MARCH 21, 2014

1

THE TRUMPET WEEKLY THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
M A R C H 2 1 , 2 0 1 4
Russia warns: Well play the Iran card 5
Russian patriotism soaring 5
Moscow moves to destabilize Eastern Ukraine 6
Will Moldova be the next Ukraine? 7
American fatigue syndrome 9
BY BRAD MACDONALD
T
uiTrecentlyhighlightedthepropheticsigni-
canceofthesupportChina,IndiaandevenJapanare
givingRussiaasitconfrontsEuropeandAmericaover
Ukraine.ButMoscowissolidifyingfriendshipsbeyond
Asia,andoneinparticularbearscloseattention.Tisis
RussiasrelationshipwithIran.
First,recallhowmuchdiplomaticenergyEuropeand
Americahaveinvestedinrecentmonthsinimproving
relationswithTehraninthehopeofsecuringapermanent
peaceagreement.Americaspresidenthasworkedespecial-
lyhardtoplacateTehran.Ashispresidencywindsdown,
andwithhisdomesticpoliciesailing,BarackObama
wantstogodowninhistoryasthemanwhonegotiated
peacebetweentheU.S.anditsmostimplacableenemy.
Iran: Russias Trump Card
see IRAN page 12
Russian President Vladimir Putin
(right) shakes hands with his Iranian
counterpart Hassan Rouhani.
MARCH 21, 2014
2
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
MIDDLE EAST
tooutsidehelpfromRussia,Iranand
Hezbollah.Armsshipments,nancial
help,consultantsandvolunteershave
helpedhimstayaoat.Ifhisregime
issomehowoverthrownduringthe
fourthyearofghting,itwillprobably
bebecauseofhisassassination.
TeimportanceofRussiassupport
forAssadbecomesmoreobviouswith
time.Afertherstyearofghting,
whenitseemedAssadfacedcertain
defeat,theRussianmediareported
thatMoscowhaddecidedtowithdraw
itsadvisersandexperts.Butsome
stayed,andinrecentmonthsRussia
hascomebackintothepictureatfull
strength.
Russianadvisersarenowinte-
gratedatalllevelsoftheregimeand
itssecurityforces,fromassistingthe
armyschiefofstatotrainingtroops.
Shipmentsofarmsandammunition
aresenttotheregimeviatheportof
Tartusinthenorth,whereRussiaisin
control.
WhenitseemedAssadhadgotten
himselfinbadtroublebymassacring
:,,oociviliansnearDamascuswith
chemicalweapons,Russiasavedhim.
TentherewastheagreementforSyria
torelinquishitsenormousstockpileof
IDF to Prepare for
Strike on Iran
HAARETZ | March 19
P
vimiMiis1ivBenjaminNetan-
yahuandDefenseMinisterMoshe
Yaalonhaveorderedthearmyto
continuepreparingforapossiblemili-
tarystrikeonIransnuclearfacilities
atacostofatleast:obillionshekels
(s:.8 billion)thisyear,despitethe
talksbetweenIranandtheWest,ac-
cordingtorecentstatementsbysenior
militaryocers.
iuvrepresentativessaidthearmy
hadreceivedacleardirectivefrom
governmentocialsfromthepoliti-
calechelonmeaningNetanyahuand
Yaalontocontinuereadyingfora
possibleindependentstrikebyIsrael
ontheIraniannuclearsites,regardless
ofthetalksnowhappeningbetween
IranandtheWest,thethreeM.K.s
said.
Eversincetheinterimaccord
betweenIranandthesixpowerswas
reached,Netanyahuhasstressedthat
Israelwillnotconsideritselfbound
byit.Inthelastfewweeks,astalks
onapermanentaccordhaveresumed,
Netanyahuhasuppedhisrhetoricon
theIranianissue,andisagainmak-
ingimpliedthreatsaboutapossible
unilateralIsraelistrikeontheIranian
nuclearsites.
Myfriends,Ibelievethatletting
Iranenrichuraniumwouldopenup
theoodgates,Netanyahusaidatthe
[AmericanIsraelPublicAairsCom-
mittee]conferenceearlierthismonth.
Tatmustnothappen.Andwewill
makesureitdoesnothappen.
Assad Fights on
Thanks to Russia, Iran
HAARETZ | March 18
A
sPvisiui1BasharAssadsforces
havesurvivedintothefourthyear
ofSyriascivilwar,theworldmedia
isnotinganotheraccomplishmentof
aregimethatWesternintelligence
agenciesoncesaidshouldbeathingof
thepast.InthetownofYabroudnear
DamascusandtheLebaneseborder,
theSyrianArmyandHezbollahare
methodicallymakingprogressinthe
struggleagainsttherebels.
ItseemsAssadoweshissurvival
I
1isnowclearthattheWestwillallowabsolutelynoevi-
dence,howeverdevastating,topreventadealbeingsigned
withIranoveritsnuclearprogram.
Fromthestart,therehasbeenatotaldislocationofreal-
ity.TeU.S.,UKandEUfawnedoverIransnewPresident
Rouhaniforusheringinanewdawnofreformthesame
RouhaniwhoboastedofpreviouslyhoodwinkingtheU.S.
overIransnuclearprogram.
LastNovember,[BritishPrimeMinister]DavidCameron
phonedRouhanitowelcomehismovesafertakingoce.
YetunderRouhani,repressionhasbecomeevenmore
horric.Executionshaverisensharply,withmorethan:8
peoplehangedsofarthisyear.
WesternleaderssweartheywillneverletIrandevelop
nuclearweapons.Onlylastweek,CamerontoldIsraels
Knesset:Ishareyourdeepskepticismandgreatconcern
aboutIran.Anuclear-armedIranisathreattothewhole
world;Britainwillensurethatisneverallowedtohappen.
YettheinterimdealsignedinGenevalastNovember,en-
dorsedbyCameron,ensuresthatthiscertainlywillhappen.
ItallowsIrantoenrichuranium,crossingtheWests
ostensibleredline.ItallowstheArakheavywaterreactor
necessarysolelyfortheproductionofnuclearweaponsto
remainoncourse.Itsinspectionprovisionsareajoke.Rou-
hanihasaccuratelyhailedthedealasaWesternsurrender.
Israelrevealedearlierthismonthfurtherevidenceof
Iranianreformisttendencieswhenitinterceptedaship
boundforGaza,theKlosC,carryingacargoofmissiles
loadedinIran.Teseincludedorocketswitharangeof
o-:ookilometers[,o-:oomiles],enoughtotargetallof
Israel.
TisdiscoveryofIraninagrantedelictooccasioned
littlemorethanayawnintheWest.Fortoacknowledge
thatthemoderateRouhaniisevennowarmingthose
whointendthemurderofIsraelismightgetinthewayof
thedeal.
WecannowseethatwhentheU.S.andtherestsaidthey
wouldnottolerateanuclearIran,whattheyreallymeant
wasthattheywouldnottolerateitsprevention.
How the West Was Fooled
Melanie Phillips, THE JERUSALEM CHRONICLE | March 20
MARCH 21, 2014
3
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
chemicalweapons,adealreachedbe-
tweenPutinandU.S.PresidentBarack
Obama.TislefAssadsregimein
placeandpreventedanAmericanmili-
taryoperationatthelastminute.
Iran and World
Powers Grapple
JERUSALEM POST | March 19
I
1wiiibeverydiculttoovercome
dierencesbetweenIranandsix
worldpowersoverTehransuranium
enrichmentprogram,thoughallpar-
tiesaimtoadheretotheiro-month
deadlinetoreachanucleardeal,a
seniorU.S.ocialsaidonWednesday.
