence plaguing the capital" (USA Today, Sept. 15). While it doesn't appear there will be water in these trenches, the purpose is similar: to stop Islamic extremists from driving explosives-laden vehicles into Baghdad, then detonating them and killing dozens of innocent civilians.
The idea of these Islamic extremists is to create more terror; that's why they are called terrorists. The fighting focuses on the power struggle between Iraq's Shiite and Sunni Muslims. Both Arabic Islamic insurgents and Iran are behind this struggle for power in Iraq, for different reasons.
The Iranians would like to keep America and coalition forces bogged down in Iraq so Iran can continue to expand its influence throughout the Middle East. Of course, down the road Shiite-dominated Iran would like to link up with a new Shiite-dominated Iraq to form a new regional superpower capable of enforcing its will on the many oil-rich Sunni Muslim governments of the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Arabic Islamic insurgents are likely supported by both Iran and Syria in hopes of derailing the new Iraqi democratic government. Militant Islamic groups hate democracy, believing it would undermine their deep-seated religious beliefs and culture.
For now, in Baghdad, digging trenches around the city is necessary to slow down and stop the ruthless bloodshed. The jury is still out on whether such killings can be stopped. To better understand the bloodstained history of the Middle East and where it is leading, request or download your free copy of The Middle East in Bible Prophecy. (Source: USA Today.)
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Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
