U.S. Underemployment at Almost 20%

On March 3, gallup.com reported the following:

“Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, hit 10.3% in February — up from 9.8% at the end of January… The percentage of part-time workers who want full-time work worsened considerably in February, increasing to 9.6% of the workforce from 9.1% at the end of January… Underemployment, a measure that combines part-time workers wanting full-time work with those who are unemployed, surged in February to 19.9%…

“This suggests that the real U.S. jobs situation worsened in February. That is, jobs are relatively less available now than in January…. In turn, this suggests job market conditions in terms of underemployment also worsened during February. This deterioration in the jobs situation combined with surging gas prices, budget battles at the federal and state level, and declines on Wall Street tend to explain the recent plunge Gallup recorded in consumer confidence.”

America’s economic situation is dire, and, as also the next article shows, the crisis in the Middle East, resulting in higher oil prices which will affect many facets of the American economy, will only increase and accelerate the problems.

US Gasoline Prices Sharply Increase

CNN reported on March 7:

“U.S. gasoline prices increased nearly 33 cents in two weeks, the second-biggest two-week jump in the history of the gasoline market… The jump was the biggest since a 38-cent hike between August and September 2005. At the time, the price increase was driven by damage caused by Hurricane Katrina… As the fighting between opposition forces and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s troops begins to look more like a civil war, expect prices to continue to rise… Prices have risen nearly 82 cents since September 2010…

“While Libya is not among the top suppliers of U.S. oil, and only 3% of Libyan oil exports head to the United States, global economics link the events there to the pumps at home. Libya produces a light, high-gravity crude oil that is most in demand by less complex refineries around the world… As this oil becomes unavailable, it forces buyers of crude to substitute crude with similar properties from other oil producers, thereby increasing demand and starting a chain reaction that raises prices of crude and gasoline in the United States.

“…the rising gas prices could dampen the nation’s economic recovery… Of the cities surveyed, the highest average price in the continental United States was in San Diego at $3.87 per gallon. The lowest price was in Billings, Montana, at $3.15.”

US Farmers Fear the Return of the Dust Bowl

The Telegraph wrote on March 7:

“For years the Ogallala Aquifer, the world’s largest underground body of fresh water, has irrigated thousands of square miles of American farmland. Now it is running dry… the Ogallala Aquifer… stretches all the way down the eastern slope of the Rockies from the badlands of South Dakota to the Texas Panhandle. It does not replenish…

“But it was only in the 1940s, after the Dust Bowl (the result of a severe drought and excessive farming in the early 1930s), that the US Geological Survey… were about to repeat the dreams of man from the days of Ancient Egypt and Judea to turn the desert green, only without the Nile or Jordan. With new technology the wells could reach the deepest water, and from the early 1950s the boom was on… Billions upon billions of gallons… have been pumped… in a brief half-century… the Ogallala level [was drawn] down from an average of 240ft to about 80…

“The irrigated Plains grow 20 per cent of American grain and corn… and America’s ‘industrial’ agriculture dominates international markets. A collapse of those markets would lead to starvation in Africa and anywhere else where a meal depends on cheap American exports… The Ogallala supply is going to run out and the Plains will become uneconomical to farm…

“Water – not oil – has always been the most valuable resource in the West. Wars have been fought over it, feuds maintained, and fortunes won or lost. Apart from the Ogallala, the main source remains the Colorado River, flowing west from the Rockies, its annual bounty of snow melt providing the drinking water for Las Vegas, irrigation for California’s Central Valley, and the swimming-pools of Los Angeles. No one is surprised that the mighty Colorado now runs dry before it reaches the Pacific…”

God prophesies about the future of the United States of America (the modern descendants of the ancient House of Israel) in no uncertain terms, when addressing our sins and stating in Leviticus 26:19-20: “I will break the pride of your power; I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like bronze. And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield its produce, nor shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.”

Dollar in Decline, Euro on the Rise

The Financial Times wrote on March 6:

“Hedge funds and forex dealers are betting record amounts against the dollar, reflecting a growing belief that the US currency has lost its haven appeal and that eurozone interest rates will soon rise. As the crisis in the Middle East has worsened, the latest exchange data show that traders are selling ‘short’ the currency. The big US fiscal deficit and concerns about the effect of rising oil prices have been blamed by some for the dollar’s slide…

“Given the continued losses for the dollar this month, [David Watt, analyst at RBC Capital Markets] said it was likely that investors had since added to their bets against the US currency, short of an ‘absolutely stunning’ reversal in sentiment… The data confirm the sharp turnround in sentiment towards the single currency [the euro]  from speculative investors, who as recently as January were betting on losses for the single currency on worries over the eurozone sovereign debt crisis.”

The US dollar will continue to fall, while the euro will continue to rise. What America needs in these dire times is true leadership. But can it be found? The next article suggests the opposite.

Newt Gingrich’s “Explanation” of His Past Marital Infidelity

The Associated Press reported on March 9:

“Newt Gingrich says his passionate hard work for his country contributed to his marital infidelity. In an interview posted Wednesday by The Christian Broadcasting Network, Gingrich – who recently converted to Catholicism – said he had sought God’s forgiveness for mistakes in his past… The twice-divorced former U.S. House speaker has said he had an affair with Callista, a former congressional aide, while married to his second wife. It happened at the same time he was attacking President Bill Clinton for his relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

“The interview with the Christian broadcaster comes as Gingrich gears up for a likely presidential run. He has been courting religious and social conservatives who would be critical in a GOP primary.”

So, marital infidelity can be blamed on hard work for the country? Is it also a reason for accusing someone else of it, when one is guilty of it himself?

Germany’s New Interior Minister’s Controversial Comments

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 7:

“Germany’s new interior minister touched off controversy within hours of taking office when he said that Islam did not historically ‘belong’ to Germany, causing Muslim groups to react furiously… ‘To say that Islam belongs in Germany is not a fact supported by history,’ the politician, who belongs to the conservative Bavarian party the Christian Social Union, said in his first press conference as minister.

“The comment was a repeat of earlier criticism he had made of an October 2010 statement by German President Christian Wulff, who famously said that ‘Islam also belongs to Germany.’ Representatives of Germany Muslim population were outraged. Lamya Kaddor, chairwoman of the Liberal-Islamic Union in Germany, called Friedrich’s remarks a ‘slap in the face of Muslims’…”

The Far Right on the Rise in France

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 18:

“The wave of Tunisian immigrants that arrived in France last week shouldn’t plan on getting too cozy. The new leader of the National Front is poised to capitalize on what she says is an immigration crisis. French police say they have arrested some 100 Tunisians who landed on the Italian island of Lampedusa last week as they tried to enter France. The arrested immigrants, each carrying a document provided by the Italian authorities, are being held in detention centers across southeastern France.

“Should these immigrants request political asylum, their demands would more than likely be turned down, and France would be under no obligation to allow them to stay… The government is taking a hard line on these immigrants – but that is not preventing Marine Le Pen, the new leader of the far right National Front party, from making political capital out of what she says is the beginning of a new immigration crisis. In an interview with French public radio on Friday, Le Pen said the ‘great wave of migrants‘ was one of the consequences of the revolutions taking place in the Arab world.”

Deutsche Welle wrote on March 6:

“An opinion poll in France has found that right-wing politician Marine Le Pen could defeat President Nicholas Sarkozy in upcoming elections… The poll results… showed the 42-year-old leader of the National Front party would receive 23 percent of the vote in the first of the two rounds of presidential elections due to occur in France [in May of 2012]. Center-right Sarkozy would only receive 21 percent of the vote, according to the poll… Part of Le Pen’s platform so far has included comparing Muslims in France to an occupying force.”

Europe’s dealings with Islam, including its “immigration crisis” and the arrival of refugees from the Middle East, will lead to the rise of more and more politicians who will try to capitalize on the situation, and many will accept and follow their agendas.

Libya Sliding into Civil War?

Fox News wrote on March 7:

“Libyan warplanes launched fresh airstrikes on rebel positions around a key oil port Monday, trying to block the opposition fighters from advancing toward Moammar Gadhafi’s stronghold in the capital, Tripoli. Rebels in the area said they can take on Gadhafi’s elite ground forces, but are outgunned if he uses his air power. ‘We don’t want a foreign military intervention, but we do want a no-fly zone’, said rebel fighter Ali Suleiman. He added that the rebels can take on ‘the rockets and the tanks, but not Gadhafi’s air force.’

“Libya appears to be sliding toward a civil war that could drag out for weeks, or even months…”

Europe May Need to Intervene Militarily in Libya

On March 7, Der Spiegel Online published an interview with Martin Schulz, a foreign policy expert with Germany’s center-left Social Democrats. He has been a member of the European Parliament since 1994 and the chairman of the Socialist group in the European Parliament since 2004. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“All of the measures [against Gadhafi] that can be taken within the context of the Charter of the United Nations must be considered. I am deliberately emphasizing the word ‘all’ there — in other words, including the military option… It’s clear that whatever measures are taken will have to be coordinated with the Arab League and the African Union… A no-fly zone is one way to rein in Gadhafi. It certainly makes sense, if it can be implemented. But it isn’t entirely uncomplicated. I agree with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s view that this would be a highly risky proposition…

“People are always chiding ‘the EU,’ but the institutions in Brussels are taking action… The member states are the problem. They are pursuing interests that are sometimes widely divergent. I’m sick of these constant attacks on ‘the EU.’ The real scandal is the never-ending maneuvering of the member states. France has historic interests, and so does Britain. But Germany’s game isn’t any better. The German foreign minister sings the praises of the revolution, while the chancellor says: No refugees, please. None of this is credible… We all tolerated Gadhafi, both the EU and the United States. One could criticize this as amoral, but it was also realpolitik…

“I don’t know how strong Gadhafi is at this point. He’s a dictator who is surrounded by militias that are apparently well-trained and well-equipped. Parts of his army have abandoned him, but that doesn’t seem to be enough to bring him down quickly. I think that the outcome of this power struggle is still completely open…”

The Bible prophesies that a coming United States of Europe will intervene militarily in the Middle East, with the justification of wanting to bring peace to that part of the world.

Calls for No-Fly Zone in Libya

ABC News reported on March 7:

“As forces loyal to Moammar Gadhafi battle the opposition for control of key cities, the Obama administration is under growing pressure to do something to stop the violence. Although rebels celebrated after pushing Gadhafi’s forces out of Misrata, this increasingly appears to be a fight no one is winning.

“…there have been more calls for the United States to step in with a big move: enforcing a no-fly zone. ‘This would send a signal to Gadhafi that the president is serious when he says we need for Gadhafi to go,’ Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said…

“But it could also require U.S. bombing inside Libya to take out air-defense systems. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has tried to shut the idea down and was joined Sunday by President Obama’s chief of staff, Bill Daley.

“’Lots of people throw around phrases of “no-fly zone,” and they talk about it as though it’s just a game on a video game or something,’ Daley said on ‘Meet the Press.’ One fear is a public relations victory for Gadhafi if he managed to shoot down a U.S. jet…

“’We can’t just go in and put airplanes over Libya. It’s going to take a campaign to take out these surface-to-air-missile systems, to bomb where the aircraft are being parked. It’s not just go in and establish a no-fly zone with no cost. We will have to blow things up on the ground in Libya if we want to establish a no-fly zone. It’s a two step process and it will take time and a significant military package to accomplish,’ [former deputy assistant secretary of state Steve] Ganyard said…

“While Obama acknowledged the danger of a stalemate that ‘could be bloody’ if rebels do not push out Gadhafi, Obama also indicated a willingness to avoid any sort of military action in Libya. ‘We did not see anti-American sentiment arising out of that movement in Egypt precisely because they felt that we hadn’t tried to engineer or impose a particular outcome, but rather they owned it,’ he said of the revolution in Egypt.”

