Chaos After U.S. Decline?

On February 11, 2012, The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy article, titled, “Why the World Needs America.” Even though we do not agree with everything written in the article and disagree quite strongly with certain statements, which we do not quote herein, the following excepts are interesting and worth repeating:

“The downfall of the Roman Empire brought an end not just to Roman rule but to Roman government and law and to an entire economic system stretching from Northern Europe to North Africa… Many of us take for granted how the world looks today. But it might look a lot different without America at the top… After the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century, British control of the seas and the balance of great powers on the European continent provided relative security and stability…

“With the outbreak of World War I, the age of settled peace and advancing liberalism… collapsed into an age of hyper-nationalism, despotism and economic calamity… The collapse of the British and European orders in the 20th century did not produce a new dark age—though if Nazi Germany and imperial Japan had prevailed, it might have—but the horrific conflict that it produced was, in its own way, just as devastating…

“Would the end of the present American-dominated order have less dire consequences?…The present world order was largely shaped by American power and reflects American interests and preferences. If the balance of power shifts in the direction of other nations, the world order will change to suit their interests and preferences… For several decades, the balance of power in the world has favored democratic governments. In a genuinely post-American world, the balance would shift toward the great-power autocracies. Both Beijing and Moscow already protect dictators like Syria’s Bashar al-Assad. If they gain greater relative influence in the future, we will see fewer democratic transitions and more autocrats hanging on to power…

“The ancient democracies of Greece and the republics of Rome and Venice all fell to more powerful forces or through their own failings… If and when American power declines, the institutions and norms that American power has supported will decline, too. Or more likely, if history is a guide, they may collapse altogether as we make a transition to another kind of world order, or to disorder. We may discover then that the U.S. was essential to keeping the present world order together and that the alternative to American power was not peace and harmony but chaos and catastrophe—which is what the world looked like right before the American order came into being…”

With the loss of US power, this world will indeed change dramatically. Power blocs in Europe and the Far East will develop, which will plunge this world into a terrible and unprecedented series of wars.

No Real Solution

The Los Angeles Times wrote on February 14:

“President Obama released a budget proposal for the coming fiscal year that offers no real solution to the United States’ long-term fiscal problems. This country is hardly Greece, but Washington’s current policies put it on a path to accumulate far too much debt…

“Congress makes the ultimate decisions about taxes and spending, so the annual budget proposal from the White House typically serves as the opening bid in a months-long debate. This president, however, has waited for Republicans and Congress to go first on the tougher fiscal issues. On Monday, Obama even called on Congress to reverse one of the more difficult decisions it had made, which was to impose $1.2 trillion in across-the-board spending cuts on discretionary programs over the next decade.

“…even if lawmakers were to adopt all of Obama’s deficit-cutting measures, they wouldn’t go far enough to set the budget on a path toward balance… All told, his proposal comes up about $2 trillion short of the savings his own deficit-reduction commission called for over 10 years… the government needs a better plan for putting its fiscal house in order than Obama offered Monday.”

And in spite of sweeping irrational promises from Republican candidates to balance the budget, the inescapable truth is that, no matter who runs this country, the economic situation of the USA is doomed.

EU-US Relationship

The EUObserver wrote on February 14:

“With pressure coming from every direction, the EU and the US now, more than ever, need an honest discussion about their partnership… The electoral year in the United States poses a challenge to Europeans… Regardless of who will sit in the Oval Office for the next four years, three issues will take precedence on the transatlantic agenda.

“First, amidst the budgetary cuts in the US, any future global police-type military operations will be carried out more selectively. But when the US national interest is under threat, shrewd accounting goes out the window. In any confrontation between Israel and Iran, the US will be forced to prove its ‘iron clad commitment to Israel’s security.’ Although Obama remains committed to the diplomatic path to stop Iran from getting its hands on nuclear [weapons], he has not taken any options off the table.

“His Republican competitors speak even more openly about military intervention, accusing Obama of failing to ‘show Iran that [the US] ha[s] the capacity to remove them militarily from their plans to have nuclear weapons.’ Any military confrontation in the region will have direct implications for Europe, including military involvement if Iran retaliates.

“Second, concerns about the growing importance of China – and an increasing fear of China – in the US will need to be addressed… To act as an economic bulwark to China’s regional dominance, Obama proposed an ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership and intends to create a Trade Enforcement Unit to investigate unfair trade practices. But these plans have caused uneasiness among Europeans who are afraid that similar moves will be interpreted as a direct challenge to China, in turn launching new competition in the region.

“Even more worrying is the language of Republican contenders calling for a strong military capability in the Pacific and deepening cooperation with India and other regional allies.

“Finally, normalising relations with Arab countries and the Muslims will remain a huge challenge.

“Despite the many efforts of the Obama Administration, the US presence in Afghanistan and its clear position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict still make Muslims sceptical of the US intentions… his Republican opponents underline Israel’s growing security problems and call for increasing the level of military assistance and co-ordination (Romney) while at the same time describing the Palestinians as ‘an invented people’ (Gingrich). Such statements cause consternation among Europeans…

“How Washington responds to these challenges will no doubt have serious implications for Europe. But instead of hoping for the best, Europeans should finally get their act together and focus on three major objectives: launching a comprehensive review of the European Security Strategy; adopting a credible and enforceable strategy for Asia; and consolidating policies towards the southern neighbourhood and Palestinian statehood. What we have instead is a catalogue of half-measures. The establishment of the European External Action Service was a messy exercise but it cannot be used indefinitely as an excuse for inaction and a lack of policies…”

The relationship between the USA and Europe is bound to deteriorate, and Europe will begin to unify even stronger in political and military matters. Please also note the next article.

EU—a Full-Fledged Political Union in the Future

The EUObserver wrote on February 14:

“European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso has told the Chinese public that the EU will become a fully-fledged ‘political union’ after the financial crisis… ‘I want to make this very clear to Chinese public opinion… Is the European Union really going to progress? I say: “Yes. No doubt about it” … Precisely because of the problems in the euro area the conclusion has been to further integrate and to complete the monetary union with a fiscal union and, I believe, in the future toward a political union.’”

Italy—a Future Major EU Driver

The EUObserver reported on February 15:

“Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti charmed all major political parties in the European Parliament on Wednesday (15 February), pledging to defend EU institutions at a time when national governments are increasingly blaming Brussels for austerity… His speech… was aimed at restoring his country’s standing as one of the founding members of the EU and the euro after years of political penumbra under his controversial predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi.

“The new Italy – in the words of Monti, a former banker and economics professor – will be committed not only to austerity, but also to growth and will not just ‘passively transpose EU guidelines, but wants to be a major driver of these guidelines.’ It is in this ‘spirit’ that he invited German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Rome on Friday, for talks which will ‘focus on the community method and recognise the priority of EU institutions’…

“He also pointedly switched to English when criticising a ‘deeply superficial insular culture that naively might believe EU integration means a superstate’ after the UK vetoed crisis-related changes to the EU Treaty last December.”

The EU and Greece

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 10:

“Many observers are losing faith in the idea that Greece can be saved even if the second bailout goes through. With unemployment at 20.9 percent and the economy in its fifth consecutive year of recession, it is unclear how Greece will ever be able to generate growth or begin to pay down its debt…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘The Greek misery has no end… Greece presents a desolate picture, in terms of its economic structures, competitiveness, social cohesion and political system. In other parts of the world, it would be called a failed state. It is time that the Europeans admit that fact and take the necessary action. Whether the resulting conclusion is that Greece can no longer be saved from bankruptcy, or whether it should be persuaded — or forced — to leave the euro zone, is ultimately a question of math… No finance minister knows the answer, and no economist can calculate it reliably. This uncertainty is deadly, both for the markets and for countries. It must be ended quickly.’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The EU partners and the Greek government have a baleful fear of the truth. Which is the following: Greece cannot actually be saved (with the current approach), not by slashing the minimum wages, and not with cuts in salaries, which are supposed to remain frozen until the country has lowered its unemployment rate from nearly 21 percent to 10 percent. But where will the new jobs come from?…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘Greece is currently trying to do something impossible: which is to reform the economy in the midst of a deep depression. That simply doesn’t work.’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘The agreement reached in Athens between the Greek government and the international donors … has not prompted high hopes on either side. Greece promised what it had to, in order to get the new aid package. And the troika acted as if it — against its better judgment — actually believes that the Greek economy can be healed. But the pictures of the demonstrations and the burning German flags show that they didn’t reckon with the Greek population. Ultimately, the crucial thing is not the politicians’ willingness to carry out reforms … but the will of the people. And the Greeks seem unwilling and unable to accept, for the sake of the stability of the single currency, cuts that go far beyond what we in Germany have ever experienced in terms of austerity measures… From an economic perspective, the country needs to leave the euro zone, because it is economically too weak and its administrative structures are too underdeveloped to be able to keep up with the others…’

“The financial daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘During the poker game with their creditors, the Greeks have been acting as if they had a joker up their sleeve. That joker was the threat of declaring bankruptcy and triggering a panicked chain reaction among investors. … But that isn’t a trump card. The main victims of a disorderly bankruptcy would be the Greeks themselves. But the troika has also been deceiving the audience of the Greek drama with numerical trickery that is easy to see through… The question of how Greece is supposed to return to growth despite the harsh austerity measures remains the troika’s secret. Both sides are lying through their teeth. … The only way to ‘save’ Greece is through an orderly national default…’”

The Associated Press reported on February 14:

“Two steps forward, one step back. So goes the frenzied effort across Europe to bail out Greece and save it from a potentially devastating default on its debts. A meeting of the finance chiefs of the 17 euro countries to discuss Greece’s second multibillion bailout planned for Wednesday was called off after Athens failed to deliver on several demands made by its partners in the currency union… Tensions between Athens and other European capitals have hit new highs this week…

“Greece is still optimistic that it will eventually get the bailout… But after keeping Greece alive through bailout loans for almost two years — and seeing the country repeatedly miss its targets — some of the richer euro countries like the Netherlands or Germany are reluctant to commit new money without firm assurances…”

The Financial Times added on February 15:

“The battle of wills between Athens and its eurozone lenders intensified on Wednesday, with Greece’s finance minister accusing ‘forces in Europe’ of pushing his country out of the euro while his German counterpart suggested postponing Greek elections and installing a new government without political parties.”

As we have said from the outset, Greece might leave the Eurozone, but the euro won’t collapse.

Will Israeli Attack on Iran Be Unsuccessful?

y-Net News reported on February 12:

“Two weeks after US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reportedly said Israel is likely to strike Iran in the spring, German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière said an Israeli attack will be unsuccessful. According to the minister, ‘a success of an Israeli strike on Iran nuclear facilities is highly unlikely and (will cause) obvious political damage’…

“President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met on Saturday with Hamas prime minister in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh, who is visiting Tehran. ‘The world will witness Iran’s major nuclear achievements soon’ said Ahmadinejad. Haniyeh met with supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei on Sunday. In the meeting Khamenei promised Iran’s support for the Palestinian resistance…”

In Any Event, It Would Be Terribly Complicated…

USA Today wrote on February 13:

“If Israel attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities, the strike would probably take the form of a complex air assault involving scores of planes that would have to penetrate Iranian air defenses and attack up to a couple of dozen targets simultaneously, analysts say. ‘This would be way more sophisticated than anything that’s ever been done before,’ said Charles Wald, a retired Air Force general who led the coalition air campaign in Afghanistan that helped topple the Taliban. By contrast, Israel’s strike on Iraq’s Osiraq nuclear reactor in 1981 and an attack in Syria in 2007 were simpler operations that required Israel to hit a single above-ground target. Neither country had sophisticated air defense capabilities…

“Iran’s nuclear facilities are dispersed throughout the country, some of which are being hardened to withstand bomb blasts, said Colin Kahl, a Georgetown professor and former Pentagon official overseeing Middle East policy. Pilots would face a network of radar and anti-aircraft missiles designed to protect Iran’s airspace… Wald said the Israelis would either have to use aerial refueling or land somewhere en route to refuel. It’s not known whether any country would provide permission or whether Israel could set up a covert refueling facility in the desert… Flying over Iraq is the most direct route for Israeli pilots. Since the U.S. withdrawal, Iraq is not capable of effectively protecting its airspace, which potentially would give Israel a way to reach Iran while maintaining an element of surprise…

“Israel has large bombs capable of penetrating bunkers, but some analysts say they need more sophisticated munitions to help knock out some of the well-protected facilities… Analysts say timing on a strike would be critical, since a lengthy operation would raise the likelihood of U.S. opposition and could trigger a wider conflict…

“The United States should be prepared for an Iranian counterstrike, Wald said. Iran has medium-range missiles that could reach Israel, Kahl said… Iran’s navy could interfere with commercial shipping in the narrow Strait of Hormuz, disrupting the world’s oil supplies. In 2009, about 17% of all oil traded worldwide went through the narrow strait… Iran would probably use its surrogates, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, to attack Israel…”

USA: “We Will Stop Iran”

Newsmax reported on February 12:

“Iran has increased the number of small, fast patrol craft in the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, some of which have been outfitted with a large warhead for a suicide run at U.S. vessels, the U.S. Navy’s top Gulf commander said… The U.S. Navy would move to stop any Iranian attempt to lay mines in the Strait of Hormuz or Persian Gulf as an ‘act of war’ the international community wouldn’t tolerate…

“The U.S. has four Avenger-class mine-sweeping ships in the Gulf… The U.K.’s Royal Navy has another four vessels… U.S. officials… estimated in 2008 that Iran possessed as many as 5,000 mines… The inventory also includes as many as 600 advanced mines bought from Russia, such as the MDM-3, which can be dropped from an aircraft…”

However, an easy and swift victory of the US Navy over Iranian naval forces is not assured by any means. It is being admitted that Iran could make life difficult for the US Navy. Note the next article.

Reuters reported on February 12:

“Iran has built up its naval forces in the Gulf and prepared boats that could be used in suicide attacks… Iran now has 10 small submarines…

“Military experts say the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet patrolling the Gulf – which always has at least one giant supercarrier accompanied by scores of jets and a fleet of frigates and destroyers – is overwhelmingly more powerful than Iran’s navy. But ever since al Qaeda suicide bombers in a small boat killed 17 sailors on board the destroyer U.S.S. Cole in a port in Yemen in 1996, Washington has been wary of the vulnerability of its huge battleships to bomb attacks by small enemy craft.”

Has It Already Begun?

ABC News wrote on February 14:

“With Iran allegedly striking out at Israeli citizens and Jewish targets around the world, Israeli and American security officials in the U.S. are on high alert. Israeli officials told ABC News that the level of personal security on high-ranking Embassy officials as well as other, lower profile officials in the U.S. is at its highest in at least five years, a response to what they called ‘a coordinated series of attacks’…

“Federal officials… noted that in cities like New York and Washington, D.C., ‘the targets are much harder’ than in countries like India, Georgia and Thailand, where Iran has allegedly attacked or attempted to attack in the past two days. But they also added that Iran can be ‘belligerent.’

“Frank Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University in D.C., agreed that the recent incidents in India, Georgia, Thailand and Azerbaijan have ‘all the hallmarks of a concerted campaign’ that could extend to U.S. soil. ‘The recent attack on a Saudi official in Washington shows a willingness to attack in the United States,’ said Cilluffo…”

Iran Threatens Europe!

The New York Times wrote on February 15:

“Besieged by international sanctions over the Iranian nuclear program including a planned oil embargo by Europe, Iran warned six European buyers on Wednesday that it might strike first by immediately cutting them off from Iranian oil. Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency said the threat was conveyed to the ambassadors of Italy, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Greece and Portugal in separate meetings at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran…

“‘Iran warns Europe it will find other customers for its oil,’ the Islamic Republic News Agency said. ‘European people should know that if Iran changes destinations of the oil it gives to them, the responsibility will rest with the European governments themselves.’… The European Union has been one of Iran’s biggest markets for oil, taking about 18 percent of total Iranian petroleum exports in 2011. Among the European Union members, the biggest buyers have been Italy, Spain and France…

“The Iranians also announced new advances in their nuclear program, including escalation of Iran’s enrichment practices, which if accurate could serve to further aggravate tensions… President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad presided over ceremonies to mark advances in Iran’s nuclear program, partly to project an image of Iranian defiance against the Western sanctions. The new advances include centrifuges that Iran said were capable of enriching uranium at a much faster rate, and the insertion of the first domestically produced nuclear fuel rod into a nuclear reactor in Tehran.”

No “Arab Spring” for Egypt’s Women

Deutsche Welle reported on February 12:

“Side-by-side with fellow male protesters, Egypt’s women stood on Tahrir Square demanding freedom and democracy. But due to the military regime and the rise of Islamic factions the situation of women is deteriorating… The military is brutal in their treatment of women… The military regime is also trying to keep women from taking political office…

“The new parliament is even considering revoking the so-called Personal Status Law that women had been fighting for for years. If successful, it would mean that women could no longer divorce – only men would have the right to do so. Women would also lose the right to bring up their children beyond the age of nine. Fathers could then take away their children aged nine, not 15 as the law states now…”

So much for freedom, liberty and equality in the new Egypt…

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Threatens USA and Israel

CNS News reported on February 13:

“A top Muslim Brotherhood official has warned that any cuts in U.S. aid to Egypt could affect Cairo’s peace treaty with Israel…

“Egyptian judges have referred 16 Americans and 27 others linked to NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations] for trial, accusing them of using foreign funds to encourage disruptive protests… On Capitol Hill, the chorus of senior lawmakers calling for aid to Egypt to be suspended over the affair is growing, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned that the funds could be in jeopardy…

“‘This is only the beginning of the anti-American populism/nationalism/Islamism we are going to be seeing in Egypt from now on,’ Mideast expert Barry Rubin, director of the Global Research in International Affairs Center in Israel, wrote in a column Sunday. ‘What’s amazing is that nobody is pointing out that if an Egyptian government is willing to risk U.S. aid and have a confrontation on this small issue, what are they going to do regarding big issues?’ Rubin said. ‘What happens when the Egyptian government moves toward Islamism or helps Hamas fight Israel on some level?…’”

Reuters added on February 15:

“State-run newspapers splashed accusations of a U.S. plan to spread ‘anarchy’ in Egypt across their front pages on Tuesday… the headlines marked another low in the crisis between Washington and Cairo triggered by the investigation into U.S.-based non-governmental organisations that has led to criminal charges against Americans who have been prevented from leaving the country…The spat is one of the worst in more than 30 years of close U.S.-Egyptian ties…”

The Associated Press stated on February 15:

“Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood on Wednesday threw its weight behind the country’s military-backed government in an escalating dispute with the U.S. over the funding of pro-democracy groups… On Wednesday, the Brotherhood – whose political arm controls the largest bloc of seats in Egypt’s parliament – praised officials carrying out the crackdown and said it supported their ‘nationalist position.’ The Brotherhood said it ‘rejects all forms of pressure the U.S. is exerting,’ the statement published on the group’s website said.”

The USA and its allies supported strongly the “Arab Spring” movement. Since then, it has become obvious—which should have been clear from the outset—that the movement gave birth to the rise of radical Islamists, who are strongly opposed to the West and any style of Western democracy, and who are also very hostile towards Israel. Again, America’s foolish foreign policy has helped create a Frankenstein monster…

Shocking—Interpol Accused of Collaborating with Saudi Arabia over Islamist Radical Fanaticism

National Review reported on February 10:

“Interpol has been accused of abusing its powers after Saudi Arabia used the organisation’s red notice system to get a journalist arrested in Malaysia for insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Kashgari, a newspaper columnist, fled Saudi Arabia after posting a tweet on the prophet’s birthday that sparked more than 30,000 responses and several death threats. The posting, which was later deleted, read: ‘I have loved things about you and I have hated things about you and there is a lot I don’t understand about you … I will not pray for you.’

“More than 13,000 people joined a Facebook page titled ‘The Saudi People Demand the Execution of Hamza Kashgari’. Clerics in Saudi Arabia called for him to be charged with apostasy, a religious offence punishable by death…”

The Australian added on February 12:

“Malaysia has deported [to Saudi Arabia] a young Saudi journalist wanted in his home country over a Twitter post about the Prophet Mohammed, defying pleas from human rights group who said he faced execution… Kashgari’s detention sparked outrage from human rights groups, with Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch urging Malaysia not to send him back to face severe punishment and possibly a death sentence.”

When fundamentalists and fanaticism rule, such incredible and despicable conduct can be expected. When a “Christian” organization like Interpol lends a hand to such conduct, this is outrageous and speaks volumes of the indifference and blindness of our Western societies.

Enormous Ancient Goldmine of Queen of Sheba Found

The Guardian reported on February 11:

“Almost 3,000 years ago, the ruler of Sheba, which spanned modern-day Ethiopia and Yemen, arrived in Jerusalem with vast quantities of gold to give to King Solomon. Now an enormous ancient goldmine, together with the ruins of a temple and the site of a battlefield, have been discovered in her former territory… Sheba was a powerful incense-trading kingdom that prospered through trade with Jerusalem and the Roman empire.

“The queen is immortalised in Qur’an and the Bible, which describes her visit to Solomon ‘with a very great retinue, with camels bearing spices, and very much gold and precious stones … Then she gave the king 120 talents of gold, and a very great quantity of spices’… Her story is still told across Africa and Arabia, and the Ethiopian tales are immortalised in the holy book the Kebra Nagast. Hers is said to be one of the world’s oldest love stories. The Bible says she visited Solomon to test his wisdom by asking him several riddles. Legend has it that he wooed her, and that descendants of their child, Menelik – son of the wise – became the kings of Abyssinia.”

Please read our Q&A on Ethiopia and the Queen of Sheba.

Whitney Houston Played “Russian Roulette”—Meds and Alcohol Don’t Mix

Newsmax Health wrote on February 13:

“The death of Whitney Houston from an apparent drug and alcohol interaction was shocking to her fans, but Ozzie Delgado, the pharmacy director of Cleveland Clinic Florida, says it’s a tragedy he has seen played out many times. ‘The problem is that, when people drink, they think they have a tolerance level. But that tolerance level can vary on a given day, depending on what you’ve eaten, for example, so you really don’t know what your threshold is,’ Delgado tells Newsmax Health. Combining certain medications with drinking is ‘like playing Russian roulette,’ he warns.

“Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday. Although the results of the toxicology report on Houston could take weeks, reports say the singer was found dead in her bathtub after drinking while also taking Xanax. According to Delgado, Xanax (alprazolam), a common anti-anxiety drug, is particularly dangerous when combined with alcohol. ‘Xanax belongs to a class of drugs called benzodiazepines, all which have a side effect called temporary amnesia. So now you have temporary amnesia and you’re compounding it with alcohol,’ he notes. ‘As a result, you can lose track of the amount of alcohol you are drinking, and you lose consciousness. It’s a snowball effect… The drug slows your respiratory rate and, when you add alcohol, it slows your respiratory rate even more. You stop breathing at a normal rate, you stop oxygenating your body, and then your brain doesn’t get enough oxygen…’ Houston had struggled with drug addiction for years before her death.

“Xanax isn’t the only drug that can get you into trouble, says Keith Veltri, who is clinical pharmacy manager at Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y. ‘There are a lot of medications that, specifically when mixed with alcohol, can depress the respiratory system and cause drowsiness…’ He says he believes such drugs are over-prescribed, especially anti-anxiety drugs like Xanax and Valium. ‘Generally, Valium or Xanax for insomnia should only be taken for three weeks, or anxiety for four months…’

“But it isn’t only the anti-anxiety drugs (which are also prescribed for epilepsy) that can be dangerous when used with alcohol. Similar problems can also arise with prescription antidepressants such as Celexa, Prozac, Zoloft, and Wellbutrin, which is also prescribed for smoking cessation. Drugs used to fight insomnia, whether prescription or over-the-counter, also can be deadly when combined with alcohol. In addition, anti-psychotics such as Amplify, Seroquel, Risperdal, Haldol, and Thorazine should never be taken with alcohol. Patients should avoid drinking while taking painkillers such as oxycontin, morphine, and codeine, he says.

“It isn’t only prescription drugs that can be dangerous. Delgado says that care should also be taken if you’re using a cough preparation that contains dextromethorphan, as many common over-the-counter cough syrups do. ‘People should be concerned with any of these medications that have “DM” in the name,’ says Delgado. ‘When it comes to a lethal interaction with alcohol, most people don’t realize that it can take only one drug to do this,’ he says. ‘This is a common problem and many people have died. It’s just magnified when it happens to a Hollywood star.’ Performers who have died after mixing drugs and alcohol include rock stars Jimi Hendrix and Brian Jones, actor Alan Ladd, and country singer Hank Williams…”

Whether or not Whitney Houston—a practicing Baptist–died because of drug and alcohol interaction, the combination of alcohol and drugs—whether illegal or even legal, as well as prescription and non-prescription drugs—can many times become deadly. It is a shame that a supposedly Christian nation like the USA and its citizens and Hollywood “icons” do not follow the Bible even in its most elementary injunctions and principles—that it is God who made our bodies which should become holy—rather than being abused.

Birth Control Fight—Hypocrisy Galore

The Los Angeles Times wrote on February 15:

“Since President Obama moved to require Catholic hospitals and universities to offer their employees contraceptive health benefits, Republicans have rushed to accuse the administration of an unprecedented attack on religious freedoms. None has been more forceful than former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who accused Obama of ‘a direct violation of the 1st Amendment.’ But years before the current partisan firestorm, GOP lawmakers and governors around the country, including Huckabee, backed similar mandates.

“Twenty-two states have laws or regulations that resemble, at least in part, the Obama administration’s original rule. More than a third had some Republican support, a review of state records shows. In six states, including Arkansas, those contraceptive mandates were signed by GOP governors.

“In Massachusetts in 2006, then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed a healthcare overhaul that kept in place a contraceptive mandate signed by his Republican predecessor. Now the GOP presidential candidate is calling the Obama rule an ‘assault on religion.’ At the federal level, President George W. Bush never challenged a similar federal mandate imposed in 2000…

“Congressional Republicans are pushing legislation to exempt all employers from providing contraceptive coverage if it goes against their beliefs. In 2000, when Iowa became one of the first states to enact a contraceptive mandate, the Republican Legislature overwhelmingly backed the bill, which has no exemption for religious employers of any kind…

“In Arizona, state Rep. Linda Binder, a pro-choice Republican, formed a bipartisan coalition to push her bill, which exempted churches but not other church-affiliated institutions, through the Republican-controlled Legislature. Then-Gov. Jane Hull, a Republican and a Catholic, signed the measure into law. In New York, a similar law also won GOP support in the Legislature. It was signed in 2001 by Gov. George E. Pataki, another Republican.

“Four years later, the Arkansas law easily cleared that state’s Legislature, with help from Republican lawmakers, including two GOP cosponsors. Huckabee signed it in April 2005. He defended the law in a statement. ‘Religious employers are not required to comply with this policy,’ he said. ‘My position is, and always has been, that religious entities shouldn’t be forced to pay for contraception.’ But like the original federal regulation proposed by Obama, the Arkansas law did not exempt church-affiliated hospitals and universities. It exempts only ‘religious employers’ that are nonprofit organizations whose primary mission is ‘the inculcation of religious values,’ and primarily employ people who share the same religion, a standard few Catholic hospitals meet.”

To top it all, arch-conservative Catholic Republican Presidential candidate (father of seven children) Rick Santorum stated in an interview in 2006 that any kind of contraceptives (including those preventing pregnancies) are “harmful to women” and “harmful to our society.”

ABC News printed his most recent “clarifications” on the matter in its article, dated February 15, 2012:

“And his personal position against contraception has solidified… he said he disagrees with others in the Christian faith who believe that contraception is OK. ‘It’s not OK because it’s a license to do things in the sexual realm that is counter to how things are supposed to be,’ he said. ‘They’re supposed to be within marriage, they are supposed to be for purposes that are, yes, conjugal, but also, but also procreative. That’s the perfect way that a sexual union should happen. We take any part of that out, we diminish the act. And if you can take one part out that’s not for purposes of procreation, that’s not one of the reasons, then you diminish this very special bond between men and women, so why can’t you take other parts of that out? And all of a sudden, it becomes deconstructed to the point where it’s simply pleasure. And that’s certainly a part of it—and it’s an important part of it, don’t get me wrong—but there’s a lot of things we do for pleasure, and this is special, and it needs to be seen as special.’”

To be very clear on this, this view point is opposed to the teachings of the Bible. To say that God prohibits birth control, preventing pregnancies, within the confines of marriage, and that the sexual act must always include the purpose of procreation and cannot be done for “mere pleasure” within marriage, is not only against biblical teaching; it is also an irresponsible position. But this concept finds, sadly, its origins in the biblical record about the Garden of Eden, when the first man and his wife became ashamed of their sexuality, considering it as evil, even though God declared that everything that He had made was good. It was  Satan—not God–who convinced Adam and Eve that sex was dirty and could only be viewed as somewhat “acceptable,” if it was to be used merely for procreation.

