Is USA Holding World Hostage?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 15:

“With no solution to the US debt crisis in sight, the rest of the world is starting to get nervous. German commentators urge congressional leaders to get their act together. A US default would have catastrophic consequences, they warn… This time it is the United States, the world’s largest economy, that is at risk of going bust.

“The US needs to raise its debt ceiling, currently set at $14.3 trillion (€10.1 trillion), by Aug. 2, otherwise the country will run out of money. But negotiations between President Barack Obama and top Republicans and Democrats have so far failed to make progress… Financial markets, which have previously viewed the negotiations with calm, are beginning to get nervous amid fears that Republicans and Democrats may be unable to reach an agreement by Aug. 2. Any default on the part of the US could have incalculable effects on global financial markets and could hurt the fragile recovery in the US…

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… A US default and a lower credit rating would … send stock prices through the floor and could choke off America’s economic recovery — with global repercussions. The politicians in Washington are playing with fire…’

“The center-left Süddeutsche Zeitung writes: ‘…Nobody can imagine what the repercussions might be if the unthinkable happens and the US is suddenly no longer a safe haven for investors. Anything is possible, from a small, barely perceptible amount of turbulence in the financial markets to a global panic. Congress should think carefully about what it is doing.’

“The conservative Die Welt writes: ‘In this period of competing debt crises, America and Europe are looking at each other in amazement, with each side understanding less and less about what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic. While Europe’s chaos is obvious to the Europeans and the rest of the world, there are few signs of self-doubt or self-awareness in the US. In the middle of the poker game between the two political parties to prevent a national default on Aug. 2, polls show that 77 percent of Americans believe that they live in the world’s greatest system of government. Just as many are convinced that life is only worth living as an American…’

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘Washington still considers a default to be unimaginable. Obama does not want to go down in history as the president who bankrupted America, so the only alternative is another unsavory deal… The debt limit will be raised again just before the impending volcanic eruption, exacerbating the problem and postponing an attempt to solve the problem (of the US’s enormous debt) to the next, not too distant deadline. Investors are also counting on this scenario. That is the only explanation for the relative calm on the market for US government bonds. That will change if the European Union crisis countries manage to sort out their finances, while the US continues with its debt delusions…’

“The mass-circulation Bild writes: ‘Playing poker is part of politics, as is theatrical posturing. That’s fair enough. But what America is currently exhibiting is the worst kind of absurd theatrics. And the whole world is being held hostage. Irrespective of what the correct fiscal and economic policy should be for the most powerful country on earth, it’s simply not possible to stop taking on new debt overnight. Most importantly, the Republicans have turned a dispute over a technicality into a religious war, which no longer has any relation to a reasonable dispute between the elected government and the opposition. If it continues like this, the US will be bankrupt within a few days. It would cause a global shockwave like the one which followed the Lehman bankruptcy in 2008, which triggered the worst economic crisis since the war. Except it would be much worse than the Lehman bankruptcy. The political climate in the US has been poisoned to a degree that is hard for us (Germans) to imagine. But we should all fear the consequences.’”

Europe’s anger towards the USA intensifies. Even though it may not realize it yet, self-confident America is no longer in a position to just ignore the rest of the world. The Bible says that it will pay deeply for its pride and haughtiness.

Read and Weep

CNN Money wrote on July 20:

“Hoping Aug. 2 will come and go uneventfully? Read Wednesday’s comments from Philadelphia Fed President Charles Plosser and weep. Plosser… says the Federal Reserve is gearing up for a possible U.S. default should the loons in Congress fail to raise the debt ceiling. He stresses… that he isn’t predicting this baleful outcome, but he doesn’t underplay how quickly a default might spin out of control. The Fed, after all, is the government’s clearing bank. The process of deciding which checks to honor and which to bounce sounds a bit daunting, considering the scale of the government’s checkbook…

“There is also the question of whether the Fed, or anyone else for that matter, will continue treating Treasury debt as acceptable as collateral for loans backing all manner of things – Fed loans, brokerage accounts, you name it… The discussion at the Fed… highlights the possibility, however slim, that financial markets could utterly break down, and take the economy down with them, as lenders decide to shun government bonds as collateral till the U.S. budget debacle is cleared up. That means no lending, more or less. The credit crunch after the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy would seem like a fond memory after the economic plunge that would follow a mass rejection of Treasury debt as collateral. Those are among the ‘catastrophic’ effects Ben Bernanke has noted now and again, and if Plosser doesn’t go quite that far he doesn’t exactly do anything to put the mind at ease, either.”

Cheap Trick?

Newsmax reported on July 17:

“GOP leaders simply need to look at history to realize why they must reject Democratic pleas for tax hikes and focus on spending cuts to reduce the deficit, Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert tells Newsmax.TV in an exclusive interview… President Barack Obama wants a deal that will not include any spending cuts at all until after the next election. And that means they will never happen, Gohmert said… ‘After 1986, that tax reform that Reagan did – he was promised all kinds of tax cuts in return for what was done to the tax code. Well the cuts didn’t come,’ said Gohmert…

“Gohmert also said the president’s claim that Social Security payments may not be made after the Treasury’s Aug. 2 deadline for an agreement on raising the debt ceiling was bogus. ‘The fact is there’s $2.6 trillion in Treasury notes in the Social Security trust fund,’ he said. ‘There is enough money to pay every social security check for at least three years.’ And he said the seniors should stop worrying that they will not be getting their checks, as non-payment would be illegal…”

This position seems to be correct. The scare tactics might or might not work… but it’s a very dangerous play with fire. According to Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul, the USA will default in any event as “the debt is unsustainable,” as Real Clear Politics reported on July 19.

Obama’s Long Term Birth Certificate a Forgery?

WorldNetDaily wrote on July 17:

“Unless the typewriter used to type Barack Obama’s purported Hawaiian ‘Certificate of Live Birth’ in 1961 was magically capable of producing different size and shaped images with the exact same key, the document released by the White House April 27 is a forgery, says a professional typographer with 50 years experience. ‘Steel-stamped letters do not expand to larger sizes and morph into different styles of type,’ retired New York City typographer Paul Irey told WND… it would be impossible for the different letters that appear in the Obama birth certificate to have been typed by one typewriter, according to Irey.

“‘These are irrefutable proofs of forgery,’ he said. His newest analysis suggests the document was assembled from images of letters or words taken from other documents. ‘The forger who produced the Obama Hawaii long-form birth certificate may have thought that all typewriter typeface styles were alike,’ he said. ‘To get his letters, the forger must have understood that he needed to copy the old typewriter styles,’ he continued. ‘So the forger probably scanned a bunch of old birth certificates, without realizing that the letters in the old files were from different typewriter styles. That’s why the letters in the forged document do not match each other.’”

America’s Era in Space Ends…

The Telegraph wrote on July 21:

“I’ve been gripped by the Nasa feed of the last space shuttle returning to earth… At one level, it is easy to wonder quite why $180 billion has been spent on keeping an out-of-date white elephant in the air. But a few weeks ago when Prof Brian Cox gave a show-stopper of a lecture at Hay in which he included a picture of the distant speck of Earth taken by Voyager from the edge of the solar system, I was reminded of the irresistible attraction of this greatest of human adventures.

“… the manned space flight programme was a way for the US to assert its confidence and demonstrate its will to do anything required to be number one… with the idea of American exceptionalism under review and the US losing its mojo, we should not underestimate the capacity for this moment to be a blow to American morale.”

Is Mormonism Christian?

The Washington Post wrote on July 18:

“A Fox News host said Sunday that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is ‘obviously not … a Christian,’ a view that, if widely held, may have repercussions for the Mormon candidate’s election odds…

“The question of whether or not Mormons are considered ‘Christians’ is sensitive and controversial… About one in five Republicans, or 18 percent, said they would not vote for a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. … About the same proportion of independents said they would oppose a Mormon, while a larger number of Democrats, about 27 percent, said they were opposed, according to the poll.

“Catholic and Protestant churches believe that Mormons errantly revere the Book of Mormon and the teachings of LDS leaders and prophets such as Joseph Smith. To non-Mormons, the Latter-day Saint revelations are extra-biblical, even heretical, though in recent months a number of prominent Christian leaders and thinkers have defended Mormonism’s values…”

Powerful Europe Without Britain

The British paper, Express, wrote on July 13:

“First for the rather dramatic bad news: a United States of Europe will come into being by the end of the year, perhaps even by the end of the summer.  Now for the good news: Britain won’t be part of it…. A rational response would be to allow all these countries to re-establish their former currencies and let devaluation shrink their debts and kickstart growth. But there is an iron will among the Eurocrats not to let that happen because if it does then the dream of a federal Europe will be gone forever.

“So in Brussels and Berlin and Paris work is already proceeding apace on a plan to solve the failure of partial economic integration (monetary union) by leaping into full integration (fiscal union).  Fiscal union will mean centrally imposed public spending controls and, crucially, the acceptance that the treasuries of all eurozone countries will have ultimate liability for each other’s debts…

“But the cost in terms of lost democracy would be enormous… Their democracies will be hollowed out as all important economic decisions will require the consent of unelected officials in Brussels or Frankfurt (where the European Central Bank is based) with no recourse to domestic opinion…

“To convince German public opinion to take on this new guarantor duty, Germany will have to become the dominant force behind monetary and fiscal policy throughout the eurozone. It will, however reluctantly, have gained greater European domination through financial measures [than] it ever [has gained] by force of arms…

“… if the eurozone creates a United States of Europe while we obtain more independence from Brussels, then what argument can there be against Britain leaving the European Union altogether?… Our EU membership will be rendered almost meaningless by a wholly integrated core from which we are mercifully excluded… As our political class desperately resists demands for a referendum on departing from the EU, a startling new possibility is emerging: that well before we see Britain leaving Europe, we are going to see much of Europe leaving Britain.”

This article is almost prophetic. And it finds support in other publications. Die Welt wrote on July 17: “The Euro is not dead. It has a constructional mistake, which must be corrected. The monetary union has to become a fiscal union…” The Bible shows that an autocratic super power—the United States of Europe—will emerge, and all indications are that Great Britain won’t be part of it; in fact, core Europe will become very hostile towards it.

Britain Again the Odd Man Out

The EUObserver wrote on July 19:

“British foreign minister William Hague on Monday (18 July) said his country would ‘never’ agree to the idea of a single EU military headquarters to replace the command centres scattered around five member states… Ashton said that the British rebuke ‘did not come as a surprise to me. This is the same position as the previous British government,’ she explained…

“Initially a French pet project, the idea of establishing a single operational headquarters was written into the Ashton report as part of ‘different options’ being explored by ‘most member states’ on how to make the bloc’s common and foreign security policy more effective… Asked if she will now bin the plan of having a single command structure, Ashton said: ‘We continue to explore what we might be able to do, but I am conscious you can’t do much when unanimity of member states is required’…

“Commenting on the ‘excellent’ proposal, French minister Alain Juppe said it was a pity the British government did not show more flexibility. ‘A very large majority was in favour of the proposal of an EU military headquarters, pushed by the “Weimar countries,”’ he said, in reference to Poland, France and Germany. The single headquarters system would replace the current command structure which sees the EU military missions run out of national centres in Britain, France, Germany, Greece and Italy.”

We would predict that such a single European military headquarters will be established—at the latest, after Great Britain has exited the EU.

