Europe Is Doing the Work

Reuters reported on June 28:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy rejected on Friday criticism of Europe’s role in the Libyan war effort by outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and insisted Washington’s allies were ‘doing the work… It was particularly inappropriate for Mr. Gates to say that [i.e., that Europe is not doing enough in Libya] and, what is more, completely false, given what is going on in Libya,’ Sarkozy told reporters at an EU summit in Brussels. ‘There are certainly other moments in history when he could have said that, but not when Europeans have courageously taken the Libyan issue in hand and when France and Britain, with their allies, for the most part, are doing the work.’”

The relationship between Europe and the USA is bound to deteriorate. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

The Hague Issues Warrant Against Gadhafi

Deutsche Welle reported on June 27:

“Libyan rebels, human rights groups and numerous governments around the world warmly welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Monday to issue [arrest] warrants for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, his son, Saif al-Islam, and the regime’s director of intelligence, Abdullah al-Senussi, Gadhafi’s brother-in-law. The three men have been charged with crimes against humanity, committed against opponents of the regime since mid-February of this year…

“NATO, which is coordinating and conducting the air campaign against the Libyan leader, said the indictments showed that time was running out for Gadhafi… Monday’s announcement marks the first time that the ICC has ever issued arrest warrants during an ongoing conflict.”

The Associated Press wrote on June 27:

“The warrants turn Gadhafi, his son Seif al-Islam Gadhafi and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanoussi into internationally wanted suspects, potentially complicating any efforts to mediate an end to more than four months of intense fighting in the North African nation… Gadhafi’s regime remained defiant. Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim… insisted Gadhafi will remain in Libya.

“While issuing international arrest warrants is a significant step toward bringing Gadhafi to The Hague to face justice, the court has no police force and a patchy record on detaining suspects. The court’s best chance of detaining Gadhafi appears to be if rebels supported by NATO airstrikes win the battle for control of Libya, manage to arrest the longtime leader and agree to extradite him to stand trial.

“In the court’s only other case against a head of state, judges have twice issued international arrest warrants for Sudanese leader Omar al Bashir on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur, but he remains free nearly a year after the second warrant was issued and has flown several times to friendly nations without being arrested.”

Die Welt wrote on June 28:

“One does not need to mince words or beat around the bush: Moammar Gadhafi is a bloodthirsty torturer. He is a murderer who sometimes pitches his tent in Sodom, at other times in Gomorrah. Even worse, he transforms every place that he governs into Sodom and Gomorrah. Every day that he remains in power is one day too many. Nevertheless, the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant against him is foolish. … It will rule out any possibility of Gadhafi choosing to go into exile, because most states will be obliged to arrest him and deport him to the Netherlands.”

Even though the Western world may jubilate over The Hague’s entirely symbolic and thoroughly political move to issue arrest warrants (normally it takes The Hague years of prior investigations before they would be willing to even entertain that thought), the Associated Press stated correctly that this ill-advised action will “complicate any efforts to mediate an end to the war,” and Die Welt added accurately that this course of  conduct prevents the possibility of Gadhafi ending the war and going into exile. The Libyan war becomes also more and more questionable in light of the following statements by Deutsche Welle, dated June 29:

“This week marked the three-month anniversary since the start of NATO’s military operations in Libya, but there was little sign of a breakthrough… Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini told reporters last week that NATO’s reputation was on the line… On Monday, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Gadhafi, accusing him of crimes against humanity. Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund in Washington said that the court’s decision could prolong NATO’s involvement… Adding to NATO’s woes, key allies Britain and France are warning about the cost of the air strikes, running at around 1 million euros ($143 million) per day. Others, like Canada, are considering pulling out in the autumn.”

Germany’s Duplicity

Der Spiegel wrote on June 29:

“Germany’s abstention from the Security Council vote authorizing the use of force against Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi earned it criticism from its international partners. But now the German government, despite its fundamental unwillingness to get involved in the conflict, wants to help its NATO allies attack Gadhafi’s troops…

“NATO submitted a request to all members asking for technology and components for bombs and other military equipment at the start of last week. Berlin has already responded positively to the request… Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière approved the request from the NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency (NAMSA). He gave authorization for the German military, the Bundeswehr, to provide bomb components and complete missiles for the Allied bombing campaign against Gadhafi

“… the government is assuming that the Bundeswehr will receive a detailed request within the next few days. Then the military will check whether it can help its allies and how quickly the weaponry can be delivered. It is not clear which weapons would be included in a concrete request… In Berlin on Monday, requests for an official statement on the Defense Ministry’s controversial decision went unfulfilled. The Foreign Ministry likewise opted not to comment…”

In an accompanying article, Der Spiegel Online reported about the furor and condemnation with which the opposition and even members from the coalition party reacted to the report that the German Defense Ministry had responded positively to NATO’s request. However, such German duplicity is not new. When the German government, under former Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, publically condemned the Iraq war, Germany’s Intelligence clandestinely assisted the Bush Administration in their war efforts.

Rumors of US Plans for Libya, Syria Cause Concern

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 27:

“When the United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1973 on March 17 of this year, it authorized the use of force by UN member states, granting them the right to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in Libya, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory.

“In the three months that have followed, the rules of Resolution 1973 appear to have been bent to allow the NATO-led mission to not only protect civilians in Libya but actively pursue the forces of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, target his strongholds and effectively force him out of power. This ‘mission creep’ has caused fractures and divisions within the international coalition that originally agreed to take on the UN’s Libyan operations.

“The Arab League, whose involvement helped sell the mission to the Arab world, is becoming increasingly nervous about what it sees as NATO’s new goal of regime change. Meanwhile, those members of the Security Council that abstained from the Resolution 1973 vote are concerned by developments they fear may lead toward a land invasion of Libya and the contravening of the UN resolution. Russia in particular has been angered by the deployment of military advisors and Special Forces operatives from the US, France and Britain to support the efforts of the Libyan opposition.

“Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters earlier this month after France and Britain had deployed attack helicopters to Libya for the first time that the prospect of land operations in Libya was against Moscow’s wishes…  a number of unsubstantiated reports based on anonymous military sources began flooding the Internet claiming that US forces were already being readied for a full-scale ground invasion of Libya… [in] October.

“Whether it is part of a future invasion plan or not, the existence of a recently re-deployed US Navy strike group in the Mediterranean cannot be disputed… The group, led by the Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush, along with the guided missile destroyers Truxtun and Mitscher, the missile cruisers Gettysburg and Anzio and eight squadrons of aircraft, has been sent to strengthen the US Sixth Fleet which is based in Naples, Italy. Most of the NATO missions in Libya to date have originated from bases in that country. If an invasion was being planned, the amount of naval firepower now available in the region would give more than adequate support for any land forces being deployed on Libyan soil.

“This is not the only US Navy strike group on the move. The USS Bataan, which alone can land more than 2,000 marines, equipped with helicopters and vertical takeoff planes, artillery and tanks, along with two other amphibious assault ships, anchored in Italy in mid-May. Reports suggest that the Bataan and its flotilla then left for an undisclosed location off the Syrian coast, prompting further rumors of a potential US intervention in Syria… However, while there is no documented evidence that suggests the US is planning to intervene in Syria, the presence of US warships in the vicinity – for whatever reason – … cannot be denied.”

In light of America’s domestic troubles and its feverish fascination with its Presidential elections in 2012, it may appear unlikely that the USA will get involved in another invasion of foreign countries, unless the Obama Administration may feel that such a move might increase its chances of winning the next election. In any event, the very idea that such an invasion might be possible raises grave concerns among America’s allies and foes alike. It also brings back into focus that even NATO’s current activities, especially as they pertain to Libya, seem to be in blatant violation of international law and the UN resolution authorizing limited military activities pertaining to Libya. Even though the warring Western parties don’t seem to be impressed by the restrictive demands of the law, it does not speak well about their unwillingness to abide by it and their alleged “noble cause” for fighting in Libya in the first place.

Iran’s Nuclear Plant to Start in August

The Associated Press reported on June 27:

“Moscow and Tehran signed a US$1 billion contract to build the 1,000-megawatt Bushehr plant in 1995, but delays… left the plant unfinished for years. Russian Deputy Foreign Ministry Sergei Ryabkov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying Monday that the plant is ‘completed’ and will start up in early August. The United States and some of its allies believe the plant is part of an Iranian attempt to develop nuclear weapons.”

The Guardian wrote on June 29:

“A senior Saudi Arabian diplomat and member of the ruling royal family has raised the spectre of nuclear conflict in the Middle East if Iran comes close to developing a nuclear weapon. Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief and ambassador to Washington, warned senior Nato military officials that the existence of such a device ‘would compel Saudi Arabia to pursue policies which could lead to untold and possibly dramatic consequences.’

“He did not state explicitly what these policies would be, but a senior official in Riyadh who is close to the prince said yesterday his message was clear. ‘We cannot live in a situation where Iran has nuclear weapons and we don’t. It’s as simple as that,’ the official said. ‘If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, that will be unacceptable to us and we will have to follow suit’…

“Turki holds no official post in Saudi Arabia but is seen as an ambassador at large for the kingdom and a potential future foreign minister. Diplomatic cables obtained by WikiLeaks and published by the Guardian last year revealed that King Abdullah, who has ruled Saudi Arabia since 2005, had privately warned Washington in 2008 that if Iran developed nuclear weapons ‘everyone in the region would do the same, including Saudi Arabia’…

“Turki also accused Iran of interfering in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and in the Gulf state of Bahrain…”

We have warned for quite some time that Iran pursues its nuclear activities with the intent to build a nuclear weapon and to use it in a war against Israel. Iran is getting closer and closer to its goal, and an explosion of the entire Middle Eastern powder keg would be the inevitable consequence.

Egypt’s Dilemma

Der Spiegel wrote on June 27:

“A new state is being born in Egypt in the wake of the revolution. While the old guard is battling to preserve its influence, scores of new parties are jockeying for power, including the Muslim Brotherhood, which is resorting to shrewd tactics in a bid to cement its political clout… Five months after Hosni Mubarak, who ruled the country for 30 years with a single political party and a clique of corrupt corporate leaders, stepped down at the age of 83, Egypt’s population of some 80 million is mired in a political swamp. It is hard to discern the democratic reforms, the long-overdue improvement in living conditions and the more equitable social order that Egyptian protestors longed for. ‘It’s business as usual,’ wrote the popular weekly newspaper Al-Fagr (The Dawn) in a resigned commentary. ‘The old powers are still in control.’

“Very few of Egypt’s key government decision-makers have had to give up their posts. Only a handful of prominent officials… were replaced. Security also leaves much to be desired. Crime is rife due to a lack of police operations. Unknown gangs have meticulously dismantled and stolen some 300 kilometers of train track along an important route across the Suez Canal towards Palestine and Israel…

“Meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood is making headway in its campaign in the villages and city slums where imams are trying to persuade the faithful that everyone who denies the party of the Muslim Brotherhood his vote is betraying Islam…”

Politico reported on June 30:

“The U.S. has decided to formally resume contact with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood group – which does not recognize Israel… One senior U.S. official said the Brotherhood’s rise in political prominence… makes the American contact necessary… The decision to resume contact with the Muslim Brotherhood group may worry members of the Jewish community and Israeli officials, Reuters reported. Politico… wrote yesterday about the increasing anxiety of center-left Jewish Democrats who are losing faith in Obama, most recently because of the speech in which he called for the country’s 1967 borders to be the basis for peace talks, with ‘land swaps.’”

The whole idea of Egypt’s fight for real change and true democracy was, sadly, nothing else but an illusionary pipe dream. Egypt’s prophesied future does not look too promising.

Chinese-European Relationship

Deutsche Welle reported on June 27:

“Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao explained to his government that solving Europe’s debt crisis would be of great interest to China. Hong Lei of the Chinese Foreign Office stated that ‘China is ready to help European countries now and in the future.’ He explained further that some measures to boost economic cooperation have already been taken; for example, China has started buying EU bonds… China’s foreign exchange reserves of over $3 billion (around 2.1 billion euros) are the largest in the world. One fourth of these are in euros. According to official Chinese statements, China has already bought up debt from euro countries for billions of dollars since April alone…

“Thirteen Chinese ministers are accompanying Wen Jiabao for the first round of German-Chinese government consultations in Berlin. For China, this is a completely new form of cooperation… [Germany’s Chancellor Angela] Merkel still takes every opportunity she gets to talk to the Chinese government about human rights. Though the Chinese have always patiently listened to her, it has never seemed to have any effect.”

The Telegraph wrote on June 27:

“…while the Chinese media will sell any intervention [to save the euro] as a grand favour to impoverished Europe, it is worth remembering that Europe remains China’s biggest export market. And with the latest surveys indicating that Chinese factories have slowed to almost flat growth, China needs Europe to keep on buying its goods or face difficulties in what remains one of the key pillars of its economy. China may be the world’s fastest-growing major economy, but it still needs moribund old Europe.”

Der Spiegel added on June 27:

“Beijing recently published a report praising cooperation between the two countries [China and Germany]. From bank regulation to research, technology and youth exchange programs, the ‘strategic partnership’ with Germany is more extensive than with any other European nation…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 28:

“As Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao wrapped up his European visit in Berlin on Tuesday, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany intended to boost trade with China to at least 200 billion euros ($283.8 billion) in the next five years… Trade between the world’s number two economy, China, and Germany, at number four, currently stands at 130 billion euros annually. The Chinese premier followed Merkel’s announcement by asserting China’s confidence in the eurozone. ‘It’s true that right now some European Union countries are encountering economic problems. These are, however, of a temporary nature,’ he told the business forum. The European Union is ‘strong enough to master the current challenges,’ he added.”

The close interdependent relationship between Europe and China is one more reason why the euro will not fail, as both power blocs cannot afford such an occurrence. However, just to give an example of the absolute nonsense and irresponsible misinformation which is being circulated, note what the British Express wrote on June 27:

“Rumours are also rife in Germany that Deutsche Mark bank notes are being printed again in preparation for ditching the euro. It is said Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, has been ordered to print marks as part of contingency plans to leave Europe’s single currency.”

Of course, there is absolutely no verifiable truth to this statement, and no shred of evidence is offered for such irresponsible reporting, but the tragedy is that gullible people tend to believe just about anything that seems to support their false paradigms and wishful thinking.

“Berlin’s Dance with the Dragon”… German Press Concerned About China’s Influence

The Local wrote on June 29:

“Newspapers, regardless of their political stripes, were all but unanimous in expressing concern about the danger of too-great China’s influence in Germany and Europe after Chinese premier Wen Jiabao travelled to the region this week. Some bemoaned the lack of a united European policy on China, allowing the emerging Asian giant to use its considerable economic lure – and bulging wallet – to more easily influence each country individually… while Germany sees business and trade as purely economic issues, China sees them strategically…

“Populist mass-circulation Bild newspaper wrote that China offers great business opportunities – but also poses a giant risk… ‘China is not a democracy, nor a country with the rule of law, nor a free market economy, distance and mistrust remain essential… Germany and Europe must remain true to themselves…’

“The centre-left Süddeutsche Zeitung lamented the fact that there was no common European policy on China… The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung criticized the fact that Europe sees China only through the lenses of business and human rights… China’s purchase of the stricken bonds of debt-ridden European nations was not done from the goodness of its heart, the paper wrote. Europe’s increasing dependence on China would make criticism of its human rights record harder…

“The left-wing Tageszeitung wrote that the great love-in between the German cabinet and Wen’s entourage of ministers masked the realities of China: a paranoid communist party that is cracking down on media and strengthening its network of spies while using business to further its political aims. The paper noted that an advisor to the Chinese Foreign Ministry had recently put it this way: The Chinese were ‘interested in a strategic vision and a global perspective. Europe by contrast seems to believe that it is more important how many planes are sold and how many contracts are signed.’”

EU Pressures Greece

The EUObserver wrote on June 28:

“…the European Commission has warned Greek deputies that if they do not vote the right way, then ‘everything changes’ as to whether ‘EU solidarity continues’… EU economics commissioner Olli Rehn said there are only two options for the country: pass the mid-term package or default… He refused to answer whether a country can default and still be a member of the Eurozone…

“The austerity has provoked furious country-wide resistance to the measures. A two-day general strike [instigated by communists and labor and trade unions, and supported by anarchists, according to Der Spiegel and Deutsche Welle] was launched on Tuesday.”

BBC News wrote on June 29:

“The Greek parliament has voted in favour of a drastic package of austerity measures intended to save the country from defaulting on its debts. The proposed tax hikes and spending cuts have been deeply unpopular with the Greek public. A nationwide 48-hour strike is under way and violent clashes are continuing in the streets of the capital, Athens… Top EU officials welcomed the result as a ‘vote of national responsibility’, saying it had pulled Greece away from the ‘very grave scenario of default’ while paving the way for a second aid package.”

In response to the Greek vote, Bild Online wrote: “The euro has been saved.” Deutsche Welle quoted Angela Merkel as saying the vote was “both an important step for the future of Greece and for the stability of the euro. We, the European Union, stand ready to help.”

According to Bild Online, the Greek Parliament approved detailed laws pertaining to austerity measures in a second vote on June 30. The paper wrote: “Now it is done!” It also stated: “As a consequence, the market reacted positively and relieved, and the value of the euro rose and reached a level of 1.45 towards the U.S. dollar.”

Animal Sacrifices—A Foretaste of What Is to Come…

BBC News reported on June 28:

“The Dutch lower house of parliament has passed a law effectively banning the ritual slaughter of animals… The legislation states that all animals must be stunned before being killed. But the Islamic dhabiha and Jewish shechita methods of ritual slaughter require them to be fully conscious… debate over the matter swiftly became a focus of animosity towards the Netherlands’ 1.2 million-strong Muslim community. The country’s Jewish population is comparatively small at 50,000.

“Following months of debate a last minute concession was offered – the Muslim and Jewish communities will have a year to provide evidence that animals slaughtered by traditional methods do not experience greater pain than those that are stunned before they are killed. However, observers say finding such proof will be virtually impossible. The bill must still be approved by the upper house of parliament before it can become law… In a rare show of unity, the Muslim and Jewish communities condemned the legislation and said it infringed on their religious freedom.

“‘One of the first measures taken during the Occupation [by Nazi Germany during World War II] was the closing of kosher abattoirs,’ Dutch Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs told MPs during a debate in The Hague… To make meat kosher for Jews or halal for Muslims, animals must be slaughtered while still awake, by swiftly cutting the main arteries and veins in their necks with sharp knives, and then allowing the blood to drain out.”

This is an interesting foretaste of what IS going to happen in the Holy Land. The Bible is very specific that the Jews will start bringing sacrifices again in Jerusalem, and the future United States of Europe, under German leadership, will intervene and forcefully forbid such sacrifices.

IMF Confirms Lagarde as Strauss-Kahn Successor

Deutsche Welle reported on June 29:

“French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has been named as the new head of the International Monetary Fund… replacing her countryman Dominique Strauss-Kahn who was forced to step down from the post in May after becoming embroiled in a sexual assault case in the United States…

“The 24-member IMF board appointed Lagarde, 55, by consensus to a five-year term beginning July 5. Earlier Tuesday, she had won the backing of the United States, which carries the most votes within the board. A host of Asian, African, European and Latin American nations also threw their weight behind her for the role, which traditionally has gone to a European…

“Lagarde was the first woman to head the French Finance Ministry, the first female finance minister in a G8 country and is now the first woman to lead the IMF. She received strong support for her candidacy, backed not only by French President Nicolas Sarkozy but also by members of the OECD from Britain, Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands. Germany had also expressed support for her… Lagarde also received backing from Russia and China, despite the fact that the latter would have preferred a candidate from the emerging economies take the job, rather than another European…

“Like Sarkozy, she wants the IMF to develop into a type of global economic governance organization. The contacts she’s made during her career in the international economic and financial world could help realize this aim.”

Der Spiegel Online commented that  “’Convinced European’ Christine Lagarde Takes Over.” Lagarde’s intensions to bring about a global economic government are also quite interesting in light of biblical prophecies, as contained in the 18th chapter of the book of Revelation.

Nuclear Threats in the USA

CNN reported on June 29:

“The manager of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant and his colleagues are bent on dispelling rumors about… a meltdown… Still, there is a genuine crisis at the plant. Floodwaters from the swollen Missouri River have engulfed this facility… The buildings housing the reactor core, the spent fuel rods and other crucial components are protected by small levees and aqua-berms. But outside those barriers, the water is at least 2 feet above ground level…

“Officials did not allow journalists directly into the rooms housing the reactor core and the spent fuel rods…”

Reuters reported on June 29:

“New Mexico fire managers scrambled on Tuesday to reinforce crews battling a third day against an out-of-control blaze at the edge of one of the nation’s top nuclear weapons production centers. The fire’s leading edge burned to within a few miles… of a dump site where some 20,000 barrels of plutonium-contaminated waste is stored at the Los Alamos National Laboratory…

“Established during World War Two as part of the top-secret Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bomb, it remains one of the leading nuclear arms manufacturing facilities in the United States. Nuclear Watch New Mexico said on its website its greatest concern was for the 20,000 55-gallon sealed drums of plutonium-tainted waste stored at one corner of the complex, some stacked in the open on asphalt, some in tents, some buried underground…

Of course, we are being told that no real danger exists. But in light of the continuing lies permeating from Japan’s nuclear power plant fiasco, who is really willing to believe those “reassuring” words any longer? In any event, we should be able to see the potential dangers that nuclear power plants pose for mankind.

Fast and Furious…

CNN reported on June 17:

“The Mexican government’s fight against drug cartels has cost thousands of lives with guns smuggled in from the United States helping to fan the flames of this deadly fight… the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (or ‘ATF’ as it is commonly known) conceived of Operation Fast and Furious. The idea was to allow some guns to cross the southern border in the hope of seeing where those weapons ended up.

“But once those guns arrived in Mexico there was no way of tracing them until they turned up at a crime scene. Sadly, one of those guns turned up near Rio Rico, AZ next to the body of Customs and Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry. Now Congress is asking questions. Lawmakers want to know who allowed this operation to go forward. And answers have been in short supply.

“One thing that is known is that the Mexican government wasn’t informed of the operation…”

On June 15, CNN had given the following additional information:

“Operation Fast and Furious, as the program was known, was ‘a colossal failure of leadership,’ said Peter Forcelli, a supervisor at the Phoenix field office…[Another] agent, John Dodson, told lawmakers: ‘I cannot begin to think of how the risk of letting guns fall into the hands of known criminals could possibly advance any legitimate law enforcement interest…

“Operation Fast and Furious focused on… people who legally bought weapons that were then transferred to criminals and destined for Mexico. But instead of intercepting the weapons when they switched hands, Operation Fast and Furious called for ATF agents to let the guns ‘walk’ and wait for them to surface in Mexico… The idea was that once the weapons in Mexico were traced back to the straw purchasers, the entire arms smuggling network could be brought down…

“The committee’s chairman, California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, called the operation ‘felony stupid.’ As many as 2,000 semi-automatic rifles reached the hands of the cartels as a result… Issa also was upset over heavily redacted documents that his committee had received from the attorney general’s office.”

Newsmax added on June 20:

“Kenneth Melson, the acting director of the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms (ATF), is expected to step down in the wake of the ‘Fast and Furious’ gun-running scheme… But the plan went disastrously wrong and the weapons have been used in at least 150 shootings. The ATF now admits it lost track of two-thirds of the guns.”

One has to shake one’s head over the degree of stupidity—and worse—with which this operation was concocted and conducted. It is additional testimony to the fact that God has indeed poured out a spirit of stupor on this nation (compare Romans 11:8). You might also review our recent article, “Senseless U.S. Dealings…” in the Current Events section of our Update # 495, to find more incredible examples of senseless U.S. dealings…

Questionable Legal US Operation in Libya

The New York Times stated on June 17, 2011

“President Obama rejected the views of top lawyers at the Pentagon and the Justice Department when he decided that he had the legal authority to continue American military participation in the air war in Libya without Congressional authorization… Jeh C. Johnson, the Pentagon general counsel, and Caroline D. Krass, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, had told the White House that they believed that the United States military’s activities in the NATO-led air war amounted to ‘hostilities.’ Under the War Powers Resolution, that would have required Mr. Obama to terminate or scale back the mission after May 20.

“But Mr. Obama decided instead to adopt the legal analysis of several other senior members of his legal team — including the White House counsel, Robert Bauer, and the State Department legal adviser, Harold H. Koh — who argued that the United States military’s activities fell short of ‘hostilities.’ Under that view, Mr. Obama needed no permission from Congress to continue the mission unchanged.

“Presidents have the legal authority to override the legal conclusions of the Office of Legal Counsel and to act in a manner that is contrary to its advice, but it is extraordinarily rare for that to happen. Under normal circumstances, the office’s interpretation of the law is legally binding on the executive branch…

“[The House speaker, John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, said:] ‘The White House says there are no hostilities taking place. Yet we’ve got drone attacks under way. We’re spending $10 million a day. We’re part of an effort to drop bombs on Qaddafi’s compounds. It just doesn’t pass the straight-face test, in my view, that we’re not in the midst of hostilities’…”

Whatever the accuracy of the legal interpretation of the resolution in question, America’s involvement in the ill-perceived and –conducted “war” against Libya and its internal struggle regarding the lack of “advisability” of such action only add to the downfall and demise of the USA. As the EUObserver reported on June 20, even NATO’s “limited” goal for Libya is coming under pressure.

According to the news agency, “Nato on Sunday… admitted its first major airstrike blunder causing civilian casualties in the four-month long Libyan campaign against Moammar Gaddafi… Nato’s blunder – the first such admission since operations began four months ago with the aim of ‘protecting civilians’ from Gaddafi’s mortar shells and airstrikes – comes shortly after the outgoing US defence minister Robert Gates highlighted the technical and intelligence shortfalls of the alliance in Libya.”

AFP added on June 22: “Italy called for a suspension of hostilities in Libya on Wednesday in the latest sign of dissent within NATO as the civilian death toll mounts and Moamer Kadhafi shows no signs of quitting power… France, which has taken the lead in military operations against Kadhafi, immediately ruled out any pause in the Libya campaign… Despite repeated calls for unity within NATO on its air strikes, the strain has begun to show in the alliance and Norway’s recent decision to withdraw from operations sparked fears others may follow.”

Romney’s Ever-Shifting Positions…

On June 18, 2011, Reuters reported the following:

“Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney restated his support for a reversal of Roe vs Wade Saturday after opting not to sign what he called an ‘overly broad’ pledge promoted by an anti-abortion advocacy group. ‘I am pro-life and believe that abortion should be limited to only instances of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother,’ the former Massachusetts governor wrote in an editorial on the conservative National Review’s website. [He] was attempting to blunt criticism of his decision not to sign a pledge pushed by the Susan B. Anthony List, an anti-abortion organization.

“Those signing the list vow to nominate judges and appoint executive branch officials who are opposed to abortion. Signing on have been Minnesota Congressman [sic] Michele Bachmann, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Texas Congressman Ron Paul, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum. Romney, Georgia businessman Herman Cain and former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson opted not to sign…

“Democrats charge that Romney has changed his views on abortion at least once. In 2002, while campaigning for governor in socially liberal Massachusetts, he vowed to ‘preserve and protect’ a woman’s right to have an abortion.”

Politics and more politics… and in reading the next article, one wonders what IS really going on in our countries…

Bilderberg Holds True Power in America?

On June 20, The Drudge Report provided a link to the following article by Infowar:

“Every indication suggests that Bilderberg-approved Texas Governor Rick Perry is set to become the frontrunner in the Republican race to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency, illustrating once again how a shady, secretive and undemocratic global elite holds the reigns of true power while Americans are distracted by the delusional notion that they have a genuine choice in 2012…

“While spewing Tea Party-style rhetoric about secession, shooting coyotes and courting the favor of Christian evangelicals, behind closed doors Perry has been quietly selling out Texas to globalist interests, auctioning off highways to foreign companies to turn them into profit-driven toll roads.

“‘Speculation that Perry is the Bilderberg group’s ace card was prompted by the current political climate, which can largely be gleaned from the fact that Perry is a longtime, unwavering supporter of the NAFTA Superhighway and related infrastructure projects,’ wrote AFP’s Jim Tucker earlier this month. ‘These pave the way for the Bilderberg-supported North American Union (NAU) proposal that would merge the U.S., Canada and Mexico.’

“Perry has also given enthusiastic support to former Mexican President Vicente Fox’s efforts to turn Texas into a sanctuary state for illegal immigrants. He also aggressively promoted the Rockefeller Foundation-backed HPV vaccination campaign in Texas that has led to deaths worldwide. David Rockefeller is a prominent Bilderberger, attending each annual meeting without fail.

“Perry attended the June 2007 Bilderberg conference in Istanbul, Turkey… Look beyond the rhetoric and study what Perry has actually done in his role as Governor – he’s the ultimate globalist – his every action illustrates how he’s the diametric opposite to the image of the Tea Party populist that he attempts to portray. That’s why he’s the perfect pick for the globalists, someone who can suck in the trust of the American people only to stab them in the back upon becoming president, just as Obama did before him.

“Bilderberg has proven its kingmaker role time and time again not just in US politics but worldwide. Bill Clinton was a little-known Governor of Arkansas before he attended a Bilderberg meeting in 1991 and went on to become President a year later. Similarly, British Prime Minister Tony Blair attended Bilderberg before his election in 1997. According to Euro Weekly News, Maria Dolores De Cospedal’s attendance at Bilderberg 2011 in St. Moritz Switzerland also ‘augurs a victory in Spain’s next general election’ for her Partido Popular party.

“Obama himself was reportedly vetted by Bilderberg when he infamously disappeared to a secret location with Hillary Clinton in June 2008 in Northern Virginia, at precisely the same time and location the Bilderberg Group were convening in Chantilly. Bilderberg luminary James A. Johnson was also responsible for selecting Obama’s running mate Joe Biden, having also previously selected John Edwards as John Kerry’s right hand man in 2004 after Edwards had impressed Bilderberg elitists Henry Kissinger and David Rockefeller with a speech he gave at the globalist confab in Italy that year…

“Bilderberg’s continual influence in picking US presidents and potential vice-presidents again serves up a reminder that the real power structure steering the planet goes beyond teleprompter-reading puppet presidents and rests in the hands of multi-generational globalists, central banking moguls and the CEO’s of the world’s biggest corporations, all of whom routinely attend the Bilderberg Group confab every year.”

This sounds almost too far-fetched to be believable… but then, stranger things have happened. One thing is sure… this world is ruled by invisible conspirators virtually unknown and unnoticed by the masses. We are talking about Satan and his demons… and Satan’s wrath is great because he knows that he has only a short time left. We can therefore expect horrible and surprising developments to occur in the near future before Christ returns to put an end to Satan’s terrible rule over man. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Angels, Demons and the Spirit World.”

America’s Ongoing Catastrophes

Reuters reported on June 22:

“Emergency sirens sounded in Minot, North Dakota on Wednesday telling up to 12,000 residents to evacuate immediately because the rising Souris River is about to overflow flood levees… The Souris River at Minot is expected to smash the previous flood record in 1881 by about 5 feet and reach up to nearly 8 feet higher than 1969 flooding local residents have been using as a benchmark as they prepare to evacuate…

“Heavy rains over the past six weeks have swelled Canadian reservoirs in the Souris River basin, forcing unprecedented water releases. In turn, U.S. officials must release water from the Lake Darling Dam above Minot at a rate more than double what the recently fortified protections can bear… The massive flooding on the Souris River, which flows into the Red River basin, was the latest problem as flooding threatens communities from Montana through Missouri.The swelling Missouri River threatens the North Dakota capital of Bismarck, the South Dakota capital of Pierre and other communities for hundreds of miles downstream…”

Germany and France Find Common Ground on Greece

Deutsche Welle reported on June 17:

“The German and French leaders emerged from a meeting in Berlin on Friday with a common message on helping the ailing Greek economy. The pair called for a swift solution to the country’s debt crisis, which threatens the stability of the euro single currency. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Greece would need a second bailout package to buttress a 110 billion euro ($157 billion) bailout agreed last year. The issue of a second aid deal, expected to be worth around 80 billion euros to 120 billion euros, has divided eurozone members, with the two leaders saying they had reached a ‘breakthrough‘ on the matter and that time was of the essence…

“The leaders also stated that private sector involvement in a second bailout should be on a voluntary basis and be conducted in coordination with the European Central Bank, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund… Merkel reiterated her support for the euro and said Germany’s prosperity was dependent on its future stability. Germany and France were determined to defend the common currency, Merkel told reporters, saying ‘we will do everything to preserve and support the euro. ’”

“On June 20, Deutsche Welle stated  that “The Greek finance minister says he is sure the parliament in Athens will give the green light to fresh austerity measures, after eurozone finance ministers made this a condition for the release of further bailout funds… They said the parliamentary approval must be given before Athens can receive an additional 12 billion euros ($17 billion) in emergency loans to prevent it from defaulting on its public debt. The money is part of the 110-euro bailout package the country secured last year. Greece needs the funds by mid-July to stave off insolvency.”

The EUObserver wrote on June 22:

“The freshly reshuffled Greek government has won a vote of confidence by the country’s parliament in an attempt to show strength days before a possible national default. Meanwhile, according to the latest Failed State Index, out this week, Greece was ‘by far the poorest performer’ in political deterioration… The rest of the eurozone and international lenders are now holding their breath until 28 June when the government, hit by a series of resignations and widening civil unrest, will attempt to push through an unpopular series of fresh austerity measures amounting to €28 billion as well as €50 billion in public asset sales.

“The confidence vote came just hours after Fitch, one of the big three credit ratings agencies, declared that it will assess Greece as in default if private bondholders agree to even the softest of voluntary participation in any second bail-out of the country. EU leaders hope to convince private creditors to roll over Greek debt as bonds mature in order to pare back the involvement of the public purse in a second rescue.”

The Bible makes clear that ultimately, Greece will be at least associated with the final configuration of the revived Babylonian system, in oppostion to the state of Israel.  A frightening prophecy in Joel 3:6, addressing the Babylonian system under the designation of mystical Tyre (verse 4), states the following: “Also the people of Judah and the people of Jerusalem You have sold to the Greeks, that you may remove them from their borders.”

The Greek Crisis and the Euro

Der Spiegel Online reported on June 20:

“If the rest of Europe abandons Greece, the crisis could spin out of control, spreading from one weak euro-zone country to the next…

“… When things get serious, as they are now, decisions will no longer be made in the somewhat democratically legitimized EU bodies, but at the more or less secret meetings of a handful of leaders. During the German chancellor’s and the French president’s quiet walks together, and at the behind-the-scenes meetings of discrete central banks, policies are being made that are then handed to the parliaments to rubber-stamp, even though hardly any of their members understand them… One of the reasons that Europeans are so incensed at their respective governments is that they are not involved in the decision-making process…

“The euro debt crisis has already swept aside two governments, in Ireland and Portugal, and the Spanish and Greek governments could soon follow. Things are also getting precarious for the government in Berlin, where Chancellor Angela Merkel could lose her parliamentary majority in upcoming votes on bailout measures…

“A collapse of the monetary union would set Europe back by decades, dealing it a blow from which it might never recover… This is why Europe’s politicians want to defend the euro at all costs, and why they are approving one bailout package after the next. They are playing for time… The business community is supporting their efforts, too. In a major advertising campaign scheduled to run in leading publications this week, top German business executives… promote the monetary union and insist: ‘The euro is necessary’…

“More than anything, the euro was a political project. Its advocates, most notably then German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and then French President François Mitterrand, wanted to permanently unite the continent’s core countries…

“There are essentially two alternatives. The first is a radical one, in which the governments pull the plug and leave the beleaguered countries to fend for themselves. The second, more pragmatic solution is to continue muddling along, though somewhat more efficiently, and to hope that things improve. Neither option will be cheap.