Divorce—The Terrible Suffering of Innocent Children

Zenit wrote on February 10:

“Each year in the United States over a million children are the innocent parties to the divorce of their parents. While divorce also hurts the parents it is the children who particularly suffer…  As would be expected, divorce affects the ability of parents to relate to their children. One study found that the stress caused by divorce damages the relationship between children and their mothers for as many as 40% of divorced mothers. This insufficiency is more marked by the time children are in high school and college…

“Another aspect… is the effect of divorce on religious practice among children. They found that following divorce, children are more likely to cease practicing their faith. This lessening of religious practice means that children suffer from a lack of the beneficial effects of religion, in areas as diverse as marital stability, education, income, and physical and mental health… At the level of elementary school there is an immediate decline in academic performance. At high school level children from intact families have significantly better test scores compared to children of divorced parents. One example in the study was that by the age of 13 there is an average difference of half a year in the reading ability between children of divorced parents and children from intact families.

“Other research cited included a study that found children from divorced families were 26% more likely to drop out of secondary school compared to children brought up in intact families… Divorce not only imposes costs on families but also on government and society. Children of divorced families are considerably more likely to engage in delinquent behavior, to be involved in fighting, robberies, and substance abuse…

“Higher levels of child abuse and neglect are further consequences of divorce… With the high level of divorce in recent times these debilitating consequences will continue to be played out in the years to come. Not a comforting thought as Western society continues to witness continued attacks on family life and attempts to re-define marriage.”

No wonder God thunders at us that “He hates divorce, for it covers one’s garment with violence… Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously” (Malachi 2:16).

Russia and China Veto UN Resolution Against Syria—“Security Council Should Be Abolished”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 6:

“In the end, the joint resolution drafted by the Arabs, Europeans and Americans failed, and the killing continued in Syria… The resolution didn’t even contain any sanctions. The text of the resolution had already been watered down before the vote in response to considerable pressure from Russia. Ultimately, Moscow still refused to support it — making the tone of the conversations in Munich on Sunday even angrier.

“Pointing to Russia and China, Yemeni Nobel Peace Price [sic] recipient Tawakkul Karman lamented: ‘In the name of the Arab youth, I condemn the position of these countries. They support the criminal regime of Bashar Assad.’ Kenneth Roth, the head of… Human Rights Watch, added that the actions of Russia and China had made the Security Council ‘irrelevant.’ US Senator Joe Lieberman railed that the Chinese and the Russians… had now isolated themselves in the international community, just as Assad himself had done.

“Moscow doesn’t seem particularly moved by the outrage over its veto… Russia is firmly sticking to its support of Assad… Damascus purchases Russian rockets, Yak-130 fighter jets and it cooperates on a large scale with Russian energy companies… Beijing also continues to work together with the Assad regime…

“US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton offered a grim scenario if Assad remains in office: ‘More bloodshed, increasing resistance by those whose families are being killed and whose homes are being bombed, and a greater likelihood that Syria will descend into civil war.’”

Der Spiegel Online published the following related article on February 6:

“… the international community remains divided after Saturday’s move by Russia and China to veto a United Nations resolution condemning the violence in the Middle Eastern country. Syrian opposition leaders expressed outrage over the veto… On Monday, the US moved to close its embassy in Damascus and withdraw its diplomats and staff because of instability in the country.

“Speaking at a joint press conference in Paris after a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said, ‘France and Germany will not abandon the Syrian people. We will not accept that the international community remains blocked.’ Russia and China, however, have staunchly defended their positions…

“Editorialists in the German press on Monday unanimously condemn the veto, saying it sends a worrying signal about the reliability of Russia and China as future partners in international affairs…

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘It is a disgrace that Russia and China have cast their veto against a resolution that contained neither sanctions nor a weapons embargo. It didn’t authorize military intervention either. It merely condemned the genocidal behavior of the Assad regime. The fact that even this was too much for the rulers in Moscow and Beijing reveals a lot about their mindset and their authoritarian view of government. It’s almost as if they are saying that a dictator should be allowed to wage war against his own population… For Syria that means the killing and the civil war will go on…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… the West and the Arab League certainly won’t be able to stand back and watch Assad put down the protests for much longer. They must build a new forum to organize resistance to the regime without Russia and China…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘…The Russian and Chinese government’s decisions make a mockery of the Security Council… When the Security Council cannot even agree to verbally criticize the merciless slaughter of citizens by a dictator’s clique, then it has revealed itself to be redundant. The shelved resolution should, in the future, be used as a reminder that this body has squandered its opportunity. The way the Security Council is composed should be abolished along with the right to a veto.’”

A coalition between Russia and China, hostile to European interests, is clearly forming. There are also more and more voices advocating the abolishment of the Security Council and even the entire UN, which have indeed been irrelevant, while replacing them with a more “competent” body.

Syria and Russia vs. the Arab League and the West

BBC News reported on February 7:

“Gulf Arab states say they are expelling Syrian ambassadors in their countries and recalling their envoys from Syria. The Gulf Cooperation Council said Syria had rejected Arab attempts to solve the crisis and end 11 months of bloodshed. The US closed its embassy in Syria on Monday, and several European countries have recalled their ambassadors. The moves came as Syrian government forces continued their fierce assault on the restive city of Homs, and Russian officials visited Damascus.

“Separately Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, denied reports that he had threatened Qatar’s prime minister during talks at the UN last week. Someone was trying to drive a wedge between Russia and the Arab world, he said.”

Germany Expels Syrian Diplomats

Deutsche Welle reported on February 9:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Thursday that he was expelling four members of the Syrian embassy in Berlin, after two men were arrested for allegedly spying on opponents of the Syrian regime. Diplomatic sources said there were ‘clear indications’ that the four were guilty of ‘acts not in accordance with diplomatic law.’… Westerwelle summoned the Syrian ambassador to discuss the arrests. ‘The position of the federal government was made unmistakably clear at this meeting that the possible action against the Syrian opposition in Germany will not be tolerated,’ the ministry said.”

“Deja Vu as Russia Gas Cuts Hit Eight More EU Countries”

The EUObserver wrote on February 3:

“Eight EU countries have joined Italy in noting a sharp drop in Russian gas supplies, in events recalling the massive 2009 crunch. Gazprom deliveries to Austria and Slovakia reportedly fell by 30 percent on Thursday (2 February). Shipments to Poland fell 7 percent and Czech distributor RWE Transgaz said deliveries are ‘several’ percent lower than normal. The European Commission on Friday added that Bulgaria, Greece, Hungary and Romania have also been affected.

“The cuts began in Italy on Tuesday. Earlier this week it reported a 10 percent drop, but the figure hit 20 percent on Thursday.  Member states created special reserves after the 2009 gas crunch – which cost EU firms hundreds of millions of euros and which saw blackouts in some former Communist EU countries in the middle of a harsh winter. But there are signs the 2012 crunch could also get nasty.”

Deutsche Welle added on February 7, 2012:

“From France to Ukraine, Europe continues to freeze under a continental cold spell. Add a Russian gas shortage to the mix and you’ve got a problem – though one that’s being felt differently around the EU. The European Commission came out Tuesday (February 7) with a mollifying announcement regarding the flow of Russian gas to western Europe… The Commission gave further reassurance that everything was under control, saying that supplies had returned to normal in a number of EU member states.

“However, the tone in one of those member states, Italy, is entirely different at the moment. Officials were said to be holding emergency talks in Rome on Tuesday to ensure that gas supplies could keep homes heated. The death toll from the cold snap in Italy has hit 26, making it the hardest hit among all western European nations… Italy has far less gas on reserve than its northern EU compatriot, Germany, which is one of the reasons why Germany – despite having its supplies cut by Russia – isn’t suffering as much… What’s more, a country located as far south as Italy isn’t built to cope with the cold as well as Germany… Indeed, Italian demand for gas has reached record heights…

“Russia’s state-owned Gazprom gas supplier rejected calls on Tuesday to make up for last week’s shortages by sending extra supplies, with both the company and the Russian government saying Russia had its own gas problem to deal with amid the cold snap… Gas prices in Europe have indeed soared this week, with the UK recording its highest levels since winter 2006…”

Europe will not sit back idly for long if it feels continuously threatened and provoked by Russian conduct—especially if such conduct affects the European economy.

Iran–Waiting for the Mahdi

WorldNetDaily wrote on February 5:

“Amid crippling sanctions over its nuclear weapons program, Iran is continuing to prepare itself for war against the West, and now is warning of a coming great event.  ‘In light of the realization of the divine promise by almighty God, the Zionists and the Great Satan (America) will soon be defeated,’ Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, is warning. Khamenei, speaking to hundreds of youths from more than 70 countries attending a world conference on the Arab Spring just days ago, told a cheering crowd in Tehran that ‘Allah’s promises will be delivered and Islam will be victorious.’ The countries represented included Bahrain, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, all of which have been involved in the Arab Spring…

“Many clerics in Iran have stated that Khamenei is the deputy of the last Islamic messiah on earth and that obedience to him is necessary for the final glorification of Islam… Khamenei has been heard to say that the coming of the last Islamic Messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, is near and that specific actions need to be taken to protect the Islamic regime for upcoming events.”

On February 5, the Tampa Tribune published the following article:

“Iran is an overwhelmingly Islamic nation, and almost all Iranians belong to the Twelver sect of the Shia branch of Islam. This sect awaits the return of the 12th Imam, or Mahdi, a direct descendant of the Prophet Muhammed anointed by Allah himself. According to the Twelvers, the Mahdi has been in hiding in caves since the 9th century… but he will return just before the Day of Judgment. According to the Hadith, his return will be preceded by three years of chaos, violence and cataclysmic events. He will rule over the world for a period of seven years, eliminate all tyranny and oppression, and usher in an era of peace…

“Some Twelvers, including the current president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khameinei, believe that they are to prepare the way for the return of the Mahdi. In order to do so, they are to bring on the state of chaos and destruction, which will precede the Madhi’s return. The worse things get; the faster they win…”

The literal belief in a Mahdi at a time of great upheaval is without any doubt of tremendous importance and significance, if one wants to understand the motives and actions of the Iranian leadership.

Iran Ready to Destroy Israel?

WorldNetDaily wrote on February 5:

“The Iranian government, through a website proxy, has laid out the legal and religious justification for the destruction of Israel and the slaughter of its people. The doctrine includes wiping out Israeli assets and Jewish people worldwide… Because Israel is going to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran is justified in launching a pre-emptive, cataclysmic attack against the Jewish state, the doctrine argues.

“On Friday, in a major speech at prayers, Khamenei announced that Iran will support any nation or group that attacks the ‘cancerous tumor’ of Israel.”

The hatred of the Iranian leadership towards Israel is unabated. As the next article shows, other non-Christian and non-Jewish nations, such as Pakistan, are apparently willing to support Iran in case of war.

Will Pakistan Help Iran?

Y-Net News wrote on February 5:

“Is the world counting down to ‘D-Day’? After US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta estimated that Israel would attack Iran by June, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned government officials against  ‘Iran chatter,’ a  European diplomat based in Pakistan said that if Israel attacks, Islamabad will have no choice but to support any Iranian retaliation. The diplomat’s statement raised the specter of putting a nuclear-armed Pakistan at odds with Israel, which is widely believed to have its own significant nuclear arsenal.

“To some, the greatest risk of an attack was to the moribund world economy. Nick Witney, former head of the EU’s European Defense Agency, said ‘the political and economic consequences of an Israeli attack would be catastrophic for Europe’ since the likely spike in the price of oil alone ‘could push the entire EU, including Germany, into recession’… Witney… added that ‘the Iranians would probably retaliate against European interests in the region, and conceivably more directly with terrorism aimed at Western countries and societies.’”

Germany’s position is really dubious in this matter. Will they turn against Israel if it were to attack Iran?

USA Sanctions Against Iran Increase

Newsmax reported on February 6:

“President Barack Obama ordered a freeze on all Iranian government and central bank assets held in the U.S. or any foreign branch of a U.S. entity… Previously, only assets belonging to sanctioned Iranian entities or individuals were frozen. The order signed by the president yesterday blocks all property and interests in property belonging to the Iranian government, its central bank, and all Iranian financial institutions, even those that haven’t been specifically designated for sanctions by the U.S. Treasury.

“Longstanding U.S. regulations already prohibited American citizens or entities from virtually all direct and indirect transactions involving Iran or the government of Iran, aside from those exempted under general licenses for transactions involving food, medicine, remittances and humanitarian relief. The measure was mandated as part of Iran sanctions legislation that was passed by Congress and signed by the president Dec. 31.”

USA and Israel At Odds Over Iran

The New York times wrote on February 8:

“Amid mounting tensions over whether  Israel will carry out a military strike against Iran’s nuclear program the United States and Israel remain at odds over a fundamental question: whether Iran’s crucial nuclear facilities are about to become impregnable… The difference of opinion over Iran’s nuclear ‘immunity’ is critical because it plays into not just the timing — or bluffing — about a possible military strike, but the calculations about how deeply and quickly sanctions against Iran must bite.”

Argentina vs. Britain

The Telegraph wrote on February 8, 2012:

“‘The sending of a destroyer to accompany the Royal heir is a militarisation of the South Atlantic,’ Mrs Kirchner said. ‘We will present a complaint to the UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly, as this militarisation poses a grave danger to international security.’ Mrs Kirchner said the Falklands was not only a ‘regional issue’ but had become a ‘global cause’…

“Tensions have increased to their highest level since the end of the conflict 30 years ago as the Duke of Cambridge, a Royal Air Force helicopter pilot, began a six week tour of duty in the islands at the weekend… The Royal Navy also announced last week it was sending its most powerful warship, HMS Dauntless, to the South Pacific…

“Argentina has received the backing of Latin American countries for its claim of sovereignty over the remote, wind-lashed islands, which were occupied by Britain in 1833. The dispute erupted into warfare April 2, 1981 when Argentine troops seized the islands, only to be routed in a 74-day war that claimed the lives of 649 Argentines and 255 Britons.

“Diplomatic friction between Argentina and Britain has intensified since 2010, when the Government authorised oil exploration in the waters near the islands.”

The once bright star of the British Empire is surely sinking…

Greek Deal Reached… Or Has It?

Deutsche Welle reported on February 9:

“Greek political leaders have clinched a deal on austerity measures required so as to receive a second package of international loans… The talks had dragged on for several days. Cuts to state and private pensions worth some 300 billion euros ($398 billion) had been amongst the most contentious measures. The deal was inked as eurozone finance ministers gathered in Brussels ready for further talks on Greece… The euro, safe haven German sovereign bonds and several stock exchanges responded positively to the news… Greek and European leaders have been working against the clock, as the government in Athens needs fresh capital to meet a 14.5-billion-euro bond repayment due on March 20.”

Der Spiegel Online added on February 9:

“The highly indebted euro-zone country is close to insolvency, and the government in Athens appears to be willing to meet most of the demands made by the troika, comprised of the EU, IMF and European Central Bank (ECB), responsible for determining if Greece has fulfilled its aid requirements…

“German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble… expressed skepticism that the agreement reached in Athens would be enough to secure funding… Europe had increased pressure on Greece in the final rounds of negotiations after earlier talks failed to produce a breakthrough. A spokesperson for European Commissioner for Currency and Monetary Policy Olli Rehn pushed all sides to hurry in order to prevent a Greek default…

“Overnight, the party chiefs… agreed to reduce the minimum wage by 22 percent… The country is also expected to eliminate 15,000 jobs in the public sector by the end of the year. And in the private sector, all wages are to be frozen for as long as it takes to reduce the current unemployment rate of 21 percent down to 10 percent…”

In a related article, Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 9:

“In Greece, a consensus has developed as to who is to blame for the country’s economic misery. Age old stereotypes are flourishing. Georgios Trangas had launched into a tirade — yet again. He… stared into the camera and turned to his favourite subject: the Germans, and how they are cold-bloodedly shoving Greece into the abyss. ‘Germany doesn’t care that 3 million pensioners are dying here,’ he raged. The sentence is one of his more harmless utterances on this evening. But such verbal artillery is hardly out of the ordinary on the Athens television broadcaster Extra 33, a channel full of angry broadsides against the ‘German occupiers’…

“The problem, of course, is that Trangas… is on primetime television… Trangas is a cult figure. What he says carries a certain amount of weight in Greece. He quickly reduces complex problems to mere slogans and just as rapidly identifies who is to blame. And only seldom are those responsible to be found in his own country…

“Trangas is a master of hyperbole, and has won many viewers with his tirades. But his core message is one that many in Greece share. Seeing the EU as the ‘Fourth German Reich’ is hardly a novelty in the country — and one almost has the feeling that the sentiment against Germany grows more poisoned by the day. Indeed, just this week, the associations representing doctors, lawyers and structural engineers met in Athens and agreed on a unified boycott of products from Germany. Just how the boycott will be put into practice is not yet clear. But it could mark the beginning of a broader anti-Germany movement. Already, the burning of German flags, and the display of swastikas, has become de rigueur at anti-austerity demonstrations in Greece.”

These anti-German feelings don’t bring about much sympathy in Germany—given the fact that the consensus is that Greece is to be blamed for their current problems—not Germany. In fact, most Germans are angry with their own government, feeling that Germany is already doing far too much for Greece. It is not unlikely that Greece won’t be part of the final configuration of core Europe.

Human Rights Take a Back Seat to Sovereignty

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 3:

“An international court ruled on Friday that Germany cannot be held liable for paying reparations to the descendents of victims of a massacre perpetrated during World War II in Italy. The verdict has implications far beyond Nazi-era war crimes, and was welcomed by countries far and wide. It sounds like a paradox: Germany takes Italy to court and wins — and Rome is secretly pleased with the ruling. In addition, several other governments around the world are breathing a sigh of relief on Friday. After all, had the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled differently, people in Afghanistan or Ethiopia, in the Balkans or in Libya, would have been able to take countries to court whose soldiers committed war crimes on their soil. It is a situation that governments everywhere wanted to avoid.

“And now they have. The ICJ ruling threw out a 2008 decision by the highest Italian appellate court which sought to force Germany to pay reparations to the families of victims of World War II-era war crimes… Human rights organization Amnesty International said in a statement that the ruling was a ‘great step backwards in the protection of international human rights.’… And in the future, the families of Afghan, Iraqi or Ethiopian victims of human rights abuses perpetrated by foreign countries will have no more legal recourse than did the Italians and Greeks in the case decided on Friday in The Hague.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote in its headline, “Human Rights Take a Back Seat to Sovereignty.” Fortunately, the time is soon coming to an end when sovereign countries or individuals, including politicians and diplomats, can hide behind the cloak of “immunity,” thereby preventing just and fair prosecution of and punishment for their deeds and conduct.

Constitutional Right for Same-Sex Couples to Marry?

The Wall Street Journal wrote on February 7:

“A federal appeals court panel here ruled Tuesday that California’s voter-mandated ban on gay marriages was unconstitutional, in a closely watched case that eventually could lead the U.S. Supreme Court to decide whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry. In a 2-1 vote, the panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said California’s 2008 law, popularly known as Proposition 8, had used the state’s initiative power to target a minority group and take away a right the group possessed, without legitimate reason.

“Doing so, wrote Judge Stephen Reinhardt in an 89-page majority opinion, violated the 14th Amendment’s equal-protection clause… Tuesday’s decision is likely just the second stop in a battle that could next be appealed to an expanded 11-judge panel of the same court—or directly to the Supreme Court… Proposition 8 defined marriage in the California state constitution as between one man and one woman…

“Six states, plus the District of Columbia, now permit same-sex marriages… Gay marriage has become a political lightning rod. President Barack Obama has stopped short of supporting gay marriage but has backed other gay-rights legal concerns. The major Republican presidential candidates, except Ron Paul, have signed a pledge saying they are committed to a federal Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. In a poll of U.S. adults last fall by the Associated Press and the National Constitution Center… 53% of respondents said the government should give legal recognition to marriages between people of the same sex.”

Nightmare Scenario—Genetically Modified Mosquitoes

ABC News reported on February 4:

“A British biotech lab has released huge numbers of genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to combat dengue fever… They buzz very, very quietly… Their victims can’t hear them until it’s almost too late… The insects in question are female yellow-fever mosquitoes, some of the most dangerous animals on the planet. In addition to the illness after which they were named, they also transmit the dengue virus.

“Dengue fever is on the rise worldwide and spreading faster than any other insect-borne viral disease. Every year, female mosquitoes infect at least 50 million people in tropical and subtropical regions (the males don’t bite). More than 20,000 of their victims — most of them children — succumb to their illness. The mosquitoes at the lab near Oxford serve a rather different purpose: To save human lives. Scientists have implanted a gene they hope will wipe out these mosquitoes’ wild cousins. When males from the lab mate with wild females, their larval offspring die within a short space of time. The lab insects have been produced to commit infanticide…

“The yellow-fever mosquitoes from Milton Park have since been released in Malaysia… They specialize in feeding on humans [and] are also currently buzzing around near the city of Juazeiro in eastern Brazil. Mosquitoes are due to be released in other dengue-plagued countries too, including Panama, India, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. They could also soon turn up in Key West, Florida, as early as March; preparations there are underway…

“The problem is that genetically-modified female mosquitoes can still bite humans. This means the protein which kills their own larvae might be injected into humans when the mosquitoes suck their prey’s blood, with unknown consequences for the human organism…”

One must wonder how far man will go in the name of science to fool around with God’s creation—not knowing or realizing what kind of Frankenstein monster they are creating. Note also the next article.

Nightmare Scenario—Scientists Create Most Deadly Form of Bird Flu

The Daily Mail wrote on February 8:

“Details of secret experiments by scientists who have created the most deadly form of bird flu in the lab will inevitably be leaked – potentially into the hands of terrorists.. When H5N1 bird flu erupted over seven years ago, out of the 584 people known to have caught it, 335 died. What stopped it from becoming a world-wide killer was its inability to jump from birds to humans easily.

“However, a mutation of the virus was made by Ron Fouchier and his team at the Erasmus Medical Centre in Rotterdam in Holland, which was just as deadly and passed easily between ferrets, the animal that best indicates whether humans will catch it. In December, the NSABB asked the journals Nature and Science to censor publication of the study, and similar research conducted by American scientists, setting off a furious debate in the scientific and public health communities.

“The move followed a voluntary 60-day suspension of a study into the virus by the researchers themselves, who became worried that their work could lead to a pandemic. Fears were raised that the engineered viruses may escape from the laboratories… or possibly be used to create a bioterror weapon. In a letter published in Nature and Science, 39 scientists defended the research as crucial to public health efforts.”

One must wonder what kind of a sick mind would want to create such a deadly sickness—and that in the name of science and the “greater good.”

Global Warming Threat Incontrovertible?

Newsmax reported on February 5:

“An editorial signed by 16 prominent scientists in the Wall Street Journal takes sharp issue with calls for drastic action against global warming, asserting that the threat is far from ‘incontrovertible’ as alarmists claim… The ‘most inconvenient’ fact cited by the scientists is the lack of global warming over the past 10 years… Why then does the call for action against global warming persist? The scientists say: Follow the money. ‘Alarmism over climate is of great benefit to many, providing government funding for academic research and a reason for government bureaucracies to grow,’ they declare…

“Temperatures in some areas in Europe on Thursday sank to minus 26.5 F. Parts of the Black Sea froze near the Romanian coastline and rare snow fell on Croatian islands in the Adriatic Sea.”

It seems, money rules… no matter what. But NOT for much longer!!!

Trouble for Mitt Romney from Catholics and Evangelicals?

Newsmax reported on February 7:

“Mitt Romney is vociferously attacking a provision in Obamacare requiring religious employers to cover birth control in employee health plans — but the healthcare bill he enacted as governor of Massachusetts also contained that requirement. C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, told the Boston Globe that Romney’s criticism of President Obama is hypocritical because as governor he did not lift the state-level requirement of contraception coverage. ‘The initial injury to Catholic religious freedom came not from the Obama administration, but from the Romney administration,’ Doyle said. ‘President Obama’s plan certainly constitutes an assault on the constitutional rights of Catholics, but I’m not sure Gov. Romney is in a position to assert that, given his own very mixed record on this.’…

“Romney GOP presidential rival Newt Gingrich also has attacked Romney over the birth control provision. ‘The Obama administration is raging a war against the Catholic Church,’ Gingrich said on ABC’s ‘Good Morning America’ last week. ‘Well guess what? Mitt Romney’s Romneycare — he specifically refused to exempt Catholic hospitals, he specifically cut funding for kosher meals for Jewish senior citizens in Medicaid in Massachusetts. There are a lot of parallels between these two guys. Romneycare and Obamacare are essentially the same… In the long run, the Republican Party is not going to nominate the founder of Romneycare, a liberal Republican who is pro-abortion, pro-gun control, and pro-tax increase.’”

But one will have to wait and see whom the deeply divided GOP will nominate—especially in light of ultra-conservative Roman Catholic Rick Santorum’s surprising and unexpected victory in three states.

Newsmax wrote on February 8, 2012:

“A resurgent Rick Santorum made a clean sweep in presidential contests Tuesday night that showed the importance Christian activists hold within the GOP. He took Colorado by a narrow margin… won Minnesota’s Republican caucuses with ease [and] was victorious as well in a nonbinding Missouri primary…”

The Washington Post added on February 8:

“In the aftermath of Rick Santorum’s clean sweep of Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri, Mitt Romney is still, in fact, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. But the lack of enthusiasm for his candidacy among conservatives foreshadows a potentially ugly road ahead to Tampa and general election problems if he is nominee…

“The arguments advanced by Romney advisers are not incorrect. He did not spend real money in these states. He did not campaign in them very much. There were no delegates awarded in any of the three. Missouri was simply a beauty contest. Arizona and Michigan, whose primaries are at the end of the month, look favorable for Romney. Super Tuesday offers more opportunities to win. Santorum and Newt Gingrich have limited resources…

“The issue is not whether Romney has been significantly derailed from his path to the nomination, but rather what kind of nominee he might be and what kind of party would be behind him… But that methodical path they [supporters] describe also could give him the nomination while leaving his party fractured, the base uninspired and his opponents bitter and slow to reconcile… Republicans are fervent in their desire to defeat the president in November but can’t work up much enthusiasm for their own candidates…

“Two of his victories came on friendly turf: New Hampshire, where proximity to Massachusetts helped Romney; and Nevada, where the sizeable Mormon population was a great asset. On more neutral terrain, he owes his success in considerable part to the power of negative campaigning. He almost won Iowa, and came close only after he and the super PAC behind his candidacy spent millions trashing Gingrich with negative ads. His victory in Florida came after another heavy investment in negative ads aimed at the former speaker…

“After South Carolina, Gingrich thought the contest would come down to him versus Romney. Santorum now will try to become the lone alternative to Romney. For that reason, Gingrich was the other big loser Tuesday night…”

Roman Catholics May Prevail Against President Obama

Newsmax reported on February 7:

“Roman Catholic pressure to get the Obama administration to back down from its insistence that they provide free contraceptives in their healthcare plans appeared to be paying off on Tuesday. Now the White House may be ready to work with the church to find a way to get around the mandate, said David Axelrod, a top adviser to President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign…

“Axelrod said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius had already given churches an exemption to the mandate, against the recommendation of the Institute of Medicine. ‘The question now is about these extended affiliated institutions … and there are tens of thousands – hundreds of thousands – of women who work in these hospitals and universities who are not Catholic or they may be Catholic and they use birth control…

“The administration’s insistence that religious organizations provide insurance that covers contraceptives – including abortifacients such as the morning-after pill – has led to claims that Obama is anti-religion. Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, who converted to Catholicism in 2008, said last week, ‘The Obama administration is raging a war against the Catholic Church.’

“Fellow Catholic candidate Rick Santorum said the church should have fought harder against the whole Affordable Health Care Act. ‘I told the Catholic bishops years ago when they were … promoting Obamacare, be careful what you wish for,’ he said. ‘They got what they deserved.’

“Catholic bishops wrote letters that were read to parishioners from the pulpit over the weekend. ‘We cannot – we will not – comply with this unjust law,’ was the message in the letter from many of the bishops… But whether the bishops have the backing of their followers is unclear. A USA Today poll released Tuesday showed that 58 percent of Catholics support compulsory contraceptive insurance. That figure rose to 62 percent among Catholic women.”

This whole matter is a two-edged sword. First, mandated compulsory healthcare coverage is morally wrong and also unconstitutional, in our opinion. Secondly, to demand covering abortifacients such as the morning-after pill is likewise wrong, as such a pill kills human life. On the other hand, contraceptives preventing impregnation are perfectly alright and in that regard, the Catholic Church’s teaching is unbiblical. What is interesting to see is the tremendous political influence of the Catholic Church in the USA. At the same time, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Party was very reluctant to make any commitments or concessions in favor of the Catholic bishops in an interview with CNN on February 8.

