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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, April 25, 1980
Page 10
I doubt if there is another person in the world who could gather
that information together and give us insight as to what the future
will be like. Knowing the Bible from start to finish as Dr. Arm
strong does he gives us scripture to back every statement.
--Marv A. (Birminqham, AL)
ON THE WORLD SCENE
U.S. RESCUE EFFORT FAILS! Just as we go to press comes the startling
news of the abortive attempt to rescue the fifty American hostages in
Iran. The dangerous mission had to be terminated when three of the eight
helicopters assigned to the task malfunctioned, leaving one less than
necessary to proceed to the embassy compound from the staging ground 200
miles from Teheran. The mission, Secretary of Defense Harold Brown said,
had been planned and practiced since January. No American allies had been
informed of the rescue attempt beforehand, Brown added.
President Carter termed the operation a humanitarian effort, not a
military attack. Iranians, jubilant over the U.S� failure, can't see it
that way.
Had the operation succeeded, even at the cost of the lives of some of
the hostages, U.S. honor could have been salvaged in the six-month old
crisis. But succeed it didn't, even though the helicopters had been able
to fly 500 miles over Iranian airspace under cover of night virtually
undetected. The attempt fell one helicopter short. It is obvious God
is no longer fighting America's battles!
The reaction among America's allies in Europe is one of dismay, even
anger. The Common Market countries had agreed to step up sanctions
against Iran, even a full embargo by May 17. They claim, however, that
they undertook this policy in order to forestall U.S. military action.
Now they are left holding an empty bag. The NATO alliance has suffered
a severe blow.
The fact that both America, Europe and Japan seemed to be solidly com
mitted to diplomatic and economic pressure against Iran, shows that the
element of surprise was definitely in America's favor in this attempt.
It couldllave succeeded, had God been on America's side.
Of course, by the time you receive this issue of the Pastor General's
Report, many more details will have come to light regarding this sur
prising development.
--Gene H. Hogberg, News Bureau