Dear friends:

The debate about selling the six U.S. ports to a Dubai company rages on.  The President is staunchly insistent, while many others are staunchly opposed.

I have been among the latter -- opposed.  However, an e-mail from a reader has me reconsidering.

By the way, Dubai is one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates on the Arabian Peninsula, and is that emirate's main city.  It is very near where I spent a year of my life in the Arabian Desert at Dhahran Air Base, Saudi Arabia, as a young U.S. Air Force lieutenant many years ago.  I am still digging the sand out of my ears.

My e-mail friend wrote: "Everyone needs to calm down and quit their hysteria over the port deal.  Bush knows what he's doing.  Here's the hint: The following report (not included) fits in with the prophetic warning from the Lord that the FALL OF IRAN is coming. Our military may be needed on the U.A.E. soil to do their job in dealing with Iran.  There are Iranian Americans in Los Angeles whose daily radio broadcasts beam the gospel of Jesus Christ into Iran where 67 million Iranians listen.  The Lord spoke to one of Iranian Christian men and told him that THE FALL OF IRAN IS COMING and for them to get ready to go into Iran and preach the gospel to their fellow Iranians."

She quoted another source, which said, "There is obviously way more to the UAE story than just the management of port operations...I implore all to dig a little deeper... let's get back to a constructive discussion regarding the UAE as an ally or foe in the war on terrorism....and more importantly...a strategic ally in the coming war against Iran."

She also said, "The real key is the moderate Arab nations who side with us in this War on Terror, not the radical ones.  Bush is going to need their help in dealing with Iran in coming months....  See below for an article on Bush's inaugural speech to the Iranian people (not included here).  I remember reading a little tidbit on TBN about those Iranian Christians in L.A. whose radio broadcasts brought the gospel into Iran.  It was about a year ago.  Amazingly, one year when Pat Robertson spent time with the Lord to get a preview of the coming new year, he came out on the 700 Club saying that the Lord spoke about the fall of Iran or something to that effect. "

The lady makes an interesting point.  With a major confrontation with Iran looming, the last thing we need to is to lose vital strategic military bases in the Persian Gulf.  I suspect this point is what is driving President Bush, but it is not the kind of rationale that can be made public at this crucial time.  There is much military and strategic information at his level that cannot be made public.

In the military, you learn not to question decisions from higher up because they always have a broader picture -- the big picture.  While we must always question decisions of our civilian government, we should also remember that the perspective at the top is far different from what we see, and we should not be quick to judge.

I suspect that when the Congressional leaders are secretly briefed on the current strategic importance of the U.A.E., all but the most vehement Bush-haters may change their tune.  I have also since heard that the deal will have nothing to do with port security or other critical management matters.

But let us pray for our leaders' decisions and for the Iranian people.  Many Iranians are spiritually hungry and probably most are opposed to the current Islamofascist regime.  A few years ago I met two Iranian Christian young ladies, missionaries here in the U.S. temporarily, and they had been fervently praying for the salvation of their Muslim mother back in Iran.  One day Jesus (Isa) appeared to the mother in a dream, revealed Himself, and the mother immediately accepted Him and was born again.  God is actively working with the Muslim people.

Jim