Euro Rises, Gold Falls

Reuters reported on July 21:

“World stocks and the euro rose on Thursday after news of a plan to use the European bailout fund to make cheap loans to Greece and other heavily indebted governments in the euro zone. The new proposal from a summit of European leaders in Brussels reduced fears the debt crisis would spread to other euro zone countries and led traders to cut holdings of gold and U.S. and German government bonds.

“The European Financial Stability Facility, the zone’s bailout fund, will provide loans to Greece, Ireland and Portugal at a lower interest rate and for longer maturities, according to draft summit conclusions seen by Reuters.

“In the currency market, the euro rose to a two-week high. It gained 1.1 percent to $1.4367, erasing losses. While stocks and the euro rose, gold and U.S. and German government bond prices fell.”

Pope John Paul II to Become Patron of United Europe?

Zenit reported on July 13:

“‘Blinded by progress and well-being, the men of today are only interested in material goods and forget God, or live as if he didn’t exist,’ the archbishop [Dominique Mamberti] said. He recommended taking inspiration from the example of St. Benedict, patron of Europe… Hanna Suchocka, Polish ambassador to the Holy See… expressed the wish that the Polish Pope [“Blessed John Paul II”] will be considered by all as the ‘patron of a united Europe able to breathe fully with her two lungs.’”

The religious aspect of the unification of Europe must not be overlooked. The Bible shows that religion will play a tremendously important role in the formation of the United States of Europe.

The Failed Attempt to Kill Hitler

Deutsche Welle reported on July 20, 2011:

“On July 20, 1944, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg, an aristocratic colonel in the Nazi army, took the fate of the German people into his own hands. Increasingly disillusioned with Hitler’s campaign in the war, Stauffenberg and numerous other co-conspirators within the German military, including Friedrich Olbricht and Henning von Tresckow, plotted to assassinate the dictator and seize the reins of power.  Shortly after noon on a hot summer day, Stauffenberg smuggled an explosives-filled briefcase into a meeting at Hitler’s ‘Wolf’s Lair’ hideaway (in what is today Poland), where the dictator was seated around a large wooden table with 22 other Nazi officials.
 
“Stauffenberg placed the briefcase under the table, made an excuse to leave, and watched the explosion from afar as he raced towards his getaway car. Confident he had completed his mission and an impending coup would soon place him and like-minded co-conspirators in power, Stauffenberg made haste to return to Berlin.  But, in what is largely viewed as one of the greatest tragedies in history, things did not work out that way. Miraculously, Hitler survived the blast that killed four others, and the opposition’s poor planning, lack of support and hesitation at crucial moments played into the Führer’s hands. By midnight – just twelve hours later – Hitler had regained the upper hand and squashed the rebellion. Stauffenberg and three others were executed by firing squad in Berlin. In the coming weeks, an additional 140 people implicated in the plot were killed and more than 5,000 conspirators and political opponents were rounded-up.
 
“Had Stauffenberg been successful, the final phase of the war would certainly have gone differently. The fact remains that more people died between the July assassination attempt and the end of the war than in the four-and-a-half years prior to that. Few doubt that Hitler’s demise would not have seriously affected the German army’s ability to go on fighting, if not ended hostilities sooner and saved thousands of lives. Yet, Stauffenberg’s place in history as a hero of the German resistance has not been so easily established.
 
“In the initial decade after the end of the war, the German public largely viewed him as a traitor. His wife was denied a pension, and no memorials were erected to mark the bravery of those within Hitler’s own military establishment who risked their lives to set the country on a different course. In the 1960’s, as a younger generation of Germans confronted their parents over their country’s Nazi past, Stauffenberg was not necessarily rehabilitated into an honorable symbol of the German resistance. Some were suspicious of his motives, accusing him of acting more out of self-interest, and less out of benevolent concern for the plight of the Jews and other victims of Nazi war crimes…
 
“But as the 60th anniversary of the assassination attempt approached, a number of new films, documentaries and books enlivened the debate and once again drew attention to Stauffenberg and his band of subversives… According to Johannes Tuchel, Director of the German Resistance Memorial Center in Berlin, most Germans were – implicitly, at least – Hitler supporters… The German Resistance Memorial Center in Berlin features exhibitions on Stauffenberg, as well as others like the ‘White Rose’ student movement which sprung up in Munich. But Tuchel is careful not to exaggerate the size of the resistance, pointing out that Hitler’s opponents – those willing to take action – were always in the minority… ”

The somewhat misunderstood role of Adolf Hitler is explained in our free booklet, “Europe in Prophecy.”

Austria’s Right-Wing Party Intervenes in Libya and Syria

Der Spiegel Online reported on July 15:

“An emissary of the right-wing populist Austrian Freedom Party [FPÖ] is currently in Libya at the invitation of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. The relationship between the party and the dictator has a history… The FPÖ, one of several right-wing populist parties gaining in popularity across Europe, is viewed with distaste by many for its strident opposition to Austria’s Muslim immigrant population. The party is also deeply skeptical of the European Union and efforts to prop up the common currency… But it is also no secret that Strache’s party has long had close ties to the Gadhafi clan…

“In a conversation with SPIEGEL ONLINE, Strache insisted that ‘we are not interested in pushing ourselves into the limelight. We have contacts in this region and we are happy to be of help.’ But with his party neck and neck with Austria’s center-left Social Democrats at the top of opinion polls, evidence of the FPÖ’s ability to play a role on the international stage certainly wouldn’t hurt ahead of 2013 general elections.

“Furthermore, the party has something of a tradition of pushing for a role in mediating international conflicts, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. In 2002, [former FPÖ leader Joerg] Haider made headlines by flying to Iraq for a controversial visit with dictator Saddam Hussein. In the same year, Haider founded the Austrian-Libyan Society… in the hopes that it could contribute to the Middle East peace process. He also pushed his way into negotiations surrounding the 2007 release of five Bulgarian nurses who had been arrested in Libya years earlier…

“The FPÖ’s mediation endeavors this year have not been limited to…Tripoli. With pro-democracy protests in Syria having turned bloody in recent months, Strache and other FPÖ leaders have become active there too. In May, a group of opposition leaders travelled to Vienna at Strache’s invitation.  Efforts at becoming involved in negotiations there are ongoing. ‘We are engaged in intensive discussions to see how we can be of use as mediators in Syria,’ Strache said.”

This is quite a remarkable revelation. A right-wing anti-Muslim Austrian party which was looked upon as destined to die after Joerg Haider’s death seems to exert quite some influence in unstable authoritarian Muslim countries such as Libya and Syria.

“Turkey Can Never Be an Equal Partner in the EU”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 20:

“The ongoing dispute over divided Cyprus may escalate problems between Turkey and the European Union after Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan threatened to freeze EU relations when the Greek Cypriots take on the rotating presidency in 2012. The move only serves to further disqualify Turkey’s plans to join the EU, German conservatives say…

“Turkey’s threats may seem hollow when it comes to the process of joining the EU. Negotiations have been stalled for some time, with no real movement in more than a year. The country formally began talks to join the EU in 2005, but key members have major reservations about accepting the Muslim-majority nation. Germany is among the countries skeptical of Turkey’s EU qualifications, and conservatives in the southern state of Bavaria were quick to accept Turkey’s threat, saying it showed the country was not ready for membership anyway.

“‘Those who refuse to hold talks with a member state are snubbing the entire EU,’ said Stefan Müller, a senior member of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party to Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union. Erdogan has proven that ‘he doesn’t shy away from attempts at blackmail in the interest of political power,’ Müller told the daily Rheinische Post. He said that fact further disqualifies Turkey’s plans to join the bloc. ‘They can never be an equal partner in the EU,’ he said.”

For more information on Turkey’s future, please read our three-part series in our recent Q&As. http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/10394  http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/10415 http://www.eternalgod.org/qa/10437

Britain’s Media Scandal Widens and Widens…

The Washington Post reported on July 18:

“Prime Minister David Cameron on Monday faced a deepening political crisis over his relationships with tainted figures in Rupert Murdoch’s media empire, with the British leader cutting short an official visit to Africa in an attempt to staunch the escalating fallout of the phone hacking scandal at home…

“One day after the head of Scotland Yard resigned, one of his key deputies, the embattled John Yates, followed suit, with calls growing for a broader house cleaning at the 51,000-member police force. Another power player claimed by the scandal [is] Rebekah Brooks, a former top Murdoch executive who was arrested Sunday and released on bail after nine hours of questioning…

“On Monday, Ed Miliband, head of the opposition Labor Party, stopped short of directly calling for the prime minister to resign. But he insisted the questions swirling around Cameron had left him ‘unable to provide the leadership the country needs.’ He again called on Cameron — who was forced to call a special session of Parliament for Wednesday to address the scandal — to more fully explain his decision to fill the job of communication director at No. 10 Downing Street with Andy Coulson, the former editor of Murdoch’s now-shuttered News of the World. Coulson, who resigned in January as the scandal intensified, was arrested last week in connection with illicit news-gathering.

“In another development Monday, the Guardian newspaper reported that Sean Hoare, a former reporter for News Corp. papers who first alleged that Coulson was aware of phone hacking by his staff, had been found dead. Police said the death of the man identified by the paper as Hoare was ‘not thought to be suspicious,’ the Guardian said…”

In the light and context of Britain’s widening scandal, the allegation of the police that the death of the involved reporter is not suspicious, appears to be very suspicious.

On July 20, 2011, Der Spiegel wrote:

“‘The most humble day of my career.’ That was how media mogul Rupert Murdoch described his appearance before the British House of Commons’ media committee on Tuesday… The 80-year-old CEO of News Corp seemed confused and overwhelmed at times during the grueling hearing, which lasted around three hours, but refused to accept any responsibility for wrongdoing…

“The Financial Times Deutschland writes: ‘…the powerful media tycoon, who politicians had sought to woo for years, had to make a humiliating appearance on the politicians’ home turf. It was the politicians who were now dictating the rules to the man who had dictated the rules for decades… It would be wrong to believe that Britain made a big step forward in dealing with the scandal on Tuesday. In that respect, the country is still just at the beginning.’

“The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ‘… The sleaze is so widespread that even high-ranking police officers have had to resign. Even Prime Minister Cameron, who apparently was not always in full possession of his senses when it came to choosing his associates, is facing calls for his resignation’…

“The business daily Handelsblatt writes: ‘… News Corporation is the world’s second largest media group. But Murdoch’s life’s work can only survive if he goes.’”

For more information and an in-depth analysis of the biblical reasons for this mess, please view our latest StandingWatch program, “Britain’s Watergate Scandal…Why?”. Please also note the next article.

“Is Britain More Corrupt Than It Thinks?”

Reuters reported on July 20:

“Britons love to lecture the world about integrity and the rule of law, but the News of the World phone hacking scandal has laid bare a web of collusion between money, power, media and the police. Far from the innocent, upright democracy of its self-image, Britain is showing a seamy side that anti-corruption campaigners say is getting worse and may be politically explosive as society becomes more unequal due to the financial and economic crises… London offers a haven for oligarchs and despots, a place where foreign media magnates have bought access to and influence over the government.