Itsagap(onenrichment)thats
goingtotakesomehardworktogetto
aplacewherewecanndsomeagree-
ment,theseniorU.S.administration
ocialsaidaferthelatestroundof
negotiationsonIransatomicprogram
inVienna.
Teocialsaidthedierences
overIransplannedArakheavy-water
reactor,whichWesternpowersfear
couldyieldweapons-gradeplutonium,
remainedsimilarlywide.
Iranandworldpowerslocked
hornsonWednesdayoverthefateof
aplannedIraniannuclearreactorthat
couldyieldplutoniumforbombs,dip-
lomatssaid,althoughTehransforeign
ministervoicedoptimismthattheir
July:odeadlineforadealiswithin
reach.
TeUnitedStateshascalledonIran
toscraporradicallyaltertheplanned
reactor,butTehranhassofarrejected
thatideawhilehintingitcouldmodify
[theplant].
Hamas in Worst Cash
Crisis Since Seizing
Gaza
WASHINGTON POST | March 13
G
.z.sH.m.srulershavebeen
hitbytheworsteconomiccrisis
sinceseizingtheterritorysevenyears
agoandfacegrowingdiscontent,
evenamongcoresupporters,be-
causetheresnosignofrelieffroma
blockadeenforcednotonlybyIsrael
butalsobyasuddenlyhostileEgypt.
Hamassownsurveysshowits
popularityplummeting.
Gazasisolationisunlikelytoease
soon.Instead,IsraelandEgypthave
tightenedtheirborderclosures.
Israelsealeditsonlycargocross-
ingwithGazaonWednesdayaferthe
IslamicJihadgroupreddozensof
rocketsfromtheterritoryatIsrael.
TegamechangerforHamaswas
theEgyptianmilitarysousterlastJuly
ofthen-PresidentMohamedMorsi.
Temilitary-backedgovernmentin
CairohassincebannedMorsisMus-
limBrotherhoodtheregion-wide
movementthatalsospawnedHamas
andhasshutdownmostofthesmug-
glingtunnelsalongtheGazaborder,
whichwereaneconomiclifelinefor
theStrip.
TeHamasgovernmentlostnearly
twothirdsofitsrevenueasaresult,
saidOmarShaban,aGazaeconomist.
Withthetunnels,Hamasearnedabout
s,oomillionayearofanannual
budgetofjustundersoomillionin
taxesontheEgyptianimports,said
Shaban.
Nowthegovernmentisnolonger
abletopayfullwagesto,:,ooocivil
servantsandmembersofthesecurity
forces.Inrecentmonths,government
employeeshavereceivedonlypartial
payments.
Forthersttimeinyears,there
isevenarippleofspeculationthat
Hamasmightbedrivenfrompower
bythegrowingdicultiesofrunning
agovernment.
Fornow,Hamasappearstobejust
tryingtomanagethecrisisinhopes
theregionalconstellationwilloneday
change.
Power Vacuum
Threatens Libya
DEUTSCHE WELLE | March 13
D
ivosiuLinv.PrimeMinister
AliZeidanisnowinMalta,the
Maltesegovernmentconrmed,ona
stopovertowardareporteddestina-
tionofGermany.
Zeidanedhiscountryimmediately
followingavoteofnocondence
whichendedhisroughly:-yearterm
asprimeministeroftheNorthAfrican
country.Tehastydepartureoftheex-
diplomatrenderedmootanyattempts
toarresthim.Techarge:Corruption.
Zeidan,whoduringhistermas
primeministerwasoncekidnapped
andheldforhoursbyarmedmilitants,
failedinrecentdaystostoprebelsin
thecountryseastfromcontrollingthe
saleofcrudeoilthere.
RebelleaderIbrahimJathrannow
appearstobethewinnerinthewarof
nervesoverthestrategicallyvitaloil
harbors.
TeEastLibyanCyrenaicaregion
diersinhistoryandculturefromthe
westLibyanregionknownasTripoli-
tania.ManyEastLibyansfeeldiscrim-
inatedagainstbythecapital,andthey
aredemandingagreatershareofoil
revenuesandmorepoliticalautonomy,
saysArturoVarvelliattheInstitute
forInternationalPoliticalStudiesin
Italy.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Turkey threatens closing the
Bosporus on Russian ships
TurkishPrimeMinisterRecepTayyip
Erdoansentastrongmessageto
RussiaonMarch:8,sayinghewill
closetheBosporustoRussianvessels
ifthereisanyharassmentofCrimeas
Turkishminority,theTatars.Ifself-
proclaimedCrimeanauthoritiesor
so-calledself-defenseghterscom-
mitviolenceagainstCrimeanTatars
livinginthepeninsula,Turkeywill
beforcedtoclosetheBosporusfor
passageofRussianships,Erdoan
saidonTurkishtelevision.Closing
oftheBosporus,theonlyexitand
entrypointintotheBlackSea,would
eectivelymeancuttingoRussian
seabornetradetotheMediterranean
aswellasincapacitatingtheRussian
BlackSeaFleet.Whileatthistimeit
isunlikelyTurkeywillgoaheadwith
suchamoveconsideringitscurrent
dependenceonRussiaforoopercent
ofitsenergyneeds,Erdoansstrong
rhetoricindicatesTurkeyisrmly
sidingwiththeWestonRussias
takeoverofCrimea.Historically,both
RussiaandTurkeyhavebeenableto
MARCH 21, 2014
4
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
EUROPE
overcometheirdierencesandcon-
tinueathrivingdependenteconomic
relationship.However,cracksare
emergingbetweenthetwonations.As
Bibleprophecyindicates,Turkeywill
eventuallyshakeoitsdependencyon
Russiatoformanevencloserstrategic
alliancewithEurope.
n 40 rockets fired into Israel
Anotherweekofbleakweatherin
Israelcloudywithachanceofrock-
ets.Insomeways,thislateststorm
isntmuchdierentthanthatwhich
billowedinlate:o::priortoOpera-
tionPillarofDefense.Yetthereisone
majordistinction:Tistime,Hamas
isnotinitiatingthedeluge.Although
theGazaStripisasmallsliverof
land,itishometoseveralterrorist
groups.WhileHamasisconsidered
thedominantpowerandgovernorof
theStrip,itfacesgrowingchallenges
fromotherevenmoreradicalgroups.
Onesuchgroupclaimedresponsibility
forWednesdaysdownpourofrockets.
West Plans for Russia
Military Threat
REUTERS | March 19
F
ovuivisiplannersinWash-
ington,LondonandBrussels,the
sightofRussianforcespouringinto
theirsecondneighborinsixyearswill
overturntwodecadesofstrategicas-
sumptions.
TeresultofRussiasseizureof
CrimeafromUkraine,followingits
:oo8warwithGeorgia,couldbea
modestreversalofyearsofEuropean
defensecutsandabiggerU.S.military
presenceinthe.1omembersof
centralandeasternEurope.
SincetheendoftheColdWar,the
Westernalliancehasshifeditsat-
tentiontoAfghanistan,Kosovoand
counter-piracyoperationsothecoast
ofSomalia,aswellasLibyaduringits
:o::civilwar.Butbythetime.1o
governmentleadersmeetinSeptem-
berinWales,somepeoplebelievetheir
focuswillhavereturnedtodeterring
Moscow.
InWashingtononWednesdayfor
meetingswithseniorocials,.1o
SecretaryGeneralAndersFoghRas-
mussenaccusedMoscowofactingto
ripuptheinternationalrulebook,try-
ingtoredrawthemapofEuropeand
creatingthemostserioussecurity
crisissincetheendoftheColdWar.
WhileamajorwarinEurope
remainsextremelyunlikely,itisno
longerunthinkable,sayocialsand
analysts.