“The radical cure works like this: Disappointed by the lack of progress and prospects for improvement, the euro-zone countries leave Greece to fend for itself… The country would quickly become insolvent… If Greece slides into uncontrolled bankruptcy, investors might refuse to invest their money in other ailing euro-zone members. Even more banks could collapse in the ensuing chain reaction…

“In light of these incalculable developments, many are now considering the nuclear option as a real alternative: Greece withdraws from the monetary union and reintroduces the drachma… The crisis would not end after Greece’s withdrawal. In fact, it could even get worse… At the end of such a development, the monetary union could disintegrate into a hard-currency bloc and a group with its own, weaker currencies…

“To prevent this from happening, many politicians specializing in financial and economic affairs recommend bringing about the political union of Europe as quickly as possible, a union with a strong central government. They argue that if the nations in the euro zone formed a closer union, they could coordinate their financial systems more effectively, thus providing the common currency with a political foundation.”

We should take note of several ideas in this article. Firstly, political and economic decisions are being made in secrecy. Secondly, the euro crisis could drastically change the political landscape of Europe. Some governments may topple, and a core Europe could develop (but the core countries would keep the euro, not abandon it). Thirdly, this crisis could motivate European nations to establish a powerful political bloc, with a strong centralized government. These ideas could lead to the fulfillment of key prophecies on Europe. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Great Tribulation and the Day of the Lord.”

Germany Will Not Intervene in Syria

On June 20, Der Spiegel Online published the following revealing interview with German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière. We are bringing you the following excerpts:

“In Afghanistan, we’re demonstrating that the Bundeswehr (…the German military) is a fighting army whenever it has to be…

“Our decision to not participate in the military part of the Libya mission was based on carefully considered reasons. It remains correct… The Americans did ask us for military assistance again at the most recent NATO meeting. We turned them down… When you start something, you of course always have to know how long you can keep it up…

“The world can’t tolerate the regime currently in place in Damascus. But we also have to frankly admit that having Syria disintegrate would be very difficult for the entire region… The same thing applies in this case as for Libya: We will not get involved [in Syria]….

“The problem with our [military] budget is not its size but, rather, its structure. A major share or our total-budget investments — or roughly 22 percent — go toward armaments. That’s high compared with other countries. But almost all of that is tied to old orders, including some that we no longer need as much. Budget commitments need to be designed in a more flexible way… Almost all of my colleagues in NATO and the EU — the Dutch, the Poles, the French — are in the process of adapting their militaries to changed conditions. All of them want more agility, more quality instead of quantity…

“It is in our vital interest to make sure that the United States remains a European power and that it doesn’t look primarily westward. I am always telling the Americans: We Europeans are exhausting and sometimes even difficult and at odds with each other. But, compared with everyone else, we are still the most reliable partner in the world when it comes to stability, democracy and, ultimately, money, as well.”

However, the Bible shows that this will change… very shortly.

European Money for “Defense”

The New York Times wrote on June 22:

“NATO’s disarray has begun to chip away at the wider European-American relationship currently contributing 14 million jobs and $3 trillion in commercial sales. American officials regularly berate the Europeans with calls to spend ever more money on defense, even when the European Union’s total defense budget is already $300 billion, pretty close to America’s defense budget prior to 9/11.

“The real problem is the way in which this money is spent — for example, the wasteful duplication of weapons procurement programs. This will not change unless there is political will among E.U. leaders for change… this will to change will only come about when America decides to take away its defense credit card and asks Europe to take responsibility for its own security.

“The E.U. is increasingly capable of defending itself under its Common Security and Defense Policy, through which the E.U. has already deployed 27 military and civilian missions from Asia to Africa, and just approved the 28th — a military force for Libya that is ready to be deployed as soon as the U.N. asks for it.”

European Leaders Back Obama’s Troop Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Deutsche Welle reported on June 23:

“In a televised speech to the nation on Wednesday evening, US President Barack Obama announced plans for the withdrawal of 33,000 troops from Afghanistan by autumn next year, saying the end was in sight for the NATO-led coalition… NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday welcomed Obama’s announcement to begin a drawdown of US forces… German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle has applauded Obama’s decision, saying it indicated plans for [bringing] NATO troops back were becoming more concrete and that the US was signaling its cooperation with the international strategy in Afghanistan… ‘It’s our goal as well to start [bringing] back German troops by the end of the year, ’ Westerwelle added…

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy also lent his support to Obama’s decision… saying France would stick to a similar time frame for gradually bringing home its… troops in Afghanistan. However, Obama remains keen that any withdrawal should not be carried out [too] quickly. The situation is still described as  ‘unstable ’ by generals and the gains made up to this point are not irreversible… The president also spoke of the cost of the exercise, which currently amounts to $10 billion (7 billion euros) per month. Over the course of the last decade, the US spent around $1 trillion on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the president said. Given the difficult economic situation faced by the world, he said it was now time to focus on domestic investment…

“The president also informed Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, as well as the leaders of nations committed to the NATO-led effort, including Chancellor Angela Merkel. The future of Afghanistan will be discussed at a conference in the German city of Bonn in December. In addition, a further conference is planned for May next year in Chicago… ”

“America Flirts With a Fate Like Japan’s”

The Financial Times wrote on June 19:

“The stalling of the US recovery raises big, scary questions. After a recession, this economy usually gets people back to work quickly. Not this time. Progress is so slow, the issue is not so much when America will return to full employment but what ‘full employment’ will mean by the time it does….

“Last week President Barack Obama called the pause a ‘bump in the road’. Others think the slowdown will persist and might get worse, fears that cannot be dismissed. One alarming possibility is that the traits the US has relied on to drive growth in the past – labour market flexibility, rapid productivity growth – might have become toxic. If the US is unlucky, traits seen as distinctive strengths are now weaknesses, and a ‘lost decade’ of stagnation, like Japan’s in the 1990s, might lie ahead.”

Sadly, this is exactly what the Bible predicts to occur—notwithstanding the “optimistic” but unrealistic and unbiblical viewpoints of Republican candidates for the Presidency. For more information on the spiritual reasons for this prophesied development, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

China May Still Fall… Like Japan

The Financial Times wrote on June 14:

“Until 1990, Japan was the most successful large economy in the world. Almost nobody predicted what would happen to it in the succeeding decades. Today, people are yet more in awe of the achievements of China. Is it conceivable that this colossus could learn that spectacular success is a precursor of surprising failure? The answer is: yes.

“Japan’s gross domestic product per head… jumped from a fifth of U.S. levels in 1950 to 90 percent in 1990. But this spectacular convergence went into reverse: by 2010, Japan’s GDP per head had fallen to 76 per cent of U.S. levels. China’s GDP per head jumped from 3 percent of U.S. levels in 1978… to a fifth of U.S. levels today. Is this going to continue as spectacularly over the next few decades or could China, too, surprise on the downside?…

“Premier Wen Jiabao has himself described the economy as ‘unstable, unbalanced, uncoordinated and ultimately unsustainable…’”

Even though the Bible prophesies a military confederation of Far Eastern powers (including China and Russia, see next article), it is also clearly revealed that Europe (the revived Babylonian system, compare Revelation 17) will become the most powerful economic bloc in the end time. In light of this, it is not to be expected that China—or any other nation or power bloc—will remotely match Europe’s economic success. Therefore, China’s economy will have to experience a downturn pretty soon. The same goes for the faltering economy of the USA… as the previous article showed.

Chinese and Russian Cooperation

The Pravda wrote on June 16:

“In the past decade, the development of China-Russia ties has made remarkable progress. Political and strategic mutual trust between the two nations have deepened continuously. The two countries have established mechanisms for high-level exchange of visits and all-round cooperation… The two nations have become each other’s major trading partner, and have coordinated closely in dealing with major world and regional affairs…

“Two months ago, the Chinese and Russian [Presidents] met… [and] agreed to further improve cooperation and safeguard common interests… The China-Russia oil pipeline started operation at the beginning of this year, and the fifth round of their strategic security consultations last January was a great success.”

For more information on the Chinese-Russian “political” and “security” cooperation and coalition, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the Bible?—The Mystery of the Book of Revelation.”

Doubts Over Global Warming

The EUObserver wrote on June 22:

“European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso is apparently unconcerned that the chief architect of the EU’s forthcoming multi-annual budget has major doubts over the existence of global warming. Environmental groups are sounding alarm bells however, warning that EU budget commissioner Janusz Lewandowski’s scepticism towards climate change is almost certain to affect his drafting of the crucial EU document which will shape the bloc’s policy for years to come (2014-2020).

“‘There’s an emerging point of view, that the thesis about coal energy as the main cause of global warming is highly doubtful,’ Lewandowski told Polish trade magazine Nowy Przemysl earlier this month. ‘Question marks are appearing ever more frequently over global warming itself,’ added the Polish commissioner, whose country relies on coal for 90 percent of its electricity generation.

“A spokesman for Lewandowski confirmed the accuracy of the statements. ‘His overall line is that it would be impossible for Poland to shift away from coal overnight. But he also expressed his doubts over climate change, in a personal capacity,’ Patrizio Fiorilli told this website.”

Netherland’s Geert Wilders Acquitted

Bloomberg wrote on June 23:

“Dutch Freedom Party Leader Geert Wilders was acquitted by a court of charges that he made remarks defaming Muslims, ending a three-year prosecution that he described as a bid to restrict his freedom of speech. Wilders, 47, was charged with inciting hatred and discrimination and insulting Muslims for calling the Koran ‘fascist’ and comparing it to Adolf Hitler’s book ‘Mein Kampf’ in a 2007 Dutch newspaper editorial. A year later, he released his movie ‘Fitna,’ in which he urged Muslims to rip out ‘hate-preaching’ verses from the book…

“The movie led to protests in Islamic-majority countries including Indonesia and Pakistan and prompted Malaysians to call for a boycott of products from the euro area’s second largest exporter. Wilders, whose party backs the minority Dutch coalition government, has been under constant police protection since a Muslim radical murdered filmmaker Theo van Gogh in 2004… ‘Today is a victory for freedom of speech,’ Wilders said… ‘The Dutch are still allowed to speak critically about Islam, and resistance against Islamization is not a crime.’… The Netherlands has about 850,000 Muslims… Most are of Turkish or Moroccan origin. The country’s population is 16.7 million.”

US Minorities Becoming the Majority

The Guardian wrote on June 23:

“Non-Hispanic white children now make up the minority of babies born in the US for the first time, according to latest census estimates, highlighting demographic changes that could reshape US government policy. Preliminary census estimates also show the share of African-American households headed by women – comprised mostly single mothers – now exceeds African-American households with married couples…

“Demographers say the numbers provide the clearest indication yet that non-white minority groups will become the majority in the US by the middle of the century. Currently non-Hispanic white children make up just under half of all three-year-olds in the US, the youngest age group shown. In 1990 the proportion was more than 60%. Demographer William Frey from the Brookings Institution, which analysed the data, said the data released so far suggested minorities already outnumber whites among babies under two. By contrast non-Hispanic white people make up the vast majority of older Americans – 80% of the over 65s and 73% of those between 45 and 64…

“The census figures come amid heated debate on a number of controversial issues including immigration, gay marriage and the rising cost of welfare benefits. Alabama became the latest state this month to pass a wide-ranging anti-immigration law which requires schools to report their students’ immigration status to the authorities. This follows tough immigration measures passed in similarly Republican-leaning states such as Georgia, Arizona and South Carolina. But Massachusetts, New York and Illinois have all opted out of a federal plan to deport criminals who are not US citizens, saying it has made illegal immigrants afraid of reporting crimes to police. California may also opt out.”

USA In Worse Shape Than Greece…

CNBC wrote on June 13:

“When adding in all of the money owed to cover future liabilities in entitlement programs the US is actually in worse financial shape than Greece and other debt-laden European countries, Pimco’s Bill Gross told CNBC Monday. Much of the public focus is on the nation’s public debt, which is $14.3 trillion. But that doesn’t include money guaranteed for Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, which comes to close to $50 trillion, according to government figures. The government also is on the hook for other debts such as the programs related to the bailout of the financial system following the crisis of 2008 and 2009, government figures show.

“Taken together, Gross puts the total at ‘nearly $100 trillion,’ that while perhaps a bit on the high side, places the country in a highly unenviable fiscal position that he said won’t find a solution overnight… Pimco, based in Newport Beach, Calif., manages more than $1.2 trillion in assets and runs the largest bond fund in the world… Should the debt problem in Greece explode into a full-blown crisis—an International Monetary Fund bailout has prevented a full-scale meltdown so far—Gross predicted that German debt, not that of the US, would be the safe-haven of choice for global investors.”

USA Today reported on June 13:

“President Obama asked voters for patience with the economy and jobs today, saying its problems were ‘years in the making’ and ‘it will take years to get back to where we need to be.’”

Sadly, we don’t have years to wait and to waste. The future of our country looks grim, and its downfall will happen much sooner than most think or anticipate.

Eating the Wrong Fish?

Oceana reported on May 25:

“… while 84 percent of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported, only two percent is currently inspected and less than 0.001 percent specifically for fraud. In fact, recent studies have found that seafood may be mislabeled as often as 25 to 70 percent of the time for fish like red snapper, wild salmon and Atlantic cod, disguising species that are less desirable, cheaper or more readily available.

“’We’ve tested well over 1,000 fish fillet samples over the past four years, from more than 50 cities across the country,’ said William Gergits, co-founder and managing member of Therion International, LLC, (Saratoga Springs, NY), a worldwide leader in DNA testing of seafood. ‘Results from our DNA lab show that about half the time (an average of 50 percent) the fish you are eating is not the species listed on the menu.’

“Despite growing concern about where our food comes from, consumers are frequently served the wrong fish – a completely different species than the one they paid for. With about 1,700 different species of seafood from all over the world now available in the U.S., it is unrealistic to expect consumers to be able to independently and accurately determine what fish is really being served.”

This development is also a terrible tragedy in light of the fact that God forbids us to eat certain seafood, as it is unhealthy per se and not fit for human consumption. In a nutshell, God has only created such fish for human consumption which has fins and scales.

Eating Poisoned Shellfish?

Reuters reported on June 10:

“Public health officials warned Alaskans to avoid eating shellfish they harvest from the southeastern tip of the state after high concentrations of a poison that can kill humans was found. State officials said scientists monitoring algae blooms near Ketchikan discovered some of the world’s highest-ever recorded levels of toxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning — a potentially fatal ailment that can paralyze vital organs.

“The most poisonous shellfish discovered were baby mussels at a dock in Ketchikan with toxin levels of more than 30,000 micrograms per hundred grams of shellfish meat. This is well over the 80-microgram level considered toxic, the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services has warned. Those levels are so high that a single mussel could kill several people, scientists at the University of Alaska Southeast said in a statement on Thursday.

“In other types of shellfish, members of the multi-agency Alaska Harmful [Algae] Bloom monitoring program found toxin levels ranging from 1,100 to 5,000 micrograms per gram of shellfish meat, the department said… Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins are absorbed by certain shellfish from algae.”

Of course, the Bible prohibits the consumption of shellfish altogether. Even though shellfish might generally not be declared to be “poisonous” by our health “experts,” its consumption is unhealthy for humans in God’s eyes. God did not create shellfish for the purpose of human consumption.

Eating Dangerous Sprouts?

The Associated Press reported on June 10:

“Investigators have determined that German-grown vegetable sprouts are the cause of the E. coli outbreak… Reinhard Burger, president of the Robert Koch Institute, said even though no tests of the sprouts from an organic farm in Lower Saxony had come back positive for the E. coli strain behind the outbreak, an investigation into the pattern of the outbreak had produced enough evidence to draw the conclusion…

“The breakthrough in the investigation came after a task force from the three institutes linked separate clusters of patients who had fallen sick to 26 restaurants and cafeterias that had received produce from the organic farm. ‘They even studied the menus, the ingredients, looked at bills and took pictures of the different meals, which they then showed to those who had fallen ill,’ said Andreas Hensel, head of the Risk Assessment agency.

“Hensel said authorities were lifting the warning against eating cucumbers, tomatoes and lettuce, and explicitly urged consumers to start eating those vegetables once again. ‘Lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers should be eaten again – it is all healthy produce,’ he said.

“Burger said it was possible that all of the tainted sprouts have either been consumed or thrown away by now, but still warned that the crisis is not yet over and people should not eat sprouts. While the farm in the northern German village of Bienenbuettel that has been blamed for the outbreak was shut down last Thursday and all of its produce recalled, the experts said they could not exclude the possibility that some tainted sprouts were still being used by restaurants or cafeterias and people could still get infected with E. coli.

“Also, since it has not yet been established why the sprouts were bad – whether the seeds had been contaminated or the farm’s water – the experts said it was possible that other nearby farms could also be affected… In recent days the numbers of people being reported ill have been dropping, but it was not clear whether the epidemic was waning or consumers were just successfully shunning tainted vegetables.”

Deutsche Welle added on June 13:

“The number of people who have died in the outbreak of the virulent E. coli strain in Germany has risen to 36, health officials confirmed Monday… Taiwan announced it was suspending imports of bean sprouts from Germany as a precaution against the bacteria… All but one of the 36 deaths from the EHEC strain have been in Germany, with the other being a woman in Sweden who had recently travelled to the country.”

Whether or not bean sprouts were the cause for the outbreak of this new disease, the Bible warns that more and more incurable sicknesses will plague this globe, leading to famine and more disease epidemics, and many of these sicknesses will be man-made, as the next article confirms.

Eating Livestock Fed With Antibiotics?

The New York Times wrote on June 13:

“Every year in the United States, 325,000 people are hospitalized because of food-borne illnesses and 5,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s right: food kills one person every two hours. Yet while the terrorist attacks of 2001 led us to transform the way we approach national security, the deaths of almost twice as many people annually have still not generated basic food-safety initiatives. We have an industrial farming system that is a marvel for producing cheap food…

“Perhaps the most disgraceful aspect of our agricultural system… is the way antibiotics are recklessly stuffed into healthy animals to make them grow faster.  The Food and Drug Administration reported recently that 80 percent of antibiotics in the United States go to livestock, not humans. And 90 percent of the livestock antibiotics are administered in their food or water, typically to healthy animals to keep them from getting sick when they are confined in squalid and crowded conditions… This cavalier use of low-level antibiotics creates a perfect breeding ground for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. The upshot is that ailments can become pretty much untreatable.

“… antibiotic resistance has multiple causes that are difficult to unravel. Doctors overprescribe them. Patients misuse them. But looking at numbers, by far the biggest element of overuse is agriculture. We would never think of trying to keep our children healthy by adding antibiotics to school water fountains, because we know this would breed antibiotic-resistant bacteria… Vegetarians may think that they’re immune, but they’re not. E. coli originates in animals but can spill into water used to irrigate vegetables, contaminating them…

“One of the most common antibiotic-resistant pathogens is MRSA, which now kills more Americans annually than AIDS… MRSA was found in 70 percent of hogs on one farm… MRSA was found in 45 percent of employees working at hog farms…

“We need… more public education (always wash your hands after touching raw meat, and don’t use the same cutting board for meat and vegetables). A great place to start reforms would be by banning the feeding of antibiotics to healthy livestock.”

The unsanitary conditions of many of today’s livestock farms, combined with human greed and the unhealthy breeding especially of animals not fit for human consumption—such as pigs—are a fast-growing cause for the spread of numerous incurable diseases.

Robert Gates Attacks Europe and NATO

The EUObserver wrote on June 10:

“Under pressure to cut its military spending, the US is losing patience with Europe’s unwillingness to pay for its own defence, outgoing US defence minister Robert Gates said Friday (10 June) in an unusually ‘blunt’ speech in Brussels, casting doubt over the very survival of Nato…

“Looking first at Afghanistan, he noted that the operation got bogged down in national caveats which hampered the range of actions European soldiers were allowed to do – a hint at Germany’s restrictions on its troops to use lethal force, which meant that they could not be deployed in combat against the Taliban. As for troop withdrawal, with the Netherlands suddenly pulling out after a government was forced to resign last year over the Afghan war, Gates said: ‘We cannot afford to have some troop-contributing nations to pull out their forces on their own timeline in a way that undermines the mission and increases risks to other allies…’

“When it comes to the more recent mission in Libya…Italy’s ambition to run the air campaign from a Naples-based headquarters in fact meant that ‘mainly US targeting specialists’ had to be deployed there ‘to do the job. The mightiest military alliance in history is only 11 weeks into an operation against a poorly armed regime in a sparsely populated country – yet many allies are beginning to run short of munitions, requiring the US, once more, to make up the difference.’

“… Gates questioned the very rationale of this alliance born out of America’s willingness to protect Western Europe against a potential Soviet invasion during the Cold War… Gates projected a ‘dim, if not dismal future for the transatlantic alliance’: that the US simply stops footing the bill… ‘Indeed, if current trends in the decline of European defense capabilities are not halted and reversed, future US political leaders… may not consider the return on America’s investment in Nato worth the cost,’ he warned.

“Responding to this doomsday scenario, Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said during a press briefing on Friday that this was in line with repeated calls from Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen to improve military spending…”

While the USA is unable and therefore unwilling to support military operations in Europe for much longer, the Europeans are forced to create their own powerful army and weaponry. In fact, this won’t be too difficult. Germany alone is one of the biggest weapons exporters in the world, and all it would need to do is to keep its weapons at home, to be used by Europe. As the next article shows, Europe has already more soldiers than the USA, and if one were to combine all of Europe’s national weapons, tanks, ships, rockets and planes into a united force (not to speak of its nuclear arsenal), it would already greatly exceed the power of the US army, air force and navy. It is just a matter of will power, organization and cooperation, and as the “need” for a united military is more and more recognized, Germany’s talents for organization will greatly contribute to the creation of an incredibly mighty and powerful military force.

Europe in Need of a United Army…

The Economist wrote on June 10:

“Europe has more soldiers than America, but can deploy far fewer of them on overseas operations. This is partly the result of history: in the cold war European armies were built to hold the line in Europe, while awaiting reinforcement by American forces which, by definition, had to be designed for expeditionary warfare.

“Another is that ‘Europe’ is not a sovereign state, but a collection of small- and medium-sized countries. Its considerable defence spending is hopelessly fragmented among a multitude of armies, air forces and navies… Defence experts across Europe have known this for a long time and, here and there, countries have embarked on some important experiments.

“Poland, which takes over the presidency of the European Union next month, plans to make a renewed attempt to boost European defence co-operation. It is also pushing for a bigger EU autonomous military headquarters…”

The Financial Times wrote on June 9:

“Tony Blair has urged European Union members to move closer together and form common policies on areas such as energy, defence, immigration and crime.”

The Bible has prophesied a long time ago that in these last days, Europe would unite, including militarily—and that this would happen exactly at the same time when the USA would lose its dominant status in the world.

Libya’s Ongoing War

Reuters and DPA wrote on June 11:

“Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday his country had offered a ‘guarantee’ to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi if he left Libya, but said Ankara had received no answer… Erdogan, whose country is a member of NATO, did not specify what kind of guarantee his country had offered to Gadhafi.

“Meanwhile, a letter purported to be from Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi suggests to the U.S. Congress that he is ready to negotiate a ceasefire in the three-month-old conflict… ‘Our nation must not be colonized again by Europeans. Our Country must not be divided again,’ the letter states…

“Since the uprising against Gadhafi’s rule began in February, Erdogan has distanced himself from the Libyan leader… Muslim Turkey had sizeable trade and commercial ties with Gadhafi’s Libya, and evacuated more than 20,000 citizens working there as violence engulfed the North African desert nation… In the interview, Erdogan expressed frustration at what he called Gadhafi’s stalling tactics. ‘I have contacted him six or seven times. I sent our special representatives, but we always faced stalling tactics…’”

We need to continue to watch the relationship between Europe, Libya and Turkey, which is biblical Edom. An upcoming Q&A will shed some light on Edom’s future.

Germany Recognizes Libya’s Rebels

The Local wrote on June 13:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle made a surprise trip to the rebel stronghold of Benghazi in eastern Libya on Monday. The symbolic trip was kept secret for security reasons. The trip was a brief detour on Westerwelle’s planned trip to Israel. Stopping in Malta on Monday morning, the foreign minister changed planes and headed to a military base outside Benghazi, where the Libyan opposition leadership, the National Transitional Council, is based. During the symbolically-charged visit, Westerwelle opened the German liaison office, where two German diplomats have been working to strengthen ties with the Libyan rebels.

“Germany now recognized the rebel council as… Berlin’s partner for dealings in Libya, Westerwelle said. ‘The NTC is the legitimate representative of the Libyan people,’ Westerwelle told reporters after meeting council officials, including the rebel ‘foreign minister’ Ali al-Essawi. ‘We want a free Libya, in peace and democracy without (Muammar) Qaddafi,’ he said in the rebels’ eastern bastion of Benghazi, Libya’s second city.

“Germany becomes the 13th nation to recognize the NTC as ‘sole legitimate representative,’ after Australia, Britain, France, Gambia, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Qatar, Senegal, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United States…

“Westerwelle’s visit is meant to signal that Germany is committed to supporting a new, post-Qaddafi Libya, despite its abstention from a United Nations vote on military intervention in the country. Westerwelle’s plane also carried humanitarian aid for the people of Benghazi.”

The relationship between Libya and Germany is of biblical proportions and significance, as our recent Q&A on Libya’s future explains.

“Terrorist” Group Takes Over Lebanon’s Government

CBS News reported on June 13:

“Hezbollah and its allies rose to a position of unprecedented dominance in Lebanon’s government Monday, giving its patrons Syria and Iran greater sway in the Middle East. Lebanon Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a new Cabinet dominated by the militant group and its allies after the country has operated for five months without a functioning government. The move caps Hezbollah’s steady rise over decades from resistance group against Israel to Lebanon’s most powerful military and political force…

“The group’s most ardent supporters are Iran and Syria, which dominated Lebanon for 29 years… The new government opens the door for renewed Syrian influence in Lebanon at a time the Syrian leadership is struggling at home. It’s a remarkable turnaround from 2005, when fallout from the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri led to massive anti-Syrian protests in Lebanon. The protests, dubbed the ‘Cedar Revolution,’ drove tens of thousands of Syrian troops out of Lebanon and ended decades of Syrian domination over its smaller neighbor.

“The ascendancy of Hezbollah is a setback for the United States, which has provided Lebanon with $720 million in military aid since 2006 and has tried in vain to move the country firmly into a Western sphere and end Iranian and Syrian influence. It also underscores Iran’s growing influence in the region at a time when Washington’s is falling…

“The Cabinet still must be formally presented to Parliament for a vote of confidence. The makeup of the new government is seen as almost entirely pro-Syrian. President Bashar Assad of Syria, facing a growing uprising against his rule at home, called twice to congratulate Lebanese leaders on the new government’s formation…

“According to Lebanon’s power-sharing system, the president must be a Maronite Christian, the prime minister a Sunni Muslim and the parliament speaker a Shiite Muslim. Each faith makes up about a third of Lebanon’s population of 4 million… Once seen solely as Iran’s militant arm in Lebanon, Hezbollah has reinvented itself as a more conventional political movement… but fighting Israel remains the group’s priority.”

Turkey Today…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 9:

“Erdogan has achieved a lot… He has built up Turkey, traditionally a country of coups and crises, into a regional power. He is taken seriously as an important player in London and Washington, just as he is in Riyadh and Beijing. And even Israel — with whom he has picked fights, much to the delight of Arabs — follows his every step with great attention. Erdogan has provided the Turks, even those who can’t stand him, with a self-confidence they lacked before.

“The Ottoman Empire was once known as the ‘Sick Man on the Bosporus,’ but today’s Turkey looks very healthy indeed. After eight years of Erdogan, it is much richer and more modern than the poor country that applied to join what was then known as the European Community more than 20 years ago. Its economy is growing three times as fast as those of other European countries…

“It is time for Europe to rethink how it actually wants to treat this powerful and difficult neighbor… Gone are the days when the only people flocking to the Bosporus were tea pickers from the Black Sea and refugees from the troubled Kurdish regions. Europeans and Americans have also discovered ‘Istancool,’ the most modern city in the Islamic world, a city that never sleeps. Among the new arrivals are people whose parents and grandparents once emigrated to faraway Germany in search of a better life. Germans of Turkish descent, derided in Turkey as ‘Almancilar’ (literally ‘Germanyers’), are discovering that the city is much more dynamic than anything they could find in Germany…

“The number of Turkish-Germans returning to the country of their forefathers has long outnumbered the number of Turks heading to Germany…

“Ankara has good relations with almost all of its neighbors today. In recent years, Turkish diplomats participated in negotiations in the Azerbaijani capital Baku over the construction of the Nabucco pipeline, which is supposed to transport natural gas to Europe, in Tehran over the Iranian nuclear program, and in Tripoli with the tottering Gadhafi regime. Turkish businesspeople are building airports in northern Iraq, high-rises in Mecca and seawater desalination plants in Libya.This new foreign and economic policy has been dubbed ‘Neo-Ottomanism,’ another term that triggers anxiety in the West. Are the Turks trying to rebuild the empire that controlled the Middle East for 400 years?… Such fears are exaggerated. At most, what will materialize is nothing more than a loose commonwealth of former Ottoman provinces… It seems unlikely that the Turks could turn away from the West…

“‘This man [Erdogan] is dangerous,’ says Celal Sengör, 56, a renowned seismologist… ‘ Europe shouldn’t be naïve,’ he says. ‘Turkey simply isn’t ready to be a true democracy.’… The brutality with which women are treated is as old as Turkey itself, and the previous regimes failed just as miserably when it came to protecting the victims. But between 2002 and 2009, the number of violent acts and so-called honor killings rose from 66 to 953. A woman dies every day, say human rights activists… suspicions of secular Turks and skeptical Europeans [are being confirmed] that a broad segment of Turkish society espouses a view of the world and of women that is incompatible with that of the West. This casts a dark shadow over Turkey as an EU candidate.

“… It’s more likely that the Europeans and the Turks will continue to spend years talking at cross-purposes, but without expressing the two truths that everyone knows by now: that Europe doesn’t want Turkey — and that soon Turkey will no longer need Europe.”

Turkey—biblical Edom—will still play an important role in the future, as prophesied in Scripture. But we do not anticipate that Turkey—which is predominantly Moslem–will ever become a full member state of a united Europe—and most certainly not of the final ten nations or groups of nations (of core Europe) which will ultimately rule “Christian” Europe for a short time. However, we do find that “friendly” relationships and cooperation between Turkey and Europe and antagonism against Israel will continue.

Erdogan Reelected

Deutsche Welle reported on June 13:

“Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP) has won just under 50 percent of the votes in the AKP’s largest electoral victory since it came to power in 2002… The AKP is projected to win 325 of the 550 seats in the Turkish parliament, with Erdogan headed for his third consecutive term as prime minister… European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso offered their congratulations to Erdogan in a joint statement, and said the election results opened the way to ‘further [strengthen] Turkey’s democratic institutions, as well as to the continued modernization of the country, in line with European values and standards.’…

“AKP members had hoped to win at least 330 seats in parliament, which would have allowed it to call a unilateral referendum on constitutional change, effectively shutting the political opposition out of the process. It appears now that the AKP will have to find support from other parties to rewrite the constitution, replacing a charter drafted after a 1980 coup that has been criticized for limiting individual rights…

“Although Erdogan has not publicly said what constitutional reform would look like, speculation is rampant that he wants to change Turkey to a presidential system with himself at the helm… The AKP first came to power through a decisive electoral victory in 2002, which raised concern among Turkey’s powerful and politically influential military that the Islam-influenced party would undermine the country’s secular ideology.”

Berlusconi Suffers Crushing Defeat…

Deutsche Welle wrote on June 13:

“Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has suffered a humiliating defeat in opposition-backed referendums to block nuclear power and abolish a law intended to give him legal immunity. Despite urging the public to boycott four referendums, huge numbers of Italians turned out to deliver a humiliating electoral defeat to Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a two-day vote. The proposals to repeal Berlusconi-era legislation on nuclear power, water privatization and trial immunity for government ministers were put forward by the opposition parties, and backed by more than 90 percent of the votes counted… turnout was 57 percent, reaching quorum for the first time since 1995…

“The public decided to uphold the ban on nuclear power, despite Berlusconi’s government wanting to re-introduce it in order to cut energy bills. Currently Italy highly depends on oil and gas imports and Berlusconi said nuclear power was indispensible for the future of the country… The referendum results come as the 74-year-old premier faces a sex scandal, three fraud trials and recently suffered crushing losses in May’s local elections.”

Italy’s governmental history has been one of constant scandals and upheavals, and leaders have come to political power in that country who would not have been elected in many other European nations. The present situation and scandal involving Silvio Berlusconi is no exception, and it will remain to be seen what the outcome for the Italian nation will be. However, that Italy will be one of the leading powers within a United States of (core) Europe is without any doubt.

Denmark Against Europe?

The Local reported on June 10:

“The Danish parliament is set… to approve the plan which would introduce customs checks on the country’s land borders, a move which Germans and some in the European Union [say] is an affront to freedom of movement in Europe… Germany has argued that it would be a violation of the Schengen travel-free area, which allows movement without passport checks between member states. This week Danish justice minister Lars Barfoed called criticism of the plan, ‘terrible nonsense,’ after German Foreign Ministry official Warner Hoyer fretted about countries ‘playing with the fire of nationalism.’ The German ambassador to Denmark also joined in the fray, strongly criticizing the Danes and earning a strong rebuke from right-wing politicians…”

Historically, the relationship between Denmark and Germany has been a rocky one, and even wars were fought between these two countries over border and cultural/economic disagreements. Denmark is descended from ancient Dan, and it is very likely that it will not be part of a United Sates of core Europe, as it has already refused to accept the euro and become part of the Eurozone, and is now in the process of questioning and even fighting the institution of the Schengen agreement.

The Greek Situation

The Associated Press reported on June 16:

“Talks to form a Greek coalition government with rival Conservatives collapsed Wednesday, and the country’s political crisis deepened Thursday as [Prime Minister George] Papandreou saw two of his Socialist lawmakers resign. The party feud was the latest crisis to heighten worldwide concern that a Greek financial collapse could trigger panic elsewhere in the 17-nation eurozone — a fear that saw borrowing costs in vulnerable EU countries surge and stock markets come under pressure… Papandreou is trying to push through a five-year austerity program worth euro 28 billion ($39.5 billion) that has been demanded by international creditors. The new spending cuts and taxes have spurred violent street protests as well as the party rebellion.

“In Brussels, top EU finance official Olli Rehn said eurozone ministers would likely agree Sunday to give Greece the next euro 12 billion ($17 billion) installment of loans from the euro 110 billion ($155 billion) bailout package. ‘It means that the funding of the Greek sovereign debt can now be ensured until September,’ Rehn said… ‘The next days will be critical for the financial stability and economic recovery in Greece and Europe,’ Rehn warned. ‘I trust all leaders in Greece and Europe realize their responsibility and will act accordingly’… The Greek prime minister spoke by phone earlier in the day with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss negotiations over the second bailout for Greece.”

