With the direction of the "war on terror" continuing to weigh on his mind and Mr. Bush�s announcement that ground troops in Afghanistan may be a prelude to an even wider war, Min. Farrakhan penned his December letter to Mr. Bush. The letter eventually was published on the website of political economist Jude Wanniski, who became concerned that the president had not offered any kind of response to the letter.

Min. Farrakhan also explained for the country during his February 17 World Saviours� Day address in Los Angeles, which was broadcast on C-SPAN, the oil motive of America�s venture into Afghanistan and how the war on terror is being used to curtail the civil liberties of U.S. citizens.

Calling America an oil junkie and explaining that Pres. Bush and his oil connections want to run an oil pipeline from former Soviet Union states through Afghanistan, Min. Farrakhan explained: "America has come to a crossroads. You must understand that power is linked, in world politics, to oil. And as the greatest industrial nation on Earth, America has an insatiable appetite for oil."

Nevertheless, Mr. Bush has since focused America�s sights on an "axis of terror" states, naming North Korea, Iran and Iraq. He has publicly announced his administration�s open policy of ousting Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, even giving the C.I.A. the green light to assassinate him.

It was this hardening of Mr. Bush�s heart and blind arrogance, in addition to the out of control carnage in Israel, that spurred Min. Farrakhan to set off June 20 on a Peace Mission to the Middle East and Africa. The objectives of that mission were to stop the carnage between Palestinians and Israelis and to get the Arab and Muslim world to speak with one voice in opposition to a U.S. attack on Iraq.

While in the Middle East, Min. Farrakhan spoke several times on the Al Jazeerah network�known in that area as the Arab world�s CNN�and called for a balanced policy toward Palestine. His was the first voice heard in the Arab and Muslim world in response to President Bush�s Peace Initiative.

Standing in the White House Rose Garden June 24, 2002, and flanked by Cabinet officials, Mr. Bush called on the Palestinian people "to elect new leaders, leaders not compromised by terror."

"I call upon them to build a practicing democracy, based on tolerance and liberty. If the Palestinian people actively pursue these goals, America and the world will actively support their efforts. And when the Palestinian people have new leaders, new institutions and new security arrangements with their neighbors, the United States of America will support the creation of a Palestinian state whose borders and certain aspects of its sovereignty will be provisional until resolved as part of a final settlement in the Middle East," he said, in a speech that called for virtually no immediate concessions from Israel.

Min. Farrakhan�s frank and honest response expressed disappointment in the plan, saying the Arab world could feel that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon could have written it. His remarks perhaps strengthened the region�s response for a fairer U.S. policy, even though Yasser Arafat�s office "welcomed the ideas presented by President Bush. The president (Arafat) and the cabinet view the ideas as a serious contribution to pushing the peace process forward."

During his media appearances and in discussions with political and religious leaders, Min. Farrakhan emphasized that if allowed into Israel he would ask the Palestinian militants to observe a 90-120 day moratorium on suicide bombings. In exchange for such an agreement, he would ask Mr. Sharon to pull his tanks and troops out of the occupied territories.

Although the Israeli government denied Min. Farrakhan entry into the country, it was reported that Hamas leaders were ready to implement his exact agreement following meetings with Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.

But the plan was sabotaged only hours before it was to be implemented July 22 when an Israeli air force pilot fired a one-ton missile into a three-story building, killing the alleged target, Hamas leader Salah Shehade, but also killing 14 others, mostly women and children.

Meanwhile, the media mischief makers in the U.S. were busy. Prior to July 6, the national media ignored Min. Farrakhan�s Peace Mission. But that changed when the United Press International news service published a report allegedly quoting from the Iraqi News Agency. The false UPI report quoted Min. Farrakhan as saying, "Muslim American people are praying to the almighty God to grant victory to Iraq." The UPI went further to publish so-called "Hot Button" talking points for discussions in chat rooms and radio talk shows, asking, "Is Farrakhan more a member of the Nation of Islam than he is an American?"

"That absolutely is not true," Min. Farrakhan responded to the false UPI report. "The victory for Iraq as well as for the United States of America would be peace so that no United States soldier would be put in harms way, or one bomb dropped on the Iraqi people. That would be a victory for both sides; and that�s the victory that I and those with me are praying for�not a war and a victory, but peace as the victory for both sides."

Nation of Islam Chief of Staff Leonard F. Muhammad put the media mischief into context of past attempts to discredit Black leaders who involved themselves in international politics.