Coming—Worldwide Disease Epidemics and Pandemics

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 27:
 
“Antibiotics were once the wonder drug. Now, however, an increasing number of highly resistant — and deadly — bacteria are spreading around the world…
 
“The bacteria are transmitted via the skin, through towels, clothing or direct body contact. All it takes is a small abrasion to provide them with access to a victim’s bloodstream. Festering pustules develop at the infection site, at which point the pathogens are also capable of corroding the lungs. If doctors wait too long, patients can die very quickly… The two bacteria, ha-MRSA and ca-MRSA, are only two strains from an entire arsenal of pathogens that are now resistant to almost all available antibiotics. Less than a century after the discovery of penicillin, one of the most powerful miracle weapons ever produced by modern medicine threatens to become ineffective…
 
“With the spread of ESBL-forming bacteria, reserve antibiotics have to be used more and more frequently, thereby allowing new resistances to develop. In fact, there are already some pathogens that not even the drugs of last resort in the medical arsenal can combat… This rapid spread has caused many to wonder whether more and more people… will soon die of infectious diseases that were supposedly treatable, as happened in centuries past. Unfortunately, there are many indications that this might ultimately be the case… The World Health Organization (WHO) recently warned against an impending medical catastrophe…
 
“In fact, the carelessness with which doctors and farmers are jeopardizing the effectiveness of one of the most important groups of drugs borders on lunacy. Some 900 metric tons of antibiotics are administered to livestock each year in Germany alone. Instead of treating only those animals that are truly sick, farmers routinely feed the medications to all of their animals. Likewise, some 300 metric tons of antibiotics are used to treat humans each year, far too often for those merely suffering from a common cold… This large-scale use inevitably leads to the spread of resistant bugs… Still, even more responsible prescribing practices will hardly be able to stop the advance of resistant bacteria in the long term. What’s more, no new antibiotics can be seen on the horizon. Only four pharmaceutical companies worldwide are still working on developing new agents…”
 
Other media reports show the increasing ineffectiveness and counter-productiveness of antibiotics. Surely, Christ’s predictions that we will hear more and more about end-time diseases and pandemics are coming to pass…

The World’s Biggest Political Battle

Der Spiegel wrote on January 26:

“The battle lines are being drawn in what is undoubtedly the world’s biggest political battle — the election of an American president. Incumbent Barack Obama used his annual State of the Union speech in front of Congress on Tuesday to outline the foundations of his campaign…

“Die Zeit writes: ‘Obama remains a politically vulnerable president. … And the criticism from the Republicans is also not completely unjustified…’

“The center-left Frankfurter Rundschau writes: ‘… the US has developed into a class society. More so than in Germany, anyone’s future prospects depend on where they come from. Only those with affluent and well-educated parents… even [have] a shot at having… a career…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘With the demand for a minimum tax for the rich, (Obama) is breeding resentment among the successful entrepreneurs and investors who are the engine of economic development… With minimum taxes and increased industry control, he will not win back manufacturing jobs for America.’”

Der Spiegel added on January 27:

“The US Republican candidates’ debate in Florida quickly devolved into a horror show of absurdities on Thursday night as candidates argued about immigration and moon colonies. Mitt Romney was branded the winner, but the real losers were the viewers, the truth and politics in general… CNN moderator Wolf Blitzer tried to heighten the drama by asking absurd questions about US colonies on the moon, Swiss bank accounts, and Puerto Rican statehood, not to mention which of the four candidates’ wives would make the best first lady… The most important topic for voters, the economy, wasn’t addressed at all.

“At the end, the commentators declared Romney the winner (because he bit the hardest) and Gingrich the loser (because he didn’t bite back hard enough). Santorum was termed the ‘new’ challenger (because he attacked everyone), and Paul became the funny uncle. But the real loser was the political system… Those who follow this race daily may have long since lost perspective on how absurd it is… Maybe the best solution came from Paul, who said: ‘Well, I don’t think we should go to the moon. I think we maybe should send some politicians up there.’”

We feel ALL politicians should be sent up there… Subsequently, Mr. Romney won the election in Florida, but Mr. Gingrich–who reached a distant second place– vowed to continue fighting until the bitter end. The very next day, both politicians resumed their personal attacks against each other, and the other two remaining Republican contestants, Messrs. Santorum and Paul, chipped in as well.

Cameron Critical of European Court of Human Rights

Israel National News reported on January 27:

“British Prime Minister David Cameron delivered a speech before the Council of Europe, the 47 nation grouping that is responsible for the European Court of Human Rights. Britain has been discomfited by the court’s activism and decisions. A recent parliamentary study found that Britain lost 75% of the cases in which it was sued…

“Britain’s major complaint is a serious one. The UK is concerned about court rulings on immigration that prevented the country from protecting its citizens against terrorism. Terrorists who had entered the country illegally could not be deported… Another problematic area is the penchant of the European Court of human rights to review cases that have gone through the entire appeals process in the national courts, adding yet another tribunal. The court ‘should not undermine its own reputation by going over national decisions where it does not need to.’”

Britain’s frustration with the institutions of the EU will continue.

Tough Smacking Laws Need to Be Relaxed

Great Britain’s Press Association wrote on January 29:

“Legislation surrounding the smacking of children needs to be relaxed so working-class parents can instil discipline in their homes without fearing prosecution, according to a senior Labour politician. MP for Tottenham David Lammy claimed Labour’s 2004 decision to tighten up the smacking law was partly to blame for last summer’s riots, which erupted in his north London constituency.

“In an interview with LBC Radio, the former education minister said: ‘Many of my constituents came up to me after the riots and blamed the Labour Government, saying: “You guys stopped us being able to smack our children”… These parents are scared to smack their children and paranoid that social workers will get involved and take their children away.’

“Mr Lammy… said working-class parents should be able to physically discipline their children to prevent them from joining gangs and getting involved in knife crime. Current legislation, enforced under The Children Act of 2004, says parents are allowed to smack their offspring without causing the ‘reddening of the skin’. Previously they could use ‘reasonable chastisement’ with a judge deciding if they had over-stepped the mark. However, since the 2004 amendments the decision has been left to social workers…

“The politician argued parents in Tottenham had to raise their children ‘with knives, gangs and the dangers of violent crime just outside the window’, but ‘no longer feel sovereign in their own homes’, because of the laws. ‘The ability to exercise their own judgment in relation to discipline and reasonable chastisement has been taken away,’ he added.”

Indeed, man’s ways ARE foolishness to God.

Victory for Merkel

The Financial Times wrote on January 30:

“Twenty-five of the European Union’s 27 countries have signed up to a German-inspired treaty enshrining tougher fiscal rules to help underpin the euro. But Berlin was warned that there were limits to how much sovereignty governments could be expected to surrender for the sake of fiscal discipline… The continued debate over Greece’s future came as Ms Merkel was handed a symbolic victory in her months’ long drive to include tough budget limits into the fabric of the single currency. But Berlin lost a second signatory at the summit when the Czech Republic announced it would join the UK by not agreeing to the pact.

“David Cameron… said he would not block signatories from using EU-wide institutions. But he warned he would take legal action if the new treaty undermined British interests. Ratification by Germany’s most important partner in the eurozone also became more complicated as Mr Sarkozy said he would not ask the French assembly to approve the treaty before April’s presidential election. Mr Sarkozy’s likely opponent, Socialist François Hollande, has said he would seek to renegotiate the pact, but Ms Merkel said she did not believe France would back away from the commitment.”

Deutsche Welle added on January 31:

“Twenty-five of the European Union’s 27 member states agreed to a fiscal unification pact that would cede much control of national budgets over to Brussels… The United Kingdom had already declined to take part in the so-called ‘fiscal compact,’ which, among other things, would require countries to introduce balanced budget rules into their laws or constitutions. The Czech Republic also said it would not sign the agreement.”

The Wall Street Journal added:

“Leaders of 25 European Union governments agreed Monday night on what some billed as a historic pact to move to closer fiscal union and signed off on the details of a permanent bailout fund for the euro zone…”

The EU Says “No” to German-American Merger

Der Spiegel reported on January 2:

“The European Commission has vetoed a planned merger between Deutsche Börse and NYSE Euronext stock exchanges, saying that it would have created a quasi-monopoly in certain kinds of trading… It would have been the world’s largest stock-exchange company… According to the Commission, the two companies control more than 90 percent of the trade in European exchange-traded financial derivatives… Deutsche Börse reacted to the decision with disappointment. ‘This is a black day for Europe and for its future competitiveness on global financial markets,’ said the company’s executive board in a statement. ‘The EU Commission’s decision is based on an unrealistically narrow definition of the market that does no justice to the global nature of competition in the market for derivatives.’

“The two companies can still appeal the decision before the European Court of Justice. The head of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), Duncan Niederauer, recently said that he would not rule out legal action against a veto. It was the third attempt by Deutsche Börse and NYSE to merge. The Frankfurt-based Deutsche Börse would have owned 60 percent of the proposed new company, and the NYSE 40 percent… The US Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had already cleared the merger.”

The EUObserver added:

“… the German firm reacted furiously to [the] announcement… The story is not over yet, with Deutsche Boerse expected to shortly make a bid for the London stock exchange…”

A prophecy about Europe in Daniel 2 comes to mind, saying that “they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay” (verse 43). Still, to make Germany angry may not be a smart move for European countries… and neither is the impression that Germany is giving as wanting to become the master of Europe… Please note the next article…

Europe Afraid of Germany

“The EU summit on Monday was overshadowed by a new upsurge in fears of German domination following reports over the weekend that Berlin was proposing dispatching an EU commissioner to Athens to seize control of the Greek budget… Greek newspaper Ta Nea published a cartoon of Merkel holding Greece like a marionette under the headline ‘Nein! Nein! Nein!’… Economic data released on Tuesday underlined that Germany is doing far better than its European partners. German unemployment fell to a record low of 6.7 percent in January while joblessness in the euro zone rose to 10.4 percent in December, the highest rate since June 1998.

“German media commentators say Germany has a right to insist on fiscal discipline in Europe but needs to tread more lightly in its rhetoric, and must refrain from proposals that insult its partners…

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… Countries in crisis can’t be transformed into protectorates…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Germany has the strongest economy by far in the EU, and its lead is growing. It is also the most populous country, which isn’t insignificant in democratic terms. So it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the German government is making use of this clout; that’s legitimate. But Germany isn’t the hegemon of Europe. It isn’t the hesitant or even steamrolling hegemon who flattens the other members of the EU and/or euro zone. The union of the Europeans doesn’t work that way. It isn’t geared to systematic domination or subordination…

“‘If Germany is to lead, as most partners want it to or say they want it to, this leadership cannot simply consist of giving orders… Greek public shouldn’t stupidly call the chancellor a Nazi, and should draw the right conclusions from a grandiose failure. And despite all the fuss being made: The country has de facto already surrendered its budget autonomy.’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Germany stands where it never wanted to stand again after 1945: as the dominant power in the middle of Europe. Its attempts to achieve this with cannons and tanks in the 20th century ended in apocalypses of blood and fire, but that’s precisely why that Germany no longer exists. No country succumbed to the temptation of nationalism more terribly than Germany; in its collective memory, the crimes it committed across Europe still weigh heavily.

“‘True, it is a disgrace to exploit that fact today, even in Greece, whose political parties drove the state to ruin. But it should teach the German government not to confuse firmness with the arrogance of power when it comes to the euro crisis. Because this power is very real, and it is causing fear. The idea to impose an austerity commissioner on Greece was insensitive…

“‘In truth, this worst crisis since the start of the European Union shows how vital that union is. It shows that a common currency, the free movement of goods, open borders and friendship among peoples can’t be taken for granted. These are historically unique achievements of a continent whose peoples settled their disputes by waging war up until two generations ago… Germany must convince rather than dictate. It is just as dependent on Europe as the Greeks.’”

The Local added on February 2:

“A eurosceptic British MEP provoked the German head of the European Parliament chairman to cut off his microphone after comparing Germany’s proposed plans for Greece’s finances to the Nazi occupation of the country. The move by parliament president Martin Schulz prompted Nigel Farage to storm out of the Brussels chamber on Wednesday.

“Farage, who heads the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) likened Germany’s proposal for EU control of Greece’s public spending to placing it under control of a ‘Gauleiter’ – a Nazi administrator in charge of a region during the Third Reich. His microphone was eventually turned off by Schulz, a German Social Democrat, at which point Farage ‘had no option but to walk out of the chamber in disgust,’ his spokesman said in a statement.

“The comment provoked uproar, especially among German MEPs, with Green Party representative Reinhard Bütikofer accusing the UKIP leader of spreading, ‘hatred in the European Parliament’ and ‘hatred between European peoples.’ Farage later said he was only repeating a word being used in the British media… The UKIP party does not support Britain being a member of the European Union, and if newly appointed president Schulz decides to take punitive action against Farage, he could face a fine.”

Germany’s Interests in Africa

German Foreign Policy reported on January 20:

“The German Foreign Ministry is warning that unrest in Nigeria could escalate. The German government is ‘very worried’ about developments in that country, declared the Africa Commissioner in the German Foreign Ministry. For years, Nigeria has been the scene of violent upheavals in the Niger Delta and more recently has been marked by an escalation of attacks by Islamist organizations. Over the past few weeks, a nationwide general strike has paralyzed the country, during the course of which, government repressive forces have killed at least nine people.

“The widespread impoverishment of broad sections of the population in this country rich in petroleum and natural gas is the primary reason for these protests. Germany is interested in more than only Nigeria’s natural resources; Germany also attributes significant geo-strategic importance to Nigeria, as a western proxy in African conflicts as well as a deputy in fighting against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.
 
“Apprehension is now growing in government circles in Berlin, that Nigeria could be politically destabilized, which, in the eyes of Germany, would reduce its geostrategic usefulness. By intensifying cooperation with Abuja, the German government is attempting to counteract this development.”

The Rhein-Neckar Zeitung reported on January 23 that Nigeria is becoming chaotic and is facing civil war due to the threats and terrorist activities of Islamists—especially the radical Boko Haram organization, which is advocating the creation of an Islamic state and the enforcement of Sharia law. They want to prohibit Western culture and Christianity. In 2011 alone, they murdered more than 3,000 people and injured more than 10,000 people in Nigeria. Their attacks are mainly focused on Christians.

Watch Ethiopia

The BBC News wrote on January 28:

“The African Union has inaugurated its newly built headquarters in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The entire $200m (£127m) project was funded by China as a gift to the AU, as Beijing continues to strengthen its influence in Africa. In front of African leaders a huge golden key was handed over and the 100m high building was officially opened. The tower overlooks a vast conference centre where African heads of state are expected to meet for years to come… The new AU building dominates the skyline of Addis Ababa and is the city’s tallest building…

“Trade between China and Africa has increased more than six-fold during the past decade to $120bn (£76bn) in 2011. China is interested in Africa’s natural resources and in return is investing huge sums in African infrastructure. Roads are being built by Chinese firms at a staggering rate… While other rich nations impose conditions before aid is given, China’s relationship with African countries is strictly a business one, he says… In Ethiopia, many jobs have been created through Chinese-funded projects. Chinese cars are being made in Ethiopian factories and China is also building a light railway across Addis Ababa.”

China’s involvement in Africa and especially Ethiopia is quite interesting. In the past, Ethiopia was identified as the king of the South, mentioned in Daniel 11, pushing at the king of the North [the revived Roman Empire in Europe]. It is unclear whether this prophecy, which has been fulfilled under Mussolini, is dual. Recently, Ethiopia was mentioned in the news in respect to a highly controversial kidnapping of German citizens in that country. We also know that the relationship between China and Europe will constantly deteriorate.

German Diplomat Named EU Special Representative for Middle East Peace Process

Germany.info reported on January 23:

“German diplomat Andreas Reinicke, until now German ambassador in Damascus, will become the EU special representative for the Middle East peace process. The appointment was agreed by the EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on January 23. He will play a key role in bringing both sides back to the negotiating table, according to Catherine Ashton, EU high representative for foreign affairs.

“Reinicke is considered one of the most experienced Middle East experts in the German Foreign Office, having been stationed at both the embassies in Tel Aviv and Ramallah and heading up the Middle East section at the Foreign Office headquarters in Berlin. In addition to the EU’s long-standing efforts to help achieve a peaceful solution in the Middle East, Germany is also working bilaterally to support a peaceful solution. The German Government has had numerous political talks with representatives of the Israeli Government and the Palestinian Authority. The Middle East is one of the region’s most frequently visited by the Federal Foreign Minister and the Federal Chancellor.”

Germany’s influence and involvement in the Middle East is prophesied to continue and increase.

The Iranian Threat

Israel National News reported on January 27:

“The current U.S.-led push to force Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions through steadily increasing economic and diplomatic pressure is beginning to show results and it would be ‘premature’ to resort to military force, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, said on Thursday… He said the U.S. was increasing its economic and diplomatic pressure on Iran while making  preparations—if there was no other option—for a possible military intervention into the country… The London Times reported this week that Israeli officials told Dempsey that Israel would give President Barack Obama no more than 12 hours’ notice if and when it attacks Iran. The Netanyahu government also will not coordinate with the United States an attack on the Islamic Republic, according to the report.”

As the next article shows and as the dpa reported on January 24, the EU also announced wide-ranging “extraordinary” economic sanctions against Iran. Beginning with July 1, 2012, all oil imports into Europe from Iran are prohibited. According to the Figaro in Paris, the sanctions are prepared to preempt an Israeli attack on Iran. A most ridiculous position was taken by the Tagesanzeiger in Zurich, stating on January 25: “The crisis can only be avoided if the EU is willing to strengthen the regime in Tehran.”

Iran’s Reaction to EU Sanctions

Deutsche Welle reported on January 29:

“Iranian lawmakers have delayed a retaliatory halt in oil exports to Europe despite their fury over the EU’s embargo on imports of Iranian oil. The EU is pressing Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions. Iranian energy commission spokesman Emad Hosseini said the plan by Iranian lawmakers to fast-track a bill through parliament on Sunday to choke off oil exports to Europe has been put off until next Friday…

“Eighteen percent of Iranian oil exports go to EU countries, mainly to Italy, Spain and Greece. The EU embargo enacted on January 16 applies in phases. It banned new import contracts but gave those three EU nations until July to find alternative suppliers… Saudi Arabia has said it could make up for shortfalls, but that could be complicated by repeated Iranian threats to close the Gulf region’s export channel, the Strait of Hormuz. The United States, which has two aircraft carrier groups in the region, has warned Iran via diplomatic channels not to cross a red line… ”

Israel Contemplating Military Action Against Iran

The Telegraph wrote on January 27:

“Reviving Western concerns that his government is still contemplating unilateral military action against Iran, Ehud Barak gave one of the clearest signs yet that Israel’s support for new US and EU sanctions remains strictly limited. ‘We are determined to prevent Iran from turning nuclear,’ he told the World Economic Forum in Davos. ‘And even the American president and opinion leaders have said that no option should be removed from the table. It seems to us to be urgent, because the Iranians are deliberately drifting into what we call an immunity zone where practically no surgical operation could block them’…

“Israel’s fears that it might soon be too late to launch military action were bolstered earlier this month when Iran announced that it had begun to enrich uranium at its Fordow plant, which is buried so deep within a mountain it may be impossible for Israeli warplanes or missiles to destroy. Mr Barak’s ministry believes that once the bulk of uranium enrichment is carried out at Fordow, Iran will be in the immunity zone. Israel also reckons that Iran could be in a position to build a bomb within months… The EU agreed this week to an embargo on importing oil from Iran, but said it would phase in the sanctions over six months…”

The Washington Post wrote on February 2:

“Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has a lot on his mind these days, from cutting the defense budget to managing the drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. But his biggest worry is the growing possibility that Israel will attack Iran militarily over the next few months. Panetta believes there is strong likelihood that Israel will strike Iran in April, May or June — before Iran enters what Israelis described as a ‘zone of immunity’ to commence building a nuclear bomb. Very soon, the Israelis fear, the Iranians will have enough enriched uranium in deep underground facilities to make a weapon — and only the U.S. could then stop them militarily. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu doesn’t want to leave the fate of Israel dependent on American action…

“Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak may have signaled the prospect of an Israeli attack soon when he asked last month to postpone a planned U.S.-Israel military exercise that would culminate in a live-fire phase in May. Barak apologized that Israel couldn’t devote the resources to the annual exercise this spring. President Obama and Panetta are said to have cautioned the Israelis that the United States opposes an attack… This U.S. policy… might open a breach like the one in 1956, when President Eisenhower condemned an Israeli-European attack on the Suez Canal. Complicating matters is the 2012 presidential campaign, which has [Republican] candidates clamoring for stronger U.S. support of Israel… senior Americans doubt the Israelis are bluffing…”

It appears more and more likely that Israel will soon resort to military action against Iran.

Iranian Soldiers for the Mahdi

WorldNetDaily wrote on January 25:

“Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has held several secret meetings with his economic and military advisers in recent days to prepare for the possibility of war with the United States. Sources report the preparations are to include the execution of those Iranians who oppose the regime. Khamenei has been heard to say that the coming of the last Islamic Messiah, the Shiites’ 12th Imam Mahdi, is near and that specific actions need to be taken to protect the Islamic regime for upcoming events… Selected forces within the Revolutionary Guards and Basij reportedly have been trained under a task force called ‘Soldiers of Imam Mahdi’ and they will bear the responsibility of security and protecting the regime against uprisings. Many in the Guards and Basij have been told that the 12th Imam is on earth, facilitated the victory of Hezbollah over Israel in the 2006 war and soon will announce publicly his presence after the needed environment is created…

“Journalists, writers and publishers who are deemed to be against the regime would be arrested and punished. Even high religious authorities who do not fully support Khamenei will be put under surveillance and dealt with if they become outspoken about the direction of the country. Several journalists already have been arrested in the past week. In a recent speech, Khamenei hinted of a warlike environment and warned those clerics who might doubt his direction of the country that their survival is tied to the survival of the Islamic regime. Many Iranians who resent the regime resent the religion it promotes, so even opposition clerics might not fare well…

“The plan by the leader calls for total control of Tehran, the capital where the presence of the Basij and Hezbollah militias would be quite visible so that no one would dare to challenge the regime…Khamenei’s extraordinary measures are based either on an understanding that war could be imminent or that the regime has decided to announce it has nuclear capability and is getting ready for a possible reaction from Israel or America.

“Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, an influential cleric and a radical Twelver, previously had stated that Khamenei ascends to the sky every year to take direction from Imam Mahdi, and sources close to the cleric have disclosed that Khamenei has been ordered by Imam Mahdi to continue with the nuclear program despite worldwide objection as it will facilitate his coming. Last March, a Iranian secret documentary, ‘The Coming Is Upon Us,’ was revealed to depict Khamenei as the mythical figure who creates the environment for the reappearance of Mahdi by leading Iran to destroy Israel.”

With this fundamentalist view point, it should be obvious that “negotiations” or sanctions will not dissuade Iran. Quite to the contrary, the religious powers appear to be determined to continue provoking Israel and the West, to bring about an all-encompassing war in the region. Please view our new StandingWatch program, titled, “Why Sanctions Against Iran Will Not Help.”

Turkey and Arab Nations Support Hamas

Israel National News reported on January 27:

“Hamas’ Gaza chief Ismail Haniyeh’s recent official tour opened the door to financial cooperation between the terror group and Turkey, a high-ranking Hamas official told the Al-Sharq newspaper on Thursday. The official told the newspaper that Turkey has agreed to carry out a project to support Hamas and rebuild Gaza. According to the official, Hamas will open an official office in Turkey in the coming weeks.

“Iran recently cooled its relations with Hamas, after Hamas refused to support Syrian president Bashar Assad. Despite the cool relations, however, Haniyeh indicated Wednesday he has added Iran to the itinerary of his next international tour… The addition of Iran to Haniyeh’s itinerary comes after Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent Haniyeh a letter on Tuesday congratulating him on the anniversary of Hamas’ victory over Fatah in its bloody June 2007 seizure of Gaza.

“Hainyeh recently returned from his first official tour since Hamas violently took over Gaza in 2007. In addition to Turkey, during the tour he also visited Egypt, Tunisia and Sudan.”

Turkey’s relationship with Israel will become more and more hostile, while it will associate and collaborate with Israel’s enemies.

Unrest in Iraq

The New York Times wrote on January 28:

“Since the United States military withdrew from Iraq in the middle of last month, 434 Iraqis have been killed in attacks across the country, according to security officials, one of the highest tolls for that amount of time in the past few years… the wave of violence over the past five weeks has unnerved Iraqis who fear that their leaders, embroiled in a political fight with one another, are not prepared to thwart attacks without help from the Americans… The attacks, which have been aimed mainly at Shiites, have also raised questions about whether the insurgent group Al Qaeda in Iraq has regained its footing…”

The USA has failed to accomplish its goal to bring peace, freedom and democracy to Iraq. It leaves behind a deeply divided country, which is feared to descend into civil war.

Fierce Violence in Syria

Deutsche Welle reported on February 1, 2012:

“Fierce clashes have swept across Syria killing 59 people… the death toll was heaviest in Damascus where 24 civilians were killed, along with six army deserters. Fifteen soldiers were reported killed in the city of Homs. Nearly 200 people are thought to have died in the unrest over the past few days.

“The fresh violence comes as Russia continues to say it will vote against a UN Security Council draft resolution condemning the Syrian regime. Kremlin officials say the current draft does not rule out military intervention or forced regime change in Syria… Morocco introduced the draft resolution calling for the formation of a unity government that would lead to ‘transparent and free elections.’ The outline says there will be no military intervention in Syria as there was in Libya last year.”

In spite of the wording of the draft resolution, Russia is objecting, showing that its motives are quite different from what is being alleged. Nevertheless, the U.N. buckled to Russia’s demands, as BBC News wrote on February 2:

“Diplomats at the UN Security Council have watered down a resolution on Syria in an apparent attempt to overcome Russian objections to an earlier draft. The new text drops explicit reference to a call for President Bashar al-Assad to hand over power, a key part of an Arab League plan… The revised draft… also removes a paragraph calling on member states to act to prevent the flow of arms into Syria. This was another clause opposed by Russia even though it does not impose an arms embargo…

“Human rights groups and activists say more than 7,000 people have been killed by Syrian security forces since the uprising began in March… US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had earlier said Council members must decide whether they supported the Syrian people or ‘a brutal, dictatorial regime’. Russia, a key ally of Syria, has continued to send weapons for use by the Assad government despite the uprising. In Moscow, a top defence ministry official said there were no plans to halt such deliveries.”

“Democracy” in Egypt?

The New York Times wrote on January 26:

“Building tensions between the United States and Egypt flashed into the open Thursday when Cairo confirmed that it had barred at least a half-dozen Americans from leaving the country and the Obama administration threatened explicitly to withhold its annual aid to the Egyptian military. The travel ban came to light on Thursday after the International Republican Institute, an American-backed democracy-building group, disclosed that the Egyptian authorities had stopped its Egypt director, Sam LaHood, at the Cairo airport on Saturday before he could board a flight to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Mr. LaHood is the son of Ray LaHood, the secretary of transportation and a former Republican congressman from Illinois…

“Just a day before Mr. LaHood was detained temporarily, President Obama had warned Egypt’s leader, Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, that this year’s American military aid hinged on satisfying new Congressional legislation requiring that Egypt’s military government take tangible steps toward democracy, said three people briefed on the conversation. Mr. Obama referred specifically to the criminal inquiry into several democracy-building groups with foreign financing, including the Republican Institute…

“State Department officials said that it was the first time in three decades that American military aid to Egypt was at risk. That aid, $1.3 billion a year, has always been sacrosanct as the price the United States pays to preserve Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel… Now Hillary Rodham Clinton, the secretary of state, is required to certify that Egypt is making democratic progress… before releasing the aid this fiscal year. Representative Frank R. Wolf, a Republican from Virginia who serves on the House Appropriations Committee, said… ‘This is out of control… If the administration follows the law, there’s no way they can continue the aid.’”

Islamists received 70 percent of the votes in the first “free” parliamentary election. A confrontation with Israel is feared. The recent turmoil during the first session of the Egyptian parliament with Islamic majority, and the election of a member of the radical Muslim brotherhood as President of Parliament shows how far removed Egypt is from any resemblance to democracy—and it manifests the threat that new Egypt poses for the West. The violent outbreak at a soccer game on Wednesday is not the kind of peaceful democratic behavior that the Egyptians were thought to embrace.  Almost 80 people died and about 1,000 were injured in the city of Port Said, Egypt, after fans rushed the field following a game against a rival team.

WANNSEE Remembered

J-Wire published the following on January 21, 2012:

“On January 20, 1942, the Nazi leadership gathered in a villa on the outskirts of Berlin and adopted the ‘Final Solution to the Jewish Question.’ The Wannsee Conference, as this became known, from the suburb where the meeting was held, formalized the process that exterminated so much of European Jewry…writes Danny Ben-Moshe.