Die Welt wrote on June 16:

“The protests in Athens are sending a disastrous signal to the rest of Europe. They give the impression that many Greeks are still denying reality… The deal with Greece is unpopular across Europe, particularly in Germany… But they are also unpopular in Eastern Europe…”

The financial daily Handelsblatt wrote on June 16:

“The pressure in the euro cooker is climbing, as is the threat of an explosion. The Greek people are taking to the barricades because the country’s elite are failing shamefully. Many rich Greeks are still not paying any taxes and have taken their fortunes abroad… Nobody knows what the future holds for Greece. The conservative opposition has refused to support the austerity package negotiated with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Such an irresponsible denial of reality not only damages the conservatives in their own country, but it also harms the common currency union and the European Union. One wonders if a party which behaves in such an anti-European manner should still be welcome in the family of European conservative parties.”

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on June 16:

“The systematic corrections taking place in Greece, under the leadership of the Papandreou government, are understandably unpopular. Many Greeks, however, understand that the country must change… It is mostly the opponents to modernization policies which have been audible and visible. Their actions have found a disproportionate echo in the media. In reality, the vehemence of the strikes has ebbed — and it wasn’t even all that impressive to begin with…”

No Right of Free Speech and Free Exercise of Religion in Germany?

The Local wrote on June 16:

“A German court has told anti-abortion campaigners they must not speak to women near a pregnancy advice centre in Freiburg… People from the association ‘Life Centre – Helpers for God’s Precious Children in Germany,’ have been approaching women entering the Pro Familia advice centre, showing them photos of aborted foetuses, calling out, ‘Please mummy, let your child live,’ and praying with rosaries hung with model foetuses. These ‘pavement advisors’ were upsetting the visitors to the Freiburg Pro Familia advice centre so much that manager there, Friedrich Traub made an official complaint to the city authorities… One woman was… offered €200 a month in maintenance to keep her baby…

“Traub approached the city authorities for a ban of the campaigners from the street on which his office is located. This they duly did, imposing a €250 fine on anyone who approached unbidden to talk about a ‘pregnancy conflict situation’ or to show them brochures, pictures or objects on that theme. An appeal against this decision was rejected on Thursday, with the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg upholding the ban.”

These are indeed the beginning signs of very dangerous developments in Germany, when unpopular religious views are suppressed by the state. Especially Germany should remember the terrible tragedies inflicted by governmental dictatorship on the German nation…

Guttenberg Leaves Germany

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 10:

“Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has reason to be cautious. State prosecutors are still investigating more than 100 claims connected to allegations that he plagiarized large chunks of his doctoral dissertation. Once Germany’s most popular and promising politician, the scandal forced the member of… Bavaria’s conservative Christian Social Union to step down from his post as defense minister on March 1. His alma mater, the University of Bayreuth, later stripped him of his doctoral title, after a damning review of his work found that he had deliberately used text from various sources, including the academic service of the Bundestag where he was an MP at the time, without attributing it.

“… this summer the Guttenbergs plan to make a big change, moving abroad with their two young children. Guttenberg has called the plan to leave Germany for at least two years a ‘sabbatical’ in conversations with and emails to friends. He has also reportedly refused to rule out a return to politics at a later date…

“The family will likely move to the US or London in time for their daughters to begin the next school year in the fall. But the former minister’s many contacts in Washington make the US a more likely destination. He is known there as an advocate of US-German relations after taking part in a number of trans-Atlantic exchanges and holding high-profile talks at think tanks.

“Moving to America in times of difficulty has become an informal tradition for German politicians. Current co-chair of the environmentalist Greens, Cem Özdemir, took a job at a Washington think tank after his personal use of frequent flyer miles earned on the job scandalized German newspapers. He later made a successful comeback. Guttenberg, who resigned after just 16 months as defence minister, could be attempting a similar approach. Before the plagiarism scandal many expected the suave aristocrat to make it all the way to the chancellery.”

For now, Guttenberg’s bright and shining star seems to be all but erased. But as the article suggests, a sabbatical might result in his successful political comeback. His plagiarism has not diminished his popularity among many Germans; if anything, it has even helped to increase his popularity.

The Decline and Fall of the American Empire

The Guardian wrote on June 6:

“The US is a country with serious problems… The budget, which was in surplus little more than a decade ago, now has a deficit of Greek-style proportions. There is policy paralysis in Washington. The assumption is that the problems can be easily solved because the US is the biggest economy on the planet, the only country with global military reach, the lucky possessor of the world’s reserve currency, and a nation with a proud record of re-inventing itself once in every generation or so…

“Let me put an alternative hypothesis. America in 2011 is Rome in 200 AD or Britain on the eve of the first world war–an empire at the zenith of its power but with cracks beginning to show. The experience of both Rome and Britain suggests that it is hard to stop the rot once it has set in, so here are… a few of the warning signs of trouble ahead: military overstretch, a widening gulf between rich and poor, a hollowed-out economy, citizens using debt to live beyond their means, and once-effective policies no longer working. The high levels of violent crime, epidemic of obesity, addiction to pornography and excessive use of energy may be telling us something: the US is in an advanced state of cultural decadence…

“The feeble response to today’s growth medicine suggests that the US is structurally far weaker than it was in the 1930s… America must rediscover the qualities that originally made it great. That will not be easy.”

The sad truth is that there is not much hope that prior to Christ’s return, America will “discover” and embrace true Christian values and live by them.  And so, as it is prophesied, the decline of America is inevitable, and its downfall will be severe and unparalleled in the history of that (once) great country. For more information, please read our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

The U.S. Growing Debt—and China Drops Its Holdings in U.S. Treasury Bills…

On June 3, 2011, CNN News reported the following:

“China has dropped 97 percent of its holdings in U.S. Treasury bills, decreasing its ownership of the short-term U.S. government securities from a peak of $210.4 billion in May 2009 to $5.69 billion in March 2011… Treasury bills are securities that mature in one year or less that are sold by the U.S. Treasury Department to fund the nation’s debt… Until October, the Chinese were generally making up for their decreasing holdings in Treasury bills by increasing their holdings of longer-term U.S. Treasury securities. Thus, until October, China’s overall holdings of U.S. debt continued to increase. Since October, however, China has also started to divest from longer-term U.S. Treasury securities…

“China’s ownership of the U.S. national debt has decreased in each of the last five months on record, including November, December, January, February and March… As of March 2011, overall Chinese holdings of U.S. debt had decreased to 1.1449 trillion… Before the end of March 2012, the Treasury must redeem all of the $1.7 trillion in Treasury bills that were extant as of March 2011 and find new or old buyers who will continue to invest in U.S. debt. But, for now, the Chinese at least do not appear to be bullish customers of short-term U.S. debt…

“To the degree that the $1.7 trillion in short-term U.S. Treasury bills extant as of March must be converted into longer-term U.S. Treasury securities, the U.S. government will be forced to pay a higher annual interest rate on the national debt. As of the close of business on Thursday, the total U.S. debt was $14.34 trillion… Of that, approximately $9.74 trillion was debt held by the public and approximately $4.61 trillion was ‘intragovernmental’ debt.”

Senseless US Dealings…

Mail On Line reported on June 3:

“The U.S. is providing hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign aid to some of the world’s richest countries – while at the same time borrowing billions back, according to [a] report seen by Congress. The Congressional Research Service released the report last month which shows that in 2010 the U.S. handed out a total of $1.4bn to 16 foreign countries that held at least $10bn in Treasury securities.

“Four countries in the world’s top 10 richest received foreign aid last year with China receiving $27.2m, India $126.6m, Brazil $25m, and Russia $71.5m. Mexico also received $316.7m and Egypt $255.7m. And yet despite the massive outgoings in foreign aid, the receiving countries hold trillions of dollars in U.S. Treasury bonds.

“China is the largest holder with $1.1trillion as of March… Brazil held $193.5bn, Russia $127.8bn, India $39.8bn, Mexico $28.1bn and Egypt had $15.3bn. Foreign aid is earmarked for causes including HIV/AIDs prevention, combating weapons of mass destruction, fighting tuberculosis, and counter-terrorism efforts.”

The economic situation in the USA is awful, and the seemingly unintelligible US conduct could not possibly improve our conditions. It appears as if God has been continuing, in even increased measure, to pour out a spirit of stupor over our nations (compare Romans 11:8).

Almost 50% of Americans Fear a Great Depression Within a Year…

CNN reported on June 8:

“President Barack Obama’s overall approval rating has dropped below 50 percent as a growing number of Americans worry that the U.S. is likely to slip into another Great Depression within the next 12 months, according to a new national poll… Not surprisingly, with that much economic angst, the economy is the number one issue, the only one that more than half of the public says will be extremely important to their vote for president next year. Nearly all issues that at least four in ten say will be extremely important to their vote are domestic issues. Terrorism also makes that list, but Afghanistan is fairly low and Libya is tied for dead last out of the 15 issues tested. Abortion and gay marriage also rank very low, indicating that 2012 may be an election that is shaped more by bread-and-butter issues than social and moral concerns.”

The Insane New Healthcare Law

Money News reported on June 7:

“Three in ten employers will abandon offering health coverage to their employees when President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act takes effect in 2014, according to a survey published by McKinsey Quarterly. While only 7 percent of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, 30 percent of companies say they will ‘definitely or probably’ stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published by McKinsey Quarterly…

“Contrary to what employers assume, more than 85 percent of employees would remain at their jobs even if their employers stopped offering [employer-sponsored insurance], although about 60 percent would expect increased compensation.”

The Los Angeles Times wrote on June 8:

“Skeptical questions from three federal judges in Atlanta suggest they may be ready to declare unconstitutional all or part of the healthcare law promoted by the Obama administration and passed last year by Congress…  After nearly three hours of argument Wednesday, the three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals seemed prepared to declare at least part of last year’s law unconstitutional. The current case has gathered the most attention because it involves 26 state attorneys general — all Republicans — who jointly challenged the law. In addition, the 11th Circuit is considered among the most conservative of the federal appellate courts. If any of the appeals courts strikes down the law, the case almost certainly would land at the Supreme Court, perhaps during the election year.”

To impose a mandate for healthcare on all Americans or being faced with a fine is irresponsible and extremely damaging, especially in our current devastating economic situation. Sadly, Romneycare does not differ much from Obamacare in this regard, and as Piers Morgan pointed out in a recent CNN interview with Mitt Romney, his unsupportable and indefensible position on healthcare (hence Romney’s usual ramblings and evasive “answers” on the issue) will prove to be his Achilles heel.

What’s Wrong with US-German Relationship?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 6:

“Germany and the United States have never stood farther apart during Merkel’s two terms as chancellor as they are at the moment. Merkel’s reputation in Washington has been hurt by Germany’s decision to phase out nuclear power by 2022, Berlin’s abstention in a United Nations Security Council vote on imposing a ‘no-fly’ zone in Libya and the country’s economic and financial policies…

“Obama’s standing has also taken a hit in German government circles. In the Chancellery, he is viewed as a president who fails to deliver on lofty pronouncements. Indeed, Merkel does not have faith that he can solve the world’s problems. The greatest thing the two governments have in common is their mutual annoyance…

“Berlin views Obama’s actions related to the Middle East conflict as particularly damaging. The government reportedly believes that Obama’s most fundamental misstep came last September when he spoke before the UN General Assembly and predicted that a Palestinian state would be welcomed as a new member of the global community within a year. In Berlin, many feel it only served to foster unreasonable expectations among Palestinians — and to anger the Israelis. Merkel also resents Obama for having initially spoken out against intervening in Libya and then allowing pressure from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other advisers to change his mind…

“… it wasn’t too long ago that Americans viewed Merkel’s Germany as their most important partner in Europe… Merkel enjoyed a reputation for being pro-American and reliable… However, as it became clear during the G-8 summit held two weeks ago at the French coastal resort of Deauville, Merkel has exhausted that goodwill…

“While it is still conceivable that some formal compromises will be reached on financial issues, it appears that nothing can bridge the trans-Atlantic divide when it comes to energy and climate policies…

“Of course, there have always been points of contention in the trans-Atlantic relationship. But the current situation seems particularly bad because the global political context has changed… The importance of US-German relations used to be taken for granted, but that no longer seems to be the case… Despite all these issues, Merkel and Obama are still dependent on one another. Washington knows that a government led by the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) or the Green Party would presumably be even less America-friendly than Merkel’s government. At the same time, Berlin watches with worry as the Republicans seem to inch further and further to the right…”

Clearly, as we announced when first Angela Merkel and subsequently Barak Obama came to power, the relationship between the USA and Germany will constantly get worse, not better. This is exactly what the Bible has prophesied to happen thousands of years ago. The most recent visit of Angela Merkel in the USA, and the honors bestowed on her by President Obama, as well as the niceties exchanged between the two leaders in front of rolling cameras, should not cloud our view as to what is really happening.

US-German Niceties for the Public… Don’t Change Much…

The Local wrote on June 8:

“Obama bestowed America’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, on the German Chancellor. He hailed her as the first East German, and the first woman to serve as German Chancellor and said the award was a recognition of her status as ‘an eloquent voice for human rights and dignity around the world’… The Presidential Medal of Freedom is rarely granted to foreigners but has been presented to Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela and former German chancellor Helmut Kohl…

“Merkel’s visit came as Obama seeks to correct an impression that his focus on rising powers like India and China means a downgrade for the transatlantic alliance and as he faces rising political heat over the slow recovery… the two leaders praised one another’s courage… Obama said that Merkel was one of his closest partners on the world stage and that Germany was one of America’s most important allies on issues including Afghanistan, the Middle East, the Arab Spring, NATO and the world economy…

“Despite the warmth, Merkel admitted that she and Obama did not always see eye-to-eye… Germany caused frowns in Washington by abstaining in a UN Security Council vote that endorsed NATO action against Moamer Kadhafi’s forces in Libya – though both Obama and Merkel agreed Tuesday the strongman would soon be gone. The Merkel government has also been outspoken about some of the monetary measures the US government and Federal Reserve have taken to revive the US economy. Merkel also joked that Berlin, which Obama has not yet visited as president, despite several trips to Germany, was always ready to welcome him.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 8:

“US President Barack Obama pulled out all the stops for Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to the US this week. But despite the pomp and the Medal of Freedom for Merkel, the visit couldn’t hide the fact that the trans-Atlantic relationship isn’t what it once was… In Merkel’s current political reality, there are very few pleasurable moments. Her party is doing poorly in the public opinion polls, her government has shown a preference for bickering over policymaking and the European common currency is in trouble.

“… what will remain from the visit aside from a collection of nice images?… When it comes to Libya and the so-called Arab spring, even the US is unsure how to proceed with the NATO mission in North Africa. The US Congress is becoming uneasy and Obama has been accused of having a double standard because the US and the international community have ignored the situation in Syria, where dictator Bashir Assad has violently attacked demonstrators. The German abstention in the UN Security Council seems almost prophetic in this light.

“And in Afghanistan, the US has ceased making demands that Europe step up its engagement in the war-torn country. Indeed, Washington itself is considering a quicker withdrawal than originally planned…

“There are, in short, several new, external limits imposed on the once limitless trans-Atlantic friendship… the US is beginning to focus increasingly on the upcoming presidential campaign — even when it comes to the relationship to Europe. Obama’s recent trip saw him visit Ireland and Poland. Voters with roots in those two countries play an important role in the US electorate… A new survey published in the Washington Post shows that Americans are unhappy with Obama’s handling of the economy. Almost 60 percent of those surveyed said that the economic recovery had not yet begun. Such numbers do not speak well to the president’s chances for re-election. ‘The upcoming campaign clearly trumps any foreign policy considerations at the White House,’ says William Drozdiak, head of the American Council on Germany. State banquets and medal ceremonies, he added, don’t change that.”

Divisions Between USA and EU over Palestine

The EUObserver wrote on June 7:

“Russia and the EU are framing a joint position on relations with the Palestinian unity government, as divisions on the subject with the US and Israel deepen, a senior Russian diplomat has said… He indicated that the EU’s position is unpopular in Washington…

“Hamas in May agreed to accept an Israeli state based on 1967 borders, to call a truce with Israel and to abide by former international pacts as part of a new government with rival Palestinian faction Fatah. Ashton, speaking for the EU, has signalled she is willing to work with Hamas if it abides by the new terms. But Israel and the US have urged Fatah to walk away from the deal, with Israeli diplomats in Brussels pointing out that Hamas’ 1988 charter still calls for the ‘obliteration’ of Israel…

“He said Brussels and Moscow wanted the Quartet to play a bigger role and to put the Arab-Israeli conflict center stage in terms of international diplomacy in the region. But the US disagreed… Russia does not agree with EU countries’ military action in Libya and EU sanctions on Syria… On Syria, he added: ‘The prospect of a UN Security Council resolution along the same lines as 1973 on Libya [authorising military action] will not be supported by my country. We are in direct contact with Syrian authorities providing advice on how best to handle the situation.’”

“The Unification of Europe Is a Christian Project”

The Associated Press reported on June  6:

“Pope Benedict XVI backed Croatia’s bid to join the  European Union as he arrived in the Balkan nation, but said Saturday he could understand fears of EU’s centralized bureaucracy. The pontiff expressed the Vatican’s long-running concern that Europe needs to be reminded of its Christian roots ‘for the sake of historical truth’ as he began his first trip as pope to Croatia, a deeply Roman Catholic country that his predecessor visited three times during and after the bloody Balkan wars of the 1990s…

“Benedict sought to encourage Croatia’s EU bid, saying it was ‘logical, just and necessary’ that Croatia join the EU given its history and culture is so strongly rooted in that of Europe. ‘From its earliest days, your nation has formed part of Europe, and has contributed in its unique way to the spiritual and moral values that for centuries have shaped the daily lives and the personal and national identity of Europe’s sons and daughters,’ Benedict said upon arrival at Zagreb’s airport…

“Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, who greeted Benedict at the airport, concurred, saying Europe wouldn’t be unified were it not for the deeply Christian values of forgiveness and reconciliation that Croatia seeks to embody. ‘The unification of Europe is basically a Christian project,’ Josipovic said, as a military parade and Croatians in traditional dress greeted the pontiff on the tarmac. ‘It is precisely because of these deep Christian roots of the Croatian people that I am convinced that our citizens will support in the vast majority our accession into the European Union’…

“The Vatican and Croatia, which is 89.8-percent Catholic, have long had solid ties: The Holy See was one of the first to recognize Croatia when it declared independence from Serb-led Yugoslavia in 1991, and the Vatican is eager to have another stalwart Catholic country in the EU bloc…

“On Sunday, Benedict will celebrate Mass and then pray before the tomb of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac, Croatia’s World War II primate whom John Paul beatified during a 1998 trip. Stepinac was hailed as a hero by Catholics for his resistance to communism and refusal to separate the Croatian church from the Vatican. But his beatification was controversial because many Serbs and Jews accuse him of sympathizing with the Nazis. Benedict praised Stepinac as a model for having defended “true humanism” against both the communists and the Ustasha Nazi puppet regime that ruled Croatia during the war. The Ustasha, said the German-born pope, ‘seemed to fulfill the dream of autonomy and independence, but in reality it was an autonomy that was a lie because it was used by Hitler for his aims.’”

The Catholic Culture added on June 6:

“During a weekend visit to Croatia on June 4-5, Pope Benedict XVI repeatedly emphasized the Christian roots of European civilization… The Pontiff… voice[d] his hope that Croatia would ‘help to steer the European Union toward a fuller appreciation of those spiritual and cultural treasures’ that rise from Europe’s Christian heritage. Later… the Pope returned to the question of European secularization, using strong language to warn that the attempt to make an absolute separation between religious and political affairs is a danger to Europe’s future…”

Although not envisioned and realized by most observers, these comments are extremely meaningful in light of the biblical prophecy that united Europe, in its final configuration, will be a political, economic and military power bloc under the guidance and leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. For more information, please read our free booklets, “Europe in Prophecy” and “Is That in the Bible? The Mysteries of the Book of Revelation.”

“Germany Must Lead…”

Reuters wrote on June 8:

“President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged European countries and bondholders to prevent a ‘disastrous’ default by Greece and pledged U.S. support to help tackle the country’s debt crisis… After a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, he stressed the importance of German ‘leadership’ on the issue…’I’m confident that Germany’s leadership, along with other key actors in Europe, will help us arrive at a path for Greece to return to growth, for this debt to become more manageable,’ Obama said… Merkel, under political pressure at home to avoid being the financial savior for other struggling European countries, said Germany understood its role.

“[Obama’s] main message was aimed at EU countries – and, by default, wealthy Germany – to step up to help Athens…In public the two leaders referred to each other by their first names and joked about looking different from their predecessors. Obama is the first black U.S. president and Merkel is the first female chancellor of Germany. Their show of partnership did not mask differences between them – and Libya has been one of those issues in the past.”

… but Merkel Is in Deep Trouble over Greece

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 6:

“In a letter sent to the European Commission, the European Central Bank, the International Monetary Fund and euro-zone countries, Germany’s finance minister warns of the possibility of a Greek bankruptcy and concedes the current bailout plan has failed. Instead he is calling for a de facto debt restructuring. Resistance within Merkel’s conservatives is stewing… The German government has conceded for the first time that Greece will soon need billions of euros in fresh aid and a restructuring of its debt in order to prevent bankruptcy… In the letter, the finance minister states that private investors and banks should take over part of the cost of stabilizing Greece… Investors would be asked to exchange all the Greek bonds currently in their portfolios for new ones with maturities extended by seven years. Investors would get their money later, but they would still get the full amount…

“Within Merkel’s conservative government comprised of the Christian Democrats and the business-friendly Free Democratic Party, resistance to additional bailout measures for Greece as well as the creation of a permanent crisis mechanism for the euro zone is massive. The German public also opposes the measures, with many considering the Greek bailout to be a bottomless pit… Gerda Hasselfeldt, a senior state-level figure in the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s CDU, said aid could not be allowed to become a ‘bottomless pit.’ However, many in Merkel’s coalition government are afraid it will become precisely that…

“Klaus-Peter Willsch, the budget expert for Merkel’s CDU, has already said he would vote against any plan for additional financial aid for Greece… Few have been as outspoken as Willsch within the conservatives, but he is far from alone in his negative stance within the joint CDU/CSU parliamentary group…

“The number of bailout critics is greater in the FDP, Merkel’s junior coalition partner, with around 15 members of parliament categorically rejecting any new aid for Greece. The campaign is being led by the FDP’s finance expert in the parliamentary group, Frank Schäffler, who hinted Greece should exit the euro zone in an ARD interview. ‘That wouldn’t be the downfall of the euro, it would save it,’ he said.

“It is still unclear whether the Greek debate will lead to a revolt in Merkel’s coalition government. Right now, the CDU, CSU and FDP only have a 19 vote lead over the opposition in Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag. Nevertheless, Chancellor Merkel has good reason to be nervous about the outcome of a vote on additional aid for Greece as well as planned legislation this autumn paving the way for the European Stability Mechanism, the permanent euro rescue fund…”

We can expect that in the not-too-distant future, a popular, powerful and charismatic political personage with arise in Germany, replacing Angela Merkel or her successor(s).

House Finds Obama in Violation of Constitution

The Washington Times wrote on June 3:

“Crossing party lines to deliver a stunning rebuke to the commander in chief, the vast majority of the House voted Friday for resolutions telling President Obama he has broken the constitutional chain of authority by committing U.S. troops to the international military mission in Libya.

“In two votes — on competing resolutions that amounted to legislative lectures of Mr. Obama — Congress escalated the brewing constitutional clash over whether he ignored the founding document’s grant of war powers by sending U.S. troops to aid in enforcing a no-fly zone and naval blockade of Libya. The resolutions were non-binding, and only one of them passed, but taken together, roughly three-quarters of the House voted to put Mr. Obama on notice that he must explain himself or else face future consequences, possibly including having funds for the war cut off…

“The Constitution gives the power to declare war to Congress, but the power to manage the armed forces to the president. The War Powers Resolution, enacted in 1973, tries to bridge that gap by allowing the president to commit troops for up to 60 days, but requires him to seek congressional approval if he wants to extend the commitment beyond that period… U.S. military action began March 19, as Mr. Obama committed U.S. forces to take the lead in setting up a no-fly zone to protect Libyan rebels fighting against the government of Col. Moammar Gadhafi. The U.S. eventually moved to a support role, and is currently aiding NATO, which is maintaining the no-fly zone.”

We should not expect that too much will come out of this “condemnation.” The US Congress has become more and more a toothless tiger which might roar, without acting.

Russia Concerned With NATO Over Libya

The Associated Press reported on June 5:

“Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov says NATO is ‘one step’ from sending troops into Libya in a bid to help rebels remove Moammar Gadhafi from power… British and French attack helicopters struck for the first time inside Libya on Saturday. NATO had previously relied on attack jets generally flying above 15,000 feet (4,500 meters).”

It is prophesied that ultimately, Russia and Libya will even develop a still closer alliance.

The “Peaceful” Arab Spring Turns into a Violent Hot Summer

CNN reported on June 1:

“The roar of the jubilant crowd assembled in Cairo’s Tahrir Square said it all. Nearly four months ago, longtime Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak finally yielded to political reality and stepped down from power. Mubarak’s fall — coming on the heels of the ouster of neighboring Tunisia’s Zine El Abidine Ben Ali — was seen by many as part of a domino effect. The Arab world, it seemed, was finally on the brink of a peaceful democratic transition that had eluded the troubled region for generations.

“Today, however, the promise of a peaceful Arab Spring appears to be yielding to the reality of a long, violent summer as dictators across the Middle East and North Africa draw a line in the sand and fight to maintain control of their countries… dictators in the region have been spooked by the fate of Mubarak, who is now facing trial and a possible death sentence, and Libya’s Moammar Gadhafi, who is facing an onslaught from armed rebels and NATO air forces…

“Close to 900,000 people have fled Libya since that country’s conflict began in February… Meanwhile, in nearby Egypt reformers are upset with the pace of change since Mubarak’s fall… To the northeast, Syria’s government stands accused of committing atrocities against its own people… The push for democratic reform is also encountering fierce resistance on the strategically critical Arabian Peninsula. The leaders of two key U.S. allies, Bahrain and Yemen, are struggling to maintain control despite slowly mounting international pressure… The question of how hard Western powers — the United States in particular — should push for change in Bahrain is complicated by the fact that the tiny Persian Gulf country is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet. Neighboring Saudi Arabia and the United States are both worried that a successful Shiite uprising would transform Bahrain into an Iranian client state…

“Finally, nearby Yemen continues to be rocked by escalating clashes between rebels and forces loyal to embattled President Ali Abdullah Saleh… The U.S. Embassy in Sanaa has condemned what it called the ‘unprovoked and unjustified attack’ on demonstrators in Taiz. It praised the protesters and called on Saleh ‘to move immediately’ on the president’s previous promise to transfer power. Saleh, however, has been a leading U.S. ally against al Qaeda, which has a Yemen-based branch that has claimed responsibility for two attempted attacks on the United States…”

Man’s violent attempts to overthrow governments have never led to true freedom, peace and prosperity.

Yemen’s “Peaceful” Demonstrations

Deutsche Welle reported on June 5:

“Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets on Sunday, June 5, to celebrate what they said was the end of the 32-year regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
 
“The beleaguered president left Yemen late on Saturday to seek medical treatment in Saudi Arabia for injuries sustained in a rebel rocket attack on his presidential palace. Yemen’s opposition vowed to prevent the return of Saleh… For now, Mansour Hadi has taken over as acting president and supreme commander of the armed forces as stipulated by the country’s constitution…

“The rocket attack on Friday killed seven people and threw the Yemeni government into disarray, with injuries sustained by the country’s prime minister, two deputy prime ministers and the speakers of both parliamentary houses… Germany has closed its embassy in Sanaa and is withdrawing its three remaining diplomats from Yemen in the face of increasing political unrest in the country. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle urged German citizens to leave the country, if possible.”

USA Resumes Airstrikes in Yemen

CNN wrote on June 9:

“The United States has resumed airstrikes in Yemen and believes it killed a top al Qaeda insurgent there, a U.S. military official said on Thursday. Abu Ali al-Harithi, ‘described as one of the most dangerous al Qaeda commanders in Shabwa province,’ has been killed in Yemeni security operations, state-run TV reported on Thursday, citing an official military source. The New York Times reported on Thursday that American jets killed him in an airstrike last Friday … Last month, a U.S. drone strike attempted but failed to kill Anwar Al-Awlaki, the American-born radical Muslim cleric who moved to Yemen and has become a key figure in al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.”

US Ally Yemen May Fall…

The Washington Post wrote on June 5:

“The flight of Yemeni leader Ali Abdullah Saleh to Saudi Arabia deprives the United States of a fitful ally in the fight against al-Qaeda’s most dangerous affiliate and injects new uncertainty into counterterrorism operations that were already hampered by the country’s bloody internal strife… While Saudi Arabia, with U.S. backing, will almost certainly prevent Saleh’s return to Yemen, it is unclear who will replace him and whether there will be a change in attitude toward American efforts to target Islamic militants in the country.

“The Pentagon and the CIA, which have steadily deployed more men and equipment to Yemen, including armed drones, will have to forge fresh relationships with whatever new leadership emerges in Yemen. And some in the opposition to Saleh have expressed skepticism about even the existence of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), describing the terrorist group that has come to preoccupy Washington in recent years as a myth. Officials in the United States and elsewhere fear that the al-Qaeda group will exploit the turmoil in Yemen to solidify its base and launch fresh attacks… Some observers said that if the violence continues, the chaos might put pressure on the United States to act unilaterally, including expanding the use of armed drones.”

Yemen Only a Step Away from Total Chaos

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 6:

“Allies of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh have promised that he will return… There are plenty of people both within Yemen and abroad, however, who believe that Saleh’s departure is permanent… The chaos has many in the region fearful that Yemen could descend into a failed state…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The West must not blindly trust that demonstrators in Yemen will now find success. … The mountainous, poverty-stricken and austerely Muslim country is already virtually ungovernable. … Absent a halfway orderly transition of power, Yemen could completely collapse. … This political chaos would play into the hands of Islamist terrorists…’

“The left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘…the Saudi leaders will be interested in seeing an “orderly transfer of power,” a formulation which in Egypt, for example, meant that as many officials as possible managed to hold on to their positions in the new regime… Saudi Arabia… has never been a champion of democratic reform…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘It could be that the celebrations in Yemen will soon come to an end. The forces for freedom which began protesting against the rule of President Saleh more than four months ago could fall victim to a power struggle between those who remain loyal to Saleh and those who defected. … The most recent “revenge” attack carried out by government opponents on the presidential palace in Taiz in addition to explosions in the capital show just how close Yemen is to the abyss of violence.’”

What we are seeing is an inevitable development in that part of the world which, in accordance with prophecy, is totally separating itself from the USA and the state of  Israel, while some Middle Eastern and African countries will become or remain friendly towards Europe, and others will become extremely hostile.

Iran’s Nuclear Bomb Unstoppable Now?

Y-net news wrote on June 6:

“Airstrikes can no longer stop nuclear program, US can do nothing short of military occupation, says [a] report. The Iranian regime is closer than ever before to creating a nuclear bomb, according to RAND Corporation researcher Gregory S. Jones.  At its current rate of uranium enrichment, Tehran could have enough for its first bomb within eight weeks…

“The researcher based his report on recent findings by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), published two weeks ago. Making the bomb will take around two months, he says, because constructing a nuclear warhead is a complicated step in the process. Jones stresses that stopping Iran will require deploying forces on the ground, because airstrikes are no longer sufficient. The reality is that the US and Israel have failed to keep Iran from developing a nuclear warhead whenever it wants, Jones says…”

The Associated Press reported on June 8:

“An article praising the idea of Iran testing a nuclear bomb on a Revolutionary Guard website is raising alarms in western intelligence circles. The article is being interpreted as evidence of strong backing in the Islamic Republic for such a move. The article is entitled ‘The Day After the First Iranian Nuclear Test — a Normal Day.’ It coincides with other public or suspected activities that the United States and its allies see as indications that Tehran wants to possess atomic arms.

“‘The day after the first Iranian nuclear test for us Iranians will be an ordinary day, but in the eyes of many of us, it will have a new shine, from the power and dignity of the nation,’ says the article. It was published on the Gerdab site run by the Revolutionary Guard.”

The Bible shows that Iran will be involved in a war with Israel in the near future.

“Japan: Green Tea Exports Banned Due to High Radiation Levels”

The Telegraph wrote on June 3:

“The Japanese government has banned shipments of green tea leaves in four regions after high levels of radioactive caesium were found. A swathe of Japan’s tea making regions including parts of Tochigi, Chiba and Kanagawa prefecture as well as the whole of Ibaraki were included within the ban, according to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare…

“Tea leaves are the latest agricultural products in Japan to be affected by problems surrounding the still-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. From milk to spinach, a raft of items have fallen under the spotlight due to radiation fears… Tens of thousands of farmers have been hit hard by the nuclear crisis, due to issues surrounding potential soil contamination and food safety fears with many also having had to abandon their animals in the evacuation area.”

It seems that only now is the world beginning to see the terrible dangers of radiation, stemming from the Japanese catastrophe.

What Are the Bilderbergs Up To?

CNBC wrote on June 9:

“Dominique Strauss-Kahn, naturally, isn’t attending this year, and his likely successor Christine Lagarde is in China, but the Bilderberg Conference which kicks off in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz on Thursday retains its conspiratorial chic and pulling power. The attendee list of Bilderberg is still pretty much the only thing that is not a closely guarded secret, as 120 of the world’s richest and most powerful people meet behind closed doors… U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron and Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne are known to have attended in the past, although it seems unlikely that either will attend this week. A spokesperson at the U.K. Treasury press office said it ‘didn’t know’ whether or not Osborne would go this year, but promised to call CNBC.com back. They did not. Given the secretive spirit of Bilderberg, that could well be taken as a confirmation.

“The first Bilderberg meeting in 1954 was an attempt to stamp out post-war anti-Americanism in Europe, bringing together senior U.S. and European figures to meet and discuss the international challenges of the day. Since then, the rich and powerful have continued to meet. The 2010 event, in… Spain, included on its agenda ‘The Growing Influence of Cyber Technology,’ ‘Security in a Proliferated World,’ ‘Promises of Medical Science,’ and ‘Can We Feed the World,’ according to its official website.

“Its secrecy only serves to add fuel to the innumerate conspiracy theories that circulate around the event… The 120 participants attend in a private capacity and, officially, they do not forge agreements over global economic policy…

“Andrew Kakabadse is professor of international management development at Cranfield University… [He said:] ‘The Bilderbergs are probably the most influential global network of all time. It’s an honor to be invited, it’s a tremendous honor. Part of it is recognition for work done and part of it is for contribution to enabling world affairs. The people we talked to are quite genuine. Mostly they don’t understand the conspiracy bit, because they say when you go there what you find is people of all sorts of varying views. But the fact that they’ve been invited is indicative of the position that they’ve reached in life,’ he said.”

The Drudge Report published a link to the following article by Infowars, dated June 8, stating the following:

“According to AFP journalist and legendary Bilderberg sleuth Jim Tucker’s inside sources, the agenda now under review includes a number of critical issues at the top of the elite’s to-do list. These breakdown as follows:

“The elite are concerned that the American Congress may soon turn against the illegal and immoral invasion under humanitarian cover by NATO and the UN against the north African dictator Moammar Gaddafi… The elite… are pushing for a wider war and incalculable suffering in the Middle East.