However, the next article suggests that the USA IS involved in engineering a particular outcome in Libya.

USA Asks Saudi Arabia for Help

The Independent wrote on March 7:

“Desperate to avoid US military involvement in Libya in the event of a prolonged struggle between the Gaddafi regime and its opponents, the Americans have asked Saudi Arabia if it can supply weapons to the rebels in Benghazi. The Saudi Kingdom… has so far failed to respond to Washington’s highly classified request, although King Abdullah personally loathes the Libyan leader, who tried to assassinate him just over a year ago.

“Washington’s request is in line with other US military co-operation with the Saudis… Their assistance would allow Washington to disclaim any military involvement in the supply chain – even though the arms would be American and paid for by the Saudis. The Saudis have been told that opponents of Gaddafi need anti-tank rockets and mortars as a first priority to hold off attacks by Gaddafi’s armour, and ground-to-air missiles to shoot down his fighter-bombers…

“Saudi Arabia is already facing dangers from a co-ordinated day of protest by its own Shia Muslim citizens who, emboldened by the Shia uprising in the neighbouring island of Bahrain, have called for street protests against the ruling family of al-Saud on Friday. After pouring troops and security police into the province of Qatif last week, the Saudis announced a nationwide ban on all public demonstrations…

“If the Saudi government accedes to America’s request to send guns and missiles to Libyan rebels… it would be almost impossible for President Barack Obama to condemn the kingdom for any violence against the Shias of the north-east provinces. Thus has the Arab awakening, the demand for democracy in North Africa, the Shia revolt and the rising against Gaddafi become entangled in the space of just a few hours with US military priorities in the region.”

Politics and the attempt to “buy allies” will be a cause for the ultimate downfall of the USA. However, as the next articles show, America is afraid to lead.

Hillary Clinton: “US Must Not Lead…”

Fox News reported on March 9:

“Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told Sky News Wednesday that a no-fly zone over Libya cannot be a U.S.-led effort, and would need the backing of the international community… ‘because this comes from the people of Libya themselves,’ she told Sky News…

“In testimony on Capitol Hill last week, Gates argued that there has been a lot of ‘loose talk’ when it comes to setting up no fly zones, warning senators and congressmen that such a decision would require military strikes on Qaddafi’s air defense capabilities. But Retired General Wesley Clarke, who was actively involved in setting up a NATO no-fly zone in Bosnia, says that was not the case there where they simply warned Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic that if his air defense systems were turned on, they would be bombed, which served as a deterrent for the most part and allowed allies to enforce the no-fly zone without bombing local air defense facilities.

“During a speech to West Point cadets late last month, Gates questioned the wisdom of military intervention in such a volatile region of the world. ‘In my opinion, any future defense secretary who advises the president to again send a big American land army into Asia or into the Middle East or Africa should have his head examined, as Gen. MacArthur so delicately put it,’ he said… ‘I don’t think anybody has any intention of putting any ground forces in Libya,’ he said. ‘Nobody has ever even talked about that.’”

Is the USA Missing Out?

USA Today wrote on March 9:

“Libyans battling Col. Moammar Gadhafi are increasingly desperate for a no-fly zone and say the United States is missing a chance to topple an anti-American dictator and win the gratitude of a new democracy in the Middle East. ‘This is a window of opportunity for the United States,’ said Zahi Mogherbi, a political science professor and unofficial adviser to the provisional government. ‘They are not taking it or they are taking their time.’

“People in eastern Libya, where rebels are in control of a swath of the country, are urging the West to impose a no-fly zone against Gadhafi’s air force. The calls have become more urgent as forces loyal to Gadhafi have blunted a rebel offensive as it moved toward Tripoli. ‘People are losing faith in the international community,’ said Essam Gheriani, a spokesman for the rebel movement. ‘What are they waiting for?’

“The White House said Wednesday that it continues to consult with allies over Libya and that military pressure is an option. President Obama has said Gadhafi should step down but has not backed a no-fly zone or any military means. Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman, an independent, said the U.S. should be arming the rebels.

“People here have an ambivalent view toward the U.S., Mogherbi said. President Reagan was the first world leader to highlight Gadhafi as an international pariah and sponsor of terrorism. That earned him credit, Mogherbi said. ‘People thought of that as some kind of support to the Libyan people,’ he said. Mogherbi said, however, that Libyans believe the U.S. became critical of Gadhafi only when he threatened U.S. interests, such as with terrorist attacks against U.S. targets. ‘But nobody talked about what he was doing to the Libyan people,’ said Mogherbi…

“Many Libyans said they approved of Reagan’s targeting Gadhafi in 1986, but mostly they recall that he missed. ‘We would be happy if Gadhafi was killed, but no one liked Reagan when he bombed Libya,’ said Khalid Ali, 28, owner of a clothing store. ‘The United States has a lot it can do to support the Libyans,’ Ali said. ‘I wonder why they are taking it slow?’

“John Pike, director of the Globalsecurity.org, said the U.S. may regret not helping the rebels overthrow Gadhafi… ‘It would be reasonable to assume he might go back to his old troublemaking ways,’ Pike said, referring to Gadhafi’s sponsorship of terrorism. ‘Certainly we would lose the opportunity we thought we had to turn Libya into a normal country,’ at peace with its neighbors.”

France Jumps Ahead… and Angers Europe

The EUObserver reported on March 9:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s surprise decision to formally recognise Libyan rebels in Benghazi as the legitimate government of Libya caused dismay at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Thursday (10 March).

“German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle in an unusually candid press briefing said he was sitting next to French foreign minister Alain Juppe in the EU capital when the news broke, complaining that he had not been pre-notified and that Mr Sarkozy appears to have acted ‘on a whim’. He added that the French position is ‘not the German position or the European position.’

“Berlin believes the Sarkozy move is a public relations stunt following recent revelations that his prime minister and former foreign minister took gifts from dictators in Egypt and Tunisia shortly before the revolutions. It also believes the move is linked to the 2012 presidential elections in France, with the latest polls indicating that Mr Sarkozy will not make the second round. Italy as well distanced itself from the French position.”

As mentioned in an earlier article, France may be moving to the right. Whether Mr. Sarkozy’s recent political maneuvering will have the outcome desired by him, or whether it will continue to backfire, will have to be seen.

The Middle East—a Perspective

The following article might shed some light on why we face so many problems in the Middle East.

Der Spiegel wrote on March 8:

“The Middle East has dominated global politics for decades, to a degree disproportionate to its geographic size and population. Reports of war, violence and terror between North Africa and the Persian Gulf have become background noise in the lives of an entire generation. The region has experienced well over a dozen international wars, numerous civil wars and military coups, and thousands of terrorist attacks and political assassinations since 1945 alone… the conflicts of the Middle East occur in a region that sits on top of close to 60 percent of the world’s oil and more than 40 percent of its natural gas reserves…

“For more than 400 years, the Ottomans had controlled North Africa, Syria and Palestine, Mesopotamia all the way to the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea to Aden, and the Nile to the Sudanese border. But the French captured Algeria and Tunisia, and in 1882 Egypt fell to the British. Now [in 1911] the Italians had landed in Libya. Like the British and the French, they too sought to establish colonies in Africa… [What would follow was] a century in which the entire Middle East would turn into a battlefield among political, ideological and religious forces, a hothouse of global politics.

“… the demons of the Middle East suddenly surfaced around the world. Al-Qaida came onto the global stage, a terrorist organization that came from the heart of the Arab world and yet was capable of operating with unprecedented global reach. On Sept. 11, 2001, it finally became clear that the Middle East had given birth to a monster… Ten years after the attacks on New York and Washington, an uprising has gripped the Arab world that no one saw coming. It began in Tunisia and spread to Egypt, Bahrain, Yemen and Jordan… from Morocco to the seemingly peaceful Sultanate of Oman, from wealthy Saudi Arabia to Iraq, which the United States supposedly liberated eight years ago… the West, instead of celebrating what it has demanded for years, is standing on the sidelines with its mouth agape, fascinated, and yet speechless and fearful…

“In early 1915, when it was becoming clear that the Ottoman Empire would not survive World War I, politicians in London and Paris hit upon the idea of dividing up what was left of the empire. The British and French plan targeted the Arab provinces of the Ottoman Empire…The Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Balfour Declaration, signed in 1916 and 1917 respectively, are the two founding documents of the modern Middle East. They served as the basis for five states — Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan and Israel — and the eternal non-state of Palestine. The existence of those has remained a source of division and unrest to this day.

“The Arabs, who would not discover the exact wording of the documents until after World War I, still consider them to be documents of betrayal even today. In the eyes of many Arabs, the borders they created, and the dynasties the British and French installed within these borders, have always lacked legitimacy… They blame the West for having created artificial states, countries like Lebanon and Iraq that are ethnically and religiously divided and which remain virtually ungovernable to this day, and for the fact that the Hashemite dynasty installed by the British failed in Syria and then Iraq, and only survives today in Jordan…”

British Bungled Operation in Libya

Breitbart wrote on March 7:

“The British government was left red-faced Monday after a botched attempt by special forces to make contact with opposition forces in Libya ended in the team being seized by rebels. The team, reportedly made up of six soldiers from the elite SAS and two diplomats, flew into Libya by helicopter and made their way to the opposition-held city of Benghazi. But they were rounded up by lightly armed rebels soon after they arrived, reports said… they succeeded only in angering Libyan opposition leaders who denied they had asked for any help and by late Sunday they had been packed off to Malta on a British naval ship…

“The bungled operation raised eyebrows because Britain prides itself on the competence of the SAS, which is believed to play a major role in the conflict in Afghanistan as well as in past wars in Iraq and the Falklands… The Daily Telegraph, traditionally a pro-armed forces newspaper, said the mission was a ‘blunder’ which had handed a propaganda coup to Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi.

“Britain’s government has made a faltering start to its handling of the Libyan crisis. Prime Minister David Cameron banged the drum for the imposition of a no-fly zone last week, only to backtrack rapidly to say it was no more than ‘contingency planning.’ And in the first days of the revolt, [British Foreign Secretary William] Hague drew fire for suggesting that Kadhafi had fled to Venezuela.”

We read in the Bible that the land of Egypt will not escape the coming king of the North (Daniel 11:42).  But Libya is mentioned as well. The king of the North–the future leader of a united Europe–will “have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; also the Libyans and Ethiopians shall follow at his heel” (Daniel 11:43). At the beginning of the Millennium, Libya and Iran (Persia) will be part of an alliance with Russia and China, which will attempt to invade Israel (Ezekiel 38:5). For more information on Ezekiel 38, please listen to our new StandingWatch program, titled, “When Will Russia Attack Israel?”

Violence Returns to Egypt

The BBC reported on March 6:

“Pro-democracy activists in Egypt have been attacked by men in plain clothes, armed with knives, outside the interior ministry in Cairo, reports say. It is the first such attack since the fall of Hosni Mubarak last month. Protesters have stormed ministry and secret police offices to obtain documents they say show evidence of repression under the former president…

“Dismantling the security apparatus has been one of the key demands of the protest movement, the BBC’s Magdi Abdelhadi in Cairo says. The events of the weekend have been described as the Egyptian storming of the Bastille, he says. The secret police apparatus was the nerve centre of the Mubarak government. Activists who stormed the Cairo headquarters told the BBC they had found evidence of a parallel state structure that monitored all aspects of life in Egypt.

