AUGUST 4, 2012

1

THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
A U G U S T 4 , 2 0 1 2
Annihilate Israel now! 2
Europes grand bargain 5
Japan dees Americas oil embargo 7
Will the Mississippi River go dry? 8
Homeland security preparing for riots 8
Is This the Start of Radical
Islams Takeover of Ethiopia?
BY BRAD MACDONALD
see ETHIOPIA page 12
I
Avvii :o::, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry
delivered a bold forecast. Heres what he wrote: Libya
and Ethiopia are going to be closely allied with Iran!
So you need to watch Libya and Ethiopia. You need to
continue to watch for Libya and Ethiopia to make a severe
and rapid turn into the radical Islamic camp.
At the time, many readers rejected this warning as
absurd. Tis is a most
bizarre article, retorted
one Trumpet reader from
Ethiopia. My country is
one of the oldest and
[most] devout Orthodox
Christian nations on the
planet (since third century)
and a staunch ally of the
United States. . [Tat]
doesnt sound like a nation
doing Irans bidding.
Hes right too, at least in
his facts.
On May ,, :o::, when
Mr. Flurry published An
Islamic Takeover of Libya
and Ethiopia, he again
inspired disbelief. I dont
think this is a sensible
prophecy, wrote one reader
from Ethiopia, especially
when it comes to the situa-
tion of Ethiopia. Please,
try to study what exactly the situation is in Ethiopia. Hes
right too, factually.
Teres a larger lesson here, which well get back to later.
But for now, lets follow this readers advice and study the
situation in Ethiopia at the start of August :o::, more than
months afer Mr. Flurry rst delivered his absurd forecast.
Last week, the Washington Times published an article
headlined Muslim Protests Raise Fears of Radical Islam
in Ethiopia. According to the Times, Clashes between
Islamic protesters and riot police over the weekend in
E1uiovi. have raised fears that Muslims are becoming
increasingly radical in a predominantly Christian country
that has been a key U.S. ally in combating terrorism in the
Horn of Africa.
Two days later, a head-
line in the Christian Sci-
ence Monitor asked, Will
Ethiopian Crackdown Stir
Islamist Backlash: Te
Monitor warned that the
the act of civil disobedi-
ence from Muslims, who
constitute at least one third
of the population, is a rare
sign of instability in a coun-
try seen by U.S. policymak-
ers as a bulwark against
radical Islam in the volatile
Horn of Africa region.
In recent months, there
has been a measurable in-
crease in tension, instabil-
ity and violence in Ethiopia
between the government
and elements of the Muslim
population. On July :,,
violence broke out between
the two in the nations capital afer Muslims at the Awalia
Mosque compound refused to heed warnings to refrain
from conducting a charity event while African heads of
state were in town for an African Union summit.
A week later, tensions ignited again when Muslim
protesters blocked police from
::uvz
rcvr1
v
r
m
r

o
m
z

szcn:
znzu:z
:nz
cnzn
scnz
rn:1nrz
c
c
z

n
z
coco
xrvz
r1n:or:z
s
o
m
z
:
:
z
1zzz:z
soc1n
scnz
AUGUST 4, 2012
2
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
MIDDLE EAST
use warplanes and artillery to pound
rebel ghters there.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Annan quits as syria envoy
On August :, UN secretary-general
Ko Annan resigned as the top inter-
national mediator in the Syria crisis.
In a parting shot, the Nobel Peace
Prize winner wrote that the interna-
tional community had proved strik-
ingly powerless to stop the violence.
Annan described the Syria situation as
mission impossible. Te failure of the
United Nations to provide a resolu-
tion for the ghting in Syria shows the
impotence and growing irrelevance of
the agency. It also shows the impos-
sibility of bringing peace when peace
is not wanted.
n Hezbollah releases footage of
2006 abduction
Six years ago, Hezbollah guerrillas
Syrian General
Defects to Turkey
DAILY NEWS | August 3
A
voU1 :,ooo Syrians, including a
defecting brigadier-general, have
ed to Turkey in the past : hours to
escape intensifying violence in their
country, a Turkish ocial said on
Friday.
Te latest group brought the num-
ber of Syrian refugees in Turkey to
,,,oo, up from ,ooo at the end of
July, said the ocial, who asked not to
be named. At least :, military gener-
als are among those who have taken
refuge in Turkey.
Opposition sources say at least
:8,ooo people have been killed since
the revolt against President Bashar
al-Assad began in March :o::. Turkish
ocials are concerned about a pos-
sible ood of refugees from Syrias big-
gest city of Aleppo as Assads forces
Y
is1ivu.v, Iv.i. President Mah-
moud Ahmadinejad said the goal of
the international community should
be to annihilate Israel. Addressing a
crowd of ambassadors from Islamic
countries gathered to celebrate Irans
upcoming annual anti-Semitic Jerusa-
lem Day, he said, Anyone who loves
freedom and justice must strive for the annihilation of the
Zionist regime in order to pave the way for world justice
and freedom. Wiping Israel o the map and liberating Pal-
estine, he proclaimed, would solve all the worlds problems.
Te idea that Israel is the problem and that a Middle East
without Jews would solve everything is shockingly not lim-
ited to crazed Islamic dictators. Hatred toward Jews, though
ofen presented in a far subtler fashion, is nevertheless gain-
ing alarming ground within the international community.
Tis summer marks the oth anniversary of the Mu-
nich Massacre,a tragedy not just for Israel but also for
the Olympic Games. But the International Olympic Com-
mittee (ioc) refused to even allow one minute of silence
during Londons opening night ceremony to honor the ::
Israeli victims who were slaughtered by Palestinians at the
Munich Games.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney
recently avoided the subject of Jerusalem being the capital of
Israel like it was a contagious disease. Tere are plenty of in-
ternational bodies and news agencies that are quite happy to
recognize Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Te vvc even declares East Jerusalem as the capital of Pales-
tine viuu1 ow! Yet the United States cant even acknowledge
publicly that the west side of the city is Israels capital.
Where is this Jew-hating spirit coming from:
Tis spirit of wanting to rid this world of an entire race
of people comes straight from the devil. Satan has an
intense hatred for all mankind and a special hatred for the
biblical nation of Judah. Te truly awesome purpose God
has for the Jewsand the rest of Israel toois something
the god of this world absolutely hates.
God is not a respecter of personsHe doesnt view Israel
as a people better than others. Actually, from the beginning
God called Israel out to be a model nationa job it failed to
do. Today, He has chosen His Church to fulll the same role.