Tisrequiresacompletereapprais-
alofhowweapproachRussia,says
FionaHill,U.S.nationalintelligence
ocerforRussiafrom:oooto:oo,
whonowheadstheEuropeprogramat
theBrookingsInstitutioninWashing-
ton.Putinhasmadeitveryclearhe
intendstoreassertRussiassphereof
inuence.Wedonthaveastrategy
todealwiththat.
Tepotentialashpoint,however,is
theBalticstates.TeseformerSoviet
republicsarenowin.1oandthere-
foreprotectedbyArticle,ofitstreaty,
whichrequiresallmemberstohelp
anallyunderattack.LikeUkraine,
theyarehometosignicantRussian
minorities.
Another.1odiplomatputitmore
strongly.Ithinkpeopledounder-
standcontinentalwarsinEurope
arenotover,hesaidonconditionof
anonymity.Wewillnotbecredibleif
wesimplycontinueasifnothinghas
happened.
Reversingdefensecutsislikelyto
beamajortopicofthe.1osum-
mit,BritishForeignSecretaryWil-
liamHaguetoldSkyNewsearlierthis
month.Someanalystsareskeptical.
Franklythereisnoappetitefor
increasingdefensespending,said
JudyDempsey,seniorassociateat
CarnegieEurope,notingthatdespite
Haguescommentstherewereno
signsofBritainreversingitsdefense
cuts.
Temostlikelyscenario,shesaid,
Proclaimingthestrike
wasinretaliationto
Israeliactions,theal
QudsBrigadethe
militarybranchofPal-
estinianIslamicJihad
(vi,)stooddeantin
thefaceofIsraelire-
taliation.Forthisgroup,
themoreheavy-handed
Israelsresponsethe
better.Itwantsanother
showdownwithIsrael.
Tevi,hasoperations
inGazaandtheWestBank,andre-
ceivescommandsfromitsheadquar-
tersinDamascus.Italsohasoces
inBeirut,TehranandKhartoum.
AlthoughoutnumberedbyHamasin
Gaza,itisbynomeansincapableof
conductingitsownoperationsthere.
Itprovedasmuchthispastweekby
rainingdownrocketsandmortars
ontownsinsouthernIsrael.Untilthe
Syrianwarbegan,Hamaswashappy
totakeordersandfundsfromIran.
ButHamassrefusaltosupportIran
inSyriadissolvedthisrelationship.
Sincethen,QatarandTurkeyhave
replacedIranasHamasssponsor.Tis
hadIransearchingforaPalestinian
replacementinitsproxywarfromthe
GazaStrip.EnterPalestinianIslamic
Jihad.Whileitisunlikelythatthevi,
willoverthrowHamas,thefactthatvi,
isnowinitiatingterroristattacksonIs-
raelisevidenceofthebrokenrelation-
shipbetweenHamasandIran.
Palestinian militants from the Islamic Jihads
armed wing, the al Quds Brigades, were
behind the recent rocket attacks on Israel.
MAHMUD HAMS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
MARCH 21, 2014
5
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
I
1uimostnakedthreatyetfromRussia,DeputyForeign
MinisterSergeiRyabkovtoldtheInterfaxnewsservice
thatRussiacouldraisethestakesinitsconfrontation
withtheWestbyrevisingitsstanceonIran.
Tethreathasteeth.Russiaisnotonlyaveto-wielding
memberoftheUNSecurityCouncilandsoabletoblock
newsanctionsorotheractionagainstIranbytheworld
body;itisalsoamemberoftheP,+:negotiatinggroup
workingtoreachanuclearcompromisewithIran.
IfRussiaswitchesitsstancefrompushingIran,however
lightly,towardabandoningitsnuclearprogramtowardtac-
itlyorovertlypromisingtosupportIranregardlessofthe
nuclearissue,theWestsstrategytowardIrancouldrapidly
unravel.ClosereconomicrelationswithRussiacouldhelp
protectIranfromtheeectofrenewedsanctions,andany
technicalassistancewitheitherthenuclearorlong-range
missilecomponentsofIransstrategycoulddramatically
accelerateIransbuildup.
Wellhavetoseewhetherthisthreatistakenupand
repeatedbyotherseniormembersoftheRussiansecurity
andpoliticalestablishments,butifitis,wewillhaveaclear
signthatRussiasgoalsarentlimitedtosecuringbases
inCrimea.Russiadoesntjustwanttowinthiscrisis;it
doesntwantPresidentObamatoescapefromitwithouta
crushingpublichumiliation.
LinkingtheUkrainecrisiswiththeIrannegotiation
isanAmericannightmare;itmightjustbeaRussian
dreamcometrue.PresidentObamahastriedtoseparate
thenuclearquestionfromthegeopoliticsoftheregion.
HehaspursuedanuclearaccommodationwithIran
despitethatcountrysintenseandunremittingquest
todominateSyria,LebanonandIraq.Thatseparation
hasunnervedU.S.allieslikeIsraelandSaudiArabia,
whofearthattheUnitedStatesispreparingtoletIran
controltheregioninexchangeforwhatinevitablywould
bealessthanironcladassurancethatIransnuclear
programwouldnevercrossthethresholdintomaking
actualbombs.
TeObamastrategyhasalwaysbeenariskyone;ifRus-
siashifsintoactivecooperationwithIran,itishardtosee
howtheWhiteHousecankeephopealive.President
Obamamayhavetochoosebetweenashatteringhumilia-
tionintheBlackSea,orasignicantlygreaterriskofwar
inthePersianGulf.
Russia Warns: Well Play the Iran Card
THE AMERICAN INTEREST | March 19
wasforcountriestopoolmoreresourc-
esandaimforgreatereciency.
The Worlds 50
Greatest Leaders
CNN MONEY | March 20
I
.erathatfeelsstarvedforleader-
ship,wevefoundmenandwomen
whowillinspireyousomefamous,
otherslittleknown,allofthemener-
gizingtheirfollowersandmakingthe
worldbetter.
:.PopeFrancis,age:,,,Ponti,
CatholicChurch:Justoverayearago,
apuofwhitesmokeannounced
thenewspiritualleaderof:.:billion
RomanCatholicsaroundtheworld.
Inthebrieftimesince,Francishas
electriedthechurchandattracted
legionsofnon-Catholicadmirersby
energeticallysettinganewdirection.
Hehasrefusedtooccupythepalatial
papalapartments,haswashedthe
feetofafemaleMuslimprisoner,is
drivenaroundRomeinaFordFocus,
andfamouslyasked,WhoamIto
judge:withregardtothechurchs
viewofgaymembers.Hecreateda
groupofeightcardinalstoadvisehim
onreform,whichachurchhistorian
callsthemostimportantstepinthe
historyofthechurchforthepast:o
centuries.Francisrecentlyaskedthe
worldtostoptherock-startreatment.
Heknowsthatwhilerevolutionary,his
actionssofarhavemostlyreecteda
newtoneandintentions.Hishard-
estworkliesahead.Andyetsignsof
aFranciseectabound:Inapoll
inMarch,oneinfourCatholicssaid
theydincreasedtheircharitablegiv-
ingtothepoorthisyear.Ofthose,,,
percentsaiditwasdueinparttothe
pope.
Russian Patriotism
Soaring
WASHINGTON POST | March 20
T
uicsu.vi1beengoingsowell
fortheaverageRussianlately.Last
year,theeconomyonlygrew:.,per-
centitspoorestshowingsincethe
economiccollapse.Tirty-vepercent
ofthenationswealthisinthehands
ofjust::opeople.Anditscurrent
minimumwagecomesouttojustover
s:,opermonth.