“The money masters have long profited from war and mass murder. Nathan Rothschild made a financial bet on Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo and while also funding the Duke of Wellington’s peninsular campaign against Napoleon. The House of Rothschild financed the Prussian War, the Crimean War and the British attempt to seize the Suez Canal from the French and also financed the Mexican War and the Civil War in the U.S.

“In addition to worrying about Congress waking up to the Libyan scam, the global elite is also concerned about a diverse liberty movement that has grown exponentially with the help of an open and free internet… The globalists are not opposed to the internet, especially as a corporatized money-making instrument. They are, however, opposed to an open, free, and unregulated by government internet where alternative media opposed to their globalist devices are allowed to thrive. In addition, we can expect minions of the global elite… to continue their propaganda efforts to convince the American people that the internet will be used as a terrorist weapon of mass destruction and as such needs to be tightly regulated – for our own safety, of course, and that of the children.

“Finally, the Bilderbergers will work on an effort to sucker an already economically besieged American public into further fantastic debt producing bankster bailouts, specifically for Greece, Ireland, Portugal, and other member EU nations sliding toward bankruptcy and social disruption on a monumental scale… the plan is to take down national sovereignty, impose drastic austerity measures, hold fire sales on national assets, consolidate wealth and power, and use an endless economic crisis as an excuse to usher in world government, a one-world currency, and a sprawling high-tech police state.”

The reality is that world government will come—but in a most unexpected way. First, another attempt will be made to revive the ancient military Roman Empire in Europe. The world will “worship” that governmental system and its leader and unspeakable suffering will follow. But then, finally, Jesus Christ will return to establish a peaceful and all-encompassing world government here on earth.

Egypt Opens Gateway to Gaza

Fox News reported on May 28:

“After a four-year blockade, Egypt on Saturday permanently opened the Gaza Strip’s main gateway to the outside world, bringing long-awaited relief to the territory’s Palestinian population and a significant achievement for the area’s ruling Hamas militant group. The reopening of the Rafah border crossing eases an Egyptian blockade of Gaza that has prevented the vast majority of the densely populated area’s 1.5 million people from being able to travel abroad. The closure, along with an Israeli blockade of its borders with Gaza, has fueled an economic crisis in the territory…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“Egypt and Israel first imposed a blockade in 2006 following the abduction of an Israeli soldier. It was later tightened in 2007 in an effort to weaken the Islamic group Hamas after it gained control of the area. Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s regime defended its decision to close the only gateway to the Gaza Strip which was not controlled by Israel by asserting it was a necessary move in the fight against terrorism.

“But when Mubarak was ousted from power in February, Egypt’s military rulers opted to permanently ease the blockade imposed by Israel… fears have been raised in Israel that it will also be easier for militants to get in and out of Gaza. Some Palestinians had previously smuggled goods, including weapons, into Gaza using tunnels from Egypt.”

The New York Times added on May 28:

“… the formal, seven-days-a-week opening on Saturday did not remove all restrictions. It left in place a blockade on the shipment into Gaza of goods, including concrete badly needed to repair buildings damaged by clashes between Israel and Hamas… There are still restrictions on passengers as well. Although women, children and older Palestinians can now enter Egypt without a visa, men 18 to 40 years old are required to obtain one, for security reasons.”

Even though the opening of the gateway still includes many restrictions, the dangers especially for Israel should not be ignored.

Libyan Adventure Slow and Messy

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 28:

“The quick and clean intervention promised in Libya has proved slow and messy. Despite over two months of NATO air support for the Libyan rebels, the civil war in the country is looking more and more like a stalemate. As a result, it was only a matter of time before Britain and France sought to tip the balance in its battle against Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi’s military machine…

“Britain announced it would be sending four Apache helicopters, with France flying in similar Tiger helicopters as well. These maneuverable craft can fly lower than large warplanes and bombers, and Western militaries hope they will offer [provided] scope for more precise attacks against smaller targets like tanks. Some military analysts… see this fresh deployment of more versatile aircraft as a sign that the NATO mission in Libya is failing…

“The US and Britain both reiterated this week that sending in ground troops was not an option, and arming the rebels does not conform to the mandate of UN Resolution 1973, which only authorizes Western powers to protect civilian lives in Libya…

“Estimates suggest the rebel troops are outnumbered by as much as 10 to one by those loyal to Gadhafi, an imbalance that air support alone might not overcome. On this basis, NATO looks set to stay in Libya, and for an indeterminate period of time.”

Reuters wrote on June 1:

“NATO said on Wednesday it had extended its Libyan mission for a further 90 days, after Gaddafi made it clear he would not step down, dashing hopes of a negotiated end to the fighting.”

It does not appear that we will see a closure in Libya any time soon. The German press, and especially the mass tabloid Bild, reported angrily how President Obama, during the recent G-8 summit, ignored Chancellor Merkel and showed her “the cold shoulder”; and that she was not invited for talks about the future of Libya. They also blasted the American President for his unwillingness to visit Germany (even though he found time to visit Ireland, England, France and Poland). The German press speculated that the reason for this “mistreatment” was America’s anger over Germany’s refusal to participate in military attacks on Libya. However, in the long run, the world might recognize Germany’s wisdom and America’s and NATO’s foolishness in this regard.

African Union Fails in Libya

On May 29, 2011, The New York Times reported:

“Talks between President  Jacob Zuma of South Africa and Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi ended Monday with no sign of the breakthrough Libyan officials had said they hoped for. The outcome appeared to leave the Tripoli government and its rebel foes still mired in the stalemate that has settled over the conflict, and NATO with the prospect of an extended campaign of airstrikes in its bid to topple the Libyan leader…

“The demand for Colonel Qaddafi to quit has been set by rebel leaders in eastern Libya and backed by the NATO countries leading the 10-week-old campaign of airstrikes against the Qaddafi government, and was joined last week by Russia, long considered a Qaddafi ally…

“The Zuma visit was widely trumpeted in advance by officials in Tripoli, who have come to see the African Union as a last bastion of diplomatic support. For decades, Colonel Qaddafi has sought to reach out across barriers of culture, faith and geography to promote solidarity between the continent’s Arab and African peoples, and to present himself, as posters around Tripoli proclaim him, as the ‘king of kings’ among African leaders.”

On March 10, the New York Times explained the following about the African Union:

“The African Union, which was formed to succeed the Organization of African Unity on July 9, 2002 and is loosely based on the European Union, aims to promote cooperation and integration among the independent nations of Africa. It consists of 53 African nations and its headquarters are in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It works to promote African unity on issues involving the continent, and deals with security matters and regional conflicts…

“The current incarnation was conceived by Moammar el-Qaddafi, the Libyan leader. The union has grand plans for the future that include the establishment of a central bank, with a single currency by 2023, and of a human rights court. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the president of Equatorial Guinea is its current leader.”

Please note that the African Union is headquartered in Ethiopia, which was formerly known as the king of the South, as referred to in the book of Daniel. Ethiopia could still play a significant role in world affairs. Please also note the next remarkable comments:

African Union Wants to End Libya Crisis with Russian Help

The EUObserver wrote on June 1:

“Senior African envoy Jean Ping has told the EU and Nato that the African Union is keen to end the Libya crisis by diplomacy, not war, and with Russian help… The EU and Nato have ruled out talking to Gaddafi and said he must step down from power…

“EU commission head Barroso… indicated that EU countries and the US are no longer in a position to dictate terms to African ‘client’ states…”

And Now Yemen… “Worse Than Libya”

The Guardian wrote on June 1:

“The crisis engulfing Yemen deepened on Wednesday with dozens of people killed as President Ali Abdullah Saleh reinforced his troops after heavy clashes with gunmen loyal to an influential tribal leader… Arab embassies were said to be evacuating their staff and the few remaining western residents were being advised to leave urgently. The Foreign Office is urging all Britons to leave while flights are still available in a situation diplomats described as ‘worse than Libya.’”

The EUObserver wrote on May 31:

“Syria-type EU arms trade and visa bans are looking ever more likely to be imposed on Yemen as fellow Arab countries struggle to resolve the crisis… EU and US nationals have been advised to leave the country as quickly as possible and many embassies are already working with essential staff only… The US embassy in Sanaa said it ‘condemns the unprovoked and unjustified attack on peaceful demonstrators’ in Taiz and ‘commends the youth protesters who have shown both resolve and restraint.’ Yemen is a strategically important country for EU security due to the presence of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in the south of the country and due to its location along the vital trade route through the Gulf of Aden.”

Iran Helps Syrian Government

The Washington Post reported on May 27:

“U.S. officials say Iran is dispatching increasing numbers of trainers and advisers — including members of its elite Quds Force — into Syria to help crush anti-government demonstrations that are threatening to topple Iran’s most important ally in the region. The influx of Iranian manpower is adding to a steady stream of aid from Tehran that includes not only weapons and riot gear but also sophisticated surveillance equipment that is helping Syrian authorities track down opponents through their Facebook and Twitter accounts, the sources said. Iranian-assisted computer surveillance is believed to have led to the arrests of hundreds of Syrians seized from their homes in recent weeks.

“The United States and its allies long have accused Iran of supporting repressive or violent regimes in the region, including Syria’s government, the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip… The new assertions… are clearly aimed at suggesting deepening involvement of Iranian military personnel in Syria’s brutal crackdown against anti-Assad demonstrators…

“Iran’s increasing engagement in the Syrian crackdown reflects anxiety in Tehran about the prospects for Assad, who has failed to end the protests despite rising brutality that human rights groups say has left more than 800 people dead and perhaps 10,000 in prison. Iran, a longtime supplier of military aid to Syria, has been helping Dasmascus battle the current wave of civil unrest since at least mid-March…”

Iran Able to Build a Bomb Now

Newsmax reported on May 31:

“The International Atomic Energy Agency believes that Iran’s nuclear program has dangerous ‘military dimensions,’ according to a piece published late Monday in The New York Times. The Times report, drawing on an IAEA document, details Iran’s apparent efforts to build a nuclear bomb using ‘implosion’ techniques – the same basic technology used in the bomb dropped on Hiroshima… Essentially, Iran is able to build a bomb now, according to senior staff members of the IAEA quoted by the Times.”

Iran Pushes at Germany

Deutsche Welle reported on May 31:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel touched down more than two hours late in New Delhi for the start of her visit to India, after Iran refused to allow her plane access to its airspace. The plane was forced to turn round and circle over Turkey before permission was finally granted – just before the plane ran out of fuel. German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle requested the presence of the Iranian ambassador in Berlin on Tuesday. He said he wanted to make it clear that such a ‘breach of international protocol would not be tolerated’…

“Merkel is leading a large delegation of ministers and businessmen to India, seeking improved trade with booming South Asian economies… It is unclear why Iran suddenly withdrew permission to enter its airspace in the early hours of Tuesday morning… The plane was also carrying a large group of industry representatives and journalists.

“The German chancellor wants to promote European fighter aircraft. The Eurofighter consortium made up of Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy is hoping to sign a contract with the Indian air force for 126 new planes, worth 7 billion euros ($11 billion). Germany is India’s biggest trading partner in Europe, with bilateral trade at 15.4 billion euros in 2010. Indian officials estimate that this figure will grow to 20 billion euros by 2012.”

Europe’s Two-Faced Relationship with Iran

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 31:

“Relations between Berlin and Tehran have deteriorated in recent years due to German opposition to Iran’s nuclear program, and there have been a number of points of conflict in recent months. Germany recently dropped its opposition to European Union sanctions against a Hamburg-based Iranian bank that was considered a financial lifeline for Tehran’s nuclear program. The EU agreed to impose sanctions on the bank at a foreign ministers’ meeting last week.

“There was also tension between the countries when Iran detained two German reporters in October 2010. They were finally released in February after Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle made a personal visit to Tehran and met with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

“Despite Iran’s pariah status, Germany is still the third-largest exporter to the country. Last year, German exports to the Islamic republic were worth €3.8 billion ($5.5 billion). Nevertheless, a number of major German companies, such as Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, have decided to stop doing business with Iran.”

Please make sure to read our Q&A in this Update, discussing the future of Iran and its relationship with Europe, as prophesied in the Bible.

“Who Cares in the Middle East What Obama Says?”

The Independent wrote on May 30:

“This month, in the Middle East, has seen the unmaking of the President of the United States. More than that, it has witnessed the lowest prestige of America in the region since Roosevelt met King Abdul Aziz on the USS Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake in 1945. While Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu played out their farce in Washington… the Arabs got on with the serious business of changing their world, demonstrating and fighting and dying for freedoms they have never possessed. Obama waffled on about change in the Middle East – and about America’s new role in the region. It was pathetic…

“Obama’s failure to support the Arab revolutions until they were all but over lost the US most of its surviving credit in the region… Obama’s policy towards the Middle East – whatever it is – sometimes appears so muddled that it is scarcely worthy of study. He supports, of course, democracy – then admits that this may conflict with America’s interests. In that wonderful democracy called Saudi Arabia, the US is now pushing ahead with a £40 billion arms deal and helping the Saudis to develop a new ‘elite’ force to protect the kingdom’s oil and future nuclear sites…

“Obama stated that the Palestinians would have to answer questions about Hamas. But why should they? What Obama and Netanyahu think about Hamas is now irrelevant to them… Obama says no Palestinian state must be declared at the UN… Who cares in the Middle East what Obama says? Not even, it seems, the Israelis. The Arab spring will soon become a hot summer and there will be an Arab autumn, too. By then, the Middle East may have changed forever. What America says will matter nothing.”

This is truly a sad testimony about a powerful country which becomes more and more insignificant and irrelevant in world affairs. The reason for our national downfall is clearly described in our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America.”

Afghan War Gets Even Uglier…

Deutsche Welle reported on May 30:

“A NATO commander apologized on Monday for the deaths of Afghan civilians killed by an airstrike in the southern province of Helmand on Saturday. Afghan officials said the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had killed 12 children and two women. The raid was in response to a Taliban attack on US marines in the area…

“The apology came after President Hamid Karzai’s office issued what it called a ‘last warning’ to US and NATO troops… Karzai said such operations amounted to the ‘murdering of Afghanistan’s women and children’…

“Meanwhile, Afghan officials said on Sunday an investigation was under way into a suicide attack on Saturday that killed two senior police commanders and two German soldiers. German General Markus Kneip, the top NATO officer in the northern region was injured in the blast.”

The paper added on May 31:

“Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday said NATO was ‘not allowed’ to launch attacks on Afghan homes in pursuit of insurgents, and that a recent wave of civilian casualties risks turning the Afghan people against them. ‘NATO must learn that airstrikes on Afghan homes are not allowed and that Afghan people have no tolerance for that anymore,’ Karzai told reporters at a news conference in Kabul. ‘If they don’t stop airstrikes on Afghan homes, their presence in Afghanistan will be considered as an occupying force and against the will of the Afghan people.’ Karzai added that he had warned NATO commanders ‘a hundred times.’

“‘The international community has helped us a lot, but they cannot risk the lives of Afghan people, this can’t be compensated,’ he said… Graphic footage was broadcast on television, showing mourning relatives holding the bodies of several children, among them babies… UN data shows at least three-quarters of civilian deaths are caused by insurgents, but those by NATO forces cause the most anger among the Afghan people.”

The Cost of the Afghan War

The Washington Post wrote on May 30:

“Of all the statistics that President Obama’s national security team will consider when it debates the size of forthcoming troop reductions in Afghanistan, the most influential number probably will not be how many insurgents have been killed or the amount of territory wrested from the Taliban… It will be the cost of the war.

“The U.S. military is on track to spend $113 billion on its operations in Afghanistan this fiscal year, and it is seeking $107 billion for the next. To many of the president’s civilian advisers, that price is too high… Military and civilian officials agree that the cost of the Afghan mission is staggering. The amount per deployed service member in Afghanistan, which the administration estimates at $1 million per year, is significantly higher than it was in Iraq because fuel and other supplies must be trucked into the landlocked nation, often through circuitous routes. Bases, meanwhile, have to be built from scratch.

“The U.S.-led effort to create a new national army, which Afghanistan never had, already has consumed more than $28 billion. The Pentagon wants $12.8 billion for fiscal 2012 — the largest single line item in next year’s Defense Department budget request — to continue training and equipping Afghan soldiers…

“Military leaders maintain that the 30,000-troop surge and an increase in civilian reconstruction efforts have resulted in a dramatic turnaround of what had been a foundering war, creating the possibility of a reasonably stable nation. They insist that a rapid withdrawal of forces would make that goal unachievable by rolling back territorial gains against the Taliban and jeopardizing efforts to develop Afghan security forces and build government institutions…

“On Thursday, the House narrowly defeated an amendment calling for an accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan and a fixed timetable for turning over military operations to the Kabul government. The vote, 204 to 215, was far thinner than last year’s 162-to-260 tally on the same issue. In the Senate, influential members have said recently that the cost of the war merits a reexamination of the overall U.S. strategy in Afghanistan…

“Some Republican presidential candidates also are beginning to have second thoughts about the scope of the war…”

Mankind has still a long way to go to finally learn that its costly and futile wars will NOT solve our problems and establish lasting peace. In that light, the following article is quite interesting.

“The Way to Peace They Do Not Know…”

The Local wrote on June 2:

“Margot Käßmann, former head of the German Protestant church, used her speech at an annual Christian convention on Thursday to question the morality of the German weapons industry. President Christian Wulff was in her audience. ‘Our national economy benefits from a war that we criticize,’ she said at the 33rd Kirchentag convention in Dresden, addressing an audience of thousands in a sports arena. ‘Is it legitimate to earn money from the weapons trade?’

“Käßmann cited the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which recently reported that Germany’s share of the global weapons trade rose to 11 percent between 2005 and 2010, making it the third biggest weapons exporter in the world, behind the US and Russia…

“Käßmann also criticized Germany’s mission in Afghanistan and the NATO bombing of Libya. She said she had been in favour of enforcing a no-fly zone over the latter country, but condemned the ‘deliberate attempt to kill Qaddafi, with whom we had been doing business with just before. That is no path to peace,’ she said.”

Need to “Redefine” Relationship Between USA and Europe

Deutsche Welle reported on May 28:

“US President Barack Obama has called on America and Europe to renew their flagging global leadership. But the Atlantic partners first must redefine their relationship in the face of Arab uprisings and Asian strength… Europe and the US are struggling to come to terms with the fact that their historic partnership is changing in response to revolts in the Arab world and stunning economic growth in Asia…

“During the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Deauville, France, the US and Europe sought to demonstrate the global leadership role Obama called for in London by agreeing to provide billions of dollars in aid to support the so-called Arab Spring, particularly democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia… Although America’s relationship with Europe is rooted in history, Washington’s fate has become deeply intertwined with developments in the Middle East, Asia and Russia over the past decade. As [a] consequence, the US has largely shifted its political attention towards the large emerging powers.

“Central European nations such as Poland, where Obama spent the final leg of his trip, have expressed growing concern that Washington is overlooking their security as it seeks to improve ties with Russia by inviting Moscow to participate in the construction of a missile shield…

“Building partnerships in Europe is complex due to the continent’s maze of political institutions… Washington has to simultaneously engage the continent through NATO, the individual nation-states, as well as through the European Union…. As a result, Washington finds it difficult to engage a European continent that often lacks a common voice on global issues… The US has been disappointed with Europe’s reluctance to engage in Afghanistan and that it did not assume full responsibility for the intervention Libya.”

Sadly, the relationship between the USA and Europe will continue to deteriorate.

EU Unhappy With Ashton

Mail On Line wrote on May 27:

“Baroness Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, has been told she has until the autumn to raise her game or she could lose her job. The Labour peer, who is the world’s highest-paid female politician, was given the warning by leading German politicians… the attack from Germany could cut short her five-year term in Brussels on £250,000 a year – a  salary that is higher than President Barack Obama’s.

“Wolfgang [Schaeuble], the German finance minister, said Lady Ashton ‘does not have the power to portray Europe’ on the world stage. He criticised the impression she had made during the Arab Spring, saying she had ‘not spoken with one voice’ for Europe. Elmar Brok, an MEP from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party, warned that she had until autumn to prove herself… She is also facing criticism from the French, Spanish and British as well as some of the smaller member states, particularly for what is seen as a low-key approach to her job.”

Soon, Europe WILL speak and act much more powerfully.

Slavery in the Third Reich

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 27:

“Germany’s occupation of Poland is one of the darkest chapters of World War II. Some 6 million people, almost 18 percent of the Polish population, were killed during the Nazi reign of terror that saw mass executions, forced evictions and enslavement… The Nazis’ aim was to transform the Poles into a nation of slaves. In May 1940 Himmler wrote that ‘the non-German peoples of the East may not receive any education beyond four-year elementary school…’

“The occupiers set up the first major ghetto in Lodz, which they renamed Litzmannstadt, in the ‘Reich District of Wartheland’ (also known as the Warthegau), where 3.7 million Poles and 400,000 Jews were resettled for ‘germanization.’ Even minor offenses led to Poles being sent to Germany as forced laborers. In this way, more than two million people were enslaved… In November 1942, police officers began brutally evacuating more than 100,000 Polish farmers to make way for 20,000 ethnic Germans. Those fit for work were sent to Germany as slave laborers, old people and children were resettled in so-called ‘retirement villages,’ while anyone deemed ‘inferior’ or ‘unreliable’ was deported to Auschwitz.”

This should serve as a painful reminder that slavery is possible in our sophisticated civilized world. The Bible has clearly announced for thousands of years that in these end times, the USA, Great Britain, Canada, and other English-speaking nations, as well as the Jewish people, WILL BE defeated in war and enslaved  by a powerful enemy.

Radiation Fears in Japan

Focus wrote on May 28:

“The news agency Kyodo reported that the damaged [Fukushima nuclear] plant was not sufficiently secure and protected against heavy rain and wind… Kyodo also reported that at twelve places on the ocean floor, within a radius of between 50 and 300 kilometers, Japanese governmental agencies detected radiation levels which exceeded officialy safe limits hundreds of times and which would be very dangerous to human health if they would also be deteced in fish and shellfish.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 1:

“Contamination levels in the Japanese mountain village of Iitate are higher than in some parts of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Its evacuation has been a painful process for residents…

“In the days following the explosions inside the Fukushima reactors, the wind carried radiation clouds in a northwesterly direction, all the way into the mountains surrounding Iitate, about 40 kilometers away from the plant. The people working in the fields at the time knew nothing about the dangers in the sky. No one had warned them. Later on, the authorities measured radiation levels of up to 45 microsievert per hour in Iitate. This is several times the level that led to the evacuation of Chernobyl…

“Twenty years after Chernobyl, the United Nations published a comprehensive report on the health of those resettled from the restricted zone there. According to the report, the people were traumatized by the loss of their homes and the fear of radiation damage. Believing that they are doomed to die, many drink and smoke excessively…”

The reality of the plague of dangerous radiation and the accompanying pain and suffering of the victims cannot be overemphasized. Our nuclear plants are simply not safe enough to prevent terrible disasters from occuring. It has now been reported that a nuclear plant near Joplin, Missouri, could be seriously affected by a powerful tornado. In this light, Germany’s controversial decision to abandon nuclear energy altogether is quite interesting, as the next article shows, also in consideration of the fact that Germany is becoming once again the (unpopular) leader of Europe in important questions.

Germany To Abandon Nuclear Energy

The Local wrote on May 31:

“The German plan, hammered out by Merkel’s ruling coalition in marathon overnight negotiations, will see the country shutter all 17 of its nuclear reactors… within 11 years. Seven of the eight reactors already offline are the country’s oldest, which the government shut down for three months pending a safety probe after the Fukushima emergency. The eighth is the Kruemmel plant, in north Germany, which has been offline for years because of technical problems. Six further reactors will shut down by 2021 and the three most modern will stop operating the following year 2022.

“Monday’s decision, which could run into legal challenges from energy companies, means Germany will have to find the 22 percent of its electricity needs that were covered by nuclear power from other sources… Thorny questions remained unanswered, including finding a permanent storage site for the highly radioactive waste and slashing CO2 emissions…

“France, meanwhile, said nuclear power allowed the country with its 58 reactors to provide electricity at prices about 40 percent cheaper than other European countries, on average… Sweden said the German decision would lead to a disjointed energy policy that failed to adequately address climate change. Poland and nuclear-free Austria, however, welcomed the German move… Poland, considering launching its first nuclear power station in 2020, said it would rethink its plans.

“The United States and Britain have announced plans to build new reactors as an alternative to producing harmful greenhouse gas emissions. Italy scrapped nuclear power in 1987, one year after the Chernobyl disaster, while Switzerland said last week it would phase out atomic energy by 2034.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 31:

“… the majority believes the chancellor had no other choice given the broad consensus in the German populace that nuclear power has no place in the country. That sentiment is expected to be codified by the German parliament on July 8…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… since the nuclear catastrophe in Fukushima, it is impossible in Germany to mobilize a majority in favor of a return to atomic energy’…

“The tabloid Bild writes: ‘… German prosperity and millions of jobs in the country are dependent on affordable energy… what share of the costs will have to be picked up by renters and homeowners? The government has acted on the behalf of voters, but who will be forced to pick up the tab in the end?’

“The conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘…The upgrading of Germany’s energy supply, related costs and the necessity of greater energy saving will hit or at least be felt by all…’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘… the breakneck speed with which the government decided to hastily and permanently turn its back on the use of nuclear energy by 2022 makes a mockery of every democratic rule of procedure. It began with the repealing of the decision to extend nuclear life spans … which happened at the spur of the moment after Fukushima, without any discussion or reflection — out of fear of the Greens (who have recently seen their influence increase dramatically in Germany).’”

Germany’s Deadly Disease Outbreak…

Time magazine wrote on May 30:

“German authorities are urging consumers not to panic as an outbreak of a virulent strain of enterohemorrhagic E. coli known as EHEC has killed at least [18] people, with no sign of abating. The bacterial outbreak — which was first reported on May 20 in northern Germany — is believed to have infected around [2,000] people, but officials fear it hasn’t yet reached its peak. After scientists in the north German port city of Hamburg traced the bacterium to cucumbers imported from Spain, German health-safety officials have advised consumers to steer clear of raw cucumbers, salad, and tomatoes. And now the fear has spread to Russia, where authorities on Monday banned the import of all raw vegetables from Germany and Spain — and threatened to widen the ban to produce from the rest of the European Union.

“The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control in Stockholm has said in a statement that the outbreak in Germany is one of the biggest of its kind worldwide, and certainly the largest ever in Germany. Up to 500 cases of EHEC have been reported in the northern port city of Hamburg alone…

“‘This is a very serious outbreak,’ says Thomas Alter, a food-safety expert at the Institute of Food Hygiene at Berlin’s Free University. ‘In the past, there have been smaller EHEC outbreaks in Germany which have been detected in beef or [unpasteurized] milk. But there’s never been an EHEC outbreak linked to vegetables.’ Alter notes that Germany normally has an average of 900 cases of EHEC each year, but the new outbreak is ‘very dangerous.’ ‘The challenge now is to identify the source of the infection and determine how vegetables were contaminated by the EHEC bacterium which is usually found in cattle,’ he says. The European Disease Centre says that transmission of the EHEC infection usually occurs through contaminated food or water, and through contact with animals, but person-to-person transmission is also possible…

“Amid growing concerns that the outbreak is spreading, some German supermarket chains have taken Spanish-imported cucumbers off the shelves and German consumers have started boycotting raw vegetables, even those from Germany. According to a survey published on Sunday in the newspaper Bild am Sonntag, 58% of Germans say they are not eating fresh cucumbers, raw tomatoes or salad. German farmers say they are now facing huge losses and are being forced to destroy crops because of the consumer boycott. However, despite pressure from Germany’s powerful farming lobby, the government is still sticking to its guidelines…

“‘My advice is simple: avoid salad, cucumbers and raw tomatoes, wash your hands carefully in the kitchen, and heat up all food properly,’ says Lothar Wieler, professor of microbiology at Berlin’s Free University. ‘The high mortality rate and the spiraling number of cases of patients infected with EHEC who develop HUS are extremely worrying,’ he says, adding that the EHEC bacterium cannot be treated with antibiotics…

“Other EHEC cases have been reported across Europe — in Britain, Denmark, France, the Netherlands and Sweden — but all of those cases involve either German nationals or patients who have recently traveled to Germany. European health officials say no case of a locally acquired infection has so far been detected outside Germany…”

The Associated Press added on June 1:

“The outbreak is already considered the third-largest involving E. coli in recent world history, and it may be the deadliest.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on June 2:

“As the E. coli outbreak continues to ravage Germany and other parts of Europe, the World Health Organization said Thursday that the aggressive intestinal bacteria is a new strain never seen before. Meanwhile fears of the illness prompted Russia to ban imports of vegetables from the EU… the World Health Organization announced that preliminary genetic sequencing had revealed the deadly strain is likely a mutant form of two separate E. coli bacteria that is new to scientists… Thousands of people in nine European countries have been infected by the bacteria… The swiftly spreading outbreak is baffling even the most experienced of doctors… In the meantime experts have ruled out their initial suspicion that Spanish cucumbers were the source of the E. coli bacteria…

“The EU commission has since removed its warning against Spanish cucumbers, but Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero told a national radio station that his country would seek reparations from European authorities to cover farmers’ losses… The outbreak also prompted Russia on Thursday to ban the import of vegetables from the entire European Union, a move the commission health spokesman Frederic Vincent called ‘disproportionate.’ The commission will write a letter to Russian authorities demanding an explanation, he said, adding that fresh fruit and vegetable exports to Russia amount to between €3 billion and €4 billion ($4.3 billion and $5.8 billion) per year, primarily in apples.

“Despite the EU’s criticism, Germany’s disease control authority, the Robert Koch Institute, maintained its warning against eating raw tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuce until the source of the bacteria could be found. Experts remain uncertain whether it arises during transport, loading, or packaging the products. However, experts said it was unlikely the bacteria’s source would be located quickly, if at all…”

In His Word, the Bible, God speaks of worldwide costly diseases—some of them unheard of before—which will plague this world prior to Christ’s return.

Tunnels and Excavations Under Jerusalem

The Associated Press reported on May 30:

“Underneath the crowded alleys and holy sites of old Jerusalem, hundreds of people are snaking at any given moment through tunnels, vaulted medieval chambers and Roman sewers in a rapidly expanding subterranean city invisible from the streets above. At street level, the walled Old City is an energetic and fractious enclave with a physical landscape that is predominantly Islamic and a population that is mainly Arab. Underground Jerusalem is different…

“Archaeological digs under the disputed Old City are a matter of immense sensitivity. For Israel, the tunnels are proof of the depth of Jewish roots here, and this has made the tunnels one of Jerusalem’s main tourist draws: The number of visitors, mostly Jews and Christians, has risen dramatically in recent years to more than a million visitors in 2010. But many Palestinians, who reject Israel’s sovereignty in the city, see them as a threat to their own claims to Jerusalem…

“Beginning this summer, a new passage will be open… : a sewer Jewish rebels are thought to have used to flee the Roman legions who destroyed the Jerusalem temple in 70 A.D. The sewer leads uphill, passing beneath the Old City walls before expelling visitors into sunlight next to the rectangular enclosure where the temple once stood, now home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the gold-capped Dome of the Rock…

“Palestinian Muslims… are suspicious of any government moves in the Old City and particularly around the Al-Aqsa compound, Islam’s third-holiest shrine. Jews know the compound as the Temple Mount, site of two destroyed temples and the center of the Jewish faith for three millennia… Mindful that the compound has the potential to trigger devastating conflict, Israel’s policy is to allow no excavations there…

“Despite the Israeli assurances, however, rumors persist that the excavations are undermining the physical stability of the Islamic holy sites. ‘I believe the Israelis are tunneling under the mosques,’ said Najeh Bkerat, an official of the Waqf, the Muslim religious body that runs the compound under Israel’s overall security control.  Samir Abu Leil, another Waqf official, said he had heard hammering that very morning underneath the Waqf’s offices, in a Mamluk-era building that sits just outside the holy compound and directly over the route of the Western Wall tunnel, and had filed a complaint with police.”

This existence of a network of tunnels beneath Jerusalem is also interesting in that it could give additional meaning to the prophecy of the strong possibility of a future erection of a temple on the Temple Mount, prior to Christ’s return, and the certainty of a future military invasion of that city.

Our Selective Memories

The following article shows how careful one must be with “repressed memories,” and it gives useful tips as to what parents can do to foster even early memories of their children.

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 31:

“Why we remember some scenes from early childhood and forget others has long intrigued scientists—as well as parents striving to create happy memories for their kids. One of the biggest mysteries: why most people can’t seem to recall anything before age 3 or 4. Now, researchers in Canada have demonstrated that some young children can remember events from even before age 2—but those memories are fragile, with many vanishing by about age 10…

“Researchers asked 140 children, aged between 4 and 13, to describe their three earliest memories, and repeated the exercise two years later with the same children. On average, the 50 youngest children, aged 4 to 6 during the first interview, recalled events from when they were barely 2 years old, as verified by their parents. When they were interviewed two years later, only five of those 50 children mentioned the same earliest memory. By contrast, 22 of the 61 children who were 10 to 13 at the first interview were able to mention the same earliest memory when they were interviewed again two years later…

“The inability of adults to remember the earliest years of childhood—also known as infantile amnesia—has been the subject of speculation for more than a century. Modern researchers think that storing and retrieving memories require language skills that don’t develop until age 3 or 4. Others believe that while children can recall fragments of scenes from early life, they can’t create autobiographical memories—the episodes that make up one’s life story—until they have a firm concept of ‘self,’ which may take a few more years…

“Indeed, experts say that if parents want their children to remember particular events from their early lives, they should discuss them in as much detail as possible and help children see their significance. Talking over events with an adult ‘gives a meaning to memories that children may not have before,’ says psychologist Judith Hudson of Rutgers University who has studied how mother-child interactions influence memories. Ask a child, ‘Remember when we went to the zoo? What did you see?’ she suggests. ‘Suddenly, it’s something to talk about and share.’

“Traumatic events, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, also tend to become seared in children’s memories… Dr. Peterson and colleagues interviewed 145 children aged 2 to 13 who were treated in a hospital emergency room for injuries. Children who recalled crying a lot at the time were more likely to remember specific details two years later.

“Yet most early childhood memories are far more mundane, which baffles experts and parents alike… Still, because the brain is constantly reassembling the fragments, they are vulnerable to distortion… In one famous case, the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget had vivid memories of being kidnapped at age 2 in Paris, complete with the kidnappers scratching his nurse’s face. Years later, the nurse confessed to fabricating the story—but Piaget had heard his family discuss it so often that his mind created a false memory…

“Some therapists claim to be able to ‘recover’ repressed memories of childhood traumas, but the field fell into disrepute in the 1980s when some unscrupulous therapists were found to be planting false memories of incest and child abuse.

“Is it possible to recall more of your own childhood memories? Some researchers believe that people can access more if they have the right cues. Discussing past times with family members can jog the memories as well as offer different perspectives. Photographs and letters are also helpful; knowing specific dates like the birth of a sibling or a move to a different house can help place fragmentary memories in time.”

