I want to take a few moments to share with you the difference God has made in my life.
Some of you may turn away from this page and that is your choice. I hope and pray that you will at least read what
I have to say.
First off, God has truely blessed me beyond anything that I deserve. I will be honest and tell you that I am making
more money now than I ever imagined. Obviously the money played a role in why I decided to accept this mission.
But money wasn't the only reason. I came here because I felt a desire to serve my country. Most importantly though
is I know that God brought me here for a reason, much more than money or adventure.
I am and will continue to be a sinner. I'm not perfect, never have been and never will be. I'm just a regular
guy. What I know is that God sent his son Jesus here to die for my sins and your sins. And not just our past sins
but our future sins. It amazes me why Jesus would be willing to die for someone like me.
It doesn't matter who you are or what sins you have committed in the past. God will forgive you for those sins.
God doesn't ask that we give up everything. Being a Christian is not about religion but instead it is about a relationship.
Living by God's Word is not that difficult. If you are truely a good person then perhaps you are already living by his
word. But that alone doesn't make you a Christian. You have to commit your life to God and commit to living by
his word.
When I first arrived here in Iraq I tried to deal with everything by myself. I was never a soldier. Suddenly
I was nearly 8,000 miles from home, away from my family and friends and surrounded by people I had never met. That alone
was a monumental task for me to overcome.
When I first arrived here in Baghdad I spent a total of 7 weeks living in a tent with 25 other guys. If you
don't think that is a challenge think again. It probably would have been easier if I had been a soldier
but I wasn't. So I spent my first 6 months here whining and complaining and feeling sorry for myself. My
poor wife had to listen time and time again to me complain when we talked by phone. Instead of talking about the things
we should have I spent most of my time griping about this or that. I missed my family and I missed all of
the things we take for granted back home like my own bed, clean water, green grass, etc. During this time I paid very
little attention to God.
Finally I went home on leave in December of 2006 after nearly 7 months in Iraq. I knew God was speaking to me but
I was too stubborn to listen. I thought I could handle everything by myself. After all, I spent 20+ years
as a police officer. I had already survived two roadside bombs. I had already been shot at by a sniper.
I had already lost two classmates who were killed in action.
After completing my vacation with my family I vowed to return to Iraq with a new and improved attitude.
The difference was I knew I could only achieve the inner peace I was searching for by asking God to take over.
What a difference that has made. I now realize that God has brought me here for a reason. I may not fully
understand that reason right now but I know that he wants me here. It's up to me now to develop the type of relationship
with God that I should have a long time ago.
Don't get me wrong. I still have my moments. I'm still a sinner. But I have asked God to take control
of my life. I still don't know why I have been spared while others have died but I know it's part of God's greater plan.
Who knows, maybe today is my last day. The Bible tells us that we will not live a day less or a day more than God has
already planned.
I'm scared every time I "go outside the wire." I'm not going to tell you how brave I am. I've seen a lot
of bad things here but I don't let my fear control me. I simply ask God to watch over me and my soldiers. I simply
pray that his will be done.
Instead of sitting around complaining I now spend time studying God's word. I have surrounded myself with a small
group of fellow Christians and I go to church and Bible study. I have an inner peace now that I never had before.
It is human nature to resist the urge lean on someone else for support. We want to be in control of every
aspect of our lives. We can't do it alone. God is there if you're just willing to tear down the wall and ask him
to come into your heart. You may have a great job and a great family, a nice house, car, boat or whatever. And
there's nothing wrong with that. But God has to be your first priority. And remember that God gave you the abilites
to get the things you have. I firmly believe our chosen occupations were not chosen by us but by God.
If you turn everything over to God then he will get you through the tough times. The most important thing to remember
is that we are not going to get to heaven just because we lived a good life. The only way to heaven is through Jesus
Christ. If you're struggling with something in your life give God a chance. You'll be surprised at what he can
do.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge my former pastor, Dr. Kevin Payne. He was the pastor of my church, Salem
Avenue Baptist Church in Rolla, MO for many years. He left our church not too long ago to accept a position as the Senior
Pastor of the First Baptist Church of Independence, Missouri. Kevin was there for me during some of the toughest times
in my life. Kevin, I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. I may not have realized it at the time but
Kevin was definitely a blessing along with everyone else at SABC. Our current interim Pastor is Jack Scudder.
