The New Yorker article describes some details from a Pentagon report: “A forensic examiner found that he (the prisoner) had essentially been crucified; he died from asphyxiation after having been hung by his arms, in a hood, and suffering broken ribs…Military pathologists classified the case a homicide.” What’s the main difference between the kind of crucifixion the Iraqi prisoner experienced and the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in ancient Rome? Jesus had a trial.
The details of the article were obtained through a Freedom of Information lawsuit which included 44 death reports. According to the ACLU “This covers just a fraction of the total number of Iraqis and Afghanis who have died while in U.S. custody.” Mayer also points out: “No criminal charges have ever been brought against any C.I.A. officer involved in the torture program, despite the fact that at least three prisoners interrogated by agency personnel died as a result of mistreatment.”
The brutality in these secret prisons seems shocking on the one hand, but, then again, it doesn’t seem so shocking considering society's general loss of moral consciousness and the complete disconnect between the principles the US once stood for and where it is now. This morning I had an opportunity to speak to a group of Ukrainian English teachers in my wife’s institue. They asked me some of the differences between schools in Ukraine and schools in the US. One of the main differences I pointed out is that in Ukraine you can express your opinion. As a teacher, you can say "I believe God created the universe," but in America, which was founded upon ideals of freedom and democracy, teachers often lose their jobs for simply expressing their opinions while students often end up with failing grades for doing the same. Film “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” documents this reality clearly.
So where is the world headed? The Bible spelled it all out in the book of Daniel. It’s a long story, but basically the king of Babylon had a dream of a statue that was made up of four different metals with clay mixed into the feet. Daniel interpreted the dream as a representation of four sequential world kingdoms. To cut to the chase, the fourth kingdom was represented by the legs and feet of the statue. Here’s a description:
“And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.” (Dan 2.40 NKJV) This iron kingdom represents the Roman Empire which was incredibly powerful at the height of its power around the II Century AD. The text continues
“Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.” (V41) The Roman Empire weakened through internal corruption and eventually divided into the Eastern and Western branches, like the two legs of the statue. But, unlike the other three kingdoms, the Roman Empire was not defeated by one specific enemy. Its decline is truly a mystery. Professor Alexander Demandt published a collection of 210 theories on why Rome fell. Historian Edward Gibbon concluded that the Eastern Roman Empire was still going on strong until the Fall of Constantinople on May 29, 1453. This would give it a smooth transition and overlap with contemporary Western civilization. So where does that put us today?
According to the interpretation by Daniel, the feet of clay and ten toes mark the final stage of the same kingdom before Christ returns.
Daniel 7:23-25 and
Revelation 17.12 further describe
“ten horns” and
“ten kings.” Does that refer specifically to anything in modern history? Consider that In 1973, a report by the Club of Rome entitled “Regionalized and Adaptive Model of the Global World System” divided the world into ten regions. So what is the Club of Rome and the purpose of the ten regions? The Club of Rome was officially formed in 1968 by leaders in various fields to create a solution to the limited resources of the world. The ten regions were defined as a means for political and economic governance. The European Union and the plan for the North American Union coincide with this agenda. In 1976, they published “RIO: Reshaping the International Order” which calls for the redistribution of wealth, among other things.
A new paradigm is unfolding that is very different from the world your father grew up in. In their 1972 book “the Limits to Growth,” the Club outlined the issue of world population growth but also outlined the desire to circumvent the democratic political process: “The Club of Rome also will encourage the creation of a world forum where statesmen, policy-makers, and scientists can discuss the dangers and hopes for the future global system
without the constraints of formal intergovernmental negotiation." (Italics added)
Long before the Club of Rome even existed, groups and organizations have been planning how to circumvent the democratic process and establish their aim of world government. The United Nations with its Agenda 21, the Bilderberg Group, the Trilateral Commission, and the Counsel on Foreign Relations, are a few examples. President George Bush circumvented the democratic process when he met secretly with the leaders of Canada and Mexico in 2005 towards the creation of the North American Union.