“Mohammed Abdelfattah, a protester who raided the headquarters in Nasr City, said: ‘We found transcribed phone calls between university professors, political activists, opposition figures.’ Evidence of torture was also found, he added.”

Reuters reported on March 6:

“Egyptian soldiers, on the streets since the start of the uprising, fired into the air for several minutes to disperse the protesters. As they ran, the protesters were confronted by men they described as thugs… In the last two days, protesters have broken into 11 offices belonging to the state security apparatus across the country, seizing documents which they feared would be destroyed by officers to cover up abuses perpetrated by the force… The military council which has ruled Egypt since Mubarak stepped down warned against publication of documents taken from state security offices and urged their return.”

More Violence in Egypt

The Wall Street Journal reported on March 9:

“Clashes that broke out when a Muslim mob attacked thousands of Christians protesting against the burning of a Cairo church killed at least 13 people and wounded about 140, security and hospital officials said Wednesday. The Muslims torched the church amid an escalation of tensions between the two religious groups over a love affair between a Muslim and a Christian that set off a violent feud between the couple’s families. The officials said all 13 fatalities died of gunshot wounds.”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on March 9:

“Egypt suffered the deadliest unrest since President Hosni Mubarak’s ouster when clashes Wednesday between Muslims and Coptic Christians left 13 dead and 140 injured. The bloodshed, on the edge of a Cairo slum, renewed concern about the government’s willingness to protect the Christian minority. Army units intervened only after Muslims set fire to homes and businesses… Authorities said the dead were evenly divided between Christians and Muslims, and witnesses said the victims included a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head… Egypt’s Coptic Christians, about 12% of the population, have long been subject to discrimination. No church can be built or repaired without a presidential decree. Copts have also been targeted in a recent series of attacks…”

It remains to be seen whether Egypt will ever become a democracy. The Bible shows that ultimately, Egypt will form a violent confederacy with Libya and Ethiopia (Ezekiel 30:3-5; Jeremiah 46:9). But we also need to realize that at the time when the Holy Spirit was poured out on early followers of Christ, people from Egypt and Libya were assembled (Acts 2:10), and later, Philip was sent to baptize “a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury” (Acts 8:27). We read that at the beginning of the Millennium, Egypt might not immediately follow God’s commands to, for example, keep the Feast of Tabernacles (Zechariah 14:18), but the Egyptians will finally know the LORD (Isaiah 19:21); they will live in peace and harmony with modern Assyria or Germany, and with all the modern descendants of ancient Israel; and God will bless the Egyptians and recognize them as His people (verses 23-24).

Israel, Iran, North Korea and Pakistan Most Unpopular Countries

Haaretz reported on March 7:

“A poll conducted by the BBC revealed Tuesday that Israel is one of the most negatively viewed countries in the world, ranking at the bottom of the chart along with Iran, North Korea and Pakistan… 22 out of 27 countries leaned toward a negative view of Israel, headed by Egypt, Turkey, and Indonesia. The countries which had the most positive view of Israel were the United States, Russia, Ghana, and China… many more Americans chose to rate Israel negatively in 2011, marking an increase of 10% since 2010. Moreover, negative perceptions of Israel grew stronger in Britain, Canada, Indonesia, Australia, Portugal, Spain, and Kenya.”

That Israel is perceived as one of the most unpopular countries is not surprising, as we are observing the development of the biblically prophesied fact that Israel will end up in total isolation.

Germany, Britain and Canada Most Popular Countries

The Telegraph wrote on March 6:

“Britain has been named as the second most popular nation in the world – being pipped to the top spot only by old rivals Germany… Britain’s positive rating for 2011 was 58 per cent, up from 53 per cent in 2010. Negative views of Britain decreased by two per cent, now standing at 17 per cent.

“Of the 27 countries polled, 24 were positive towards Britain while two, Pakistan and Mexico, have overall negative views. Those with the most positive views of Britain were in the United States, at 80 per cent. They were followed by Australia at 79 per cent and Canada at nearly 70 per cent. Germany was the most positively viewed nation, with 62 per cent of those surveyed rating its influence as positive… Canada was the third most popular of the countries polled, followed by Japan, France and Brazil. The US came seventh ahead of China, South Africa and India.”

Germany is destined to lead the coming United States of Europe, and that developing unity, as well as its leader, will be admired and followed and even worshipped (Revelation 13:3-4).  But it appears very likely that Britain will not be a part of that ultimate unity. In light of this, the next article is very interesting.

Britain to Eurozone: Count Us Out

The New York Times wrote on March 7:

“Do what you like. Just count us out. That, in essence, is the message that Britain is sending its European partners as the 17 countries that share the euro move toward closer economic integration this month. In a departure from half a century of British diplomacy, Prime Minister David Cameron has adopted a strategy of benign disengagement from the core project of the European Union to appease the numerous euroskeptics in his Conservative Party. Rather than seeking, like his predecessors, to shape and restrain European integration, he is watching from the sidelines as an inner circle of euro zone states begins separate annual summit meetings and moves forward with coordinating economic policy.

“Mr. Cameron has said Britain has a vital interest in the success of the euro zone, its biggest trade partner… But he is now effectively pulling up the drawbridge to the Continent by enacting a ‘United Kingdom Parliamentary Sovereignty Bill’ that would make any further transfer of power from London to Brussels subject to a national referendum. Britain chose not to adopt the euro when the Maastricht Treaty on monetary union was negotiated in 1991. But Labour governments from 1997 to 2009 were committed to adopting it — in theory, at least — if the economic conditions were right… Mr. Cameron, however, has pledged that Britain will never join the euro zone as long as the Conservatives are in power…

“Mr. Cameron’s ‘little Britain’ policy is already having consequences for both Britain and Europe. For one thing, it has left longtime British allies in northern and eastern Europe to fend for themselves. Sweden and Denmark — which, like Britain chose not to adopt the common currency — are now scrambling to strengthen links with the euro zone for fear of being left out of economic integration… Poland and other central European states saw Britain as their pro-enlargement, pro-market best friend when they joined the Union in 2004, but they are now racing to build closer ties with Germany and France to avoid being stuck in Europe’s slow lane.

“The Poles are furious because Britain’s drive to shrink the E.U. budget would reduce regional development funds earmarked for Warsaw and the other newcomers. Diplomats and analysts say Britain’s effective withdrawal from the economic and fiscal policy negotiations has even pushed France and Germany into each other’s arms.”

“North Korea Nears Completion of Electromagnetic Pulse Bomb”

ABC News reported on March 9:

“The North [North Korea] is believed to be nearing completion of an electromagnetic pulse bomb that, if exploded 25 miles above ground would cause irreversible damage to electrical and electronic devices such as mobile phones, computers, radio and radar, experts say… On top of disrupting major communication tools used by both civilians and the military, the waves would affect financial transactions and civilian airplanes dependent on radio signals…”

North Korea is a country to be watched. It will play an important role in the future and could be part of the confederacy, described in Ezekiel 38, aligning itself with Russia and other Far Eastern nations against Israel. For further information, please see our StandingWatch program, titled, “A Single Nuclear Bomb Could Destroy America.”

Earthquakes in Japan

The Associated Press reported on March 9:

“A series of powerful aftershocks shook the eastern coast of Japan early Thursday, briefly triggering a tsunami alert, in the wake of a strong earthquake that hit a day earlier… The country’s meteorological agency said Thursday’s temblors were likely aftershocks from a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit in the same area Wednesday, shaking buildings hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in Tokyo and triggering a small tsunami. The series of aftershocks included a magnitude 6.8 quake… and a magnitude 6.1 temblor…”

We will hear more and more about earthquakes in diverse places (Matthew 24:7), as well as mass killings of all kinds of animals (Hosea 4:3), as the next article reports.

Millions of Dead Sardines in California

On March 9, dailybreeze.com wrote the following:

“Millions of sardines created a massive stink and an even bigger cleanup effort in Redondo Beach’s King Harbor Marina on Tuesday after they swam inside overnight, became trapped and died. Twelve to 18 inches of dead sardines blanketed the water’s bottom in Basin 1 off Marina Way. Another thick layer of dead fish coated the surface from the breakwall to the inner docks, surrounding boats and walkways.

“Authorities with the California Department of Fish and Game, along with other ocean biologists at the scene, declared the mass death a natural event. The fish, they said, sucked every drop of oxygen from the water and couldn’t breathe… authorities believe the huge school of sardines, perhaps blown in by the night’s 40-mph winds and crashing waves, swam into King Harbor and became disoriented. Those who chose other basins were fine, but the schools that headed into Basin 1 ‘backed themselves into a corner’ and were unable to find their way out… They quickly depleted the oxygen in the water and died.”

For more information, please see our StandingWatch program, “Birds and Fish Will Waste Away.”

Biblical Changes to Reflect Catholic Church’s Interpretations

Reuters reported on March 2:

“A new edition of one the most popular English-language bibles will offer substitutes for words… to better reflect modern understanding, a Catholic group said on Wednesday… Nearly 50 scholars from all faiths and a committee of Roman Catholic bishops have labored since 1994 over the first fresh edition of the New American Bible since 1970, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

“The changes go beyond a few words being altered, and include freshly-written notes that should help readers better understand the Catholic church’s interpretation of biblical concepts… In a change in a passage in Isaiah 7:14 that foretells the coming of Jesus and his birth to a virgin mother, the 1970 edition’s reference to ‘the virgin’ will become ‘the young woman,’ to better translate the Hebrew word ‘almah.’”

Note that the biblical wording is changed in order to help the reader better understand the Catholic Church’s INTERPRETATION of biblical concepts. But the Word of God is not a matter of private interpretation (compare 2 Peter 1:20).

Ash Wednesday’s Customs

The Times-Picayune wrote on March 9:

“Ash Wednesday [following Carnival or Marty Grass celebrations] marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a season of penance, reflection and fasting which prepares Christians for Jesus Christ’s resurrection on Easter, through which Christians believe they attain redemption. Ashes, marked in a cross on the forehead, are a symbol of penance made sacramental by the blessing of the church.

“Following the example of the Ninevites, who did penance in sackcloth and ashes, Christians’ foreheads are marked with ashes to humble their hearts and remind them that life passes away on Earth. The ashes are made from the palms blessed in the Palm Sunday celebration of the previous year. The ashes are christened with holy water.

“Lent is mostly observed by the Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations, and also by Roman Catholics.”

The Bible says nothing about Christians having to keep “Lent,” or “Ash Wednesday,” or “Easter.” It does not remotely suggest to bless ashes with “holy water,” and to “mark” the “forehead” with the sign of the cross. But notice what the Bible says about marking one’s forehead. Revelation 13:16, speaking about a religious power, states: “He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads…” God warns His people not to accept that mark (compare Revelation 14:9; 20:4). As we explain in our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy,” this mark has much to do with the rejection of God’s commandments and the acceptance of pagan customs and practices, falsely called “Christian.”

“Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?”

The Huffington Post wrote on March 3:

“At the height of the Iraq War in 2004, influential TV evangelist and former U.S. presidential candidate Pat Robertson said: ‘The entire world is being convulsed by a religious struggle. The fight is not about money or territory; it is not about poverty versus wealth; it is not about ancient customs versus modernity. No. The struggle is whether Hubal, the Moon God of Mecca, known as Allah, is supreme, or whether the Judeo-Christian Jehovah God of the Bible is supreme’…

“The fact of the matter is this: fearful people bent on domination have created the contest for supremacy between Yahweh, the God of the Bible, and Allah, the God of the Quran. The two are one God, albeit differently understood. Arab Christians have for centuries worshiped God under the name ‘Allah.’ Most Christians through the centuries, saints and teachers of undisputed orthodoxy, have believed that Muslims worship the same God as they do…

“After the fall of Constantinople (1453), the city named after the first Christian emperor and a seat of Christendom for more than 1,000 years, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, a towering intellect and an experienced church diplomat, affirmed unambiguously that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, albeit partly differently understood…

“Whether Muslims and Christians worship the same God is also the driving question for the relation between these two religions globally. Does the one God of Islam stand in contrast to the three-personal God of Christianity? Does the Muslim God issue fierce, unbending laws and demand submission, whereas the Christian God stands for love, equal dignity and the right of every individual to be different? Answer these questions the one way, and you have a justification for cultural and military wars. Answer them the other way, and you have a foundation for a shared future marked by peace rather than violence.”