ButRussianshaveneverfeltbetter
aboutRussia.
Accordingtofreshresearchoutof
theRussian LevadaCenter,arespect-
edindependentpollingoperation,the
numberofRussianswhothinktheir
countryisagreatpowerjusthit
o, percenta:,-yearhigh.InMarch
of:,only,:percentofRussiansfelt
thatway.
LevadaCenteralsofoundthatmore
RussianstodayviewtheUnitedStates
negativelythanatanytimesinceApril
of:o,whenthiskindofpolling
began.Teresearch,whichsurveyed
:,oo,peoplebetweenMarch,-:o,said
that,opercentofRussiansviewthe
UnitedStatesnegatively,upfrom
percentinJanuary.
Nearlyaquarter-centuryago,in
:o,thatgurewasonly,percent.
Tuesdaysndingscomeatatime
whenrelationsbetweentheUnited
StatesandRussiaareattheirmost
tenseinageneration.Overthevehe-
mentobjectionsofPresidentBarack
ObamaandtheEuropeanUnion,
PresidentVladimirPutinsigneda
treatyonTuesdayannexingthepenin-
sula,whichoverwhelminglyvotedthis
MARCH 21, 2014
6
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
weektosecedefromUkraine.Crimea
isourcommonlegacy,Putinsaid.It
canonlybeRussiatoday.
Putinspopularityhasalsohita
,-yearhigh.AccordingtoLevada,hes
currentlyinpossessionofa,: percent
approvalrating.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Russia to annex Crimea
TeRepublicofCrimeaandSevestapol
willjointheRussiafederation,Rus-
sianPresidentVladimirPutinsaidina
speechtotheRussianDuma,March:8.
Afewdaysearlier,underthewatchful
eyesofRussiasoldiers,Crimeahelda
referendumonwhetherornotitshould
joinRussia.Russiaclaimsthato.8per-
centvotedinfavor.BoththeU.S.and
Europepromisedthattherewouldbe
seriousconsequencesifRussiafollowed
throughwiththereferendumandan-
nexation,butsofarlittlehashappened.
Russiasdramaticactionsaremaking
EasternEuropenervous.
ASIA
Crimea Crisis Impacts
Europe
Vladimir Putin has shocked the world by his invasion of Crimea,
Ukraine. Europe greatly fears what Russia can and will do. GERALD FLURRY
Click to Play
I
1so1onlyinCrimeawhereRussianPresidentVladimir
Putinisplayingwithre,butalsoinEasternUkraine.
Temajorityofthepeopleintheeconomicallypowerful
regionspeakRussianandrejectthenewgovernmentin
Kiev.
IntheeasternpartofUkraine,withseverallargecities
includingDonetsk,KharkivandDnepropetrovsk,polls
showthreequartersofthosesurveyedrejectingthepopular
revoltinKiev.Between,oandasmanyasopercentofthe
residentsinthisregionsaythatRussian,andnotUkrai-
nian,istheirprimarylanguage.
Atthesametime,theKremlinagainbeganmobilizing
tankandartilleryunits.Some,ooomenmarchednearthe
Ukrainianborderandparatroopersalsoperformeddrills.
Itwouldbediculttomakeathreatmoreclear.
InordertoeliminateanydoubtsthatKiev,Brusselsand
WashingtonmighthavehadaboutMoscowsdetermina-
tion,Putinconductedamajormaneuverattheendof
Februarythatinvolved:,o,ooosoldiers,88otanksando
ghterjets.
Inaddition,Moscowisopenlybettingondestabili-
zation.Partofitseorttoaidthisprocessincludesthe
nancingbytheKremlinofso-calledpatriotclubsand
pro-RussianassociationsinUkraine.Duringtheprotests
inKharkivandalsosomeinDonetsk,voicesofrebrands
shoutingRussia,Russia,couldbeheardpeoplewhohad
beenbussedinfromneighboringregionsinRussia.Te
watchestheyworeshowedthetimeinMoscow,notthatin
Kiev.
AtthebeginningofMarch,PavelGubarev,theheadofthe
pro-RussianPeoplesMilitiaofDonbass,declaredhimself
thepeoplesgovernoroftheDonetskregion.Many
peoplewritetomethattheywanttodefendtheirhomes
againstthefascistsinKiev.Teyhavepistols,machineguns,
protectiveshields,baseballbatsandhelmets,theleadersaid.
Itwillbeeasytobringthepeopletoaboilingpoint.Tey
hatetheUkrainianoligarchsandtheirpoliticalminions.
Gubarovhasalreadygivenhismarchingordersfor
theght:Notonestepback!Itsasloganwell-knownto
peopleintheregion.Itoriginatesfromanordergivenby
JosephStalintoSovietsoldiersonJuly::intheirbattle
againsttheNazis.
Moscow Moves to Destabilize Eastern Ukraine
SPIEGEL ONLINE | March 18
Related: Russias Dark Rider
MARCH 21, 2014
7
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Putin Looks to Asia
REUTERS | March 21
W
uiPvisiui1VladimirPutin
signedatreatythisweekannex-
ingCrimeatogreatfanfareinthe
KremlinandangerintheWest,a
trustedlieutenantwasmakinghisway
toAsiatoshoreuptieswithRussias
easternallies.
Forcinghomethesymbolismof
histrip,IgorSechingatheredmedia
inTokyothenextdaytowarnWest-
erngovernmentsthatmoresanctions
overMoscowsseizureoftheBlack
SeapeninsulafromUkrainewouldbe
counterproductive.
Teunderlyingmessagefromthe
headofRussiasbiggestoilcompany,
Rosnef,wasclear:IfEuropeandthe
UnitedStatesisolateRussia,Moscow
willlookeastfornewbusiness,energy
deals,militarycontractsandpolitical
alliances.
TeHolyGrailforMoscowisa
naturalgassupplydealwithChina
thatisapparentlynowcloseaferyears
ofnegotiations.Ifitcanbesigned
Will Moldova Be the Next Ukraine?
Sam Livingston | March 17
whenPutinvisitsChinainMay,he
willbeabletoholdituptoshowthat
globalpowerhasshifedeastwards
andhedoesnotneedtheWest.
TeworseRussiasrelationsare
withtheWest,thecloserRussiawill
wanttobetoChina.IfChinasupports
you,noonecansayyoureisolated,
saidVasilyKashin,aChinaexpertat
theAnalysisofStrategiesandTech-
nologies(c.s1)thinktank.
Astrongalliancewouldsuitboth
countriesasacounterbalancetothe
UnitedStates.
ChinaovertookGermanyasRus-
siasbiggestbuyerofcrudeoilthis
yearthankstoRosnefsecuringdeals
toboosteastwardoilsuppliesviathe
EastSiberia-PacicOceanpipeline
andanothercrossingKazakhstan.
IfRussiaisisolatedbyanewround
ofWesternsanctionsthoseso
faraectonlyafewocialsassets
abroadandhavenotbeenaimedat
companiesRussiaandChinacould
alsostepupcooperationinareasapart
fromenergy.
c.s1sKashinsaidtheprospectsof
RussiadeliveringSukhoiSU-,,ghter
jetstoChina,whichhasbeenunder
discussionsince:o:o,wouldgrow.
Chinaisveryinterestedininvest-
ingininfrastructure,energyand
commoditiesinRussia,andadecline
inbusinesswiththeWestcouldforce
Moscowtodropsomeofitsreserva-
tionsaboutChineseinvestmentin
strategicindustries.
Russia-Chinatradeturnovergrew
by8.:percentin:o:,tos8.:billion.
Sechin,whosevisitalsoincluded
India,VietnamandSouthKorea,isa
closePutinallywhoworkedwithhim
intheSt.Petersburgcityauthorities
andthentheKremlinadministra-
tion,beforeservingasadeputyprime
minister.