The writing on the wall is getting clearer and clearer each day. It's obvious that free market capitalism and democracy are on the way out. A recent proposal to simply audit the Federal Reserve and see what’s going on was met with horror from Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke who threatened that results would be
“highly destructive.” Why is that? Are the books not in order? It may have something to do with the very nature of the Fed's operations. The chief architect of the Federal Reserve, J. Paul Warburg, is on record as stating before the US Senate in 1950: “We shall have World Government, whether or not ... The only question is whether World Government will be achieved
by conquest or consent.” Well, it looks like its going to be door number one, “
conquest!” So the Fed considers itself above accountability. Who else does? Obviously the C.I.A. does. There is no reason to believe that brutality in secret prisons will not continue. What about the office of the president? With increasing evidence of complicity regarding 9-11-01, is there any possibility of seeing an unobstructed investigation into the truth? It seems doubtful. As the New World Order is entering its seminal phase, the US seems to be entering its final phase. It’s pretty sad. You can see many of the examples
at this link: Like the prison suspect in Iraq, free market capitalism and democracy are being slowly crucified. For appearance sake, it would be best if the death appeared natural, but really, all you have to do is look at the details. Is there any good news at all in this artcile, you may be wondering? Well, life will be a lot easier because the whole world will use the metric system. And if you survive the population reduction then you'll probably have a free medical plan. No, that's not the good news. The good news is the cross of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote:
"But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." (Gal 6.4) The crucifixion of Jesus Christ was one of the main focuses of his life. It is because the cross is the means by which we may pass from spiritual death to spiritual life. If you sincerely believe that Christ died for your sins on the cross, as the gospel declares, there's nothing stopping you from receiving His gift of forgiveness and eternal life through His Holy Spirit. Daniel went on to describe the establishment of God's kingdom:
“And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.” (Dan 2.44). After writing the article, someone asked me to define what exactlly a death by crucifixion means and I thnk it's a good question. The professional forensic examiner assessed the Iraqi prisoner's death as a "crucifixion" stating: “... he died from asphyxiation after having been hung by his arms, in a hood, and suffering broken ribs…" The actual cause of death in a crucifixion is usually asphyxiation, a lack of breath. As the body hangs from its arms, it becomes impossible to inhale and exhale. The Romans placed a small wooden platform beneath the person's feet in order to stand once in a while and catch a breath. When the person became too exhausted to stand, there would be a lack of oxygen and death. Webster's Dictionary's second definition of crucifixion states: "The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross." Nails are not necessary. There's no video evidence of exactly how the Iraqi prisoner was hung. But the main attributes of one who has been crucified are not nail holes but evidences of being hung by the arms and dying from a slow and prolonged process of asphyxiation. This was the "state" the prisoner was found in. The photo on the right seems more like some kind of electric shock treatment but is one graphic example of what has been going on in the Iraqi prisons.
Call me an “extremist,” but something seems a little off to me. According to documents recently released from the Pentagon, the C.I.A. is now in the crucifixion business. Of all the big name magazines, The New Yorker was the only publisher to cover the story and it was buried back on page 6 of the June 22nd issue. On the web, Time Magazine had described how a tortured prisoner, "the Iceman" was kept frozen "in order to hide the true circumstances of his dying." L.A. Times also covered many of the prison abuse cases ending in death. I love what America once stood for, but I'm saddened by the direction my country is headed in and the same for society in general. 