If you are looking for a church I would invite you to visit Salem Avenue Baptist Church. You can visit their website
by clicking on the link below.
Thanks for listening. I pray that God will bless each and everyone of you and I pray that he will bless the men
and women of our military. God can do great things if he will just allow him to.
On this page I will share with you some of the history of Iraq and how it relates to the Bible. As you can see
by the title of my website, Iraq is the cradle of civilization. I hope you enjoy it.
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| My former Pastor, Dr Kevin Payne and wife Tammy |
Tradition holds that Adam, Noah, and Abraham all lived in the land that is now Iraq. The prophets Jonah and Daniel preached
here, and some of the Bible's most memorable scenes took place against the backdrop of the Babylonian Empire
Babylon:
Babylon (in Arabic: بابل; in Syriac: ܒܒܙܠ in Hebrew:בבל) was an ancient city in Mesopotamia (modern Al Hillah, Iraq), the ruins of which can be found in present-day Babil Province, about 50 miles (80 km) south of Baghdad.
It is a 4000-year-old city near the Euphrates River, rich with historical and biblical resonances. Babylon/Babel was the
capital of an empire hostile to the Hebrews; some of the most memorable scenes in the Bible reference it.
Archaeological excavations have revealed the foundation of a ziggurat (pyramid-like structure) that some say could
have been the Tower of Babel. Starting with the Tower and throughout the Bible, Babylon is often associated with idolatry
and corruption.
The Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who also built the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, drove the Israelites out of Canaan:
"Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and has taken the king thereof, and the princes thereof, and led them with
him to Babylon." Several prophets, including Isaiah and Ezekiel, alternately condemn Babylon for its tyranny or assert that
the exile is a just--if temporary--punishment for Israel's sins. The book of Jeremiah's powerful sermons inveigh against the
immorality of the city-state's inhabitants and its political goals. Psalm 137 describes the crushing sorrow of the exiles:
"By the waters of Babylon, we sat down and wept" (Psalm 137).
Influenced by the prophet Daniel, a Hebrew counselor and dream-interpreter in the Babylonian court, Nebuchadnezzar came
to believe that the god of the Hebrews was powerful. Chapter 5 of Daniel tells the story of the king's descendant Belshazzar
and the "handwriting on the wall."
The most mysterious references to Babylon are found in the Book of Revelation, which prophesies the destruction of the
immoral city-state: "Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come" (Revelation
18:10). Many scripture scholars believe that the book's baleful descriptions of Babylon actually refer to the Roman Empire,
which persecuted Christians in the first centuries after the death of Christ.
The archaeological site is six miles away from Iraq's Hilla chemical arsenal.
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| US Marines in front of the rebuilt ruins of Babylon (2003) |
Nineveh:
Nineveh is in what is now Mosul, Iraq which is located approximately 250 miles northwest of Baghdad.
Nineveh was an important city in ancient Assyria. This "exceeding great city", as it is called in the Book of Jonah, lay on the eastern bank of the Tigris in modern-day Mosul, Iraq. Ancient Nineveh's mound-ruins are located on a level part of the plain near the river within an 1800-acre area circumscribed
by a seven and one-half mile (12 km) brick-rampart. This whole extensive space is now one immense area of ruins.
Assyrian capital, now part of the Iraqi city of Mosul. Nineveh was the home of the Assyrian king Sennacherib, who laid
seige to Jerusalem.
According to the Bible, God called the prophet Jonah to "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for
their wickedness is come up before me" (Jonah 1:2). After resisting the call and being swallowed by a whale, Jonah eventually
went to the city to preach. To his surprise, the sinful Ninevites repented.
In the gospels of both Matthew and Luke, Jesus references this story and compares himself to a new Jonah: "The men of Nineveh
will arise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something
greater than Jonah is here."
Samarra:
Located approximately 125 kilometers northwest of Baghdad.