Putin Signs Crimean
Treaty
DEBKAFILE | March 18
A
v1ivuiviuicCrimeasreuni-
cationreferendumasadhering
R
Ussi.svici1deploymentoftroopsinCrimeahas
EasternEuropeannationsonedge.Concernisgrowing
amongleadersthatthecrisisinUkrainecouldspread.
TeMoldovangovernmentiscurrentlyinvolvedin
signingapossibletradedealwiththeEuropeanUnionthat
ReuterssaysissimilartothatwhichUkrainianPresident
ViktorYanukovichdumped,sparkingthecrisiswhich
broughthimdown.
AndjustlikewithUkraine,Russiaisusingsimilartac-
ticstomakesuretheformerSovietUnionstatestayswithin
itscamp.Moscowisnowintheprocessofinltrating
thelastpro-Europeanrepublicsinitssphereofinuence,
writesDer SpiegelsChristianNeefinanarticletitledRus-
siaTriestoWooBackMoldova.
AccordingtoNeef,Russiaisnowboycottingwineim-
portsfromMoldova,oneofthecountryslargestexports.
Additionally,Russiaisthreateningtopreventthenearly
:millionMoldovanswhoworkwithinRussiafromsending
moneyhometosupporttheirfamilies.
Russiahasalsothreatenedtocutoitsnaturalgas
supplytoMoldovaamovethatwoulddevastatethetiny
agriculturalnation.
TishasbeentheRussianstrategyforyears:bullying
weakerandsmallernationsintosubmissionbythreatening
tocutoenergyanddestroytrade.
Lastweek,MoldovanPrimeMinisterIurieLeancaalso
expressedhisdeepfearofpossibleRussianinvolvementin
anautonomousregionofMoldovaknownasTransnistria.
TisregionisbeingtermedMoldovasCrimea.
Moldovahaslongfaceditsownsecessionistthreatinits
autonomousTransnistriaregion,whichbrokeawayin::
aferabriefwarandalsoboastsaRussianmilitarycontin-
gentmeaningtheregionisunderdefactocontrolofMos-
cow,International Business Times editorPalashGhoshsaid.
IfMoldovadoesntcomplywithRussiascommands,
couldVladimirPutinuseTransnistriatogetafoothold
overthenation,justlikeheusedCrimeainUkraine:
Putinmadethesegoalsclearin:oo8byinvading
Georgia.HeisdoingeverythinghecantopreventGeorgia,
UkraineandallotherformerSovietcountriesfromdevel-
opingclosertieswithEurope.
Bibleprophecysaystheseeventswillleadtothereuni-
cationofanoldsuperpower,theHolyRomanEmpire.
(RequestourfreebookletGermany and the Holy Roman
Empiretondoutmore.)WithRussiasrisingmight,
someformerSovietnationswilllooktoGermanyforhelp.
AlthoughGermanyisnotinapositiontoactmilitarilyjust
yet,watchforittocontinuetorampupitsdefensepolicy.
ReadMr.FlurrysarticleIsVladimirPutintheProphesied
PrinceofRosh:formoreinformation.
MARCH 21, 2014
8
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
LATIN AMERICA/AFRICA
toallinternationalnorms,Russian
PresidentVladimirPutindeclared
Tuesday,March:8,thatRussiawould
henceforthstronglydefenditsna-
tionalinterestsagainsttheColdWar
tacticspracticedbytheUnitedStates
andtheWest.HecomplainedMoscow
hadsoughtdialoguewiththeWest,
butwascheatedallthetime.When
heaccusedAmericaofpracticingthe
lawofthestrong,hewascheeredby
thepackedlowerhouseoftheRussian
parliament.Tiswasthemostacrimo-
niousspeechheardfromanyRussian
leadersincetheendofWorldWarii
in:,.
Hemockedthesanctionsagainst
RussianandCrimeanocialsthatthe
U.S.andEuropeanUnionapproved
Monday,sayingthatMoscowwasused
tosanctionsintheformofdictatesto
fallinwiththeirpolicies.
PutinalsojokedthatRussiawas
readytotakeon.1oforcesin
CrimeaandUkraineatanytime.
TesessionendedwithPutinand
Crimeanleaderssigningthetreatyfor
makingCrimeapartofRussiawitha
grandourish.
Venezuela Moves
Against Opposition
ASSOCIATED PRESS | March 19
V
iizUii.i1iiiiciciagents
onWednesdayarrestedtheopposi-
tionmayorofthewesterncityofSan
Cristobal,whichhasbeenacrucible
ofanti-governmentresistanceand
spawnedthecurrentwaveofprotests.
Ten,hourslater,theSupreme
Courtannouncedthattheopposition
mayorofSanDiego,EnzoScarano,
wouldberemovedfromhispostand
serve:omonthsand:,daysinprison
fordisobeyingaMarch::courtorder
tokeepprotestersfrombarricading
streetsinhiscity.
Temayorsjoinedoppositionleader
LeopoldoLopez,whoisbeingheld
onchargesofarsonandconspiracy,
asleadinggovernmentopponents
jailedbyPresidentNicolasMaduros
administrationsincetheunrestbegan
lastmonth.
Teanti-governmentproteststhat
haveshakenVenezuelaformorethan
amonthbeganinearlyFebruarywith
studentsinSanCristobal,anop-
positionstrongholdalongtheborder
withColombia.Sincethenithasseen
intenseclashesbetweenauthorities
andprotestersfrustratedbysoaring
ination,rampantviolentcrimeand
shortagesofbasicitemssuchascook-
ingoilandtoiletpaper.
Radical Islam
Explodes in Nigeria
Richard Palmer | March 14
I
si.mis11ivvovis1groupBoko
Harammassacredmorethan:,,oo
peopleinnorthernNigeriainJanu-
aryandFebruaryalone,markinga
bloodysurgeinitsongoingcampaign
ofviolence.
Weareinastateofwar,Nigerias
Bonostategovernor,KashimShettima,
saidonFebruary:,.Heconcededthat
BokoHaramarebetterarmedand
bettermotivatedthanourowntroops.
Itisimpossibleforustodefeatthe
BokoHaram.
LastMay,thegovernmentdeclared
astateofemergencyinthethreemain
aectedstatesandformedajointtask
forcetostoptheterrorists.Although
theydeployedover:o,ooosoldiers,
theattackscontinued,andtheyhave
displacedover,oo,oooresidentsfrom
theregion.
BokoHaramhaslinkstogroups
likealQaedaintheIslamicMaghreb
andisworkingwithoneofitso-
shoots,theSignersinBlood,which
tookoverNorthernMaliandcarried
outattacksinAlgeria.BokoHarams
ghtersarewell-armed,andsomebe-
lievetheirweaponsarefromMuam-
marQadhasregimeinLibyaand/
orfromthevolatileCentralAfrican
Republic,whereIslamistslootedmil-
lionsofweaponsfromthegovernment
beforebeingforcedout.
AsradicalIslambecomesmore
deeplyentrenchedacrossNorthAfrica,
theregionisbreakingoutintopock-
etsofunrestandviolence.Although
Americacannolongerbereliedonto
controlthesetypesofoutbreaks,one
majorpoweriswatchingthissituation
closelyandisbeginningtotakeaction
tosecureitsinterests:Europe.
Uruguay Takes
Guantanamo Prisoners
MERCOPRESS | March 21
P
visiui1JosiMujicaconrmed
thatUruguayhasagreedwiththe
UnitedStatestoacceptsomeprisoners
heldinthemuch-criticizeddeten-
tioncenterattheU.S.militarybaseof
GuantanamoBay,buthealsocau-
tionedthateverythinghasabill.