“The scandal engulfing Rupert Murdoch’s media empire has already destroyed a newspaper, cost two top police officers their jobs, seen the arrest of powerful media figures and embarrassed the prime minister and political elite. But it points to a bigger problem in British society — overly cozy relationships among elites that are ethically dangerous, even when they do not involve outright criminality…

“When power elites in the Middle East looked for somewhere to send their money during the ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings this year, wealth managers told Reuters London was the prime beneficiary. Much may have been legitimately earned, some almost certainly not… John Bassett… a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute… says that coming after the financial and economic crises the hacking scandal ‘has revitalized the narrative of a corrupt elite. The long-term result is likely to be a further erosion in the credibility of the British establishment, particularly the media and police, in the eyes of citizens.’”

Famine in Somalia

On July 20, BBC News wrote:

“The United Nations has declared a famine in two areas of southern Somalia as the region suffers the worst drought in more than half a century… It is the first time that the country has seen famine in 19 years… An estimated 10 million people have been affected in East Africa by the worst drought in more than half a century. More than 166,000 desperate Somalis are estimated to have fled their country to neighbouring Kenya or Ethiopia… Drought, conflict and poverty have now combined to produce the necessary conditions for famine. Those conditions include more than 30% of children being acutely malnourished, and four children out of every 10,000 dying daily.

“‘Across the country nearly half of the Somali population – 3.7 million people – are now in crisis, of whom an estimated 2.8 million people are in the south,’ said a statement by the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Somalia…

“In a separate development, Amnesty International says children in Somalia are being systematically recruited as child soldiers by militant groups such as al-Shabab.”

In an accompanying article, BBC News wrote on July 20:

“Most major aid agencies… only describe a crisis as a famine when the situation on the ground reaches level five on the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system. This means: at least 20% of the population has access to fewer than 2,100 kilocalories of food a day; acute malnutrition in more than 30% of children; two deaths per 10,000 people, or four child deaths per 10,000 children every day.

“It is usually up to governments to declare a famine. But in the case of Somalia, the UN stepped in because of the lack of central government… The word famine is politically contentious, and governments also shy away from using it. Ireland, Russia and Ethiopia have at various times struggled to move away from their image as famine-ravaged countries…”

Earthquakes Make Rivers and Lakes Disappear or “Create” New Ones

Yahoo News reported on July 14:

“Following a series of moderate earthquakes that struck the country Tuesday, residents around the Guacalito River in Costa Rica discovered that the river had disappeared. Earthquake-report.com reported that sometime after the earthquakes, villagers living near the river, which is located near Armenia de Upala, discovered that the river was dry… An entire body of water disappears? Strange but true, and this isn’t the first time this odd event has happened…

“Most recently… an entire reservoir in Huntsbury, New Zealand, that was filled with 36 million liters of water disappeared following a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. The reservoir water disappeared after the earthquake struck Christchurch Feb. 22. A body of water disappearing is not unusual, nor is it unheard of for an earthquake to change the shape and form of bodies of water. There have also been numerous examples of seismic activity creating new bodies of water.

“In 1959, the largest earthquake to strike Montana — a 7.3 magnitude temblor — caused a landslide to dam the Madison River just below Hebgen Dam, thus creating a new body of water that became Hebgen Dam, or ‘Quake Lake.’ The historic New Madrid earthquakes in the central United States created a lake in northwestern Tennessee in 1812. Reelfoot Lake was formed during the Feb. 7, 1812, earthquake that was one of several to strike the region during the winter of 1811 and 1812. That earthquake, which is estimated to have been at least 7.0 in magnitude or higher, caused subsidence along the Reelfoot River, dropping a 13,000 acre area of land between 4 and 19 feet. This area filled with water to become Reelfoot Lake.”

The Bible prophesies that mighty earthquakes will have tremendous effects on the topography of our earth; compare, for just one of many examples, Revelation 16:18-21.

Britain’s Blagging and Bribery Scandal

Deutsche Welle reported on July 8:

“The former editor of the News of the World, and former aide to Prime Minister David Cameron, has been arrested in London over phone hacking allegations… Coulson has close links to Prime Minister David Cameron and was a key figure in last year’s Conservative election campaign. Coulson was forced to quit as Cameron’s communications chief in January after the phone hacking allegations resurfaced. Cameron has come under fire for hiring Coulson shortly after he resigned as News of the World editor in 2007… In a further twist, British police on Friday re-arrested the paper’s former royal editor Clive Goodman over allegations of corruption. Goodman was jailed for four months in 2007 for hacking into phone messages from the royal household…

“Cameron on Friday called for a new system of press regulation in the wake of the closure of the News of the World newspaper. He also promised a full inquiry into the phone-hacking scandal gripping the British media… Cameron is also friends with Rebekah Brooks, Coulson’s predecessor as editor of the popular Sunday paper. She is now chief executive of News International and a close confidante of Rupert Murdoch, the Australian-born media tycoon. Cameron said Friday that he would have accepted her resignation, had it been offered to him. Murdoch’s media empire spans the globe, and includes Fox Television and the Wall Street Journal in the United States, along with major broadcasting operations in Australia and Asia… [According to Deutsche Welle, Murdoch also owns News International which operates The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times.]

“On Thursday, News Corp announced that Sunday’s edition of the News of the World would be the last. It is the bestselling Sunday newspaper in the country, selling some 2.7 million copies a week, and has been published for 168 years… The News of the World has been at the center of phone-hacking claims for several years. The targets included the royal family, celebrities and politicians. But it was the allegations that journalists hacked into the cell phones of victims of crime, terror attacks and the relatives of British soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan that sparked a public outcry, alienating readers and advertisers.”

BBC wrote on July 11:

“The Sunday Times is alleged to have targeted the personal information of the former Prime Minister Gordon Brown at the time he was chancellor, a BBC investigation has found… The Browns also fear medical records relating to their son Fraser, whom the Sun revealed in 2006 had cystic fibrosis, may have been obtained…
 
“Blagging, or ‘knowingly or recklessly obtaining or disclosing personal data or information without the consent of the data controller’ has been illegal since 1998. A blagger alleged to be acting for the Sunday Times posed as Brown and obtained details of his Abbey National account in January 2000… The Abbey National said to Mr Brown’s lawyer it was a ‘well-orchestrated scheme of deception.’”

The London Evening Standard wrote on July 11:

“Personal details about the Queen and her closest aides were sold to the News of the World by corrupt royal protection officers…The information included phone numbers and tips about the movements and activities of the Queen, Prince Philip and staff in a serious breach of national security…

“Around half a dozen emails indicating payments totalling more than £100,000 by News of the World journalists to corrupt Met officers were found… Several police officers and a number of other current or former News of the World staff are expected to be arrested over the coming weeks over the bribery scandal.”

The UK press is filled with reports on the British scandal—which some have already described as the “British Watergate.” The German paper, Die Welt, wrote on July 11 that Britain’s Premier David Cameron is affected by the scandal and is quick to distance himself from it—while fighting for his political survival.

UK Government vs. Murdoch

The Associated Press reported on July 12:

“The cozy relationship that Rupert Murdoch long enjoyed with the British power structure came to an abrupt end Tuesday, just as he needed it to complete one of his biggest media buys ever. The billionaire… suddenly faces stiff government opposition to his bid for total control of a much more lucrative property: the satellite British Sky Broadcasting company. The news came in a stunning announcement from Prime Minister David Cameron’s office that the government will support a motion calling on Murdoch and his News Corp. to withdraw the $12 billion bid for BSkyB.

“Cameron’s turnabout means the Australian-born Murdoch, who held great influence in British politics no matter who ran the government, suddenly finds all three major political parties lined up against him. He’s even been asked to appear before lawmakers next week to answer questions about the conduct of News International, Murdoch’s UK company…”

Murdoch Withdraws Bid for BSkyB

The New York Times wrote on July 13:

“In a stunning reversal after days of building scandal surrounding its British newspaper operations, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation announced on Wednesday that it was withdrawing a $12 billion bid to take over the shares it does not already own in Britain’s main satellite television broadcaster. The withdrawal from the bid for complete control of British Sky Broadcasting, also known as BSkyB, represented the most severe damage inflicted so far on Mr. Murdoch’s corporate ambitions by a crisis which erupted only 10 days ago with reports that The News of the World tabloid ordered the hacking of the voice mail of Milly Dowler, a 13-year-old girl abducted and murdered in 2002. Since then, virtually every day has brought dizzying new disclosure and developments, culminating in News Corporation’s announcement on Wednesday…

“Only hours before the announcement, Prime Minister David Cameron had sought to distance himself from Mr. Murdoch and had urged him to drop the bid for BSkyB, reversing his previous support… The scandal has also convulsed the British politicians, press and police…[G]iven Mr. [Murdoch’s] erstwhile towering influence in British public life, the scandal has also cast unusually sharp light into a world of cozy relationships between political and corporate leaders and senior police officers.

“On Wednesday, Mr. Cameron offered details for the first time of a broad inquiry into those relationships to be led by a senior judge, Lord Justice Brian Leveson. Mr. Cameron told Parliament that it would have the power to summon witnesses to testify under oath. The announcement came as Mr. Cameron fought to recover the initiative in a scandal that has turned into potentially the most damaging crisis of his time in office, partly because of his own close relationship with senior figures in Mr. Murdoch’s British subsidiary…”

German Press Attacks British Democracy—“It’s a Farce”

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 14:

“As the News of the World phone hacking scandal continues to unfold, there are indications that it extends beyond the press to the police and even the government. German papers on Thursday write that the situation reveals grave problems within Britain’s democratic system…

“Conservative daily Die Welt writes:

“‘There is more rotten in the state of Great Britain than is dreamt of in our philosophy. And more than just in the media, whose reputation has sunk to an all-time low through the revelations about the Sunday scandal paper News of the World. But this is about more than that. The complicity of some Scotland Yard officials with the surveillance methods of the Murdoch empire are also damaging trust in the country’s law enforcement… It’s a nation under shock. Too much institutional erosion was simply ignored…’

“Left-leaning daily Die Tageszeitung writes:

“‘The News of the World case has shown the British public that their democracy is a farce, with power-hungry politicians who bow to the most loathsome tabloids and money-grubbing police who hide the crimes of these papers. The investigations that Prime Minister Cameron has called for make sense only when they include all sides and lead to consequences. Most of the investigations to date … give no cause for optimism.’”

America’s Debt Ceiling Crisis

The Associated Press reported on July 11:

“Call it eliminating an unfair break, or removing an unjust loophole, or even ‘taking a balanced approach.’ Just don’t call it raising taxes. As they work toward a must-do deal with Republicans on paring trillions from the deficit in order to raise the nation’s debt limit, President Barack Obama and Democrats are saying almost anything to avoid the politically toxic pronouncement that they want to increase taxes. Republicans, for their part, are just as quick to declare elimination of the most rarefied corporate benefit a job-killing tax hike on the American people. It’s all about winning the public relations debate over the debt limit, and in turn, perhaps, gaining a more politically advantageous outcome in the resulting deal itself…

“Taxes are hardly the only issue going through the partisan spin cycle — and emerging virtually unrecognizable — as the days tick down to an Aug. 2 deadline to raise the federal government’s borrowing limit or face unprecedented default. Take Social Security. Obama is insisting he won’t agree to ‘slash’ benefits — a vague word the White House refuses to define, thus leaving room for benefits to be cut without ever saying it…”

What an interesting testimony on the duplicity of politics.

More Taxes?