“As we mark the 70th anniversary of that 90-minute meeting in which 15 people condemned millions to death, there are many crucial lessons to learn from the Holocaust…”

The Jerusalem World News, on January 25, 2012, adds:
 
“Presiding over the conference was SS-Lieutenant General Reinhard Heydrich, chief of the Security Police and Security Service. In attendance were 14 high-ranking German military and government leaders, among them Adolf Eichmann. Imagine, over lunch 15 men in 90 minutes changed the world forever. January 20, 2012 marks the 70th anniversary of that fateful conference. We dare not let this dubious anniversary pass without marking how little time it takes to alter the course of history.

“As events of the 1930s led ominously toward a Second World War, the Nazis under Hitler searched for a ‘final solution’ for what they considered to be ‘the Jewish problem.’ As the meeting began that day, Heydrich was determined that none should doubt his superiority or his authority, which was not limited by geographical borders. He briefed those in the room on the measures that had already been taken against the Jews in an attempt to eradicate them from both the German culture and the German homeland.

“Initially, steps had been implemented to allow German Jews to immigrate to whatever countries would accept them, but the move proved to be too slow for the Fuhrer and the Reich. Now the men had gathered to implement Hitler’s new solution. Heydrich provided a list of Jews in each country, a total of 11 million Jews were to be involved. In his zeal, he determined, ‘In large, single-sex labor columns, Jews fit to work will work their way eastward constructing roads. Doubtless the large majority will be eliminated by natural causes. Any final remnant that survives will doubtless consist of the most resistant elements. They will have to be dealt with appropriately, because otherwise, by natural selection, they would form the germ cell of a new Jewish revival.’ Translation: All will die.

“According to the minutes of the meeting, Jews were to be purged beginning in Germany, Bohemia, and Moravia. From there they were to be expunged in Europe from east to west. Many questions arose as to how to identify those who were to be considered Jews. The issue was not resolved during the Wannsee meeting.

“Of course, this was not the beginning of the extermination of the Jewish people. Many of those in attendance had already participated in the murders since the summer of 1941. Even before the gathering at Wannsee, more than a half-million Jews had been murdered behind army lines. The question was how to attain the goal of mass extermination in areas outside the battle zone. A more efficient way needed to be found to eliminate larger numbers. No, the meeting was not called to determine how to begin the process, but rather to spell out how the ‘final solution’ would be achieved. By the following January, death camps equipped with gas chambers were under construction.

“The ordinary citizenry of Germany did not enter the war determined to annihilate six million of their neighbors. It began with a subversive program of anti-Semitism aimed at blaming the Jewish people for all the ills that had beset Germany following its losses in World War I. Even Hitler did not begin with total extermination in mind. That seed began to germinate only after Jews were denied entry into other countries.  It seemed to him that he had been given a green light to do whatever he wished with the Jewish population.

“The accusations resonate yet again today as Israel is routinely accused of crimes worthy of its being wiped off the map. Given the state of the economy—an integral factor in Hitler’s rise to power—anti-Semitism is being reborn at a sickening rate, even as Holocaust denial has reached alarming proportions. Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has jumped on the bandwagon with others in the Arab world, as well as the likes of British author and Holocaust denier David Irving, an active anti-Semite and racist whose books are widely read.”

The fact that seventy years have passed is significant, because as time slips by, the bitter lessons of what occurred at this conference are fading into history. Already, rumblings of extreme nationalistic and far right outcries in some European nations are arousing a dark foreboding for what might be happening all over again!

As the articles cited correctly point out, it was astounding how quickly everything changed! Biblical prophecy warns of a time immediately ahead in which even greater atrocities will take place and, as before, will take place so abruptly that the vast majority will find themselves totally unprepared!

In Egypt, Islamists Win!

From The Guardian, January 21, 2012:

“The final results in Egypt’s first parliamentary elections since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak have confirmed an overwhelming victory for Islamist parties.

“The Muslim Brotherhood, which was banned under Mubarak’s regime, won the biggest share of parliamentary seats (38%), according to the High Elections Committee. Its Freedom and Justice party (FJP) has named Saad al-Katatni, a leading Brotherhood official who sat in the old parliament as an independent, as speaker of the assembly.

“The hardline Islamist Al-Nour party came second with 29% of the seats. The liberal New Wafd and Egyptian Bloc coalition came third and fourth respectively.

“The result means that Islamists will wield major influence over a new constitution, which is set to be drafted by a the country’s first freely elected parliament.”

Reuters also reported on January 21, 2012:

“Having secured the biggest bloc, the FJP named Saad al-Katatni, a leading Brotherhood official who sat in the old parliament as an independent, as speaker of the assembly.

“While the strong Islamist performance has alarmed liberal Egyptians and Western governments who had close ties to Mubarak, it is unclear if rival Islamists will team up in the assembly.

“The FJP expressed its ‘confidence that Katatni will be at the same distance from all representatives, either those of the FJP or other parties.’

“This would ‘uphold the principle of democracy and consolidate the rules of political participation,’ the party said in a statement.

“The rise of the Islamists in Egypt’s first election since Mubarak’s overthrow in February last year marks a monumental shift from the past when parliament was a compliant body stuffed with members of his National Democratic Party and the Muslim Brotherhood was officially banned but tolerated.”

In Nigeria, Islamists Attack!

On January 21, 2012, BBC News wrote the following update concerning Nigerian violence:

“Co-ordinated attacks by Islamist militants in the northern Nigerian city of Kano on Friday killed about 150 people, witnesses and reports say.

“Hospitals are struggling to deal with the numbers of killed and injured.

“A series of explosions ripped apart police buildings, passport offices and immigration centres around the city, which is now under a 24-hour curfew.

“Boko Haram militants said they carried out the attacks, which would be their bloodiest assault to date.

“The group has said it wants to overthrow the national government and install an Islamic state.

“Its members have frequently attacked police stations and other symbols of state power, but the group has also bombed churches and killed hundreds of people – including many Muslim and Christian civilians…

“Boko Haram, which loosely translates from the local Hausa language as ‘Western education is forbidden’, has been behind a string of attacks in recent years.

“The group wants Islamic law across Nigeria, whose population is split between the largely Muslim north, and the south where Christianity and traditional beliefs predominate.”

Iraq Becoming A Police State

The washingtonpost.com wrote on January 22, 2012:

“Iraq ‘cracked down harshly’ on freedom of expression and assembly in 2011 by intimidating, beating and detaining activists and journalists, Human Rights Watch said Sunday in announcing its World Report 2012.

“‘Iraq is quickly slipping back into authoritarianism as its security forces abuse protesters, harass journalists and torture detainees,’ said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. ‘Despite U.S. government assurances that it helped create a stable democracy, the reality is that it left behind a budding police state.’

“Many of the problems reported by Human Rights Watch occurred before Dec. 18, when the final U.S. troops left the country. The group reported similar problems last year.

“But in its new report, the organization also highlights recent incidents.

“In the weeks leading up to the U.S. withdrawal, Iraqi security forces rounded up hundreds of Iraqis accused of being former Baath Party members, according to Human Rights Watch. Most of them ‘remain in detention without charge,’ the group said.

“This month, according to Human Rights Watch, Iraqi authorities were able to curtail anti-government demonstrations by flooding weekly protests with pro-government supporters and undercover security agents.

“’Dissenting activists and independent journalists for the most part said that they no longer felt safe attending the demonstrations,’ Human Rights Watch said.”

Despite all of the self-congratulatory claims by U.S. officials, Iraq is not an example for claiming victory; rather, the United States has left Iraq ripe for a dramatic move into Islamic extremism–just as we see now happening throughout Northern Africa and much of the Middle East.

U.S. Threatens to Close Embassy in Syria

Reported in the washingtonpost.com edtion on January 20, 2012:

“The Obama administration is preparing to evacuate American personnel and close the U.S. embassy in Damascus, Syria, by the end of this month unless the embattled government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad provides additional security for the facility, senior administration officials said.

“Officials said they have not reached a final decision and are engaged in talks with the Assad government, but there so far have been no tangible results in providing more protection for the embassy.

“’We have serious concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Damascus, including the recent spate of car bombs, and about the safety and security of embassy personnel,’ a State Department release Friday evening said. ‘We have requested that the government of Syria take additional security measures to protect our embassy, and the Syrian government is considering that request. We have also advised the Syrian government that unless concrete steps are taken in the coming days we may have no choice but to close the mission.’

“A drawdown of the staff at the embassy, which is located on a busy street in Damascus, began last week after three unexplained car bombings in recent weeks jarred the previously calm capital and left as many as 80 people dead.

“Government claims that al-Qaeda was responsible for the recent attacks were widely scorned by activists who accused the government itself of responsibility. Although the administration has not ruled out Syrian government involvement in the attacks, U.S. officials said signs point to Syrian and Iraqi militants that have been affiliated with al-Qaeda.

“‘It smells like a terrorist attack and looks like a terrorist attack, but none of us knows for sure,’ said a senior Obama administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in discussing the sensitive situation.”

The article adds this very insightful report:

“If even a small number of Sunni extremists from Iraq have become involved in the Syrian conflict, it would add an alarming new dimension to what has been an overwhelmingly peaceful uprising that has been brutally attacked by the decades-old dictatorship.”

Unmistakably, the U.S. is facing a diminishing role throughout most Arab nations. In the face of the unrelenting insurgency by Islamist extremists, such as al-Qaeda, it appears that America and its allies are either backing down or relinquishing once dominant positions of infuence in this volatile part of the world.

More Sanctions Against Iran!

Voice of America wrote on January 23, 2012:

“The European Union has imposed an oil embargo on Iran, effective July 1 – taking away 20 percent of Iran’s current oil sales. The embargo is intended to increase pressure on Iran’s government to allow inspections to ensure its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes, as Iran’s leaders say it is.

“The ban on importing oil from Iran was unanimously approved by the 27 European Union foreign ministers during a meeting in Brussels Monday. Its effective date was delayed to give some members time to implement existing contracts and to enable the ministers to review Iran’s reaction, and any change in its behavior, before putting the ban into force.  But EU members will not sign any more contracts for Iranian oil, effective immediately.

“The EU’s foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, said the embargo is aimed at convincing Iran to return to talks about its nuclear program.

“’I hope that Iran will respond positively to the letter that I sent, that it will respond positively to the messages we have sent, and come back to the negotiating table,’ she said.

“The EU also froze assets of the Iranian Central Bank that are deposited in the EU and banned trade with Iran in gold, diamonds and precious metals. And it tightened restrictions on selling Iran technology that has military applications.”

In a related report on January 24, 2012, The New York Times wrote:

“As the Obama administration and its European allies toughened economic sanctions against Iran on Monday — blocking its access to the world financial system and undermining its critical oil and gas industry — officials on both sides of the Atlantic acknowledge that their last-ditch effort has only a limited chance of persuading Tehran to abandon what the West fears is its pursuit of nuclear weapons.

“That leaves open this critical question: And then what?

“While the United States and Israel have not taken military options off the table, pursuing them is unpalatable, at least for now. Several American and European officials say privately that the most attainable outcome for the West could be for Iran to maintain the knowledge and technology necessary to build a nuclear weapon while stopping short of doing so. That would allow it to assert its sovereignty and save face after years of diplomatic tensions.

“While that might seem to be a big concession on the part of the United States, Iran would first have to make even bigger ones: demonstrate that it could be trusted and drop its veil of secrecy so that inspectors could verify that its nuclear work was peaceful, steps Iran has resisted.

“In other words, Iran would have to become a country like Japan, which has the capability to become an atomic power virtually overnight, if need be, but has rejected taking the final steps to possessing nuclear weapons. ‘If you’re asking whether we would be satisfied with Iran becoming Japan, then the answer is a qualified yes,’ a senior European diplomat said. ‘But it would have to be verifiable, and we are a long ways away from trusting the regime.’

“Today’s Iran is nothing like Japan, which has a deep aversion to nuclear weapons dating to the atomic bomb attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And settling for an Iranian state that could quickly produce a nuclear weapon would be hard for the United States to embrace because of Israel’s deep antipathy toward Iran and Western and other nations’ fears of setting off a regional arms race.”

Of all the issues arising in the Middle East, the most explosive is that of the Iranian stand-off with Western powers! While sanctions and embargoes play out over time, the Iranians skillfully negotiate delaying tactics, giving them more and more time to achieve the technology needed to create nuclear weapons! The wild card in all of this is the grave potential that a random and unplanned “event” might just trigger an all out confrontation–especially involving Israel and the United States.

Croatia Wants In!

The New York Times wrote on January 22, 2012:

“Croats voted by a two-to-one margin on Sunday to join the European Union, signaling that the bloc retains its allure despite the debt crisis engulfing the euro currency that many of its members use.

“The state referendum commission said that with almost all the votes counted, about 66 percent in Croatia supported membership, while 33 percent were opposed and 1 percent of the ballots were invalid. The commission put the turnout at about 44 percent of eligible voters.

“Once seen as a sure route to prosperity, membership in the union has been tarnished lately by the bloc’s struggle to come to grips with debt crises in several of the 17 member nations that use the euro. Even so, nearly all leading politicians and members of the Croatian Parliament came out in support of a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum.

“If Croatia is admitted to the European Union as scheduled on July 1, 2013, it would be obliged to adopt the euro as well, though not immediately — that would not occur until the nation of 4.5 million people could meet the economic criteria for joining. The Croatian prime minister, Zoran Milanovic, has said that that would not happen before 2015 or 2016.

“Because of its legacy of nationalist politics, Croatia was not included in the last two waves of union expansion, in 2004 and 2007. Of the states that, with Croatia, formerly made up Yugoslavia, only Slovenia has been admitted so far, in 2004.”

Bloomberg Businessweek on January 24, 2012, adds:

“Two decades after the country won independence in the bloody breakup of Yugoslavia, the government expects EU entry to boost investment and economic growth and cement its break from communism. Enthusiasm for EU unity is waning among its eastern members, including Hungary and the Czech Republic, as the continent faces a return to a recession and politicians balk at efforts to merge fiscal policies.

“’Citizens have voted for a European Croatia,’ Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said on state television yesterday. ‘This is also great news for Europe. It’s a message to Europe that its values are still supported and recognized.’

“Membership in the world’s largest trading bloc may provide the Adriatic nation with hundreds of millions of euros in regional development and infrastructure subsidies. Companies such as Germany’s Siemens AG and Deutsche Telekom AG and Sweden’s Ericsson AB expect to expand into the Balkans as western Europe’s growth stalls over the debt crisis…

“’The European Union gives us a ticket to the world in which we can be successful,’ Davor Majetic, head of the Croatian Association of Entrepreneurs, said by phone. ‘We want to work and have an opportunity to turn our ideas into profitable products that can reach that market of 500 million people.’”

More Power to the EU

The euobserver.com reported on January 26, 2012:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said transferring more powers to EU institutions rather than increasing the size of the eurozone’s future bail-out fund is the way to overcome the euro crisis.

“‘We have said right from the start that we want to stand up for the euro, but what we don’t want is a situation where we are forced to promise something that we will not be able to fulfil,’ Merkel said Wednesday (25 January) in the opening speech of the World Economic Forum, an informal gathering of leaders and business magnates held every year in Davos, a Swiss mountain resort.

“Merkel resisted calls made by the International Monetary Fund and the Italian Prime Minister to increase contributions to the European Stability Mechanism, set to come into force in July with a firepower of €500 billion and aimed at lowering the borrowing costs of large euro-economies such as Italy and Spain.

“’Some say that it has to be double the size, then if that’s not big enough, others will say it has to be three times as big,’ she said.

“’If Germany, as the representative of all European countries, promises something that can’t be kept in the event of a harsh attack by the markets, then Europe would have a wide-open flank.’

“Instead, her solution is more ‘integration’, by transferring more powers from a national level to EU institutions such as the European Court of Justice, so that the continent is ‘turned into a Europe that works.’

“‘We have taken some steps closer to a fiscal union, but we can get faster, gain speed and become more decisive,’ she added, in reference to the inter-governmental treaty on fiscal discipline currently being negotiated among 26 member states, except Britain.”

Abortion Adverts in Britain

MailOnline reported on January 21, 2012:

“Private clinics that carry out abortions for profit are to get the  go-ahead to promote their services with TV and radio adverts.

“Advertising watchdogs will trigger a storm of controversy by announcing the decision on Monday after years of argument, the Mail can disclose.

“Pro-life campaigners reacted with fury, saying the move would trivialise human life by putting the choice to have a termination on a par with buying washing-up liquid or cereal…

“More than 35 private hospitals in England currently offer abortion services, though many are better known for their maternity and fertility services.

“Critics say the reforms risk leaving the UK with among the most liberal advertising rules in the world…”

The Guardian, on January 21, 2012, also reported:

“Clinics offering a range of ‘post-conception advice services’ (PCAS), including counselling and terminations, will be free to advertise in broadcast media because there is no justification to prevent it as long as they are not harmful, offensive or misleading, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP) said.

“Not-for-profit pregnancy services are already allowed to advertise on television and radio and for-profit clinics can already advertise in all other media, including newspapers.

“Under new rules clinics will have to make it clear in all advertising if they do not offer referral for termination…

“Matt Wilson, a spokesman for BCAP, said: ‘There is not going to be some sort of free-for-all saying “come to us to get an abortion”. They are not there to promote abortion, they have to promote an array of services. It is about being responsible and commercial pro-life pregnancy services will now be able to advertise too.’

“But the Tory MP Nadine Dorries told the Daily Mail: ‘What this is actually going to do is desensitise what abortion is and the seriousness of it, and making it sounds like it’s as easy as having your lunch.

“‘It’s appalling.'”

Now It’s a Law!

Time.com wrote on January 25, 2012:

“Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa signed into law this week an ordinance requiring porn actors to wear condoms while performing.

“The law will take effect 41 days after it is posted by the city clerk, which could happen before the end of the week, the Associated Press reports.

“Porn producers say the regulation may prompt them to leave L.A., which is regarded as the porn capital of the nation. As many as 90% of all porn films produced in the U.S. are made in L.A., mostly in the city’s San Fernando Valley. But porn producers, who insist that films with performers wearing condoms don’t sell as well as those without them, are threatening to move their productions outside of city limits.

“The L.A.-based AIDS Healthcare Foundation helped write the new law and has advocated for the regulation for many years. The group says condom requirements are crucial for protecting the health of porn actors — a cause that was bolstered by a recent moratorium on production after an L.A. adult-film actor tested positive for HIV.”

With laws permitting and “regulating” such abominable activities as reported from both Britain and Los Angeles in these last two articles, is it any wonder that our nations are unable to find success in those things that should matter most–stable families with successful marriages; healthy people; the blessings of a robust economy; and a relationship with the God who has created us? Rather, we find ourselves spiraling into deepening problems with no solution seemingly available!

More Negotiations?

The New York Times wrote on January 18, 2012:

“Israel moved to calm the increasingly tense discourse over Iran’s nuclear program on Wednesday, with the Israeli defense minister asserting that any decision on a possible pre-emptive military strike on Iranian targets was ‘very far off.’

“The assertion by Defense Minister Ehud Barak was at least the third indication from the Israeli government in the past few days that it was not considering armed confrontation over the nuclear issue with Iran anytime soon, and it came amid signs that Iran and Western powers led by the United States might resume talks that have been stalled for a year.”

While reports of this sort paint a more promising picture for peace in the Middle East, there always lurks the dark reality that an inevitable confrontation is waiting to explode between Israel and Iran–which will pull many other nations into the clash. More insightful information on this critical issue can be found in a recent message given by Norbert Link, titled: “The Covenant With Levi.”

But is Time Running Out For Diplomacy?

As reported by the Jerusalem Post on January 19, 2012, General Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Israel this week to make the case for more negotiations with Iran along with enforcing sanctions. However, comments quoted in this same article from Israel’s IDF Chief of Staff, Lt-Gen. Benny Gantz, show that the nearness for conflict is growing ominous:

“Addressing a meeting of NATO military commanders at the western military alliance in Brussels, Gantz said that the world needed to ‘strengthen moderate elements and weaken the radicals.’

“’Only through joint work combining tough and soft power can we deter and in the long term overcome these radical elements,’ Gantz said.

“Earlier in the day, Gantz met with the Canadian and Italian chiefs of staff.

“Gantz said that NATO’s decision to establish a missile defense system throughout Europe was a demonstration of the severity non-conventional weapons pose to the world.

“’Ballistic missile defense systems need to be the last line of defense and the initiative needs to come earlier by exhausting all of the available means to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,’ he said.

“On Tuesday, Gantz called on NATO military commanders to think up new strategies for dealing with the growing instability in the Middle East and the subsequent increase in threats.

“’We are today in a different and more dramatic reality that includes new threats and a period of instability requiring all of us to reassess,’ he said during a meeting with General Knud Bartels, the chairman of the NATO Military Committee.

“Gantz also met with Britain’s Chief of Staff General Sir David Richards and Russia military chief Nikolai Makarov, as well as the chiefs of staff of France, Spain, Australia, Greece and Poland.”

Eastern Europe: A Return to Populism and Nationalism!

Spiegel Online International wrote on January 18, 2012:

“A dangerous storm is brewing in the shadow of the euro crisis. The devastating consequences of the 2008 global financial crisis were never fully overcome in Eastern Europe, and more countries in the region are falling into financial and economic imbalance, battling sprawling debt, high budget deficits, recessions and unemployment.

“But it’s not just the fragile economies that are at risk. Many central and southern European societies also lack political and social stability. These regions have two decades of uninterrupted reforms and tough austerity policies behind them. Many people there are exhausted, and democracy fatigue, euroskepticism, and aversion towards the once deified West are on the rise.

“‘In many respects, it’s a process similar to the disillusionment in Eastern Europe with socialism in the 1970s and 1980s,’ says Hungarian economic scholar and publicist László Lengyel. ‘The danger of this is that entire social classes or regions like those in eastern Poland, Slovakia and Hungary fall victim to hopelessness and extremism…'”

“…The EU has long since lost its role as a force for order in Eastern Europe. From the Baltic States to Bulgaria, hardly an Eastern European country truly stands behind EU projects. In the Czech Republic, President Václav Klaus has always agitated against the EU and the euro and has thereby stirred political turmoil in the country. Most recently, the battle over the EU fiscal pact has led to a government crisis. In Estonia, resentment is growing against the cost of the euro bailout efforts. After elections in March the populist Robert Fico, who previously governed between 2006 and 2010, could take the helm again. And when in doubt, Romania’s populist President Traian Bsescu supports the United States rather than the EU. Meanwhile there have recently been major clashes in Bucharest against his government’s austerity measures…

“Polls reveal a climate of hate spawned by the right-wing nationalist and extremist discourse of the last few years. For example, nearly two-thirds of Hungarians believe that the influence of Jews is too great in their economy, and that the Roma have a genetic predisposition towards criminality.”

In spite of this unrest–particularly from the Hungary’s prime minister–the EU exerts powerful influence, and it seems more than willing to enforce its control, as the next article shows.

Hungary Gives Way

Reuters reported on January 18,2012:

“Hungary’s prime minister yielded on Wednesday in a dispute with the European Union that threatens aid for his country, saying he was willing to change contested laws tightening government control over institutions including the central bank.

“Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s conservative Fidesz party has been criticised by the international community for introducing measures that threaten the independence of the media, the judiciary and the central bank since sweeping to power in 2010.

“The Commission, the EU’s executive, said in a letter sent on Tuesday that new laws on the central bank, the retirement age of judges and the country’s data protection authority violated EU rules. They needed to be changed within one month if Hungary wanted to avoid a procedure that could end up at the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court.

“On Wednesday, Orban offered amendments and said he could accept some of the criticisms made by the Commission.”

EU Parliment Presidency Goes to Shultz

The euobserver.com reported on January 12, 2012:

“Martin Schulz has promised to live up to his reputation as something of a political bruiser in his new role as European Parliament president, with references to his “temper” and “strength of personality” featuring in post-election appraisal speeches by colleagues.

“The German Socialist MEP was elected to the largely ceremonial post after one round of voting Tuesday morning (17 January), gaining 387 of the 699 votes cast.

“Although the outcome was virtually pre-ordained given the agreement between the Socialist and the centre-right EPP to divide the 5-year presidency, Schulz was clearly emotional as he told the chamber that his family, his former primary school teacher and members of his youth football team were all present to witness the vote.

“Schulz, who differs enormously in style to his emollient predecessor – centre-right Pole Jerzy Buzek – promised that he was ‘not going to be an amenable president.'”

BNO News reported:

“The 56-year old German Member of the European Parliament (MEP) replaced the outgoing President Jerzy Buzek of Poland and will lead the parliament for two and half years until the beginning of the next legislature in July 2014.

“‘We must grasp the fact that people in Europe have little time for institutional debates because they are too busy worrying about their future, their jobs, their pensions,’ Schulz stated in Strasbourg following the vote. ‘This Chamber is the place where the interests of the people are defended.’

“Schulz received a total of 387 votes, more than the 336 votes needed to win an absolute majority under the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

“President Schulz also warned that ‘for the first time since it was founded, the failure of the European Union is a realistic possibility’, adding that ‘our interests can no longer be separated from those of our neighbors; on a shared understanding that the EU is not a zero-sum game, in which one person must lose so that another can win.’

“‘The reverse is true’, Schulz continued, ‘either we all lose – or we all win. The fundamental basis for this is the Community method. It is not a technocratic concept, but the principle at the heart of everything the European Union stands for.'”

The European Union is facing tremendous challenges on many fronts, but as biblical prophecy emphatically reveals–the EU will coalesce to emerge as the world’s most influential political and religious power. More incisive information on this can be found in our free booklets, “Germany In Prophecy” and “Europe In Prophecy–The Unfolding of End-Time Events.”

“Bombshell” For France!

The euobserver.com wrote on January 14, 2012:

“US-based ratings agency Standard & Poor’s (S&P) has cut France’s triple-A rating and trashed the EU’s new fiscal treaty.

“It said in a statement out Friday (13 January) the EU draft fiscal compact ‘does not supply sufficient additional resources or operational flexibility to bolster European rescue operations.’

“It noted that: ‘a reform process based on a pillar of fiscal austerity alone risks becoming self-defeating, as domestic demand falls in line with consumers’ rising concerns about job security and disposable incomes, eroding national tax revenues.’

“It added ‘there is a risk [of] reform fatigue’ in the worst-hit countries, creating ‘lower levels of predictability’ on the political front.

“The agency also downgraded Austria, Cyprus, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain, scalping another triple-A country (Austria) and moving Cyprus and Portugal into junk territory.

“On the positive side, it kept Germany’s triple-A status and praised the European Central Bank, saying it ‘has engaged in unprecedented repurchase operations for financial institutions, greatly relieving the near-term funding pressures for banks.’

“The blow comes two weeks before 26 EU countries aim to sign the new treaty at a summit in Brussels. It also comes 100-or-so days before French leader Nicolas Sarkozy tries to get re-elected.”

“Darkness” Falls on the Internet

Reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, January 18, 2012:

“In an unprecedented display of Internet force, thousands of websites went dark or censored themselves Wednesday to protest twin antipiracy measures pending in Congress.

“The blackout represented a culmination of months of intensifying outcry over the bills, echoed and amplified by social media, blogs and tech publications, that drew more and more popular sites into the official day of protest, including Google, Wikipedia, Craigslist, Wired, Reddit, Boing Boing, Reporters Without Borders, Pressthink, Greenpeace and McSweeney’s.

“Their actions and the frenzy of media coverage in the buildup raised mainstream awareness of what, until recent days, had been a wonky set of proposals only lightly covered outside tech circles. Congressional phone lines were reportedly flooded Wednesday in what could begin the final unraveling of the already troubled measures.

“The stated goal of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), is to confront the sale and distribution of pirated movies, drugs, music and consumer goods by rogue overseas sites. But in doing so, critics say the bills threaten crucial legal protections that foster online innovation while undermining due process and free speech.

“On Wednesday, many Republican backers of the bills agreed the approach was flawed, even if the goal was sound. Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, John Cornyn of Texas and Orrin Hatch of Utah all withdrew support, following in the footsteps of several House colleagues in recent days. The Obama administration came out strongly against the proposals over the weekend.

“Some observers said the day of protest may come to represent a fundamental shift in the legislative landscape, a flexing of a newfound and untraditional source of political power in the Internet sector.”

While the freedom we experience to utilize the Internet is taken for granted, the legislative moves so far proposed may prove just a first step in restricting content on the Internet. More and more laws are passed, but what is truly missing is the kind of character and self-control that answers to God’s perfect and righteous way of living–something not often, if ever, considered in the governments of our day!

American Double-Talk

AFP wrote on January 8, 2012:

“The United States will respond if Iran tries to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta… told CBS television… Panetta was seconded by Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said Iran has the means to close the waterway, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil passes. ‘But we would take action and reopen the Straits,’ the general said on the same show, ‘Face the Nation.’