Citing the sacking of former UN Ambassador Andrew Young for meeting with Palestinian representatives, Mr. Muhammad said, "Diplomatic efforts by prominent Blacks have often been rejected by the U.S. government and the media. Min. Farrakhan�s effort to serve the interests of peace should not be misunderstood in his own country. We don�t believe history will be repeated where Min. Farrakhan is concerned."

Nevertheless, the report meant for mischief got the nation talking about U.S. foreign policy as Min. Farrakhan made appearances on national media clarifying the false report.

When Min. Farrakhan and the delegation departed on the Peace Mission, the landscape was void of any national voices heralding to the world to stop a U.S. attack on Iraq.

"It appeared when I first spoke of this that I was singing a solo, but now a chorus has come up from the world," Min. Farrakhan said July 22 during a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington upon his return from the Peace Mission.

"I spoke to many Arab leaders, both political and spiritual and I can tell you that there is no Arab country that does not desire better relations and friendship with the United States of America. Even Iraq wants friendship with America but on conditions that are fair and just. Whether the leaders in that area agree with Saddam Hussein or not, none of them with whom we spoke wanted to see bombs fall on Iraq and the slaughter of innocent civilians just to get rid of a man that America says is some threat to the world," Min. Farrakhan reported.

And how have Muslim nations responded to the Minister�s call for a united voice against war on Iraq?

Kuwait has said she would support an attack only if the United Nations allowed it, according to press reports.

Jordan�s King Abdullah has said: "Trying to take on the question of Iraq with the lack of positive movement on the Israeli-Palestinian, Israeli-Arab track seems, at this point, somewhat ludicrous.��

In a Washington Post interview, he said, "Everybody is saying this is a bad idea. If it seems America says we want to hit Baghdad, that�s not what Jordanians think, or the British, the French, the Russians, the Chinese and everybody else."

Shortly after Min. Farrakhan�s July 22 press conference, where he also called for Saudi Arabia to make known to the world its position on allowing U.S. planes to launch an attack from Saudi soil, the Saudis responded "Not in our back yard," according to a Chicago daily front page headline.

Foreign Minister Prince Saud has been quoted as saying while visiting Iran recently: "We have always opposed any attack against an Arab or Muslim country," re-emphasizing a few days later, "The U.S. military will not be allowed to use our soil in any way for an attack on Iraq."

Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi said Iran is opposed to "any U.S. military attack on Iraq or any other Muslim or Arab countries."

Even Britain and Turkey, two of America�s staunchest allies, have joined the chorus.

"We are trying to deter the United States administration from any military operation,�� Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said recently, adding that Turkey sees danger in such a mission. "It will not be possible�� for the United States "to get out of there easily,�� he said.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair is under tremendous pressure to distance the nation from President Bush on the Iraq question. Demonstrators in London branded America the "#1 Rogue Nation."

Quoting senior defense and diplomatic sources, The Independent of London, a daily newspaper, recently reported that "Britain has strongly advised the United States against attacking Iraq, warning that it risked intensifying the conflicts in Afghanistan, Israel and Kashmir. These are issues the Americans appear not to have considered."

"America dissipated the goodwill out of its arrogance and incompetence," Meghnad Desai, director of the Institute for Global Governance at the London School of Economics and Political Science and a member of the House of Lords, is quoted saying in USA Today, explaining Europe�s growing hostility to America.

He said Europeans view America�s policies as unilateralist and selfish.

"America will painfully realize that the world isn�t as simplistic in its approach as Washington wants it to be," said Hans Von Sponeck, the former director of the UN�s Oil For Food Program in Iraq.

Countries are extremely wary of seeing a government in Washington that continually says "no" to programs like the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, the International Criminal Court, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Biological Weapons Agreement, etc., he said.

Germany and France also split from the coalition on the question of Iraq.

German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder sharply ruled out joining any military attack recently, saying, "I think that if there is a military intervention, we should be cautious. That means that Germany will not take part" in any U.S.-led action against Iraq.

"The more fair, just and equitable the solution to the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, the more the anger of those on both sides will subside, and America will get the credit of settling this 53-year-old problem with justice," Min. Farrakhan advised in his letter to Mr. Bush.

"If you re-examined policies that are unfair and changed them, this signal to the world would bring the world and those so-called enemies and rogue states into your and America�s sphere of influence," he said.