The Wall Street Journal added on July 11:

“So the fondest Washington hopes for a grand debt-limit deal have broken down over taxes. House Speaker John Boehner said late Saturday that he couldn’t move ahead with a $4 trillion deal because President Obama was insisting on a $1 trillion tax increase, and the White House quickly denounced House Republicans…

“How dare Republicans not agree to break their campaign promises and raise taxes when the jobless rate is 9.2% and President Obama’s economic recovery is in jeopardy? We think Mr. Boehner is making the sensible choice. No one wants to reform the tax code more than we do, but passing a $1 trillion tax increase first on the promise of tax reform later is a political trap…

“Keep in mind that Mr. Obama has already signed the largest tax increase since 1993… Starting in 2013, the bill adds an additional 0.9% to the 2.9% Medicare tax for singles who earn more than $200,000 and couples making more than $250,000. For [the] first time, the bill also applies Medicare’s 2.9% payroll tax rate to investment income, including dividends, interest income and capital gains…  And don’t forget a new annual fee on health insurance providers starting in 2014 and estimated to raise $60 billion. This tax, like many others on this list, will be passed along to consumers in higher health-care costs…

“Mr. Obama is now pushing to reduce the payroll tax by two-percentage points for another year to boost the economy, but he’s already built in a big increase in that same payroll tax for 2013. So if a payroll tax cut creates jobs this year, why doesn’t a payroll tax increase destroy jobs after 2013?…

“Last November Republicans won the House and landslide gains in many states in large part because of the deep unpopularity of the stimulus and ObamaCare. Mr. Boehner has a mandate for spending cuts and repealing the Affordable Care Act. If Republicans instead agree to raise taxes in return for future spending cuts that may or may not happen, they will simply be the tax collectors for Mr. Obama’s much expanded entitlement society.”

It is curious that the Weekly Standard reminded its readership on July 11 that President Obama had said in August of 2009 that “raising taxes in a recession is a bad idea.” How many times have politicians promised us that there would be no new taxes, only to subsequently break those promises? Just think of President Bush Sr.’s famous claim, when running for office, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” which he subsequently violated, when he was in office. How can anyone have any trust and confidence in any one of our present or future political leaders? The answer is, we cannot, and we should not even try to do so. This is not God’s world, but it is ruled by Satan the devil, the god of this world and the prince of the power of the earth–the liar from the beginning, who has deceived the whole world. This includes every country. But God has given us a promise that we CAN rely on. He will soon send His Son Jesus Christ back to this earth, to replace all corrupt human leadership. He will restore the Kingdom of God on this earth and rule this world with fairness, equity and righteousness. Self-seeking incompetent politicians will finally become a fading memory of the distant past.

IMF Pressures USA

The Associated Press reported on July 10:

“The International Monetary Fund’s new chief foresees ‘real nasty consequences’ for the U.S. and global economies if the U.S. fails to raise its borrowing limit. Christine Lagarde, the first woman to head the global lending institution, said in an interview broadcast Sunday that it would cause interest rates to rise and stock markets to fall. That would threaten an important IMF goal, which is preserving stability in the world economy, she said. The U.S. borrowing limit is $14.3 trillion. Obama administration officials say the U.S. would begin to default without an agreement by Aug. 2…

“Republicans are insisting on deep spending cuts as a condition of voting in favor of raising the debt ceiling. Obama and congressional Democrats are insisting that more tax revenue should be part of the mix… The IMF has 187 member nations and lends money to countries with troubled finances.”

The IMF’s goal is to dominate the economic world. In the future, we will see more and more pressure exerted by the IMF on countries like the USA or Great Britain.

Cut Off Social Security Checks First?

The Associated Press reported on July 11:

“A government report Friday saying the economy created far fewer jobs than expected in June compounded fears that the U.S. economy was in even worse shape than previously thought. The unemployment rate rose to 9.2%. Weekend budget talks between Republicans and Democrats stalled, raising the possibility that the U.S. might reach its debt limit before a deal to raise that ceiling and make spending cuts is in place. That could mean the government might miss a debt payment for the first time in history, although it’s more likely other payments, like social security or military pay, would be skipped first.”

Reuters reported on July 12:

“President Barack Obama raised the stakes in the third straight day of budget talks Tuesday by warning that senior citizens and veterans may suffer first if the debt ceiling is not raised by Aug. 2… Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said a ‘real solution’ to the U.S. debt problem was unlikely while Obama was in office… Obama said in an interview with U.S. television network CBS that checks to recipients of the Social Security retirement program may not go out in early August if he and congressional leaders do not agree on a debt deal… Failure to seal a deal by Aug. 2 could… put the United States at risk of another recession…

“Obama’s warning that senior citizens… could suffer first if a deal is not reached could give lawmakers a nudge ahead of 2012 elections. Seniors punished Democrats last year for including Medicare cuts in their healthcare package and then turned on Republicans in a special New York election this year over a Republican plan to overhaul the healthcare program for the elderly. It also evoked memories of the debt limit crisis of 1996 when Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin warned he would not be able to send out Social Security pension checks the next month if the ceiling were not raised. The Republican-controlled House immediately voted to allow the government to issue more debt to make those Social Security payments.”

While Europe and the USA battle with their economies, Europe will recover and/or stay strong, while the USA will not. It would be a crying shame if, in light of all the wasteful spending of the US government, they would indeed begin cutting social security payments. For our international readers, Social Security benefits are not akin to discretionary Welfare, but they have been earned by Americans during their working life, and should be considered vested and irrevocable.

The question we need to ask is simply this: Whose fault is it that that the prospect of insolvency looms for the USA? Certainly not the fault of the senior citizens, but mainly of the former and current US governments which have overextended themselves by wasting borrowed money for at least unnecessary and at worst ungodly projects. And raising the debt ceiling and allowing for even more borrowing will only make matters worse.

Companies Flee California

CNN Money wrote on July 12:

“Buffeted by high taxes, strict regulations and uncertain state budgets, a growing number of California companies are seeking friendlier business environments outside of the Golden State. And governors around the country, smelling blood in the water, have stepped up their courtship of California companies… Companies are ‘disinvesting’ in California at a rate five times greater than just two years ago… This includes leaving altogether, establishing divisions elsewhere or opting not to set up shop in California…

“The state has been ranked by Chief Executive magazine as the worst place to do business for seven years. ‘California, once a business friendly state, continues to conduct a war on its own economy,’ the magazine wrote… The most popular places to go? Texas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Utah, Virginia and North Carolina… All rank in the Top 13 places to do business, according to Chief Executive.”

Having created the mess in the first place, it is high time for California’s government to wake up. So far, this has not happened—but perhaps with the handwriting on the wall, someone will have enough sense to DO something about it.

Italy Next?

The Local wrote on July 11:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel called Monday on the parliament in Rome to approve government spending cuts so as to end speculation Italy could become the next casualty of the eurozone debt crisis… ‘I have full confidence that the Italian government will pass exactly such a budget. I spoke yesterday (Sunday) by phone with Italian Prime Minister (Silvio Berlusconi) about precisely this topic… The euro itself is stable, but in some countries there is a debt problem,’ Merkel said.

“Berlusconi’s government has earmarked about €40 billion ($56.5 billion) in savings over the next four years to stabilise the country’s public finances… Rome has already pushed through spending cuts of €25 billion for 2011-12 and the latest package should reduce the budget deficit to just 0.2 percent of output by 2014 from 4.6 percent last year…

“Speculation has risen in recent days that Italy, which has the eurozone’s third-biggest economy, could follow Greece, Ireland and Portugal in needing outside help. Italy’s accumulated public debt is equal to about 120 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), one of the highest rates in the world. Borrowing costs on Italian debt reached record levels on Monday.”

Whatever the immediate outcome may be, it is very clear from the Bible that Italy will not forsake the euro, but rather, that it will be among the prophesied ten core nations or groups of nations leading Europe. In all likelihood, we can say the same about Spain (see one of our subsequent articles).

Italy in Turmoil—End of the Road for Berlusconi?

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12:

“Italy is used to crises — the government is rudderless, the economy is stagnant and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is mired in scandals. Now the country may become embroiled in the euro crisis, and its fate lies in the hands of its finance minister. Berlusconi, for his part, faces the ruins of his political career… After a black Friday and a black Monday the nation initially seemed to be facing a black Tuesday…

“This turmoil coincided with the auction on Tuesday of almost €7 billion worth of 12-month bills. If the sale had failed, or if it had even been undersubscribed, the markets may have panicked. But the whole issue found buyers, albeit at significantly higher interest rates. The gross yield on the bills rose to 3.67 percent from 2.15 percent at the previous auction in June. The Milan bourse breathed a sigh of relief and was in positive territory for several hours — but it is likely to remain a rollercoaster in the coming weeks…

“Economists interviewed on television on Tuesday kept on repeating the mantra that ‘Italy isn’t Greece or Portugal,’ and ‘Italy’s economic fundamentals aren’t that bad.’ And it’s true: no real estate bubble has collapsed in the country, banks aren’t battling enormous sums of toxic investments and new state debt is well below that of France, for example. Italy’s unemployment rate is at 9 percent, miles away from Spain’s 20 percent. The country — the third-largest economy in the EU — has a solid industry structure, mainly thanks to tens of thousands of small and mid-size businesses, which still earn billions each year through exports.

“On Tuesday, though, the country’s politicians managed to send a signal of determination — led by the opposition… All three opposition parties in parliament pledged not to stand in the way of the passage of a package of austerity measures within the next week. They won’t vote in favor, but they vowed not to slow down the bill with a slew of amendment requests. Furthermore, even the final passage of a budget this Sunday is now seen as a possibility.

“It is partly for this reason that the situation on the Milan stock exchange relaxed on Tuesday. Furthermore, the risk premium on Italian bonds dropped again and is now back to just three percentage points higher than the German benchmark. But the opposition also made it clear that they see this as Berlusconi’s last battle. Massimo D’Alema, head of the leftist Democratic Party, said that once the austerity package is passed, Berlusconi should ‘go immediately’ and make room for a new government aimed at improving the country’s financial health.

“And Berlusconi himself? Little had been heard from him for the last four days — until Tuesday afternoon. His coalition, he said, is ‘unified and determined.’ He said he welcomed the conciliatory gestures from the opposition — and said nothing at all about a possible resignation. But in the end, his future lies more in the hands of the financial markets than it does with the Italian parliament. Any additional signs of investor distrust could signal the end of the road for Berlusconi.”

Deutsche Welle added on July 12:

“… the Italian markets launched a surprising rally after nose-diving in early trading to end up almost breaking even. The Italian recovery surprised many, considering that the European Union finance ministers’ summit in Brussels was primarily focusing on the possibility of Italy becoming the latest eurozone country to need some form of financial assistance…

“At their summit in Brussels on Monday, Eurozone finance ministers had already indicated a willingness to expand the size and scope of the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), as well as proposing complimentary measures like lowering interest rates or extending the maturity on loans for particularly hard-hit countries like Greece… Over the past fourteen months, the eurozone and sometimes other EU partners – with the help of the International Monetary Fund – have been forced to offer emergency loans packages to Greece, Ireland and Portugal…

“The EFSF currently has a theoretical lending capacity of 440 billion euros, and despite the pledge to bolster this, politicians have not offered any concrete increased figures. ‘If we stand together, no country will be at risk. We will do everything possible so that there is neither a risk of contagion nor a default by a member state of the eurozone,’ Luxembourg’s Finance Minister Luc Frieden said in Brussels. ‘It will be difficult to convince the markets, but we all agree that everything has to be done to ensure the stability of the eurozone.’”