TeObamaadministration,which
wantstoclosethecenterusedto
imprisonpeoplecapturedaferthe
Sept.::,:oo:,attacksontheUnited
States,hasbeentalkingtoseveral
countriesaboutrelocatinginmates.
ItwasanObamaelectionpledgeto
closetheGuantanamobase,whichfor
dierentreasonshehasbeenunable
toconclude.
Itsarequestforhumanrights
reasons,Mujicatoldjournalists
whileattendinganunrelatedfarming
event.Apparentlytherequestisfor
veprisonersforaperiodoftwoyears.
U.S.ambassadorinUruguayJulissa
Reynosodescribedtheprisonersas
non-dangerousfortheUruguayan
society.
MujicasaidObamahasaskeda
Related: Could the Venezuelan Protests
Be Good News for the Vatican?
Related: The Ukraine Crisis Was
Prophesied
MARCH 21, 2014
9
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
bunchofcountries,someoocountries
iftheycantakesomeandItoldhim
yes.
Teyarecomingasrefugeesand
therewillbeaplacefortheminUru-
guayiftheywanttobringtheirfami-
lies,saidMujica.Iwasimprisoned
formanyyearsandIknowhowitis,
addedtheformerguerrillawhospent
:yearsinprisonbeforeandduring
hiscountrys:,,-:8,dictatorship.
Iftheywanttomaketheirnests
andworkinUruguay,theycanre-
maininthecountry.
AskedifhehadrequestedtheU.S.
governmentsomethinginexchange,
Mujicasaid,Idontdofavorsfree,I
passonthebill,butheimmediately
addedthishastobedonebecauseit
hastobedone.
Busquedaalsomentionedthat
MujicaconsultedontheObamainitia-
tivewithCubasRaulCastroandother
undisclosedLatinAmericanpresi-
dentsduringtherecentCelacsummit
inHavana.ApparentlyCastroagreed
withtheproposal.
ANGLO-AMERICA
Related: EU to Crackdown on Illegal
Immigration
Putin Takes Crimea,
Mocks America
THE TRUMPET DAILY | March 19
STEPHEN FLURRY
OnehundredyearsonfromWorldWari,thesituation
betweenRussia,EuropeandtheWestlooksstartlingly
familiar.
Click to Play
opinionpollsbegantoreportthatthe
Americanpeoplewereexperiencing
whatmediashorthandcametocall
fatiguewiththeaairsoftheworld.
TeU.S.shouldminditsownbusi-
ness.TeAmerica-is-fatiguedpolling
twithMr.Obamasstatedgoalto
leadfrombehind.Acloseobserverof
Americanpoliticsalsocouldnotice
thatRepublicanpoliticiansbegan
torecalibratetheirworldviewinward
toaccommodatethefatigueinthe
opinionpolls.
WeareofcoursediscussingVladi-
mirPutinspathtotheforcedannexa-
tionofCrimea.Andpossiblyintimea
moveontheindependenceofUkraine,
Lithuania,Estonia,Latvia,Kazakhstan
orMoldova.Tisnarrativehasone
morepointofPutindemarcation:Syria.
LastSeptember,everyforeign
chanceryintheworldconcludedthat
theUnitedStateswouldbombBashar
AssadsaireldswithTomahawkmis-
silesinreprisalforkillingnearly:,,oo
Syrianswithchemicalweapons,includ-
ingsaringas.VladimirPutinplaced
abet.HesuggestedtotheAmerican
presidentthatinlieuoftheU.S.bomb-
ingAssadsairelds,theirtwonations,
inconcert,couldremoveallofSyrias
chemicalweapons.Mr.Obamaac-
ceptedandstooddownfrombombing
Assad.SixmonthslaterVladimirPutin
invadedandannexedCrimea.
TismomentisnotaboutBarack
Obama.Bynowweknowabouthim.
TisisaboutVladimirPutinandthe
self-delusionsofWesternnations
andtheirfamousfatigue.Vladimir
PutinisteachingtheWestandespe-
ciallytheUnitedStatesthatfatigueis
American Fatigue
Syndrome
WALL STREET JOURNAL | March 19
B
v1uitimethesecondWorld
TradeCentertowercollapsed
onSept.::,:oo:,thewholeworld
waswatchingit.Wemayassume
thatVladimirPutinwaswatch-
ing.Mr. Putin,aquickcalculator
ofpoliticalrealities,wouldseethat
someonewasgoingtogethitforthis,
andhithard.
Hewasrightofcourse.TeBush
presidencybecameawarpresidency
thatday,anditpoundedandpursued
theIslamicfundamentalistsofalQa-
edawithoutlet-uporapology.
In:oo8,theAmericanpeople
electedanewpresident,andVladimir
Putin,apatientfeline,wouldhave
noticedthatPresidentObamainhis
speecheswassayingthatAmerican
powerwouldbeusedinconcert
withothernationsandinstitutions,
suchastheUnitedNations.What
wouldhavemadeMr.Putinseyejump
wasthedecisionbyGeorgeBushssuc-
cessornotjusttoleaveIraqbutwith-
outleavingaresidualU.S.military
presencetohelpthenewgovernment
ofPrimeMinisterNourial-Maliki.
SometimeintherstObamaterm,
MARCH 21, 2014
10
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
notanoption.
Tesolitarybutthrillingworld
ofVladimirPutinsmindistheone
inhabitedbytheAssads,Saddams,bin
Ladens,Kims,QadhasandKhomei-
nisoftheworld,andwhenitreally
runsoutofcontrol,orisallowedto,by
aStalin,HitlerorMao.Whetherone
mansgrandiositywillburstacross
bordersisnotaboutnormallogic.Itis
aboutpersonalpowerandforcingthe
obeisanceofothernations.
VladimirPutinre-provesthat
sometimesabadpersongainscontrol
oftheinstrumentsofnationalpower.
Teirpopulationsdonothingorcant,
becausetheyaredisarmedbythugs
withoverwhelmingrepower.Or,as
onRussian1vnow,theyaremari-
natedinanti-U.S.propaganda.Today
evensecond-ratemegalomaniacsgain
accesstohigh-techweaponry,includ-
ingmissilesandnuclearbombs.
Runningalongsidetheseold
realitiesisanewphenomenon,surely
noticedbyMr.Putin:Tenations
ofthecivilizedworldhavedecided
theirmostpressingconcernisincome
inequality.BarackObamasaysso,as
doestheInternationalMonetaryFund.
WesternEuropeamidtheUkrainecri-
sisisacasestudyofnationsredistrib-
utingthemselvesandperhaps.1o
intoimpotence.
Fatiguewillallowglobaldisorder
todisplaceooyearsofdemocratic
order.IftheU.S.doesntlead,the
strongmenwinbecauseforthemits
easier.Teydontleadpeople;they
coercethem.Askthemillionsfreefor
nowintheoldcountriesoftheIron
Curtain.
Military Database
Tracks Civilians
WASHINGTON EXAMINER | March 21
A
v.vxicticket,traccitation
orinvolvementinaminorfender-
benderareenoughtogetapersons
nameandotherpersonalinformation
loggedintoamassive,obscurefederal
databaserunbytheU.S.military.
TeLawEnforcementInforma-
tionExchange,orLinX,hasalready
amassed,oo.,millionlawenforcement
recordsrangingfromcriminalhisto-
riesandarrestreportstoeldinforma-
tioncardslledoutbycopsonthebeat
evenwhennocrimehasoccurred.