Te Church today, which is comprised of members of every
race, is dened as spiritual Israel in the Bible. Tis is the true,
yet astonishing, reason behind the intense hate for Israel to-
day. For much more on this subject, request our free booklet
Te Key of David. Follow Stephen Flurry: Twitter
The Root Cause of Anti-Semitism
STEPHEN FLURRY
crossed into Israel from Lebanon and
ambushed two armored Humvees on
patrol in northern Israel, killing eight
iuv soldiers and taking two others
hostage. Te cross-border raid ended
up triggering the Second Lebanon War.
Tis week, Hezbollah released ama-
teur video footage of the attack. With
northern Israel relatively quiet over
the past six years, why did Hezbollah
decide to release the video now: On
July,o, the Independent of London
made a few interesting observations:
Analysts in Israel and Lebanon sug-
gested the timing of the video release
had less to do with heightened tensions
between the Shia Muslim guerrilla
group and Israel than with the over-
shadowing of Lebanese domestic poli-
tics by the Syrian civil war. Hezbollah
has come under increasing pressure
ahead of Lebanese elections scheduled
for next summer from anti-Syria poli-
ticians denouncing the groups broad
support forand partial dependence
AUGUST 4, 2012
3
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
onthe Syrian regime during its vio-
lent suppression of the :o-month upris-
ing. Rather than showing Hezbollahs
strength, this video and the timing of
its release is another sign of Hezbol-
lahs desperate position with Bashar al
Assads regime in danger of collapsing
in Syria. Hezbollah knows that if Syria
breaks its alliance with Iran, Lebanon
may well follow. And if that happens,
Hezbollah will be lef on the outside
looking in.
n Sunni powers getting dragged
into Syrian conflict
Te Syrian government leveled some
rare public criticism against Sunni
powers in the Middle East last Sunday.
Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem
accused Saudi Arabia, Qatar and
Turkey of trying to destroy Syria. He
also said those countries were support-
ing an Israeli plot to overthrow Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad. Moallems
allegations came while he was on a
visit to Iran. Meanwhile, Turkey is tak-
ing steps to secure its interests along
its border with northern Syria. Last
week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep
Tayyip Erdoan raised his concern
that the conict in Syria was allowing
a Kurdish authority to be created in
the northern part of the country. Such
a situation would create a sanctu-
ary for Turkeys Kurdish separatists,
who already use northern Iraq as a
springboard for attacks against Turkey.
Erdoan did not specify what actions
his nation may take, but Turkey has
now deployed a military convoy along
its volatile border, indicating that it is
ready to back up its interests with force
if necessary. Turkey must now be cau-
tious in its support for Syrian rebels so
as not to give Kurds more reasons and
more leverage to separate from Turkey.
Te conict in Syria is creating sparks
all around the Middle East powder keg.
n Clinton hopeful that Egypts
Islamists will represent Christians
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clin-
ton said on Monday that Americas
relationship with Egypt will largely
depend on how the new Egyptian gov-
ernment respects the rights of Coptic
Christians, women and other minori-
ties. Mrs. Clintons statement indicat-
ed that the Obama administration had
not entirely decided what its future
relationship with Egyptian President
Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim
Brotherhood would be. We are going
to judge by actions, not words, and
the actions are really just at the very
beginning stages, Mrs.Clinton said.
Clinton praised Morsi for saying he
would be the president of all Egyp-
tians, and also emphasized his pledge
to include Christians and women in
top leadership positions. We are pre-
pared to work with the leaders that the
Egyptian people choose, Mrs. Clinton
said. But when Morsi was campaign-
ing for the presidency, he delivered
a ery speech that may be a more
accurate reection of what the future
will be like for Egypts minorities.
Jihad is our path, Morsi said, adding
that death for the sake of Allah is our
most lofy aspiration, the sharia is our
constitution. He also promised to
limit the rights of women and reverse
Egypts previously friendly stance
toward the U.S. and Israel.
n American-Pakistani ties
unraveling
Te political relationship between
Pakistan and America has been
S
.Uui Av.vi.s King Abdullah called for an extraordi-
nary meeting of Muslim leaders to be held August :-:,,
the countrys state news agency reported July ::. Saudi
Arabia is the head of the Organization of Islamic Coopera-
tion, a ,,-strong grouping of Islamic nations that has met
:: times since its foundation in :o. Tis months meeting
will be its fourth extraordinary summit.
King Abdullah called the meeting to examine the
situation in many countries of the Islamic world, intensify
eorts to confront this situation, address the sources of
discord and division therein, reunify the Islamic Ummah
[community] and promote Islamic solidarity.
Te call for the meeting came as the violence in Syria
heats up and the Alawite regime looks increasingly frag-
ile.
United States-based intelligence company Stratfor wrote
June ,o that Saudi Arabia may be using the emergency
summit to help position itself as a leader in the Muslim
world, while casting Iran as a sectarian player.
It now sees a historic opportunity to seize the leadership
of the Arab Middle East and to curtail Iranian inuence in
the region, it continues.
Watch for Saudi Arabia to build a coalition of Middle
Eastern nations opposed to Iran.
But also watch Iran. If, or rather when, Irans inuence
over Syria is pushed backas Bible prophecy says it will
beit will be under pressure to prove that its inuence isnt
retreating. Watch for Iran to redouble its eorts to reach
out to Egypt and Libya, as it shows that it is still a nation
with a wide reach and worth fearing.
Right now, the Middle East is going through a key pe-
riod of change. At the end, almost all the nations will be in
one of two camps. One will be a radical Islamic camp led
by Iran, which will include Iraq, Egypt, Libya and Ethiopia.
Te other will be an anti-Iranian coalition, with Turkey
and Saudi Arabia as the major players, but also including
other Gulf states and Syria. Tis coalition will align itself
with Germany as Europe becomes wary of Irans growing
inuence. Already, Germany, alongside the U.S., is arming
members of this group to counterbalance Iran.
Tis is what Saudi Arabias machinations with an
emergency summit are all about. Amid the turmoil in the
Middle East this summer, watch for these two key alliances
to emerge.
Saudi Arabia Calls Extraordinary Meeting
THETRUMPET.COM | August 2
AUGUST 4, 2012
4
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Draghi Stages A
Dramatic Power-Play
BUSINESS INSIDER | August 3
A
i.cx of tangible action from
European Central Bank President
Mario Draghi yesterday sent markets
hurtling downward. Today, however,
theyve rebounded afer some analysts
realized there was an upside to the
remarks.
Te importance of Draghis com-
ments may not have been what he said,
but how he said it.
Draghi set forth criteria that EU
political leaders must abide by in order
to receive monetary policy assistance,
while at the same time promising
that EU countries like Spain and Italy
wont fail in the short term.
In other words, he sent the follow-
ing message: If you do that, then I
will do this.
Tis is a divergence from earlier
policy, which was unpredictable and
reactive.
Now Draghi is clearly spelling
out his demands and the rewards,
somewhat tyrannically forcing EU
leaders to move forward.