Europe Demands Urgent Clampdown on Rating Agencies

Deutsche Welle reported on July 12:

“As EU finance ministers met in Brussels, concern was spreading that Italy could soon become the latest casualty of the debt crisis. Italian and other European stocks suffered heavy losses, especially in the banking sector, reflecting worries that Italy’s financial stability is at risk… Borrowing rates for Italy and Spain rose to the highest levels since the eurozone was created, and in the case of Spain, to the highest level since 1997. The euro fell sharply against the US dollar as investors lost faith in the single currency.

“But politicians were quick to quell rumors that Italy could become the latest country to seek an EU bailout. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble offered reassurance that the debt crisis had not spread further. ‘It is true that Italy has to take difficult budget decisions, but the Italian finance minister has made very convincing proposals and I’m sure they will make the right decisions,’ he said. ‘Italy is on the right track.’

“Schäuble was among several top European politicians to suggest that rating agencies such as Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s and Fitch were partly responsible for fueling uncertainty over Italy’s financial status. He said that verification was needed ‘to check if there is abusive behavior’ by the agencies. ‘We need to examine the possibilities of smashing the rating agency oligopoly,’ Schäuble said. 

“In response, EU officials in Brussels called for an urgent clampdown on rating agencies, suggesting a ban on ratings for countries covered by international rescue packages such as Greece.” 

Europe’s road towards more and more autocratic and dictatorial measures should be carefully observed.

Europe Must Finally Lead

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 13:

“The euro crisis appears to have entered a turbulent new phase, as the European Union hesitates on approving a second bailout for Greece and the risk of contagion seems ever larger. Italy has slid into speculators’ crosshairs this week amid fears that its debt mountain, equivalent to 120 percent of its gross domestic product, has grown too big to handle. Observers say the country — the third-largest economy in the euro zone — is too big to be bailed out. On top of that, the rating agency Moody’s has now downgraded Ireland’s debt to junk status, following its downgrade of Portugal last week.

“It seems that the time has come for decisive action on the part of Europe’s leaders. But precisely that is missing… The markets are reacting nervously to the uncertainty. The euro fell to its lowest level against the dollar in four months, and Italian stocks have taken a beating. The country’s main share index fell by as much as 4 percent on Tuesday before recovering… German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble… insisted that the EU was on the correct path to stemming the debt crisis…

“The conservative Die Welt writes:

“‘The fact that important European leaders have still not realized the full extent of the problem is having a catastrophic effect. Chancellor Angela Merkel, for example, temporarily neglected the euro crisis for weeks and focused on the so-called energy revolution, which could easily have waited another month or two. And now, when things are heating up because Italy is under pressure, Merkel has gone to Africa. As an economic powerhouse, Germany profits from the euro zone more than any other country. But Merkel is visiting Kenya, Angola and Nigeria rather than taking the lead in Europe and saving our domestic market. One can only hope that the powerful turbulence on the capital markets has woken up the chancellor and her colleagues. It will take more to get this crisis under control than a decision by euro-zone finance ministers to approve the new euro rescue package. … Instead of disappearing for their summer vacation, Europe’s leaders must now sit down and negotiate — and not only next weekend, but until they have found a convincing result and have regained their ability to take action.’”

When even a conservative and CDU-friendly paper such as Die Welt attacks Chancellor Angela Merkel for lacking in decisive leadership, we know that she is in deep political trouble.

Egypt’s Increasing Frustration

Reuters wrote on July 10:

“Anger has been rising against what many Egyptians see as the reluctance of the military council to deliver on the demands of protesters who ousted Hosni Mubarak in February… A speech by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf on Saturday that promised action but was thin on detail only stoked frustrations… Analysts said the army-appointed government needed to act quickly if it wanted to avoid a further escalation, even if some of the aspirations for change were unreasonably high.

“Some chanted for Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi to go. Tantawi, who now leads the military council in charge of Egypt, was Mubarak’s defense minister for two decades. The army has pledged to hand power to civilians soon and has scheduled parliamentary elections for September.

“The prime minister has come in for increasingly tough criticism. His appointment in March was initially welcomed as the former minister had joined protesters in Tahrir even when Mubarak was still in office. Now, activists say he has failed to act firmly as a mediator between protesters and the army.”

As we feared from the outset, Egypt is far off from becoming a democracy.

Dictatorial Iran

Newsmax reported on July 7:

“A U.S. State Department official expressed outrage and pressed Iran to reverse a court decision that gives an Iranian pastor an outrageous, and suicidal, choice: Reject his Christian faith, or die. The 32-year-old pastor, Yosef Nadarkhani, was arrested in October 2009 for apostasy because he objected to the teaching of Islam to Christian children at Iranian schools. He was sentenced to death by hanging late last year, a verdict that he appealed to Iran’s Supreme Court… Now, it appears that the Gilan court will ‘question the defendant again in order to determine whether he believes in Islam or not. If he is a Muslim, Yosef Nadarkhani must be released. If it is determined that he is a Christian, he may repent from his faith. Otherwise, if he insists on his beliefs, the death penalty must be carried out,’ CNSNews [states]…

“And the advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide said, that, despite reports that the death sentence had been reversed, ‘in reality the Supreme Court appears to have added a precondition requiring him to renounce his faith, or face execution’…  Nadarkhani… was born to Muslim parents and Islamic law dictates that a child of Muslim parents is considered to be a Muslim. Although apostasy is not an offense in the Iranian penal code, CNSNews reports that Iran’s constitution includes a clause demanding that, if a basis for a judicial ruling does not exist in the law, judges must turn to ‘reliable Islamic sources or a valid fatwa.’”

Fundamentalist Muslims all over the world demand the right to practice their religion, while they are persecuting those of other convictions, especially those who believe in the one and only true God—God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

USA vs. Syria

The New York Times wrote on July 12:

“The Obama administration, after weeks of urging Syria to carry out democratic reforms and end a brutal crackdown, has now turned decisively against President Bashar al-Assad, saying that he has lost legitimacy and that it has no interest in Mr. Assad keeping his grip on power. President Obama… stopped short of demanding that Mr. Assad step down. But administration officials said the president may take that step in coming days, as he did with Libya’s leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, much earlier in that country’s popular uprising.

“Mr. Obama’s comments, and even stronger ones by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday, showed that the administration has now concluded that Mr. Assad is no more willing or capable than Colonel Qaddafi of opening a dialogue with protesters or overseeing a political transformation. The turning point in the administration’s public posture came after angry crowds attacked and vandalized the United States Embassy in Damascus, and the residence of Ambassador Robert Ford, after his visit to Hama, the hub of the current protests and site of a bloody crackdown by Mr. Assad’s father in 1982.

“But administration officials said the shift has been weeks in the making, as Mr. Assad’s government has continued to harass and jail demonstrators, quash peaceful protests, and clamp down attempts to organize a political opposition. The crackdown has also begun to threaten regional stability with thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing across the northern border into Turkey…

“Administration officials said they had no choice in Libya: Colonel Qaddafi is notoriously unpredictable, and had threatened to send his troops house-to-house in Benghazi, killing his opponents. In Syria’s case, there is no military remedy. NATO nations have no interest in acting in Syria, and there is no chance of a United Nations Security Council resolution equivalent to the one that NATO is enforcing in Libya. Russia has made clear it would reject any resolution condemning Mr. Assad…

“Still, until recently some American officials argued they were better off with Mr. Assad in power than with a power vacuum that could threaten the stability of Lebanon and security of Israel, and might be filled by Iran…”

Arab World Disappointed in Obama’s USA

The National Journal wrote on July 14:

“When President Bush left office, 9 percent of Egyptians had a favorable attitude towards the United States. After Barack Obama was elected, that number jumped to 30 percent. But today, only 5 percent of Egyptians surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of the United States and its president. Similar figures in Morocco, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates illustrate that the initial optimism in the region has been eclipsed by a widespread sense of disappointment.”

Germany’s Weapon Industry

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12, 2011:

“Germany is in third place among the world’s biggest weapons suppliers, behind only the big guns of Russia and the United States and in front of France and Great Britain. Its arms are coveted around the world… The United States military is generally only allowed to order armaments from domestic suppliers. But even it makes an exception when it comes to Germany: For their tanks, they order the smooth-bore guns made by Rheinmetall because they are more precise than those developed in the US.

“The international arms industry doesn’t face crises; crises are its business. In 2010, global arms expenditures rose to $1.63 trillion (€1.14 trillion). This represents a growth of 56 percent over the last decade… Indeed, almost one-tenth of all the money generated by global weapons exports ends up in the pockets of the German defense industry.

“But what is it about the German arms industry that has made it so successful?… Like most other German arms companies, Rheinmetall has adapted its business to fit changing times. A decade ago, the companies primarily supplied Germany’s military, the Bundeswehr. But these days, roughly 70 percent of their products are sold to foreign clients.

“German arms companies enjoy a reputation for delivering high-tech weapons of the highest quality. For example, the ThyssenKrupp submarines outfitted with fuel cells are considered the best in the world because they are practically undetectable… The companies are also profiting from how military conflicts have changed… These days, fighting is conducted in many places at the same time and often by small units. This type of fighting calls for high-tech solutions, including drones, satellites, radars and electronic gadgetry. Much of this is based on technology in fields where Germany’s companies are among the world’s leaders…

“Since 2000, Saudi Arabia has numbered among Germany’s top 20 clients for… missile parts, machine guns, munitions and artillery shells… When the UN Security Council voted on whether to establish a no-fly zone in Libya, Germany abstained. The stated reason for the abstention was the desire to not have German soldiers participate in the war. Despite this desire, however, Germany is still playing a role in the fighting, with ‘Made in Germany’ written on many of the weapons used — by both sides… NATO troops also rely on German technology in the form of the ‘Eurofighters’… the fact that three parties involved in the fighting are all using weapons made in Germany shows the fundamental problem of these kinds of arms export policies…”

Sadly, Germany’s good qualities of organization, production of high-quality items and its highly sophisticated technology, are so often misused in this evil world for ungodly and deplorable purposes. This can also be seen in a subsequent article on German laws regarding the Holocaust, showing Germany’s misguided zeal.

More German Weapons Deals—With Angola

Deutsche Welle reported on July 14:

“German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Wednesday that Germany was prepared to sell six to eight patrol boats to Angola as part of an international cooperation deal… In return, the chancellor suggested that the patrol boats could protect Angola’s borders, the security of which is essential for regional stability… But Merkel’s offer of military equipment was met with widespread condemnation in Berlin…

“In the past, Angola has courted both China and western nations as they competed for contracts and access to the country’s oil resource. According to the Angolan investment agency, trade between Germany and Angola currently stands at around 400 million euros ($566 million). As the first German leader to visit Angola, however, Merkel was keen to boost economic ties further.”