“Their comments follow Iranian threats to close the strait if the European Union slaps an embargo on Iranian oil, the latest step in a U.S.-led campaign to pressure Tehran to give up their nuclear program. Western powers suspect Iran is bent on gaining atomic weapons, which Tehran denies. The rising tensions have driven oil prices soaring over 100 dollars a barrel, hitting an eight-month high earlier this week, and sent jitters throughout the oil-rich Gulf amid growing fears of a spiral into conflict…

“Panetta said the United States does not believe Iran is actively developing a nuclear weapon, and reaffirmed Washington’s preference for diplomatic and economic pressure over military action as the way to deter Tehran. But he bluntly warned Tehran against going from developing a nuclear capability to developing an atomic weapon. ‘I think they need to know that if they take that step that they’re going to get stopped,’ he said.

“At another point, Panetta said, ‘Are they trying to develop a nuclear weapon? No…’ Dempsey sidestepped questions on the difficulty of taking out Iran’s nuclear capability, but said planning was underway for a military option… Asked whether the United States could take out Iran’s nuclear capability without resorting to the use of nuclear weapons itself, Dempsey said, ‘I absolutely want them to believe that that’s the case.’

“Panetta, meanwhile, suggested the United States would not welcome unilateral military action by Israel against Iran’s nuclear facilities. ‘If the Israelis made that decision, we would have to be prepared to protect our forces in that situation…’ he said.”

To analyze this hotchpotch of different and inconsistent answers: the USA does not believe that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon; the USA will stop them if they did, but not with nuclear weapons;  the USA is concerned that Israel might act militarily towards Iran; the USA will protect American forces under those circumstances; the USA is going to reopen the Strait of Hormuz if Iran is going to close it, without saying how the USA would do that… With this double talk, we leave it to the reader to try to make some sense out of this…

Iran Accuses Israel and USA of Assassination

Bloomberg reported on January 12:

“The Iranian government said in a letter to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that a civilian nuclear scientist who was killed by a bomb yesterday was the latest victim of a foreign terror campaign… Iranian officials have accused the U.S. and Israel of targeting Iranian nuclear scientists in an effort to halt Iran’s nuclear program… Mostafa Ahamdi Roshan, who was killed in a Tehran bomb blast, was the fourth prominent Iranian scientist to be targeted in similar attacks…

“Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor said by telephone that he had no comment on the reports… ‘I want to categorically deny any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran’, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told reporters yesterday in Washington…

“Some Republican presidential candidates in the U.S. have supported efforts to halt Iran’s nuclear program by attacking its scientists. In a November debate, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich endorsed ‘taking out their scientists,’ and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum called it ‘a wonderful thing’ when Iranian scientists are killed.

“Previous attacks against Iranian nuclear scientists involved the assassination of Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, killed by a bomb outside his Tehran home in January 2010, and an explosion in November of that year that took the life of Majid Shahriari and wounded Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, who is now the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization…

“The attacks on scientists may be the work of a foreign intelligence agency such as Israel’s Mossad, according to a U.S. official who agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because intelligence matters are classified. They also could have been carried out by an Iranian exile group such as the People’s Mujahadeen Organization of Iran working independently or in cooperation with a foreign intelligence agency, the official said in a telephone interview. Attributing the murder to the Mujahadeen is ‘absolutely false,’ the group said in an e-mailed statement…

“European Union foreign ministers plan to meet on Jan. 23 to discuss imposing an oil embargo on Iran. Iranian officials have threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz, a transit route for a fifth of the world’s oil, if crude exports are sanctioned… Yesterday’s attack ‘comes in the middle of heightened tensions, and it helps Iran to play on a sense of threat that it is under a lot of pressure,’ Gala Riani, a Middle East analyst at London-based forecaster IHS Global Insight, said by telephone. ‘It can also be beneficial to more extremist elements in the government who are supporting further military drills in the Strait of Hormuz.’

“Iran conducted naval exercises near the Strait for 10 days that ended early this month. Iran also announced on Jan. 6 plans for ‘naval war games’ to be conducted by the Revolutionary Guard Corps next month.”

The Associated Press added on January 12:

“A hard-line Iranian newspaper called Thursday for retaliation against Israel, a day after the mysterious killing of a nuclear scientist in Tehran with a magnetic bomb attached to his car. Iran’s top leader blamed Israel and the U.S. Provocative hints from Israel reinforced the perception that the killing was part of an organized and clandestine campaign to set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions…”

America’s Attack on Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on September 9:

“Europe is socialist, bloated and a threat to the global economy. That appears to be the message from the ongoing presidential campaign in the US. Republicans in particular have discovered Europe as a convenient punching bag — and have even begun accusing each other of being too ‘European.’

“An apparition is stalking the United States. That, at least, is what the Republicans seem to believe in this election season. And the apparition has a name: Europe. US President Barack Obama, said leading Republican candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican debate on Saturday, wants to turn the US into a ‘European welfare state’…

“In an election year overshadowed by the threats posed by the European economy and concerns about the break-up of the European common currency, it is a message that Romney has been delivering every chance he gets. And he’s not alone. Europe bashing has become an important stump-speech cornerstone for the entire Republican field…

“Negative portrayals of Europe are, of course, by no means a novelty when it comes to American political campaigns… This time around, though, with Europe deep in crisis, the Continent has become an even more prominent element of Republicans’ stump speeches…

“‘You want to see America after the Obama administration is through,’ arch-conservative candidate Rick Santorum said on the campaign trail last week, ‘just read up on Greece’… The US president, in other words, is merely a European in disguise… Newt Gingrich, in particular, never tires of calling Obama a ‘socialist’… And Ron Paul, perhaps the most extreme of the Republican field full of extremists, advocates pulling US troops out of Europe, in part so that America is no longer in the position of subsidizing ‘socialist Germany.’

“Such attacks would, of course, be ridiculous were they not so effective at a time when the economic outlook in the US is far from rosy, particularly given the danger that the euro-zone debt crisis could put a quick stop to America’s fragile economic recovery… Indeed, even Obama himself has become a fan of Europe bashing… The Obama administration has… repeatedly demanded that European leaders — first and foremost German Chancellor Angela Merkel — take more decisive action. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has traveled to Europe several times in recent months to lend urgency to the message…

“But for the Republicans, the focus on Europe has a different motivation. The war on Europe is not merely one guided by economic concerns. It is presented as a cultural confrontation. ‘American elites are guided by their desire to emulate the European elites,’ says Gingrich. ‘As a result, anti-religious values and principles are coming to dominate the academic, news media and judicial class in America.’ Secular Europe, in other words, has become a threat to Christian America…

“Santorum prefers to take a slightly more historical approach, comparing the European welfare state to the absolute rule of monarchies. The founders of America, he says, left Europe because they no longer wanted to be ruled by monarchs…

“It is [a] statement that sounds absurd from a European point of view — even more so given the current state of the US economy…”

Europeans are not happy with such accusations. They will retort in kind—and worse—as long as those statements continue… and we can expect that “Europe bashing” will get much worse during this election year. Note the next articles as well:

Mitt Romney Makes History

Fox News wrote on January 11:

“Mitt Romney improved his own 2008 New Hampshire primary showing by about 20,000 votes and is the first Republican non-incumbent ever to win both the Iowa caucuses and in New Hampshire… The Democrats aren’t expected to ever praise Romney for anything, but it is revealing for the GOP frontrunner that conservatives are so unwilling to credit him for anything. And it shows some of the difficulty of the task ahead for an increasingly inevitable-looking Romney…

“The conservatives, sensing the imminence of their defeat, have resorted to the best, most damaging line of attack on Romney: that he was unethical and greedy in his work as a private equity dude at Bain Capital… Voters are already tired of this ugly process. It seems unlikely that they will opt to prolong it by unhorsing Romney now.”

If this is true, then Mitt Romney’s victory speech in New Hampshire should be taken note of. It is full of charges and promises—but ate they believable or even realistic? We are bringing the following excerpts from his speech:

The National Journal wrote on January 11:

“Americans know that our future is brighter and better than these troubled times… President Obama… wants to turn America into a European-style entitlement society. We want to ensure that we remain a free and prosperous land of opportunity… This President puts his faith in government. We put our faith in the American people… I will cut, cap, and balance the budget… I believe a strong America must – and will – lead the future… I will insist on a military so powerful no one would think of challenging it… I want you to remember when our White House reflected the best of who we are, not the worst of what Europe has become.”

The Bible prophesies the exact opposite and warns us never to put our trust and faith in the people or in government. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Big Brother?

Reuters reported on January 12:

“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s command center routinely monitors dozens of popular websites, including Facebook, Twitter, Hulu, WikiLeaks and news and gossip sites including the Huffington Post and Drudge Report, according to a government document… the operations center ‘will retain information for no more than five years.’

“The monitoring scheme also features a five-page list, attached to the privacy review document, of websites the Department’s command center expected to be monitoring… blogs related to terrorism and security are also on the list. Some of the sites on the list are potentially controversial. WikiLeaks is listed for monitoring… Another blog on the list, Cryptome, also periodically posts leaked documents and was one of the first websites to post information related to the Homeland Security monitoring program… Also on the list are various video and photo-sharing sites, including… Youtube and Flickr.

“While a DHS official involved in the monitoring program confirmed the authenticity of the list, officials authorized to speak for the Department did not immediately respond to an email requesting comment.”

Will Britain Declare War on Europe?

The Express wrote on January 9:

“David Cameron has three weeks to decide whether to bless a new eurozone treaty or use Britain’s veto and place the country in a ‘very grave position’, a senior observer warned last night. Peter Ludlow, president of the European Strategy Forum think tank, said Germany and France are confident they will secure a deal to save the long term future of the euro by the end of this month. That would mean tougher financial rules for members of the eurozone and the use of existing EU institutions to enforce them, a move Mr Cameron has indicated is a step too far.

“However, veteran EU analyst Mr Ludlow said one ‘very senior member’ of the European Council had told him that if Britain were to try to block the deal it would be ‘tantamount to a declaration of war’. He said: ‘If Cameron is stupid enough to try and block the use of the institutions it would be a very, very dramatic development which could only have grave consequences in terms of ¬Britain’s own interests. It would be his nuclear weapon and that’s why all the messages I get from various people give the impression he will not do that.’

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy want a new ‘fiscal compact’ that commits countries to running a balanced budget. They want the rules enshrined in EU law so that sanctions can be levied on any member breaching them. That would mean a bigger role for the European Court of Justice and un-elected European Commission, which would also have a larger say on the ¬single market, not just matters relating to the euro.

“Mr Cameron said on Friday he would be against such a development but Mr Ludlow, who lectures around the world on EU affairs, told the Sunday Express: ‘The Germans and the French are absolutely serious. They are confident they can get the political agreement on this treaty by the end of this month and they will go ahead. I don’t think for a moment that Britain will join this scheme within 50 years, let alone five. However, I don’t think there is much that ¬Cameron can do. I don’t think there is any intention of the Germans or French or anyone else of pushing Britain out of the EU but there is nevertheless a realistic assessment that the ¬British may edge themselves out or at least redefine their position in such a basic way that they are to all intents and purposes in another category of membership.’

“Mr Ludlow also questioned the description of Mr Cameron’s ‘veto’ at talks in Brussels last month. He said: ‘He didn’t veto, the negotiations were terminated by his partners who could see he had no negotiating position.’”

Sooner rather than later, Britain will cease to be a full member of the EU.

Jamaica Wants to Cut Ties with British Monarchy

Al Jazeera wrote on January 7:

“Jamaica’s new prime minister has said that it is time for her country to cut ties with the British monarchy and declare itself an independent republic. Speaking at her inaugural address on Friday, Portia Simpson Miller said her government would ‘initiate the process of detachment from the monarchy’, establishing a republic with a president as head of state, and breaking off links with the former colonial power.

“Jamaica is a constitutional parliamentary democracy and also a Commonwealth realm… Currently under Jamaica’s constitution, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, and the prime minister is formally appointed by the governor-general, who represents the queen. The announcement comes ahead of celebrations to mark 50 years of the country’s independence from the UK.”

Britain’s once dominating role in the world is certainly diminishing.

“Germany No Longer Has a President”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 9:

“German President Christian Wulff refuses to step down amid a scandal involving a threatening phone call to a major newspaper and dodgy business dealings. German commentators warn that his resignation could cause Angela Merkel’s government to collapse…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘…The result of a new presidential election could persuade the humiliated FDP to try one last attempt to save themselves, namely by ending their coalition with the conservatives. That would mean the end of Merkel’s government.’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘The opposition is right: Of course Wulff is Merkel’s president… The Wulff affair poses one big danger for Merkel’s party. Wulff’s behavior challenges Christian Democrats’ image of themselves. The president makes a mockery of values that the conservatives like to believe in, such as integrity, honesty and standing up for what you believe in.’

“… The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘Christian Wulff will lose this war, even if he doesn’t have an enemy. He himself is the enemy. He himself organized — or disorganized, if you will — his life in such a way that all of these questions must be asked of him. Three weeks after the affair began, he has created more confusion than clarity with his answers. He has misused his tool of the trade, the word. With that, he has done himself in. Germany no longer has a president.’”

Since Germany “no longer has a president,” the question must be asked who the next President will be… and will new presidential elections in fact destroy the Merkel government? The Local added on January 12 that “President Christian Wulff hosted what was reportedly a tense New Year’s reception on Thursday, as the first open calls for his resignation came from members of parliament in his own political party.”

Germany Benefits from “Euro Crisis”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 10:

“Its neighbors may be suffering, but the euro crisis has created conditions that actually benefit the German economy. Not only is the government enjoying the windfall of negative interest rates on bonds, but unemployment is down and exports are booming… the German government… borrowed €3.9 billion ($5 billion) for the next six months at the unbelievable interest rate of -0.01 percent. Even the German Finance Agency was stunned. ‘This has never happened before,’ a spokesperson said.
 
“The Finance Ministry should be pleased. In the last four years, they’ve had to shell out around 1.8 percent in interest for such bonds. But recently even interest rates on German bonds with longer maturities have decreased significantly. The federal government is saving a bundle. The reason for the windfall? Amid the ongoing euro crisis, Germany is one of the few borrowers that are still regarded as a safe haven. Many investors would rather lend the government money at bargain-basement rates than risk losses…

“It has become a rule of the euro crisis: While a number of euro-zone countries suffer, Germany profits… The German economy… is still expected to grow by 0.4 percent this year.

“The imbalance between Germany and many other euro-zone countries is most apparent on the job market, though. Euro-zone unemployment now averages 10.3 percent, but in Germany the figure sank to 7.1 percent for 2011… Indirectly, Germany also profits from a simple symptom of the crisis — the weak euro, which has fallen to about $1.27, its lowest value since Sept. 2010.

“For German companies, the sinking euro acts as a kind of crisis buffer. While it reduces demand for German products within the euro zone, these make up only around 40 percent of the country’s exports. But for the rest of the world, a weak euro means cheaper German products…Indeed, German exports grew by 2.5 percent month-on-month in November, reaching €94.9 billion. Compared to a year earlier, exports were up by an impressive 8.3 percent. The crisis notwithstanding, exports for 2011 as a whole surpassed the historic trillion-euro level,  a benchmark not even reached during the boom year of 2008.”

Interesting, isn’t it? Bible prophecies come true, predicting Germany’s powerful leadership role in Europe.

Germany Gets Involved in North Africa

The Local wrote on January 10:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has thrown strong support behind North Africa’s emerging democracies during an historic visit to Algeria, Libya and Tunisia, saying Germany wants to play a key role in helping them succeed. Westerwelle, who wrapped up his weekend trip with a visit to Tunisia’s capital Tunis on Monday, singled out the country for particular praise, calling it a potential ‘model,’ despite European concerns that Islamic parties are growing in strength there.

“‘I think the concerns have absolutely no justification,’ Westerwelle said. ‘Tunisia can become a model for transformation in the region if it succeeds in perpetuating the fledgling democratization process.’

“Germany has pledged €32 million in aid to Tunisia and is helping the country reschedule €60 million in debt, said Westerwelle, who also called for deepening economic ties between the two countries. Westerwelle’s travels have been portrayed as an important signal that Berlin is willing to invest key resources in the attempt to help democratic governments in North Africa.

“This comes after Germany took a largely hands-off approach in the ‘Arab Spring’ series of revolutions. Germany upset many allies by refusing to play a military role in NATO’s military campaign that eventually toppled Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. Berlin has, though, offered significant material and financial support to new governments – including an offer of more than €100 million in humanitarian aid to Libya where German doctors are already working. In Tripoli, Westerwelle pledged continuing assistance on Sunday, saying ‘Germany stands beside this new Libya.’

“Amidst his democracy-building travels, the Foreign Minister has had strong words for Iranian authorities who have become isolated from the West because of their alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons. On Monday he called a death sentence… handed down to a man in Tehren suspected of spying for the CIA ‘in no way acceptable.’”

We see how Germany is getting actively involved in exerting influence in several North African countries. Of course, Guido Westerwelle’s assurance that there is no danger emanating from the power grip of Islamic parties in the region is highly naïve and unrealistic—and the Bible prophesies that Germany will finally recognize their error in judgment and in turn become very aggressive in their dealings with those countries.

Doomsday Clock–Five Minutes to Midnight

Fox News reported on January 10:

“In a sign of pessimism about humanity’s future, scientists today set the hands of the infamous ‘Doomsday Clock’ forward one minute from two years ago. ‘It is now five minutes to midnight,’ Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) director Kennette Benedict announced today (Jan. 10) at a press conference in Washington, D.C. That represents a symbolic step closer to doomsday, a change from the clock’s previous mark of six minutes to midnight, set in January 2010.

“The clock is a symbol of the threat of humanity’s imminent destruction from nuclear or biological weapons, climate change and other human-caused disasters. In making their deliberations about how to update the clock’s time, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists focused on the current state of nuclear arsenals around the globe, disastrous events such as the Fukushima nuclear meltdown, and biosecurity issues such as the creation of an airborne H5N1 flu strain.

“The Doomsday Clock came into being in 1947 as a way for atomic scientists to warn the world of the dangers of nuclear weapons. That year, the Bulletin set the time at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight symbolizing humanity’s destruction. By 1949, it was at three minutes to midnight as the relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated. In 1953, after the first test of the hydrogen bomb, the doomsday clock ticked to two minutes until midnight.

“The Bulletin — and the clock ¬— were at their most optimistic in 1991, when the Cold War thawed and the United States and Russia began cutting their arsenals. That year, the Bulletin set the clock at 17 minutes to midnight. From then until 2010, however, it was a gradual creep back toward destruction, as hopes of total nuclear disarmament vanished and threats of nuclear terrorism and climate change reared their heads. In 2010, the Bulletin found some hope in arms reduction treaties and international climate talks and nudged the minute hand of the Doomsday Clock back to six minutes from midnight from its previous post at five to midnight.

“With today’s decision, the Bulletin repudiated that optimism… ‘The world still has approximately over 20,000 deployed nuclear weapons with enough power to destroy the world’s inhabitants many times over,’ said Lawrence Krauss, an Arizona State University professor and the co-chair of the BAS Board of Sponsors. ‘We also have the prospect of nuclear weapons being used by terrorist non-state actors’…”

Even though scientists have been wrong before with their prognostications, it should be rather obvious that we are getting closer to the time of the Great Tribulation, which would destroy ALL FLESH on this planet, if God were not to intervene and shorten these days.

Intentional Misrepresentations?

Zenit reported on December 25:

“Benedict XVI has restored the tradition of proclaiming the birth of Christ with the chanting of the ‘Kalenda.’ The chant culminated the prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square on Christmas Eve, which was accompanied by the unveiling of the life-size Nativity Scene. Here is an English translation of the proclamation, provided by the U.S. bishops:

“THE PROCLAMATION OF THE BIRTH OF CHRIST

“Today, the twenty–fifth day of December, unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth and then formed man and woman in his own image.

“Several thousand years after the flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.

“Twenty–one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah; thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

“Eleven hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges; one thousand years from the anointing of David as king; in the sixty–fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.

“In the one hundred and ninety–fourth Olympiad; the seven hundred and fifty–second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.

“The forty–second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since his conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.

“Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.”

By giving historical dates for all of the above-stated events (even though we are not saying that those dates are correct), and then culminating the proclamation with the sentence that “today” (December 25) is the nativity of Christ, it is clearly being postulated, as a historical fact, that Christ was born on December 25—not only, that orthodox Christianity celebrates Christ‘s birth on that day. Now, this is a false statement, and it could be construed as being made intentionally, since the Catholic Church knows that Christ was NOT born on December 25. Other religious leaders know this too, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, who recently admitted that Christ could not have been born in December.

All of this means that the Pope and the Catholic Church appear to knowingly mislead the masses about the date of Christ’s birth, and it is no surprise that many ill-informed Catholics who are trusting in the veracity of their church’s teachings, are believing the lie. In addition, by changing or at least participating in the change of the European calendar in such a way that Sunday is being designated as the last day of the week—even though the Catholic Church knows (and even teaches) that Saturday is the last day of the week and the biblical Sabbath—further misrepresentations appear to be perpetrated with the goal of deceiving their followers in believing that Sunday is the biblical Sabbath.

In this context, make sure to read our Q&A in this week’s Update.

Radical Jihadists in the USA

WND wrote on January 3:

“A radical jihadist group responsible for nearly 50 attacks on American soil is operating 35 terrorist training camps across the nation, but the U.S. government refuses to include the organization on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorists. Jamaat ul-Fuqra, known in the U.S. as ‘Muslims of America,’ has purchased or leased hundreds of acres of property – from New York to California – in which the leader, Sheikh Mubarak Gilani, boasts of conducting ‘the most advanced training courses in Islamic military warfare.’

“In a recruitment video captured from Gilani’s ‘Soldiers of Allah,’ he states in English: ‘We are fighting to destroy the enemy. We are dealing with evil at its roots and its roots are America.’ Though Gilani and his organization is suspected of committing assassinations and firebombings inside the U.S., and is also suspected of the beheading murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Pakistan, the terrorist camps spread through the country continue to expand in numbers and population…

“Muslims of the Americas Inc., a tax-exempt organization, has been directly linked by court documents to Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization operates communes of primarily black, American-born Muslims throughout the U.S. The investigation confirmed members commonly use aliases and intentional spelling variations of their names and routinely deny the existence of Jamaat ul-Fuqra.”

It seems to be quite a paradox that those dangerous developments are allowed to continue in the USA, while, at the same time, an apparently unconstitutional law is being signed by the President, which, according to many observers and legal experts, threatens the liberty and freedom of many potentially innocent people. See the next articles on the NDAA.

Controversial NDAA Becomes Law

The Huffington Post wrote on January 3:

“Back in the beginning stages of the War on Terrorism, President Bush enacted the Patriot Act. This allowed the government to spy on citizens, monitoring their activities in order to discern whether or not someone is a terrorist. It brought about changes in law enforcement that allowed agencies to search phones, financial records, etc. One of the most controversial aspects of the law is authorization of indefinite detention of non-U.S. citizens. Immigrants suspected of being terrorists would be detained without trial until the War on Terrorism finished.

“On December 31, 2011, President Obama signed a law known as the National Defense Authorization Act for the 2012 fiscal year, or the H.R. 1540. Congress passes this act every year to monitor the budget for the Department of Defense. However, this year the NDAA bill has passed with new provisions that should have the entire country up with pitchforks… the indefinite detention has been extended to U.S. citizens as well. If people are spied on and suspected of being terrorists, they may be detained indefinitely without trial.

“In a country famous for the belief that one is innocent until proven guilty, this is an upsetting change that is being foisted upon the American people with many unaware of what it means. The provisions of the Patriot Act allow the government to spy upon U.S. citizens and the NDAA allows the government to whisk a citizen away for no reason other than being suspected of terrorism.

“So why has this law been passed when it is very easily seen as unconstitutional? The Fourth Amendment grants liberty from unreasonable seizures, while the Sixth [Amendment] guarantees every U.S. citizen a trial in front of a jury. No matter what supporters of the bill might have said about the provisions being misunderstood, the simple fact is that it is unconstitutional…

“President Obama has released a statement regarding the H.R. 1540 (NDAA): ‘Moreover, I want to clarify that my Administration will not authorize the indefinite military detention without trial of American citizens. Indeed, I believe that doing so would break with our most important traditions and values as a Nation. My Administration will interpret section 1021 in a manner that ensures that any detention it authorizes complies with the Constitution, the laws of war, and all other applicable law’…

“Obama says his administration will not authorize the indefinite detention of citizens. But that could change. The interpretation of this bill can change on a dime. These politicians who say there is nothing to fear could quickly change whenever they see fit.

“These implications grow larger as we know there is no single accepted definition of terrorism present in the United States. The State Department defines terrorism as ‘premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.’ Under this definition, the entire United States can be seen as terrorists. The government had planned the operations in Iraq [which have] resulted in over 100,000 civilian deaths…

“Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has stated that there are laws regarding terrorist suspects in America in place by the Department of Justice. Issues such as having an armed weapon or having a food supply lasting at least seven days can be grounds for terrorism.

“I look to my well-supplied pantry filled with foods my loving mother had purchased from Costco. I’m not one to count it all, but I’d say it would last my entire family over a week. My father legally owns a handgun… I am writing a story that is against what the politicians in Washington have voted for. Can I be seen as aiding Al-Qaeda because I am attempting to change the views of the public to something that is against government; because there is a gun in my home and we have a well-supplied pantry? Can I be seen as a terrorist under the definition of terrorism? Yes I can. Will I? I hope not.”

Infowar wrote on January 1:

“As Americans look upon the treacherous legislation passed under NDAA 2012, it should first be remembered that the very bill President Obama threatened to veto was controversial due to the language the Obama White House itself pressured Congress to add to the bill, according to Sen. Carl Levin…

“After the legislation cleared Congress, the ACLU commented that signing the bill ‘will damage both his legacy and American’s reputation for upholding the rule of law,’ while executive director of the Human Rights Watch blasted the President for being ‘on the wrong side of history,’ noting that ‘Obama will go down in history as the president who enshrined indefinite detention without trial in US law.’ Presidential candidate Ron Paul went even further, declaring that the NDAA bill begins the official establishment of martial law in the United States.”

Fox News wrote on January 2:

“In a scathing statement, the head of the ACLU, and other leading civil liberties and human rights groups who were among President Obama’s most ardent campaign supporters said the President’s decision to sign a sprawling defense bill including controversial detainee provisions would tarnish his legacy… human rights groups on the left say… the act is a sweeping expansion of executive power — beyond what was seen under the Bush administration. The ACLU and others slammed the president for putting his name to this year’s National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, out of concern that it would continue to allow indefinite detention while mandating military custody for some detainees…

“The national Muslim rights group CAIR slammed the legislation ‘as a stain on our nation’s history — one that will ultimately be viewed with embarrassment and shame.’… The Center for Constitutional Rights, or CCR, said the NDAA kills any prospect for relocating detainees and shuttering the Guantanamo camps because it requires the defense secretary to certify that the transferred men will not commit hostile acts in the future. In a statement, CCR said ‘the same presidential signature that ordered the closing of Guantánamo almost three years ago, has now ensured their release or transfer is practically impossible.’

“On the detention of American citizens, critics say section 1021 of the act is overly broad because it does not rule out indefinite detention and ‘…includes the authority for the Armed Forces of the United States to detain covered persons.’ Section 1022, which makes military custody mandatory for a subset of detainees, does make an exception for U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents.”

All in all, President Obama’s signing of this controversial bill has antagonized the Muslim community as well as many of his liberal supporters. Whether or not this will help in any way his Republican challengers will have to be seen, as most Republicans in Congress supported the bill. Overseas, attention is being drawn to these new laws as well. Der Spiegel Online published a critical article, in German, on the issue on January 4, titled, “Obama’s Anti-Terror-Law Antagonizes Civic Rights Supporters.” Please view our recent StandingWatch program, titled, “Destruction of US Democracy?”, discussing the NDAA and other controversial laws.

The Iowa Republican Caucuses

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 4:

“Mitt Romney barely won the Iowa Republican caucuses, and he’s likely to become the party’s presidential candidate. The former governor is profiting from his rivals’ weaknesses, but this could damage him in the end. If he doesn’t improve his image, the chances of beating Barack Obama are slim…

“Barack Obama, a relatively inexperienced former community organizer, university professor and senator, won the election in 2008 thanks to a triad of lucky coincidences. Party rival Hillary Clinton underestimated the young Democrat, while Americans yearned for “change” after the Bush years, and his Republican opponent John McCain turned out to be a weak campaigner. Obama’s ascent began in the Iowa snow. And it is there that fate has once again smiled on another lucky politician: Mitt Romney, the winner of the Republican presidential caucus in the tiny agrarian state. Romney’s victory wasn’t decisive on Tuesday evening, when he came in just barely ahead of fellow conservative Rick Santorum, a favorite among the religious right.

