Page Content (OCR)
measured 6.8. Damage due to earthquakes in California alone has exceeded 30 billion dollars since 1989. The January 17, 1994, Northridge quake was the largest, most costly natural disaster in U.S. history. However, despite the large quakes in California within the last ten years, seismologists claim that no significant pressure was relieved from the San Andreas fault and they still expect a killer quake of greater than 8.0 to occur sometime in a Lanse an several years. The 20th century has been labeled by many the century of war and the bloodiest century of all history. At no time during this century has there been peace. At any one time in the 1990s there have been as many as 70 wars and regional conflicts being waged around the world. In recent years there have been more wars and devastation by wars, with several technologies now providing even greater opportunities for mass destruction. With the fall of the Soviet Union the Western world breathed a sigh of relief as' the media and the governments of the world declared that peace was at hand and the cold war was over. However, despite the media glow, the breakup of the Soviet Union brought an even more unstable situation to the Middle East and the Eurasian continent. Currently, there are now more than a dozen countries which possess nuclear weapons, more than two dozen countries presently building intercontinental ballistic missiles, and more than 60 countries who presently have the technology to field a surface-skimming cruise missile. And, they are all mad at each other. The cloud of imminent nuclear attack hangs over all foreign policy negotiations. The nightmare of a virtual wipeout of major civilizations remains only 30 minutes away. The unthinkable lurks behind every major 1 The threat of nuclear terrorism is of great concern to the U.S. State Department. By smuggling a device just smaller than a footlocker into the United States, terrorists could demolish a city the size of Los Angeles. Terrorism is a phenomenon which was largely birthed in the 20th century. Splinter groups and factions of numerous political and religious affiliations began to prey upon innocent bystanders by random bombings, kidnappings, mass murders, high jacking aircraft, etc., for the purpose of political and financial gain. This phenomenon, while rare in previous centuries, has become commonplace at the end of the 20th century. In addition to nuclear technology, biological and chemical weapons are ever more readily available and easily put into the hands of small, modestly capitalized terrorist groups. Time will tell whether the nightmare scenario of nuclear or biological terrorism will play itself out in the months and years to come. Never before in history have the means been available—and in place—literally to wipe out mankind. Indeed, "Except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew 24:22). 102 the next 30 to 40 years, If such a quake occurred in the Los Angeles area it would likely disable the state for WARS AND RUMORS OF WARS strategic decision.