After writing the article, someone asked me to define what exactlly a death by crucifixion means and I thnk it's a good question. The professional forensic examiner assessed the Iraqi prisoner's death as a "crucifixion" stating: “... he died from asphyxiation after having been hung by his arms, in a hood, and suffering broken ribs…" The actual cause of death in a crucifixion is usually asphyxiation, a lack of breath. As the body hangs from its arms, it becomes impossible to inhale and exhale. The Romans placed a small wooden platform beneath the person's feet in order to stand once in a while and catch a breath. When the person became too exhausted to stand, there would be a lack of oxygen and death. Webster's Dictionary's second definition of crucifixion states: "The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross." Nails are not necessary. There's no video evidence of exactly how the Iraqi prisoner was hung. But the main attributes of one who has been crucified are not nail holes but evidences of being hung by the arms and dying from a slow and prolonged process of asphyxiation. This was the "state" the prisoner was found in. The photo on the right seems more like some kind of electric shock treatment but is one graphic example of what has been going on in the Iraqi prisons.Do you believe torture, or "enhanced interrogation techniques" resulting in prisoner deaths without trials are justified? Do you believe that America is disconnected from what it once stood for, things like, truth, justice, freedom and democracy? Do you see the decline of America in any way related to the rise of the New World Order? Do these types of things make you more hopeful for Christ's return?
Comments (19)
Wow...brilliantly written and very true.
I often when "beheading" will be social acceptable according to the prophecy.
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them,
I sawand judgment was given unto them: and
the souls of them that were
beheadedfor the witnessof Jesus, and for the word of God
, and
which hadnot worshipped the beast
, neither his image, neither had received
his
Revelation 20:4.mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years."
Patiently awaiting His return. I first learned about it back in 1974. Seems like yesterday.
I hope you and others really DON'T believe this story. It was written by Sherwood Ross who works for the "Anti-War News Agency". Yeah, no agenda there.
It's bad enough The New Yorker decided to give it a venue, but I expect bad judgement from them.
@LifeNeedsProtection - It's amazing, isn't it, how society's perceptions of right and wrong change depending on which way the wind is blowing. @SwordAndSacrifice - So that's proof it's not true? Because someone has an opinion about the government? The actual Pentagon report documents mean nothing? The ACLU, which lives to battle in the courtroom, where every single word has weight, is just over exaggerating? Somehow, you'll need to do better than that. There's no reason to doubt the official report or the magazine which covered it. If The New Yorker was lying you know they would be sued. Operation Northwoods was a much more sinister plan and is fully documented with declassified material. Do you believe Operation Northwoods was a fairy tale?
@SwordAndSacrifice - Ross also cited Hendren in the L.A. Times: Hendren reported that one Manadel Jamadi died “of blunt-force injuries” complicated by “compromised respiration” at Abu Ghraib prison “while he was with Navy SEALs and other special operations troops.” Another victim, Abdul Jaleel, died while gagged and shackled to a cell door with his hands over his head.” Yet another prisoner, Maj. Gen. Abid Mowhosh, former commander of Iraq’s air defenses, “died of asphyxiation due to smothering and chest compression” in Qaim, Iraq. Time Magazine online also has been following this lead since 2005. I believe there will be more news coming out on this theme.
@templestream - Define "crucifixion".
@SwordAndSacrifice - Good question: "What exactly is a death by crucifixion?" The professional forensic examiner assessed the death as a "crucifixion" and I agree. I wrote more above as an addenda to the article.
@templestream - See, that's funny. Because myself and most of the English-speaking public, as well as the Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, define the word as follows:
Cru`ci*fix"ion\ (kr*`s*-f*k"sh*n), n. 1. The act of nailing or fastening a person to a cross, for the purpose of putting him to death; the use of the cross as a method of capital punishment.
2. The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross.
If one has to redefine one's terms to make a point, one's point isn't very sound to begin with.
Yes, I'm in agreement with Webster's dictionary. Thanks for pointing out that definition. I added it to the article in the addenda and I think it helps the overall content. It seems like the second definition is the probable cause of death: "2. The state of one who is nailed or fastened to a cross; death upon a cross." (key words: "state of one")
According to the Webster's Dictionary, the definition of the word “state” in this context means “The way something is with respect to its main attributes; "the current state of knowledge"; "his state of health"; "in a weak financial state". The "main attributes" of the prisoner’s corpse match the "main attributes" of one who has been crucified. The main attribute of this type of death is not nail holes, it's asphyxiation. It would be nice if the agent(s)/soldier(s) who contributed to the broken ribs and asphyxiation could be asked specifically how these things occurred. Was there a wooden cross on a hill by the prison camp? Was there a door beam available to hang the prisoner from? Unfortunately, all that is available is the corpse, which points to a slow and painful death by asphyxiation.
