Will the US forces withdraw from Iraq?
The Times (UK) reported yesterday that al-Qaeda activity in Iraq could delay the US military’s withdrawal from two major cities, putting a crimp in President Obama’s plan to have all troops out of Iraq by August, 2010.
Generally speaking, modern day Iraq is referenced by Mesopotamia and Babylon in Scripture, while Persia refers to Iran (Persia became Iran in 1932). There are some, however, who believe that Iraq is part of the Persia who joins with Russia to attack Israel in Ezekiel 38:5. This dates back to Mesopotamia being considered part of Persia prior to the Ottoman Empire in the late 13th century, at which time Iraq was annexed. The capital of Iraq, Baghdad, still uses its Persian name.
This theory is plausible. While historically the Iraqi’s have been at odds with the Persians because of the ruling Baathist political sect, Iraq is actually majority Shiite. Since the ouster of Saddam Hussein, the Shiites–who have strong ties to Iran–have ascended in power. The Iranians have been heavily involved with the Shiites for a long time, and they have ramped up their influence since Iraq embraced free elections.
It is very conceivable that if US troops depart from Iraq, the nation will become Iran, Jr. and join in the Russian-led march against Israel (Psalm 83:4-5; Ezekiel 38:16).
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