LinXisanationalinformation-
sharinghubforfederal,stateandlocal
lawenforcementagencies.Itisrun
bytheNavalCriminalInvestigative
Service,raisingconcernsamongsome
militarylawexpertsthatputtingsuch
detaileddataaboutordinarycitizens
inthehandsofmilitaryocialscross-
esthelinethatgenerallyprohibitsthe
armedforcesfromconductingcivilian
lawenforcementoperations.
Tosefearsareheightenedby
recentdisclosuresoftheNational
SecurityAgencyspyingonAmeri-
cans,andtheci.allegedlyspyingon
Congress,theysay.
A
mivic.svisvositoRussiahas
beencriticizedaspatheticallyweak.
Tereisareasonforsuchgreatweak-
ness.Ifyouunderstandthatreason,
youwillunderstandwhyAmericawill
notstopRussia.Andyouwillunder-
standwhyAmericassuperpowerdays
areathingofthepast.
OnMarch,Russianpresidential
adviserSergeiGlazyevmadeomandedcommentssug-
gestingthatiftheU.S.tookrealactionagainstMoscow,it
wouldhurtAmericaseconomyasmuchasRussias.
Heisprobablyright.WithAmericasdebt-bloated
economybarelykeepingitsheadabovewater,atradewar
includingRussiaandEuropecoulddragAmericaandthe
globaleconomybackintorecession.
ButitwasGlazyevssecondremarkthatprobablycap-
turedAmericanpolicymakersattentionthemost.Hesaid
thatifsanctionswenttoofar,RussiashoulddumpU.S.
governmentbondsalls:oobillionworth.
s:oobillionisasignicantamount.Americawould
survive,butitwouldhurt.
However,Russiaisntalone.
Americaowessomuchmoneytosomanypeoplethatif
RussiaweretosignalitwasdumpingitsU.S.debtholdings,
othersmallerinvestorsmightdecidethattheywantout
rst.Teproverbialrunonthebankbecomesreality.
StillAmericamightsurvive.
ButthenAmericastillneedstoconsiderhowmuch
moneyitowesChina.Chinahasthrownitssupportbehind
Russia.Andeconomically,Americadoeshavetoconsider
verycarefullywhatChinamightdo.
TenncrecentlyreleasedaninterviewwithformerU.S.
TreasurySecretaryHankPaulson.Itdescribeshowduring
the:ooeconomicmeltdown,ahighlevelChineseocial
toldhimthatRussiahadcontactedChinaaboutjointly
attackingAmericasnancialsystembysellingdebtbonds.
Chinarefrainedthattime.
TeBible,whichisperhapstheoldestbookongeopoli-
tics,warnsaboutthedangersofdebtespeciallydebtowed
toforeigners.Testrangerthatiswithintheeshallgetup
abovetheeveryhigh;andthoushaltcomedownverylow.
Heshalllendtothee,andthoushaltnotlendtohim:he
shallbethehead,andthoushaltbethetail.Moreoverall
thesecursesshallcomeuponthee,andshallpursuethee,
andovertakethee,tillthoubedestroyed;becausethou
hearkenedstnotuntothevoiceoftheLordthyGod,tokeep
hiscommandmentsandhisstatuteswhichhecommanded
thee(Deuteronomy:8:,-,).
AllthatdebthasallowedAmericatolivelikeaking,but
nowitismakingitaslavetotheworld.Wearenotfreefrom
fearbecauseourprecariousdebtloadmeansourenemies
canthreatentodestroythedollarandcrippleoureconomy.
Americassuperpowerdaysareending.Alliesbeaware.
Ukraine,youareonyourown.
Follow Robert Morley: Twitter
Russia Threatens to Crash the Dollar?
ROBERT MORLEY
MARCH 21, 2014
11
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
W
u.11uinoseknowsmightaswellbelimitless,re-
searcherssuggest.
Tehumannosecandistinguishatleast:trilliondif-
ferentodors,aresolutionordersofmagnitudebeyondthe
previousestimateofjust:o,oooscents,researchersreport
todayinScience.
Scientistswhostudysmellhavesuspectedahigher
numberforsometime,butfewstudieshaveattemptedto
explorethelimitsofthehumannosessensorycapacity.It
hasjustbeensittingthereforsomebodytodo,saysstudy
co-authorAndreasKeller,anolfactoryresearcheratthe
RockefellerUniversityinNewYork.
DonaldWilson,anolfactoryresearcherattheNewYork
UniversitySchoolofMedicine,saysthendingsarethrill-
ing.Hehopesthatthenewestimatewillhelpresearchers
begintounravelanenduringmystery:howthenoseand
brainworktogethertoprocesssmells.
Ahumannosehasaroundootypesofscentreceptors.
Whenthesmellofcoeewafsthrougharoom,forexam-
ple,specicreceptorsinthenosedetectmolecularcompo-
nentsoftheodor,elicitingaseriesofneuralresponsesthat
drawonesattentiontothecoeepot.Butmanydetailsof
thatsequencearestillunknown.
Itshardtoorganizeodors,Wilsonsays.Researchers
cangroupscentsintocategories,buttherelationshipbe-
tweenthosecategoriesisnotclear;unlikecolorsorsounds,
smellsdonotfallalongaclearcontinuum.
Tosequestionsremainforfuturestudy.Butthenew
ndingsmayhelpputtorestatleastonelongstanding
assumption,Kellersays.Myhopeisthatthishelpsto
dispelthemyththathumanshaveabadsenseofsmell,
hesays.
Human Nose Can Detect 1 Trillion Odors
NATURE NEWS | March 20
EugeneFidell,whoteachesmilitary
lawatYaleLawSchool,calledLinX
domesticspying.
Itgivesmethewillies,saidFidell,
amemberoftheDefenseDepart-
mentsLegalPolicyBoardandaboard
memberoftheInternationalSociety
forMilitaryLawandtheLawofWar.
FidellreviewedtheNavysLinX
websiteattherequestoftheWashing-
ton Examinertoassessthepropriety
ofputtingsuchapowerfuldatabase
underthecontrolofamilitarypolice
entity.Clearly,itcannotberightthat
anypartoftheNavyiscollectingtraf-
ccitationinformation,Fidellsaid.
Tissoundslikesomethingfroma
third-worldcountry,whereyouhave
powerfulmilitaryintelligencewatch-
ingeverybody.
Temilitaryhasahistoryofspying
onAmericans.
Amongthegroupssubjectedtomil-
itaryspyinginthenameofprotecting
militaryfacilitiesfromterrorismwas
abandofQuakersorganizingapeace
rallyinFlorida.
LinXwasoriginallysupposedto
helpcisprotectnavalbasesfrom
terrorism.
Morethan:,,ooagenciespar-
ticipate,includingthevniandother
DepartmentofJusticedivisions,the
DepartmentofHomelandSecurity
andthePentagon.Policedepartments
alongbothcoastsandinTexas,New
Mexico,AlaskaandHawaiiarein
LinX.
Tenumberofrecordsinthesys-
temhasmushroomedfromabout,o
millionin:oo,tomorethan:otimes
thatnumbertoday.
Moredetailednarrativesandthings
likeradiodispatchlogsandpawn
shoprecordsdontshowupinthose
databases,butareavailableinLinX,
hesaid.
Participatingagenciesmustfeed
theirinformationintothefederaldata
warehouseandelectronicallyupdateit
dailyinreturnforaccess.
WhyLinXwoundupinthecis,a
militarylawenforcementagency,isnot
clear.Currentcisocialscouldnot
explainthereasoning,otherthantosay
itgrewoutofthedepartmentsneed
foraccesstolawenforcementrecords
relevanttocriminalinvestigations.
SincethepassageofthePosseCo-
mitatusActof:8,8,ithasbeenillegal
forthemilitarytoengageindomestic
lawenforcementexceptinlimited
circumstances,suchasquellinginsur-
rections.