It seems that you may have missed the main point of the article. It has to do with the condition of society and the loss of moral consciousness. The death process of the prisoner was not video taped but the the result points to a slow and painful death by crucifixion. The fact he never had a trial is the main travesty of justice. The fact that he is one of many compounds the injustice. There are many cases of abuse an wrongful death in the prisons with no trial. When I was growing up it was always "the bad guys" who tortured prisoners, The Nazis, the Japanese, the Communists, etc. but now that my own country is doing it, it kind of disgusts me. It's becoming a different world, not democratic, not free and very similar to the characteristics the Bible describes as the signs of the times before the rapture and return of Christ.
Maybe you feel torture and deaths without trials are justified? I'd like to know your opinion on that. And you still didn't answer my previous question: Do you believe Operation Northwoods was a fairy tale?
@templestream - I didn't miss the point of the article. You made its point very clear. And I believe I've made mine.
Also, as a sidenote, that act of simply printing a lie does not mean the publisher or author will necessarily be sued. I think we all know better than to make such a universal assertion.
I don't recall the article you posted mentioning anything about "Operation Northwoods". Did I miss it?
@SwordAndSacrifice 1) Printing a known lie about certain people and in certain situations makes a lawsuit, or serious problems, very likely- Slandering a controversial public celebrity is relatively safe. However, since 9-11, criticizing the government has become more and more risky. People and media organizations who criticize the government are now labeled "low level terrorists." This is applies to all forms of news including the web http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4655196.stm That's why you see companies more and more hesitant to criticize the government.
Rumsfeld has stated: "some of the most critical battles may not be in the mountains of Afghanistan or the streets of Iraq, but in newsrooms - in places like New York, London, Cairo, and elsewhere." "According to Jim Naureckas, editor of Extra!, a magazine put out by the media watchdog group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), "They see the mutilation of information that reaches the public as a key part of their war strategy, and I think that is a very dangerous way for the military to be looking at their job in a democracy." http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32246
Operation Mockingbird, the government's documented manipulation of the media, has been going on since the late 40's http://nationalexpositor.com/News/215.html
Sadly, Obama's attitude towards objective journalism is no different: http://www.infowars.com/obama-appointee-wants-soviet-styled-media/
Additionally, printing a lie regarding a person who is unknown (such as a soldier) but who becomes famous through media and slander, is a libel suit waiting to happen. See Hutchinson v. Proxmire - "The Court found that the scientist's notoriety arose strictly from Proxmire's libelous statements about him and his research." http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Libel+and+Slander
2) I asked you about Operation Northwoods in my reply July 2nd above.
@templestream - "1) Printing a known lie about certain people and in certain situations makes a lawsuit, or serious problems, very likely . . ."
I think we would disagree on the actual "likelihood" of a lawsuit based upon printing untruths. There are many things to be considered about a printed lie before litigation begins, including the intent of the publisher.
"2) I asked you about Operation Northwoods in my reply July 2nd above."
I know you did. And, as I said, you didn't mention it in the article you posted. Therefore, I was not - and am not - prepared to comment upon it; only upon what you posted. That was the sole scope of my entry into this discussion and it the limit of what I shall be willing to discuss.
You are utlizing a rhetorical tactic called misdirection. It is typically not a tool used by individuals who are defending a strong position.