Tis diminishes some uncertainty
in the real economy. Te icv will
purchase shorter-term debt and at-
tempt to push down the front end of
the yield curve. EU leaderswillresolve
concerns about ocial sector creditors
as de facto senior bondholders and
theywillstart using the European bail-
out funds to purchase sovereign bonds.
Not to mention that the central
bank has also conrmed it will make
reducing sovereign borrowing costs (at
least at the short end) a matter of clear
policy.
EUROPE
strained for the past several years,
especially since the resignation of
former President Pervez Musharraf.
Te New York Times reported on
Monday that American-Pakistani
relations still have a tinderbox qual-
ity, [driven] by dierences over ci.
drone strikes in Pakistans tribal belt,
the Afghan war and, most conten-
tiously, the Haqqani networka
terrorist group aliated with the
Taliban and headquartered in Paki-
stan. Te relationship between the
U.S. and Pakistan is worse now than it
was during Musharraf s reign. Be-
fore his resignation, Musharraf was
a lukewarm ally of the U.S.but an
ally nonetheless. However, with pres-
sure from inuential politicians, the
U.S. gave Musharraf an impossible
ultimatum, which led to his resigna-
tion. February :oo8 saw elections give
power to a new coalition government.
But the power is fragile at best. Vast
territories, especially in northwest
Pakistan, host breeding grounds for
a few very inuential radical Islamic
groups, like al Qaeda and the Taliban,
and there are ethnic and tribal dier-
ences throughout the country.
M
.vio Dv.uui is waging subtle
warfare on the euro crisis, having
major global players of nancial and
stock markets hanging on his every
public statement.
A week ago, extremely nervous
global markets were either stagnant or
in free fall as players took an increas-
ingly jaundiced view of the failure of
Europe to eectively contend with its ongoing, worsening
nancial crisis.
In the middle of that week, Ben Stein summed up the
mood thus: [W]ent to sleep with foreboding. Europe is
falling apart . A cratered Europe will have immense ef-
fects on the world economy (American Spectator,July :,).
He expressed concern about what, if anything, Washington
could do in terms of its clueless international economic
policy if we go into another leg of recession as demand for
U.S. exports to Europe corrects.
Ten, at a press conference July :o, Mario Draghi simply
sought to turn the tide with a war of words. Te media
carried the story of Draghi publicly and very condently
declaring that theicvis ready to do whatever it takes
to save the euro. Tis statement was seized upon by
the European press, which quickly spread their view
thatDraghihad sent a positive signal to the markets
(Presseurop, July :,).
Te Italian dailyCorriere della Seraopined, Draghi
gives his assurances that theicvwill save the euro .
With his words, Draghi has neither printed money nor cre-
ated liquidity, but has reassured the markets and is oering
something that is much rarer these days: condence.
All eyes were then on Super Mario Tursday, August
:, when he issued a further statement following the icv
governing council meeting in Frankfurt. Once again, no
action from the icv, only Draghis words that led to a mar-
ket spike on Friday.
Te fact that just by making public statements, Mario
the war dragon Draghi is able to have such powerful ef-
fect on the global economy highlights the power that this
central banker has. Its a power that will soon morph from
mere words impacting the global economy, into the real
action of the fulllment of the prophecies contained in
Revelation :,::o-:,. Follow Ron Fraser: Twitter
Mario Draghis War of Words
RON FRASER
AUGUST 4, 2012
5
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Draghi is essentially holding a
bullet to the heads of country lead-
ers, explicitly refusing to do anything
beyond preserve the situation until EU
leaders earn the long-term reward.
Tese latest moves show that
Draghi has European leaders over a
barrel. Te icv has typically been
more proactive than EU leadership,
and this amounts to little less than a
power play.
Tats not to say that these latest an-
nouncements will necessarily be good
for nancial markets. Draghis plan
conrms that he will push EU leaders
to the brink before he does anything,
and such pressure typically leads to
losses in equities.
However, in the real economy,
Draghis promises to act are invalu-
able. Such clarity could give inves-
tors faith enough to invest in the real
economy, despite continued volatility
in the markets.
Tis tyrannical butfor now
positive structure does have one fatal
aw, however. Should Draghi under-
estimate market angst and should
EU leaders fail to deliver appropriate
reforms in time, the icv chief will
have to wage a speedy retreat to save
the nancial system even without his
demands fullled.
Tus, theres chance that EU leaders
could call Draghis blu.
Losing Leverage Over
Germany
ZEROHEDGE | August 1
W
uiii ivivvoi awaits Germanys
bowing to European pressure to
share in the supposed wealth, the sad
truth is that the clear line between
core and peripheral economies is
blurring every day as the lead-boots
of Portugal, Spain, and Greece, drag
until-recently high-iers Germany
and France down to the bottom.
Te release this week of European
Manufacturing Condence data
shows that all the nations are now
contracting as core converges uow
to periphery in a vicious circle. Tis
is critical as suddenly the clock for a
euro break-up is speeding up: Every
day that Germany delays to intervene
and bail out the viius, the viius
implied-leverage declines as Germany
is being dragged to their leveland
thus unable let alone unwilling to
share some burden.
Spain Arrests
al Qaeda Attackers
TELEGRAPH | August 2
T
uvii viovii linked to al Qaeda
have been arrested in the south of
Spain, one in possession of explosives
they planned to use in attacks in either
the Iberian country or other European
nations, Interior Minister Jorge Fer-
nandez Diaz said on Tursday.
W
i .vi used to periodic crises that somehow resolve
themselves. Tis crisis is dierent. All the choices are
ugly, but the least ugly for Europe, and for Germany in
particular, is to save the euro.
I do not envy the current European leaders their task.
Over the past oo years, Europe has developed into the largest
political union and biggest economic market the world has
seen. To keep it is a huge responsi-
bility. So I write with deep humil-
ity and respect for those called on
to discharge that responsibility.
Tis crisis is existential for Eu-
rope. Te design aw of the euro
is now manifest.
For Germany the dilemma is
acute. To lose the euro now would
be a disaster: economically, not
just politically. On the other hand,
to save monetary union, Ger-
many is being asked to fund the
bailouts, inate its economy, and stand behind the debts
of the countries that have not undertaken the necessary
reforms. Unsurprisingly, the German people are reluctant
to do this.
What Europe now needs is a Grand Bargain, in which all
the decisions necessary to put the euro on a sound footing
are taken. Germany has to agree to some form of debt
mutualizationfor example, as suggested by the German
Council of Economic Expertswhile simultaneously sig-
naling and then implementing scal stimulus.
Debtor nations have to agree to reform and do so
through precise, credible, and timetabled programs. A
properthough potentially painfulplan to clean up bank
balance sheets has to be commu-
nicated to the markets, along with
certainty around the long-term
changes to banking and scal
policy. Tere will be inevitable
demands for reform of Europes
institutions on the back of these
changes and a clear process for
agreeing to those reforms should
be set out.