“But Romney is likely to soon become Obama’s official challenger in the November 2012 presidential election, being the best prepared for the upcoming caucuses in South Carolina and Florida — unlike Santorum, who has so far concentrated almost exclusively on Iowa votes. Romney’s position also contrasts with that of his third-place rival Ron Paul, the idol of young radicals who want to end America’s involvement in wars and shut down the US Federal Reserve…

“Romney is mainly plain lucky. Just like Obama before him, he has been helped by three things:

“The rivals–The field of Republican candidates for the 2012 election isn’t just disappointing. It’s amusing — a kind of circus with ever-changing attractions… Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann could have been the voice of the influential Tea Party movement, but her shrillness left the ears of moderate Republicans ringing. She came in sixth in Iowa. Texas governor Rick Perry, armed with oil money, came off as broad-chested but narrowly educated during television debates. He managed to just barely beat Bachmann, and has announced he will return home to ‘determine whether there is a path forward for myself in this race.’ [In the meantime, Bachmann announced that she will drop out of the race.] As for the former speaker of the House of Representatives and original thinker Newt Gingrich, he was unconvincing in the role of conservative standard-bearer. Past scandals involving his three marriages and having made millions as a Washington lobbyist were too much for his candidacy to bear.

“Timid potential candidates: Prominent Republicans who would have made more formidable opponents than Romney’s current rivals decided against running because they believed their time had not yet come and feared the Obama campaign. Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, is among them, as is Paul Ryan, a promising young conservative congressman. And, naturally, there is Jeb Bush, brother of former President George W. Bush. Conservatives hold him in high esteem, but he bears a surname that, thanks to his brother, remains more of a curse than a blessing.

“America’s worries: Four years ago, conservative Iowa caucus voters were still concerned about abortion and Romney’s Mormon beliefs. Today, the United States is a nation where fears of unemployment trump those about Mormons. The key issue for the 2012 campaign will be ‘jobs, jobs, jobs’ — and economic policy is one of the key skills possessed by Romney, formerly a successful businessman…

“Romney must improve his candidacy to convince the many conservatives who are still skeptical of his multiple changes in position and alleged lack of principles. If he fails to do this, then fate will only be smiling on one politician when November comes around: Barack Obama.”

Of course, we understand that it is not “luck” which determines who will be the next president. We are convinced that it will be God who sees to it that the “right” person occupies the position of President—but this is not to say that the right” person is the “right” person—only, that he or she will be “right” within the meaning of prophesied events which will have to occur.

A Pretty Crazy Night

The Daily Mail wrote on January 4:

“Even by the standards of American elections, this has been a pretty crazy night. Out of more than 122,225 votes cast – a record for the Iowa caucuses – Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were separated by just eight votes. Mercifully, this is an official state Republican party result and we are told there won’t be any recounts – though I’m still a tad sceptical because Romney’s margin of victory was somehow cut by six votes in the two minutes it took me to get to my room from the hotel bar (where non-Mormon members of his staff were celebrating enthusiastically with alcoholic beverages).

“At one point in the night Santorum led by four votes, at another Romney, supposedly, by a single one. There were reports of ballots going missing in trucks, dodgy adding up. And to put things in perspective there were 745 votes cast for Jon Huntsman, who did not compete, and 58 for former pizza magnate Herman Cain, who withdrew after a little… women trouble a month ago…

“Santorum is a winner not because he’ll be the next President of the United States (he won’t) or even the next Republican nominee (which would take a miracle) but because the former two-term Senator who was rejected by the people of Pennsylvania by an 18-point margin in 2006 will find he is taken a lot more seriously now. Ultimately, he’ll become a big figure in the Christian conservative movement and maybe get a much more lucrative Fox News contract. He almost certainly can’t beat Romney because he is far to the right of the party and hasn’t yet been exposed to negative attacks – which are surely coming his way.”

Ridiculous Prediction

Newsmax reported on January 4:

“The Iowa caucuses failed to produce a clear Republican winner, but former candidate Pat Robertson says God has shown him who will win the next election – and it won’t be President Barack Obama. The 81-year-old evangelist won’t say who the Almighty is picking for the White House, claiming on his 700 Club, ‘I’m not supposed to talk about that so I’ll leave you in the dark.’

“Robertson, who finished second in the 1988 Iowa caucuses, made it clear on Tuesday’s show that Obama is not popular in heaven. ‘Your country will be torn apart by internal stress,’ Robertson said God told him. ‘A house divided cannot stand. Your president holds a radical view of the direction of your country, which is at odds with the majority. Expect chaos and paralysis. … It’s a radical view of the future of this country, and so that’s why we’re having this division. This is a spiritual battle which can only be won by overwhelming prayer. The future of the world is at stake because, if America falls, there’s no longer a strong champion of freedom and a champion of the oppressed of the world. There must be an urgent call to prayer.’”

God has revealed to Mr. Robertson who the next President will be, but he can’t talk about it? Oh please…

Military Action Against Syria?

The Washington Times wrote on January 2:

“A Syrian opposition leader says most of his colleagues now support international military action to oust President Bashar Assad ‘but they might not be brave enough to express it openly.’ Samir Nashar, a member of the Syrian National Council’s executive board, said the ‘majority of SNC leaders agree with international military intervention as early as possible,’ although no consensus has been reached…

“The Assad regime’s deadly crackdown on dissent has continued despite last week’s arrival of Arab League monitors who are observing Syria’s implementation of a peace plan. The U.N. estimates that more than 5,000 Syrians have been killed since March… Mr. Nashar noted why U.S. officials might be ‘very hesitant to pursue this particular policy,’ citing the recent U.S. military exit from Iraq and upcoming elections…”

The Bible says that ultimately, Syria will be defeated in a war, and its capitol, Damascus, will be destroyed. See our Q&A on Syria.

“Iran Is Playing with Fire”

Der Spiegel wrote on January 2:

“Tensions between Iran and the West escalated again on Monday as Tehran announced it had test-fired two long-range missiles in international waters near the strategic Strait of Hormuz… Monday’s maneuvers came after the country announced the launch of a medium range missile the day before… Both the US and Israel have not ruled out a military response in the conflict over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and US forces based in Bahrain have said they will not allow a closure of the important Strait of Hormuz — through which 40 percent of the world’s crude oil is transported.

“Iranian officials have made conflicting statements about possibly blocking the passage if sanctions were imposed on its oil exports, which are vital to the country’s economy. Despite threats to the contrary from Iranian officials last week, on Monday military officials insisted there were no plans to close the waterway…

“On Sunday, Iranian state television announced a breakthrough in their nuclear progress, reporting the country had produced uranium fuel rods for power plant use for the first time…

“Center-left daily Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The United States and Iran are playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse… The US sanctions are the toughest yet to be levied against Tehran in the battle over Iran’s nuclear program. And they are risky… But alternatives would be far more uncomfortable: Iran with nuclear weapons or an Israeli military strike.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… When Washington votes in favor of tougher sanctions against Iran, even as President Barack Obama adds that he is not in agreement, their allies should take notice… it’s important that such invasive measures be approved on an international level. They should not be the result of domestic policy maneuvering.’

“Conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘Ten years ago former US President George W. Bush coined the phrase “axis of evil” when he gave his State of the Union speech on Jan. 29, 2002, describing Iraq, Iran and North Korea as regimes who aimed to threaten the West with terror and weapons of mass destruction. In Europe, no one wanted to accept this culturally antiquated moral-religious speech, also finding the term “axis” confusing, as it implied these nations were forming an alliance. … Today, Iran, Syria and North Korea do advise and support each other about rockets and even nuclear questions. Bush was right in his diagnosis. Dictators remain dictators, evil and hostile…’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Iran is playing with fire. With even the tiniest wrong move, the Middle East could be left in flames…’”

We know that in the future, the powder keg of the Middle East will explode. It is therefore important to watch developments in that region of the world, which will ultimately affect all of us.

Ten Years of the Euro… and No Euro Crisis!

Deutsche Welle reported on January 1, 2012:

“Exactly 10 years ago, the euro was introduced as a common currency in 12 European countries… The euro notes and coins were formally launched as a currency in the eurozone on January 1, 2002… On its first trading day on January 4, 1999 after being introduced in 11 countries as a deposit currency, the euro traded at 1.18 US dollars.

“… there is no euro crisis. Although many countries in the eurozone have massive debt problems, the euro has proven itself as a currency. It has saved companies billions in transaction costs. It has resulted in booming exports for the German industry and given peripheral countries low interest rates for many years. It is the world’s second most important reserve currency after the US dollar. And despite all the turbulence, it has remained stable against the dollar…

“In the 10 years of the euro, inflation in the eurozone has been lower than it was when the deutschmark was the official currency… Economists largely agree that the euro is also not the cause of the financial problems in several eurozone countries. ‘The problems of the southern European countries, especially Greece and Portugal, are homemade,’ writes the Cologne Institute for Economic Research…’”

The euro is strong and will survive. It is the U.S. dollar which we should be concerned about. However, this does not mean that Europe is not facing tough challenges. See the next article.

Europe’s Challenges and Opportunities

The EUobserver wrote on January 2, 2012:

“EU leaders have said in their festive messages the single currency is still at risk unless they take decisive action.

“For her part, German Chancellor Angela Merkel noted that the danger coincides with the 10th birthday of the now-familiar red, blue and brown banknotes with their little motifs of EU maps and Romanesque or Gothic windows. ‘We must never forget that the peaceful unification of our continent is a historic gift. It has given us over half a century of peace, freedom, justice, human rights and democracy … You can rest assured that I will do everything I can to strengthen the euro. But this will only succeed if Europe draws lessons from past mistakes. One is that a common currency can only be truly successful if we work together more than ever in Europe.’ Her lesson on ‘working together’ comes ahead of intergovernmental negotiations on a new treaty that will transform the Union into an economic federation with one central authority deciding how member states spend their money….

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy used more alarming language. ‘This extraordinary crisis, without doubt the most serious one since World War II, this crisis is not over … To get out of it, to construct a new model of growth, to give birth to a new Europe – these are just some of the challenges which await us,’ he said.

“The theme was repeated all around the continent… Leaders warned there will be more spending cuts, more taxes, less welfare and a growing threat to liberal values… Merkel also devoted a large part of her speech to condemning a neo-Nazi fraternity exposed in December for having murdered nine people of Turkish and Greek origin in recent years… The New Year’s messages voiced optimism the euro will pull through. But the villains of the crisis – bankers and profligate former leaders – got bloody noses despite the festive season…”

“Disasters Made 2011 Most Expensive Year Ever”

The Local reported on January 5:

“According to a report published Wednesday by the Munich-based insurance company Munich Re, the world faced total losses of $380 billion, over $150 billion more than 2005, the previous record year.  But 2011 was not merely a year of financial losses, as over 27,000 lives were claimed by natural catastrophes.

“The figures reveal that two-thirds of the final figure stem from earthquakes early in the year in Japan and New Zealand… Over 16,000 people were killed in what was believed to be the most powerful earthquake in Japan’s history, causing waves of up to 40 metres to sweep across huge areas. The quake measured 9.0 on the Richter scale and caused total losses of around $210 billion, mainly caused by the tsunami and the subsequent nuclear disaster at the Fukushima power plant…

“Earlier in the year, a string of powerful earthquakes hit Christchurch, New Zealand… One earthquake alone, which measured 6.3 on the Richter scale, caused $16 billion worth of damage…

“Aside from the geophysical events of 2011, heavy rainfall caused the worst flooding for 50 years in Thailand. Over 800 people were killed and the losses amounted to tens of billions of dollars, as well as reducing the world’s supply of computer hard drive components by 25 percent.

“In the USA, storms amassed billions of dollars worth of damage, with tornadoes alone racking up $46 billion in losses. Tropical cyclones, the number of which was far above the US average, were less damaging, as few hit the American mainland.  One that did, however, was Tropical Storm Irene, which caused $16 billion in damages…”

Jesus Christ warned us that in these end times, these terrible devastations would increase…

More Birds Die…

Mail On Line wrote on January 1:

“Ancient Mayan legend says that 2012 will bring the end of the world. A small Arkansas town might have shown the first example of that as approximately 5,000 blackbirds dropped dead from the sky last night in the early hours of the new year. As if the incident was not strange enough, it is the second time in two years that the birds have fallen as the calendar year changes…

“Given the amount of birds and the condensed time and location of their deaths, there has to be some commonality behind the bizarre event, but scientists remain baffled. The fact that the birds were even flying in the middle of the night makes no sense because that is not something that they are trained to do…

“Initially, last year’s deaths were blamed on celebratory fireworks, with people thinking that the birds were startled to death. A flash hail storm or massive lightning strikes were all discussed as possibilities as well. All three theories have been debunked, however, as the weather was calm in Arkansas last night and police even imposed an impromptu firework ban in an effort to prevent it from happening again.”

Even though the world will not come to an end in 2012, the Bible warns that in these end times, many birds and fish will be destroyed. Compare Hosea 4:3.

Devastating Volcanic Eruption in Germany?

Mail On Line reported on January 2:

“A sleeping super-volcano in Germany is showing worrying signs of waking up. It’s lurking just 390 miles away underneath the tranquil Laacher See… near Bonn and is capable of ejecting billions of tons of magma… several small earthquakes in the region last year indicate that it could be awakening from its deep sleep…

“Experts believe that if it did go off, it could lead to widespread devastation, mass evacuations and even short-term global cooling from the resulting ash cloud blocking the sun. The effect on the UK is hard to predict but it’s possible that large parts of southern England could be covered [with] ash.

“It’s thought that the volcano is similar in size and power to Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, which blew in 1991 and became the biggest eruption of the 20th century. It ejected 10 billion tons of magma, 20 billion tons of sulphur dioxide, 16 cubic kilometres of ash and caused a 0.5C drop in global temperatures.

“Volcanologists believe that the Laacher See volcano is still active as carbon dioxide is bubbling up to the lake’s surface, which indicates that the magma chamber below is ‘degassing’.”

This is interesting in light of the fact that in the future, Germany will become “full of darkness” for a while. Compare Revelation 16:10. See also our recent Q&A on the “Day of the Lord.”

German President in Big Trouble

Deutsche Welle wrote on January 2:

“German President Christian Wulff personally called the editor-in-chief of [the German mass tabloid] Bild last month and threatened legal action if it published a story on a private home loan he received at cheap interest rates.

“Bild confirmed media reports on Monday that the head of state had left a message on its chief editor Kai Diekmann’s voicemail, in which he threatened the paper with legal action and expressed outrage about its plans to publish details of a private home loan that has prompted widespread criticism… When he was still the state premier of Lower Saxony, Wulff borrowed the money from the wife of a business friend, Egon Geerkens, which he later exchanged for the low-interest bank loan.

“The state prosecutor’s office in Hanover has received about 20 criminal complaints from private citizens concerning the loan affair, but has said it was not going to pursue the case further because there was no evidence that a criminal offense was committed.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on January 3:

“Die Welt reported that Wulff had also intervened to try and stop [Bild’s] sister paper Welt am Sonntag, from publishing an article last summer. He summoned one of the authors to Bellevue Palace, his official office, and threatened him with ‘unpleasant and public consequences’ if the article was published, Die Welt wrote. The newspaper did not indicate what the contents of the article had been, but said it went ahead and published it…

“In the last two days, the silence of his allies has been deafening. Leading members have refrained from making any public comment about the reports that he effectively tried to censor negative media coverage about him. Support also seems to be dwindling among CDU members in his home region of Lower Saxony, as well… A member of the national parliament for the pro-business liberal Free Democratic Party, the junior collation partner in Merkel’s coalition, attacked Wulff directly on Tuesday…

“If Wulff does resign, it would be a blow to Merkel and to the office of the German head of state, a largely ceremonial post that nevertheless plays a distinct role in German public life, largely through speeches, but also by signing legislation. Merkel proposed Wulff as president and would have to nominate a successor capable of winning support in the Federal Assembly, the special body convened to elect German presidents. It’s the last thing she needs at the start of [a] difficult year…

“Wulff’s predecessor, Horst Köhler, who was also nominated by Merkel, resigned in May 2010 in disgust at the public criticism of remarks he had made about the purpose of German military missions abroad. On Tuesday, German newspapers, even conservative ones, poured scorn on Wulff, further weakening his position by implying strongly that he isn’t up to the job…

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘A president who expresses his commitment to press freedom only to trample on it at the decisive moment seems out of place in an open society…’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes that Wulff’s behavior ‘is that of a head of state who has taken leave of his senses. How else can one imagine a president on his way to meet the Emir of Kuwait talking at length with the editor in chief of a tabloid newspaper on his mailbox about “waging war” and threatening legal action and a “final break with the Springer publishing house” if an undesired article about him, Wulff, is published?…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘…A man who talks about press freedom while not respecting it is the wrong president.’

“The left-wing Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘If Wulff had any remnants of credibility left, he completely destroyed them with these phone calls. The naiveté of the president is not the only surprising aspect. To assume that a newspaper as adept at street-fighting as Bild would really be deterred from printing an article is crazy. It is just as striking how this president ignored the dignity of his office. Wulff behaved like a provincial mayor who thinks he can tell the local newspaper to write what he wants. As president he constitutes an organ of state, he must protect and defend press freedom…’”

Der Spiegel added on January 5:

“The pressure on German President Christian Wulff to resign has been mounting in recent days. But in a highly anticipated television appearance on Wednesday evening, the head of state made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down.

“During a joint interview with the German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, Wulff admitted that his Dec. 12 phone call to Bild editor in chief Kai Diekmann, where Wulff apparently tried to stop the powerful tabloid from printing a damaging article about his private loan arrangements, had been a ‘serious mistake that I regret and for which I apologize.’ He added, however, that he had not tried to prevent the story from being published, but had only wanted the newspaper to ‘wait’ before publishing the story.

“Bild reacted to the interview by directly contradicting Wulff’s version of events. Referring to Wulff’s claim that he had not tried to stop the loan story from being published, Nikolaus Blome, the newspaper’s deputy editor in chief, said that ‘we had a very different impression at the time.’ The voicemail message ‘clearly had the objective of stopping this piece from being published,’ Blome told Deutschlandfunk radio…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… Wulff cannot be allowed to get away with that… This is unworthy of a German president… The president has not regained the moral authority that would enable him to perform his duties.’”

If or when Christian Wulff resigns, it will be interesting to see who the next German President will be.

NATO Afraid of Russia and Germany?

RT.com reported on December 26:

“Although Germany and Russia have developed into modern democracies with free-market systems, NATO still fears the revival of the former Nazi and Soviet states, says Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin… ‘No matter what Russia may be – imperial, communist or democratic – they see us with the same eyes as they did in the previous centuries,’ he said.

“The same attitude applies to Germany, Rogozin says, the largest and most successful economy in the European Union. ‘The relationship with Germany also remains complicated, because they still fear it,’ he said…

“Indeed, many in Germany have been calling for the creation of a European army that will eventually replace NATO…’ The long term goal is the establishment of a European army under full parliamentary control,’ German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle told an audience last year at the Munich Security Conference, noting that the German government ‘wants to advance along this path.’”

The comments of the German Foreign Minister regarding a European army are quite telling, as this will undoubtedly be the next big event in the development of a United States of Europe. In addition, we will also see a revival of the former Soviet states and the build-up of a confederation of Russia and other Far Eastern countries, such as Japan and China.

Russians Protest Against Putin

The Los Angeles Times wrote on December 24:

“More than 100,000 people took to the streets Saturday in the biggest show of protest in Russia’s capital since the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. ‘Russia without Putin!’ the crowd chanted as it protested alleged election fraud during the recent parliamentary vote that saw Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party garner nearly 50% of the vote.

“Many in the crowd said they were fed up with Putin, who served as president for eight years beginning in 2000 and is now seeking a return to the presidency in an election scheduled for March… Thousands of people also protested in cities and towns across Russia…”

Whether or not Putin will be re-elected, the upheaval in Russia signifies developments which may not be good news for Europe.

Iran’s Military Exercises

AL Jazeera reported on December 25:

“Iran’s navy has started a 10-day drill in international waters near the strategic oil route that passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The exercises… could bring Iranian ships into proximity with United States Navy vessels in the area… The war games cover a 2,000km stretch of sea off the Strait of Hormuz, northern parts of the Indian Ocean and into the Gulf of Aden, near the entrance to the Red Sea… submarines, surface-to-sea missile systems, missile-launching vessels, torpedoes and drones will be employed in the maneuvers…

“The Strait of Hormuz is of strategic significance as the passageway for about a third of the world’s oil tanker traffic. Beyond it lie vast bodies of water, including the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The US Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet is also active in the area, as are warships of several other countries that patrol for pirates there… Both the US and Israel have not ruled out a military option against Iran over its nuclear program.

“Iranian hard-liners have come out with occasional threats that Tehran would seal off the key waterway if the US or Israel moved against the country’s nuclear facilities. The US, Britain and Canada announced new measures against Iran’s energy and financial sectors last month and the European Union is considering a ban, already in place in the US, on imports of Iranian oil.”

Iran’s PressTV reported on December 26:

“‘The [Iranian] Navy’s military maneuvers in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman indicate the power and dominance of Iran’s Navy in regional waters,’ member of the Majlis (parliament) National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Zohreh Elahian said Monday… Elahian added foreign media have admitted that Iran and its Navy are so powerful that if threatened, the country can take control of the Strait of Hormuz as the global economic and energy conduit.”

Reuters reported on December 28:

“The U.S. Fifth Fleet said on Wednesday it would not allow any disruption of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran threatened to stop ships moving through the world’s most important oil route… Analysts say that Iran could potentially cause havoc in the Strait of Hormuz, a strip of water separating Oman and Iran, which connects the biggest Gulf oil producers, including Saudi Arabia, with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is 21 miles across.

“But its navy would be no match for the firepower of the Fifth Fleet which consists of 20-plus ships supported by combat aircraft, with 15,000 people afloat and another 1,000 ashore… The United States and Israel have not ruled out military action if sanctions fail to rein in Iran’s nuclear work.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 29:

“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have rejected a warning from the United States not to close the strategic oil transport route, the Strait of Hormuz, saying it will protect the country’s vital interests… Iran says it will close the Strait if the US and European Union impose fresh sanctions over Tehran’s suspected nuclear program. Deputy President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said earlier this week that ‘not a drop of oil will pass through the Strait’ if the West broadens its current sanctions.”

It is to be feared that Iran will retaliate if it should be attacked by Israel and the USA, and the turmoil that would ensue may plunge the Middle East into a major war, forcing Europe to intervene militarily.

The Rise of a New Egypt?

ynetnews.com wrote on December 22:

“Last Saturday, violent groups of Islamic-Salafi radicals burned the famous scientific institute established by Napoleon in Egypt after its first encounter with the West. Some historians consider it the start of modern times in the Middle East. The site, L’Institut d’Egypte, held some 200,000 original and rare books, exhibits, maps, archeological findings and studies from Egypt and the entire Middle East, based on the work of generations of western researchers. Most of the artifacts were lost forever, burned or looted…

“All of this is happening while the confused West is lauding the new democracy established in Egypt, without understanding that this democracy is erasing the historic Egypt that was intimately connected to the West and its culture; a new Egypt shall rise on the ruins of the great fire. What we are seeing here is not a battle for power, but rather, a battle for perception, memory, heritage and historiography; that is, the writing of history.”

The Arab Spring has been a devastating development from the start, and the future will show how wrong those have been who applauded and supported the revolutions and rebellions in the Middle East. See also the next article.

Egypt’s Forces Raid Offices of U.S. and Other Civil Groups

The New York Times reported on December 29, 2011:

“Egyptian security forces stormed the offices of 17 nonprofit groups around the country on Thursday, including at least three democracy-promotion groups financed by the United States, as part of what Egypt’s military-led government has said is an investigation into ‘foreign hands’ in the recent outbreak of protests.

“In Cairo, heavily armed men wearing the black uniforms of the central security police tore through boxes, hauled away files and computers and prevented employees from leaving the offices of the two American groups, the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, which are affiliated with American political parties and financed by the United States government. The security forces also raided the offices of Washington-based Freedom House.

“The raids were a stark escalation in what has appeared to be a campaign by the country’s military rulers to rally support by playing to nationalist and anti-American sentiment here. But for the military rulers to suggest that American government funding may have played a role in the recent unrest is remarkable, in part because the Egyptian military itself receives $1.3 billion in annual American aid.”

Israel Cancels Contract With Turkey

The Washington Times wrote on December 23:

“Israel’s Defense Ministry announced Thursday the last-minute cancellation of a $140 million contract with Turkey over fears that a sophisticated aerial surveillance system could end up in Iran’s hands. The Israeli electronic defense firms Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries had contracted three years ago to provide the multimillion-dollar surveillance system to Turkey, which has cooled relations with the Jewish state and has warmed to Iran— Israel’s existential enemy. All defense-related contracts are subject to Defense Ministry approval…

“The cancellation comes a week after Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told parliament in Ankara that Turkey’s Middle East policies had ‘brought Israel to its knees’ and had isolated the Jewish state… Israel’s once close defense and political relationship with Turkey began to unravel as the Turkish government sought to extend its influence in the Arab world during the past few years. The relationship turned hostile after Israeli naval commandos killed nine Turkish militants last year on a flotilla attempting to break Israel’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip.”

The relationship between Turkey and Israel is bound to deteriorate.

Turkey Accuses France of Genocide in Colonial Algeria

 BBC News wrote on December 23:

“The Turkish prime minister has accused France of committing genocide during its colonial occupation of Algeria. Recep Tayyip Erdogan was speaking after French MPs passed a bill making it a criminal act to deny that Ottoman Turks committed genocide in 1915-16 Armenia… Ankara has already recalled its ambassador to France and frozen political visits and joint military projects over the bill…

“If passed into law, Thursday’s bill would mean anybody who publicly denied the Armenian ‘genocide’ would face a year in jail and a fine of 45,000 euros (£29,000; $58,000)… More than 20 countries have formally recognised the killings as genocide.

“France invaded Algeria in 1830 and it remained under French rule until independence in 1962. The number of people killed in the eight-year independence war from 1954-1962 varies widely according to different sources, ranging from 300,000 to more than one million.”

Even though Turkey is angry with France at this time, the Bible shows that ultimately, Turkey will support Europe against the state of Israel.

Ethiopia Provokes Europe

Deutsche Welle wrote on December 27:

“Two Swedish journalists are considering a legal appeal after an Ethiopian court on Tuesday sentenced them to 11 years in prison for supporting terrorism and entering the country illegally… Last week’s guilty verdict was slammed in Sweden, where Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said the two journalists were innocent and should be let free. The convictions also provoked anger and accusations in the Swedish media that the case was politically motivated.

“Rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have criticized the trial, and the Swedish Union of Journalists has called for Schibbye and Persson’s release… Schibbye and Persson say they met ONLF leaders in London and Nairobi before travelling to Ethiopia as part of a journalistic investigation into the activities of Swedish oil firm Lundin Oil. The ONLF has been fighting for independence of Ethiopia’s southeastern Ogaden region since 1984.”

Ethiopia will still play an important role in its relationship with Europe.

“There Is No Euro Crisis”

On December 29, 2011, Der Spiegel Online conducted an interesting interview with “the former head of Deutsche Bank, Hilmar Kopper [(76), who] was once the most powerful banker in Germany.” We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“Never in the history of mankind has there been so much money in circulation, and never before was it possible to trade with it so quickly. And never before has this money used the entire planet as a playing field, as is the case today in the era of globalization… We’re dealing with multi-causal failure. It didn’t just start with the American central bank, the Federal Reserve, which permanently made money cheap after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2011. It was the declared goal of American policy, under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, that every American was to own his own home. Many poor people, in particular, were lured in, people who couldn’t afford this dream at all. The banks turned this into a huge business, the rating agencies provided incorrect ratings, and many countries — both the United States and in Europe — did not have their debt under control before the financial crisis erupted…

“I’ve hardly heard it [the Occupy movement] utter a single reasonable sentence so far. It’s all vague criticism of capitalism, markets and the market economy in general. I’m not interested in political correctness and I’m not about to pretend to have any sympathy for this movement now… The United States isn’t my role model. If that was ever the case, it was after World War II, when we were slowly emerging from the Stone Age we had fought ourselves into…

“[Spiegel: Fifteen-trillion dollars in debts, a crumbling infrastructure, high unemployment, food stamps for one in five children …] … and the Americans still want to spend even more money. I’m horrified when I look at the politics there, with all the backstabbing and squabbling in Washington… I see a dollar crisis, but not a euro crisis. Europe has a debt problem, whereas the United States also has a problem with its balance of payments.

“[Spiegel: Can the euro still be saved?] Of course… The Maastricht Treaty ratified by all member states provided the rules, so that more pressure could be applied to countries that don’t have a handle on their budgets. It was legitimate, and it still is legitimate. And now we Germans are seen as the evil ones in the European concert, just because we insist on stability and sticking to the rules…”

SOPA and NDAA

The Business Insider wrote on December 22:

“The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) — a censorship bill — and the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — which contains provisions allowing Americans to be detained without trial, and even transferred to foreign prisons — near ever closer to becoming reality in the United States…

“The cable networks continue to ignore these bills, in favor of covering holiday shopping lists… One noteworthy exception: Judge Napolitano on FOX Business Network… is the only American news anchor giving this issue the serious and dire coverage it probably deserves.”