German Court Upholds Holocaust Denial Verdict Against UK Bishop

The Local wrote on July 11:

“A German appeals court on Monday upheld renegade British bishop Richard Williamson’s conviction for Holocaust denial, but reduced the fine ordered by a lower court to €6,500 ($9,262). Williamson, 71, who was not in court, had appealed his conviction by a court in Regensburg, southern Germany, for denying key facts about the Holocaust in an interview he gave to Swedish television in Regensburg in 2008…

“Lawyers for London-based Williamson did not deny the statements made by the bishop, a member of the breakaway ultra-conservative Catholic fraternity the Saint Pius X Society, but stressed that in Sweden such opinions could be freely voiced. In Germany it is an offence to deny that the Nazis murdered six million Jews during World War II. Williamson told Swedish television that ‘200,000 to 300,000 Jews perished in Nazi concentration camps’ and disputed the existence of the gas chambers. In April 2010, Williamson, who now lives in London, was fined €10,000 by the lower court, reduced from an earlier fine of €12,000 he had refused to pay, for inciting racial hatred.”

The controversial German law of penalizing those who execute their right to free speech and falsely deny aspects of the Holocaust is bound to backfire one of these days.

Denmark on Collision Course with Germany and Europe

Der Spiegel Online wrote on July 12:

“…the right-wing populist Danish party’s beliefs are currently damaging the country’s relationship with the European Union– and neighboring Germany in particular. The anti-immigration party managed to get the reintroduction of border controls passed by demanding the new policy in exchange for its support for the government’s 2020 budget reform plan. Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen’s center-right government, which does not have the majority, would likely collapse without DF’s support.

“But many politicians within the EU argue that the new customs checkpoints, erected last week along the country’s borders with Germany and Sweden, are a violation of the Schengen Agreement, which established border-free travel in Europe in 1985.

“… [DF] party criticism of Berlin and Brussels has taken on an unusually aggressive tone. ‘All of the ideological guns are pointed at us,’ [party co-founder and leader Pia] Kjaersgaard cursed last week. ‘Germany is playing the role of bad cop — it has mustered all the ministers and ambassadors it can find in the attack on Denmark’… Her parliamentary group colleague and pastor Jesper Langballe agreed. Germany is a ‘neurotic nation’ and is constantly pursued by the shadows of its past, he said last week. In a ‘desperate attempt to repress the Nazi era,’ Berlin is using the European Union as a ‘supranational monster’ attempting to ‘play fireman against the flames of nationalism,’ he added.”

It is only a matter of time, it seems, when Denmark will leave—or is asked to leave—the EU.

“Farewell to Europe’s Last Emperor”

Zenit wrote on July 11:

“Benedict XVI sent his condolences to the family of Otto von Habsburg, the last crown prince of Austria, Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia… Also known as Archduke Otto of Austria, Otto was the eldest son of Blessed Charles I of Austria, the last emperor of Austria-Hungary…

“Benedict XVI stated in his message, sent Sunday to Karl von Habsburg, that Otto had ‘been a witness to the changing face of Europe. Trusting in God and aware of a significant heritage,’ the Pope added, Otto had ‘been a committed European tirelessly working for freedom, for the unity of peoples and for a just order in this continent. With deepest sympathy have I learned about the passing of your father, His Royal Highness Archduke Otto of Austria,’ the Pontiff wrote…

“The funeral for Archduke Otto of Austria is scheduled for July 16 in Vienna, Austria. The Pope named Cardinal Christoph Schönborn as [the] delegate to the funeral. … Otto’s father, Charles I, died in 1922, leaving his eldest son as pretender to the imperial throne. In 2004, Pope John Paul II beatified his father…

“During World War II, Otto was a fearless critic of the Nazi party in Germany. Upon annexing Austria, Adolf Hitler had not only ordered the death of Otto von Habsburg, but also revoked his citizenship, as well as the citizenship of the imperial royal family. Otto, who was left stateless, spent the better part of World War II in the United States, and he wouldn’t regain his citizenship until 1965. In the 1960s, [he renounced] his claim to the Austrian throne… Otto was an organizer of the Pan-European Picnic at the Hungary-Austria border on Aug. 19, 1989, which allowed some 700 East Germans to escape to the West, and is considered a turning point in the collapse of the Iron Curtain that divided Europe. Otto’s wife, Regina, died last year. He is survived by a brother, Felix, seven children, 22 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.”

Bild On Line reported on July 11:

“Today, Munich said farewell to Otto von Habsburg (98)—son of the last emperor of Austria and king of Hungary. ‘Thank you for what you did for your family, for this country, for Europe and also for the church,’ said Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich… the Cardinal honored [von Habsburg] as a great European and a convicted Christian… The memorial service was attended by Habsburg’s seven children [as well as representatives of the German parliament]. The congregation sang [Franz Josef] Haydn’s Kaiserlied.”

The website, allmusic.com, published the following comments regarding the “Kaiserlied,” which, by the way, is being sung today in many U.S,. churches under the title, “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” with the English words written by John Newton:

“…when the French Revolution effectively destroyed the Bourbon dynasty by beheading its king and queen, [it] created the first modern nation. And it wasn’t long before a national anthem followed: The bloodthirsty ‘La Marseilles’ became the marching song for the Grande armee as it conquered continental Europe. Seeing the effect ‘La Marseilles’ had on the population in general and the army in particular, the British responded with their ‘God Save the King,’ a drinking song pressed into service for the patriotic cause.

“Austria was luckier in its choice of [a] national anthem. In early 1797, Franz Joseph, Count Saurau, commissioned Franz Josef Haydn, considered the greatest living Austrian composer, to write a hymn for the birthday of the Austrian Emperor Franz II. Based on a Croatian folk tune ‘Zalostna Zarucnice’ (The Sad Bride), Haydn quickly wrote the tune to the words ‘Gott Erhalte Franz den Kaiser’ (‘God Save Franz the Emperor’) and the piece proved an immediate and lasting success. The tune is instantly memorable with deeply moving harmonies and a simple and effective rhythm. Soon, the Kaiserlied appeared on all manner of arrangements for every conceivable assortment of instruments and voices… The hymn was later adapted by the German poet… Hoffmann von Fallersleben for his Deutschlandlied…”

Europe’s and Germany’s love for royals is interesting in light of the fact that the Bible predicts that ten European “kings” will come to power in these last days. Even though the reference to “kings” could just mean, “rulers” or “autocratic rulers,” it could also refer to literal kings or emperors.

Most Americans Support Gay Marriage

USA Today wrote on July 11:

“…now that the gay marriage legalization trend is becoming a fact of life in several states, millions of Americans, like the New York state senators who changed their vote to okay the law, have changed their minds on the issue.

“A Gallup Poll this summer found that for the first time most Americans (53%) support gay marriage. That’s up from 42% in 2004 when Massachusetts first legalized the shift. And somewhere in that shifting statistic is Jeff Angelo of Ames, Iowa — a straight, Republican, married-with-three-kids Christian mid-westerner who changed his mind.

“In 2006 when Angelo was in the state legislature, he led a push for a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. It failed. In the years since, Angelo says, ‘I came to see gay couples as outstanding friends, citizens and neighbors. They’re no threat to community or marriage in this country.’ In June, Angelo founded Iowa Republicans for Freedom to rally social and political conservatives to support gay marriage. Says Angelo: ‘The GOP stands for limited government. It should not be telling people who they cannot marry.’”

While a majority of Americans seem to support gay marriages, politicians compromise their own convictions to suddenly support them as well. Our Q&A in this Update shows what God thinks of such kind of compromise.

Why Not to Serve on a Jury

There are of course many BIBLICAL reasons why a true Christian ought not to serve on a jury. Here is just another example which could be added to the list:

Mail On Line wrote on July 12:

“A juror in the Casey Anthony trial has told how she received death threats and has been unable to work since she was cleared of murder. The woman, known only as juror number 12,  left her job and went into hiding fearing co-workers would ‘want her head on a platter’. Her husband said before leaving she told him: ‘I’d rather go to jail than sit on a jury like this again.’…

“The sensational trial of Casey Anthony sparked outrage across the U.S. when she was acquitted of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee. She had been accused of drugging her young daughter, suffocating her and dumping her body in overgrown woodland…

“A jury of seven woman and five men took ten hours to clear Anthony of charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of a child. She smiled as she was given the verdict at Orange County Courtroom in Orlando, Florida after one of the most controversial verdicts in recent history.

“Furious spectators compared the verdict to that in the OJ Simpson case, however some jurors have publicly defended the decision. One… said there was not evidence to convict the 25-year-old mother. She said: ‘I did not say she was innocent, I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be’… Another… said the jury only saw evidence that Anthony was a good mother… ‘The first number of witnesses were Casey’s [friends] and every time that they said they saw Casey with Caylee, it was a loving relationship and no one provided evidence to the contrary.’”

Famine and Disease Epidemics

The Telegraph wrote on July 11:

“The worst drought in over half a century has hit parts of East Africa affecting more than 10 million people. Thousands of families have travelled for days across scorched scrubland from Somalia to Kenya, including barefoot children with no food or water after their crops and livestock were destroyed by drought. More than 10 million people have been affected across the Horn of Africa. Acute malnutrition has reached 37% in some parts of north east Kenya and child refugees from Somalia are dying of causes related to malnutrition either during the journey or very shortly after arrival at aid camps.”

Jesus Christ prophesied that in these last days, we will hear more and more of worldwide famine and disease epidemics.

Down on the Fourth of July: the United States of Gloom

The Telegraph wrote on July 4:

“Across America today, people will gather for barbecues in their backyards, parades through their towns and firework displays lighting up the night sky. They’ll be celebrating Independence Day – the birthday of the United States and the 235th anniversary of shaking off the oppressive yoke of British rule. On this day in 1776 a group of 13 colonies broke away to found a new nation free to govern itself as it saw fit, pledging that each citizen would have the [sic] unalienable right to ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’. A nation, as Americans are apt to declare without equivocation, which became the greatest on the face of the earth.

“That’s the good news. On the flip side, however, a country whose hallmark has always been a sense of irrepressible optimism is in the grip of unprecedented uncertainty and self-doubt. With the United States mired in three foreign wars, beaten down by an economy that shows few signs of emerging from deep recession and deeply disillusioned with President Barack Obama, his Republican challengers and Congress, the mood is dark. The last comparable Fourth of July was probably in 1980, when there was a recession, skyrocketing petrol prices and an Iranian hostage crisis, with 53 Americans being held in Tehran.

“Frank Luntz, perhaps America’s pre-eminent pollster, argues that his countrymen are much more downbeat now than in 1980… Remarkably, many Americans think things will only get worse and the good times will never return… But Americans do not just blame Obama; and the national malaise is to do with far more than one president. ‘Every institution in America has gone through a collapse,’ says Luntz. ‘The Church is not what it was, thanks to all those religious scandals, the media is much less trusted today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Big business does not have credibility.”

CNN Money wrote on July 6:

“Almost no one is satisfied with the current state of the U.S. economy. But economists say the outlook is pretty bleak too. Sluggish economic growth will continue into 2012, if not beyond, with only modest hiring and high unemployment… Expectations started off strong in 2011… but momentum waned in the spring after the Japanese earthquake shook the world economy and oil prices rose precipitously. Since then, [some economists raise] the risk of a new recession…”

The pessimistic mood in the USA is in fact quite realistic. The Holy Scriptures have prophesied that in these end times, the great nation of America—descendant of biblical Manasseh—will fall.