Te best thing now is to force
everyone to makethe big deci-
sions and make them together.
We need policies for growth, reform, and unity.
For this generation of leaders, we are used to periodic
crises that somehow resolve themselves. Tis crisis is dier-
ent. It is a new experience for us, with the :,os the near-
est parallel. All the choices are ugly, but the least ugly for
Europe, and for Germany in particular, is to save the euro.
Europe Needs a Grand Bargain
Tony Blair, THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR | August 2
Whether Europes strong man will be a presi-
dent, a king or a fhrer, only time will tell. But
neither the Germans nor Europe will wait for-
ever. Soon now, the German massesand all
Europewill again be swept off their feet and
enticed to loyally follow a man of the hour into
a new, glorious golden age. And, though it may
seem unbelievable, he will lead them on a quest
for global dominationso says your Bible!
TRUMPET, DECEMBER 2001
AUGUST 4, 2012
6
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
He said police arrested on Wednes-
day two al Qaeda members from ex-
Soviet republics close to Ciudad Real
who were likely heading to France,
and a Turkish man near Cadiz whose
house was searched and where explo-
sives were found.
Te minister said one of the two
arrested near Ciudad Real was a senior
al Qaeda operative who had extensive
experience in bomb-making.
It is one of the most important
operations against al Qaeda to date
to be carried out on an international
level, he said.
Tere are clear indications that
the suspects arrested could have been
planning an attack in Spain and/or
other European countries, the minis-
ter told a news conference.
He said the operation was conduct-
ed with the help of other international
police forces, and that the explosive
material was being analyzed. No de-
tails were given on how much material
was found, though the minister said it
was enough to blow up a bus.
The Day After
GERMAN-FOREIGN-POLICY.COM | July 30
G
ivm.-U.S. vi.s for Syrias
transformation along the lines of
the Western model are already meet-
ing resistance, even before the possible
overthrow of the Assad regime. For
months, German government advisers
from the German Institute for Inter-
national and Security Aairs (swv)
have been working on measures to be
immediately implemented following
an overthrow of the government in
Damascus.
Tese plans are being forged in
the German capital in collaboration
with the state-nanced United States
Institute for Peace (Usiv) and about ,
Syrian opponents, with the objective
of installing a pro-Western regime
in Damascus as soon as possible.
Inside Syria, however, it is becom-
ing more and more apparent that
inuential insurgent militias will not
submit to the West and will insist on
their independence, according to a
study, focused on the example of one
military rebel unit near Aleppo. Te
Islamist-oriented forces among the
militias would have to be given more
inuence in Syrias transformation.
An enhanced role of Islamist forces in
Syria is also among the plans devel-
oped by swv and Usiv in Berlin, which,
if successful, could end Syrias alliance
with Iran for the foreseeable future,
further isolating Teheran.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Germany may sell 200 tanks to
Qatar
Qatar has announced its interested
in buying up to :oo Leopard tanks
from Germany in a deal potentially
worth s:., billion, Spiegel reported
July :. Te deal is part of the Merkel
Doctrine of using weapons sales to
create alliances and inuence foreign
policy. Merkel has been making quiet
changes to Berlins arms
exports policy, Spie-
gel writes. Instead of
intervening in conicts,
she wants to help arm
certain countries to
provide stability in cri-
sis regions. Tis Merkel
Doctrine has altered
central premises of
Germanys foreign and
security policies, con-
tinues Spiegel, warning
that Merkel has never
had to give account to Germanys
public for this change. Te Qatar deal
is yet to be approved by Germanys
Federal Security Council, but Spiegel
reports there are indications that
Merkel and the Economics Ministry
will support it. As Spiegel points out,
Germany has been using its arms
exports to countries in the Middle
East to build an alliance to coun-
ter Iran. Tis quiet but vital shif in
German foreign policy is something
the Trumpet has been forecasting for
yearsan alliance between Germany
and several Middle Eastern nations,
including Syria.
n Germany shows who runs the
eurozone, again
Last week, head of the European Cen-
tral Bank (icv) Mario Draghi boosted
the markets condence in Spain, Italy
and the euro by promising that the
icv would do what it took to save the
euro. Stock markets soared, the euro
grew strong and the interest rate Spain
had to pay on its debt fell. At an icv
meeting August :, Draghi announced
how the icv would follow up on those
promising wordsthat it planned to
do nothing. Stock markets plunged
even while he was still speaking.
Spains stock market index, the Ibex,
sank , percent. Italys v1si Mib index
sank ,. percent. Te interest rate on
Spanish :o-year bonds returned to the
, percent danger zone. Why: Germany
didnt like what Draghi announced
last week. Bowing to German pressure,
it is clear the icv will not give mate-
rial help to Spain unless it submits to
a formal bailoutwith all the condi-
tions that come with it. Once again,
Germany has got its way.
n European bank watchdog could
be able to shut down banks
Te new European Central Bank (icv)
watchdog could have the power to
order banks and lenders to close down,
Reuters news agency reported August:,
citing anonymous ocial and poli-
cymakers. Speaking on condition of
anonymity, they said the latest plans
envisage giving the eurozones central
bank the remit to police far more than
just the currency areas :, top banks,
as originally expected, Reuters says. It
reports that the watchdog will be able
to overrule national lenders and inter-
vene in a smaller bank, if it believes it
is necessary. Te plan for the watchdog
will be nalised in the next few weeks
and announced in September. Watch
for the icv to be given a lot of power
over the eurozones banks.
A Leopard 2 heavy tank participates
in a military exercise in Letzlingen, Germany.
GETTY IMAGES
AUGUST 4, 2012
7
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Taiwan Flooded With
5 Feet of Rain
ASSOCIATED PRESS | August 2
A
1vovic.i storm inched across
northern Taiwan on Tursday afer
already dumping up to ve feet of rain
that has ooded farmland, swollen
rivers and paralyzed life on much of
the densely populated island of :, mil-
lion people.
Saola weakened from a typhoon
to a tropical storm by late afernoon,
but its slow movement and continu-
ing heavy rains raised the prospect of
devastating ooding in areas that have
absorbed more than :,o centimeters
(,8 inches) of rain since Tuesday.
It has caused ve deaths and lef
two people missing in Taiwan afer
killing :o people in the Philippines.
In the day in the northeastern
county of Ilan, rescuers used rubber
boats and amphibious vehicles to help
hundreds escape ooded homes.