The Hill added on December 26:

“GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul warned that the National Defense Authorization Act, which was passed by Congress this month, will accelerate the country’s ‘slip into tyranny’ and virtually assures ‘our descent into totalitarianism.’”

Politico added on December 27:

“The conservative and liberal blogospheres are unifying behind opposition to Congress’s Stop Online Piracy Act, with right-leaning bloggers arguing their very existence could be wiped out if the anti-piracy bill passes… ‘Of course, restrictions of results provided by Internet search engines amount to just that: prior restraint of their free expression of future results. Google and others, under SOPA, are told what they can or can’t publish before they publish it. Kill. The. Bill,’ conservative blogger Neil Stevens argued…”

These laws may indeed be a grave threat to our constitutional freedom and liberty. For more information, please view our StandingWatch program, “Destruction of US Democracy?”

More New Controversial Laws in the USA

The Washington Times wrote on December 26:

“California… becomes the first state to mandate the teaching of gay history. A new law requires schools to include in the public-school curriculum the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans, along with disabled persons and others. The statute, which has no age limit, also bans instructional material that discriminates against those groups… Also in California, children must remain in car booster seats for an additional two years, until they reach the age of eight, or until they hit 4 feet 9 inches, whichever comes first…

“In Delaware and North Dakota, public workers will be required to make larger contributions to their retirement funds. In Arizona, public workers employed after Jan. 1 will receive benefits lower than those of current staffers…”

Request to Raise Debt Ceiling

CNN reported on December 27:

“The Obama administration will formally ask Congress later this week to raise the nation’s debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion… The latest request is the third of three requests authorized by the contentious debt ceiling agreement reached last August and is expected to come on December 30 – the day the debt is projected to fall within $100 billion of the current $15.194 trillion ceiling. The new request asks the ceiling be raised to $16.39 trillion.”

First Christmas Celebration in Pagan Shrine

ABC News reported on December 25:

“A recently discovered pagan shrine dedicated to Rome’s legendary founder Romulus and his brother Remus is being linked by some experts to the first celebration of Christmas held on the date that still marks the festivity today. Last month Italian archaeologists unveiled an underground grotto, which they believe ancient Romans worshipped as the place where a wolf nursed the legendary twins. Now, a top Italian scholar thinks a church built on the site of the shrine was where Christmas was first marked on Dec. 25 — making it a symbolic place in efforts to link pagan practices and Christian celebrations…

“He said the site of the ‘Lupercale’ shrine was chosen by the 4th century Emperor Constantine to build the Basilica of St. Anastasia — the first church to rise not on the ancient city’s outskirts, but on the Palatine Hill, the palatial center of power and religion in imperial Rome… Placing the church just a few steps from an important pagan shrine was part of Constantine’s strategy of promoting Christianity while linking it to the practices of the more ancient religion… [Constantine] presided over the Council of Nicaea in 325, which among other things homogenized the dates of important Christian festivals.

“The council opted to mark Christmas… on Dec. 25 to coincide with the Roman festival celebrating the birth of the sun god… The ‘Lupercale’ shrine was named after the ‘lupa’ — Latin for she-wolf — who according to legend saved Romulus and Remus, the twin sons of [Mars,] the god of war [whom Mars] abandoned in a basket and left adrift on the River Tiber…”

This article gives further evidence for the thoroughly pagan nature of Christmas. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.” Please also read the next articles, showing the irresponsible conduct of parents and governmental officials in an effort to perpetuate the stupid lies of “Santa Claus” or their waste of exorbitant amounts of tax payers’ money on “Christmas vacations” so as “not to disappoint the children.”

Why Do Kids Believe in Santa Claus?

On December 23, the Associated Press reported the following:

“Why do kids believe a chubby guy in a flying sleigh can deliver joy across America? Because their parents do. A whopping 84 percent of grown-ups were once children who trusted in Santa’s magic, and lots cling to it still… Two-thirds of parents with kids under 18 say Santa’s an important part of their celebrations this year…

“In multicultural America, Father Christmas isn’t just for Christians any more. Three-fourths of non-Christian adults say they believed in Santa when they were children. And half feel he’s important to their holiday celebrations now. Developmental psychologist Cyndy Scheibe… said lots of Jewish children told her that Santa Claus was real, even though he didn’t stop at their houses on Christmas Eve.

“And many non-Christian parents embrace Santa because they see Christmas serving as a secular as well as religious holiday in the U.S., she said… Even among Christians, there’s tension about how big a role, if any, a jolly old elf deserves in the celebration of Christ’s birth…”

Kids believe their parents. Parents lie, and kids believe them. But even once they find out the truth, they still go ahead and tell the same lies to their children. However, God is not the author of lies. Satan is. He is called the father of lies, and the truth is not in him. And don’t believe that these are just harmless lies. A lie is a lie. Period. And God thunders at us: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

…And the Stupid Lie Continues…

USA Today wrote on December 23:

“NORAD, the premier U.S.-Canadian air defense directorate, is once again using its super high-tech tracking equipment to keep tabs on jolly old Saint Nick. For 365 days of the year, NORAD is dead serious about tracking the skies over North America. But beginning at 3 a.m. Saturday, the generals and air-sovereignty commanders will be telling Virginia that, yes, there is a Santa Claus. And they’ve got the satellite tracking of his sleigh to prove it.

“This is the organization’s 56th year of providing children with up-to-the-minute telemetry on Santa’s whereabouts. Calls to 1-877-Hi-NORAD will be answered by one of more than 1,200 volunteers who crowd into the call center at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. For many it’s a family Christmas tradition, says NORAD’s Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis. Last year, the volunteers logged 80,000 calls, he says.

“Each year at www.noradsanta.org, families can track Santa’s flight across the world — live. Last year the site had more than 15 million visitors. There’s also a second-by-second Countdown to Track Santa clock [sic]. For kids who can’t wait, a Kid’s Countdown Village has links to holiday facts on Google Maps and North Pole-themed games.

“Clicking the house labeled 22 in the village opens up a ‘Super Top Secret NORAD File’ featuring technical details of Santa’s sleigh and reindeer. This year, the organization is also making a Track Santa app available for smartphones via Google Maps for mobile at the noradsanta.org site…”

This is really the epitome of incredible stupidity. And whole countries engage in such irresponsible nonsense!

“Modern” History of the Christmas Tree

The Local wrote on December 23:

“…the history of the Christmas tree remains… mysterious to many… Christmas does of course have a pre-Christian history, and decorating the house during the dark winter months is a tradition that precedes Christianity, and its German connection, by thousands of years.

“Many ancient societies included the custom of bringing evergreen plants into homes during the cold months as a reminder of the summer. From northern European Vikings, to the Romans and ancient Egyptians, urging the sunny months back and warding off evil spirits with evergreens was commonplace.

“Skip forward a millennium or so, and a more recognizable Christmas tree was beginning to take shape, thanks to a guild of German merchants who supposedly erected the first [modern] Weihnachtsbaum in 1510… The introduction of the Christmas tree to the US can also be credited to Germans. Reports suggest that German settlers in Pennsylvania and Ohio put up the first American Christmas trees in the 18th century. It took a while for the custom to spread through the country, however, as the Puritan movement managed to force a ban on Christmas trees into the 19th century.

“But as Puritanism waned, it was the power of the celebrity that finally brought the Christmas tree transatlantic popularity, when a picture of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and family with a decked-out Christmas tree was published… The man behind the Queen’s continental Christmas choice was none other than her German husband, Prince Albert, who apparently longed for a reminder of home in the palace during the festive season…”

Of course, the Christmas tree predates the birth of Christ by thousands of years. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Don’t Keep Christmas.”

Costly Vacation

Newsmax reported on December 23:

“President Barack Obama may need a vacation from his vacation. Obama plans to travel Friday afternoon to Hawaii for a delayed Christmas vacation. But the cost of the trip — about $4 million total — has created a firestorm.

“Michelle Obama insisted on the pricey Hawaiian holiday while her husband had said he preferred a short trip to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md., The Daily Mail reported Friday… The trip to Hawaii is expected to cost taxpayers almost $4 million, and is the latest example of Michelle Obama’s skyrocketing spending…

“‘The President’s advisers have told him that Michelle’s spending has spiraled completely out of control,’ the National Enquirer quoted one source as saying. ‘Barack read his wife the riot act, but his words fell on deaf ears. Michelle said there was “no way” she was going to disappoint her daughters.’

“The White House announced the president’s departure plans Friday shortly after the House and the Senate approved a deal to extend payroll tax cuts after House Republicans reversed course Thursday night and dropped their opposition. With Washington deadlocked, Obama delayed his annual December trip to the Honolulu area… The president’s wife and daughters have been in Hawaii since late last week. The Obamas plan to return to Washington in early January.”

Especially during times of great financial hardship and national debt, such wasteful spending of tax payers’ money is hardly justifiable.

Total Martial Law in the USA?

On December 18, the Drudge Report posted several articles which appeared in infowars.com. The following was pointed out:

“Leading GOP candidate Ron Paul has warned in recent interviews that the amendments passed in the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) are not only dangerous, but authorize the establishment of total martial law inside the United States. Not only does the bill, in sections 1031 and 1032, declare the unconstitutional right to detain Americans indefinitely without trial, but it authorizes an Internet offensive and online Pentagon takeover under the pretext of cybersecurity and stopping online piracy…

“Real preparations for martial law and WWIII have taken place– including recent calls to staff emergency detention camps ready for use if an national emergency is signaled over civil unrest and a takeover goes red hot… various emergency provisions have long worked in conjunction to build a framework for martial law takeover inside America… from TSA at the airports, to highway checkpoints and now, the claimed power to indefinitely detain anyone the feds view as a threat to national security…

“Now, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and portions of the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) have openly declared ‘offensive war’ on the Internet, implementing Pentagon censors & spies and instituting a Kill Switch to selectively shut down content on the basis of suspicion or accusation, without a vehicle for recourse, appeal or the burden of proof…”

These are indeed frightening developments. But there is even more! The following articles show that the tendencies can be clearly seen (if we have eyes to see) of attempting to abrogate individual freedom and liberty, and to place EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN AT RISK.

US Democracy Being Destroyed?

The Business Insider published the following article on December 14, under the headline, “American Democracy: 1776-2011.”

The article stated:

“It turns out that destroying the American democratic republic was easy to accomplish, historians will write someday. Simply get the three major cable news networks to blather on about useless [“information”] for a few days, while legislators meet in secret behind closed doors to rush through the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (NDAA), and its evil twin sister, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), which is a clever name for an Internet censorship bill straight out of an Orwellian nightmare.

“Sure, some independent media web sites and Jon Stewart warned us about this. Ron Paul & Son warned us about this. Amnesty International and the ACLU have been screaming from the rooftops… But the American people let it happen, because the vast majority of us simply didn’t find out in time. And now President Obama’s advisers are saying he is withdrawing his veto threat against NDAA, so it will become law. As will SOPA…

“I have no idea why an American media blackout on NDAA is still in effect — Anderson Cooper, Chris Matthews, Bill O’Reilly and the other broadcast ‘journalists’ have been disgustingly silent on what is undoubtedly the most important news story of the past decade. The single most important news story since September 11th, 2001.

“Combined, NDAA and SOPA simply destroy American democracy. That isn’t hype. That isn’t exaggeration. Within a few days, your freedom of speech will be gone — post something controversial online, and the government can legally ‘disappear’ it.

“Annoy the government too much, or criticize Congress’ infinite wisdom and mercy, and you may find yourself in military prison for the remainder of your life, without access to a trial or attorney. Even if you’re an American citizen on US soil.

“This is a brave new world. Watch what you say. Be mindful of who you associate with. You may criticize your government within the privacy of your own home, amongst close family or friends, but do not post negative comments online. Do not assemble. Do not protest. Do not agitate. Do not give ‘comfort’ to the ‘enemy.’

“This is a sad day for all of us… it turns out democracy was attacked from within, the historians will write someday. We didn’t even see it coming.”

The Examiner added on December 15:

“The National Defence Authorization Bill 2012 (NDAA FY2012)… contains language allowing the Pentagon to wage cyberwar on domestic enemies of the state, a human and civil rights violation of freedom of speech and freedom of the press, as reported by MSNBC Wednesday, potentially impacting both Occupy movement and Tea Party participants plus independent news reporters and whistleblowers exposing government corruption…

“On December 5, Forbes reported, ‘If Obama does one thing for the remainder of his presidency let it be a veto of the National Defense Authorization Act, a law that would place domestic terror investigations and interrogations into the hands of the military and which would open the door for trial-free, indefinite detention of anyone, including American citizens, so long as the government calls them terrorists.’

“Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said about NDAA FY2012 that it ‘denigrates the very foundations of this country.’ Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) [son of Ron Paul] has repeatedly said that NDAA FY2012 ‘puts every single American citizen at risk.’”

SOPA Endangers Our Freedom

Roll Call wrote on December 14 (The article was posted on the Drudge Report’s website on December 21):

“The legislation that campaigns across the country should be concerned about is the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)…

“Imagine you are running for Congress in a competitive House district. You give a strong interview to a local morning news show and your campaign posts the clip on your website. When your opponent’s campaign sees the video, it decides to play hardball and sends a notice to your Internet service provider alerting them to what it [deems] ‘infringing content.’ It doesn’t matter if the content is actually pirated. The ISP has five days to pull down your website and the offending clip or be sued. If you don’t take the video down, even if you believe that the content is protected under fair use, your website goes dark.

“The ability of any entity to file an infringement notice is one of SOPA’s biggest problems. It creates an unprecedented ‘private right of action’ that would allow a private party, without any involvement by a court, to effectively shut down a website…

“Another damaging aspect of SOPA is the increased liability the bill would place on ISPs and search engines. SOPA effectively guts the Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s safe harbors — one of the big reasons companies such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter weren’t crushed in their early days by harassing lawsuits. Without these safe harbors, the risk of frivolous lawsuits greatly increases…

“By creating legislation that allows sites to be shut down at will, with limited recourse available to the sites’ owners, SOPA greatly threatens the democratizing tool the Internet has become. With the Internet playing an ever increasing role in the political process, the powers the bill creates could be greatly abused by those wishing to silence their opponents. Political campaigns and anyone interested in an open political process should be greatly concerned about the regulations SOPA creates and the freedoms it restricts…”

For more information, please make sure to view (and circulate) our recent StandingWatch program, “Destruction of US Democracy?” 

US Politics Galore—and We All May Have to Pay!

The Washington Times wrote on December 20:

“The House officially voted Tuesday to start negotiations with the Senate on the payroll-tax fight — but Senate Democrats have said they won’t cancel their vacation to conduct the talks, leaving an impasse that could mean an average $1,000 tax increase on 160 million taxpayers in the new year… the House on Tuesday officially sent [the Senate] bill back to the Senate, which means, according to legislative rules, the Senate has to act next, and the House cannot take up the Senate’s proposal anymore…

“The House has passed a one-year extension of the current 2 percent payroll-tax cut, along with a two-year extension of full payments to doctors who take Medicare patients and another round of unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. But the Senate, which couldn’t agree on a long-term extension, instead passed a two-month bill last week, arguing it gave all sides breathing room to keep trying for a longer-term deal. The White House has endorsed the Senate compromise.”

America’s Downfall

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 16:

“The US has officially declared the war in Iraq to be over with a flag-casing ceremony in Baghdad. President Barack Obama said that America was leaving behind a ‘sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq.’ German commentators ask if the conflict, which lasted almost nine years, was worth the toll… Many in America and elsewhere will continue to ask, however, if freeing Iraq from the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein was worth the high cost of the war. The conflict, which began in March 2003 with a ‘shock and awe’ assault on Baghdad, left almost 4,500 Americans and over 100,000 Iraqis dead. Around 30,000 American soldiers were wounded, many of them permanently maimed as a result of the notorious improvised explosive devices (IEDs) which were used against coalition forces. Today, the country is still racked by religious conflict, and there are fears that sectarian violence could flare up again. The country’s political structures are weak and Iran continues to exert influence…

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Even nearly nine years after the events, it is hard to contain the outrage that boils up when one remembers the fabricated justification for the war and the way the conflict proceeded. On the contrary, the distance to the events makes it even clearer how George W. Bush vacillated in his justification for the war and how he combined weapons of mass destruction, al-Qaida terror and the dictatorship into a single threatening brew. The politically twisted logic behind the invasion was coupled with a botched military strategy that laid the ground for an orgy of violence and hatred…

“‘America’s current decline is the logical consequence of the over-extension that was visible everywhere in the early 2000s, including its military strength, bloated budgets and promises of growth, its foreign policy ambitions and the verbal radicalism which ultimately promised to forcefully create democracy at gunpoint. With this form of extremism, America betrayed its own best ideals. And in the process the country lost its natural attraction, which historically had repeatedly given hope to freedom-seekers and those fleeing persecution.’

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘Every American schoolchild knows today that George W. Bush’s mission has not been accomplished. Iraq has not become the democracy that the neo-cons dreamed of, the overthrow of Saddam Hussein did not lead to democratization in the region and the regime in Tehran has not been weakened. On the contrary, Iran has more influence than ever in Iraq. And what about the people who were liberated? For them, life eight years after the start of the war is still dangerous. Everyday life, characterized by shortages of water and electricity, abuses of power by the police and the threat of attacks, is unspeakably difficult… the country that American troops are now leaving is not the ‘sovereign and stable’ nation that Obama spoke of in his speech at Fort Bragg. The US troops may indeed have conquered Baghdad in three weeks, but after eight years of occupation, they have still not won in Iraq.’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘The last nine years of the American presence in Iraq is further proof that the political balance of power within a country cannot be changed by an external military intervention. What the US experienced in Iraq, Israel also experienced in the war against Hezbollah in Lebanon. One can only hope that both have learned their lesson before they start planning military operations against Iran… With its interference in Iraq, the US did lasting damage to the concept of democratization…’”

We should especially take note of the statements that America is in decline, and that the USA did NOT win the war in Iraq. The sad truth is that America did not win any war for a long time, and that it will NOT win any future wars. The Church of God began to proclaim this FACT over 40 years ago; it has been established and confirmed to be the absolute truth; and it will remain to be true. See also our other articles on Iraq in this issue.

“America On Its Deathbed”

In his December 6, 2011 newsletter, Gerald Celente, Founder and Director of The Trends Research Institute, wrote the following about the USA:

“Be it healthcare, education, longevity or working longer and vacationing less, the world’s former quality-of-life leader no longer wins, places or shows. In a blink of the calendrical eye, the United States of America had gone from first world to borderline third world…

“A record 47 million Americans – one of every six people… are impoverished, according to government statistics. If you take into account those who are teetering on the edge of poverty, that figure almost doubles. This means nearly one-third of the American populace is struggling to achieve what they once considered their inalienable rights – putting food on their tables, gas in their cars, and heat in their homes… nearly one-quarter of all American children are living in poverty… as we enter a national election year, no candidate… speaks directly of a nation in decline. Even as the country piles up more and more debt, the Washington Beltway is gridlocked …

“On the economic front, the trend towards wealth concentration… continues. The richest 1 percent of Americans now owns 70 percent of all financial assets. Even the November 2011 ‘drop’ in unemployment to a two-year low of 8.5 percent meant virtually nothing. The rate doesn’t consider the new class of people that the Bush/Obama Administrations have created – the millions of permanently unemployed Americans who have been down so low so long they’ve stopped looking for work and aren’t even counted as unemployed…

“In the decade since 9/11, under the guise of protecting its citizens from terrorism, the government has steadily abrogated individual rights, compromising the very liberties it pretends to preserve. As thousands of protestors occupied Wall Street and Main Streets across America, police department cameras recorded their every step. In New York City alone, more than 4,000 cameras monitored the marching, chanting throngs. Banks – which now charge us to hold and spend our money  – watch our every financial move… America has become a country of fear, not freedom…”

These statements are very true. No politician—regardless of what party he or she might belong to, or whether he or she might run as an “independent”– will be able to reverse the trend of America’s downfall. Our false hope in human accomplishments, while forgetting to give glory to and rely on God, awaits a rude awakening. The sooner we understand as to where our real hope and strength lie, the better it will be for us.

Pakistan Attack–Washington Admits Mistakes, but Does Not Apologize

The Washington Times wrote on December 22:

“An investigation into a NATO attack that killed 24 Pakistani troops last month near the Afghan border has concluded that a combination of mistrust and bad maps led to the airstrikes on two Pakistani outposts… It’s unclear whether the report, which says mistakes were made on both sides, will reduce the tension between Pakistan and the U.S. over the incident. The Pakistani army has said its troops did nothing wrong and claimed the attack was a deliberate act of aggression.

“A statement issued by the U.S. Department of Defense did not apologize for the attack, as the Pakistanis have demanded, and instead defended the actions of American forces… Since the Nov. 26 attack, a furious Pakistani government has shut down NATO supply routes to Afghanistan and thrown the U.S. out of its Shamsi Air Base in southwestern Baluchistan province…”

Euro Permanent and Irreversible

The EUobserver wrote on December 19:

“The euro is ‘irreversible’ and will overcome the crisis, European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi said in his first appearance in front of the European Parliament’s economics committee on Monday (19 December), while making the case for austerity and fiscal discipline… the ECB chief said he has ‘no doubt in the strength, permanence and irreversibility of the euro,’ dismissing as ‘morbid speculation’ any eurozone break-up scenarios…”

German Economy Defying European Gloom

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 20:

“German companies and consumers are upbeat about the future, according to economic surveys released on Tuesday. They show that Europe’s largest economy has remained resilient in the face of the euro crisis… The index increased to 107.2 points from 106.6… surprising economists who had on average predicted a decline… There have been increasing signs that the euro zone as a whole, including France, its second largest economy, will slide into recession in 2012.

“But Germany, thanks to its broad industrial base and strong exports to countries outside the euro zone, especially emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil, will weather the storm, economists said… Another positive surprise came earlier on Tuesday with the release of the December consumer climate index from market research institute GfK, which showed the first rise in economic expectations in five months.”

Savior or Destroyer?

On December 20, The Local published the following English translation of a German editorial, which originally appeared in Die Zeit:

“Who is to blame for the split? Is it Cameron, who insisted that special rules must apply to Britain’s financial sector – or is it Merkel, who put the subject of a treaty change on the table in the first place? At any rate, it’s Cameron who came off worst, since he is now isolated in Europe, without having gained anything for his country’s interests. Knowing Merkel, an adept player of power games, she will have planned for such an eventuality. She and Sarkozy had a good argument on their side: as the French president said, we cannot agree stricter rules for the eurozone and then allow Britain room to deregulate its financial sector.

“But this success has not come cheap. The impression that 22 states stand firmly at Germany’s side is false. Most other heads of state are following Merkel with little enthusiasm – not out of conviction, but because they know that no solution to the debt crisis is possible without Germany. Even those that support the German vision of more budget discipline are unsure whether this is the right time or the right path to take.

“The eurozone states will now agree a new contract that will exist alongside current EU law… [Either] Merkel will go down in history as the saviour of the euro [or…] as the one who divided Europe.”

And there may be a third—and more likely–alternative: The German Chancellor will be remembered as both.

Britain Resists…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 20:

“EU finance ministers wanted to raise 200 billion euros to boost the International Monetary Fund’s firepower in the euro crisis, but they only raised 150 billion on Monday, largely due to resistance from Britain… the United Kingdom refused, at least for the time being, to contribute its share of around €25 billion.

“Following a conference call, the ministers said in a statement that the Czech Republic, Denmark, Poland and Sweden, which are in the EU but not in the euro zone, would also grant loans to the International Monetary Fund to help rescue the currency. But the EU said those countries must first win parliamentary approval…

“Meanwhile, the German newspaper Die Welt reported on Tuesday that Germany will probably have to pay €8.6 billion, twice as much as originally planned, into the European Stability Mechanism in 2012. The newspaper cited an unnamed high-ranking member of government as its source. The first German tranche for the fund was to have been €4.3 billion, and would not have been due until 2013. But the decision to launch the ESM will force Berlin to make its contribution sooner.”

This won’t make the Germans happy, and they will blame Britain for it…

Britain’s Isolation Could Prove Costly

The Daily Mail wrote on December 20:

“A senior Church of England bishop warned yesterday against British isolation from Europe. The Bishop of Guildford…,Christopher Hill, who speaks for his colleagues on EU matters in the House of Lords, said: ‘It will be disastrous if we were actually isolated from the rest of Europe, economically and in terms of international relations.’ He added: ‘The structures need reform and accountability, but you don’t do that by stepping out.’

“Business leaders claim millions of British jobs will be lost if the country does not fight to keep its place as a key player in Europe. A group of tycoons and entrepreneurs, including Sir Richard Branson, have written an open letter to the Government urging David Cameron to ‘re-engage in the decision-making process in Europe’. Signatories say at least three million could find themselves unemployed if Britain continues to isolate itself from the EU.

“Co-ordinated by the lobby group Business for New Europe, the letter will put extra pressure on Mr Cameron at a time when he stands accused of trying to appease Europhile party members.”

Widening Gap Between Britain and Brussels

The EUobserver wrote on December 21:

“The British government has blamed the euro for ratings agency [Moody’s] worries on its triple-A status amid a widening political gap between Brussels and London. A UK treasury spokesman told newswires on Tuesday… that exposure to the eurozone is the main reason why Moody’s earlier the same day warned that Britain’s top-level grade faces ‘formidable and rising challenges.’ The spokesman said: ‘The UK is not immune to the problems facing our trading partners in the euro area; the crisis is having a chilling effect across Europe…’ The Moody’s report noted ‘that no EU sovereign rating can be considered immune to this crisis.’ But it cited internal UK problems as the main cause of concern.”

Britain’s Mounting Distrust of Germany

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 19:

“In Britain, distrust of Europe goes hand-in-hand with distrust of Germany. Relations between the two countries have cooled following the furore caused by the latest EU summit, and British euroskeptics are once again resorting to old stereotypes…

“The English Channel has suddenly become wider, deeper and foggier once again. The London-based Daily Telegraph newspaper has warned its readers against what it calls Berlin’s blatant effort to dominate Europe and already sees ‘a new era of Anglo-German antagonism’ on the horizon… The headline ‘Welcome to the Fourth Reich’ in the high-circulation Daily Mail summarized the German-French plans to rescue the monetary union. In another story, the paper wrote: ‘What we are witnessing is the economic colonisation of Europe by stealth by the Germans.’…

“The anti-German rhetoric was particularly strong after German reunification, which then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, nicknamed ‘the Iron Lady,’ sought to prevent. Even the levelheaded Economist warned against what it believed to be the threat of a German nuclear bomb. In 1990, Thatcher invited leading British historians to a conference at Chequers to analyze the dangerous German national character…

“For the British, the fact that the Germans, with their renowned engineering prowess, still produce goods and sell them around the world is a wistful reminder of their own days as major exporters during the Victorian age… The Indians bought Jaguar a few years ago, Rolls-Royce is now part of BMW, Volkswagen owns Bentley, and once-proud brands like Triumph, Austin and Vickers no longer exist. Even the colorful candies known as ‘Smarties’ haven’t been produced in York, where they were invented, for the last five years. All European production has now been moved to Germany…

“So a new ice age has set in for the time being. Many Britons have noticed that ‘suddenly German is being spoken in Europe,’ following the undiplomatic words of Volker Kauder, the parliamentary floor leader of Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU). They’ve also noticed that there are Germans who already anticipate ‘Britain’s departure from the EU,’ as SPD parliamentary leader Frank-Walter Steinmeier said. And Merkel’s statement that ‘no country, no financial center and no financial product can be unsupervised from now on’ was certainly understood in London just the way it was meant. Even before the Brussels summit, politicians in Berlin knew that there would be no compromise with the Tory government in London.”

We should be able to see more and more the veracity of the prophesied fact that Europe and Great Britain will finally turn out to be real enemies. Europe is moving ahead without Britain, and Britain’s isolation is rapidly manifesting itself. Please note also the next article.

New European Treaty Between Just Nine Initial Countries?

The EUobserver wrote on December 16:

“The first draft of a new treaty meant to tighten economic governance in eurozone countries was circulated Friday (16 December) with the aim to have the text finalised by January and coming into force once nine countries have ratified it. The ratification threshold would allow the treaty to go into place even if some euro states – such as Ireland which may have to hold a referendum – are having problems getting domestic approval.

“A euro country that rejected the treaty after it had already come into place will not be bound by it. Non-euro countries, who agree to sign up to the treaty, will be bound by the agreement as soon as they take on the single currency, but can put in place some of the details immediately…

“Following the UK’s refusal to allow full-blown treaty change, the pact is an intergovernmental treaty for the 17 euro states plus up to nine of the non-euro countries who have all indicated they will attempt to come on board. But in a bid to draw a line under the potentially damaging rift between London and the rest of member states, all 27 countries will be at the negotiation table, although London will only have observer status…”

We should be able to recognize the long-prophesied development of a core Europe or a Europe of two speeds.