However, the real question is not whether Muslims and orthodox Christians worship the same God, but whether either of them worship the true God of the Bible. The sad answer is, none of them do. Among many problems, Muslims deny the divinity of Jesus Christ and, in effect, the only One through whom we can obtain salvation (Acts 4:12), and orthodox Christians deny, in effect, that Jesus Christ became a man and died and was dead in the grave for three days and three nights (Matthew 12:39-40), and they falsely worship the Holy Spirit as God, the third person of a “Trinity.” For more information on what the Bible teaches, please read our free booklets, “Is God a Trinity?”, “God is a Family” , and “Jesus Christ—a Great Mystery.”

“Europe Has Failed the Arab World”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 28:

“For weeks, a blossoming democratic movement in North Africa has been toppling one dictator after the other — first in Tunisia, then in Egypt, now possibly in Libya. During this whole period, the reaction of Europe’s governments can best be described as paralyzed. While Gadhafi’s regime was ordering its forces to fire upon its own people, the reactions of the political elites — whether in Brussels, Berlin, Paris or Rome — were unsure, divided and without a plan.

“They asked themselves whether they should send in troops or impose sanctions. They worried about a massive influx of refugees and whether it was appropriate to get involved in what could turn out to be a long civil war…

“Granted, the French, Germans and British succeeded in safely bringing thousands of their citizens back home who had been stranded in the chaos of civil war. But, for days, the Europeans could not agree on a proposal to freeze the bank accounts of the Gadhafi clan. It was only last Friday, after more and more military units had deserted the despot, that the EU finally agreed to impose some rather timid sanctions…

“On Sunday, Italian Foreign Minister Frattini announced that a friendship treaty that Italy and Libya had signed in 2008 was ‘de facto suspended.’ The treaty includes a non-aggression clause…

“The upheaval on the other side of the Mediterranean has caught the Europeans unprepared. For decades, they have fawned over the despots of North Africa because they promised both oil and protection against African refugees and Islamist terrorists… In Germany, production slowdowns in Libya have caused gas prices to climb to €1.57 per liter ($8.17 per gallon), up from €1.49 per liter in January, and prices are expected to continue to rise. If the pro-democracy unrest should also spill over into oil-rich Saudi Arabia, experts predict that oil prices could reach new all-time highs, which would have disastrous effects on growth and employment in Europe…

“What we are now witnessing is a historic turning point bringing with it opportunities and risks no less significant than those that attended the collapse of communism two decades ago… when it comes to European ties to countries in North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, national interests are more important than European ones…

“On Monday, EU member states finally signed off on concrete sanctions against Libya, including an arms embargo and a travel ban on leading officials of the Gadhafi regime. They will also freeze the regime’s assets, a step that the Swiss already backed some time ago…

“All the embarrassing bickering in Europe is a setback for Ashton, who should, as the EU’s foreign policy chief, in theory be Europe’s main diplomatic voice. But, more than anything, the British diplomat has merely been an observer of all the wrangling among the EU’s foreign ministers…

“The EU is not only deeply divided in foreign-policy matters. The wrangling is at least as fierce when it comes to the issue of how the refugees from North Africa should be dealt with…

“Although it’s very possible that the Gadhafi government is on its last legs, it cannot be ruled out that Libya could be on the verge of a civil war that could last months. For this reason, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn has demanded that, if necessary, the international community must also be willing to intervene militarily on a massive scale…

“However, such efforts could quickly turn Western involvement into war. In Germany, at least, political parties are unanimous in their opposition to this scenario. Given Germany’s involvement in Afghanistan, which is already unpopular domestically, there is little desire to get caught up in a second military conflict. Still, it will be extremely difficult to maintain this stance if the conflict spreads or if Gadhafi employs poison gas, as some former loyalists now fear. The question is whether Europe would be able to sit back and watch while genocide is committed on its border. The EU doesn’t yet have an answer.”

That EU Council chief Herman Van Rompuy and EU Foreign Policy chief Catherine Ashton are European misfits, was clear from the start. But the Bible prophesies that a strong European leader will arise in Europe, and that the European core nations will give him their votes, so he can speak with one voice. He will not be reluctant to resort to military means, and then things will change dramatically on the world scene. As the next articles show, America recognizes that it cannot rely on divided Europe. But will America become the world leader again, which it once was? The Bible predicts that it will not, and that Europe will indeed become THE leading political and military power in the world.

Military Action Against Libya?

The New York Times wrote on February 28:

“The Defense Department has begun repositioning Navy warships to support possible action against Libya… Military planners are working on a wide range of options, said to include everything from imposing a ‘no-fly zone’ over Libya to halt warplanes from attacking civilians to evacuation of wounded and innocents…

“While any American military action would be described as humanitarian assistance, it no doubt would indirectly apply even more pressure to a regime already fighting rebels from its own military who are supporting a popular revolt against the authoritarian rule. Pentagon officials said the United States certainly would seek an international consensus for action… the scope and pacing of planning underway is a substantial increase from just a week ago, when officials in Washington said that the most likely military action would come from regional states, such as Italy or France.

“Officials said that the Obama administration had realized that only the American military could lead across a full range of options to halt the violence… The American military has a large force of warships and combat and cargo aircraft available across Europe.”

Airstrikes, but No Ground Troops?

The EUObserver wrote on March 1:

“Fighter jets, aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean, a no-fly zone over Libya and arming the rebels are all options being weighed up by the US and its EU allies, as a defiant Libyan leader Moammar Gaddafi is continuing to cling onto power and is ordering airstrikes on towns and arms depots.

“Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday… British Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK is ‘taking the lead’ in isolating the ‘illegitimate’ Gaddafi regime, including by military means… In France, Prime Minister Francois Fillon confirmed that ‘all options are on the table,’ including a no-fly zone. A military option is being ‘evaluated by the French government,’ he said…

“The US and a number of European countries, including Britain and Germany, have already flown military aircraft into the Libyan desert to help with evacuation efforts…

“As Russia and China seem unwilling to back the idea of a no-fly zone in the UN Security Council, the US and its European allies may go for a Nato decision instead… British military air base in Cyprus could be used to enforce the no-fly zone, as well as Italy’s base in Sicily.

“Foreign intervention – as long as no troops are deployed within the country – seems a valid option for former Gaddafi regime members who have defected to the opposition as well. ‘… If we found that no solution was reached on Gaddafi’s part or his aides to put an end to these massacres, then all our fellows here in Darna, Al Baida, Ghuba and Benghazi are firm and certain that air strikes must be launched, provided that no jetfighter will land on Libyan territories,’ former Libyan interior minister Abdel Fattah Younes, who stepped down last week, told Al Jazeera on Monday.”

No Stomach for Military Intervention?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 3:

“The West has no stomach for military intervention in Libya, but also no clear ideas about ending the crisis before it becomes a full-fledged civil war…

“As violence in Libya continues with no end in sight, the debate about a possible military intervention by the West has heated up. But the international community is cautious about getting dragged into the conflict… Western diplomats told the Associated Press that some NATO members were drawing up contingency plans for a no-fly zone, should the international community decide on such a step.

“Getting a no-fly zone approved by the UN Security Council would be tough, given that Russia — a veto-holding permanent member — has already opposed such a move. On Wednesday, too, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates also called for an end to ‘loose talk’ about military intervention, saying that a no-fly zone would also entail a military attack on Libya.

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘Those who hoped that the political upheaval in Libya would follow a similar straightforward pattern as in Tunisia and Egypt now face being proved wrong. Gadhafi has regained his composure militarily and is using his remaining power to start a campaign of revenge against the revolutionaries…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… the UN is an organization that represents the world as it is, not the world as it should be. In the struggle to find compromises, democrats have to deal with autocrats, raw material producers with consumers, and freedom-lovers with sponsors of terror…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘Colonel Gadhafi strikes back. With an attack on the oil and port city of Brega, the Libyan dictator has shown that he means [to carry out]  his vicious threats against the insurgents… The present situation does not… require endless debates in citizens’ committees. Rather, it needs readiness for military action. … Time is on Gadhafi’s side.’”

The Wall Street Journal added this comment on March 3:

“The rebels are calling for foreign airstrikes as they fend off the offensive by forces loyal to Col. Moammar Gadhafi, but senior U.S. defense officials are lowering expectations of an international military intervention in the country… The U.S. and allies have discussed the prospect of imposing a no-fly zone over the North African country to prevent Col. Gadhafi from using air forces to strike at protesters. But Mr. Gates made clear Wednesday that the U.S. military would have to launch pre-emptive strikes to destroy Libya’s air defenses if President Barack Obama ordered the imposition of a no-fly zone.”

On the other hand, Reuters reported the following on March 3:

“French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said France and Britain would support the idea of setting up a no-fly zone over Libya if Gaddafi’s forces continued to attack civilians.”

No Support for Gadhafi’s Opponents?

Haaretz wrote on March 1:

“U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said on Tuesday that the United States will maintain political and economic pressure on Muammar Gadhafi until he steps down as Libyan leader… Rice also said it was premature to talk about providing material support to Libyan rebels who are fighting to oust Gaddafi, saying no clear-cut unified opposition has yet to coalesce.”

German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg Resigns

BBC News reported on March 1:

“German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has stepped down after he was found to have copied large parts of his 2006 university doctorate thesis. Mr Guttenberg, considered until recently a possible candidate for chancellor, has already been stripped of his PhD… The plagiarism scandal led to him being nicknamed Baron Cut-and-Paste, Zu Copyberg and Zu Googleberg by the German media. But Ms Merkel had continued to stand by him…

“Mr Guttenberg told reporters in Berlin that he was relinquishing all his political offices and he thanked the chancellor for her support, trust and understanding… According to Konrad Jarausch, a political scientist at the Free University in Berlin: ‘It’s bad for Merkel and she stuck with him far too long.’…

“By Tuesday the newspaper Die Welt reported that the number of academics who had signed the letter objecting to his continued role in the government had climbed to 51,500. One of the most blistering comments came from law professor Oliver Lepsius, who succeeded his doctoral supervisor at Bayreuth. ‘We have been taken by a fraud. His brazenness in deceiving honourable university personnel was unique,’ he wrote.”

The Local wrote on March 1:

“Guttenberg’s departure will deprive the chancellor of his star power as her conservatives face six state elections this year. ‘This is a big loss for Angela Merkel,’ political scientist Gero Neugebauer told news agency AFP. ‘She is losing an important election campaigner … Nobody else can excite the same level of interest and excitement.’”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on March 1:

“Guttenberg leaves behind a Defense Ministry in the middle of its furthest-reaching reforms in years. In recent months, Germany eliminated mandatory conscription in favor of a purely professional army but has recently struggled in the attempt to recruit enough new soldiers to fill the gap. There had likewise been talk that Merkel herself was dissatisfied with the progress of the reform.”