Dozens of ights were canceled at
Taipeis main international airport,
where heavy winds destroyed two
jetways, and rail transport throughout
the island was disrupted. All seven
major reservoirs in Taiwan released
large quantities of water to prevent
ooding.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Russia returns to Cam Ranh Bay
At the end of July, Vietnam agreed to
allow Russia to have the Cam Ranh Bay
as a material and technical support base,
and it said that it will boost military co-
operation with Moscow. Because of the
Cam Ranh Bays strategic position and
its historic role in the frictions between
the U.S. and Russia, the statement at-
tracted attention and concern. Under
the rule of Vladimir Putin, Moscow has
begun to re-expand its global military
presence, and retaking the Vietnamese
base represents a signicant boost to its
inuence in Southeast Asia.
n Tokyo calls for Chinese military
transparency
Japan published its annual Defense
White Paper on Tuesday, arguing that
Chinas military and navy procedures
should be more transparent. Tokyos
worry stems from the fact that it sees
heaps of money being pumped into
Chinas budget under the large and
vague header of military expens-
es.Among Japans specic concerns
is a large-scale naval base with tunnels
for nuclear submarines reportedly be-
ing built in the city of Sanya, a location
with access to the Pacic Ocean and
the South China Sea. Japans report
called the lack of transparency in
RAVEENDRAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
ASIA
T
ui vici1 data released by the Japanese Ministry of
Finance showed that the major Asian economys crude
imports from Iran in June rose by oo., percent compared to
the month of May, Reuters reported on Monday. Customs-
cleared imports from Iran increased to :,o,,8 barrels per
day in June, compared to :oo,:o: barrels per day in the
previous month.
Japan needs to buy more oil from suppliers to generate
electricity afer most of its reactors were shut following the
afereects of an earthquake and tsunami last year.
Japanese industry and government sources announced
on July :o that the worlds third-largest economy loaded its
rst domestically-guaranteed shipment of Iranian crude oil
afer the U.S.-engineered European Union (EU) oil embargo
against Tehran went into eect at the start of this month.
Te Japanese government inked deals with two domes-
tic shipping companies to provide insurance cover for the
countrys two supertankers, which are to transfer a total of
, million barrels of Iranian crude by the end of July.
On June :o, in a move to counter the U.S.-engineered
EU bans against Iran, Japans parliament endorsed a bill
to provide Uss,.o billion in guarantees to ship owners that
transfer Iranian crude oil.
Japan, which imported percent of its oil from Iran in
:o::, refused to cease the purchase of the Islamic Republics
crude over concerns regarding the likelihood of a surge in
the imported oil prices and its subsequent negative eects
on Japans economic development.
Japans Oil Imports From Iran Jump
REUTERS | July 30
Chinas military and naval expansion a
matter of concern for the international
community. Tere are incidents that
incite concerns over Chinas military
decision making and actions, the
paper says. Tokyos paper also quotes
from Taiwans :o:: Defense Report
saying that although cross-Strait talks
have eased relations, Chinas objec-
tive to unify Taiwan has not changed.
As the military strength of the two
sides of the Taiwan Strait become even
more imbalanced, we are bound to
face growingly severe military threats.
Expect Chinas military to continue to
worry its Asian neighbors, which will
spawn a region-wide arms increase.
n India powered up
Tis week, India suered the worlds
biggest ever power outage which lef
o,o million people in the dark. Te
proximate cause of the outage was
record electricity demand due to the
high temperatures and a growing
economy. However, the greater cause
is corruption. Electricity thef is an
endemic problem that discourages
infrastructure development and invest-
ment in the energy sector. As long as so
many people are stealing power, money
needed to upgrade and maintain the
grid will be in short supplyand prob-
lems like this will go unresolved.
AUGUST 4, 2012
8
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
San Bernardino Files
for Bankruptcy
REUTERS | August 2
S
. Biv.vuio led for bank-
ruptcy protection on Wednesday
citing more than s: billion of debts
and making it the third Californian
city to seek protection from creditors.
Te city of about ::o,ooo residents
o, miles east of Los Angeles declared
a scal crisis last month afer a report
said local government had tapped out
its reserves and projected spending
would top revenue by s, million in
the scal year that began on July :.
Te ling, made in the United
States Bankruptcy Court, Central
California District, states that the city
has more than s: billion in liabilities,
and estimated that it has between
:o,ooo and :,,ooo creditors.
It also states that San Bernardino
has estimated assets of more than
s:billion.
San Bernardinos city council voted
on July : to adopt an emergency
three-month scal plan that would
suspend debt payments, freeze vacant
jobs and quit paying into a retiree
health fund while city sta produce a
more detailed bankruptcy plan.
In the past two months, the cities of
Stockton and Mammoth Lakes have
also led for Chapter bankruptcy
protection, a special bankruptcy pro-
vision for municipalities.
Stockton, which like San Ber-
nardino has suered from the hous-
ing crash that was particularly acute
in Southern California, led for
bankruptcy in June, becoming the
largest U.S. city to do so.
Other cities in California are also
in deep scal trouble and more could
le for bankruptcy.
DHS Gears Up for
Civil Unrest
RUSSIA TODAY | July 28
T
ui Div.v1mi1 of Homeland
Security has ordered masses of
riot gear equipment to prepare for
potential signicant domestic riots at
the Republican National Convention,
Democratic National Convention and
next years presidential inauguration.
Te uus submitted a rushed
solicitation to the Federal Business
RAVEENDRAN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
ANGLO-AMERICA
F
ov 1uosi who make their living along the Mississippi
River, helping ship many of the countrys most vital
commodities, this years drought has inevitably raised the
specter of :88. Tats when the river got so low that barge
trac came to a standstilland the industry lost s: billion.
Unfortunately, :o:: could be worse.
Along the :,,oo miles of the Mississippi, Americas
most important waterway, signs of the countrys worst
drought in ,o years can be found at almost any point. Near
Memphis, the river is about :, feet below its normal depth,
according to the National Weather Service. In Vicksburg,
Miss., its more than :o feet below. Overall, the river is
about :, feet below normal for this time of yearthats ,,
feet below last years ood levels.
Tose levels have forced barge, tugboat and towboat op-
erators to drastically change how they move goods up and
down the river. And as the river dries up, it gets narrower
and shallower. Te narrowness forces barges to sail more
closely past each other, ofen slowing their speeds. Some
sections have become so narrow that only one-way trac
has been able to move through.
At the same time, the shallowness of the Mississippi has
forced shippers to load less cargo onto barges because of
fears theyll run aground. Te Army Corps of Engineers is
tasked with making sure that the channel is at least feet
deep so ships can safely pass.
Te benchmark year that everyone in the industry is
talking about is :88, when a drought brought hundreds of
barges to a standstill and caused about s: billion in losses.I
remember there were times when it was a dead stop, says
Merritt Lane, cio and president of Canal Barge Co. Some
areas became so shallow that they werent economically
passable. You could move so little cargo, you just cant go.