President Obama’s Double-Talk

On Sunday, May 22, 2011, the Washington Post reported that President Obama “clarified” his position on Israel. Nothing could be further from the truth. The paper stated:

“President Obama, seeking to quell criticism of his call for the borders of Israel and a Palestinian state to be based on 1967 lines, stressed Sunday to the country’s biggest pro-Israel lobby that he also supports land swaps between the two sides to reflect changes on the ground over the past 40 years…

“Mr. Obama stood by his position, outlined Thursday, that any two-state solution must be ‘based on the 1967 lines, the boundaries in effect before the Six-Day War, in which Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem.’ But, noting that he also called for ‘mutually agreed swaps’ of land, the president pointedly assured the audience Sunday that meant the two sides ‘will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967…’”

The paper continued that this last line “drew strong cheers from the crowd.” How easy it seems to be to fool the masses… Previously, Benjamin Netanyahu had declared that a return to the 1967 borders will not happen. The Associated Press had reported on May 20:

“Showing no progress toward peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sat alongside President Barack Obama on Friday and declared that Israel would not withdraw to 1967 borders to help make way for an adjacent Palestinian state… Obama said in his speech on Thursday that the United States supports creation of a Palestinian state based on the border lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War in which Israel forces occupied east Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza.

“The comment drew angry criticism in Israel, and Netanyahu made clear after meeting with Obama that the idea was unacceptable… there was no sign of resolution of the many barriers that stand between Israel and the Palestinians… Netanyahu said his nation could not negotiate with a newly constituted Palestinian unity government that includes the radical Hamas movement, which refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. He said that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had to choose between continuing the deal with Hamas and making peace with Israel…”

The World Blames Israel

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 25:

“In a speech before the US Congress, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected President Barack Obama’s call for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. Netanyahu’s move may be popular at home, but it was disastrous for the Middle East peace process, argue German commentators. US President Barack Obama has called for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders in a bid to finally achieve Mideast peace, a premise also supported by the European Union. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly rejected the idea in a speech he gave Tuesday as part of a six-day visit to the US, saying those borders would be ‘indefensible’…

“Though he may have been well-received by the US Congress, and is likely to be praised back home, the Israeli prime minister’s speech sparked heated criticism from abroad. Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn told SPIEGEL ONLINE that Netanyahu’s rejection of the 1967 borders was both ‘self-important and arrogant’… [and] also ‘deadly’ for the peace process…

“Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel writes: ‘The man who spoke in US Congress was Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister. But the speaker was also the strongest opponent of President Barack Obama in recent history’…

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘… time is not on Israel’s side. If peace talks don’t begin soon, the Palestinians will probably proclaim their own state in September when the UN assembly meets, and where they are sure to find many sympathizers … Netanyahu has made the American president look like a fool, after he called for a peace agreement based on the 1967 borders. Netanyahu brushed him off in front of rolling cameras — a stunning spectacle. But can it really be in Israel’s interest to weaken its most important ally in this way? Netanyahu had his triumph in Washington, but his country will pay for it in the long run.’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘The world will blame Israel as the main culprit if violence escalates again should the Palestinians unilaterally declare their independence this autumn… it’s a catastrophe for Israel’s foreign policy.’”

The Associated Press added on May 24 that “Nabil Shaath, an aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said Netanyahu’s insistence on keeping key parts of the territories the Palestinians want for their state is a ‘declaration of war against the Palestinians.’”

Israel (and Conservative America) Blame President Obama

Israel National News wrote on May 25:

“U.S. President Barack Obama’s Palestinian Authority-Israel peace plan is a ‘formula for war,’ writes Bret Stephens, foreign affairs editor and deputy editorial page editor of The Wall St. Journal… He noted that President Obama’s ‘sandbagging’ Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ‘with an adversarial policy speech’ the day before his visit is not the first time the American leader has treated foreign visitors with disdain… ‘No U.S. president has explicitly endorsed the ’67 lines as the basis for negotiating a final border.’… Stephens articulated what virtually no other newspaper or news website, except for Israel National News, has stated: ‘Mr. Obama would also know that in 2009 Hillary Clinton had described this formula as “the Palestinian goal.” Now it’s Mr. Obama’s goal as well, even as he insists that “no peace can be imposed.”’…”

Europe Supports Palestinians

The EUObserver wrote on May 25:

“EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton has indicated the bloc is willing to work with the new Palestinian unity government despite US and Israeli opposition… Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu one day before Ashton’s statement… made a solitary and negative reference to the EU’s role in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Commenting on Hamas attacks following the withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from Gaza in 2005, he noted: ‘The European observers in Gaza evaporated overnight.’

“The Palestinian unity agreement comes as a prelude to Palestinian plans to seek full recognition of statehood from the UN general assembly in September, crossing another red line for the Israeli-US alliance.  For her part, Ashton indicated she will not try to steer EU countries’ decision-making on the subject. But she noted that the main reason for the Palestinian move is the deadlock in Israeli-Palestinian talks… The EU high representative has on several occasions pointed to Israeli settlement building on Palestinian land as the main impediment to talks. ‘I re-iterate that the EU considers that settlement activities in the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, are illegal under international law, undermine trust between the parties and constitute an obstacle to peace,’ she said on 6 April after Israel gave settlers permission to build 942 new housing units.”

The New Role of the EU in Libya

The EUObserver wrote on May 23:

“Rebel leaders in Benghazi, Libya have asked EU foreign relations chief Catherine Ashton to help them pay for staff and basic services… Ashton on Sunday met with TNC leader Mustafa Abdul Jalil and opened a three-person-strong EU-flagged mission in the city… ‘It is the symbol of the European Union being here, but also of the EU being here to stay,’ Ashton said in a press statement…

“Reports indicate that the city of 700,000-or-so people in oil-rich eastern Libya is buzzing with commercial activity as EU and US companies compete to enter the new market.”

Pakistan Asks China for Help

The Financial Times wrote on May 23:

“Pakistan has asked China to build a naval base at its south-western port of Gwadar and expects the Chinese navy to maintain a regular presence there… ‘We have asked our Chinese brothers to please build a naval base at Gwadar,’ Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Pakistan’s defence minister, told the Financial Times…

“Christopher Yung, senior research fellow at National Defense University in Washington, said in a recent paper ‘the nature and degree of China’s access to out-of-area bases will be the ultimate indication and warning’ of its eventual intention to become a global military power. A Pentagon official said: “We have questions and concerns about this development and [China’s] intentions…’

“A senior Pakistani official familiar with Sino-Pakistani discussions on naval co-operation said: ‘The naval base is something we hope will allow Chinese vessels to regularly visit in [the] future and also use the place for repair and maintenance of their fleet in the [Indian Ocean region].’

“Such a foothold would be the first overseas location offering support to the People’s Liberation Army navy for future out-of-area missions and so would be likely to reinforce international concerns over Beijing’s longer-term military ambitions.”

The Bible strongly indicates that ultimately, Pakistan will forge an alliance with Far Eastern countries such as China and Russia. This alliance will be hostile towards the remnant peoples of the USA and Israel.

America’s Debt in One Dollar Bills—to the Moon and Back Twice

Reuters reported on May 19:

“President Ronald Reagan once famously said that a stack of $1,000 bills equivalent to the U.S. government’s debt would be about 67 miles high. That was 1981. Since then, the national debt has climbed to $14.3 trillion. In $1,000 bills, it would now be more than 900 miles tall. In $1 bills, the pile would reach to the moon and back twice.

“The United States hit its legal borrowing limit on Monday, and the Treasury Department has said the U.S. Congress must raise the debt ceiling by August 2 to avoid a default. The White House is trying to hammer out a deal with lawmakers to cut federal spending in exchange for a debt-limit increase.

“Most people have trouble conceptualizing $14.3 trillion… Here are some… metrics for understanding the size of the national debt and United States borrowing:

“U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has said the United States borrows about $125 billion per month. With that amount, the United States could buy each of its more than 300 million residents an Apple Inc iPad.

“In a 31-day month, that means the United States borrows about $4 billion per day. A stack of dimes equivalent to that amount would wrap all the way around the Earth with change to spare.

“In one hour, the United States borrows about $168 million, more than it paid to buy Alaska in 1867, converted to today’s dollars.

“In two hours, the United States borrows more than it paid France for present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa and the rest of the land obtained by the 1803 Louisiana Purchase.

“The U.S. government borrows more than $40,000 per second. That’s more than the cost of a year’s tuition, room and board at many universities…”

The Bible says that the borrower is the slave of the lender. And pretty soon, this warning will have to be applied quite literally.

American Troops in Europe

The Associated Press reported on May 21:

“The U.S. 1st Armored Division lowered its flag this month in a ceremony that signaled the quiet return home of a unit whose tanks first rumbled onto the continent through Italy during World War II. The Wiesbaden casing of colors ceremony also marked a milestone in the ongoing transformation of the American military. The sending off of the last division deployed in Europe at the height of the Cold War symbolizes the shift in favor of smaller, lighter units… But the question now being raised is whether the Army’s plan to keep some 37,000 soldiers in Europe will survive growing budgetary pressures in Washington…

“U.S. troop strength in Europe peaked in 1962 at nearly 277,000 soldiers and was still at around 213,000 in 1989. Current plans call for reducing troops from about 42,000 today to the 37,000 by 2015… There are currently four so-called BCTs in Europe — three in Germany and one in Italy, each with about 3,000 to 5,000 troops… ‘The whole thing is being driven by the U.S. defense budget and the deficiencies in the American budget as a whole,’ said [Charles] Heyman, a retired British Army officer. ‘The European Union as a whole is 10 percent richer than the United States based on GDP, and that is making a lot of American planners scratch their heads and say “what are we doing?”’”

Please note that the article says that the EU is already richer than the USA. And this trend of Europe’s rise and America’s fall will continue.

Europe’s Internal Struggle

The EUObserver wrote on May 24:

“Brussels may have acquired a taste for pressuring domestic political forces in EU member states to drop their traditional antagonisms for the sake of the eurozone, but that does not mean the parties like it. On Tuesday in Greece – the latest country where the EU institutions have demanded that political opponents reach a cross-party consensus on economic policies – opposition conservative leader Antonis Samaras rejected the idea that his New Democracy party line up behind the governing social democrats of Pasok and support the latest round of austerity measures…

“The blunt rejection of the government’s plans will come as a disappointment to the European Commission, which wants to see a broad consensus on the new measures amongst the political parties…

“The call for a cross-party consensus in Greece is the fourth time this year that the EU has pressed domestic parties to put aside their differences for the sake of the greater good, an interference in national politics historically considered taboo for the European institutions, whose officials are not elected by citizens. But the scale of the eurozone crisis has done away with many inhibitions in Brussels…”

We see more and more that the EU interferes in the national affairs of its member states.

G8 Summit in France

BBC News reported on May 26:

“World leaders are in the French resort of Deauville for a summit of the G8 bloc of wealthy nations. The leaders are discussing how to end the seemingly deadlocked Libya conflict, and their response to the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia… Also on the agenda is how little or how much the internet should be regulated. Internet bosses – including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Google boss Eric Schmidt – are attending the two-day summit in Normandy.

“The global economy and climate change will also be discussed at the gathering for the leaders of the US, Russia, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada. As the summit opened, the French and Russian leaders met to agree the sale of four French-built Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia at a cost of at least 400m euros each (£350m; $565m)… The deal – Russia’s biggest foreign arms purchase since the fall of the Soviet Union – has caused consternation among some of Russia’s neighbours and some of France’s Nato allies…

“Interim prime ministers from Tunisia and Egypt – where longtime leaders were overthrown this year – and the head of the Arab League will also be at Deauville for talks on a massive aid plan to help their transition to democracy. Representatives from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are due to spell out for G8 leaders what it would take to stabilise the Tunisian and Egyptian economies…

“BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall, in Deauville, says that despite President Obama’s appeal in London on Wednesday for democratic unity and leadership, there may well be friction at the summit. She adds that Russia’s president… has opposed air strikes on Libya from the start…”

Deadly Tornados in the USA

BBC News reported on May 23:

“At least 89 people have been killed and hundreds injured [but see below, the death toll is now much higher] after a tornado tore through the city of Joplin in the US state of Missouri, officials have said. Joplin official Mark Rohr said the storm cut a path six miles (10km) long. Homes and businesses were flattened and a damaged hospital had to be evacuated. Power lines are down and telephone connections are largely cut off. The Governor of Missouri, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and warned that more storms are on the way.

“Cities in three other Midwestern states have also been badly affected. At least one person was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Last month, tornadoes and storms killed at least 350 people in Alabama and six other southern states.”

In a related article, BBC News published a record of the U.S. deadliest tornadoes:

“March 1925: Deadliest twister in US history as so-called Tri-State Tornado kills 695 in Missouri, southern Illinois and south-west Indiana.

“March 1932: Deep South tornado outbreak kills 332 people from Texas to South Carolina, with 270 dying in Alabama alone.

“May 1840: The Great Natchez Tornado kills 317 people in Mississippi town, most living on flatboats on the river.

“April 1974: 310 killed in 24-hour ‘super outbreak’ of 148 tornadoes across 13 states.

“May 1896: Two weeks of storms kill 305 people in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.”

However, this list is somewhat arbitrary and capricious, as it does not include the tornados in late April and early May of 2011, which have been described as the “biggest ever.”

As BBC News reported on May 22, “The outbreak of tornadoes that ravaged the southern US last week was the largest in US recorded history, the National Weather Service has said. The previous record was 148 in two days in April 1974. The tornadoes and the storm system that spawned them killed at least 350 people in Alabama and six other states. It was the deadliest outbreak since 1936.”

Accuweather.com added on May 23: “Dozens are dead and even more injured after nearly 50 tornadoes tore through parts of the Midwest on Sunday. At least 89 people were killed in Joplin, Mo., which received the worst of the severe weather. If the death toll in Joplin exceeds 115, it will be in the top 10 deadliest tornadoes in all time…”

It was later reported that at least 125 people died in Joplin, with at least 230 people still missing, and the Associated Press stated on May 25 that Sunday’s storm was the nation’s eighth-deadliest twister among records dating to 1840.”

The Associated Press added on May 25:

“Violent storms rumbled through the central U.S. on Wednesday, spawning tornadoes that turned homes into splintered wreckage, killing at least 14 people over two days… Several tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma City and its suburbs… The storms killed two people in Kansas and four in Arkansas, and may have killed a man in Texas… Four possible tornadoes may have touched down Wednesday in southern and central Illinois…”

Volcanic Eruption in Iceland

Deutsche Welle reported on May 23:

“Ash from Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano has shut down Reykjavik’s international airport and diverted transatlantic flights, prompting bad memories of last year’s Eyjafjallajokull eruption…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 25:

“Due to ash from an Icelandic volcano entering German airspace, no planes were permitted to take off or land at several northern German airports Wednesday morning. Flights at City Airport Bremen were grounded starting at 5 a.m. local time, and the same flight ban was imposed on Hamburg Airport one hour later. The capital’s airports – Tegel and Schönefeld – were also shut down.

“Germany’s flight safety authority (DFS) said the Bremen and Hamburg airports reopened before noon, and Berlin opened around 2 p.m. The German weather service said the ash concentration in the air was no longer critical…

“Since Sunday, the ash from Iceland’s erupting Grimsvotn volcano has swept across Britain and Northern Ireland, causing the cancellation of hundreds of flights, especially to and from Scotland.  On Tuesday, the ash cloud reached Scandinavia where it caused minor air traffic disruptions in Norway and closed a small part of Denmark’s airspace…

“Conflicts continue between EU states, European authorities and airline companies over how to apply new safety rules for flying when there are large amounts of ash in the air. German authorities are taking a tough stance. The German Transport Ministry has told pilots that aircraft will be refused clearance if ash concentrations exceed 2 milligrams, which is considered low. The Volcanic Ash Advisor Centre in London has forecasted that the cloud in Germany will have ash concentrations of between 0.2 and 2 milligrams…”

Japan’s Nuclear Disaster

On May 25, NHK World (published by the Japan Broadcasting Corporation), stated the following:

“The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says data analyses suggest damage to its reactors may have caused cracks and openings in the reactor containment vessels equivalent to a 10-centimeter hole. Reactors 1 through 3 at the plant suffered nuclear fuel meltdowns after the March 11th earthquake and tsunami. This is likely to have created holes and cracks at the bottom of the pressure vessels protecting the reactor cores and damaged the containment vessels. Massive amounts of highly radioactive water also leaked from the structures…

“TEPCO said the analyses show that holes in the Number 1 reactor containment vessel amounting to 3 centimeters in total may have formed 18 hours after the quake. It said that may have expanded to 7 centimeters at least 50 hours after the quake. The utility said holes and cracks equivalent to 10 centimeters in diameter may have formed in the Number 2 reactor’s containment vessel about 21 hours after the quake. It said a similar amount of holes could have been created in the suppression pool chamber by an explosion heard coming from there on March 15th.”

AFP added on May 26:

“Environmental activist group Greenpeace warned Thursday that marine life it tested more than 20 kilometres (12 miles) off Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear plant showed radiation above legal limits. The anti-nuclear group, which conducted the coastal and offshore tests this month, criticised Japanese authorities for their ‘continued inadequate response to the Fukushima nuclear crisis’ sparked by the March 11 quake and tsunami.

“Greenpeace said it detected seaweed radiation levels 50 times higher than official limits, which it charged raised ‘serious concerns about continued long-term risks to people and the environment from contaminated seawater.’ It also said that tests, which it said were independently verified by French and Belgian laboratories, showed above-legal levels of radioactive iodine-131 and caesium-137 in several species of fish and shellfish.”

Greens Overtake Merkel in Bremen

Deutsche Welle reported on May 23:

“Exit polls in the city-state of Bremen indicate that the incumbent coalition of Social Democrats and Greens can continue governing but have propelled Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) into third place. ‘For the first time in the history of the German Federal Republic, we are ahead of the CDU in a regional election,’ said one of the Green’s federal leaders, Claudia Roth.

“The Social Democrats (SPD), who have governed Bremen for 66 years, took 38 percent of the vote, while their Green allies won 23 percent. Support for Merkel’s CDU fell four percentage points from the last poll in 2007 to 21.5 percent; the party’s worst result in Bremen in 52 years. Hermann Gröhe, general-secretary of the CDU, called the voters’ verdict ‘a painful setback.’

“The outcome is a further drubbing for Merkel after four other regional elections this year saw her conservatives lose voter sympathy… Merkel’s federal coalition partners, the Free Democrats (FDP) captured a meager three percent, down from 5.4 percent four years ago and less than the minimum five percent needed to send representatives to the local assembly. The Left Party took 5.5 percent. The election also marked the first time that 16 and 17-year-olds were allowed to vote in a legislative election.”

The Süddeutsche Zeitung added: “The election in Bremen passed off largely as expected: disastrously for the CDU and FDP, brilliantly for the Greens, acceptably for the SPD… The Greens are a new type of mass political party.”

Interesting political changes in Germany are strongly indicated. It would not be inconceivable that a member of the Green Party may become Germany’s next chancellor. In fact, this is what the word on the street seems to anticipate.

At one time, former Green party leader and Germany’s Catholic Vice-Chancellor and Foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, who served from 1998 to 2005, was Germany’s most popular politician. According to Wikipedia, Fischer married Iranian Minu Barati in 2005. In 2007, he joined the Arab Democracy Foundation as a founding member of its Board of Trustees. Since 2008, Fischer has been employed with the Albright Group, a Washington, DC, consulting firm led by Madeleine Albright. In 2009, Fischer took a post as adviser to the Nabucco pipeline project, in which the German RWE company is also involved. According to media reports, the “six-digit salary” consultancy contract has already been signed. On 15 September 2010 Fischer supported the new initiative Spinelli Group, which was founded to reinvigorate the strive for federalization of the European Union.

Spain’s Move to the Right

CNBC reported on May 22:

“Spain’s ruling Socialists suffered a crushing defeat to conservatives in local and regional elections Sunday, yielding power even in traditional strongholds against a backdrop of staggering unemployment and unprecedented sit-ins by Spaniards furious with what they see as politicians who don’t care about their plight.

“Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said the result was due punishment of his government for the state of the economy — the jobless rate is a eurozone high of 21.3 percent. But he said he had no plans to move up general elections, which must be held by March of next year, and pledged to press on with job-creating reforms despite the loud outcry of opposition to his party.

“The win for the conservative opposition Popular Party puts it in even a stronger position to win the general elections and return to power after eight years of Socialist rule. In what Spanish media said was the worst performance on record by the Socialist Party in local and regional elections, the numbers reflecting the loss were stunning: the conservative Popular Party won at the municipal level by about two million votes, compared to 150,000 in its win in 2007, and in 13 regional governments that were up for grabs, Zapatero’s party lost in virtually all of them.”

Political changes in Europe are clearly on the horizon. Spain seems to move away from socialism and return to conservatism—which would be in line with the long history of Catholic right-wing Spain.

Outbreak of Deadly Sickness in Germany

The Local reported on May 25:

“Another woman died in Germany on Wednesday after being treated for infection with the virulent enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) bacteri…as [a] government minister warned the situation remained ‘threatening’… So far suggestions have been made the raw, insufficiently cleaned vegetables or salads could be a source of infection… around 140 people are seriously ill with bloody diarrhoea and kidney failure as a result of EHEC infection… Hundreds across the country are thought to be infected with the bacteria but suffering less severe symptoms.”

On May 24, the Local had reported:

“People can reduce their risk of infection by cooking their food thoroughly, as well as observing general food hygiene rules. Those with diarrhoea should be strict about washing their hands and avoiding contact with children and those with weakened immune systems. People with bloody diarrhoea should go to a doctor immediately.”

Der Spiegel Online added on May 26:

“Researchers have found the first link to the source of the recent E. coli outbreak in Germany: Spanish cucumbers… Three out of four cucumbers carrying the dangerous strain of the bacteria were from an organic shipment from Spain being sold in Hamburg supermarkets…

“The life-threatening intestinal infection has since spread into other countries, as well, with cases reported in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain… It is believed some of the ill may have been infected after consuming produce on trips to Germany… E. coli bacteria usually live in the intestines of ruminants and can be transferred to humans who eat uncooked food.”

The End of the World—Revised Version

The Associated Press reported on May 24:

“A California preacher who foretold of the world’s end only to see the appointed day pass with no extraordinarily cataclysmic event has revised his apocalyptic prophecy, saying he was off by five months and the Earth actually will be obliterated on Oct. 21. Harold Camping, who predicted that 200 million Christians would be taken to heaven Saturday [May 21] before catastrophe struck the planet, apologized Monday evening for not having the dates ‘worked out as accurately as I could have.’ He spoke to the media at the Oakland headquarters of his Family Radio International, which spent millions of dollars–some of it from donations made by followers–on more than 5,000 billboards and 20 RVs plastered with the Judgment Day message.

“It was not the first time Camping was forced to explain when his prediction didn’t come to pass. The 89-year-old retired civil engineer also prophesied the Apocalypse would come in 1994, but said later that didn’t happen then because of a mathematical error. Through chatting with a friend over what he acknowledged was a very difficult weekend, it dawned on him that instead of the biblical Rapture in which the faithful would be swept up to the heavens, May 21 had instead been a ‘spiritual’ Judgment Day, which places the entire world under Christ’s judgment, he said. The globe will be completely destroyed in five months, he said, when the apocalypse comes. But because God’s judgment and salvation were completed on Saturday, there’s no point in continuing to warn people about it, so his network will now just play Christian music and programs until the final end on Oct. 21…

“Camping offered no clues about Family Radio’s finances Monday, saying he could not estimate how much had been spent advertising his prediction nor how much money the nonprofit had taken in as a result. In 2009, the nonprofit reported in IRS filings that it received $18.3 million in donations, and had assets of more than $104 million, including $34 million in stocks or other publicly traded securities.”

It is absolutely incredible that gullible people support such a ridiculous message with their money, even though it stands in gross contrast with the biblical teaching. But it seems that in our Satan-inspired world, anything but the truth will be accepted. One wonders how many times this self-appointed prophet will have to revise his proclamations, as it is absolutely certain that Christ will NOT return on October 21, 2011. For more information, please listen to our StandingWatch program “Could Jesus Return Tonight?, which was posted on April 1, 2011.

President Obama Sides with Palestinians, Infuriates Israel

The Associated Press reported on May 19:

“President Barack Obama is endorsing the Palestinians’ demand for their future state to be based on the borders that existed before the 1967 Middle East war, in a move that will likely infuriate Israel. Israel says the borders of a Palestinian state have to be determined through negotiations.

“In a speech outlining U.S. policy in the Middle East and North Africa, Obama on Thursday sided with the Palestinians’ opening position a day ahead of a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu is vehemently opposed to referring to the 1967 borders.

“Until Thursday, the U.S. position had been that the Palestinian goal of a state based on the 1967 borders, with agreed land swaps, should be reconciled with Israel’s desire for a secure Jewish state through negotiations.”

Palestinian Bid for Statehood?

On May 14, The Local wrote the following:

“‘Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chancellor Merkel … discussed the practical relations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority,’ a statement from Netanyahu’s office said of the telephone conversation. Last week, Netanyahu visited London and Paris in an effort to convince the British and French leaders not to support an expected Palestinian bid for United Nations endorsement of a unilateral declaration of statehood.

“Merkel has already stated her opposition to such a move and has said she will not support a motion to that effect if it goes before the UN General Assembly in September… Next Friday Netanyahu is to meet US President Barack Obama at the White House and will address both houses of Congress on May 24.”

In spite of lip services to the contrary by Israel’s allies, ultimately, Israel will find itself in total isolation, as the next articles might suggest.

Europe Condemns Israel

The EUObserver wrote on May 17:

“The EU has described as ‘deplorable’ Israel’s killing of 14 unarmed Palestinians at the weekend… The US side put greater emphasis on Israel’s ‘rights’ and indicated that Syria is partly to blame for the incident, however… Israeli soldiers killed 14 unarmed civilians and injured more than 100 when Palestinian protesters tried to cross fences on the Syria-Israel and Lebanon-Israel borders on Sunday…

“Israel and Lebanon are filing rival complaints to the UN Security Council over Sunday’s events, with Israel saying Lebanon and Syria broke the law in letting protesters through.”

Ongoing Violence in Egypt

The following set of articles shows that violence in Egypt is by no means a thing of the past, and that the ouster of Hosni Mubarak might have done more harm than good—especially for Egypt’s relationship with the West and Israel, and for Christians living in that country. The Bible shows that Egypt will turn against the state of Israel.

On May 12, whitehousedossier.com wrote the following:

“President Obama should seek to stem the growing tide of violence against Coptic Christians in Egypt by condemning last weekend’s attacks that left a dozen people dead and scores injured. The attacks… also resulted in the burning of Coptic Orthodox churches and the destruction of Christian homes and businesses…

“Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Monday ‘strongly’ condemned the violence, saying, ‘We stand behind the Coptic Christian community and their right to practice their faith in safety and security, free of persecution’…

“Obama, though a Christian, seems to view his background, which includes a Muslim grandfather and several years living as a child in Muslim Indonesia, as giving him a special conduit into the Muslim world. But… it shouldn’t interfere with other aspects of U.S. policy.

“Obama commendably condemned a New Year’s Eve church bombing in Alexandria, Egypt that killed 21. But he has said little – actually nothing that I could find – about the religious killings and tensions since then, which included the deaths of 12 people Jan. 30 during a raid of Christian homes in Upper Egypt.

“Obama also should speak about… the growing violence against Christians in Iraq… Four were killed and 171 injured in attacks over the weekend, prompting a reaction from Pope Benedict XVI.”

The Associated Press reported on May 16:

“An angry mob attacked a group of mainly Christian protesters demanding drastic measures to heal religious tension amid a spike in violence, leaving 65 people injured, officials said Sunday. The Christian protesters have been holding their sit-in outside the state television building in Cairo for nearly a week following deadly Christian-Muslim clashes that left a church burned and 15 people dead. More than 100 people rushed into the sit-in area, lobbing rocks and fire bombs from an overpass and charging toward the few hundred protesters sleeping in the area. Vehicles were set on fire and fires burned in the middle of the street…

“Religious clashes and a rising wave of crime have proved to be a major challenge for Egypt’s military rulers in the days following the 18-day uprising that led to the Feb. 11 ouster of ex-president Hosni Mubarak… Just hours before the Cairo violence, several suspected Islamic extremists bombed the tomb of a Muslim saint in the northern Sinai town of Sheik Zweid… Muslim radicals have blown up at least five other Muslim shrines, because they believe the veneration of saints as a violation of Islam.”

Reuters reported on May 16:

“More than 350 people were injured in a protest outside Israel’s embassy in Cairo to mark the displacement of Palestinians at the 1948 creation of the Jewish state… several hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the embassy late on Sunday on the anniversary of what many Arabs call the ‘Nakba,’ or catastrophe… Egypt’s interim military rulers have come under popular pressure to take a more pro-Palestinian stance…”

In addition, as Mail On Line reported on May 16, violence against Israel also broke out in other parts of the Middle East: “Israeli troops clashed with Arab protesters along… hostile borders, including the frontier with Syria… in an unprecedented wave of demonstrations marking a Palestinian day of mourning for their defeat at Israel’s hands in 1948… In the deadliest incident, ten people were killed when they marched from inside Lebanon toward the border with Israel.”

Revenge of Pakistan’s Taliban

Deutsche Welle reported on May 13:

“Pakistan’s Taliban claimed their first major strike in revenge for Osama bin Laden’s death on Friday, killing at least 80 people in a double suicide bombing at a paramilitary academy in the northwest of the country. Around 140 others were injured in the blasts, 40 of whom were now said to be fighting for their lives.
 
“‘This was the first revenge for Osama’s martyrdom. Wait for bigger attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan,’ [a] Pakistan Taliban spokesman… told the AFP news agency shortly after the attack… The attack comes as Pakistan struggles to combat a virulent Islamic insurgency that has spread from the federally administered tribal regions on its border with Afghanistan to major urban areas such as the capital, Islamabad.

“The Pakistani government, which immediately condemned the attack, has faced growing criticism from the United States for not doing enough to combat Islamic extremism… Britain declared its solidarity with Pakistan in the aftermath of the lethal attacks.”

This development was predictable. The mostly unaccepted lesson of history is that violence always breeds more violence.

Killing of Osama Was Unlawful

Der Spiegel wrote on May 13:

“If it is true that Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was shot, self defense in response to an unlawful attack on the part of entering US Special Forces can be ruled out. Clearly, such an operation takes place under extreme pressure and it is conceivable that the Special Forces acted on the mistaken belief that they were under attack by bin Laden or his people… but this would not make the killing lawful. It would only cast light on the mental state of the troops in question, and thus their culpability.

“Yet, these soldiers are especially trained for such an operation, they are the elite of the elite. If we cannot demand restraint in the use of force from them, then we can’t demand it from anybody — not from the ordinary policeman in the street nor from the citizen defending his life or home. From this perspective, it seems unlikely that they shot bin Laden out of fear or by mistake. Rather they knew perfectly well what they were doing and killed him wantonly and willingly.

“Here is the problem. A targeted killing of a terrorist does not, contrary to what US President Barack Obama has suggested, do a service to justice; rather, it runs contrary to it. A state governed by the rule of law, treats even its enemies humanely. It arrests terrorists and brings them before a court. This is exactly what Germany did with the Red Army Faction (RAF) and what it does today with al-Qaida members. This is what the US did in Nuremberg with the Nazis and what it promotes all over the world with other criminals against mankind. Why are the criminals of al-Qaida treated differently?…

“A killing in the absence of a fair trial constitutes an extra-judicial or extra-legal execution, which is unworthy of a state ruled by law (Rechtsstaat). Indeed, it is an act for which countries not ruled by law (Unrechtsstaaten) are charged before human rights bodies…

“None of the United Nations Security Council resolutions on the fight against international terrorism, and in particular al-Qaida… authorize the carrying out of operations on foreign territory, nor the arrest, and even less the killing, of (suspected) terrorists… In the case at hand, the targeted killing was not permitted since the US — contrary to the misleading rhetoric of ‘the war on terror’ — is not involved in an armed conflict with al-Qaida… It lacks… a centralized and hierarchical military command structure and the control of a defined territory.

“Were we nevertheless to proclaim an international armed conflict against al-Qaida, the whole world would become a battlefield and the classic understanding of an armed conflict as being on a defined state territory and thus involving limited military confrontation, would be extended so as to know no bounds…”

This being the case, what consequences will this have for the US? Perhaps not too many at this point in time, but the world will not easily forget and take action when the “times of the Gentiles” have arrived.

Was US Ready to Bomb Pakistan?

USA Today and the Associated Press reported on May 14:

“Members of Pakistan’s Parliament slammed the United States on Saturday for the raid that killed al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden on their soil, but also demanded that an independent commission probe the debacle instead of one led by the country’s powerful armed forces… According to [federal Information Minister Firdous] Awan, the military officials said they learned ‘American planes were loaded with bombs’ and in the air in Afghanistan, ready to retaliate if Pakistani planes went after the U.S. helicopters sent after bin Laden…

“The parliamentary resolution that emerged from the gathering termed the U.S. raid as an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. It also criticized the American missile strikes in Pakistan’s militant-riddled tribal areas, and said the government should consider preventing U.S. and NATO supply trucks from using land routes in Pakistan if the strikes continue… Pakistan became an ally of the U.S. in the fight against Islamist militants after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, but the relationship has long been an uneasy one, with mutual distrust that has only deepened since the bin Laden killing.”

Syria a Complex Diplomatic Challenge

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 14:

“The U.S. and its European allies, seeking to pressure Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to end his violent crackdown on protesters, are lobbying the United Nations nuclear watchdog to formally accuse Damascus of covertly building a nuclear reactor… The U.S. and European Union have been seeking ways to further isolate Damascus in the wake of a brutal offensive by Mr. Assad’s security forces. Both Washington and Brussels have announced unilateral economic sanctions on senior Syrian officials in recent weeks…

“But the Obama administration and its allies have so far been stymied in their attempts to pressure Mr. Assad through the Security Council, according to diplomats involved in the discussions. Russia, in particular, has resisted U.N. action to punish Syria, a decades-long ally of Moscow. The IAEA is viewed as a separate channel through which to put pressure on Damascus, said these officials…

“Syria is proving an increasingly complex diplomatic challenge for the Obama administration and its allies as Damascus continues its crackdown on protesters.

“Upon taking office in 2009, President Barack Obama sought to engage Mr. Assad in a bid to stabilize the Middle East and promote a broader Arab-Israeli peace process. The U.S. has taken a more cautious response to the Syrian political rebellion than it has to similar uprisings in Egypt and Libya, refusing so far to call for Mr. Assad to step down or to formally question his legitimacy.

“Human-rights groups and U.S. lawmakers have pressed the administration to call on Mr. Assad to step down. U.S. officials, in private, fear Mr. Assad’s overthrow could lead to widescale sectarian violence similar to the bloodletting that consumed Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s fall. Still, the scale of the violence inside Syria is forcing Washington to take an increasingly hard line… One growing fear in Washington and Brussels is that Mr. Assad might survive, but so weakened that he could even further strengthen his military alliance with Iran.”

The EUObserver reported on May 18:

“EU countries have agreed to impose a visa ban and asset freeze on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, accused by dissidents of killing more than 1,000 people in recent weeks. All 27 EU ambassadors in the Political and Security Committee (PSC) – a high-level EU forum for dealing with international crises – on Tuesday (17 May) evening endorsed a list of 10 more names, including the president himself, to be added to a previous sanctions register of 13 regime members…

“Syria has the capacity to cause instability in neigbouring Lebanon and to draw Iran and Israel into a wider conflict, taking the region back into the bloody days of the Lebanese civil war in the 1980s. US and French diplomats have in off-the-record briefings in Brussels explained that Libya-type intervention in Syria is not an option due to strategic considerations.”