In this context, The Local added on March 1:

“According to military documents from early February, the number of volunteers interested in enlisting in April is currently just 10 percent of the target… The statistics have raised fears in the Bundeswehr that the end of conscription could endanger the readiness of German forces… The ministry plans to start an enlistment campaign this month to get the numbers up.”

Guttenberg’s Successor Sworn In

Deutsche Welle reported on March 3:

“German President Christian Wulff on Thursday officially swore in new ministers of defense and interior after the resignation of Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg created a shake-up in Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cabinet earlier in the week. Wulff accepted Thomas de Maziere as successor to Guttenberg as defense minister, while Hans-Peter Friedrich assumed de Maziere’s previous post as interior minister… [He] laid out the challenges de Maziere will face in his new position. ‘You are the commander of our armed forces and are responsible for our soldiers who are currently deployed abroad,’ the president said. ‘You will also have many other important tasks, including carrying out the reform of the military.’

“Wulff officially relieved Guttenberg of his responsibilities as defense minister, wishing him ‘new success.’ ‘I thank you for your exceedingly engaged service to our country and give you the utmost respect,’ Wulff said. Guttenberg has also resigned from his post in the German parliament.”

Turkey in the Outfield…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 28:

“Thousands of Turkish immigrants gave Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan a rock star welcome in Germany on Sunday in a show of national pride that remains fervent, even after decades spent in Germany. He told them they remain part of Turkey, and urged them to integrate into German society — but not to assimilate…

“They have come from all over Germany to see him live, some 10,000 people. They say things like: ‘The Germans will never accept us, but we have Erdogan’… One  woman says: ‘Erdogan… is our savior.’ Some 3 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany, most of them descendants of Turks invited by the government in the 1950s and 1960s as ‘guest workers’ to make up for a shortage of manpower after World War II…

“In a newspaper interview published ahead of his speech, Erdogan urged Merkel to drop her opposition to Turkey’s accession to the EU. ‘Never have such political obstacles been put in the path of an accession country,’ he said… And then he repeats the sentence that caused such a stir at a speech he held in Cologne three years ago. He warns Turks against assimilating themselves. ‘Yes, integrate yourselves into German society but don’t assimilate yourselves. No one has the right to deprive us of our culture and our identity.’

“Erdogan knows that this statement amounts to a provocation in Germany… And he has brought along a gift for his compatriots — a kind of light-weight dual citizenship. The so-called ‘Blue Card,’ which gives Turks with German citizenship certain rights in Turkey, is to be upgraded. Holders of the card will, in the future, have the same rights as Turkish citizens in dealings with authorities and banks…

“It was a speech that did nothing to reinforce any feeling of belonging to Germany — Erdogan steadfastly appealed to the Turkish national pride of people who have been at home in Germany for four generations.”

Erdogan also told his audience that Germans of Turkish descent, living in Germany, should learn German, as Chancellor Merkel had said, but only after they have learned Turkish—a statement which has prompted a furious reaction from German politicians and the German people.

The EUObserver added on February 28:

“Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has accused German society of ‘xenophobia’ and the German government of ‘discrimination’ ahead of a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel… on Saturday, in an interview with the regional daily, the Rheinische Post, the Turkish premier came close to accusing Ms Merkel’s political party of racism… Mr Erdogan’s remarks come in the context of a worsening political climate for migrants in Germany.

“Last October, Ms Merkel said that multiculturalism had ‘utterly failed’… In September a top central bank official, Thilo Sarrazin, resigned after saying that Arabs and Turks were stupid and exploited the welfare state.

“Mr Erdogan’s comments also come after an awkward visit by French leader Nicolas Sarkozy to Ankara on Friday. Mr Sarkozy… told [the] press at a meeting with Turkish President Abduallah Gul that Turkey would ‘destabilise’ the EU if it joined.”

The Reaction of the German Press

The following are excerpts from comments in the German press about Prime Minister Erdogan’s speech, as adapted from Der Spiegel Online, dated March 1:

“The tabloid Bild writes: ‘Erdogan is a demagogue, a nationalist. And he hammered his message, which is as simple as it is fatal, into the heads of 10,000 people: You are and will remain Turkish — never forget that. By saying that, though, he is torpedoing efforts to integrate close to 3 million people with Turkish roots in Germany that cost German taxpayers millions of euros each year. Efforts to ensure that their children learn German right from the beginning so that they later have opportunities to get a job or a traineeship. But Erdogan doesn’t care about that. He’s in the middle of an election back home and any means to campaign is fine by him. That is shabby and irresponsible!’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘In order to knit together the Turkish community, Erdogan painted a picture of the spectre of a steadily growing xenophobia. And he knows exactly what kind of effect such rhetoric has. The higher the wall of Turkophobia in Germany is perceived to be, the less prepared the Turks will be to integrate — a step many don’t want to take anyway…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘Erdogan’s appearance creates the impression that Turks living [in] Germany are in danger of becoming a persecuted minority. He again spoke of the threat of forced assimilation and Islamophobia that can be compared to anti-Semitism. Does Erdogan even know what he is talking about? As little as the rally had to do with the realities of German integration policies, it did show a man who divides the world into a good and bad that [he] is unable to even differentiate between at home. The methods and ways that Erdogan’s party deals with Christians in Turkey approximate what he is trying to accuse Germany of doing…’”

Overall, Erdogan’s speech was met in Germany with indignation. Muslim Turkey will never be allowed to become an integral part of “Christian” Europe. The Bible indicates that Turkey will not belong to the core nations of Europe.

Terror Attack in Germany

The Local reported on March 3:

“Arid Uka, the 21-year-old Kosovar who has admitted to killing two US airmen in Frankfurt, was a loner only recently turning to radical Islamist ideology, according to investigators. German federal prosecutors continue to piece together a profile of the man responsible for what is increasingly believed to have been a terrorist attack on US military personnel at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday…

“Armed with a Belgian Fabrique Nationale semi-automatic pistol and a large quantity of ammunition, the ethnic Albanian attacked a bus used to transport US military personnel outside the airport terminal. He shot dead one US airman in front of the bus before also killing the driver. Two other servicemen were seriously injured. He then fled into the terminal building before being subdued and arrested. The man admitted early on during his interrogation that he wanted to kill US soldiers. Working at the airport’s international postal centre, Uka knew his way around the facility, and likely observed the US military bus service beforehand.

“…he had recently started calling himself a jihadist named ‘Abu Reyyan’ on the social networking website Facebook. Under his Islamist handle he spread jihadist hymns on YouTube online, professed hatred of Jews and Shiite Muslims and took part in violent computer games. Within just four or five weeks, Uka is thought to have established contact to radical Islamist preachers including the Moroccan Sheik Abdellatif and German Muslim extremist Pierre Vogel. Though his family are devout Muslims, they are not considered to be Islamist radicals.”

Der Spiegel Online added on March 3:

“… the jihadists claim to have been in contact with acquaintances of Arid U… [who] has left his own cache of digital clues pointing to his adherence to radical Islamism. Two weeks prior to the shooting, he posted a link on his Facebook wall to a jihadist battle hymn… A fair number of his 125 Facebook friends would also seem to be sympathetic to radical Islamism… Some of the connections, however, are of particular interest to investigators, especially those with well-known figures in the Islamist scene. ‘He seems to have belonged to an unstructured militant-Salafist environment,’ said a source familiar with the investigation.

“Salafists are pious Muslims who place particular emphasis in emulating as far as possible the life of the Prophet Muhammad and the first generation of his followers. It is a movement that has been growing for years. While most Salafists are more political than they are militant, there is a segment with significant crossover with the jihadist-terror scene. Several of Arid U.’s contacts appear to come from this gray area…”

None of this will help to increase German sympathy for devout Muslims living in Germany.

“There Will Be Another Hitler Some Day”

On February 28, Der Spiegel Online conducted an interesting interview with Ewald von Kleist, 88, a former officer in the German Wehrmacht and the last surviving member of the July 20, 1944 plot against Hitler. We are bringing you the following excerpts from his comments:

“It’s true that, after Sept. 11, 2001, the United States declared war on global terrorism. But against which country? Why is this a war? And who is the enemy?… Al-Qaida is a chimera. There’s no organization, and there’s no country you can wage a war against. Instead, we’re waging war against an idea… Risking the lives of German soldiers is only justified when our vital interests are threatened. Exactly what those vital interests are has to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Then, we have to determine whether we have the means to achieve our goals…

“Obama’s idea of a world without nuclear weapons is nonsense… We can all recall the images of Iranian children with green headbands running straight into Iraqi machine-gun fire. Their parents allowed this to happen because they believed their children were fulfilling the will of Allah… Some time ago, (al-Qaida leader Osama) bin Laden said: ‘The difference between us is that you love life and we love death.’ I’m afraid he’s right…

“One of the last things Hitler said was: ‘We will slam the door shut behind us with a loud bang.’ He wasn’t able to do it at the time, but who can say whether an Iranian leader won’t feel the same way some day? Or look at Pakistan: What happens if there is regime change and the Islamists get their hands on nuclear bombs? There will be another Hitler some day…

“Goebbels once told me that, when it comes to propaganda, you just have to keep repeating the same thing over and over again until people can’t bear to hear it anymore — and then you say it again… he was very clever, diabolically clever.”

Ewald von Kleist is right—there WILL BE another Hitler someday. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Ugly Past of U.S. Human Experiments

The Associated Press reported on February 27:

“Shocking as it may seem, U.S. government doctors once thought it was fine to experiment on disabled people and prison inmates. Such experiments included giving hepatitis to mental patients in Connecticut, squirting a pandemic flu virus up the noses of prisoners in Maryland, and injecting cancer cells into chronically ill people at a New York hospital…

“Inevitably, [these experiments] will be compared to the well-known Tuskegee syphilis study. In that episode, U.S. health officials tracked 600 black men in Alabama who already had syphilis but didn’t give them adequate treatment even after penicillin became available…

“Some of these studies, mostly from the 1940s to the ’60s, apparently were never covered by news media… Many prominent researchers felt it was legitimate to experiment on people who did not have full rights in society — people like prisoners, mental patients, poor blacks. It was an attitude in some ways similar to that of Nazi doctors experimenting on Jews…

“It was at about this time that prosecution of Nazi doctors in 1947 led to the ‘Nuremberg Code,’ a set of international rules to protect human test subjects. Many U.S. doctors essentially ignored them, arguing that they applied to Nazi atrocities — not to American medicine. The late 1940s and 1950s saw huge growth in the U.S. pharmaceutical and health care industries, accompanied by a boom in prisoner experiments funded by both the government and corporations. By the 1960s, at least half the states allowed prisoners to be used as medical guinea pigs.

“… in the last 15 years, two international studies sparked outrage… U.S.-funded doctors failed to give the AIDS drug AZT to all the HIV-infected pregnant women in a study in Uganda even though it would have protected their newborns… The other study, by Pfizer Inc., gave an antibiotic named Trovan to children with meningitis in Nigeria… Critics blamed the experiment for the deaths of 11 children and the disabling of scores of others. Pfizer settled a lawsuit with Nigerian officials for $75 million but admitted no wrongdoing.

“Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ inspector general reported that between 40 and 65 percent of clinical studies of federally regulated medical products were done in other countries in 2008, and that proportion probably has grown. The report also noted that U.S. regulators inspected fewer than 1 percent of foreign clinical trial sites.”

Human nature being what it is, and Satan, the mass murderer and destroyer, being the real god of this present evil world and the ruler over ALL nations, no country and no people is exempted from conducting horrible atrocities against fellow human beings. Only a change of heart could bring about real change—but that change will only come with the return of Jesus Christ.