How Not to Improve Our Economy

The Weekly Standard wrote on July 3:

“When the Obama administration releases a report on the Friday before a long weekend, it’s clearly not trying to draw attention to the report’s contents. Sure enough, the ‘Seventh Quarterly Report’ on the economic impact of the ‘stimulus,’ released on Friday, July 1, provides further evidence that President Obama’s economic ‘stimulus’ did very little, if anything, to stimulate the economy, and a whole lot to stimulate the debt. The report was written by the White House’s Council of Economic Advisors, a group of three economists who were all handpicked by Obama, and it… [shows that] the ‘stimulus’ has added or saved just under 2.4 million jobs — whether private or public — at a cost (to date) of $666 billion.

“That’s a cost to taxpayers of $278,000 per job. In other words, the government could simply have cut a $100,000 check to everyone whose employment was allegedly made possible by the ‘stimulus,’ and taxpayers would have come out $427 billion ahead. Furthermore, the council reports that, as of two quarters ago, the ‘stimulus’ had added or saved just under 2.7 million jobs — or 288,000 more than it has now.  In other words, over the past six months, the economy would have added or saved more jobs without the ‘stimulus’ than it has with it. In comparison to how things would otherwise have been, the ‘stimulus’ has been working in reverse over the past six months, causing the economy to shed jobs.

“… it’s quite possible that by borrowing an amount greater than the regular defense budget or the annual cost of Medicare, and then spending it mostly on Democratic constituencies rather than in a manner genuinely designed to stimulate the economy, Obama’s ‘stimulus’ has actually undermined the economy’s recovery — while leaving us (thus far) $666 billion deeper in debt. The actual employment numbers from the administration’s own Bureau of Labor Statistics show that the unemployment rate was 7.3 percent when the ‘stimulus’ was being debated. It has since risen to 9.1 percent. Meanwhile, the national debt at the end of 2008, when Obama was poised to take office, was $9.986 trillion. It’s now $14.467 trillion—and counting.”

“Obama Lets China Guzzle Canada’s Oil”

Newsmax reported on July 2:

“The Obama administration is foot-dragging on approving a pipeline to deliver abundant Canadian oil to the United States at the same time the Chinese are investing in a pipeline that could send that oil to China… The Canadian province of Alberta has the world’s third-largest oil reserves after Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, and more than Russia or Iran. Daily production from oil sands is expected to rise from 1.5 million barrels today to 3.7 million in 2025.

“Delivering the oil will mean building two pipelines, one south to the refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast and the other west toward the Pacific, where it can be exported to China. If the United States doesn’t approve its pipeline promptly due to environmental concerns, ‘Canada might increasingly look to China, thinking America doesn’t want a big stake in what environmentalists call “dirty oil,” which they say increases greenhouse gas emissions,’ according to a report from The Associated Press.

“Sinopec, a Chinese-controlled company, has invested $5.5 billion in the planned pipeline to the Pacific coast. Sinopec has also paid $4.6 billion for a stake in Syncrude, Canada’s largest oil-sands project… Environmentalist groups have urged Obama to reject the pipeline project. They assert that extracting oil from oil sands requires huge amounts of energy and water, increases emissions and threatens rivers and forests. But Michael A. Levi, senior fellow for energy and the environment at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations, maintains that environmentalists are exaggerating the dangers of oil sand extraction.”

Canada is a descendant of the biblical Ephraim—one of the two sons of Joseph. It was prophesied that Ephraim would become a company or commonwealth of nations. Great Britain, as well as English-speaking Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other English-speaking nations, are descendants of Ephraim. The next article shows the still existing relationship between the descendants of Ephraim—especially of English-speaking Canada and England.

Prince William and Kate Visit Canada

The Associated Press reported on July 4:

“Prince William was preparing to put his military helicopter training to the test Monday with his first attempt at a water landing before crowds in Canada, where he and his wife, Kate, have been on their first official overseas trip since their wedding… Canada is the only country that trains its Sea King helicopter pilots to do a controlled landing on water should there be an emergency. The Sea King, which William flies back in the U.K, has the ability to land on water because of its amphibious hull…

“The Quebec visit hit a nerve among French-speaking separatists. Prince William and Kate had a private lunch at the Citadelle, a fortified residence where the British flag was raised at the end of the pivotal 1759 Battle of Quebec, when British forces defeated the French to seal the conquest of New France… The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as they are officially known, encountered small but vocal protests for the second straight day during their visit to predominantly French-speaking Quebec, following protests in Montreal…

“The jeers contrasted with the start of the royal couple’s Canadian trip in the largely English-speaking capital, Ottawa, where they were cheered by tens of thousands of people on Friday’s Canada Day holiday. Quebec separatists are angry that Canada still has ties to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II is still the country’s head of state… Support for the separatists among Quebeckers has been on the decline in recent years as the 80-percent French-speaking province has enjoyed plenty of autonomy even without quitting Canada.”

Note that Queen Elizabeth II is still the head of Canada.

Iran Funnels New Weapons to Iraq and Afghanistan

The Wall Street Journal wrote on July 2:

“Iran’s elite military unit, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, has transferred lethal new munitions to its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan in recent months… In June, 15 U.S. servicemen died in Iraq, the highest monthly casualty figure there in more than two years. The U.S. has attributed all the attacks to Shiite militias it says are trained by the Revolutionary Guards, rather than al Qaeda or other Sunni groups that were the most lethal forces inside Iraq a few years ago.

“In Afghanistan, the Pentagon has in recent months traced to Iran the Taliban’s acquisition of rockets that give its fighters roughly double the range to attack [the] North Atlantic Treaty Organization and U.S. targets. U.S. officials said the rockets’ markings, and the location of their discovery, give them a ‘high degree’ of confidence that they came from the Revolutionary Guard’s overseas unit, the Qods Force.

“U.S. defense officials are also increasingly concerned that Iran’s stepped-up military activities in the Persian Gulf could inadvertently trigger a clash. A number of near misses involving Iranian and allied ships and planes in those waters in recent months have caused Navy officials to call for improved communication in the Gulf… U.S. and European officials also say Iran has grown increasingly aggressive in trying to influence the political rebellions across the Middle East and North Africa. Tehran is alleged to have dispatched military advisers to Syria to help President Bashar al-Assad put down a popular uprising.”

Iran would like to emerge as the new leader of major countries in the Middle East, but as the next article shows, this appears presently to be unlikely to happen.

The New “Cold War” Between Iran and Saudi-Arabia

Deutsche Welle wrote on July 2:

“Prince Turki al-Faisal, a former Saudi intelligence chief, has warned that if Iran obtained nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia would too. Analysts say the two are already engaged in a ‘cold war’ in various parts of the world… Iran and Saudi Arabia are historical rivals who both see themselves as the most legitimate natural leaders of the Muslim world. Iran is a majority Shia state that subscribes to an [sic] politicized Islamist ideology, while Saudi Arabia is a predominantly Sunni monarchy…

“Saudi Arabia fears that Iran will take advantage of the democracy movements that have toppled a series of dictatorships in the region to strengthen its influence in those countries. Iran has positioned itself as an ally to these protest movements, and there are concerns within the Saudi government that the country’s Shia minority would even answer a call to arms from Iran… As far as some analysts are concerned, the current situation amounts to a serious conflict.

“‘Saudi Arabia and Iran are now engaged in a regional cold war that is spreading out into the rest of the world,’ said Theodore Karasik, director of research and development at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA). ‘It’s a cold war where Saudi Arabia and Iran are using proxies to fight against each other and creating a sectarian Sunni–Shia divide.’

“The flashpoints have already been identified. Saudi Arabia recently invited Morocco and Jordan, both Sunni monarchies, to join the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a group made up of Sunni autocratic states. This was seen as an attempt to create a defensive alliance against Iran. By the same token, Saudi Arabia sent troops to Bahrain earlier this year to help quell protests led by Shia Muslims.

“But this proxy conflict extends to more unexpected places. Saudi Arabia and Iran are competing in Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh, said Karasik. They are rivals in West Africa, especially in Nigeria, and in Latin America the two nations compete when it comes to building mosques and distributing sectarian literature…

“For analyst Steinberg, the significance of Faisal’s speech is not so much the threat of a nuclear arms race. ‘I think the point is less that Saudi Arabia is really planning to make nuclear weapons – it’s about impressing on the US how urgent it is to react to Iran’s nuclear program,’ he said.”

Because of the hostilities between Sunnites and Shiites, it appears presently unlikely that Sunnite countries will accept the Shia state Iran as their leader. On the other hand, stranger things have happened, and current Shia minorities might emerge in some countries as majority powers. In addition, as we dicussed in our recent Q&A on Iran, at least some modern Iranians will participate, perhaps as mercenaries, in military actions by some Middle Eastern countries in collaboration with the modern Babylonian system in Europe. These actions and attacks will be directed against the state of Israel. Subsequently, Iran, which is presently supported by Russia, will again become a strong ally of Russia and fight together with Russia against modern Babylon.

Waiting for the “Imam Al-Mehdi”

On July 2, emirates247.com stated the following:

“A Saudi man mounted a prayers platform at the Grand Mosque in Islam’s holiest shrine in the Gulf kingdom and told thousands of worshippers that he was a prophet and their saviour before he was seized by police…

“It was the latest in a series of incidents involving persons claiming to be Al-Mehdi Al-Montathar (the Chosen Imam Al-Mehdi) at Islamic holy sites in Makkah over the past few months. All of them had been arrested and medically examined. Muslims believe Imam Al-Mehdi, dubbed ‘the ultimate saviour of mankind’ will eventually reappear as a great reformer who will destroy the beliefs of injustice and ignorance and fill this earth with fairness after it has been filled with injustice and oppression.”

In future Q&As, we will be addressing the role of Saudi Arabia in prophecy and the Muslim expectation of a coming Savior or “Mahdi.”

Gadhafi Threatens to Attack Europe “Like Locusts, Like Bees”

The Associated Press reported on July 1:

“A defiant Moammar Gadhafi threatened Friday to carry out attacks in Europe against ‘homes, offices, families,’ unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya. The Libyan leader… delivered the warning in a telephone message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli. It was one of the largest pro-government rallies in recent months, signaling that Gadhafi can still muster significant support…

“‘We can decide to treat you in a similar way,’ he said of the Europeans. ‘If we decide to, we are able to move to Europe like locusts, like bees’…

“In the past, Gadhafi supported various militant groups, including the IRA and several Palestinian factions, while Libyan agents were blamed for attacks in Europe, including a Berlin disco bombing in 1986 and the downing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, that killed 270 people, mostly Americans. Libya later acknowledged responsibility for Lockerbie…

“A U.S. State Department spokesman… said the U.S. would take Gadhafi’s threat of attacks seriously, as his regime carried out such actions in the past. Toner said he did not know if there was intelligence to indicate Gadhafi’s regime would be able to carry out such attacks.”

Gadhafi’s choice of words for military action and weaponry, such as “locusts” and “bees,” is quite interesting; compare the biblical language for “locusts” in Revelation 9:3, 7; Isaiah 33:3-4; and for “bees” in Deuteronomy 1:41-44; Psalm 118:10-14; and Isaiah 7:18-20.

African Union Rejects Arrest Warrant Against Gadhafi

Sky News wrote on July 2:

“The African Union has called on member states to disregard the arrest warrant issued against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi by the International Criminal Court. The AU says the ICC’s move ‘seriously complicates efforts to find a solution to Libya’s crisis.’[ The African body recommended member nations do not honour the warrant if Col Gaddafi visits their country. If members apply the AU’s decision, it will weaken the warrant as it will mean the dictator will be able to travel freely on the continent.”