Please make sure that you read our Q&A on the future of Syria.

Iran, Venezuela and Germany

The Jerusalem Post reported on May 16:

“The Iranian government is moving forward with the construction of rocket launch bases in Venezuela, the German daily Die Welt wrote in its Friday edition. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is Teheran’s most important South American ally… The Iranian military involvement in the project extends to bunker, barracks and watch tower construction. Twenty-meter deep rocket silos are planned. The cost of the Venezuelan military project is being paid for with Iranian oil revenue. The Iranians paid in cash for the preliminary phase of the project and, the total cost is expected to amount to ‘dozens of millions’ of dollars, Die Welt wrote… According to Die Welt, the clandestine agreement between Venezuela and Iran would mean the Chavez government would fire rockets at Iran’s enemies should the Islamic Republic face military strikes.

“Meanwhile the German press agency (DPA) reported on Friday that Germany will not contest the placement of the Hamburg- based European- Iranian Trade Bank (EIH) on the EU sanctions list at the end of the month… The EIH plays a crucial role in facilitating financial transactions for midsize German firms that are active in Iran. German- Iranian total trade amounted to over 4 billion euros in 2010, making Germany Iran’s No. 1 EU trade partner.”

European Disunity

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 13:

“In the wake of the Fukushima disaster the EU agrees that stress tests are important, but no one can agree on criteria. France and Great Britain, above all, have stonewalled detailed EU examinations… The financial crisis has split the continent, and ‘me first’ has become the new credo in Brussels. Denmark just this week shut its borders unexpectedly — stepping back from the Schengen Agreement on visa-free travel throughout the EU…

“‘Me first’ Europeans have also gained ground in Germany… After three bailout plans since the euro first wobbled — and hundreds of billions of euros in loans and support for Greece, Ireland and Portugal — Merkel’s opponents fear that Berlin will become the paymaster for an increasingly hopeless euro zone… ‘Germany is the most important anchor for Europe,’ says Friedrich Heinemann at the Centre for European Economic Research. ‘The whole crisis mechanism (for the euro) stands or falls on German support for EU bailout policies.’ …

“The so-called Arab Spring in North Africa and the Middle East is causing trouble for Europe in more ways than one. It’s given the EU a chance to exercise foreign policy, and on Monday the bloc imposed sanctions against Syria and froze the assets of 13 members of the Syrian government. The German representatives questioned, though, why Syria’s dictator, Bashar Assad, was not among the 13. Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, told the Germans to quiet down — only to face mounting criticism in the European Parliament… These compromise solutions in Brussels endear the EU leadership to no one…”

This development reflects the accuracy of the biblical prophecy that, although Europe will unite as a strong economic and military power bloc, its ten core nations and Europe as a whole will still face internal division because of national interests (compare Daniel 2:41-43). In this context, read the next article.

Fear of European Nationalism

Die Tageszeitung wrote on May 13, 2011:

“For years, Danish parties have allowed themselves to be led by the right-wing populists, and immigration laws have been strengthened several times. Now the Danish People’s Party has targeted the EU — and not just the conservatives and the liberals have fallen to their knees, but also the social democrats and the socialist party. Denmark was once thought of as an open, liberal country. But that was in the past.”

The Handelsblatt stated on May 13:

“Nationalistic, egotistical politics is on the march in EU member states…”

Die Welt wrote on May 13:

“Simply put, neither open borders nor a common currency have led the countries to grow closer with one another. It’s just the opposite. They insist on clinging to their national characteristics.”

The Frankfurter Rundschau wrote on May 13:

“Two things are symbolic of Europe and facilitate the everyday life of citizens immensely: the euro and the right to travel freely. The euro is threatening to implode as the single currency. The Schengen Agreement still has a long way to go. Nevertheless, it is infuriating how recklessly European governments play with these achievements for domestic policy. Worse, the community lets its agenda on sensitive questions be dictated by right-wing populists.”

“Eurozone’s Economic Growth Escalates”

The next two articles prove the correctness of the biblical prophecy that Europe, under German leadership, will become a great economic power bloc.

BBC News reported on May 13:

“The economy of the 17 countries that use the euro grew by 0.8% in the first three months of 2011, up from 0.3% in the previous quarter. Germany was largely responsible for the better-than-expected figure, reporting growth of 1.5% in the period. There was a surprisingly strong 0.8% growth rate from debt-laden Greece. France grew 1%, Italy and Spain grew 0.1% and 0.3% respectively and Portugal slid into recession after contracting for the second quarter in a row. Growth there declined by 0.7%, following a 0.6% contraction in the final quarter of 2010.

“‘This is almost certainly as good as it gets for the eurozone and growth seems likely to moderate over the coming months in face of significant headwinds,’ said Howard Archer at IHS Global Insight. Greece’s positive showing in the quarterly figures was a surprise… Platon Monokroussos at EFG Eurobanka said the figures were, ‘a huge positive surprise, a reading that is significantly above market expectations’. He attributed the growth in the quarter to a recovery in exports.

“Ken Wattret at BNP Paribas said: ‘Big picture-wise, once again the theme is divergence between the core and periphery and the core countries account for the vast majority of euro area output… The core countries like Germany are doing really well and that’s keeping the euro strong…’ Figures earlier in the week showed that German exports and imports had both risen to their highest monthly level since records began in 1950. The country’s growth figures were ‘fantastic’, according to Christian Schulz at Berenberg Bank… ‘France also expanded robustly. The eurozone core remains the anchor for the entire currency union.’ France’s growth rate was its fastest since the second quarter of 2006.”

Helmut Kohl—Best European President Since World War II

Der Spiegel wrote on May 17:

“‘Follow Helmut Kohl’s lead!’ That motto, ex-US President Bill Clinton insisted at an award ceremony for the former German chancellor on Monday night, served him well when he was in the White House…

“The European common currency is under massive pressure from the ongoing debt crisis. Europe’s principle of borderless travel is under fire due to the strain of economic refugees from North Africa. And right-wing populism is on the rise across the continent. Time to panic? Not according to Helmut Kohl. The 81-year-old former German chancellor… exuded confidence in Europe’s future. ‘I don’t see any reason for any kind of pessimism,’ Kohl said…

“Kohl, ever the German statesman, even had a bit of concrete advice to Germany’s current Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was also in attendance. ‘We have to follow our path with the Greeks too, even if it costs us something. Those who want to do away with everything and start over again are mistaken.’

“Former US President Bill Clinton was on hand to give the laudation, as were World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, Henry Kissinger himself, former German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and several other luminaries… Speaker after speaker honored Kohl’s service to the reunification of Germany just over two decades ago. And the praise was effusive. ‘Kohl had vision,’ said Zoellick. Kohl was the ‘best European statesman since World War II,’ added Clinton.

“But Kohl himself, wheelchair-bound and in unmistakably frail health, preferred to focus on the present… his message was clear: ‘We have reached the future’ for which we spent years fighting…

“Forgotten on Monday evening was the foreboding many in the world felt at the prospect of a reunified Germany — and the consternation at the speed with which Kohl pushed forward in the 12 months following the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989. And Germany’s military involvement in the Balkans at the time raised unpleasant memories of the 20th century past…

“Indeed, by the end of the evening, it began to seem that, rather than addressing the crowd of journalists and dignitaries, Clinton and Kohl were speaking to Merkel and her new vice-chancellor, Philipp Rösler. ‘Let us,’ Helmut Kohl implored, ‘continue down the path on which we find ourselves.’”

The Germans Are Still Coming…

The Wall Street reported on May 16:

“Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. and IntercontinentalExchange Inc. abandoned their $11 billion counterbid for NYSE Euronext after U.S. antitrust authorities threatened to block the effort. The move, just days after Nasdaq OMX Chief Executive Robert Greifeld voiced confidence on regulatory approval, eliminates a major hurdle in the Big Board’s plans to merge with German exchange operator Deutsche Börse AG.”

“Germany Must Pull Its Weight Abroad Militarily”

The Local reported on May 19:

“German Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière Thursday said his country should be prepared to pull its weight militarily abroad, taking part in international operations even when Berlin’s interests are not directly at stake… Jürgen Trittin, a leader of the opposition Green party which once advocated German neutrality, said de Maiziere was only saying openly what everyone knew… A member of the NATO western alliance, Germany long resisted foreign military involvement because of dark memories linked to World War II when German troops… conquered much of Europe.

“Over the past decade or so, however, Germany has increasingly sent troops abroad to act as peacekeepers, for example in the former Yugoslavia. It has also taken part in UN-mandated operations, such as in Lebanon, and in NATO military operations, as in Afghanistan where it provides the third-largest foreign troop contingent.

“But in recent months, many of Germany’s closest allies have questioned the dependability of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s centre-right coalition after it abstained from a UN resolution paving the way for military action against the regime of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi.  Facing a barrage of criticism both at home and abroad, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the undertaking was simply too risky for Berlin to get involved.”

US Debt Ceiling Reached…

The following article shows the incredibly dangerous situation in which the USA finds itself. On Monday, the debt ceiling was reached. The article describes the debt ceiling as “a cap set by Congress on the amount of debt the federal government can legally borrow. The cap applies to debt owed to the public (i.e., anyone who buys U.S. bonds) plus debt owed to federal government trust funds such as those for Social Security and Medicare.” Unless Congress raises the debt ceiling by August 2, the consequences for the USA could be disastrous.

CNN wrote on May 16:

“It’s official: The U.S. government hit the debt ceiling on Monday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress. Geithner said he would have to suspend investments in federal retirement funds until Aug. 2 in order to create room for the government to continue borrowing in the debt markets… He went on to urge Congress once again to raise the country’s legal borrowing limit soon ‘to protect the full faith and credit of the United States and avoid catastrophic economic consequences for citizens.’…

“Congress, meanwhile, is not showing any signs of budging. Many Republicans and some Democrats say they won’t raise it unless Congress and President Obama agree to significant spending cuts and other ways to curb debt. Geithner told Congress that he estimates he has enough legal hoop-jumping tricks to cover them for another 11 weeks or so. But then he said that’s it. If lawmakers don’t get it together by Aug. 2, the United States will no longer be able to pay its bills in full…

“The first limit was set in 1917 and set at $11.5 billion… The ceiling is currently set at $14.294 trillion. Based on Treasury’s announcement, it hit that mark on Monday morning… Since March 1962, the debt ceiling has been raised 74 times, according to the Congressional Research Service. Ten of those times have occurred since 2001…

“What happens if Congress doesn’t raise the debt ceiling before Aug. 2? … Treasury would not have authority to borrow any more money. And that can be a problem since the government borrows to make up the difference between what it spends and what it takes in. It uses that borrowed money to help fund operations and pay creditors… since average spending — minus interest — outpaces revenue by about $118 billion a month, Geithner won’t be able to pay all the country’s bills.

“That means he will have to pick and choose who to pay and who to put off every day. And there’s no guarantee that paying interest while shirking other legal obligations will protect the country from the perception of default. Geithner said it would be akin to a homeowner who pays his mortgage but puts off his car loan, credit cards, insurance premiums and utilities. The mortgage is taken care of, but the homeowner’s credit could still be damaged.

“Ultimately, if lawmakers fail to raise the ceiling this year, they will have two choices, both awful. They could either cut spending or raise taxes by several hundred billion dollars just to get through Sept. 30, which is the end of the fiscal year. Or they could acknowledge that the country would be unable to pay what it owes in full and the United States could effectively default on some of its obligations.

“The first option would be impossible to execute without serious economic repercussions. And the second option could cripple the economy and send world markets into a tailspin… [If] Geithner is coming up short by $118 billion every month, and lawmakers just decide to cut spending by that amount, that could effectively mean a partial government shutdown.”

Newsmax added on May 18:

“Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner threw a bomb at America’s financial future last night, saying he is ‘certain’ another financial catastrophe is on the way and that there is no way of reaching agreement on the debt ceiling without increasing taxes on the wealthy. And he blamed a combination of timid politicians and credit card-debt-ridden Americans, rather than Wall Street and the big banks, for the financial woes that have beset the country over the past three years.”

Brussels Downgrades Prospects for UK Economy

The Telegraph wrote on May 14:

“Brussels has slashed its forecasts for Britain’s growth prospects, leaving its predictions ‘more pessimistic’ than those of the government’s independent fiscal watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). The European Commission cut its forecast for the UK’s economic growth this year to 1.7pc from the 2pc it envisage[d] in February… The belief in Brussels is that Britons will save more than the OBR projects next year, when ‘real’ wages – incomes taking account of inflation – should start to rise again. This means a weaker outlook for consumption than hoped, which will hit the economy’s headline growth figures.

“The warning came as data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency, showed Europe’s powerhouse economies grew faster than expected at the start of this year… The euro climbed almost half a pence against the pound to 87.64p, as markets bet that the stronger-than-expected growth – and upgraded expectations for prices – meant the European Central Bank will soon raise interest rates again to rein in inflation…

“There was debate as to whether the UK is on the right course… Labour argued that the UK’s ‘zero growth’ – in the words of the Commission – over the six months from September to March meant that the UK was stuck in Europe’s economic ‘slow lane’. ‘Countries like France, Belgium, the Netherlands and even Spain have overtaken us while Germany is powering ahead,’ said Ed Balls, the Shadow Chancellor. A Treasury spokesman countered that [the UK] was much further in the ‘danger zone’ a year ago. ‘The Government is having to deal with a deficit four times bigger than Germany’s. Our banking bust was matched only by Ireland. Our housing bust [was] second only to Spain’s,’ he said.”

While the economic growth of many countries in continental Europe is dumbfounding “experts,” it appears that Great Britain will not participate in such economic success. And Britain is facing more troubles, as the next articles show.

Historic Visit of Queen in Ireland

Deutsche Welle reported on May 16:

“While it is being broadly welcomed as a symbol of strength of and commitment to the peace process, there exists a vocal minority in Ireland who oppose the… visit by British monarch Queen Elizabeth II, set to begin Tuesday…The queen’s trip will be the first of its kind in 100 years of fractious relations between the countries over matters such as Irish independence and the British control of six counties in Northern Ireland…

“The queen arrives in the neighboring country on May 17 – the anniversary of the 1974 Dublin and Monaghan attacks in which 34 people died in car bombings. No individual or group has ever admitted responsibility for the killings, but British agents have been accused of being involved in the plot… While the threat by dissident republicans remains a concern, the Irish government has insisted that all measures were in place to ensure this visit would be the first of many for the British royal family.”

Scotland’s Protestant-Catholic Rift

Deutsche Welle reported on May 16:

“A sizable number of Irish Catholics live in predominately Protestant Scotland today. The country’s deeply-rooted sectarianism becomes obvious when Glasgow’s Celtic FC and Rangers football teams face off… For decades the clubs have found themselves entangled in sectarian behavior which society at large would like to see the end of…

“The rivalry between the teams reinforces a century-old rift between Protestants and Catholics. Over the years and especially during the Irish famine of the 1800s, many Irish families came to live and work in the thriving industrial heartland of Glasgow. Both clubs were formed at the end of the 19th century; Rangers were founded as a Protestant club, while Celtic were Catholic. Although friction between Catholics and Protestants in Glasgow has never quite reached the war footing of the conflict in neighboring Northern Ireland, the social fabric still suffers from deep divisions…

“Catholics in Scotland are educated in separate schools… and the divisions in society continue beyond into the workplace. Religious prejudice is deemed acceptable, even normal, in many Scottish communities, and the media would rather avoid the sensitive subject. The entire problem has been called ‘Scotland’s Shame. ’ Until now, there has been no public appetite to deal with it… ”

China vs. Europe

This article shows the beginning of a biblical prophecy pointing out that a Far Eastern alliance will become hostile towards a united Europe.

The EUObserver wrote on May 16:

“China has said it will retaliate against a landmark EU decision to slap tariffs on fine-coated paper imports, heralding the start of a new ‘trade war’ between the two sides, say experts. On Saturday (15 May) Chinese commerce spokesman Yao Jian said an EU decision to impose anti-subsidy and anti-dumping duties on the same product is against World Trade Organisation rules… ‘The Chinese side is strongly discontent with the EU’s wrong decision and will firmly oppose it,’ Yao said in a statement posted on the ministry’s website. Hours earlier the EU announced its intention to raise tariffs on Chinese exports of high-end glossy paper used for magazines and catalogues…

“Experts said the move was likely to start… a series of tit-for-tat retaliations and worsening trade relations between the two sides.  ‘As the EU subsidises local production in various sectors, China is not short of sectors to retaliate against,’ Hosuk Lee-Makiyama of the Brussels-based European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE) think-tank said in a policy brief. ‘It has already imposed a tariff on potato starch from the EU and more cases are forthcoming,’ he added. ‘A trade war with China on subsidies seems now unavoidable.’”

Further disharmony between China and Germany, as well as the Far East and Europe, might arise over the debate as to who should replace Strauss-Kahn, as the following articles discuss.

Strauss-Kahn Arrest Shocks Financial World

The accusations of “sex crime charges” against Strauss-Kahn and the subsequent set of events show the unpredictability of political careers. While many felt that Strauss-Kahn might have a good chance to become the next French President, it now appears that Sarkozy might survive and be reelected—but then, even this “prediction” might not become reality. That is why it is incumbent upon us to watch world events.

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 16:

“Rome’s Corriere della Sera called the accusations ‘a deadly blow’ for Strauss-Kahn personally and for his political ambitions… Paris’ Le Figaro [added] that one thing was already a certainty: ‘Dominique Strauss-Kahn will not be France’s next president.’  The paper said that, even if Strauss-Kahn were proven innocent, the damage had been done.

“Austria’s Der Standard came to the same conclusion and pointed out that incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy will likely benefit from the scandal… All of a sudden, the paper concluded, the current president is again the favorite to be his own successor.

“The Basler Zeitung noted that while many reports underline the presumption of innocence, US legal procedures will result in Strauss-Kahn having to put the brakes on his ambitions for the French presidency, effectively taking him out of the race. ‘Again, everything is possible during the Socialist Party’s primaries in October and certainly for the presidential polls in May 2012,’ the Swiss paper wrote.

“El Pais came to the same conclusion, writing that it is more than likely that Strauss-Kahn’s political career is over in the wake of his arrest in New York. The Spanish paper pointed out that the grave accusations of sexual assault have not only rocked the foundations of French domestic policies ahead of presidential elections next year, but also affected the stability of the IMF as the most important guardian of the global economic system.

“Also with an eye on possible implications for the IMF, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine commented that the organization would survive a change in office, but… President Sarkozy… can hardly be unhappy to be rid of a rival who opinion polls predicted would have won the presidency next year, the paper noted.”

France Outraged by U.S. Treatment of Srauss-Kahn

Reuters reported on May 17:

“French Socialist politicians voiced outrage on Tuesday at the parading of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn handcuffed and unshaven in the United States before he has a chance to defend himself on charges of attempted rape. Arrested on Saturday and charged with sexually assaulting a chambermaid at a luxury New York hotel, Strauss-Kahn was made by police to walk manacled in front of cameras on his way to a courthouse, and his appearance before a judge was televised.

“Former Culture Minister Jack Lang described the treatment of the Socialist presidential frontrunner — whose political career is now in tatters — as a ‘lynching’ that had ‘provoked horror and aroused disgust.’ The U.S. justice system, he said, was ‘politicized’ and the judge appeared to have been determined to ‘make a Frenchman pay’ by denying the head of the International Monetary Fund bail even though his lawyer had offered to post a $1 million bond…

“Socialist Party leader Martine Aubry denounced ‘degrading images’ and said France was lucky to have a law on the presumption of innocence that bars media from showing defendants in handcuffs before they are convicted. Former Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou, who drafted that law, called the pre-trial publicity ‘absolutely sickening.’ ‘The power of these images of a Dominique Strauss-Kahn who hasn’t been allowed to shave, tired, and not dressed properly, all that offends human dignity,’ she told Europe 1 radio.

“Another respected former justice minister, Robert Badinter, who pushed through the abolition of the death penalty in France, said the IMF chief had been subjected to ‘death by media.’ ‘Never forget it’s not just judges that are elected (in New York), but prosecutors. And the chief of police is elected. And clearly, in public opinion, to exhibit a powerful rich man in the presence of a victim from a very poor background, electorally, it pays off.’

“Conservative politicians mostly refrained from commenting on the images of their political rival, heeding President Nicolas Sarkozy’s call to show ‘restraint and dignity,’ according to a lawmaker who attended a private meeting with him on Tuesday. Some media commentators and lawyers said that making Strauss-Kahn take a so-called ‘perp walk’ — a U.S. tradition of obliging a suspected ‘perpetrator’ to run a gauntlet of media cameras — appeared designed to humiliate him and perhaps soften him up for a plea bargain.

“Previous suspects forced to take a “perp walk” included boxer Mike Tyson, pop star Michael Jackson and Kenneth Lay, the former boss of bankrupt energy trader Enron. ‘I suppose there is an element of theater in it,’ U.S. attorney Graham Wisner of Patton Boggs in New York, told Reuters Television. ‘For the most part in the United States it’s a practice utilized by authorities to humiliate suspects… There is at least a perception in this case that a “perp” or suspect is guilty when he walks shamefaced in front of all of the cameras,’ Wisner said…”

So, admittedly, the U.S. legal system is designed or at least permits to humiliate alleged perpetrators to intimidate them into entering a plea bargain. What an incredible miscarriage of true justice.

A European Should Lead…

BBC News reported on May 19:

“Leading voices in Europe say another European should head the International Monetary Fund (IMF) following the resignation of Dominique Strauss-Kahn. Germany’s Angela Merkel and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso’s comments come amid debate over whether the next IMF chief should come from the developing world. Ms Merkel said a European was needed in light of the eurozone’s problems…

“Mr Strauss-Kahn had been coming under mounting international pressure to leave his post amid the furore over his arrest. In a statement posted on the IMF website late on Wednesday, he said he resigned with ‘infinite sadness’, but wanted to ‘devote all my strength, all my time, and all my energy to proving my innocence’…

“Mrs Merkel – who leads Europe’s biggest economy – said she was in favour of another European candidate…”

Deutsche Welle added on May 19:

“French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde… echoed Merkel’s view, saying that ‘any candidacy, whoever’s it may be, should come from the Europeans, who unite all together.’”

However, the EUObserver wrote on May 19:

“Brazil, China, Russia and Turkey have indicated they want their people to run for the top job at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) despite EU claims to exclusive ownership.”

Republican Party Running Out of Candidates…

Not only do we face uncertainty in Europe and France, but also in the political arena of the USA. It appears that the Republican Party will have a hard time producing a willing and competent candidate who may have a good chance to win the Presidency in 2012.

ABC News reported on May 16:

“After a roller-coaster flirtation with a presidential bid, Donald Trump bowed out of the 2012 contest in true Trump fashion, saying that while he would not be a candidate this year, if he had run, he would have been able to win the primary and the general election… In the end, however, his decision almost certainly had more to do with his lucrative NBC television contract for his ‘Apprentice’ franchise than anything else.”

Earlier last week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee stated he would skip the 2012 race. The popular Republican talk show host on Fox Network declined to endorse any of the remaining candidates.

Newt Gingrich’s prior sexual misconduct, while pressing for President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, and his conversion to Catholicism, when marrying his third wife, do not even secure his Republican nomination. This conclusion is also justified in light of Gingrich’s recent controversial remarks regarding healthcare. According to the Wall Street Journal, dated May 16, “Gingrich backed a requirement that all Americans buy health insurance, complicating a Republican line of attack on President Barack Obama’s health law.” In addition, as the next article shows, Gingrich made some “hypocritical” remarks regarding Medicare, which angered many Republicans.

The Washington Examiner wrote on May 16:

“Gingrich denounced House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan’s plan to restructure Medicare, saying, ‘I don’t think right-wing social engineering is any more desirable than left-wing social engineering….’ Former Education Secretary Bill Bennett, who knows Gingrich well but is also close to Ryan, reacted angrily to Gingrich’s remarks.  Referring to Ryan’s Medicare plan as ‘right-wing social engineering’ is, Bennett said, ‘an unforgivable mistake, in my judgment.’ Bennett went on to say that Gingrich ‘has taken himself out of serious consideration for the [2012] race.’… Bennett played a clip of an interview he conducted with Gingrich on April 5, barely more than a month ago.  At that time, Gingrich was full of praise for the Ryan budget.”

Subsequently, Gingrich apologized to Ryan for his choice of words, saying he made a mistake, but engaged in double-talk in the process. Newsmax reported on May 16:

“Gingrich’s Big Flip-Flop: Was For Insurance Mandate Before He Was Against It… In the campaign video released today, Gingrich insists: ‘I am completely opposed to the Obamacare mandate on individuals… I’m against any effort to impose a federal mandate on anyone, because it is fundamentally wrong, and I believe, unconstitutional.’

“But some analysts say Gingrich appears to be parsing words. In his new statement, Gingrich says he opposes a ‘federal mandate’ requiring individuals to buy health insurance, but leaves the door wide open for states to impose such mandates. In previous comments about mandates, Gingrich did not stress any distinction between a federal and state mandated program.”

Similar doubts arise regarding former Massachusetts Gov. and Mormon Mitt Romney, who also advocates a health-care mandate, according to the Wall Street Journal. Nevertheless, as Newsmax reported on May 17:

“Mitt Romney emerged as the big winner in the GOP presidential field in the immediate wake of the withdrawals of rivals Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump. The former Massachusetts governor made a big move to the front of the pack by raising more than $10 million from a phone bank fundraiser — 20 percent of the amount he believes he needs to win the nomination… Romney has yet to announce an official run. His strategy seems to be to raise far more than any of his rivals by the end of the reporting quarter on June 30.  He knows his positions, especially on health care, make him vulnerable among sections of the party faithful…”

Law Against Adultery Uncivilized?

This last article shows the incredible world—especially our Western societies–in which we are living—especially in light of the most recent revelations about former Gov. Schwarzenegger’s long record of infidelity and adultery. God’s law against adultery is discredited by constitutional lawmakers and law professors, while political activists are accepted who support hate crimes to punish those who dare to speak the truth.

The Denver Post wrote on May 14:

“So now Colorado is like Iran? In case you missed it, the comparison occurred in an article about Colorado lawmakers refusing to repeal an archaic statute against adultery. Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University, told The Denver Post’s Tim Hoover that it was ‘quite disappointing, if not embarrassing, for Colorado to affirmatively retain these types of laws. These laws harken back to an earlier period, where a majority of citizens claimed the right to impose their values and morals on their neighbors,’ Turley added. ‘The notion of a government policing immorality runs against the grain of our constitutional system that is more often associated with countries like Iran, where morality police roam the streets.’…

“It isn’t just in benighted nations such as Iran where a majority of citizens impose their values and morals on their neighbors. They do so in enlightened Western countries such as the United States, and everywhere else, for that matter… Isn’t the criminal code itself a moral document?… Polygamy and bigamy are of course illegal, too… The claim that civilized people do not impose their morals on their neighbors is heard repeatedly in debates over social legislation — often by the sorts of activists who like to criminalize ‘hate speech’ or impose their environmental values on the lifestyles of everyone else…”

Natural Disasters in the USA

NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, of the U.S. Department of Commerce]  reported on May 9:

“Historic flooding, a record-breaking tornado outbreak and devastating wildfire activity made April 2011 a month of historic climate extremes across much of the United States…”

According to a report, published by al.com on May 9, “the EF-5 tornado [was the] deadliest in [the] United States in [the] last 56 years.” It explained: “What the National Weather Service calls the Hackleburg Tornado traveled 132 miles, winds surpassing 210 mph, a nonstop scar in the earth running 90 miles from Hackleburg to Huntsville. Of a dozen deadly twisters across Alabama on April 27, this was the only one given the strongest rating of EF-5. This one tornado alone is thought to have claimed 70 lives, by far the deadliest single twister in state history.”

The Associated Press reported on May 9:

“The Mississippi River rose Monday to levels not seen in Memphis since the 1930s, swamping homes in low-lying neighborhoods and driving hundreds of people from their homes…

“Because of heavy rain over the past few weeks and snowmelt along the upper reaches of the Mississippi, the river has broken high-water records upstream and inundated low-lying towns and farmland. The water on the Mississippi is so high that the rivers and creeks that feed into it are backed up, and that has accounted for some of the worst of the flooding so far…”

Reuters added on May 11:

“The swollen Mississippi River set a record high water level at Natchez, Mississippi… The level of the largest river in North America reached 58.48 feet at Natchez on Wednesday afternoon,… above the record of 58.04 feet set in 1937. The river is expected to crest at 64 feet on May 21. The flood… has caused evacuations of thousands of people along the river and its tributaries, swamping river towns and as many as 3 million acres of farmland in Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas alone.”

God has prophesied that in these end times, due to America’s sins and rebellion against Him, this country will be plagued by numerous natural catastrophes. But America does not stand alone. Other countries will have to face God’s judgment as well. The next article may indicate that the time is nearer than many may think.

5.3 Earthquake in Spain

CNN reported on May 11:

“Thousands of residents of the southeastern Spanish city of Lorca slept outside Wednesday night, hours after the city of about 80,000 was struck by an earthquake that killed eight people, state radio reported, citing authorities… The 5.3-magnitude quake occurred at 4:47 p.m. (10:47 a.m. ET) and was centered about 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Murcia, near the Mediterranean coast, the U.S. Geological Survey said. That is about 350 kilometers (218 miles) south-southeast of Madrid. It was preceded at 3:05 p.m. by a 4.5-magnitude temblor centered in the same area, the survey said.”

Many Italians were afraid that a major earthquake would hit Rome on Wednesday, May 11, 2011. That unfounded fear was based on a seismologist’s predictions from 1915. As the Telegraph reported on May 10: “For his work [seismologist Raffaele] Bendandi was even given a knighthood by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini – and ordered not to make any more predictions on pain of exile as officials feared he would create immense panic.” However, no major earthquake hit Rome on May 11, while an unpredicted earthquake hit Spain instead.

Pakistan’s Response to US Raid

Fox News reported on May 9:

“Pakistan’s prime minister [Yousuf Raza Gilani] warned the United States Monday that his country could respond to any future U.S. raids on its soil with ‘full force,’ in the latest escalation of rhetoric in the wake of Usama bin Laden’s death… reflecting concerns that the unilateral strike violated his country’s sovereignty, Gilani sent a clear message to the United States. He warned any ‘overt or covert’ attack would be met with a ‘matching response’ in the future… Pakistani officials are taking a firm stance on the raid, as the United States analyzes the trove of evidence collected from the bin Laden compound. That evidence — described as the largest intelligence find ever from a senior terror leader — could lead the United States to other terrorists on Pakistani soil, once again forcing President Obama to decide whether to go around the Pakistanis to capture or kill a high-value terror target.

“White House Press Secretary Jay Carney has said the president reserves the right to enter Pakistani territory to act against terror suspects if Pakistan will not, and reiterated that message when asked about Gilani’s speech. He said Monday that while the U.S. takes Pakistanis’ concerns seriously, the U.S. does ‘not apologize’ for the raid. ‘It’s simply beyond doubt in [President Obama’s] mind that he had the right and the imperative to do this,’ Carney said Monday… some are calling on Obama to strike again while Al Qaeda and its allies are staggering… But the thought already has Pakistani leaders fuming.”

Ultimately, is appears that Pakistan will sever all ties with the USA and become an ally of Far Eastern nations.

Al Qaida Acknowledges Osama’s Death—UN Demands Further Info from USA

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 6:

“Al-Qaida on Friday finally confirmed what the rest of the world has known since Monday: the terror group’s leader Osama bin Laden is dead. The announcement was made in a four-page document posted on a website associated with al-Qaida. It is dated May 3…

“The United Nations on Friday also requested that the US release more information about the raid in an effort to determine its legality under international law. Speaking in Geneva, Christoph Heyns, the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions, and Martin Scheinin, special rapporteur on protecting human rights while countering terrorism, said in a statement that while deadly force may be used in certain circumstances, ‘the norm should be that terrorists be dealt with as criminals.’ In particular, the pair demanded details that would reveal ‘if the planning of the mission allowed an effort to capture bin Laden.’”

As the legality of America’s raid in Pakistan is being questioned, new Al Qaida leaders of a well-functioning organization have been emerging, as the next articles show.

Failed U.S. Drone Attack in Yemen

Haaretz reported on May 7:

“The United States drone aircraft attack that killed two midlevel al-Qaida militants in Yemen on Thursday was targeting the leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, a U.S.-born radical known for encouraging attacks on the United States, U.S. media reported. CBS News and The Wall Street Journal, citing Yemeni and U.S. officials, said on Friday that Anwar al-Awlaki was not hit when a missile was fired at a car in southern Yemen on Thursday, killing two brothers believed to be al-Qaida militants…

“Washington considers the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch the world’s most active terror cell… some officials believe Awlaki’s group now represents the gravest danger to the United States and other Western nations.”

Al Qaeda in Yemen

USA Today wrote on May 11:

“The leader of al-Qaeda in Yemen is warning the United States of even greater attacks in retaliation for the killing of Osama Bin laden. Nasser al-Wuhayshi, head of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, says in a statement posted today on the Islamist militant website As-Ansar… ‘What is coming is greater and worse, and what you will be facing is more intense and harmful.’”

Al-Qaida Alive and Well…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 9:

“Osama bin Laden may be dead, but al-Qaida is alive and well in Germany. Each month, an average of five Islamists leave the country for terrorist training camps in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area. Recent arrests in Düsseldorf show just how dangerous homegrown terror has become…

“Much has changed in the Islamist terrorist scene in Germany in the almost 10 years since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but one constant has remained. Like the 9/11 attackers, the overwhelming majority of militant jihadists in Germany have attended training camps run by al-Qaida or affiliated groups… The Western invasion of Afghanistan did not change that. Neither have countless military offensives or US drone attacks… Al-Qaida today resembles an army whose battalions were torn apart after the invasion of Afghanistan and whose surviving troop units are now operating more or less autonomously. But there are still many soldiers willing to fight, including some from Germany… In the last few years, the threat level in Germany from al-Qaida has actually increased… In the last decade, at least 220 people from Germany have completed terrorist training, with about half returning to Germany…

“Young Turkish-Germans… embark on jihad, filled with hate, and eventually end up with some splinter group. Others escape the notice of the authorities completely as they become radicalized and turn into lone attackers like Arid U., who killed two American soldiers at Frankfurt Airport in March in an execution-style shooting. And then there are people… who were apparently in direct contact with al-Qaida officials.”

The Local added on May 9:

“A 25-year-old German-Syrian dual national was sentenced to four years and nine months imprisonment by a German court Monday for belonging to an Al-Qaida-linked terror cell active in Pakistan…

“The Frankfurt-born Makenesi went to Pakistan in 2009 where he joined an al-Qaida group which gave him weapons’ training. He was also involved in fighting Pakistani troops… he offered to help raise funds for the group in Germany, but was arrested by Pakistani authorities in June before he could make it home. He was extradited to Germany in August…”

Syria in Turmoil

Deutsche Welle reported on May 9, 2011:

“European Union member states are to impose an arms embargo on Syria as well as an assets’ freeze and visa ban on 13 of its nationals associated with a military crackdown against anti-government protests. The ban, officially agreed on Monday by the Council of the European Union, applies to exports of all arms and equipment ‘that could be used for internal repression.’ The freezing of assets would target ‘officials and associates of the Syrian regime who have been identified by the Council as being responsible for the violent repression against the civilian population in Syria…

“Diplomatic sources have indicated that President Bashar al-Assad is not to be among them, with member states divided about his inclusion. However, ambassadors from the 27 member states who had discussed the matter in talks last Friday have agreed to look at additional measures that might include ‘the highest level of the Syrian leadership.’ Cyprus, Greece and Portugal are believed to be reticent about targeting Assad, while Britain, France and Germany favor sending a clear message to Damascus. Human rights groups claim that more than 600 people have been killed and 8,000 either missing or imprisoned during the eight-week crackdown on protesters.”