Ancient Islamic city, site of some of the earliest surviving Muslim architecture. Samarra's Great Mosque, built in 852,
was once the largest mosque in the Islamic world and is famed for its spiral minaret.
Shiite Muslims believe that their last and greatest leader, the mystical Twelfth Imam, disappeared here as a child but
will come again to save the world. Pilgrims visiting Samarra often pray for the return of this "Hidden" Imam.
At the invitation of the Pentagon, American archaeologists have provided military strategists with information on Samarra--and
other heritage sites--in the hopes of minimizing collateral damage. Samarra's mosque, palace, and tombs lie near one of Iraq's
main chemical plants
Karbala:
Located 100 kilometers southwest of Baghdad.
Site of Shi'ia Islam's most revered shrines. In 680, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad (Husayn ibn Ali) left Medina
to claim what many believed was his right: a position as Caliph of the region around Karbala. Yazid, son of the recently-deceased
Caliph, also claimed the title. Yazid met Husayn, his brother Abbas, and his followers as they journeyed through Karbala,
and massacred them. Many Shi'ias commemorate Imam Husayn's martyrdom by making a pilgrimage to the town.
A missile range near Karbala was bombed in 1991. Saddam Hussein named two missiles after the holy men and has described
the Al-Abbas missile as the "twin brother" of the Al-Husayn one.
Najaf:
Located 160 kilometers south of Baghdad.
Ancient Islamic capital and home to many Muslim shrines. Tradition holds that Noah's flood began here.
In the mid-600s, an Islamic leader shifted the headquarters of his empire from Medina to Kufa; the city became a great
center of learning and trade before being overshadowed by nearby Najaf.
City where Ali, the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, lived and is buried. His magnificent shrine is a pilgrimage destination
for Shiite Muslims and a starting point for the pilgrimage to Mecca. Visitors may also see the supposed grave of Adam, the
first man.
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| The Imm Al Mosque, an important shrine in Najaf |
Ur:
Home of the biblical patriarch Abraham, who is also a Muslim prophet. According to chapter 11 of Genesis, Abraham and Sarah
left Ur to go to Haran, and later--at God's bidding--continued towards the Promised Land.
Visitors to the "Abraham's birthplace" site can now see a reproduction of his house and can climb an enormous pyramid-like
structure called a ziggurat, a monument created by ancient Sumerians. Archaeologists believe that this ziggurat, which is
similar to others in modern-day Iraq, may have been the pattern for the biblical Tower of Babel. The ziggurat is pockmarked
by shrapnel from past British and American military action.
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| Ur seen across the Royal tombs, with the Great Ziggurat in the background, January 17, 2004 |
Qurna:
the "Garden of Eden"
Legendary site of the Garden of Eden. Qurna is located in a fertile region of Iraq where the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers meet. Genesis chapter 2 says, "A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and
became four rivers. The name of the first is Pishon; ...The name of the second river is Gihon; ...the name of the third river
is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates."
There have been a number of claims as to the actual geographic location of the Garden of Eden, though
many of these have little or no connection to the text of Genesis. Most put the Garden somewhere in the Middle East near Mesopotamia. Some theologians have claimed that the Garden never had a terrestrial
existence, but was instead an adjunct to heaven as it became identified with Paradise
Qurna is home to a gnarled old tree referred to as "Adam's tree," although no particular biblical tree
is specified. Palm groves and other trees in the area have been damaged in past conflicts; nearby Basra has been a target
in the current war.
Euphrates
River:
A river running through present-day Iraq, frequently referenced in scripture. Many ancient cities lie
along the Euphrates, including Babylon.
The river is mentioned by name at the very beginning and end of the Christian Bible. According to Genesis
2:14, the Euphrates was a branch of a river that flowed out of Eden.
In Genesis 15:18, God promises Abraham that his descendants will be given the land "from the river
of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates." This promise is renewed in Joshua 1:4.
During the Babylonian captivity, when the Israelites were exiled to the region of the Euphrates, the
foreign river became a symbol of sorrow: "By the waters of Babylon, we sat down and wept" (Psalm 137).
The New Testament's apocalyptic book of Revelation mentions the river by name several times. The cryptic
text speaks of "four angels bound at the great river Euphrates" whose release will bring about terror. In chapter 16, an angel
pours a bowl of "God's fury" into the river, which dries up.