Muench also cites :88 as the only time in recent memo-
ry that could compare with this summer.For the last two
or three weeks, the phrase I keep hearing is, Close to :88.
Worse than :88. Same as :88, she says. Te estimate
was that the industry lost over s: billion. And that doesnt
include any of the ripple eects. Teres a real possibility
that itll be worse this year.
Some estimate that closing the river to trac could lead
to losses of about s,oo million a day, which would then
grow exponentially afer a few days.
Te s:8o billion barge, tugboat and towboat industry
transports just about anything you can think of that comes
in bulk: petroleum, grain, fertilizer, sand, gravel, mulch,
steel.Te building blocks of the nation are on our barges,
says Muench. About oo percent of the countrys grain
exports and one fh of its coal is transported along the na-
tions inland waterway system, according to the .wo.
Te economic costs that come from shipping delays and
lighter loads could eventually trickle down to consumers.
Te .wo estimates that transporting goods via waterways
costs s:: a ton less than by rail or truck. If those products
are moved to other modes of transportation, the costs for
consumers will likely rise.
Te mighty Mississippilong the countrys most power-
ful economic waterwaymay take a while to regain its
strength.
The Not-So-Mighty Mississippi
TIME | July 30
AUGUST 4, 2012
9
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Opportunities site on Wednesday,
which is a portal for federal govern-
ment procurement requisitions over
s:,,ooo. Te request gave the poten-
tial suppliers only one day to submit
their proposals and a :,-day delivery
requirement to Alexandria, Virginia.
As the brief explains, [T]he objec-
tive of this eort is to procure riot gear
to prepare for the Democratic and
Republican National Conventions, the
Presidential Inauguration and
other future similar activities.
Te total amount ordered is about
:,o sets of riot helmets, thigh and
groin protectors, hard-shell shin
guards and other riot gear.
Te urgency of the order can be
explained by the fact that there is a
growing anticipation that many dem-
onstrators will travel to the Republican
National Convention (vc), scheduled
for August :,-,o in Tampa Bay, Flori-
da, and Democratic National Conven-
tion (uc), planned for September ,-o
in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Te vc itself, for example, will have
free speech zones, which will serve as
containment quarters for the protest-
ers by not allowing them to leave the
designated areas and cause trouble.
Another recent uus move to gear
up was back in March of this year,
when it gave the defense contractor
.1x a deal to provide the uus with ,o
million .o caliber hollow-point am-
munition over a ve-year period.
On top of that, the uus has re-
cently purchased a number of bullet-
proof checkpoint booths and hired
hundreds of new security guards to
protect government buildings.
Half of Counties Now
Considered Disasters
ASSOCIATED PRESS | August 1
N
i.viv ::o counties in a dozen
drought-stricken states were
added Wednesday to the U.S.
governments list of natural disaster
areas as the nations agriculture chief
unveiled new help for frustrated, cash-
strapped farmers and ranchers grap-
pling with extreme dryness and heat.
Te U.S. Department of Agricul-
tures addition of the ::8 counties
means that more than half of all U.S.
counties:,,8 in ,: stateshave been
designated primary disaster areas this
growing season, the vast majority of
them mired in a drought thats consid-
ered the worst in decades.
To help ease the burden on the
nations farms, Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack on Tursday opened up
,.8 million acres of conservation land
for ranchers to use for haying and
grazing.
As of this week, nearly half of the
nations corn crop was rated poor to
very poor, according to the Usu.s Na-
tional Agricultural Statistics Service.
About ,, percent of the U.S. soybeans
were lumped into that category, while
nearly three quarters of U.S. cattle
I
M.v, President Obama hosted
leaders from around the world in
his hometown of Chicago. It was the
rst time any American city other
than Washington had hosted a .1o
summit. It was a chance for the city to
showcase itself to the world.
But does America really want to
show the world what Chicago has to
oer:
It is tragically ironic that the .1o Chicago Summit
emphasized the need for Afghanistan to build a sustain-
able, credible and accountable civilian police force capable
of enforcing domestic security. It is ironic because these are
the very things that Chicago has been unable to provide its
own citizens.
On July , Mayor Emanuel embarrassingly pleaded with
gangs to take their ghts away from children. Weve got
two gang-bangers, one standing next to a kid. Get away
from that kid. Take your stu away to the alley. Dont touch
the children of the city of Chicago. Dont get near them.
Dont come near the kidsdont touch them, said the
former Obama chief of sta.
But the gangs dont care. Te children continue to die.
Tere is a Trayvon Martin in Chicago almost every day
only here it is black-on-black crime.
Te more famous or horrendous deaths make the news,
but the shootings and knings that dont end up killing
anyone have lost their shock value.
Police say there are :oo,ooo gang members in the city.
Te police are outnumbered. And ofen outgunned. Some
people describe the gangs as private armies.
It resembles a war zone, says Sergeant Little. It is tribal
warfare. Little, who is a decorated veteran of Iraq and
Afghanistan, says certain neighborhoods of Chicago are
comparable to what he saw in combat.
But in some ways Chicago is actually worse than Af-
ghanistan.
Seven months into :o:: and : people have been
murdered in Chicago. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, where
an actual declared war is ongoing, a comparatively meager
:8 have been killed. Since the war in Afghanistan began in
:oo:, around :,ooo U.S. soldiers have lost their lives ght-
ing for America. During that same span of time, there have
been over ,,ooo homicides in Chicago.
Tat is absolutely tragic. And condemning.
People lament and whine about the high cost in Ameri-
can lives in Afghanistan and Iraq. But more people died on
the streets of just one U.S. city during that time period than
died in combat in both wars combined.
A recent vc News study found that Chicago is one of the
deadliest cities in the world. Among alpha cities, it now has
more murders per capita than Mexico City and So Paulo.
Tis is the city America showcased to the world for a
summit about peace and security.
Follow Robert Morley: Twitter
The Chicago Facade
ROBERT MORLEY
AUGUST 4, 2012
10
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
acreage is in drought-aected areas,
the survey showed.
Tursdays expansion of federal
relief was welcomed in rain-starved
states like Illinois, where the Usu.s
addition of oo counties leaves just
four of the states :o: countiesCook,
DuPage, Kane and Will, all in the
Chicago areawithout the natural
disaster classication.
Te Illinois State Water Survey said
the state has averaged just ::.o inches
from January to June :o::, the sixth-
driest rst half of a year on record.
Compounding matters is that Illinois
has seen above-normal temperatures
each month, with the statewide average
of ,:.8 degrees over the rst six months
logged as the warmest on record.
TW
I N B R I E F
n U.S. poverty level expected to
reach new high:
Te ranks of Americas poor are on
track to climb to levels not seen in ,o
years, reports the Associated Press.
