(Des Moines, Iowa) -- The barbaric attacks in Paris by jihadists loyal to the Islamic State could the dynamic in the presidential campaign in a profound way.
So could the news -- just breaking in the last 24 hours -- that the Islamic State is actively pursuing the production of chemical weapons to advance their genocidal aims.
So could the seizure of a hotel in Mali by al-Qaeda jihadists. And new ISIS threats to attack Washington, New York and the U.S. homeland.
Such developments put into sharp relief the need to choose a new President who doesn't simply have a great tax reform plan, and a plan to grow the economy and create millions of jobs and reduce spending and balance the budget and reform entitlements. We certainly need a President who will defend the sanctity of innocent human life, and the sanctity of Biblical marriage. Those are vital issues. But so is national security.
- We need a President who understands that Western leaders ignore the threat of Apocalyptic Islam at their peril.
- We need a Commander-in-Chief who truly understands the magnitude of the threats posed by Radical and Apocalyptic Islam.
- We need a President who has serious ideas about how to neutralize such threats, and has solid national experience that can assure us that he or she is really ready to confront this evil.
- We need a President who sees Israel as a faithful ally -- not an adversary -- in this showdown with the jihadists.
- We need a President who rejects the insane Iran nuclear deal, and the notion of allowing Russia and Iran to run wild in Syria.
- Commander-in-Chief is not an entry level position.
- There is no time for on-the-job training in the White House for a new President who has little or no experience thinking about foreign policy and national security issues.
- The next President must come in ready for war -- because that's what we're in, and the stakes are simply too high to go with an untested outsider or newcomer.
So, good morning from epicenter of the U.S. presidential campaign. I just got into the Iowa capital around 1:40 this morning after a 27 hour journey (including numerous flight delays) from Israel.
I'm here at the invitation of several Evangelical Christian leaders to discuss the implications of recent events on their efforts to choose and coalesce around a presidential candidate. We're gathering tonight to attend a forum tonight with seven Republican presidential candidates in hopes of better discerning who could truly be ready to lead us and protect us in dangerous and dark times.
The event is hosted by The Family Leader, a pro-family organization that has had me to speak at several of their events in recent years on U.S.-Israel relations and the threats America faces at home and abroad. (for details, see here, and here)
Tomorrow, I have been invited to spend the day praying and fasting with Christian leaders and further discussing what we are seeing and hearing from the various presidential contenders. I hope to post more on this throughout the weekend.
For now, consider the following headlines, each of which seem ripped from The Third Target, and the forthcoming sequel, The First Hostage.
- ISIS pursuing production of chemical weapons, officials say (CBS News)
- What Is ISIS' Chemical Weapons Stockpile? Islamic State Group Has Recruited Experts From Across the World To Build Terror Arsenal(International Business Times)
- Islamic State terrorists determined to build chemical weapons, officials say(AP/Fox News)
- Paris attacks: ISIS has secret branch of scientists developing CHEMICAL WEAPONS for terror strikes (UK Daily Record)
Chilling. Eerie, actually. But this is the world we live in at the moment.
Will you join me in praying and fasting for the Lord to graciously show all of us if He has a candidate He wants us to support, a president that He wants to raise up to get America back on the right track, stand with Israel, and counter the evil rising in the Middle East? Thanks, and God bless you.
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