Deutsche Welle added on May 11:

“Several European countries, including Germany, summoned a clutch of Syrian ambassadors on Wednesday as Europe threatened to intensify sanctions against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad if it continued to repress protests against his rule… The European Union has already imposed an arms embargo on Syria as well as an assets freeze and visa ban on 13 of its nationals associated with the military crackdown…”

Reuters reported on May 12:

“Syrian forces spread through southern towns Thursday and tightened their grip on two other cities, broadening a military crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad’s government… tanks advanced in the southern towns of Dael, Tafas, Jassem and al-Harra before Friday — the Muslim day of prayer which has become a major day of Arab protest… Tanks are deployed in areas on the Syrian coast, the central region of Homs, outside the city of Hama to the north and now across the southern Hauran Plain, regions which cover large swathes of the country of 20 million people…

“The uprising against Assad’s autocratic rule erupted on March 18 in the strategic Hauran region, bordering the Israeli- occupied Golan Heights to the west and Jordan to the south…

“In rare public remarks, the head of Israel’s domestic security service, the Shin Bet, said Syria will be ‘soaked in blood’ as a result of the demonstrations… Syria is technically at war with Israel. However, the ruling Assad family has kept its frontier with the Jewish state quiet since a 1974 U.S.- brokered ceasefire, seven years after Israel occupied Syria’s Golan Heights.”

Syria will continue to play a prominent role in the Middle East. For more information, please watch our recent StandingWatch program, “What Is Prophesied for Syria?”

Egypt on Collision Course With Israel

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 6:

“The leading candidate in Egypt’s presidential race said that if he was elected he would break with former President Hosni Mubarak’s reliably amenable policies toward Israel. Egyptian presidential candidate and Arab League chief Amr Moussa (74)… said he wants to see Egypt’s resurgence in the Arab world.

“Mr. Moussa… also described a political landscape in which the Muslim Brotherhood, outlawed under Mr. Mubarak, is dominant. It is inevitable, he said, that parliamentary elections in September will usher in a legislature led by a bloc of Islamists, with the Brotherhood at the forefront…

“But if Mr. Moussa, who was Mr. Mubarak’s foreign minister from 1991 to 2001, is elected, he is likely to accelerate shifts in Egypt’s foreign policy that have already vexed the U.S. and Israel… Mr. Moussa owes the bulk of his popularity to his trenchant criticism of Israel and the U.S. while he was foreign minister. In recent years, for example, he has said Israel’s unacknowledged nuclear program poses a bigger threat than Iran’s program.

“U.S. and allied governments are, in private, voicing concerns about Egypt’s increasingly confrontational line toward Israel under the current military rule. Officials from these countries said they acknowledge that rhetorical attacks by Mr. Moussa and other presidential candidates could increase as Cairo moves toward elections…

“In a recent poll by the Pew Research Center, 89% of Egyptians said they had a positive impression of Mr. Moussa—far ahead of competitors such as Ayman Nour, of whom 70% approved. Mohammed ElBaradei, the Nobel Peace laureate, rated 57% approval.”

Our Q&A shows that the relationship between Egypt and the state of Israel will drastically deteriorate.

Power Struggle in Iran

The Guardian wrote on May 5:

“Close allies of Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, have been accused of using supernatural powers to further his policies amid an increasingly bitter power struggle between him and the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Several people said to be close to the president and his chief of staff, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, have been arrested in recent days and charged with being ‘magicians’ and invoking djinns (spirits)…

“On Sunday, Ahmadinejad returned to his office after an 11-day walkout in an apparent protest over Khamenei’s reinstatement of the intelligence minister, who the president had initially asked to resign. Ahmadinejad’s unprecedented disobedience prompted harsh criticism from conservatives who warned that he might face the fate of Abdulhassan Banisadr, Iran’s first post-revolution president who was impeached and exiled for allegedly attempting to undermine clerical power. Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a hardline cleric close to Khamenei, warned that disobeying the supreme leader – who has the ultimate power in Iran – is equivalent to ‘apostasy from God’.”

Iran—ancient Persia—is another country to watch, and you will find some interesting information on Persia in this week’s Q&A.

NATO’s Airstrikes Against Libya Continue

The Indo-Asian News Service wrote on May 11:

“Nato… denied its air strikes on Tripoli were aimed to kill [Gaddafi]… Fresh sorties by Nato warplanes struck the Libyan capital on late Monday and on early Tuesday in some of the heaviest bombing missions in weeks. The air strikes reportedly targeted a military base and a compound used by Gaddafi.

“Nato earlier rejected claims by Libya on Tuesday that the military alliance attacked the Supreme Court building in Tripoli and various civilian targets. Since the Nato mission in Libya began March 31, its jets have conducted a total of 5,968 sorties, including more than 2,300 strike missions, the alliance said on Tuesday.”

However, Reuters reported on May 12:

“NATO air strikes hit Muammar Gaddafi’s compound Thursday, hours after the Libyan leader was shown on television for the first time since another aerial attack killed his son nearly two weeks ago.”

The Drudge Report commented that “NATO [ Is] Going for the Kill.”

Germany’s Struggle With Military Force in Libya…

The Economist wrote on April 8:

“Germany has a complicated relationship with military force, for reasons that are more than understandable. But what is one to make of its contortions over the intervention in Libya? One moment Germany is Europe’s most awkward critic of the air campaign to save Benghazi; the next it is first to put up its hand to volunteer forces, including the despatch of ground troops if necessary, to deliver humanitarian aid to Misrata. So are we about to see the return of German troops to North Africa for the first time since the defeat of Erwin Rommel’s Afrikakorps in the second world war? Maybe.

“The German government has taken a decision in principle to take part in a humanitarian mission as part of an EU force, should the UN ask for assistance to deliver aid. This is a remarkable turnaround from the country that, rather than vote with its European partners – France and Britain – chose instead to side with China and Russia in abstaining in the UN Security Council vote to authorise military action. Worse, it then withdrew its ships from a NATO mission to enforce the UN-mandated arms embargo on Libya…

“But last week the EU quietly decided to set up a military headquarters in Rome to run a possible humanitarian mission… For now, say senior European officials, this is just a precautionary step, to be ready to act quickly should it be needed…

“This is where German troops may be called upon to intervene. The EU is supposed to have two battlegroups contingents of about 1,500 troops ready to deploy at a few days’ notice. Germany contributes about 800 men to one of the battlegroups currently on the roster. A German military source yesterday said they could be ready to deploy within ten days.

“But what about all those assurances that there would be no boots on the ground? Well, UN Security Council resolution 1973 bans the intervention of a ‘foreign occupation’. This suggests that other types of forces short of occupying troops may be legal, not least because the same resolution authorises the use of ‘all necessary means’ to protect the civilian population… The EU agrees that there is some flexibility in the resolution. Who would judge its limits? The UN, says one EU senior source: if it asks for boots on the ground then the deployment of ground forces must be, by definition, legal.

“The EU has felt sidelined in the military phase of the Libya crisis… It has long wanted to develop more muscular military capabilities, but has been repeatedly thwarted, especially by Britain… ‘Until recently everybody thought European defence was dead,’ says one senior source, ‘But now it may be rising from the ashes.’”

The EU’s ambition to get involved militarily is unmistakable, and Germany will become the most important military leader in the final configuration of ten European nations or groups of nations. This fact might still be quite astonishing for many—given Germany’s current pacifistic feelings—but it is paradoxical that Germany is being pushed into the role of a military leader by its friends and allies. As the next articles show, Europe is becoming a political personality—with Britain finding itself increasingly on the outside, looking in—and calls for a powerful EU leader are being heard, together with the desire to sanctify one the EU founders.

Europe and Britain on Collision Course

Mail On Line wrote on May 8:

“Baroness Ashton puts Europe and Britain on [a] collision course over call to give Brussels a seat on UN Security Council. Labour peer Baroness Ashton, the unelected head of the European Union’s new global diplomatic corps, is poised to threaten Britain’s position and influence at the United Nations. Last week, Baroness Ashton, who was parachuted into her £313,000-a-year Brussels job by Gordon Brown in 2009, convinced the UN General Assembly to give the EU ‘enhanced status’. This means that she and other unelected Eurocrats, including European Council President Herman Van Rompuy, will enjoy nearly all the privileges and powers of the representatives of a sovereign state at the UN, such as addressing the assembly and taking part in debates.

“Ashton is also expected to attend a debate in Strasbourg next week at which members of the European Parliament will call for the EU to be given a seat on the UN Security Council. This puts her on a collision course with Foreign Secretary William Hague, who says he is determined to prevent the EU acting ‘as if it were a nation state with a national foreign policy’. In a major speech in London last week, Mr Hague outlined his plans to place ‘a renewed emphasis on bilateral relations’ – meaning Britain would retain its own policies and relations with other nations independently of its role within the EU.

“However, Sir Mark Lyall Grant, the British ambassador to the UN, voted in favour of giving new powers to Europe in the General Assembly. According to the UN, the EU’s enhanced status is recognition of its new ‘legal personality’ and powers under the Lisbon Treaty, including the power to sign treaties and international conventions… Under the Treaty’s terms, [Ashton] and the 7,000 Eurocrats in her newly created European External Action Service now have the power to initiate a common foreign and security policy. The Treaty also requires EU member states to uphold European policies in international organisations and at international conferences… It also demands member states work towards a common EU defence policy. Britain, therefore, must ‘support the Union’s external and security policy actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity’.”

Call for European Defense Force and Powerful European Figure

The New York Times wrote on May 9:

“Confronted by rising populism and ebbing support for the European Union, one of the bloc’s senior figures made a rare call Monday for a leap forward in integration, contending that the Continent could save itself from second-class status only by more cooperation. The official, Michel Barnier, the European Union’s commissioner for the internal market and services and a former foreign minister of France, called for an E.U. defense policy, consular service and civil defense force.  Speaking in Berlin, Mr. Barnier also argued for the creation of a powerful figure to speak for countries using the euro, and for an E.U. president who would ultimately be directly elected.”

The “Christian” EU Waits for a Miracle…

The EUObserver wrote on May 9:

“With EU personalities over the weekend speaking out on the occasion of Schuman Day, Robert Schuman himself, an early architect of the Union, has hit a hurdle on his way to becoming a Roman Catholic saint due to the lack of a miracle. Schuman, a former French foreign minister, whose declaration on 9 May 1950 that France and Germany should link up their coal and steel industries, was in 1960 dubbed a ‘founding father’ of the Union by the European Parliament in words recalling the ‘fathers’ of the Catholic church such as St Augustine and St Gregory…

“When asked if the situation had changed under Pope Benedict XVI or if any new information had come to light, a contact in the Vatican’s embassy to the EU in Brussels said: ‘We are still waiting for a miracle. One miracle is required for beatification and two for sainthood.’ The leaders of the three main EU institutions – Jose-Manuel Barroso, Jerzy Buzek and Herman Van Rompuy, all Christian democrats – on 1 May in Rome attended the beatification of John Paul II, who is said to have healed [after his death]  a French nun with Parkinson’s disease…

“For her part, Johanna Touzel, a spokeswoman for Comece, a Brussels-based liaison bureau between the Catholic church and the EU institutions, said ‘it has certainly helped’ in past relations that the three top men in the EU capital are Christians. Touzel added that… [it] means to recognise that the universal vocation of the European project is rooted in one major source: the Christian message, which after centuries has been translated into policies’…”

Rich Germany

The Local reported on May 9:

“A pick up in global trade saw Germany post record exports and imports in March, official data showed Monday, while its trade surplus climbed more than 11 percent on a yearly basis to €18.9 billion. Germany recorded exports worth €98.3 billion, a monthly increase of 7.3 percent, and also received a record amount of imports, worth €79.4 billion, for a monthly increase of 3.1 percent, the figures showed…

“Also on an annualised basis, exports by Germany, the world’s second biggest exporter after China, gained 15.8 percent, while imports were 16.9 percent higher, the figures showed. ‘Since the trough of the recession, exports have increased by more than 30 percent, returning to their pre-crisis level,’ ING senior economist Carsten Brzeski noted. ‘Looking ahead, exports should remain a reliable source for growth, even if the pace of export growth is about to slow down,’ he added.”

Germany is becoming more and more wealthy, quite in contrast to Greece, but it does not appear that the Eurozone will break apart—even though there might occur some modifications within the configuration of the current Eurozone member states.

Denmark At Odds With Europe

The Local wrote on May 12:

“Germany has slammed Denmark’s unilateral decision to reintroduce tighter border controls, warning that it breaches Europe’s cherished Schengen agreement allowing free movement. In response to pressure from a populist right-wing party, the Danish government has announced it would place customs booths at border crossings with Germany and Sweden, a move it says is necessary to tackle cross-border crime such as drug trafficking. The changes are expected to be implemented in the next few weeks.

“On Thursday, Denmark dismissed claims the move breached the Schengen agreement, a cornerstone of European co-operation that allows people to move without passport checks between 25 European countries, 22 of which are EU states. It insisted it was not reintroducing passport checks but just customs inspections… But German politicians have reacted angrily to the unilateral Danish action.

“‘We see the need for a quick and detailed explanation of this matter,’ Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement. Freedom of movement and the Schengen agreement are essential achievements of European unity and must not be put in doubt.’ Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and Interior Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger made similar comments, while the centre-left opposition Social Democrats called on the government to take action… Justice Minister Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger told broadcaster Deutschlandfunk that the reimposition of permanent border controls would remove ‘an achievement of the European Union’… The SPD’s interior affairs expert Sebastian Edathy said permanent border controls fundamentally breached the Schengen agreement.”

The Bible indicates that Denmark will not be part of the final ten core European nations, as referred to in the book of Revelation.

Greece in Trouble

The Associated Press reported on May 6:

“… the ministry categorically rejected the report by Spiegel Online, which said Athens was considering withdrawing from the EU’s joint currency… The euro dropped to $1.4470 from $1.4530 late Thursday. It had traded at $1.4942 on Wednesday, its highest level since December 2009. ‘The report on an imminent Greek exit from the eurozone, as well as being untrue, has been written with incomprehensible levity despite the fact that this has been repeatedly denied by the Greek government, and the governments of other EU member states,’ the Finance Ministry said. ‘Such reports are a provocation, undermine efforts by Greece and the euro and serve speculative games.’…

“Economists say trying to leave the euro could provoke a huge financial crisis, as investors rush to sell assets before they can be re-denominated in national currency and devalued. It would also open the country that leaves to political retaliation from unhappy fellow EU members.”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 9:

“Most German commentators agree that Athens’ departure from the euro zone… could have drastic consequences… The financial daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… If Greece exits the currency union, the country would go bankrupt…’

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘… Neither the Greeks nor the euro countries have come up with an answer for how Greece is supposed to get back to economic health. Because of this insecurity, even the most abstruse suggestions can unsettle the markets, like the idea that Greece will exit the euro zone — despite the fact that the country’s situation would worsen because its debts would remain in euros…’

“The left-leaning Die Tageszeitung writes: ‘… An exit from the euro, as has been speculated recently, would be a disaster for Greece and for Europe. … The only real option left is the debt restructuring that experts have been discussing for weeks.’”

Deutsche Welle reported on May 9:

“The credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s slashed the credit rating of Greece once again, downgrading the debt-laden country to B from BB-, meaning Greek bonds have dropped further into ‘junk’ status. The downgrade reflects a higher risk of default for debt-ridden Greece, making investment in its bonds riskier. The move follows a meeting over the weekend between Greece and experts from the International Monetary Fund and European Union. Investors have become increasingly jittery due to Greece’s failure to meet deficit-reduction targets and successfully implement a package of austerity measures. A year ago, Greece accepted a bailout from the IMF and EU but has struggled to pay it back…

“The continuing financial problems plaguing Greece have led to speculation that the country would leave the eurozone and give up the euro. However, European Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said on Monday that ‘nobody will abandon the euro… [That] would mean completely ignoring the intolerable difficulties [it would bring],’ he told Spanish reporters.”

Strikes Over Austerity Measures Paralyze Greek Capital

Deutsche Welle reported on May 11:

“Clashes broke out in the Greek capital, Athens, on Wednesday as police fired tear gas at stone-throwing youths and demonstrators marched against the government’s strict austerity measures… some 20,000 took to the streets to voice their disapproval of public and private spending cuts to be voted on later this month worth an estimated 23 billion euros ($32 billion).

“The 24-hour nationwide strike has closed schools and brought public transit to a halt around the country, particularly affecting train and ferry services. Air traffic controllers have also staged a walkout, grounding flights for four hours. The two main Greek operators, Olympic and Aegean, were forced to cancel or delay nearly 50 flights at the start of the busy tourist season.

“Television networks and radio broadcasters also took part in the walkout, cancelling programs and playing back-to-back music. Printing presses also shuddered to a halt as the country’s newspapers decided not to publish until Friday.”

Dollar in Graver Danger Than the Euro

In spite of the situation in Greece and some other European countries, the euro is a much more stable and reliable currency than the U.S. Dollar, says the Financial Times. In its article, dated May 11, it reads:

“Why does it surprise anyone that… the eurozone has a stronger currency than… the US?…

“Think of it this way: in the US, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke has testified that going off the gold standard during the Great Depression helped the US recover faster than other countries. Fast-forward to today: we believe Bernanke embraces a weaker currency as a monetary policy tool to help address the current state of the US economy. What many overlook is that someone must be on the other side of that trade: today it is the eurozone, which is experiencing a strong currency, despite the many challenges in the 17-nation bloc…

“Unlike the eurozone, where consumers stopped spending and started saving a decade ago, the highly indebted US consumer may not be able to stomach higher interest rates. The large US current account deficit also makes the dollar more vulnerable to a misbehaving bond market than the eurozone. In the medium term, we are far more concerned about risks to the US dollar than those posed by the Greek drama to the euro.”

Guttenberg’s Ongoing Troubles

Der Spiegel wrote on May 6:

“Former German Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg always insisted that he had never meant to plagiarize portions of his Ph.D. dissertation. On Friday, however, the University of Bayreuth said that he copied intentionally… It is a sentence which completes one of the most rapid and stunning political downfalls Germany has ever seen. Prior to the questions about his doctoral thesis, the member of the Christian Social Union, the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrats, had been among the country’s most popular politicians. Many had even tipped him as a possible successor to Merkel in the Chancellery.

“But in late February, the University of Bayreuth revoked his doctor title pending an investigation and on March 1, Guttenberg resigned from Merkel’s cabinet. He went on to step down from all other political offices… Ultimately, it was found that well over half of the pages contained passages that had been reproduced one-to-one from outside sources. Furthermore, German lawmakers were particularly outraged that several pages contained passages that had been produced by the German parliament’s research service. Parliamentary rules forbid the private use of this service. The university noted that several of the passages in question contained apparent efforts to cover his tracks…”

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 6:

“The charismatic 39-year-old politician, a conservative aristocrat from Bavaria, still has legions of fans in Germany who hope he will make a political comeback. The university’s ruling is likely to make that more difficult, observers in Germany said.”

The Local wrote on May 11:

“The chances for former defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg to return quickly to German politics seemed effectively buried on Wednesday after his alma mater said his thesis was full of other people’s work that he had deliberately copied…

“Although Guttenberg has consistently received backing from Bavarian state premier Horst Seehofer, who has repeatedly said he expected to see Guttenberg return to politics for the conservative Christian Social Union, this was ruled out on Wednesday by the party’s general secretary Thomas Goppel. He said… that any hopes Guttenberg might have had of a quick political comeback were effectively sunk.”

Deutsche Welle stated on May 6:

“Commenting on the case, Ulrike Grote, a spokesperson for university affairs for the Green Party, said that Guttenberg’s assertion that the plagiarism was accidental was ‘particularly deplorable.’ ‘This shows that until the last, Guttenberg has developed no guilt or insight into his actions. This has discredited him as a candidate for future political office,’ she added.”

The German conservative magazine Focus agreed, stating on May 6, that this was now “the final out” for Guttenberg. It continued, “With this blemish, his return to a political office is unthinkable.”

Others are not so sure. On May 6, the conservative paper, Die Welt, quoted law expert of the CSU, Norbert Geis, as saying that Guttenberg’s intentional plagiarism is “not that critical that his return would be impossible.”

Whether Guttenberg’s political career is really over will remain to be seen. Stranger things have happened in politics.

Victories for Homosexuals

USA Today wrote on May 11:

“Non-celibate gays and lesbians will become eligible for ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) following ratification of a constitutional amendment that reverses decades of official policy… Some said the church must follow biblical prohibitions on homosexuality… Others said sexuality is part of a person’s core identity, rather than a lifestyle choice, and that the church should follow in its tradition of being ‘inclusive’ of all races and genders… The denomination is the latest of a cluster of more liberal Protestant denominations to approve gay ordination, following such groups as the United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America…”

The EUObserver wrote on May 10:

“Members of same-sex civil partnerships should enjoy the same pension rights as heterosexual married couples, EU’s top court said on Tuesday (10 May) in a ruling which sets an important precedent for the lesbian and gay community… The case had been brought forward by Jurgen Romer, a German national who claimed he was discriminated against when his former employer, the City of Hamburg, refused to grant him a tax break available for married couples to his pension after he entered a civil partnership with his long-term partner. EU judges found that Romer had been discriminated against under German law… Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden recognise gay marriage, whereas eleven other countries have legalised same-sex civil unions.”

The Benefits of Breastfeeding

The Toronto Sun reported on May 11:

“New research shows that children who were breastfed for more than four months as babies are less likely to be anxious, restless and antisocial by the time they turn five… Breastfeeding is already associated with higher IQs, lower levels of infection and lower rates of obesity… But the study’s authors warn other factors might be in play. For instance, moms who breastfeed tend to be older, richer and better educated — all factors that could contribute to their children’s behaviour. Still, adjusting for age, education and socio-economic background, the researchers found breastfed babies were 30% less likely to have behaviour problems.”

The Herald Sun added on May 11:

“The study, published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, suggested that the composition of breast milk or the close physical interaction between mother and baby during breast-feeding could be significant explanations for the researchers’ findings.”

German Reactions to Osama Bin Laden’s Death—“An Eye for an Eye”

Der Spiegel wrote on May 2:

“Now the Americans have found the al-Qaida leader, and killed him immediately. Thus the complicated question of how and where to try such a mass murderer remains unanswered. But according to the old American understanding of guilt and punishment, justice has been done: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. One can question this form of revenge. Still, even diehard critics of America cannot ignore one simple fact — bin Laden’s death is good news for the world and for freedom…

“It would be naïve to think that the fight against terror is over. Naturally al-Qaida will continue to exist. Other terrorist leaders will take Osama’s place. Many lunatics will see bin Laden as a martyr whose death needs to be avenged, which will make them highly dangerous…

“America must finally make sure there is peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Otherwise there will be another Osama.”

We read in the Bible that God stirred up enemies to plague ancient Israel, when its ways did not please God. And unless we begin to live in a way pleasing to God, we can be rest assured that there will be another “Osama.”

“It Means Nothing… or at Least, Nothing Good…”

Deutsche Welle wrote on May 2:

“… there are still many unanswered questions and justified concerns. How could bin Laden live unmolested so close to the Pakistani capital of Islamabad for so many years? Did the American intelligence services’ manhunt truly have the support of Pakistan? What about al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is still hiding somewhere on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan? And how independently do the individual cells of the terrorist network now operate? 

“There is also fear that the followers of al-Qaeda will now try to demonstrate their strength in the aftermath of bin Laden’s death with a renewed round of attacks. The recent bombing in Marrakech and the arrest of alleged al-Qaeda terrorists in Germany shows that they could very well pull this off.

“The current upheaval in the Arab world could also create new opportunities for Jihadists. If persecution and chaos gain ground instead of freedom and stability then terrorism will find a new breeding ground… we are still a long way away from safety…”

In a related article, Deutsche Welle quoted several German papers, as follows:

“A decade after the deadly attacks of September 11, US President Barack Obama has announced the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. While Germany’s newspapers by and large welcomed the terrorist mastermind’s death, many questioned the nature of his killing – and what good it might bring in combating global terrorism…

“The Berlin-based, left-leaning Tageszeitung (TAZ) rated the killing as ‘a bit too “wild West.”’… ‘The news of his death comes years too late to stir up great emotions or even make waves in world politics…’

“The Frankfurter Rundschau daily was similarly dismissive of the American ‘victory.’ The paper recognized the symbolic significance bin Laden’s death had for Americans but stated that, in concrete terms, it meant ‘nothing – or if anything, nothing good’… ‘Was there really no alternative to granting the old top terrorist his wish of dying as a “martyr?”’…

“Germany’s most-subscribed newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung… warned that America could not afford to rest on its laurels, emphasizing that the threat of terrorism would not die with bin Laden… ‘The sheik has become a martyr, and the delusion now lives on’…”

The USA cannot please popular opinion of its allies—no matter what it does.

More German Reactions Condemnatory of U.S. Operation

Der Spiegel wrote on May 4:

“Europe, and particularly Germany, are uncomfortable with what looks increasingly like a targeted killing. Reports that bin Laden was not armed at the time of his death have only served to reinforce such unease…

“Financial daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘Osama bin Laden was a criminal… But that Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama celebrated bin Laden’s death in his speech with the words ‘justice has been done,’ and that the German chancellor supported this with an expression of her happiness over his death are shameful blunders. They place approval on an act that violates both the international prohibition of force and humanitarian law…’

“The left-leaning Berliner Zeitung writes: ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself, says one of the most important basic precepts of Christianity. This principle is one of the hardest to follow, much more difficult to uphold than the ban on murder. Just how thinly the layer of Christian culture coats the low, archaic instincts of humans rarely shows itself as clearly as it did the day after the liquidation of the Islamist terrorist leader Osama bin Laden by US Special Forces. President Obama, a Christian, said in all seriousness that with bin Laden ‘justice had been done,’ as though there were no American constitution, no justice, no law. The US violated a number of principles of human rights with its operation against bin Laden. This is supposed to be an example to Arab democracies?…’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… George H. W. Bush lost to the widely unknown democrat Bill Clinton in 1992 despite his shining victory against Saddam Hussein, because the economy failed to gain momentum. For Obama the gutsy operation against bin Laden will mean little in the face of the enormous federal debt, the gaping budget deficit and high unemployment. In a paradoxical turn, America’s waning fear of terrorism after bin Laden’s death could reduce Obama’s chance of re-election…’”

The Reaction of the EU

The EUObserver wrote on May 2:

“A US-ordered strike in Pakistan which reportedly killed al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden has been met with ‘relief’ and talk of a ‘safer world’ by EU leaders, despite the bloc’s official stance against targeted assassinations.

“’The news that Osama bin Laden is dead will bring great relief to people across the world,’ said British Prime Minister David Cameron in a statement. Cameron was the first among EU leaders to react to the announcement made on Sunday night (1 May) by US President Barack Obama that he had ordered the ‘operation’ which killed the top terrorist. A spokesperson for Chancellor Angela Merkel later said the German leader had communicated her ‘relief’ at the news to the US president…

“EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and EU commission chief in a joint statement said: ‘Osama Bin Laden was a criminal responsible for heinous terrorist attacks that cost the lives of thousands of innocent people. His death makes the world a safer place.’”

However, the British Telegraph reported on May 6 that “Dr Rowan Williams, spiritual head of the 80-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, criticised the White House for repeatedly changing its account of the raid on the al-Qaeda leader’s compound in Pakistan. Killing bin Laden when he was not carrying a weapon meant that justice could not be ‘seen to be done’, the Archbishop suggested.”

It is interesting to note that even though the EU condemns assassinations, it praises the USA for having done just that. We can expect that in the future, the EU will act in the same way to eliminate unpopular individuals, when an opportunity presents itself. In fact, as a later article suggests, NATO and the EU might already be attempting to do just that.

The Reaction of the Arab World

Reuters reported on May 2:

“Some Arabs mourned him as a holy warrior and martyr, while others saw him as a ‘pillar of evil’ whose deadly attacks on the United States unleashed a backlash against Muslims across the world. From his Saudi birthplace to the Gulf Arab shores and Palestinian territories, the death of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden highlighted the sharp divide between subjects and rulers, radicals and moderates across the Arab world.

“The U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority welcomed bin Laden’s killing as ‘good for the cause of peace.’ Its rival and prospective power-sharing partner, Islamist Hamas, deplored his death…

“Some said the killing of bin Laden in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan was scarcely relevant in an Arab world fired by popular revolt against oppressive leaders who had resisted violent Islamist efforts to weaken their grip on power… Many believe bin Laden and al Qaeda brought catastrophe on the Muslim world as the United States retaliated with two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq…

“A rival view sees bin Laden as the only Muslim leader to take the fight against Western dominance to the heart of the enemy — in the form of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.”

As the Arab world is even divided when it comes to the viewpoint on Osama bin Laden, it should be obvious to any impartial and objective observer how dangerous it could be if true democracy by majority vote would be established in some of those countries.

Burial at Sea Likely to Cause Rage

The Associated Press reported on May 2:

“Muslim clerics said Monday that Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea was a violation of Islamic tradition that may further provoke militant calls for revenge attacks against American targets. Although there appears to be some room for debate over the burial — as with many issues within the faith — a wide range of senior Islamic scholars interpreted it as a humiliating disregard for the standard Muslim practice of placing the body in a grave with the head pointed toward the holy city of Mecca…

“Bin Laden’s burial at sea ‘runs contrary to the principles of Islamic laws, religious values and humanitarian customs,’ said Sheik Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand Imam of Cairo’s al-Azhar mosque, Sunni Islam’s highest seat of learning… A U.S. official said the burial decision was made after concluding that it would have been difficult to find a country willing to accept the remains. There was also speculation about worry that a grave site could have become a rallying point for militants…

“According to Islamic teachings, the highest honor to be bestowed on the dead is giving the deceased a swift burial, preferably before sunset. Those who die while traveling at sea can have their bodies committed to the bottom of the ocean if they are far off the coast, according to Islamic tradition.

“‘They can say they buried him at sea, but they cannot say they did it according to Islam,’ Mohammed al-Qubaisi, Dubai’s grand mufti, said about bin Laden’s burial. ‘If the family does not want him, it’s really simple in Islam: You dig up a grave anywhere, even on a remote island, you say the prayers and that’s it. Sea burials are permissible for Muslims in extraordinary circumstances,’ he added. ‘This is not one of them’…

“Prominent Egyptian Islamic analyst and lawyer Montasser el-Zayat said bin Laden’s sea burial was designed to prevent his grave from becoming a shrine. But an option was an unmarked grave. ‘They don’t want to see him become a symbol, but he is already a symbol in people’s hearts.’”

Even in his death and “burial,” Osama could ignite hatred against the USA.

What Is It With May 1?

The New York Daily News reported on May 2:

“Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler share a towering reputation for evil – and also an anniversary. Both were declared dead on May 1.

“Late on May 1, 1945 – about as late as President Obama’s TV announcement Sunday – German radio announced that Hitler had fallen ‘fighting to the last breath against Bolshevism and for Germany.’ He had actually committed suicide the day before.

“In some cultures May 1 is the official beginning of summer. In many places, May Day is also Labor Day, a celebration of the working man. May 1 is also the anniversary of President Bush’s ill-conceived 2003 Mission Accomplished speech, prematurely announcing an end to combat in Iraq.”

Osama’s Killing in Violation of International Law?

While US and EU officials have declared that the killing was not a “targeted assassination,” but a legal operation, as the goal was allegedly not to kill him but to capture him alive (compare the EUObserver, May 3, 2011), not everyone agrees. It was now clarified by the White House that Osama Bin Laden was not armed, but that he “resisted” his arrest. One senator claimed, without really providing any evidence, that he was trying to get to a gun, while others say that there were no guns in the room. Pakistan claims that Osama was killed brutally and in cold blood. Der Spiegel Online published the following analysis, on May 3:

“Is this what justice looks like? Al-Qaida boss Osama bin Laden was killed on Sunday in a secret military operation in Pakistan. Americans are celebrating, but there are serious doubts about whether the targeted killing was legal under international law and the laws of war.

“US President Barack Obama gets precious few opportunities to announce a victory. So it’s no wonder he chose grand words on Sunday night as the TV crews’ spotlights shone upon him and he informed the nation about the deadly strike against Osama bin Laden. ‘Justice has been done,’ he said.

“It may be that this sentence comes back to haunt him in the years to come… Obama and his predecessor Bush never sought the kind of justice that would have seen bin Laden tried in an international court. As early as his election campaign in 2008, Obama swore he would ‘kill bin Laden’ and finish the job begun by his predecessor after 9/11… A US national security official didn’t beat around the bush, telling Reuters, ‘This was a kill operation’…

“The operation didn’t take place on the actual battlefield of Operation Enduring Freedom, i.e. in Afghanistan, but rather on Pakistani territory… The commanders of the war on terror consider the entire world to be a battlefield. The US would seek to justify a military operation like the one that took place Sunday anywhere it believes the enemy is hiding — regardless whether it be in Europe or Islamabad… the vast majority of other experts on the law of armed conflict find this view unacceptable…

“And what business did the United States even have acting within the territory of Pakistan, a foreign power? A military strike that crosses national borders, barring acts of self-defense, is generally viewed as an infringement on sovereignty…”

Is It Really bin Laden?

SKY News wrote on May 2:

“Can [the] US Offer Final Proof Of Osama’s Death? The circumstances surrounding Osama bin Laden’s reported death raise urgent questions over how the US is so sure it got its man.

“US officials have said DNA testing has proved the al Qaeda leader was killed in a villa in Pakistan. They have also identified him by facial recognition… The fact his body was buried at sea has so far only added to the speculation… The release of a photograph purporting to show bin Laden’s corpse – which was later confirmed to be a fake – added to the confusion…”

In the meantime, additional photographs were published, which have all been declared to be fakes by the U.S. government. As questions are continually being raised pertaining to the authenticity of President Obama’s long-form birth certificate, so nagging doubts will remain whether it was Osama bin Laden who was killed, or someone else, and whether the corpse’s burial at sea was done for the purpose of covering up the true identity of the assassinated person.

Does DNA Fingerprinting Identify Bin Laden?

National Journal wrote on May 2:

“His face is one of the most recognizable in the world, but in the end, could it have been DNA fingerprinting that proved to U.S. officials that they had finally nailed Osama bin Laden? Maybe – but the Obama administration had better be saving some evidence.

“U.S. officials have told various news sources that CIA facial-recognition technology was used to identify bin Laden, and that his wife… called him by name during the firefight that ended his life. But they say that DNA was the final piece of evidence… One problem – whose DNA did they compare it to?… does the government have earlier DNA that, for certain, came from bin Laden? Not likely, and so the next-best source is a sibling. And in that case, says Stephen Quake, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute professor of applied physics and bioengineering at Stanford University, all the DNA analysis will say for sure is that the dead person is one of the many sons of Osama bin Laden’s father…

“If bin Laden’s mother, now known as Hamida al-Attas, could be persuaded to give some of her DNA, that might provide compelling evidence. She was last reported to be living in Saudi Arabia… The White House says that bin Laden was buried at sea. One can only hope they kept some tissue and blood samples to back up the DNA claims.”