Arecentexampleofmission-creep
goneawryistheTreatandLocalOb-
servationNotice,or1.io,program
createdbytheAirForceatthesame
timeLinXwaslaunched.
LikeLinX,1.iospurposewas
tocreateanetworkforinformation-
sharingamongfederal,stateandlocal
policeagenciesthatcouldbeusedto
helpprotectmilitaryfacilities.
In:oo,,mediareportsshowed
1.iowasbeingusedtospyonanti-
wargroups,includingtheQuakers.
1.iowasdisbandedin:oo,.
Tehistoryoftheseprogramsis
thattheytendtometastasizeandthat
thereismissioncreepthatinvolves
gatheringfarmoreinformationthan
isneeded,saidHealy.
Ingeneral,whatyouseeinthese
programsistheystartoutverynarrow
andtheyexpandbeyondthelimits
oftheiroriginallogic.Repeatedly
throughoutAmericanhistory,what
startssmallbecomeslarger,more
intrusive,moretroubling,hesaid.
OTHER NEWS
MARCH 21, 2014
12
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Althoughitsapipedream,securing
adealwithIranisoneoftheObama
administrationschiefforeignpolicy
ambitions.
Today,afermonthsandyearsof
compromiseandcapitulation,Amer-
icaandEurope(theP,+:)areonthe
cusp(atleastthisiswhatTehranhas
ledthemtobelieve)ofsecuringwhattheybelievetobea
historicdealwithIran.Aferapreliminarydealstrucklast
NovemberinGeneva,theP,+:anticipatesafullyedged
dealoverthenextfewmonths.
Tatis,unlessVladimirPutinstrikesrst.
RussiasrelationshipwithIraniscomplex.TeKremlin
isntthrilledabouttheideaofanuclearIslamiststatetoits
south,orIranssponsorshipofIslamistterroristsinRussias
periphery,particularlyintheCaucasus.Ontheotherhand,
befriendingAmericasenemyprovidescertainbenets,
chiefofwhichissignicantleverageoverWashington.
AndasWesterneortstopunishPutinforhisbehaviorin
Ukrainemount,theKremlinisseekingleveragebyrevital-
izingitsfriendshipwithIran.
InFebruary,IransambassadortoRussiaannounced
thatthetwonationswereworkingonanoil-for-goodsdeal.
Underthedeal,Iranwillsend,oo,ooobarrelsofoiladay
toRussiainreturnforRussiangoodsandevenRussian
helpbuildingnuclearpowerplants.OnMarch::,Irans
ocialnewsagenciesreportedthatRussiahadagreedto
buildtwonew:,ooomegawattnuclearpowerstations.
TesewillbeinadditiontotheBushehrfacility,which
Russiaalsobuilt.
TereportsmadenomentionofhowmuchoilIran
wouldbesendingtoRussiainexchange.ButasofOcto-
berlastyear,Iranwasexportingunder8oo,ooobarrelsof
crudeoilperdaydownfromnearly:.,millionin:o::.
Sellinganotherroughly,oo,ooobarrelstoRussiawouldbe
abigdealalmostdoublingitsoilexports.ForTehran,the
additionofacoupleofextranuclearpowerplantsisalways
agoodthingtoo.RussiassupportofIrandilutesWestern
eortstomarginalizeTehran,andreducestheincentiveon
IrantonegotiatewiththeWest.
TedealwithIranhasntbeennalized,sotheresplenty
oftimeforRussiatobackdowniftheWestconcedesin
Ukraine.ButMoscowstimelydalliancewithIranisaclear
warningtoAmericaandEuropeareminderthatthe
KremlinhasthepowertotankWesternnegotiationswith
Iran.
Americahasgottenthemessagetoo.Weallhopethat
theincrediblydicultsituationinUkrainewillnotcreate
issuesforthis[Iranian]negotiation,aU.S.ocialtold
ReutersonMarch:.Wehopethatwhateverhappensin
thedaysahead,whateveractionsthatweintheinterna-
tionalcommunitytakedependinguponthedecisionsand
thechoicesthatRussiamakes,thatanyactionsthatRussia
subsequentlytakeswillnotputthenegotiationsatrisk,he
said.
GarySamore,aformerWhiteHousecoordinator
forarmscontrol,recentlywarnedthatjustthedisunity
betweenRussiaandtherestofthenegotiatingteamcould
leadtoatleasttheappearance,ifnotthereality,ofdisar-
raywithintheP,+:.Irancouldndthisdisconcerting,
andmakeitfeelmoreabletowalkawayfromthenuclear
negotiations,hesaid.
TisisnttosaythatWesternnegotiationswithIrande-
pendonsupportfromRussia.TeKremlinhasneverbeen
agenuinesupporterofnegotiationswithTehran.However,
AmericaandEuropedorequiretheKremlintobealoof
fromthenegotiationsandwillingtoleaveIranaloneto
negotiate.AnactiveRussia-Iranaxis,withtheKremlin
activelysupportingTehranandgaininginuenceinthe
processwouldcomplicatepeacenegotiationsenormously.
RussiaandIranareformidablefoesindividually,but a seri-
ous alignment between the two would be a nightmare.
BuyingoilforIranisonlythestartofwhatRussiacould
do.Forexample,backin:o:o,RussiaagreedtosellIranan
S,ooairdefensesystem.MoscowpocketedIranscash,but
neverdeliveredthegoods.Itcouldchangethatnow.Giving
Iranoneoftheworldsbestsurface-to-airmissileswould
makeanyattackonIranmuchmoredicult.
ItspossibleRussiasrelationshipwithIranmaybepart
ofthereasonWashingtonhasntrespondedmoreaggres-
sivelytoPutinsbelligerenceinUkraine.IstheObama
administrationmoreconcernedaboutpeacewithIran
thanwithAmericastreatieswithUkraineorconfronting
Russia:
TeactortowatchinallthisisEurope.Europedoesnt
havethebreathingroomthatAmericahaswithIranand
Russia.TeContinentisntseparatedfromeitherpower
bymassiveoceans.Europehassignicantnancialand
energyassetsatstakeinbothIranandRussia.Europeis
withinrangeofIransballisticmissiles,andIslamistterror-
istsareembeddedthroughouttheContinent.ForEurope,
thebehavioroftheregimesinMoscowandTehranareof
supremeimportanceand1uiiui.ov1uimwovxic
1oci1uiv.c.is1EUvoviisuiivivuiscociv1ic!
RussiasinvasionofUkraineshowsthattheKremlin
doesnotrespectthesovereignbordersinEasternEurope.
EuropeansarewellawareoftheirhistorywithRussia,
andwhatcanhappenwheneithersidedoesntrespectits
borderswithoneanother.ForGermanyandEurope,re-
spondingtoRussia,attheveryleastshowingitselfcapable
ofdisplayingequalpowerandforce,isntaluxury.Itisa
necessity,andoneitwillhavetofulllsoon.
FromtheoutsetofthecrisisinUkrainetheTrumpet
haswarnedthatEuropeistheplacetowatch.Tedra-
maticdevelopmentsinUkraineareforcingtheContinent
toaddressitsmanyissuesandgureoutawaytocoalesce
intoaforcecapableofconfrontingRussia,Iranandother
crisescomingitsway.Separately,IranandRussiaalready
deeplyconcernEurope.Youcanbesurethedevelopment
ofamoresignicantaxisbetweenthesetwowillintensify
EuropesanxietiesandincreasethepressureonEuropes
leaderstocreatetheCatholic-inspired,German-ledunited
Europeansuperpowerthatwehavelongforecast.
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BRAD MACDONALD