Common Biblical Misconceptions

Newsmax reported on March 1:

“Christian Broadcasting Network founder and ‘The 700 Club’ host Rev. Pat Robertson believes the present world will end someday — but not at the behest of nuclear-armed Iranian strongman Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Although alarmed about Iran’s headlong pursuit of nuclear weapons, Robertson… can’t bring himself to believe that God would let Iran’s president trigger a nuclear holocaust.

“Asked whether unrest in the Middle East and Iran’s nuclear ambitions could be seen as a prelude to Armageddon, Robertson cited Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, who predicts in Ezekiel 38:5 that a coalition of other nations will rise up against Israel in a final battle ‘that’s made up of what looks like Russia, Turkey, Iran, the Sudan,’ and other nations. ‘So it’s all shaping up, and they are going to invade Israel in “the latter days,”’ Robertson tells Newsmax in the exclusive interview. “So that to me is one of the most key prophetic signposts that we have available to us. And it’s coming to pass.’”

However, Ezekiel 38 does refer to events which will occur AFTER Christ’s return—not before—and they speak of an invasion of Asiatic nations attempting to fight against the descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah, after Christ freed them from slavery and captivity and brought them back to the Promised Land. For more information, please read our Q&A on Ezekiel 38.

No Place in British Courts for Christianity

On March 1, 2011, the Telegraph reported the following:

“There is no place in British law for Christian beliefs, despite the country’s long history of religious observance and the traditions of the established Church, two High Court judges said yesterday… [They] made the remarks when ruling on the case of a Christian couple who were told that they could not be foster carers because of their view that homosexuality is wrong.

“The judges underlined that, in the case of fostering arrangements at least, the right of homosexuals to equality ‘should take precedence’ over the right of Christians to manifest their beliefs and moral values… the judges said Britain was a ‘largely secular’, multi-cultural country in which the laws of the realm ‘do not include Christianity’… The ruling… is the latest in a series of judgments in which Christians have been defeated in the courts for breaching equality laws by manifesting their beliefs on homosexuality.”

Truly, British society has turned the truth of the Bible upside down…

And Now… Bloodbath in Libya

Bloomberg reported on February 24, 2011:

“’It’s a massacre in there,’ said Mohamed Yehia after he crossed into Egypt at the northwestern town of Salloum, speaking of the deadly crackdown by Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi. ‘He is crazy. The world must know what he’s doing to his people.’ Yehia, 23, is one of thousands of Egyptians working in Libya who gathered their belongings and left the oil-rich country yesterday after Qaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam, this week accused foreigners, including Tunisians and Egyptians, of inciting the ongoing revolt…

“Many of those arriving said they had seen mercenaries from Africa and elsewhere, some dark-skinned and some fair, some speaking French. They had been deployed to attack anti- government protesters in Libyan cities, including the capital, Tripoli, and Benghazi, which has seen some of the worst violence since the uprising began last week, the eyewitnesses said… ‘First the police attacked the protesters, but after they saw many of their people being killed, they sympathized and joined them. The army too,’ said Yehia.”

Europe’s Weak Response

Deutsche Welle reported on February 21:

“In a joint statement the European Council called for ‘an immediate end to the use of force against protesters and for all parties to show restraint’…

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted by her spokesman as being ‘shocked’ at the ‘great brutality’ employed by Libyan security forces against the protesters… Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle had harsh words for the Libyan leadership. ‘Nothing and nobody justifies the use of violence, murder and manslaughter to crush peaceful demonstrations,’ he said. ‘Anybody who seeks to intimidate citizens by threatening Libya with civil war shows that they are finished’… [The Local added on February 22 that Westerwelle also told broadcaster ZDF on Tuesday: “We can’t stand by and watch people be murdered.”]

“Italy, which has the closest business links with Libya among EU countries, appeared to be sending out contradictory messages with Foreign Minister Franco Frattini saying the EU should not ‘interfere’ in Libya… However, he suggested that Italy would not stand by and watch if reports of a self-proclaimed Islamic Emirate in Benghazi turned out to be true. ‘Would you imagine having an Islamic Emirate on the borders of Europe? This would be a really serious threat,’ Frattini said…

“The Libyan fallout is likely to be felt across Europe as oil prices continued to soar…”

In that regard, MoneyNews.com reported on February 22:

“Time magazine’s intelligence columnist reported on Tuesday that Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has ordered his security forces to sabotage the country’s oil facilities, citing a source close to the government. In a column posted on Time’s website, Robert Baer said the sabotage would begin by blowing up pipelines to the Mediterranean…

“‘Among other things, Gadhafi has ordered security services to start sabotaging oil facilities,’ Baer wrote. ‘The sabotage, according to the insider, is meant to serve as a message to Libya’s rebellious tribes: It’s either me or chaos.’ The growing violence in Libya has forced a number of oil companies to shut in production in Africa’s third-largest oil producer and disrupted flows from the country’s export terminals.”

Europe will not want to stand idly by too much longer if their pocket books are affected by rising oil prices…

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Orders Killing of Gaddafi

AFP wrote on February 21:

“Influential Muslim cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi issued a fatwa on Monday that any Libyan soldier who can shoot dead embattled leader Moamer Kadhafi should do so ‘to rid Libya of him.’ ‘Whoever in the Libyan army is able to shoot a bullet at Mr Kadhafi should do so,’ Qaradawi, an Egyptian-born cleric who is usually based in Qatar, told Al-Jazeera television. He also told Libyan soldiers ‘not to obey orders to strike at your own people,’ and urged Libyan ambassadors around the world to dissociate themselves from Kadhafi’s regime…

“Qaradawi has celebrity status in the Arab world… [and] has in the past defended ‘violence carried out by certain Muslims.’ The West accuses the cleric of supporting ‘terrorism’ because he sanctioned Palestinian suicide attacks in Israel. Britain and the United States have refused to grant him entry visas. The cleric, spiritual leader of Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and longtime resident of Qatar, heads the International Union for Muslim Scholars.”

And there are still many naïve politicians and newscasters who claim that the Muslim Brotherhood is a harmless, non-violent, peaceful organization…

A Middle East Without Gadhafi

Haaretz wrote on February 21:

“President Shimon Peres said Monday he believed Libyan leader Muammer Gadhafi’s reign was nearing an end. It was an ‘irony of history’ that Gadhafi had recently expressed his desire for ‘a Middle East without Israel,’ but that it now looked like ‘there will be a Libya without Gaddafi,’ Peres said at the start of a four-day visit to Spain…

“The official part of Peres’ visit, which will mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Spain and Israel, will begin on Tuesday… Israel and Spain established diplomatic relations on January 17, 1986, nearly four decades after the creation of the state of Israel. The lack of formal relations was attributed largely to Spain’s friendly relations with Arab countries during Francisco Franco’s 1939-75 dictatorship.

“However, as Spain joined NATO and the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union, in the 1980s, it began to increasingly seek a role as a mediator between Israel and Arab countries. Spanish-Israeli relations are also marked by the expulsion of all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity from Spain in 1492. King Juan Carlos has apologized for the expulsion, but descendants of the expelled Jews have demanded stronger gestures, such as being granted the Spanish nationality.”

Sadly, prophecy shows that Europe, including Spain, will again become very hostile towards Jews, and past atrocities will be repeated, and even worse things are supposed to happen.

Big Opportunity for the EU in the Middle East?

Deutsche Welle reported on February 21:

“The EU finds itself presented with an opportunity to lead in helping a number of Arab states move toward democracy… the EU will offer its ‘support to civil society, youth and enhanced economic cooperation’… the [new EU] declaration… will also include an offer of a ‘new partnership’ with Egypt and Tunisia…

“However, revelations over the extent of business ties, arms deals and energy reliance between EU member states and governments such as those in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain have led some analysts to question whether the policies of certain individual member states have been holding the EU back from taking a strong, unified approach…

“Italy has strong ties with Libya… while Greece also has strong business links… France has been exposed as having strong links to the former Tunisian regime, while Britain has deep investment in Libyan oil fields and lucrative arms deals with Bahrain… It is quite likely that an internal struggle is underway within the EU between the Scandinavian and Northern European countries horrified at the repression of demonstrators, and southern European Mediterranean countries more anxious to preserve investments and commercial relationships…

“…  it was the major powers inside the EU rather than the EU itself which led the calls for restraint when the protests began and issued statements on their own individual positions as the wave of unrest spread… this is a critical time for the EU in the region with many opportunities arising for it to establish a new set of relations through its immediate and future involvement. However, if the EU fluffs its lines again, the chance to lead in the remaking of the Middle East will be lost and its credibility irrevocably damaged.”

As the next article shows as well, the EU is still not totally unified, due to national interests of certain countries. The Bible says that even the final ten European nations or groups of nations will not be totally united, but they WILL obtain great strength in the military field (Daniel 2:40-43).

“The West Has No Leverage in Libya”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 22:

“Condemnation of the violence in Libya has been universal in Western capitals. But dictator Moammar Gadhafi shows no signs of calling a halt to the brutal repression of protests in the country. The West simply has no leverage in Libya… what can the West really achieve? So far, the collective indignation from all manner of government officials in Europe and North America has had precious little effect…

“The West, after all, has little influence in Libya. Oil riches make the North African country largely independent and diplomatic relations have long been difficult at best… Washington has little contact with Tripoli. Indeed, the country spent years on the black list of states which support terrorism. Only in 2008 were diplomatic relations re-established… the US doesn’t even have an ambassador in Libya. The last one was temporarily recalled after the WikiLeaks revelations.

“The US government is now also forced to rely on its European allies to exert pressure on Libya. Several EU states have working relationships with Gadhafi, not least as part of regular regional cooperation among the Mediterranean states. But the EU, once again, is divided in its approach. On Monday, EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels strongly condemned the regime’s crackdown on protestors. But they weren’t able to agree on any sanctions.

“Demands for punitive measures made by Finland and other Scandinavian countries were rejected. Italy in particular has resisted sanctions because the government of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi doesn’t want to endanger its close economic ties with its former colony. It is also worried about a new wave of refugees from North Africa…

“British Foreign Minister William Hague spoke to Gadhafi’s second son, Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, and demanded an end to the bloodshed. The British government is one of Libya’s main contacts in the West… In recent years, Gadhafi’s son has been an important link between the two governments. He owns a house in London, is in his mid-30s and studied for a Ph.D. at the London School of Economics (LSE) from 2003 until 2008. He was regarded as a friend [of] the West and as a reformer, and he moved in the highest circles in London. His contacts included Prince Andrew… Blair even called Gadhafi junior a ‘family friend.’ But Saif al-Islam seems to have turned radical in response to the uprising. London observers could hardly believe their ears when he declared in a speech on Sunday that the Gadhafis would fight ‘to the last bullet.’”

“Europe Should Intervene Militarily in Libya”

Der Spiegel Online reported on February 24 about the less than thrilled reaction of the German press to the indecisive stance of Europe and Germany towards the Libyan disaster:

“Gadhafi on Thursday showed no signs of giving in to the mass protests which have gripped Libya for over a week. While large parts of north-eastern Libya appear to no longer be under government control, the regime is still trying to beat back demonstrators…

“Several European governments are looking into options at their disposal to put an end to the ongoing violence in Libya. US President Barack Obama likewise said on Wednesday that his government was pursuing a ‘full range of options’ to pressure Gadhafi into stopping the attacks on demonstrators…

“German commentators argue on Thursday that it is time for Europe to take action.

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘The time for indecision has passed… it is time for Europe to stop playing the role of gentle admonisher… Even sanctions — such as travel bans or the freezing of assets — wouldn’t be enough… Europe must issue a credible threat. The best thing would be a COALTION WITH THE ARAB LEAGUE, Egypt and the African Union — a coalition which, outfitted with an United Nations mandate, could MILITARILY RE-ESTABLISH PEACE in Libya….’