Essentially all improvements against
poverty since the :oos will be lost. Te
Census gures for :o:: will be re-
leased in the fall, just weeks before the
November elections. Afer surveying
economists, think tanks and academics,
there was a broad consensus of opinion
that the poverty rate will rise from the
:o:o gure of :,.: percent to :,., percent.
Even though some of those surveyed
expected a more modest gain, even
a o.: percentage point increase puts
poverty at the highest level since :o,.
Included in the number are underem-
ployed workers, suburban families and,
of course, the poorest poor. Tere is
also a new poorall those discouraged
workers giving up on the job market
and hoping their unemployment bene-
ts dont run out. Suburban America is
seeing increases in poverty. Te failed
A
viuicUioUs brouhaha has de-
veloped over an innocuous article
in the Baptist Press two weeks ago: a
feature on the president of Chick-l-A
showing how he lets his faith guide his
business decisions. Te article men-
tioned opposition the company has
faced for its support of traditional fam-
ily. Well, guilty as charged, Dan Cathy responded. We are
very much supportive of the familythe biblical denition
of the family unit. We know that it might not be popular
with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where
we can share our values and operate on biblical principles.
For those statements, Mr. Cathy was absolutely pilloried.
Te mayor of Boston threatened to deny Chick-l-A
licenses to operate in his city. A Chicago alderman an-
nounced he would block the company from opening a
new store in his ward. Chicagos mayor agreed, saying,
Chick-l-A values are not Chicago values. A Philadelphia
councilman sent a letter to Dan Cathy telling his company
to take a hike and take your intolerance with you. A New
York councilman threatened to withhold a business permit
until Chick-l-A broke ties with groups that oppose same-
sex marriage. Celebrities issued public condemnations.
Protesters stood outside stores urging customers to boycott.
Here are four lessons to take from this appalling, embar-
rassing story.
:) Behold the liberal denition of tolerance.
Chick-l-A has never been accused of discriminat-
ing against homosexuals in its hiring, its service or other
business practices. Tese folks want to shut it down for its
presidents personal beliefs.
To these people, youre only open minded if you agree
with them. And tolerance demands extreme intolerance
of alternative views.
:) We are looking at hypocrisy on an epic scale.
Are the Chick-l-A bashers really so opposed to those
who dont support same-sex marriage: Ten why single
out one business: Surely there are other business owners
who harbor a similar belief. A recent Pew poll said per-
cent of Americans still oppose same-sex marriage.
Where is the condemnation of businesses owned by
Muslims whose religion informs their opposition to homo-
sexuality:
,) Politically correct diversity includes practically all
groups but one.
Te politically correct version of diversity happily
includes people of all races and religionseven those that
practice forced marriage, polygamy, sending their children
on suicide bombing missions, what have youexcept one.
Te message to them: Take a hike, and take your intoler-
ance with you.
Who are they: Bible believers.
Nobody inspires vitriol, spite and bigotry like someone
who actually lets Scripture govern his beliefs.
) We are witnessing head-spinning, lightning-fast
social change.
Mankindand not just Bible-believershas been den-
ing marriage as being between a man and a woman for
thousands of years. Quite suddenly, in the United States, it
is a minority position. In May, President Obama publicly
embraced same-sex marriage. Just weeks later, major
politicians saw a businessman who puts biblical denition
in front of family and targeted him for public ogging. Now
the Democratic Party is considering support for same-sex
marriage as part of its ocial party platform.
It is absolutely extraordinary how rapid this revolution-
ary change has been.
We know that it might not be popular with everyone,
but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can
share our values and operate on biblical principles. It was
just a couple weeks ago that an unsuspecting, family-loving
businessman uttered those words. Who knew just how out
of step he was: Follow Joel Hilliker: Twitter
4 Lessons From the Attack on Chick-l-A
JOEL HILLIKER
AUGUST 4, 2012
11
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
economy is certainly one cause behind
this increase. But the New York Times
reports that it is changes in marriage
patternsas opposed to changes in
individual earningsthat accounts for
as much as o percent of the growth in
certain measures of nancial hardship.
n Goliath dust storms slam
Arizona
Once considered to be once-in-:oo-
year events, giant dust storms are
pounding the U.S. state of Arizona.
In a summer of excessive heat and
extreme drought, this is not good
news. Since June, ve dust storms have
plagued Arizonas famous valley area.
On July :, Phoenix looked more like
Saharan Africa than the well-mani-
cured American Southwest. A massive
dust cloud, referred to as a habooban
Arabic word meaning strong wind
blanketed the metropolitan area. Te
cloud was :,ooo feet tall and nearly oo
miles wide. Although not the largest
dust storm to hit the area, tree limbs
and power poles were snapped, caus-
ing ,ooo homes to lose power. Te Sky
Harbor Airport was shut down for :o
minutes. Tese huge dust storms form
during the monsoon season that runs
from June until the end of September.
Tey are so destructive because of
the ne dust particles that manage
to permeate everywhere during the
storm. According to experts, these
storms are becoming more frequent.
USA Today stated: Tis means more
deadly accidents, more harmful pol-
lution and more health problems for
people breathing in the irritating dust
particles (July:,). Te ne dust can
carry a poisonous mix of fungi, heavy
metals from pollution, fertilizers,
stockyard fecal matter, chemicals and
bacteria, which can cause cardiovas-
cular disease, eye diseases and other
illnesses such as valley fever.
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
B
iix .u youll miss it. Don t blink, and youll still
miss it.
Imagine a device capable of delivering more power than
all of the worlds electric plants. But this is not a prop for
the next James Bond movie. A new laser at Lawrence Berke-
ley National Laboratory was put through its paces July :o,
delivering pulses with a petawatt of power once per second.
A petawatt is :o
:,
watts, or :,ooo,ooo,ooo,ooo,ooowatts
about oo times as much as the combined instantaneous
output of all the worlds electric plants.
How is that even possible: Well, the pulses at the Berke-
ley Lab Laser Accelerator (viii.) are both exceedingly
powerful and exceedingly short. Each petawatt burst lasts
just o femtoseconds, or o.ooooooooooooo second. Since
it res just one brief pulse per second, the lasers average
power is only about o watts the same as an incandescent
bulb in a reading lamp.
viii.s laser is not the rst to pack so much power a laser
at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, just an hours
drive inland from Berkeley, reached :.:, petawatts in the
:os. And the University of Texas at Austin has its own
high-power laser, which hit the :.:-petawatt mark in :oo8.
But the Berkeley laser is the rst to deliver petawatt pulses
with such frequency, the lab says. At full power, for compar-
ison, the Texas Petawatt Laser can re one shot per hour.