1) Iraq is NOT "Modern Babylon." The future "Babylon"
is the one-world government (Rev. 13:3-4), religion (13:11-15) and economic system (13:16-18) under the Antichrist. But, trouble in Iraq is significant since it is part of the ancient Persian Empire (split
into Iraq and Iran by the British in the early 1900's). Daniel the prophet received his prophecy from the angel Gabriel (Daniel 9:21) and an unnamed angel (Daniel 10:6-7). Michael the Archangel liberated the unnamed angel, so he could meet with Daniel, from a 21-day battle with
the demonic spirit-ruler ("prince") of Persia [prior to 530 B.C. while Israel was held captive in Babylon of Persia (Daniel 10:10-13)]. Michael the Archangel will arise to assist the Nation of Israel in the last days (Daniel 12:1-3). Travel and knowledge increase near the End of the Age (Daniel 12:4). 500+ years later, the angel Gabriel foretold the birth of Christ and His second cousin, John the Baptist (Luke 1:19, 26-38).
2) Iraq is likely the site of the Garden of Eden where
the Tigris and the Euphrates meet (southeastern Iraq, just north of Kuwait, north-northwest of Kuwait City). The river in
the Garden of Eden flowed out to 4 other rivers. 2 of those are the modern-day Tigris (Hiddekel River - KJV) and the modern-day
Euphrates (Gen. 2:10-14). The other 2 rivers may possibly be the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The Earth was unified into a single land
mass at this time; i.e. prior to the separation of nations at the Tower of Babel (Gen. 10:5, 25, 32).
3) Iraq is definitely the location of the Tower of Babel (Land of Shinar) (Gen. 10:10; 11:1-9). Scholars place it approximately 62km south of modern-day Baghdad, Iraq. Tower of Babel ruins have not been
located by archaeologists.
4) Iraq is definitely the location of Ancient Babylon
(Dan. 10:4) where Israel lost the Northern Kingdom (Samaria) in 721 B.C. [to the Assyrians, whose capital was Nineveh,
also located in modern-day Iraq], lost the Southern Kingdom (Judah) [to the Babylonians] in 597 B.C. and finally lost Jerusalem
in 586 B.C.; [again to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 52:12-15)]. Rome under the Caesars controlled Israel and Jerusalem during the time of Christ. Israel did not have control
of Jerusalem until 1967 A.D. (2552 years) when it was recaptured during the Six Day War. Israel's warplanes were the decisive
factor in their victory over the nations of Egypt, Jordan and Syria and recaptured Jerusalem. Jesus said Jerusalem will be
"... trodden under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles (the Church Age) be fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). 1996 was the 3000-year birthday of the city of Jerusalem [as Israel's capital; taken and made capital by King
David]. The Church Age is a "parenthetical enlargement" found between the first 483 and last 7 years of God's 490-year decree
on Israel and Jerusalem (70 "sevens" of Daniel 9:24-27). The angel was speaking to Daniel - "thy people" (Israel) and "thy Holy City" (Jerusalem). God has spiritually
"blinded" Israel to Christ as Savior during the Church Age (Romans 11:25-29), but not afterwards (Hebrews 8:6-12) when Christ returns to Earth to save Israel (Zechariah 12, 14).
5) Unrest in Jerusalem (Isaiah 62:6-7; Zechariah 12:1-3). Israel does not control all of East Jerusalem. Moslems control "Dome of the Rock" where Mohammed supposedly ascended; the same rock apparently where Abraham [father of Jews (Isaac) and Arabs
(Ishmael)] offered Isaac [father of Jacob whose name God changed to "Israel"-"He who wrestles with God"] as a sacrifice to
God, Who stopped him. God's covenant would come through Isaac (Jacob-Israel, King David, Christ) not through Ishmael (Arab
nations, Mohammed) (Gen. 16:1-16; 17:16-21). Israel defeated the Arabs in the Sinai Peninsula in 1956, in 1967 and repulsed yet another attack in the Yom Kippur War of October, 1973. The 1974 Arab Oil Embargo resulted,
throwing the American economy into turmoil (for its military / financial support of Israel) and financed the greatest arms
build-up of the Middle-East in history.
