For more than thirty (30) years, the United States has been involved in conflicts and increasingly tense relationships in the Arab-Muslim world, particularly with Iran (and the hostage crisis 1979-81) and then Iraq (1990-91, and 2003 to the present). It has cost our nation dearly in terms of life, limb, treasure and prestige.

Events move so quickly in our world that they become almost a blur in our thinking. The Iran hostage crisis was a diplomatic crisis between Iran and the United States where 52 U.S. diplomats were held hostage for 444 days from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist students took over the American embassy in support of the Iranian revolution. One of the revolutionaries pictured in that hostage situation is now President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. In Iraq, there was “Operation Desert Storm”—Aug. 2, 1990-Feb. 1991 – On August 2, 1990, Iraqi forces invaded and quickly conquered the small, oil-rich emirate of Kuwait. Almost immediately, an international coalition of nations gathered a powerful military force under the authority of the United Nations and the leadership of the United States to defend the oil-rich kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and to force Iraq to withdraw from occupied Kuwait. The “No-Fly Zone War” –1991-2003–Following the cease-fire ending the Gulf War, the Allies, (America, England, France) had the right to conduct air patrols over parts of Iraq to ensure Iraqi compliance with the cease-fire terms. Currently, “Operation Iraqi Freedom”)—March 19, 2003- Present– The current war can be seen in at least two distinct phases: The Invasion and the Occupation. Though Saddam’s regime fell fairly quickly, the insurgency was able to gain strength in large part because the U.S. and Coalition leadership was slow to recognize that they had a guerrilla movement underway.

The Jerusalem Post learned and reported (August 8, 2007) that despite a series of initiatives aimed at generating foreign tourism, the Saudi Arabian government continues to bar Jews and Christians from bringing items such as Bibles, crucifixes and Stars of David into the country and is threatening to confiscate them on sight, It was included in the tourist information of Saudi Arabian Airlines in New York: “A number of items are not allowed to be brought into the kingdom due to religious reasons and local regulations,” declares the Web site of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country’s national carrier. After informing would-be visitors that items such as narcotics, firearms and pornography may not be transported into the country, the Web site adds: “Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are also prohibited. These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings, items with religious symbols such as the Star of David, and others.”