Te Department of Energy plans to use the powerful
laser to drive a very compact particle accelerator via a
process called laser wakeeld acceleration, boosting elec-
trons to high energies for use in colliders or for imaging or
medical applications. Electron beams are already in use to
produce bright pulses of x-rays for high-speed imaging. An
intense laser pulse can ionize the atoms in a gas, separating
electrons from protons to produce a plasma. And laser-
carved waves in the plasma sweep up electrons, accelerat-
ing them outward at nearly the speed of light.
Berkeleys Fantastic Laser
SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN | August 2
In the book of Haggai, God reveals that He will shake the nations
at a specic time. This shaking immediately precedes the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ! Find out when this shaking begins.
This week
on television
HaggaiShaking the Nations
Check local listings or visit
www.keyofdavid.com.
GET MORE DEPTH
If you nd The Trumpet Weekly
to be informed, insightful and
relevant to your life, youre sure
to love the Philadelphia Trumpet
even more. This monthly news-
magazine gives you more stories
and greater depth that will help you
make sense of world news and your
life. Like the Trumpet Weekly, the
Trumpet is completely FREE of cost
or obligation. Subscribe now!
WEB: theTrumpet.com TEL: 1.800.772.8577 E-MAIL: letters@theTrumpet.com
AUGUST 4, 2012
12
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
entering the Anwar Mosque in Addis
Ababa.
Te uptick in crackdowns on Muslims
is a sign of the governments concern that
radical Islamist elements are gaining
momentum in Ethiopia. According
to Shiferaw Teklemariam, Ethiopias
minister for federal aairs, the purpose of the July :, gath-
ering outside the mosque in Addis Abab was to hatch plans
for an Islamic uprising. Te meeting was deliberately
provocative, he stated. Tis group actually deals day and
night to create an Islamic state.
Te problem with the increasing government crack-
downs, some experts claim, is that they may stoke the
frustration and rage of Ethiopias large Muslim popula-
tion. Hassan Hussein, an Ethiopian human rights activist,
worries that the government crackdown could even result
in a widespread backlash along the lines of what happened
in Egypt and Libya. He warns that the Muslim protest-
ers know that they have the support of the majority of the
population so long as their demand is for civil liberties and
democratic freedoms. Other sectors could press similar
demands, and it might escalate into calls for regime change
as has happened in the Arab Spring.
If anti-government protests take root, its possible Ethio-
pias radical Islamist elements couldmuch like the Muslim
Brotherhood did during Egypts revolutionexploit the social
unrest to establish greater inuence, both on the street and
then within whatever political regime emerged in Addis
Ababa. Of course, its early, and the Muslim rebellion isnt
necessarily large or widespread, but the seeds have been sown.
Given the right conditions, the tension could blossom
quickly into something larger and more dangerouses-
pecially if Ethiopia is thrust into a leadership crisis, which
is imminent. Tere is a great deal of mystery surrounding
the health of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. Te consensus
seems to be that Mr. Zenawi has brain cancer, although
some say hes already dead. Whatever the case, Mr. Zenawi
is extremely unwell and has been noticeably absent from
public aairs in recent weeks.
Moreover, its become increasingly obvious that replac-
ing Mr. Zenawi, the anchor of Ethiopian politics, is not go-
ing to be quick, simple or clean. As Alemayehu G. Mariam
wrote this week, Ethiopias constitution is vague and
inconclusive regarding rules of succession. It is clear that
Ethiopia is now facing not only a leadership and power
vacuum but also a monumental constitutional crisis in the
absence of a constitutional plan or procedure for succession,
explained Mariam.
A nation without a leader and no clear strategy for suc-
cession is an ivi1.1io 1o voii1ic.i cu.os, coviic1
.u is1.viii1v (ibid).
Tink on this. Te Ethiopian government is increasingly
determined to confront radical Islamists, both internally
and within its immediate sphere of inuence (Somalia and
Eritrea). More and more people within Ethiopias Muslim
community are becoming frustrated, angry and politically
energized. Resentment is welling, protests are increasing,
anti-government violence is already occurring. Meanwhile,
regional Islamist groups, some aligned with radicals in
Saudi Arabia, others with Iran, continue to strengthen
their presence in the nation.
Ten, on top of all this, Ethiopias prime minister is
about to die, which will thrust the nation into political and
social tumult.
Talk about a powder keg! And we havent even consid-
ered regional politics.
Take Iran. Tehran is in serious jeopardy of losing the
Assad regime in Syria as its key regional ally. Its proxies
in southern Lebanon (Hezbollah) and Gaza (Hamas) are
beginning to distance themselves. Meanwhile, a regional
coalition against Assadand therefore against Iranian
interestsis developing behind regional heavyweights
Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Worse still (for Iran), this coali-
tion is gaining the support of Germany and Europe. As
these trends continue, Iran will nd itself in deep trouble
strategically.
One way to anticipate how Iran might react to these
circumstances is to study a map of the Middle East. Iran
still has radical Islamist friends with a formidable foothold
in Yemen and Somalia. Meanwhile, radical Islam is emerg-
ing as the controlling inuence in Egypt. Strategically, each
of these states sits adjacent to one of the most important
assets in the entire world: 1ui Riu Si.:
If Iran can establish control of the Red Seaoi ov
1ui mos1 imvov1.1 iivuv .u 1v.ui voU1is i 1ui
woviuit will have Saudi Arabia surrounded, and Europe
and the West at its mercy!
Expect Iran to reestablish its strategic position by improv-
ing ties with Egypt, and to a lesser extent, Somalia and Ye-
men. Meanwhile, pay attention to the two countries between
Egypt and Somalia: E1uiovi. .u Evi1vi.: Tehran will not
resist the opportunity to exploit to its advantage the growing
social and political uncertaintyas well as the Islamist dis-
satisfaction and potential uprisingin these nations!
Go back and read Libya and Ethiopia Reveal Irans
Military Strategy, Mr. Flurrys April :o:: article on this
subject. Its an incredible article: Besides warning that
Libya and Ethiopia would come under the inuence of
Iran and radical Islam, he explained explicitly how radical
Islam would seek to gain control over the Red Sea. Its true
this forecast wasnt thoroughly underpinned by facts on
the ground when it was written. Ethiopia is predominantly
Christian, and at the time, the nation was stable and there
was no evidence that radical Islam was a major threat.
But thats what makes it so inspiring: Mv. FiUvvv
uiiiviviu 1uis vovic.s1 wi1uoU1 vi.ms ov vuvsic.i
iviuici: How:
Because he had the ultimate fact, the supreme truth,
the only evidence that really matters. He had, and humbly
believed and boldly repeated for the world to hear, what the
Apostle Peter termed the more sure word of prophecy.
And now the facts on the ground are beginning to align
with the Bibles forecast!
Follow Brad Macdonald: Twitter
ETHIOPIA from page 1
COVER: TW
BRAD MACDONALD