6) Scholars believe Ur of the Chaldeans was within
the boundaries of modern-day Iraq. Abraham, father of Isaac [father of Jacob-Israel] and Ishmael, was called out of Ur of
the Chaldeans by God (Genesis 11:28-12:5).
7) Saddam Hussein of Iraq has constructed a $1,000,000,000
palace on the site of ancient Babylon (cf. Isa. 13:19-22). Saddam Hussein has placed a plaque on the rebuilt Babylon comparing himself with King Nebuchadnezzar of Ancient
Babylon (Dan. 3, 4). The city of Babylon has never resurrected in accordance with Isaiah 13:19-22. Iraq's Saddam Hussein and Jordan's King Hussein are family, directly related within no more
than 3 or 4 generations. Saddam murdered his son-in-law, Lt. Gen. Hussein Kamel al-Majid, who revealed Saddam's chemical
and biological warfare plans to the United States Government in late 1995.
8) Iraq was where Wickedness was cast down spawning
"mystery" religions (Land of Shinar - Zech. 5:5-11). The false church (Rev. 13:11-15) is metaphorically referred to as a "harlot," and a "prostitute" since "she" is a "decoy" to fool non-believers
into missing the Cross, thus dooming themselves by rejecting God's only plan of Salvation (John 3:17-18). Also, the "harlot" is drunk with the blood of the Christian saints she has killed or allowed to be killed.
The Christian Church (i.e. all believers in Christ's Sacrificial Atonement) is called the Bride of Christ (Rev. 22:17), making any other "church" a "harlot." Some believe Rome, specifically Vatican City ("the city on seven hills";
Rev. 17:1-9) is the center of the false church since they do many unscriptural things [Pope as Vicar of Christ (It is God the Holy Spirit), dead saints worship, rosary beads, worship of Mary (Luke 11:27-28), idolatry (Deut. 5:7-10), Mass - resacrifice of Christ ("transubstantiation") by Eucharist Bread - He did it ONCE for all sin (Jesus
said "It is FINISHED")].
9) Iraq is near, but is NOT the site of Armageddon.
World armies gather at Armageddon (the Valley of Megiddo, located in Northern Israel, about 25 miles southwest of the Golan
Heights) on their way to destroy the Nation of Israel at Bozrah ("Petra") in Jordan. Armageddon is not a battle between nations per se, but a battle between the Antichrist's armies
and Israel as they try to destroy her (Rev. 16:16; Zech. 12:1-3, 9, 11). Christ returns to save Israel from the Antichrist's armies (Zech. 14) 1,260 days after the Antichrist sets up an idol to himself in a wing of Israel's rebuilt temple in Jerusalem (yes, it WILL be rebuilt). Israel was reborn as a nation (Ezekiel 37) in 1948. Israel regathers from all nations (1897 - Present) (Zech. 8:7; Ezek. 36:24; Ps. 107:3; Isa. 43:5-6, 49:8, 12, 19; Jer. 16:15). United Nations was founded 1947. Antichrist will rule nations united under one authority (Rev. 13:3-4, 7-8); possibly the U.N. Northern armies (apparently Russian) come against Israel (Ezek.38-39). The Dead Sea Scrolls, which prove the authenticity of the Old Testament, were found in caves near the Dead
Sea in 1947 by an Arab youth, one year before Israel was reborn as a nation in 1948. For more information please visit
this site: Bozrah the Sheep Pen of the Messiah.
10) False "christs", claiming to be Jesus Christ or
some other "messiah", will arise near the End of the Church Age (Matt. 24:4-5, 11). Matt. 24:23 and 26 specifically state NOT to go to any "secret" place where Christ is supposed to be during the End Times. Jesus
Christ will be seen by ALL people of the whole world upon His return at the Second Coming (Matt. 24:27; cf. Luke 17:22-24), but NOT at the Rapture of the Church. A false "christ", Maitreya, is currently being preached as "reincarnate
Buddha" by a mildly prominate British author, Benjamin Creme. The "reverend" Sun Myung Moon is but one current example
of a FALSE christ. The Tibetan Dalai Lama claims to be "incarnate god on earth". He is not. Christians can have
NO allegiance to any man claiming to be "a" or "the" "messiah" before Christ returns.