NATO Will Not (Cannot) Intervene in Syria…

The EUObserver wrote on June 30:

“Nato head Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said there will be no military intervention in Syria despite similar levels of government-sponsored violence as in Libya… Perception that Nato is in the business of regime change in Libya rather than protecting civilians, as mandated by UNSC 1973, is the main reason for opposition to any UN move on Syria in key swing UNSC voters – Brazil, India and South America.”

NATO will not intervene in Syria, because it cannot obtain the necessary votes within the UN Security Council (presently led for another three weeks by German Defense Minister Guido Westerwelle). But the time will come when another emerging mighty power will act, with or without NATO or UN approval.

Denmark in Violation of EU Law?

The Local wrote on July 1:

“German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger has sharply criticised Denmark’s decision to reintroduce border controls and demanded EU officials take action against the Scandinavian country. ‘I expect the European Commission as guardian of (EU) treaties to probe the compatibility of the Danish decision with European law,’ she [said]…

“Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger said Copenhagen’s move to reimpose customs checks on border crossings with Germany and Sweden was a ‘bad day for Europe’ and in clear violation of its EU treaty obligations.

“Denmark’s minority government, prodded by the far-right populist DVP party, on Friday announced it would start to make random checks starting next week ostensibly to stem the flow of criminals from eastern Europe. But the EU and the country’s neighbours have argued they will impinge on the freedom of movement within the visa-free Schengen area.”

It is foreseeable that Scandinavian countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland will not become a part of the eurozone and the final unification of core European nations, and neither will Great Britain.

Germany on Top of the World

The Wall Street Journal wrote on June 27:

“Germany is sitting on top of the world… The country has come roaring out of the global financial crisis, boasting one of the strongest economies in the West and seemingly poised for years of rising exports ahead. What’s more, the better it does, the more the world expects it to do. Europe and the U.S. want Germany to take charge on cleaning up Europe’s debt crisis and do more for big causes—like supporting the Arab revolutions and the sputtering global economic recovery…

“Unlike many other Western countries, Germany has spent years living within its means and building up a deep trade surplus. Now it’s reluctant to bail out nations that weren’t as prudent. And it doesn’t want to get involved in foreign entanglements like Libya. All of which leads to a question with big implications for the global economy and political order: What is Germany’s place in the world?…

“NATO allies are worried by the revival of a pacifist stance under German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. German pacifism after World War II was long tolerated, even welcomed, in a Europe that had suffered from German militarism. But since the 1990s, Germany was supposed to become a ‘normal’ country again, one that took part in multilateral interventions in war-torn places such as Kosovo and Afghanistan.

“When the UN Security Council voted for military intervention in Libya, Germany abstained, breaking with its NATO allies. Germany even withdrew its ships from NATO naval patrols in the Mediterranean… Many German lawmakers are uncomfortable with Mr. Westerwelle’s policy, and Ms. Merkel has made efforts to repair relations within NATO. But opinion polls showed ordinary Germans want just as little to do with the Libya conflict as their foreign minister.”

But things will gradually change, as the Bible clearly shows. We can already see signs right now. Der Spiegel reported on July 2, that this summer Germany will sell 200 military “Leopard” battle tanks to Saudi Arabia for billions of euros. The magazine also stressed that with 11 % of global weapon trade, Germany is the world’s third-biggest weapons exporter, following America (30%) and Russia (23%); and that about 80,000 people work for the German weapon industry.

At the same time, the Local and Der Tagesspiegel argued on July 5 that Germany was “once a strong yet evil country. Then it was weak but good. Today it’s both strong and good.” They also claimed that “The United States has become weaker, but is still fairly ruthless. Germany is stronger, but still extremely prone to high-minded moralizing – even while considering the sale of hundreds of tanks to Saudi Arabia. Can this new balance hold?”

Prophecy shows that it won’t.

Note, in this context, The Local’s report from July 6:

“Germany, France and Poland have joined forces to form a joint European combat group that will be ready to deploy in crisis zones from 2013. The three European Union military powers signed an agreement in Brussels to put together a unit of 1,700 soldiers that will take part in the rotation of the EU’s rapid reaction force, known as battlegroups. The three nations, bound by a long history of alliances, rivalry and wars, have discussed the possibility of creating the so-called Weimar Combat Group since 2006… The technical agreement between the high-ranking military officers from Germany, France and Poland comes four days after Poland took over the EU’s rotating presidency… Paris, Berlin and Warsaw created the Weimar Triangle in 1992 to encourage cooperation between the three nations after the Cold War.”

Greece Faces ‘Massive’ Loss of Sovereignty

The EUObserver wrote on July 4:

“Eurozone finance ministers over the weekend staved off looming bankruptcy in Greece by agreeing to release the next tranche of aid to the country, but Athens will pay with a massive loss of its sovereignty, the eurozone chief has said. In return for the €12 billion – the fifth payment from the €110 billion EU-IMF loan agreed last year – Greece will have to push through a swathe of privatisations reminiscent of the selling of East German firms in the 1990s after the fall of Communism.

“‘The sovereignty of Greece will be massively limited,’ Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany’s Focus Magazin…”

In the future, we will observe the loss of sovereignty of other European countries as well.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn Victim of Conspiracy?

On July 2, Reuters reported the following:

“Scrutiny of the accuser in the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn intensified on Saturday after more revelations about her conduct following the purported May 14 attack. A judge released Strauss-Kahn from house arrest and lifted strict bail conditions on Friday after prosecutors discovered a pattern of lying in the accuser’s background, although serious charges including sexual assault and attempted rape remain in place against the man once seen a top French presidential contender…

“In a [recorded] phone conversation with her boyfriend, who was held in an Arizona jail on suspicion of possessing 400 pounds (180 kg) of marijuana, she said there was money to be made from Strauss-Kahn… On Friday, prosecutors said the accuser lied about being gang-raped in Guinea as part of an application for U.S. asylum and changed details of her story about what she did after the incident in Straus-Kahn’s luxury hotel suite.

“As the woman’s stature falls, that of Strauss-Kahn has rebounded. Some in France are talking about a political comeback…Revelations about the accuser have left prosecutors struggling to make a case with a central witness whose credibility would be targeted by Strauss-Kahn’s defense lawyers. Investigators once trumpeted the woman as a devout Muslim…”

The New York Post wrote on July 2:

“Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s accuser wasn’t just a girl working at a hotel — she was a working girl. The Sofitel housekeeper who claims the former IMF boss sexually assaulted her in his room was doing double duty as a prostitute, collecting cash on the side from male guests… The woman was allegedly purposely assigned to the Midtown hotel by her union because it knew she would bring in big bucks…

“Sources also told The Post Strauss-Kahn’s probers uncovered evidence that she was part of a pyramid scheme that targeted immigrants from her native Guinea… The stunning new info surfaced yesterday as the accuser was unmasked as a pathological liar and scam artist by prosecutors whose rape case has unraveled… To get tax benefits, she also claimed she had a second child. She only has one, a 15-year-old daughter.”

The abominable way in which Dominique Strauss-Kahn was treated, so far, by the American legal system and the American press is of course no justification or excuse for his infidelity. If he had not engaged in admitted adulterous conduct, no allegations of sexual assault could have been brought. Sadly, far too many would excuse his adulterous conduct, as long as it was “consensual.” Please read in this context our next article.

On the other hand, our legal system does not punish adultery, but it does punish sexual assault and attempted rape. However, insofar as those criminal allegations are concerned, our system demands that a person is viewed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law, during a fair trial. This important principle has been terribly violated by our entire legal system and the shameless reporting by our media.

French “Tolerance” and “Admiration” for Infidelity

The Washington Post wrote on July 2:

“Even if the sexual assault case against former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is faltering, its repercussions in France are not… Several people said Saturday that it was the rape allegations, not the infidelity, that started to shift their opinions…

“Journalists and politicians in France had long considered Strauss-Kahn a womanizer. But few here spoke of it publicly, even after he admitted to a 2008 affair with a Hungarian economist who was a subordinate at the International Monetary Fund. When they did, it tended to be with admiration or amusement, not concern. Even Strauss-Kahn’s wife, former broadcast journalist Anne Sinclair, said in 2006 that ‘for a political man, it is important to seduce.’

“French journalists obeyed a culture of discretion so strong and venerable that former president Francois Mitterrand was able to have a long-standing mistress and a child without journalists writing about it until shortly before he retired.

“That silence, many here say, was part of what enabled the encounter in room 2806 of the Manhattan Sofitel. Neither side disputes that a sexual encounter took place; at issue is whether it was consensual and whether it was violent…”

This is indeed a very sad testimony of a country which claims to be “Christian.”

“Otto von Habsburg, Heir to Austria’s Last Emperor, Dies at 98”

The Local wrote on July 4:

“Otto von Habsburg, the eldest son of Austria’s last emperor who became a champion of Europe’s enlargement as a Bavarian politician, died Monday in Germany at the age of 98. The man who was once first in line to the throne of the former Austro-Hungarian empire which covered most of central Europe, died at his home in Pöcking on Lake Starnberg in Bavaria…

“The son of emperor Karl I, who reigned for only two years before the empire disintegrated, Habsburg was born on November 20, 1912 in Reichenau an der Rax in eastern Austria… the state abolished his family’s titles and confiscated their property in 1919… [He served as an] elected member of the European parliament from 1979 to 1999 for Bavaria’s conservative CSU party. He held Austrian, German and Hungarian citizenship. An ardent anti-Communist, Habsburg organised in August 1989 the now-famous ‘Pan-European picnic’ in Sopron, near Hungary’s border with Austria, during which some 700 East Germans were able to escape to the West, a few months before the Berlin Wall fell on November 9.

“He always campaigned for a unified Europe based on Christian values and for a greater integration of eastern countries into Europe. Forced into exile with his family after the empire fell in 1918, Habsburg spent time in Switzerland, on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Spain, Belgium, France and the United States, and studied political and social sciences at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium, graduating with a doctorate in 1935. In the 1930s, he openly opposed the Nazi party, joining the Austrian resistance after the 1938 Anschluß and helping thousands of Jews flee the country at the beginning of World War II…

“He said he became ‘a European patriot in the very depths of his soul’ after Nazi Germany occupied Austria. In 1951, Habsburg married the German princess Regina von Saxe-Meiningen und Hildburghausen, with whom he had seven children. He reluctantly renounced all claims to the Austrian throne in 1961, five years before the state repealed so-called anti-Habsburg laws, adopted after World War I, which effectively banned all members of the former imperial family from setting foot in Austria.”

“What’s Wrong with Eating Dog Meat?”

CNN published the following ridiculous article on June 30:

“Dog soup, or Boshintang, is a summer delicacy in South Korea… A minority of people eat it regularly. It’s consumed most frequently in summer but is available year-round. And it’s more popular with men than women and is said to possess qualities that ‘help stamina’… In the country, they raise ‘meat dogs,’ also known as ‘junk dogs’ and ‘lower-grade’ dogs… So, what’s really wrong with eating dog? Just because we don’t do it in the U.S. doesn’t seem to make for a very good argument.”

If one was familiar with and believed the Bible, the answer would be obvious: God did not create dogs for human consumption. The fact that ignorant people don’t abide by God’s health laws and eat whatever they wish, does not mean that God approves of such conduct. For more information, please read our Q&As on the issue of clean and unclean meat. http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/1216 and http://www.eternalgod.org/qapdf/3192

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…”