The Obama Administration announced that they will not publish any pictures of Osama bin Laden, which allegedly show that he died of mortal wounds. With that highly controversial decision, conspiracy theories are bound to continue, as the next article explains.

Conspiracy Theories Abound…

Der Spiegel Online wrote on May 5:

“The confusion over the details of Osama bin Laden’s death has prompted wild speculation and a slew of conspiracy theories. Many Pakistanis believe the al-Qaida leader was not actually living in Abbottabad, while some jihadists are claiming the Americans buried Osama at sea because they had defiled his body.

“The citizens of Abbottabad have a lot of questions these days. Was Osama bin Laden truly ambushed and killed in their midst? Was it really the world’s public enemy number one, hunted down with great effort and expense, who had been living in their city? And if so, had he been living there for ‘five to six years’ as the White House is now claiming?

“’‘Impossible,’ says Zubair Gul, who lives a few hundred meters from the house where a US Navy Seals team killed bin Laden. Gul finds it hard to believe that the terrorist leader was killed here. ‘Abbottabad is in a valley, and you immediately hear every helicopter that flies by. Who can possibly believe that bin Laden was sitting in his house and had no idea that the helicopters were coming?’ Gul, a German citizen, runs two restaurants in Damme near Osnabrück in northern Germany. Originally from Peshawar, he moved to Abbottabad with his German wife in 1998, ‘because of the good climate and because things were always peaceful here,’ as he says…

“Nazar Abbasi, a pharmacist in Abbottabad, says that he was pleased about the news that bin Laden was dead. But then he was surprised that no photos of the body were released as evidence, and that fake photos were circulating instead. ‘And when I heard that the Americans had thrown the body in the sea, I knew that all of this was just a big show.’

“Many in Abbottabad agree with Gul and Abbasi. It’s all because US President Barack Obama is running for reelection, people there say…

“Or maybe it was indeed bin Laden, but the way the raid on the compound was carried out was very different to how it had been described. On Wednesday, the Al-Arabiya television network reported that a 12-year-old girl, supposedly a daughter of bin Laden, had said that her father was captured alive and then shot. The girl claimed to have been present when the building was stormed. The network’s source was an unnamed Pakistani intelligence officer.

“Given that the ultimate evidence of the death of the al-Qaida leader has not been provided, and that Washington has already had to correct its initial statements on the question of whether bin Laden was armed, speculation is now running rampant…”

America—Insolvent?

On May 3, Der Spiegel Online wrote:

“…there have been about 6,000 dead US soldiers, not to mention $1.3 trillion in new federal debt that is attributed to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the real costs will likely be much higher. The US has accumulated a total debt burden of over $14 trillion, even though it was running a budget surplus just 10 years ago. The seemingly most powerful country in the world has to be worried about the prospect of having to officially declare insolvency before too long.

“America has become so caught up in a culture of fear and anxiety that it spends more on defense than all other countries put together. And it is caught up in wars that it cannot win — and which it no longer wants to fight, if one believes American opinion polls about the war in Afghanistan…

“The US is still at the forefront of spending on election campaigns. The next US president will need about $1 billion to spend on aggressive advertising spots and smear campaigns against rivals…”

Already on April 19, the mass tabloid Bild Online wrote:

“Obamaland is burned down. Why is the richest country on earth suddenly insolvent?… the President is gliding into another crisis…”

USA Sues Deutsche Bank

The Wall Street Journal wrote on May 3:

“U.S. authorities sued Deutsche Bank AG and a mortgage subsidiary, alleging that they repeatedly lied about the quality of mortgages to be included in a government insurance program so that they could profit from the resale of those mortgages.

“The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Manhattan federal court, alleges that Deutsche Bank and its MortgageIT unit ‘recklessly’ selected mortgages that violated the rules of the Federal Housing Administration’s mortgage-insurance program ‘in blatant disregard of whether borrowers could make mortgage payments.’ Those government-insured mortgages were then resold, according to the lawsuit.”

Such a lawsuit by the US government against Germany’s most prestigious bank, even if justified, is not going to help to create or maintain a friendly relationship between America and Germany.

Canada’s Number One Party “Killed”

On May 2, adcentriconline.com reported the following:

“It was an amazing two days. On Sunday, President Barack Obama announced that he had killed Osama bin Laden. And within a mere 30 hours of the demise of the world’s number one terrorist, Michael Ignatieff killed the Liberal Party of Canada, the country’s number one political party…

“The opposition Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois forced an election that no one wanted on the basis of Prime Minister Stephen Harper being found guilty of contempt of Parliament for not providing the House of Commons with the true cost of its spending. As if all governments provide proper costing. The opposition cried that Harper and his Tories were undemocratic and had to be replaced. Canadians ‘needed’ to go to the polls…

“What started off as an unnecessary election that would produce the same results the last one did became, morphed into an historic election that saw a major party realignment… for the first time in the country’s history, the NDP will form Her Majesty’s Official Opposition. And it wasn’t even close.”

NATO Kills Gaddafi’s Youngest Son

BBC News wrote on May 1:

“The death of Saif al-Arab Gaddafi… is likely to have come as a consequence of Nato’s increasingly aggressive tactics… his killing in an air strike is a grievous strategic error – militarily insignificant but diplomatically disastrous…

“Assassination of a head of state is illegal under international law, and forbidden by various US presidential orders. On the other hand, the targeted killing of those woven into the enemy chain of command is shrouded in legal ambiguity.

“Given the personalistic nature of the regime, and the ‘all means necessary’ clause in UN Resolution 1973, it might be argued that killing Col Muammar Gaddafi and certain members of his family – such as his son Khamis, commander of an elite military brigade – would be permissible, even if it posed a risk to those non-combatants around the regime. Legality, though, indicates neither legitimacy nor prudence.

“This strike, and the death of Saif al-Arab, have produced little military result at the greatest diplomatic and symbolic cost to Nato. Saif al-Arab was, unlike his brothers, not a senior military commander or propagandist. His death is redolent of the 1986 US strike on the same compound. That raid killed Col Gaddafi’s adopted daughter and, in the scarred buildings and craters, furnished him with a long-lasting symbol of defiance.

“The propaganda value of such unintended deaths is potentially severe… The problem is that the direction of this effect is unclear. The dramatic visual impact of this air strike, and the death of those disconnected from political and military leadership, will harden the diplomatic opposition to the war, from Russia and China amongst others. More consequentially, it will anger the alliance’s warier members, like Germany and Turkey, and inflame parts of Arab and African public opinion.”

Many suspect that it is the declared goal of NATO and Europe to kill Gaddafi, even though the official reason for the attacks is to “protect civilians.” The killing of Gaddafi’s son and grandchildren places NATO in a bad light, as it appears to reveal their true motivation. This, in turn, is bound to backfire.

John Paul II beatified in Vatican Ceremony

BBC News wrote on May 1:

“The late Pope, John Paul II, has been officially beatified at a ceremony at the Vatican… It comes amid criticism of the Church for the speed of the beatification and the clerical child sex abuse scandal. Much of the abuse occurred while John Paul II was Pope, from 1979-2005, and the Church has been criticised for not doing enough to punish those found responsible.

“Police in Rome estimated that one million people had come to the city for the event… Rome has not seen crowds of this size since the death of Pope John Paul II six years ago…

“Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe was among those attending the beatification. A Roman Catholic, he was given special permission by the EU to fly to Italy despite being the subject of a travel ban. The presidents of Poland and Mexico are also among some 90 heads of state and other dignitaries attending the beatification…

“Beatification, or declaring a person to be ‘blessed’, is the necessary prelude to full sainthood. For this to happen, the Vatican must declare the person to have performed a miracle. In John Paul II’s case, Sister Marie, 49, said she and her fellow nuns had prayed for the intercession of the Pope after his death to cure her from Parkinson’s Disease. Her sudden cure had no logical medical explanation and she later resumed her work as a maternity nurse, the Vatican says…

“If the late Pope is declared to have performed another miracle he will be eligible for canonisation as a saint…”

In case you did not notice it, the beatification of John Paul II required that he performed a miracle after his death!!! This false belief holds that he is alive in heaven, from where he performs miracles. But Christ said that no one goes to heaven, except for the Son of Man. In fact, the Bible teaches that everyone who has died, including John Paul II, is in their graves, waiting for the resurrection from the dead. They are right now without any consciousness, knowing nothing, and they can therefore work no miracles, either.

USA Not a Christian Nation?

On May 2, USA Today published the following article by Henry G. Brinton, pastor of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia. Although clearly not intended, his statements at the end of the article show the reasons WHY the USA is in the terrible state that it is in:

“The King James Version is the most influential Scripture translation of all time, molding Christian faith and English literature for the past four centuries. It has also played a role in political and moral debate throughout the history of our country.

“John Winthrop, the first governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, spoke in 1630 of a ‘city upon a hill’— an image drawn on by Presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan in their descriptions of America, with Reagan famously speaking of a ‘shining city.’ This line is based on the King James Version, which says, ‘Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid’ (Matthew 5:14).

“’Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land, unto all the inhabitants thereof’ is inscribed on the Liberty Bell and on a plaque at the base of the Statue of Liberty (Leviticus 25:10). During the Civil War, abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison changed the motto of his anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator to this verse from the King James Version. Facing the prospect of a nation half slave and half free, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘a house divided against itself cannot stand’ (Matthew 12:25)…

“America is grounded in the Constitution, which never mentions God or Jesus, and forbids the establishment of religion. Because of this, we will never be a Christian nation. But our use of the King James Version has made us a biblical nation, and we will be such a country as long as we turn to this book for inspiration and guidance. So what does it mean to be biblical but not Christian?

“… citizens in a country based on religious freedom must always be allowed to disagree with scriptural admonitions. The Bible should never be used as the basis of legislation… God does not appear in our Constitution, and no more than three of the Ten Commandments would be appropriate for civil law — specifically, ‘thou shalt not kill,’ ‘thou shalt not steal,’ and ‘thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor’ (Exodus 20). The legislation of other commandments would either create an inappropriate and unenforceable law (‘honor thy father and thy mother’) or violate the Constitution’s rule against making laws respecting an establishment of religion (‘Thou shalt have no other gods before me.’)… I do not support legislation based on the Bible, or any effort to label America a Christian nation. And I say that as a proud and practicing Christian.”

This highlights a grave conflict between the Bible and man’s government. The Bible demands that a nation under the true God must be a Christian nation, and that it must be subject to the laws of the Holy Scriptures, including all of the Ten Commandments, judgments and statutes. A nation which is refusing to do so has subjected itself to God’s curse, while rejecting to embrace God’s blessings. Thanks be to God that He will soon send His Son Jesus Christ to this earth to establish the Kingdom of God, and with it righteous and true laws and injunctions, as set forth and revealed in the Bible.

President Obama Releases Long-Form Birth Certificate

Newsmax reported on April 27, 2011:

“After years of ignoring demands that he release his full birth certificate, and steadfast goading from Donald Trump and others, President Barack Obama has finally presented the official document, saying he has ‘better stuff to do’ than deal with the controversy…”

USA Today added on April 27:

“The signed-and-sealed Certificate of Live Birth shows he was born exactly where he had said: Kapiolani Maternity & Gynecological Hospital in Honolulu. During the 2008 campaign, he had released a copy of his Certification of Live Birth, a shorter official form with fewer details.”

However, the release of the long-form birth certificate will not silence President Obama’s critics. On April 27, USA Today reported about a poll taken before the release of the birth certificate:

“… only 38% of Americans said they thought the president was ‘definitely’ born in the United States; 18% said he ‘probably’ was. Nearly one in four, 24%, said he was probably or definitely born in another country. Nineteen percent said they didn’t know enough to say. Among Republicans, 43% said Obama was definitely or probably born abroad — more than the 35% who said he was definitely or probably born in the USA.”

Fox News wrote on April 27:

“Trump… took credit Wednesday for the president’s decision to release the document. He said his team would have to examine the birth certificate and questioned why the White House took so long…”

Newsmax wrote on April 27:

“The critics… still note a pattern of secrecy surrounding much of Obama’s life before he entered politics. They note that Obama has never unveiled many key documents that presidential candidates release to the press and public… Ironically, during his campaign for president, Obama promised he would make his White House ‘the most open and transparent administration in history.’

The Smokinggun.com listed the following questions on April 27, which will most likely be raised by those who doubt the authenticity of the certificate:

“If the original document was in a bound volume (as reflected by the curvature of the left hand side of the certificate), how can the green patterned background of the document’s safety paper be so seamless? Why, if Obama was born on August 4, 1961, was the ‘Date Accepted by Local Reg.’ four days later on August 8, 1961?… David A. Sinclair, the M.D. who purportedly signed the document, died nearly eight years ago at age 81. So he is conveniently unavailable to answer questions about Obama’s reported birth… Finally, the ‘Signature of Local Registrar’ in box 21 may be a desperate attempt at establishing the document’s Hawaiian authenticity.”

According to the Drudge Report, others have speculated whether different layers were used for the document.

The issue is not going away, and may very well become a determining factor for the outcome of the next presidential election.

No Easter Proclamation

Newsmax reported on April 26:

“The media and the blogosphere are abuzz with dumbfounded reactions to the White House’s snub of Christians during the weekend. No presidential proclamation celebrating Christianity’s highest holy day of Easter was issued…

“Barack Obama made no bones about admitting in his 2006 memoir, ‘The Audacity of Hope,’ the secularism of his mother, father, and stepfather led him during his younger days to be far from a devoted Christian when it came to Easter. ‘On Easter or Christmas Day my mother might drag me to church, just as she dragged me to the Buddhist temple, the Chinese New Year celebration, the Shinto shrine, and ancient Hawaiian burial sites,’ Obama remembered… Obama noted his mother’s now well-known skepticism and hostility toward religion… ‘In our household the Bible, the Koran, and the Bhagavad Gita sat on the shelf alongside books of Greek and Norse and African mythology’…

“Obama added that ‘although my father had been raised a Muslim, by the time he met my mother he was a confirmed atheist, thinking religion to be so much superstition, like the mumbo-jumbo of witch doctors that he had witnessed in the Kenyan villages of his youth.’ Obama’s Indonesian stepfather was, similarly, ‘a man who saw religion as not particularly useful’ in life.”

While the Bible rejects Easter celebration as pagan inventions, President Obama’s upbringing is still interesting to consider. It would be tremendous, if an American President would return to and embrace true biblical teachings. For more information, please read our free booklet, “Is That in the  Bible?—Man’s Holidays and God’s Holy Days.”

Pope vs. Evolution… Sort of…

The Associated Press reported on April 23:

“Pope Benedict XVI marked the holiest night of the year for Christians by stressing that humanity isn’t a random product of evolution. Benedict emphasized the Biblical account of creation in his Easter Vigil homily Saturday, saying it was wrong to think at some point ‘in some tiny corner of the cosmos there evolved randomly some species of living being capable of reasoning and of trying to find rationality within creation, or to bring rationality into it.’

“If man were merely a random product of evolution in some place on the margins of the universe, then his life would make no sense or might even be a chance of nature,’ he said. ‘But no, reason is there at the beginning: creative, divine reason.’

“Church teaching holds that Roman Catholicism and evolutionary theory are not necessarily at odds: A Christian can, for example, accept the theory of evolution to help explain developments, but is taught to believe that God, not random chance, is the origin of the world. The Vatican, however, warns against creationism, or the overly literal interpretation of the Biblical account of creation.”

However, such viewpoints contradict the Bible. Please read our free booklet, “The Theory of Evolution—a Fairy Tale for Adults?”

To Be Like God

Reuters reported on April 17:

“Pope Benedict led Roman Catholics into Holy Week celebrations, telling a Palm Sunday crowd that man will pay the price for his pride if he believes technology can give him the powers of God… ‘From the beginning men and women have been filled — and this is as true today as ever — with a desire to “be like God”, to attain the heights of God by their own powers,’ he said… ‘Mankind has managed to accomplish so many things: we can fly! We can see, hear and speak to one another from the farthest ends of the earth. And yet the force of gravity which draws us down is powerful,’ he said.

“While the great advances of technology have improved life for man, the pope said, they have also increased possibilities for evil, and recent natural disasters were a reminder, if any were needed, that mankind is not all-powerful. If man wanted a relationship with God he had to first ‘abandon the pride of wanting to become God,’ said the pope, celebrating his sixth Easter season as the leader of the world’s some 1.2 billion Roman Catholics.”

Even though it is most certainly correct that man must not attempt to become like God by his own means and endeavors, it is also true that it IS man’s potential to become God. For more information, please read our free booklet, “God Is a Family.”

Catholic Church Goes on the Offensive

The Telegraph wrote on April 19:

“A film about a panic-prone Pope who has unwittingly been thrust into the papacy and has to hire a psychiatric assistant to help him has sparked controversy in the Roman Catholic Church… Traditionalists say that the film, by the acclaimed Italian director Nanni Moretti, is ‘an instrument of Satan’… Bruno Volpe, the Catholic lawyer, has launched suit for defamation against Moretti and the producers under the terms of the Lateran Pact, which extends the same protections to the prestige of the pope as to the Italian president. Mr Volpe said Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope), never mentioned the current Pope by name but it was nevertheless clear that it was a parody of Pope Benedict XVI and dishonoured the figure of the Pontiff in general…

“Gerardo Pierro, archbishop of Salerno, said the launch of a similar film in an Islamic country would have led to the burning of cinemas and attempts to kill the director for blasphemy. ‘I think many people take advantage of the traditional meekness of Catholics, which is often confused with foolishness or resignation,’ Archbishop Pierro said… The Pope is played by Michel Piccoli, an 85-year-old French actor, and many Catholics have acknowledged Moretti’s sympathetic depiction of the film’s ecclesiastical characters, though the Vatican has not reacted officially.”

History does not confirm any “traditional meekness” of the Catholic Church. For proof, read our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.” It is also interesting to note that the institution of the Pope enjoys the same legal protection as the Italian president. Truly, the religious power has become an image of the political power, as the Bible prophesied in Revelation 13.

The Downfall of America

WorldNetDaily wrote on April 24:

“… has it become twilight in America? That’s the question Jerome Corsi’s Red Alert is asking, noting that Business Insider has listed 25 signs of economic decline in the United States:

“1) Standard & Poor’s altered its outlook on U.S. government debt from ‘stable’ to ‘negative’;
“2) China has announced it is going to be reducing its holdings of U.S. dollars;
“3) Hedge-fund manager Dennis Gartman says that ‘panic dollar selling is setting in’ and that the U.S. dollar could be in for a huge decline;
“4) The biggest bond fund in the world, PIMCO, is now shorting U.S. government bonds;
“5) The economy is causing ‘ghost towns’ to appear across the United States, with many counties across the nation that now have home vacancy rates of more than 50 percent;
“6) There are now about 7.25 million fewer jobs in America than when the recession began back in 2007;
“7) Only 45.4 percent of Americans had a job during 2010, the lowest percentage since 1983;
“8) Only 66.8 percent of American men had a job last year, the lowest level ever in the United States;
“9) The average CEO made 343 times more money than the average American did last year;
“10) Gas prices reached $5 per gallon at a gas station in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2011;
“11) Over the past 12 months, the average price of gasoline in the United States has gone up about 30 percent;
“12) Due to rising fuel prices, American Airlines lost $436 million during the first quarter of 2011;
“13) U.S. households are now receiving more income from the U.S. government than they are paying to the government in taxes;
“14) Approximately $1 out of every $4 that the U.S. government borrows goes to pay the interest on the national debt;
“15) Total home mortgage debt in the United States is now about five times larger than it was just 20 years ago;
“16) Total credit card debt in the United States is now more than eight times larger than it was just 30 years ago;
“17) Average household debt in the United States has now reached a level of 136 percent of average household income, while in China it’s only 17 percent;
“18) The average American now spends 23 percent of their income on food and gas;
“19) Seventy-eight percent of Americans said they plan to slow their spending in coming months due to rising prices;
“20) Fifty-nine percent of Americans receive money from the federal government;
“21) The average length of unemployment in the United States is now a record 39 weeks;
“22) As the economy continues to collapse, frustration among young people will continue to grow and we will see more seemingly ‘random acts of violence’;
“23) Some Americans have become so desperate for cash that they are literally popping their gold teeth and selling them to pawn shops;
“24) As the economy has declined, the American people have been gobbling up larger and larger amounts of antidepressants and other prescription drugs;
“25) Even the latest market rally could be ending.”

The Crime of Adultery

The Associated Press reported on April 26:

“The crime of adultery appears headed toward repeal in Colorado, where lawmakers from both parties call the crime an outdated 19th-century holdover junking up the books. Adultery carries no criminal penalty, though it remains illegal. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 6-1 Tuesday to repeal the old crime, as well as a law against ‘promoting sexual immorality.’ Colorado is one of a handful of states where adultery laws are still on the books… [The] provision [against promoting sexual immorality] outlaws providing a place for out-of-wedlock sex, a law probably aimed at frontier flophouses… Adultery remains a crime in U.S. military law, and adultery laws aren’t unusual in other countries.”

Deadly Tornados Devastate South of USA

The Associated Press reported on April 28:

“Dozens of tornadoes ripped through the South, flattening homes and businesses and killing at least 215 people in six states in the deadliest outbreak in nearly 40 years… Alabama’s state emergency management agency said it had confirmed 131 deaths, while there were 32 in Mississippi, 30 in Tennessee, 13 in Georgia, eight in Virginia and one in Kentucky… The storm system spread destruction from Texas to New York, where dozens of roads were flooded or washed out. The governors of Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia issued emergency declarations for parts of their states…

“In Alabama, where as many as a million people were without power, Gov. Robert Bentley said 2,000 national guard troops had been activated and were helping to search devastated areas for people still missing… The storms came on the heels of another system that killed 10 people in Arkansas and one in Mississippi earlier this week. Less than two weeks earlier, a smaller batch of twisters raced through Alabama, touching off warning sirens, damaging businesses and downing power lines in Tuscaloosa, but there were no deaths there then.”

Dollar Drops Further

Bloomberg reported on April 28:

“U.S. stock-index futures fell and the Dollar Index dropped to a three-year low as reports showed the economy slowed more than forecast and jobless claims unexpectedly rose… The dollar weakened as much as 0.6 percent against the euro, falling for the eighth day and breaching $1.48 for the first time since December 2009. It dropped 0.5 percent versus the yen. The decline in U.S. futures indicated the S&P 500 may fall from the highest level since June 2008. Jobless claims increased by 25,000 to 429,000 in the week ended April 23, the most since late January, according to Labor Department figures.”

As we observe the social and economic downfall of the USA, so we can also recognize the downfall of GB—as the next article shows.

The Downfall of Great Britain… Broken-Up Family Life

The Daily Mail wrote on April 18:

“Shocking figures reveal that births outside marriage are at their highest level in two centuries and nearly half of children can expect their parents to separate by the time they turn 16. Nine out of ten couples now live together before – or instead of – tying the knot. Before the Second World War, it was fewer than one in 30. From a situation 30 years ago where it was often considered shameful to have a child outside of wedlock, it has now become the norm. Some 46 per cent of children are born to unmarried mothers, according to research by the Centre for Social Justice.

“The think-tank said a child growing up in a one-parent family is 75 per cent more likely to fail at school, 70 per cent more likely to become a drug addict, 50 per cent more likely to have an alcohol problem and 35 per cent more likely to be unemployed as an adult. Some 48 per cent of children are likely to see their family break up before they are 16. Ten years ago, it was 40 per cent.

“Gavin Poole, executive director of the CSJ, which was set up by Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, said: ‘Current high levels of cohabitation are a key factor in the rise in family breakdown in our country and this paper shows that we have not been here before… Marriage and commitment tend to stabilise and strengthen families and cannot be ignored. The peculiarly high levels of family breakdown found in Britain are at the heart of the social breakdown which is devastating our most deprived communities…’

“The report says the decline in the traditional family is a crucial factor in the social decay that is blighting Britain… Family breakdown, the experts claim, is being fuelled by the growth in the less stable relationship of cohabitation. ‘A child growing up in a fractured, chaotic or fatherless family is far less likely to develop the pro-social skills essential for success later in life,’ Mr Poole said.”

Toyota Cuts Production Due to Earthquake

BBC News reported on April 20:

“Toyota said it will cut production at its North American plants by 70% from 26 April to 3 June. Car manufacturers have been facing a shortage of parts due to the damage caused to Japanese component makers by the earthquake and tsunami. Toyota said it may also lower its US sales target for 2011… Toyota Motors also announced that it is curbing production at its factories in China.”

Natural disasters can and do have devastating effects for any country; and no country—regardless of how powerful it might be–is exempt from such catastrophes and their consequences.

EU: “Discuss Policies in Dark Secrecy”

The EUObserver reported on April 21:

“Eurozone economic policies should only be conducted in ‘dark secret rooms’, to prevent dangerous movements in financial markets, the Eurogroup chief [Jean-Claude Juncker] said… As exists in the case of monetary policy, all economic decisions should now be discussed behind closed doors, he said. ‘I’m ready to be insulted as being insufficiently democratic, but I want to be serious,’ he said.

“Having served as finance minister and then premier of Luxembourg for the past 22 years, Juncker pointed out that over the course of his career, despite his Catholic upbringing, he often ‘had to lie’ in order not to feed rumours.”

Centralized EU Decision-Making

The EUObserver wrote on April 20:

“MEPs have toughened up the provisions in a package of six laws that centralise economic decision-making in the EU, delivering more powers for oversight of national fiscal policies to the European Commission… Cheering the move, Liberal leader Guy Verhofstadt said: ‘The European Commission shall be entitled to intervene with all necessary means if the stability of the euro is at stake, to preserve our European project.’”

The Schengen Agreement in Jeopardy?

Der Spiegel wrote on April 27:

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi have put aside their differences to call on the European Union to reform the Schengen zone of border-free travel… Berlusconi and Sarkozy signed a joint letter to the EU to demand that the Schengen agreement be amended to take into consideration ‘exceptional’ situations such as the current massive influx of immigrants from North Africa…

“Many observers see the French and Italian leaders as striking a populist stance in response to pressure from far-right parties in their countries. Sarkozy, who is running for re-election in 2012, is under threat from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Front, which strongly opposes immigration, while Berlusconi is under pressure from the xenophobic Northern League, the country’s third strongest party which is part of Berlusconi’s coalition government.

“The Schengen agreement was originally signed in 1985 in the Luxembourg town of that name and went into effect in 1995. A total of 22 EU members are currently part of the system, as are Norway, Switzerland and Iceland. Britain and Ireland are not, however, members. Along with the euro common currency, the Schengen zone is seen as one of the European Union’s main achievements…”

The above-quoted articles on Europe show the gradual and steady development of a centralized power bloc, and the time is passed when Europe could disintegrate again in national entities which would be fighting themselves. The Bible prophesies that Europe will become the most powerful economic and military unity in the world—which leads us to conclude that neither the euro nor the Schengen agreement could fail (even though some “adjustments” might be made, as the next article speculates).

The EUObserver wrote on April 28, 2011:

“Several member states have indicated they are prepared to back attempts by France and Italy to make it easier for countries to re-instate border controls, following an influx of migrants from north Africa. Germany, the Netherlands, Greece and Malta have all given their blessing to Paris and Rome’s call for adjustments to be made to the Schengen Agreement on passport-free travel within most of the EU, while underlining the importance of an ‘open Europe’.

“‘If you can improve the Schengen system then that is good and you should,’ German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle said Wednesday, reports AFP. ‘But travel freedom in Europe is such an important achievement that it should not be up for renegotiation.’”

Deutsche Welle added on April 28:

“German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle warned on Wednesday against taking away the luxury of visa-free travel enjoyed by millions of Europeans by reforming the Schengen Agreement. A German government spokesman said the treaty was sacrosanct.”

A Critical Look at the New British Wedding

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 27:

“The wedding of William and Kate on Friday… feels like an aberration of history… The Guardian newspaper wants to abolish the monarchy, as does the Independent and the Economist magazine. Many professors, film directors, writers, actors and politicians would like Britain to become a republic — but they remain in the minority which for years has been constant at around 18 percent of the population…

“Great Britain… has no written constitution but a rigid class system. The lawyers wear wigs in court and there are no citizens, just subjects… British soldiers are fighting for democracy in Afghanistan and Libya, and they fought for it in Iraq. But at home, they defend the absurdly undemocratic idea that nobody but a Windsor can be head of state. As soon as Elizabeth, 85 [dies], her son Charles, 62, already worn down by his long wait for the accession, will take the throne, even though opinion polls show the majority of Britons don’t want the brooding, esoteric prince to become king…

“More than 10,000 journalists are descending on London. The German networks… will hardly be broadcasting anything else on Friday. Everyone is pretending that this spectacle is the most important and beautiful event on earth — but it is not. Oddly, the British public isn’t as interested in the wedding as one might think. Most Britons say they don’t really care about the event. Only about a third of them plan to watch the show on TV…

“Britain is still mired in its worst economic crisis since World War II. Everyone should be rolling up their sleeves to haul the nation out of the doldrums. But the government declared the wedding day a public holiday, and schools, banks, offices and factories will be closed — just because the heir to the heir to the throne is getting married. The extra holiday… will end up costing the economy billions…

“In truth, the marriage of William and Kate is a sad spectacle. Two young people aren’t getting wed in the way they would like but how the palace, protocol and [grandmother] demand it. William, 28, is accustomed to that because he was born into it. But for Kate, 29, Friday will mark the end of her freedom…

“Some friends and relatives will be present in Westminster Abbey, but most of the guests will be strangers, and some of them will be repulsive ones at that. King Mswati, the despot of the impoverished African nation of Swaziland who has 13 wives, will be flying in with his entourage of 50 people. Arab potentates have also been invited, some of whom are currently having pro-democracy demonstrators shot at in their streets…”

Germany’s Fascination with Royalty

The Local wrote on April 26:

“A supposedly proud proletarian city like Berlin throws itself at the feet of just about anyone with an exotic title….  I can’t think of any other community outside the Netherlands that is so fascinated by [Queen] Beatrix and her strange taste in hats…

“Now we are bracing for… Britain’s royal wedding this Friday. This is the moment when Germans get to compare all the terrible royal families of the world… The thuggish King of Bahrain, Hamad Bin Isa al-Khalifa – unless he has to stay at home and order the shooting of demonstrators demanding democracy. And Sweden’s King Carl Gustaf should be able to make the nuptials; his sex parties were always on a Monday, or after his hunting trips, so his Fridays are free… [ and] Prince Laurent of Belgium who famously had his dead dog put in a freezer. And… Prince Henrik, husband of the Danish queen, who has been telling everyone how much he likes to eat dogs… All these people will be welcoming or pretending to welcome Kate Middleton into the extended family, and she may be wondering whether it was worth the price.

“Perhaps that is the appeal of royalty to the Germans: they can envy the wealth on display but criticise the dress sense and the twisted mentality of inbred monarchs. Almost everyone has a black sheep in the family but royal clans have whole flocks of them… All I can say to Germans is enjoy the show. The House of Windsor is, after all, just the renamed House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. So perhaps Germany can rightfully claim them as its own royal family.”

The thought of a revival of a functioning monarchy in certain European countries—including Germany—should not be rejected or dismissed too lightly.

UK Royals Snub EU Chiefs, but Rome Does Not

The EUObserver wrote on April 28, 2011:

“All three EU presidents and the bloc’s foreign policy chief – one of the most senior UK dignitaries – have been snubbed by the British royal family. While the great and the good from around the world have been invited to the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday, not a single European Union representative has been sent a gold-embossed wedding request to attend the occasion…  On Saturday, it emerged that Queen Elizabeth may believe the EU is too large…

“If Great Britain’s monarchy is wary of the Union, the Holy See is more than pleased to recognise the importance of European leaders, who are set to attend the beatification of the late pope, John Paul II, in the Vatican this coming weekend. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek are all heading to Rome to witness the final step before the Polish ex-pope is transmogrified into a saint.”

NATO’s Bad Options in Libya

Deutsche Welle wrote on April 21:

“NATO’s mission in Libya has now lasted four weeks, and there are no signs of an ending yet… But what is the aim of this mission? Will the protection of civilians only end when Gadhafi has fallen?… A quick military success is certainly not in sight… NATO has relatively few ways out of Libya, especially because France, Britain and the US have ruled out direct negotiations with the Libyan regime… For NATO, that means more airstrikes, even if weeks and months go by. The idea is to destroy Gadhafi’s heavy weapons, his ammunitions stores and his communications structure, but that’s extremely difficult… staying for the long haul entails its own risks…

“The Security Council’s Libya resolution expressly confines itself to protecting the civilian population. This new moral principle, which emerged following the genocide in Rwanda and the Balkans, dictates that the international community is responsible for civilians if the state fails to keep them safe… It’s exactly that – a long-term military operation – that NATO is now committed to in Libya. Whether the members want it or not, NATO is a combatant there, not an arbiter.”

Syria In Turmoil

Der Spiegel Online wrote on April 26:

“Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has sent in tanks to crush the pro-democracy protests, in a sign that he has abandoned all pretense at reforming his regime, German media commentators say. Even though the pillars of his administration remain intact, his days could well be numbered…

“Center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘…Syria’s officers may be loyal to the Assad regime and may keep firing on the opposition for the time being. But in the end, every army consists of citizens with families. If the killing goes on, officers and ordinary troops may start to ask themselves for whom they are shooting at their compatriots. That could end in the army becoming divided or launching a coup. The latter has a precedent in Syria: it’s how Assad’s father came to power.’…

“Conservative Die Welt writes: ‘…The Sunni majority is demanding a political say. The Syrian president is to blame for having failed to recognize this and to respond in time. His people didn’t want to topple him, they just wanted more freedom. But Assad missed his chance to grant it. His speech to the pseudo-parliament was amateurish, silly and foolish. It’s only now that the Syrians want to get rid of him and his nepotistic power apparatus, and he’s no longer in control of events.’

“Left-wing Frankfurter Rundschau writes: ‘The world is appalled at how a further Arab regime is resorting to gunfire to crush a revolution by people yearning for freedom. The confrontation is escalating… The chance for political compromises that could calm the enraged citizens has been missed. More than 120 deaths from bullets fired by the government killers — no wonder the people don’t trust Assad or his supposed readiness to reform. They will go for broke now because they know such a system of power cannot be reformed.’”

What’s Behind the Palestinian Unity Deal?

The Local wrote on April 28:

“Germany has joined Israel and the United States in expressing deep scepticism about the reconciliation between former rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas, declaring the latter too radical and violent for a peace agreement. ‘Hamas is not a dialogue partner for us because we don’t work with organizations that fight with violence against Israel’s right to exist,’ Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Thursday…  Germany’s position would not change as long as Hamas maintained its radical stance against the Jewish state, he said…

“Israel quickly condemned the deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Fatah could not hope to forge a peace deal with Israel if it pursued a reconciliation accord with Hamas. ‘The Palestinian Authority must choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas. There is no possibility for peace with both,’ he said in a televised statement.

“The United States is now reconsidering financial aid to the Palestinians, according to The New York Times. ‘As we have said before, the United States supports Palestinian reconciliation on terms which promote the cause of peace,’ Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said. ‘Hamas, however, is a terrorist organization which targets civilians.’”