“The conservative daily Die Welt writes: ‘… what about the United States? The global power has enough problems on other fronts. And Europe? There has been no lack of soft power, warm words and hot air… At least the European Union gathered the courage to stop all weapons deliveries to Libya which had been, hard as it is to believe, reliably delivered until now…. But what about sanctions? Threats of MILITARY OPERATIONS? The danger is in delay…”

These opinions are quite interesting, as according to the Bible, Europe WILL form a coalition with Arab nations (however, Egypt is not mentioned in that regard), and it WILL ultimately intervene militarily in the Middle East, undoubtedly with the stated desire to establish peace in the region. Europe recognizes that the “responsibility” for such action is placed on its shoulders. Due to its military engagement in other countries and its huge domestic problems, the USA is unable and unwilling to intervene militarily in countries such as Libya, and NATO just ruled out a military intervention in Libya, showing that Europe cannot rely on either the USA or NATO to take decisive actions.

Huge Demonstrations in Bahrain–Why Bahrain Matters…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 22:

“The Arab revolution has reached the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain, where Sunni rulers control a majority Shiite population. Western nations are following the protests with concern… The island nation has a smaller population than Munich, and more than half of its inhabitants are foreigners… the world is dependent on oil… and  two regional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia, are both seeking to exert influence in Bahrain…

“About 70 percent of Bahrainis are Shiites. The Al Khalifa ruling family, however, is Sunni…

“[The Sunni kingdom of] Saudi Arabia is nearby; dangerously so, in fact. From Pearl Square in Manama, the Sheikh Khalifa Highway leads to the King Fahd Causeway, which connects the island nation with… Saudi Arabia…

“There are old family and tribal ties between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province, where one-10th of the world’s total oil production is pumped out of the ground every day. For centuries, Eastern Province has also been home to Saudi Arabia’s Shiite minority… This explains why the House of Saud is currently feeling nervous. If the fury among Bahraini Shiites spreads to their fellow [minority] Shiites in Saudi Arabia, the world’s most important oil-producing region could descend into conflict… Tehran already sees Bahrain as Shiite territory and, therefore, as a sort of 14th province of the Islamic Republic of Iran…

“Since the 1990s, the United States has used Bahrain as a base for the Fifth Fleet, a military force for the Gulf region that currently consists of 6,100 marines and civilian personnel. The fleet is the core of Washington’s Iran containment policy. Bahrain is ‘a place run by an oppressive and corrupt little regime, long coddled by Washington because the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet is headquartered there,’ writes former CIA analyst Graham Fuller. And like in Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia, the question that arises in Bahrain is how much longer the United States and Europe can afford such an ugly status quo.”

Bahrain’s Survival Threatened

The Washington Post wrote on February 23:

“… what happens in tiny Bahrain might have outsize repercussions… The Shiite-led protesters in Bahrain are demanding that their Sunni royal family grant them equal rights and an equal voice, and Saudi Arabia is worried their campaign might give ideas to its own large Shiite minority…

“‘Although we are friends, the [Bahraini] leadership is afraid of the Saudis,’ said one Bahraini observer with close ties to Bahraini security officials… Hamad is likely to tell Abdullah ‘we still don’t need’ Saudi military assistance, said the Bahraini observer…

“In recent years, an expanded American military presence has provided a counterweight to Saudi influence. The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet is docked just south of Manama, somewhat easing Bahraini fears of a Saudi invasion, Bahraini observers said.

“‘Bahrain’s survival really depends on two countries, the United States of America and Saudi Arabia,’ said Mansoor al-Jamri, editor in chief of the independent Bahraini newspaper al-Wasat.”

If Bahrain fell into the “wrong hands,” grievous economic and military consequences might ensue for the USA and Europe.

USA Vetoes Resolution Condemning Israel…and Loses International Standing

Haaretz wrote on February 21:

“After hesitating until the very last moment, U.S. President Barack Obama decided to have his envoy veto the UN Security Council resolution condemning the settlements. The Palestinian-initiated proposal would have declared the Israeli settlement enterprise in the territories illegal. Fourteen members of the Security Council voted in favor of the resolution, and only the U.S. veto kept it from being passed.

“The Palestinians lost the vote, but achieved their goal: They exposed for all to see the international isolation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration and embarrassed the U.S. administration by revealing it as two-faced.

“In explaining the veto decision, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, denounced the ‘illegitimacy’ of the settlements and stressed that Obama agreed with the resolution’s sponsors but had to oppose it for political reasons.

“Once again, the American superpower appeared to lose some of its prestige and international standing in order to defend the Israeli settlement enterprise, which enjoys the support of powerful patrons in Congress.

“Netanyahu celebrated his victory over Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, but he should view the U.S. veto as a warning. The world’s patience over continuing construction in the settlements is wearing thin. The Palestinians are making suspension of building a prerequisite for negotiations, a position which has international support…

“Instead of fanning the flames in the region and further heightening Israel’s isolation he should work to defuse tension, to listen to the international community and to present a practical program for ending the occupation and the conflict. Instead of acceding to the demands of right-wing cabinet members and approving major building plans in the West Bank, he should recognize the diplomatic damage that the settlements cause Israel…”

No matter what the current US Administration is doing, it seems like it can’t win and find any support—not even in Israel. At the same time, Israel is finding itself more and more in total isolation.

Obamacare—Constitutional or Not?

Fox News wrote on February 22:

“A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit claiming that President Barack Obama’s requirement that all Americans have health insurance violates the religious freedom of those who rely on God to protect them. U.S. District Judge Gladys Kessler in Washington dismissed a lawsuit filed by the American Center for Law and Justice, a Christian legal group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson, on behalf of five Americans…

“The case was one of several lawsuits filed against Obama’s requirement that Americans either buy health insurance or pay a penalty, beginning in 2014. Kessler is the third Democratic-appointed judge to dismiss a challenge, while two Republican-appointed judges have ruled part or all of the law unconstitutional. Kessler wrote that the Supreme Court will need to settle the constitutional issues.

“Three of the plaintiffs are Christians who said they want to refuse all medical services for the rest of their lives because they believe God will heal their afflictions. They say being forced to buy insurance would conflict with their faith because they believe doing so would indicate they need ‘a backup plan and (are) not really sure whether God will, in fact, provide,’ the lawsuit said. The two other plaintiffs have a holistic approach to medical care and prefer to pay for their health services out of pocket, in part because insurance often doesn’t cover their chosen methods of healing…

“Kessler rejected both arguments and ruled that Congress has the right to regulate health care spending under the Commerce Clause… She also said that anyone who objects to having health care for religious reasons can choose to pay the penalty instead…”

Same-Sex Marriages–Constitutional or Not?

The Associated Press wrote on February 23:

“In a major policy reversal, the Obama administration said Wednesday it will no longer defend the constitutionality of a U.S. law banning recognition of same-sex marriage.

“Attorney General Eric Holder said President Barack Obama has concluded that the administration cannot defend the federal law that defines marriage as only between a man and a woman. He noted that the congressional debate during passage of the Defense of Marriage Act ‘contains numerous expressions reflecting moral disapproval of gays and lesbians and their intimate and family relationships — precisely the kind of stereotype-based thinking and animus the (U.S. Constitution’s) Equal Protection Clause is designed to guard against.’…

“He noted that the Supreme Court has ruled that laws criminalizing homosexual conduct are unconstitutional and that Congress has repealed the military’s ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy on gays in the armed forces.”

Heavy Defeat for Angela Merkel

Deutsche Welle reported on February 22:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU) took a beating at Sunday’s state elections in Hamburg, obtaining just 21.9 percent of the vote – the party’s worst election results since World War II and a disappointment for Merkel as her party contests the first of seven crucial state elections this year. The opposition Social Democrats (SPD) won 48.3 percent of the vote, an increase from 34.1 percent in 2008. The SPD won 62 seats in the Hamburg state assembly, eking out an absolute majority…

“For Merkel, the result means the loss of three seats in the Bundesrat upper house of parliament, making it harder for her government to push through federal legislation. In the last election in the northern city-state in 2008, the CDU’s share of the vote was 42.6 percent, more than double Sunday’s score. The drop of 22.1 percentage points was the steepest decline ever between two elections for the CDU.

“The result in Hamburg, where Merkel was born, will also send a signal to voters before the other state votes, especially in the southwestern region of Baden-Württemberg where her CDU is also in danger of losing power in March.”

The mass-circulation Bild wrote on February 21:

“This election victory is a political tsunami!… For the SPD, the election year of 2011 could not have started any better. If the Social Democrats succeed in emulating their Hamburg success in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Berlin, we can look forward to some politically turbulent months.”

And Now… Guttenberg in Big Trouble…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on February 22:

“German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg is under pressure to resign amid allegations he plagiarized parts of his Ph.D. thesis. Angela Merkel and other leading conservatives are worried the popular politician could fall, just when they need him to drum up votes ahead of crunch state elections…

“For days, fellow CSU members have been urging Guttenberg not to resign… everyone in the CSU knows that the future of their mandates and positions largely depends on this baron from the northern Bavarian region of Franconia…

 “The reaction in the media over the weekend and on Monday was generally devastating… Many Christian Democrats, including leading members of the party, feel that the entire affair could be extremely damaging. They sense that there could be much more to come…”

Deutsche Welle reported on February 23:

“German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg’s alma mater, the University of Bayreuth, on Wednesday revoked his doctorate in law amid allegations his thesis contained numerous plagiarized passages… [but] the committee did NOT determine whether Guttenberg’s infractions were intentional…
 
“The statement came after [Guttenberg had attempted to voluntarily relinquish his doctorate title and] German opposition lawmakers grilled Guttenberg over the plagiarism charges at a four-hour-long session in Germany’s lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, in Berlin… ‘You have cheated, you have deceived, you have lied,’ said Thomas Oppermann of the Social Democratic Party. ‘I find it intolerable that the chancellor decided an impostor and liar should still belong to the cabinet.’

“On Monday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said she had ‘full confidence’ in her defense minister… Several German law professors had accused Guttenberg of blatant plagiarism, listing up to 70 passages in which he did not correctly cite their work. As tempestuous as Wednesday was for the defense minister, his troubles are not over yet. State prosecutors in Bavaria have confirmed at least two criminal complaints have been filed against him. The complaints allege Guttenberg violated copyright laws, and lied in a previous sworn statement that his thesis was entirely his own work.
 
“Many of Guttenberg’s political allies are keen to see him remain in office, since he is Germany’s most popular politician by far. Guttenberg, who has been listed as a possible future chancellor, has dismissed opposition calls for him to resign.”

… Or Is He?

The Local wrote on February 23:

“German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has grown more popular despite a plagiarism scandal… 73 percent of people are happy with Guttenberg’s political work, compared to 68 percent before accusations he copied large chunks of this doctoral dissertation emerged. A similar number (72 percent) said his decision to give up his doctorate title was sufficient to allow him to stay minister. Only 24 percent of those surveyed said he should step down…

“Internet sleuths have set up a collaborative website, or Wiki, to comb through the 475 pages of zu Guttenberg’s work, concluding there was evidence of unattributed copying on 270 of them. When the 14 pages of content and 65 pages of footnotes are taken into account, this amounts to more than two-thirds of the dissertation…

“Media commentators on Wednesday were divided on whether the minister should step down.