@SwordAndSacrifice - That's ok, your desire not to answer the question about Northwoods speaks volumes. I'm not a lawyer but I thinks it's pretty common knowledge that lawyers ask questions to establish the character of a client in order to show that a crime is "out of character" with regard to the norm. There are countless examples on the web. Here's one: "The defense must establish good character on the part of the defendant." The opposite is also true. Showing historical examples of complicity in crimes is not at all "misdirection." The CIA operates above the law, that's one of the main points of the article.
Did you consider my second question "misdirection" also? You didn't answer that one either: "Maybe you feel torture and deaths without trials are justified?" Maybe I should rephrase it: "Do you feel that deaths of Iraqi prisoners caused by the prison abuse of US government soldiers and agents as revealed in Pentagon reports are justified?"
@templestream - I wasn't aware that I was the target of the post or the follow-up discussion. If that is the case, it is again an example of misdirection.
I don't acknowledge that the deaths described in the original post occurred as reported. Does that answer your question?
You seem to trust the United States government when its accounts and descriptions fit your agenda and discard them when they run counter to it.
Please be careful in this as it calls into question all evidence you would present.
@SwordAndSacrifice - Personally, I would tend to believe the reports by the Pentagon are true because people are not likely to offer information that is self condemning. Also, the documents were not voluntarily presented but obtained by a “Freedom of Information lawsuit.” Disinformation is usually voluntarily presented and would tend to put the presenter in a good light.
You wrote you feel you are “the target of the post.” There is no target in my post. I can see how you may have been offended if you support the US government no matter what they do. I love America and what it has stood for and for this reason it is painful to see what it is fast becoming. Your desire not to answer my questions is a sign that your affiliation to your idea of America may be more important to you than your affiliation to justice and principles that made America great. This is a sign of the great disconnect I mentioned in the article between what America once stood for and what it has become. Unfortunately, many people blindly follow government causes and parties without taking the time to consider what is actually just and unjust. It's a sign of the loss of moral consciousness
Suppose there was proof, by your standards, that the Pentagon reports were in fact true and it was proven that abuse, not self defense, by soldiers and/or CIA agents caused the deaths of multiple prisoners. In that situation, do you feel that deaths of Iraqi prisoners caused by the prison abuse of US government soldiers and agents as revealed in Pentagon reports are justified? It's a simple yes/no question.
Titus 3.9 says "avoid foolish...contentions." I have asked a few questions which I feel are valid and apply to the topic at hand. If you still don't want to answer them, it's probably time for you to move along.
@templestream - Point taken.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” …written in a letter from a prison in Birmingham, Alabama, April 16, 1963, by someone who I believe understood what it means to be a true American, Martin Luther King. I wish our current president shared his convictions.
hmmm, so do you consider "free market capitalism" to be one and the same in level of virtue with democracy (which, btw, cs lewis pointed out was not virtuous simply by the fact that it was based on the desires of many sinners rather than the desires of one, as in monarchy :). do you think the market should be ENTIRELY unregulated?
@benjamin morrison - Hey Ben, That's a good point by Lewis that a democracy is only as good as its people. We're all sinners, but a society can either deal with the issue in a positive way or do things to make it worse. I believe the Founding Fathers totally understood that, as is shown by their quotes. The Wallbuilders site has many such examples. Democracy is a government by the people and for the people. When the interests of a ruling class control the economy, whether by corruption or by political design, I don't think it is the best solution for the people. I believe that a strong and functioning democracy without serious corruption should be able to regulate abuses by the market and protect the environment.
Many influential people and organizations are on record as saying they want to destroy capitalism. But that is not the end in itself. The desire is to replace it with a humanistic (God not tolerated in society) non-democratic world government that will seriously limit human rights. To me, the greatest losses will be the losses of free speech and the freedom of religion. Compare the way the US school and government systems are today with they way they were 50 years ago and you'll see that these two freedoms have lost a lot of ground. The documentary "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" gives a clear picture of how bad things are. Have you seen that one?
This quote by George Orwell seems appropriate for this article: "The nationalist not only does not disapprove of atrocities committed by his own side, but he has a remarkable capacity for not even hearing about them."