Europe Meddles and Condemns

Haaretz wrote on December 20:

“The four European Union members of the UN Security Council on Tuesday strongly criticized Israel’s decision to speed up construction of settlements, which they termed a ‘wholly negative’ development. The ambassadors from Britain, France, Germany and Portugal issued a joint statement branding the Israeli settlements in Palestinian occupied territories and East Jerusalem as illegal under international law. ‘We call on the Israeli government to reverse these steps,’ the statement said. ‘The viability of the Palestinian state that we want to see and the two-state solution that is essential for Israel’s long-term security are threatened by the systematic and deliberate expansion of settlements’…

“Israel’s UN ambassador Ron Prosor responded by saying on Tuesday that ‘while innocent citizens are being slaughtered in Syria, terrorist elements are operating freely in Gaza, UN forces are attacked in Lebanon and Iran is seeking a nuclear weapon – the Security Council is silent and paralyzed.’ He added that ‘the main obstacle to peace was and remains the Palestinians’ demand to the right of return, and not recognizing Israel as a Jewish state.’”

European Intervention in Egypt?

Al Arabiya News reported on December 19:

“The fire that broke out in a Cairo library that houses thousands of rare documents raised concerns over the government’s and the army’s ability to protect historic sites at times of upheaval and drove several experts to warn of a possible intervention by foreign entities to preserve the heritage at risk…

“Haggag Ibrahim, deputy chairman of the Association for the Preservation of Heritage and member of the Higher Commission for Museums, labeled those involved in setting the Scientific Complex on fire ‘the new Tatars’ who want to erase all aspects of culture in the country. ‘Those are the grandchildren of the Tatars who burned the library of Baghdad when they invaded the Muslim world,’ he told Al Arabiya.

“According to Ibrahim, UNESCO is now capable of placing historic sites in Egypt under international protection since Egyptians proved unable to do so themselves. ‘Some countries like France might take this initiative.’…

“Nasser Amin, legal expert and member of the National Council for Human Rights, differed. ‘The UNESCO doesn’t have the right to impose international protection on a sovereign country because one historic establishment was subjected to an act of sabotage,’ he said. Amin explained that international protection on cultural heritage is imposed only if the country in which the sites are located is in a state of war or engaged in other types of armed conflict…

“A professor of archeology, Mamdouh al-Masry, held the Supreme Council for the Armed Forces (SCAF) accountable for failing to contain the fire and arrest the culprits… The fact that the fire targeted the Scientific Complex and maps of Egypt’s borders in particular raises a lot of questions about a possible conspiracy, according to Masry… Egyptian archeology professor Ayman Hassan al-Dahshan agreed that a conspiracy is involved in the library fire…”

The concern of Egyptians regarding a European intervention is remarkable. We know from Scripture that finally, a United States of Europe WILL intervene and occupy Egypt. We may not know the exact justification for such military aggression, but we do know that it WILL occur. See also the next article on Egypt.

Egyptian Democracy—a Joke!

Haaretz reported on December 20:

“Egyptian police and soldiers fired weapons and used batons and teargas for a fifth day on Tuesday in the latest effort to clear Cairo’s central Tahrir Square of opponents of army rule, amid mounting international concern about the violence… The United States, which saw Egypt as a staunch ally in the Mubarak era, gives Cairo $1.3 billion a year in military aid.”

Iraq in Danger of Civil War?

BBC wrote on December 20:

“Iraq’s Sunni Vice-President, Tariq al-Hashemi, has denied any wrongdoing, a day after a warrant was issued for his arrest on terrorism-related charges. Mr Hashemi described as ‘fabricated’ the accusation he was linked to attacks on government and security officials. He also accused Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, a Shia, of being behind a plot to embarrass him and blow apart recent attempts at national reconciliation. The Sunni deputy prime minister has warned Iraq risks a new sectarian war…

“Barely had the last American soldier stepped across the border into Kuwait than the fragile Iraqi political structure the US military left behind began to fall dangerously apart, as long-standing tensions between Shia and Sunni political leaders came to a head…”

BBC News added on December 21:

“In recent years, the Americans would have been expected to head off such a rift long before it happened. The White House has said it is deeply concerned by the current crisis and has been in touch with all sides. Its ability to continue playing a major role in the Iraqi political arena in the post-withdrawal period is thus faced with an immediate test, but the Iraqi perception is that US influence is now much diminished. The crisis may also give clues as to how hard Tehran will seek to push its advantage and exploit the perceived vacuum left by the American withdrawal…”

BBC reported on December 22:

“A wave of apparently [14] co-ordinated bomb attacks in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 63 people and injured around 185, say officials… the bombings are the worst in months – and follow the withdrawal of US troops. They come amid fears of rising sectarian tensions as the unity government faces internal divisions.”

Deutsche Welle added on December 22:

“The political turmoil is the worst since Iraq’s fragile powersharing government was formed a year ago. Iraq’s Sunni minority, to which the late dictator Saddam Hussein belonged, has faced a rise of Iraq’s Shiite majority since the 2003 US-led invasion.

“The upsurge in violence comes just days after US troops completed their withdrawal, nearly nine years after their invasion to topple Saddam Hussein, and leaving behind what US President Barack Obama had described as a ‘sovereign, stable and self-reliant Iraq.’”

This does not really deserve any comment.

Syria’s Massacres

The Associated Press wrote on December 21:

“Syrian troops assaulting a northwest town with machine gun fire and shelling have killed at least 100 people in one of the deadliest episodes of the 9-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime… Tuesday’s attack… showed the Syrian government was pressing ahead with its crackdown despite its agreement this week to an Arab League plan for bringing a halt to the bloodshed.

“‘It was an organized massacre. The troops surrounded people then killed them,’ said Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. He said troops on the outskirts of the town surrounded and fired on crowds of civilians and activists trying to flee out of fear they would be detained…

“The Syrian conflict, which began with peaceful protests in March, has become increasingly militarized in recent weeks, with clashes nearly every day between troops and army defectors who have joined the movement against Assad… Meanwhile, the Syrian military was displaying its might with a second round of maneuvers Tuesday involving warplanes, helicopters and surface-to-air missiles…”

Uncertainty for North Korea

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 20:

“With the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, an already jittery Asia has been thrown into great uncertainty. Questions over how his successor and son Kim Jong Un might rule abound… with little known about the young heir to their political dynasty, his father’s death has sparked a wave of uncertainty in the tense, heavily-armed region, with Asian markets thrown into turmoil following the announcement. Some worry that Kim Jong Un may not have a firm hold on power, which could destabilize the isolated country, which has still not sworn off nuclear weapons. The South Korean military has been placed on high alert, concerned about what the large armed forces in their northern neighbor might do… There are worries that the leader’s death after 17 years in power could prompt his inexperienced son to test his strength militarily…

“Die Welt writes: ‘The death of Kim Jong Il is good news, just as the deaths of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin or Saddam Hussein were all good news. … But that doesn’t mean that the situation for the North Koreans will now improve. Already the next Kim stands ready to take the office he has inherited from his father and grandfather. East Asia faces months and perhaps years of turbulence. The leader, not even 30 years old, is not sitting securely in the saddle. … Thus he will attempt to prove his tenacity to the military by operating aggressively both within and without…’

“Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Kim Jong Il, the now dead dictator, will not be missed. He held his people in slavery and was responsible for the deaths of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. … But his worst crime was that he created a system of bondage that also laid claim to the minds of the people. Many generations of North Koreans live in the dark — and they have no idea. As long as the regime maintains power over the brains of the people, and as long as it controls the flow of information, then the system can theoretically survive…’

“Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘North Korea is the world’s most bizarre combination of Stalinism, dynastic succession and cult of personality, along with presumed atomic weapons and real hunger problems… Kim Jong Il was prepared to let his people starve and his region descend into chaos if it meant he could hold onto power… The tragedy for the people of North Korea will likely continue for some time.’”

Germany’s Execution of Alleged Witches…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 16:

“Tortured and burned at the stake by the tens of thousands, Germany’s alleged witches have been largely forgotten… It began with the trial and execution of an eight-year-old girl for witchcraft in the spring of 1630. Compelled to name others involved in an alleged nighttime dance with the devil in the German town of Oberkirchen, young Christine Teipel’s confession sparked a wave of fingerpointing and subsequent trials. Within just three months, 58 people, including 22 men and two children, were burned at the stake there.

“The Oberkirchen trials represent just a small fraction of those that led to the execution of some 25,000 alleged witches between 1500 and 1782 in Germany. The country was a hotbed of persecution… some 40 percent of the 60,000 witches who were tortured and killed in Europe during the infamous era were executed in what is now modern Germany…

“In a time when many regions were fighting for political domination, historians believe that leaders also used the trials as an expression of power… And, contrary to common belief, it wasn’t just the Catholic Church that encouraged witch hunts. The Protestant Church was behind a significant number of trials…”

We should not believe that these events are just ancient history, and that something similar could not happen again in the 21st century.

Catholic Distortions and Admissions on Christmas

On December 20, The Catholic agency, Zenit, published the following interview with Pietro Messa, president of the Higher School of Medieval and Franciscan Studies of Rome’s Antonianum Pontifical University. We are quoting the following revealing excerpts, manifesting a hotchpotch of convoluted distortions and—at the same time—eye-opening admissions regarding Christmas—a festival deeply rooted in paganism:

“We know that the early Christians, all of them being of the Jewish religion, observed the Sabbath, but on the following day, that is the present Sunday, they gathered to commemorate the Resurrection [Editor’s note: The early Church, including Gentile Christians, kept the Sabbath. They never commemorated the resurrection on Sunday—one reason is that they knew that Christ was resurrected on the Sabbath, and not on Sunday.] Hence, the first celebration held par excellence was Easter [Editor’s note: Easter is a pagan festival, which was not kept by the early Christians. The Church kept the Passover, but not Easter.]. Subsequently, other events of Jesus’ life began to be celebrated, such as the birth fixed on Dec. 25, namely, on the same day in which previously the Sol invictus was celebrated, that is, the celebration of not being overcome by darkness, given that the winter solstice had passed, the days began to be longer and light imposed itself on the darkness of the night [Editor’s note: It has been established that Christ could not have been born in December, let alone December 25. It is true that the Catholic Church gradually introduced into so-called “Christianity” the celebration of the pagan festival of Christmas on December 25, which had been kept long before the birth of Christ in honor of pagan sun gods. The early Church of the apostles never kept Christmas or celebrated Christ’s birth on December 25. They would have been abhorred about anyone who would have even suggested such a thing.]…”

Great Britain All Alone

The EUobserver wrote on December 9:

“A group of 26 EU member states is to forge ahead with an intergovernmental agreement on tightening economic governance in the eurozone, following a stormy summit in Brussels that saw the UK sidelined after it overplayed its hand…The break represents a major symbolic shift for the European Union which has never before cemented a disagreement so publicly and so thoroughly…”

This major symbolic shift will have major practical consequences.

Exactly 20 Years Later…

The New York Times wrote on December 9:

“Europe’s worst financial crisis in generations is forging a new European Union, pushing Britain to the sidelines and creating a more integrated, fiscally disciplined core of nations under the auspices of a resurgent Germany. Exactly 20 years to the day after European leaders signed the treaty that led to the creation of the European Union and the euro currency, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany persuaded every current member of the union except Britain to endorse a new agreement calling for tighter regional oversight of government spending…

“The European Union… is now being reinvented by a united Germany… The big loser in Brussels was Britain…”

The fact that this new pact was agreed upon exactly 20 years after the Maastricht Treaty is no coincidence. At that time, Britain was a co-signer; now, Britain is being excluded. In the Bible, the number ten stands for judgment. Twenty (2 times 10) designates a severe time of judgment. Also, as one of the next articles points out, this week marked the tenth anniversary for the introduction of euro notes and coins in Germany.

… a Two Speed Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 9:

“… the summit’s outcome will seal the status of a two-speed Europe… Nor is the loss of importance in Europe that Britain has now brought upon itself in the country’s geopolitical interest. Indeed, its trans-Atlantic partnership with the United States will suffer as a result.

“In the eyes of politicians in Washington, Britain has been particularly useful because of its ability to assert influence in Brussels… The pact… also represents a shift of power… at the EU level. The ‘economic government’ of leaders of these countries can make decisions via euro summits and would not need to seek the approval of the European Parliament…”

AFP wrote on December 12:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy admitted on Monday that the European Union was now a two-speed alliance… Separately, the head of France’s financial regulator branded Cameron’s Conservatives ‘the stupidest’ right-wing party in the world for pushing its leader into confrontation with Europe…”

This confrontation with Europe will continue. The Bible shows that ultimately, ten nations or groups of nations will arise in Europe, and they will give their authority to a charismatic political and military leader, who, in turn, will begin a war with Great Britain. The next articles speak for themselves, showing that Great Britain is not being perceived as a part of Europe—whether or not they nominally stay in the EU. However, Britain will not remain a EU member for long.

Britain Abrogated Any Leadership Role in Europe

The Süddeutsche Zeitung wrote on December 12:

“… nobody can seriously believe that Great Britain’s shrinking influence in Europe will have no consequences for the country’s economy… British industry is dependent on the European common market to which Cameron has just given the cold shoulder.”

The Financial Times wrote on December 12:

“Cameron has abandoned Britain’s claim to playing a leading role in the European Union. And the Continent is not prepared to wait. As the recent summit showed, it is quite willing to push forward with European integration even without the British…”

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on December 12:

“…the euroskeptics who already view the allegations that England is isolated as a badge of honor, may agitate even more vehemently for Britain to leave the EU. And Cameron, who is correctly defending EU membership as being in the national interest, will have to see how he can stuff this genie back into the bottle — and how he can bring the tumult in his coalition back under control…’”

Britain In or Out?

Der Spiegel wrote on December 11:

“The British were never completely dedicated to European unity and the ongoing project of greater fiscal integration is better off without them… European leaders in Brussels hammered out an agreement… that conflicts fundamentally with the British understanding of Europe…

“But from the very beginning, Great Britain’s participation in a united Europe was a misunderstanding. When the EU was founded, the British still hadn’t finished mourning over their lost empire… In the 1960s, the empire was history, with one colony after the other declaring independence. But instead of turning toward Europe, Britain looked west to the US. And to this day, the UK feels much closer to America than it does to the frogs and the krauts on the other side of the English Channel…

“Great Britain is an EU member that never truly wanted to be part of the club. It was more of an observer than a contributor and it always had one eye on Washington. Indeed, it is telling that the country never joined the border-free travel regime known as Schengen — Britain still checks everybody who enters the country from the other side of the Channel. The political establishment was likewise extremely skeptical of the common currency from the very beginning…

“Now, finally, there is a clear line of separation. On the one side is euro-Europe with a treaty obligating them to stay within clear budgetary and sovereign debt boundaries. And there is the rest which still has complete sovereign control over their finances. The 17 euro-zone member states will no longer be forced to accommodate a country that rejects anything that smells like supra-nationalism…

“British historian Timothy Garton Ash, a critic of the euro-skeptic course followed by the Cameron administration, said recently… ‘If the euro zone is saved, there will be a fiscal union, which means a political union of the euro countries…. Then, in the next two, three or four years, we in Great Britain will face the final question: in or out?’

“If the British political class does not undergo a fundamental transformation, there is only one possible answer. Out.”

These are strong words with grave meaning. Not too long ago, we would have been hard-pressed to see these kinds of statements in the European press. Now, suddenly, overnight, the world seems to have changed… Note also the next article.

The Beginning of the End for Great Britain

Der Spiegel Online wrote on December 12:

“By casting his veto at the EU summit, Prime Minister David Cameron has signaled the beginning of the end of Britain’s EU membership. Many in Europe wouldn’t be sorry to see Britain go… Have we finally reached the end of this fractious alliance? Is Britain well on its way to once again becoming what it has always been both in geographical terms and in spirit: an island, politically and culturally far removed from Europe…?

“In the future, in addition to the old EU club of 27 states, there will also be one made up of the 17 euro-zone countries and their sympathizers. Isolated and paranoid, Britain will keep armies of lawyers busy watching over the EU like chained dogs to make sure that its institutions don’t ever assume an active role in matters that only concern the euro countries.

“Since joining what is now called the EU in 1973, the British have annoyed many Europeans with their constant and now notorious demands for special treatment, rebates and blocking tactics. They have placed a one-sided emphasis on making sure that the EU’s internal market functions as smoothly as possible, while sabotaging the establishment of a common foreign policy. They were just as allergic to the draft of a European constitution as they were to the free movement of workers.

“Britain is entering a new era. Indeed, Cameron’s veto marks the beginning of the end of Britain’s days as a member of the EU. Charles Grant is the director of the Centre for European Reform, a London-based think tank… [He] gives the island a decade at most before it severs its ties with Brussels for good… [Cameron’s] own party pushed him into distancing Britain from the continent… Many people in Britain view the EU as a neo-Stalinist power machine… Four years ago, a clear majority of Britons still wanted to stay in the EU. But that’s no longer the case, as 51 percent want out. And Cameron has now shown them the way…”

Britain’s exit might occur much sooner. As long as they are EU members, they are still under European scrutiny, as the next article shows.

Britain Cannot Escape

The EUobserver wrote on December 12:

“The European Commission has picked a fight with the British government… Economic and monetary affairs commissioner Olli Rehn on Monday (12 December) warned the UK that the City of London could not escape expanded European regulation of the financial sector and insisted that Brussels is on firm legal ground in the use of the EU institutions to police the new ‘fiscal compact’ – an intergovernmental agreement that Britain decided not to sign up to. ‘If this move was intended to prevent bankers and financial corporations of the City from being regulated, that’s not going to happen,’ he told reporters in Brussels.”

Political Union

The Euobserver wrote on December 14:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a political union is beginning to take shape in the EU… Merkel said the crisis had seen Europeans ‘move closer than ever before.’

“Referring to a sense of determination in other EU leaders to overcome the eurozone problems, the chancellor said: ‘I am sure that this common sense of responsibility will remain with us far beyond the crisis…’

“However she was fiercely criticised by the Socialist opposition leader, Frank-Walter Steinmeier… [who] said the intergovernmental path chosen sounded ‘harmless at first glance, but it is not… With this (solution) we are putting Europe on a politically and legally fully incalculable path.’”

Abandoning the Euro Absurd

The Local wrote on December 14:

“The idea of abandoning the euro in the current eurozone debt crisis and returning to the Deutsche mark as called for by some people in Germany is ‘absurd,’ Bundesbank chief Jens Weidmann said. ‘We’re doing everything we can so that that scenario won’t come about,’ Weidmann said… ‘The scenario we’re working on with the European Central Bank is a scenario for a solid euro,’ he told reporters.

“Weidmann, along with German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, is scheduled to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the introduction of euro notes and coins at a ceremony in Berlin later on Wednesday. ‘There’s no plan B, no printer in the Bundesbank’s cellars,’ he quipped. ‘The only Deutsche marks still in existence are those on display in the currency museum and those which people are still coming to us with to exchange’ for euros.”

Russian-European Summit

Deutsche Welle reported in December 15:

“Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has pledged up to 20 billion euros of Russian investment to bolster the eurozone… The EU must be ‘preserved as a powerful political and economic force … [and the euro] preserved as one of the most important reserve currencies,’ he added. The EU is Russia’s biggest trading partner… With 41 percent of Russia’s currency reserves held in the euro and half of all Russian external trade conducted with the EU, Russia’s interests in the survival of the euro are clear…

“It wasn’t just economic concerns, however, which were on the agenda of the 28th EU-Russia summit in Brussels. Speaking at a press conference at the close of the summit, EU president Herman Van Rompuy said the bloc was troubled by reports of corruption in Russia’s recent elections… Tens of thousands gathered in Moscow and other cities in Russia on Saturday denouncing the polls on December 4 as a farce.

“Van Rompuy noted, however, that EU leaders had had an honest discussion with the Russian president. He went on to praise the regime’s response to the weekend protests. ‘In contrast, the recent large demonstrations were peaceful and the authorities in my view handled it very well,’ he added.

“On Wednesday the European Parliament called for Russia to hold a new round of ‘free and fair elections’  and conduct investigations into any fraud claims. Medvedev declined to comment on the demands, but noted that his country’s legislature had ‘expressed indignation with the position of the European Parliament.’

“No real progress was made during the summit over the issue of sanctions against Syria and Iran. Moscow has been blocking United Nations condemnation of the Syrian government’s deadly crackdown on anti-regime protests. Russia also opposes any further moves on Iran, whose nuclear program worries the West…

“Meanwhile trade between Russia and the EU is expected to grow further, with Russia expected to join the World Trade Organization on Friday following 18 years of negotiation. The accession would offer ‘a myriad of new opportunities for trade, investment and global growth,’  Van Rompuy said.”

In addition, Putin lashed out on Thursday against American propaganda, and even claimed that American drones and special forces killed Gaddafi. Europe’s rather mild stance on the matter shows how money rules this world…

European Banks Stop Serving American Customers

Der Spiegel Online reported on December 14:

“European banks are dumping clients with US citizenship due to a new American law meant to curb tax evasion. The law would require financial institutions around the world to report on certain client activities. Compliance, say many banks, is way too expensive. The idea was to ensure that US citizens were paying their taxes on investments made through overseas banks. The result, however, has been that Americans in Europe may have difficulties finding banks who want their business.

“According to a report in the Wednesday edition of the Financial Times Deutschland, several European banks have elected to no longer serve American securities investors due to stricter reporting requirements pushed through last year by the administration of President Barack Obama.

“German financial institution HypoVereinsbank has informed its customers that it will no longer offer certain services to its US-based clients or to US citizens as of Jan. 1. Deutsche Bank told the paper that it already cancelled such accounts held by American citizens in the middle of 2011. Germany’s second largest bank, Commerzbank, is considering a similar move… British banking giant HSBC has also reported that it will no longer serve US investors as has the Swiss bank Credit Suisse.

“The reason for the sudden reticence to serve American clients is the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), which was passed in 2010 and will go into effect in January of 2013. The act requires all foreign banks to identify and report on US citizens with accounts holding more than $50,000 in an effort to clamp down on tax evasion. If banks refuse to comply, they could face a punitive 30 percent withholding tax on all payments from the US. The law is expected to increase tax revenues by $8 billion over the next 10 years… An official for DWPBank, which takes care of securities transactions for 1,600 banks in Germany, estimated that total cost of compliance in Germany alone could amount to €10 billion.”

The Local added on December 15:

“None of the banks have said they are restricting Americans’ run-of-the-mill banking activities such as making deposits into normal savings accounts. That’s because those transactions aren’t yet covered by US regulations… The regulations will only get more complex in 2013 when the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act comes into effect. That will require banks to report more information about account holders to American tax authorities, although specifics about what the law will require remain elusive, angering many in the financial services industry.”

Another example as to how man makes decisions without considering the consequences…

US Soldiers Leave Iraq

With the U.S. military ending its mission in Iraq, uncertain days lie ahead for that tumultuous Islamic country. Even though the following article by the Wall Street Journal seems to be overly enthusiastic and far too “patriotic” regarding the Iraq war which the USA did NOT win and which provides very little reason to be proud of, we are bringing you the following telling excerpts:

The Wall Street Journal reported on December 15:

“After nearly nine years of war, tens of thousands of casualties—including 4,500 Americans dead—and more than $800 billion spent, the U.S. military on Thursday formally ended its mission in Iraq and prepared to leave the country… In the coming days, the last of the 4,000 U.S. military personnel still in Iraq will follow the flag and head home—leaving fewer than 200 to serve as part of the diplomatic mission…

“The Iraq war has been a nine-year emotional roller-coaster ride for the American people and the military. With the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s military and advance on Baghdad accomplished within weeks, it at first appeared to be a quick victory for America and the world’s most technically advanced army.

“But within months of the taking of Baghdad, a growing insurgency emerged and turned the quick victory into a long slog. The advanced U.S. military was brought low by primitive weapons: homemade bombs made from fertilizer or discarded artillery shells… The surge, deeply controversial in the U.S., began to tamp down that violence in the summer of 2007, eventually restoring a measure of calm on a country that had descended into chaos.

“The U.S. force numbered more than 170,000 at the height of the surge—a mobilization that required grueling 15-month tours for many in the Army and constant trips to the war zone for a generation of Marines… Mr. Obama rose to prominence in part with his criticism of the Iraq war. He argued that it was a ‘dumb war’ that never should have been fought—a stance that helped him win the Democratic nomination. Bringing home the troops fulfills one of his major campaign promises.

“Iraqi officials say it also makes good on a pledge by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who won a second term by securing the support of parliamentarians who were dead-set against any extension of the U.S. troop presence.”

The New York Times added on December 15:

“The United States military officially declared an end to its mission in Iraq on Thursday even as violence continues to plague the country and the Muslim world remains distrustful of American power… The war was started by the Bush administration in March 2003 on arguments that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and had ties to Al Qaeda that might grow to an alliance threatening the United States with a mass-casualty terrorist attack.  As the absence of unconventional weapons proved a humiliation for the administration and the intelligence community, the war effort was reframed as being about bringing democracy to the Middle East…”

BBC News wrote on December 15:

“Some 4,500 US soldiers and more than 100,000 Iraqis have died in the war. The conflict, launched by the Bush administration in March 2003, soon became hugely unpopular as claims that Saddam Hussein was hiding weapons of mass destruction and supporting al-Qaeda militants turned out to be untrue.

“The war has cost the US some $1tr. Republicans have criticised the pullout citing concerns over Iraq’s stability, but a recent poll by the Pew Research Centre found that 75% of Americans backed the troop withdrawal… Some Iraqis have said they fear the consequences of being left to manage their own security…

“But in the city of Falluja, a former insurgent stronghold which was the scene of major US offensives in 2004, people burned US flags on Wednesday in celebration at the withdrawal… Concerns have also been voiced in Washington that Iraq lacks robust political structures or an ability to defend its borders. There are also fears that Iraq could be plunged back into sectarian bloodletting, or be unduly influenced by Iran.”

The following article points out an interesting consequence stemming from US withdrawal from Iraq:

The Washington Times wrote on December 14:

“The U.S. military’s fast-approaching Dec. 31 exit from Iraq, which has no way to defend its airspace, puts Israel in a better place strategically to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. Iraq has yet to assemble a force of jet fighters, and since the shortest route for Israeli strike fighters to Iran is through Iraqi airspace, observers conclude that the U.S. exit makes the Jewish state’s mission planning a lot easier.”

USA Loses Another Drone

The Washington Post wrote on December 13:

“One of the Air Force’s premier drones crashed Tuesday morning in the Seychelles, the Indian Ocean archipelago that serves as a base for anti-piracy operations, as well as U.S. surveillance missions over Somalia. The crash of the MQ-9 Reaper comes roughly two weeks after a U.S. drone went down in Iran.

“The Seychelles, where U.S. officials have worked closely with local officials to establish the drone base, is hardly enemy territory, and the drone that crashed Tuesday was operated by the Air Force, not the CIA, which operated the stealth RQ-170 that crashed in Iran. Still, Tuesday’s crash once again illustrates the fallibility of unmanned aerial vehicles. The Air Force acknowledged the crash at the Seychelles airport, and a spokesman for the service said the crash happened as the drone was landing. No one was injured.”

President Obama’s plea to Iran to please return the first missing drone—which “request” was of course rejected outright–would be laughable, if it wasn’t so pathetic. And now, the USA is losing another drone, also apparently due to mechanical failure. It appears that just nothing goes right for the USA these days…

Iran’s New Threats

Fox News reported on December 13:

“A high-ranking Iranian official has said Iran’s military will practice sealing off the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important oil transport channel, in a provocative move that illustrates Iran’s capability of disrupting the world’s oil supply… The announcement Monday… sent oil prices up about $3 to $100 a barrel…

“Pentagon Spokesman Doug Wilson responded by saying although he has no information on the exercises, the United States government is committed to the free and safe passage in international waters and anything that interferes with that would be ‘detrimental’… About 15.5 million barrels of oil a day, about a sixth of global consumption, flows through the Strait of Hormuz…”

The Vatican and Jerusalem

Israel News reported on December 15:

“‘Peace negotiations in the Middle East must tackle the issue of the status of the holy sites of Jerusalem’, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Vatican’s Council for Interreligious Dialogue, declared several days ago in Rome. The Vatican’s former foreign minister asked to place some Israeli holy places under Vatican authority, alluding to the Cenacle on Mount Zion and the garden of Gethsemane at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. The first site also houses what is referred to as King David’s tomb.

“‘There will not be peace if the question of the holy sites is not adequately resolved’, Tauran said…  The Israeli government and the Vatican are deadlocked in discussions over the status of the religious sites. Vatican officials are now reiterating their demand for control over the religious sites…The Vatican’s former archbishop in Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, just promoted an appeal to the European Union and United States to ‘stop the Hebraization of Jerusalem’…

“A few days earlier, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Fouad Twal, gave a speech to greet the bishops of Europe and North America during their annual pilgrimage in Israel, in which Twal denounced ‘the Israeli right wing invading more and more of Jerusalem and trying to transform it into an only Hebrew-Jewish city, excluding the other faiths…’”