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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and 39 advisors and security guards were scheduled to have arrived in New York City early Saturday to claim he's a man of peace and persuade the United Nations Security Council not to impose new economic sanctions related to Iran's illegal nuclear program.

But now new crisis is rapidly developing in the Persian Gulf. The BBC is reporting that "fifteen British Navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces. The men were seized at 1030 local time when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was smuggling cars". The BBC is further reporting that "Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett has summoned the Iranian ambassador in London to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in an attempt to get the men released as quickly as possible."

The network notes that "the incident comes as British Army Colonel Justin Masherevski, who is based in Iraq, says most of the violence against UK forces in Basra is being engineered by Iranian elements. Col Masherevski said Iran was providing 'sophisticated weaponry' to insurgents and 'Iranian agents' were paying local men to attack British troops."

Sky News is reporting that "the men, from the Type 22 frigate HMS Cornwall, were seized in the Shatt Al Arab waterway. The Royal Navy insists they were operating in Iraqi waters and not Iranian territory."

According to CNN: "British naval officials said the sailors, using small boarding craft, had completed an inspection of a merchant vessel in Iraqi waters when the Iranians arrived. Commodore Nick Lambert, commander of the HMS Cornwall -- the frigate from which the British patrol had been deployed -- said the incident did not involve fighting or use of weapons."

Meanwhile, the Jerusalem Post is reporting that "several foreign embassies in Teheran are updating their emergency evacuation plans should a Western or Israeli attack on Iran occur. According to foreign sources, foreign diplomats believe a possible attack would take place before the end of 2007. By that time, Iran might have enough enriched uranium to cause a humanitarian and environmental catastrophe from radioactive fallout should its nuclear facilities be damaged or destroyed in an attack. Embassies in all countries generally have evacuation plans for their staff, but foreign sources describe the general atmosphere in Iran as one of heightened preparedness."

Amidst such developments, evangelical Christians are making the Iran issue a top priority. As I recently mentioned, Dr. James Dobson is developing a week-long series of programs on Iran, the threat of radical Islam and how evangelical Christians should view this threat through the "Third Lens" of Scripture. On March 5th, I had lunch at Focus on the Family with Dr. Dobson, Focus president Jim Daly, and their senior staff.

Dobson -- who recently met with President Bush at the White House with a group of other evangelical leaders to discuss Iran, Iraq and the War on Terror -- told me he believes the threat of radical Islam "is the most important issue" he's ever dealt with at Focus. If jihadists can destroy American cities with nuclear, chemical or biological weapons and threaten the safety and security of American families, he told me, that trumps every other issue he writes or speaks about.

We taped two radio programs based on the research I had done for Epicenter. I've been told these two programs are currently scheduled to air on April 16th and 17th, but that is subject to change and I'll let you know for certain as we get closer.

Internationally-renowned Bible teacher Kay Arthur is also making the Iran threat a major focus. Several weeks ago, she invited me to teach two seminars (about 700 people total) on the prophecies of Ezekiel 38 & 39 in light of current events. She and I also taped five television programs and five radio programs that will be airing this spring (details to come).

What's more, Dan Gilgoff, a senior writer for U.S. News & World Report, is working on a story about how the issue of Iran and radical Islam and how GOP presidential contenders plan to deal with these threats could become the new defining issue for conservative and/or evangelical voters in the 2008 Republican primaries.

Gilgoff recently interviewed me for his story. I told him tax cuts, the sanctity of human life, and the defense of traditional marriage will still be critically important issues for social conservatives. But so will the defense of Judeo-Christian civilization; the protection of the American homeland from those who would seek to wipe us out; valuing and supporting our troops and not cutting and running on them in the midst of this global war with radical Islam; and standing with Israel by defending our most faithful pro-American and democrdatic ally in the Middle East.

GOP voters are going to be looking very carefully at where candidates stand on the issue of radical Islam, their experience in dealing on the world stage, and their plan for neutralizing the Iranian threat and winning in Iraq and Afghanistan. I also noted that the man who could most influence the outcome of the 2008 GOP primaries might not be President George W. Bush but Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

CNN's Glenn Beck, meanwhile, is also making the Iranian issue a top priority. Beck will be interviewing Tim LaHaye, Jerry Jenkins and me next Friday for a one-hour special on the Iranian threat, the Ezekiel prophecies and the signs of the End Times. Not yet sure when that will air, but will let you know soon. CRO

copyright 2007 - Joel Rosenberg

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