“The leftist Tageszeitung wrote: ‘How can one go on believing such a man in the future, when he testifies on critical events, for example regarding the German army?… The fact that she [Angela Merkel] is prepared to keep a liar in the cabinet in order to preserve her balance of power isn’t just unworthy of her office. It is a scandal…’

“But the centre-left Süddeutsche Zeitung, while saying zu Guttenberg should be ‘ashamed’ of his actions, nevertheless said it could work in his favour. ‘Could the plagiarism affair even clear the path to the chancellery for him?’ asked the respected daily. ‘”Look,” says the baron to the people, “I’m one of you. A person who has weaknesses and who makes mistakes.”’”

Developments in Germany’s political landscape are of great importance. We know from Scripture that a strong political personage will arise in continental Europe, most likely in Germany, who will play a wide-ranging role in world affairs. We are certain that Angela Merkel is not that person; so we are to watch for further developments.

Gorbachev Dismantles Russian Myth of Democracy

The Associated Press reported on February 21:

“Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Monday described Russia as an imitation of democracy and accused its current rulers of conceit and contempt for voters, in his harshest criticism of the government yet. Gorbachev criticized Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his protégé, President Dmitry Medvedev, for saying that they will decide between them who should run for president in Russia’s March 2012 presidential vote.  ‘It’s not Putin’s business. It must be decided by the nation in the elections, by those who would cast ballots,’ Gorbachev said at a news conference…

“Gorbachev… called for a probe into last week’s statement by an assistant to the judge who convicted oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky who said that the judge did not write the verdict and read it against his will in the Moscow courtroom. Judge Viktor Danilkin found Khodorkovsky guilty in December of stealing oil from his own oil company and extended his prison term through 2017. The assistant, Natalya Vasilyeva, who is also the spokesperson for the court, said the verdict was imposed upon Danilkin when it became clear his own ruling would not please top Russian officials behind the politically driven case…

“Putin has been seen as the driving force behind the unrelenting legal attack on Khodorkovsky, who challenged him early in his presidency and has been imprisoned since 2003… Gorbachev also denounced the main pro-Kremlin United Russia party as a ‘bad copy’ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union…”

It is illusionary to think that Russia will ever become a democracy. Rather, it is destined to form a confederacy with other more or less non-democratic nations, such as China, Japan, India, North Korea, and Iran (Persia).

“Marital Status” Irrelevant for Church of England’s Clergy

Mail On Line wrote on February 19:

“The Church of England has infuriated traditionalists by dropping the requirement for clergy to disclose their marital status when they apply for new posts. Church officials say the changes have been introduced to mirror new secular employment and equality laws aimed at eliminating discrimination. But traditionalists say they further undermine the Christian view of marriage by hindering parishes from finding out whether candidates for jobs are divorced or in a gay ‘marriage’.

“One senior cleric said: ‘This opens the floodgates to divorce and remarriage being accepted as normal in the Church because they are no longer seen as a significant factor in appointments. It would also mean parishes being unaware until they have made their decisions that a clergyman’s personal life may be out of step with its position on issues such as civil partnerships. This is a slippery slope. It is another sign the Church is abandoning its traditional values.’

‘The Church has… bowed to liberal pressure over gay ‘marriage’ and ruled in 2005 that gay clergy can have civil partnerships but should refrain from sex…

“Rod Thomas, whose conservative evangelical group Reform represents 500 clergy, said the changes were unnecessary as the Church was not required to change its rules to reflect the rest of society.  ‘More significantly, the Bible makes clear that the personal circumstances of an individual are very important in deciding whether they should be leaders in God’s Church,’ he said.”

Sadly, the standards in our Western societies are so far removed from true Christianity, that nothing should surprise us anymore. The Church of England’s latest pronouncement is just one more proof as to how much our nations and religious leaders have turned their backs on God and His Word.

Christian Churches For Muslim Worship?

Fox News wrote on February 18:

“Two Protestant churches are taking some heat from critics for opening their church buildings to Muslims needing places to worship because their own facilities were either too small, or under construction… Dr. Alex McFarland, a Christian theologian and radio talk show host, charged these churches ‘have crossed the line from respect and tolerance, to … affirmation and endorsement…’ Dr. Jason Hood, an Evangelical theologian, says there are other ways Christians can share the love of Christ without building a bridge too far…

“McFarland says it’s good to remember the ‘political ramifications’ of Muslim-Christian interaction. ‘What if we went to Muslims and said “Hey, can we use your mosque for the worship of Jesus, the incarnate son of God, the one that said ‘no one comes to the Father but through him.”’ I doubt there would be a lot of reciprocity’. McFarland says the groups run the risk of creating something called ‘Chrislam’ – a combination of the two faiths that essentially ignores… the exclusive claims of both Christianity and Islam.”

The Bible seems to indicate that ultimately, prior to Christ’s return, one large religion, claiming to be Christian, will combine most religions under its umbrella.

Massive Space Storm Overdue

Mail On Line wrote on February 22:

“The world is overdue a ferocious ‘space storm’ that could knock out communications satellites, ground aircraft and trigger blackouts – causing hundreds of billions of pounds of damage, scientists say. Astronomers today warned that mankind is now more vulnerable to a major solar storm than at any time in history – and that the planet should prepare for a global Katrina-style disaster.

“A massive eruption of the sun would [send] waves of radiation and charged particles to Earth, damaging the satellite systems used for synchronising computers, airline navigation and phone networks. If the storm is powerful enough it could even crash stock markets and cause power cuts that last weeks or months… The chances of a disruption from space are getting stronger because the sun is entering the most active period of its 11 to 12-year natural cycle.

“The world got a taster of the sun’s explosive power last week when the strongest solar eruption in five years sent a torrent of charged plasma hurtling towards the world at 580 miles per second. The storm created spectacular aurorae and disrupted radio communications…

“Solar storms are caused by massive explosions on the sun. The explosions release waves of X-rays and ultraviolet radiation which smash into the Earth within minutes, disrupting radio signals and damaging the electronics of satellites. They are followed ten to 20 minutes later by a burst of energetic particles which cause even more havoc with satellites – and then 15 to 30 hours later by supercharged plasma which collides with Earth’s magnetic field. The plasma create the aurora – or Northern Lights – and can induce electrical currents in power lines and cables.

“Jane Lubchenco, head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said: ‘This is not a matter of if, it is simply a matter of when and how big. The last time we had a maximum in the solar cycle, about 10 years ago, the world was a very different place. Cell phones are now ubiquitous; they were certainly around  but we didn’t rely on them for so many different things…’”

Christ prophesied that we can expect strange cosmic disturbances in the heavens, which will affect the earth (Luke 21:25;  compare Joel 2:30).

Big Earthquake in New Zealand

The Telegraph wrote on February 22:

“More than 150 are feared dead after a major earthquake hit Christchurch, one of New Zealand’s biggest cities, in what the prime minister described ‘New Zealand’s darkest day’… The Queen, who is also New Zealand’s head of state, expressed her sadness at the 6.3 magnitude quake, saying she was ‘utterly shocked’ by the news…

“A state of emergency was declared following the quake, which struck at 12.51pm on Tuesday local time (2351GMT Monday), when office blocks and shopping centres in the city centre were bustling with people… Officials fear the death toll could double amid reports that more than 200 were trapped in collapsed buildings and wreckage of homes. Bodies were seen lying in the streets, untended until emergency services were able to reach them… Mr Key, the prime minister who has flown to the city, described what he saw as ‘utter devastation’…

“William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, said Britain stood ‘ready to provide any assistance that we can… The ties that bind the UK with New Zealand are very close…’

“The chaotic scenes were far different from last September’s ‘miracle’, when no one was killed in a 7.1 magnitude quake. Tuesday’s much shallower quake, just two miles below the surface… has been described as the worst earthquake to hit the country in 80 years.”

Christ prophesied that in these last days, we will hear more and more about “earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7).

Mysterious Death of 100 Pilot Whales in New Zealand

AFP wrote on February 22:

“More than 100 pilot whales died in a mass stranding at a remote New Zealand beach, conservation officials said Monday… Pilot whales up to 20 feet (6m) long are the most common species of whale seen in New Zealand waters.

“… Earlier this month, 14 [pilot whales] died after beaching near the South Island tourist city of Nelson and 24 perished last month near Cape Reinga in the country’s far north. Scientists are unsure why pilot whales beach themselves…”

It is interesting that this particular mass killing occurred just before a strong earthquake struck Christchurch.

“Frisians Ward Off Evil Spirits With Bonfire Festival”

The Local wrote on February 22:

“North Frisians lit their traditional Biikebrennen bonfires on Monday night, celebrating the new year and warding off evil winter spirits in one of northern Germany’s most important folk festivals. More than 60 fires burned in coastal communities along the North Frisian Islands in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, in addition to some in nearby Denmark’s South Jutland region…

“Communities in the area often save their discarded Christmas trees from which they build massive towers for burning. A strawman symbolizing winter is also often burned, which has led some historians to conjecture that the practice derives from the pagan midwinter feast.”

Pagan customs and traditions are prevalent in our “Christian” societies. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?—Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”

Anniversary of Execution of White Rose Members

Deutsche Welle wrote on February 22 about the anniversary of the execution of Hans and Sophie Scholl, members of the German White Rose movement. The following was stated:

“Hans and Sophie Scholl are among those most closely associated with the anti-Hitler movement in Nazi Germany. The young siblings from Munich were part of the White Rose, a resistance group committed to non-violence. From June 1942 to February 1943, they secretly printed anti-war leaflets with slogans like ‘Down with Hitler!’ and ‘Freedom!’ which they distributed to the public. The group has been praised by many prominent personalities, including anti-fascist German novelist and Nobel Prize-winner Thomas Mann. To this day, the White Rose stands for courage, bravery and political responsibility…
 
“‘Do you and your children want to suffer the same fate that befell the Jews?’ asks the fifth and second-to-last White Rose leaflet, which was written shortly before the group’s arrest by the Gestapo on February 18, 1943. ‘Do you want to be judged in the same way as your abusers? …Should we forever be the people hated and rejected by the whole world? No! So distance yourselves from the National Socialist subhumanness! Tear off the coat of indifference that covers your heart! Make a decision before it’s too late!’
 
“Franz Josef Müller, now 86, was a member of the White Rose. As a 17-year-old, he protested together with Hans and Sophie Scholl, Alexander Schmorell, Christoph Probst, Willi Graf and university professor Kurt Huber against the crimes of the Nazi regime… the activities of the White Rose [spread] beyond just Munich in southern Germany, reaching all the way to Hamburg in the north… Most of the Hamburg-based White Rose members had an academic background…

“Traute Lafrenz [a medical student in the early 1940s, now aged 91] helped deliver White Rose leaflets from Munich to Hamburg, where they were to be distributed. She was arrested by the Gestapo and later freed by American soldiers. After the war, she immigrated to the United States, where she worked as the director of an institution for mentally handicapped children.
 
“Lafrenz… was not the only Hamburg resident arrested due to connections with the White Rose – over 30 others suffered the same fate. Eight of them did not survive the prosecution, including Hans Conrad Leipelt who had helped Lafrenz transport the leaflets. Many of the accused were demonstratively tried for high treason at the so-called People’s Court and sentenced to death.
 
“Thanks to errors in the investigation process, Franz Josef Müller received ‘only’ a jail sentence. After the war he studied law and became a teacher.”

Hans and Sophie Scholl, children of a Protestant pastor, as well as others paid with their lives for what they believed in. They had the strong desire to warn their fellow citizens and make them aware of the atrocities of the Nazi regime, but they did not resort to violent means in doing so. The Church of God has the duty and commission to warn the world of impending disaster, due to the way we live, but we must not resort to violence, either. How dedicated and zealous are WE to finish the Work which God has given us to do—even if it costs our lives?