11) Satan will be allowed to give supernatural power
to his false prophets in the last days (Matt. 24:24; Rev. 13:13-14). There will also be an outpouring of God the Holy Spirit in the last days (Acts 2:16-21). The Biblical test for a true prophet of God (by proclamation) is 100% accuracy all the time, every time (Deut. 18:21-22). When Israel was under the law (they are supposed to be under Christ now) even if a prophecy did come true,
the prophet was to be killed if he tried to lead the people away from the LORD (Deut. 13:1-5). The Christian church does not practice this today, nor are they commanded to. But the test is still valid.
In Acts 16:16-40, the Apostle Paul and his companion Silas encountered a demon-possessed girl who accurately foretold the future,
earning sizeable profits for her masters. Paul cast the demon out of her. That was the end of her psychic friends network.
Paul and Silas were subsequently thrown into prison. God set them free with an earthquake.
12) New Age "Channelers" are more likely "up a tree"
rather than "out on a limb." When Israel was to enter the promised land, they were told not to consult with "familiar spirits"
in accordance with Deut. 18:9-13. Astrology "prophets" are forbidden by God (Rev. 9:21; Isaiah 47:12-13).
13) The Antichrist will be a real person. He is the "son of perdition" (2nd Thess. 2:3; cf. John 17:12 KJV) a name given to only one other person in the Bible, Judas Iscariot, whom Satan entered (Luke 22:3; John 13:26-27). Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who had desecrated God's Temple (reigned over Israel 175-164 B.C.; cf. Daniel 11:31) was "an" antichrist, as was Hitler, but they were not "the" Antichrist. The Antichrist will set up an idol
to himself in God's temple in Jerusalem during the middle (1,260 days or 42 30-day "lunar" months) of the last 7 years (Seven
360-day years = 2520 days) God decreed upon Israel and Jerusalem (Matt. 24:15; Mark 13:14; Rev. 13:8, 15; Dan. 9:27, 12:11-12; 2nd Thess. 2:1-12; cf. Rev. 6:1-2). Watch for the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple.
14) Famines, earthquakes, pestilences [virulent and
devastating diseases], and wars and rumors of wars at the time of the end (Matthew 24:6-7; Luke 21:10-11).
15) Non-believing world taken by surprise when Christ
returns at the Rapture of the Church, prior to His Second Coming, willfully ignorant, not discerning the "Signs of the Times."
(Matt. 24:36-44; Luke 12:40, 54-56; Jer. 6:14, 8:11; Ezek. 13:10; 1st Thess. 5:1-11; 1st Corinthians 15:51-58; 2nd Peter 3:3-4).
16) SALVATION AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE and ANYONE who asks Christ for forgiveness and believes that He is the Only Son of God (Joel 2:32; Is. 53:5-6; Mark 14:24; Luke 7:36-50, 18:9-14; John 3:17-18, 6:37, 10:9-10, 27-30, 11:25, 14:6; Acts 2:21, 38; Rom. 8:31-39, 10:9-11, 13; Rev. 22:16-17).
17) Gospel preached in the whole world as a testimony
to the nations of the Earth (Matt. 24:14) at the End Times. Gospel TV is now available, 24 hours per day, 365 days per year, in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Soviet Union, China, Africa and more.
18) Ezekiel 38-39 war includes Persia which was split
into Iran and Iraq, Syria, Libya (Put), Ethiopia (Cush), Sudan and former armies of Russia. Russia is dragged into this war virtually against her will and 5/6ths (83%) of her armed forces are destroyed. Syria and Iran are preparing
for war; both are making significant military purchases of Soviet fighter-bomber, bomber (Iran) and AWACS aircraft (Iran),
tanks (200+ for Syria alone) and submarines (Iran). All of these purchases occurred during 1997. A significant
SRBM, MRBM and ICBM program is underway in Iran utilizing ongoing Soviet technology and assistance.
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