1

THE TRUMPET WEEKLY THE TRUMPET WEEKLY

O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 3
Israel asks Italy for help with Iran 2
Christians global situation deteriorating 5
Russia: Twisting arms in Europe 6
Americas Asian pivot fails 7
We have every right to bug Angela Merkels phone 8
BY JOEL HILLIKER
R
ici1 ivi1s have made it unmistakably clear: Te
era of America bestriding the world has ended.
It didnt last long. Particularly if we consider it as
having started afer the Cold War, when the Soviet Union
collapsed in ::.
But make no mistake: Te period of the United States
undertaking big, bold plans to eect political change in
other nations, particularly plans that involve large deploy-
ments of soldiers, is passed.
And most Americans would say, Amen to that.
Afer :: years of costly war in Iraq and Afghanistan
over :o if you go back to the rst Gulf WarAmericans
have had enough.
It was undeniable last month, when Secretary of State
John Kerry tried to sell Americans on an intervention in
Syria. Te strike the administration was contemplating,
he assured us, would be vivv iimi1iu, vivv 1.v-
ci1iu, vivv suov1-1ivm Uniiiiv.niv sm.ii
(emphasis added). Tat is all that Americans would have
the stomach for. In fact, polling showed that they were op-
posed even to that: An Economist/YouGov poll found only
:8 percent of Americans supported the U.S. participating
in a coalition military strike on Assads regime.
Sure, the nation looked weak when, afer threatening to
use force against Bashar Assad, it then pulled back and turned
the situation over to the Russians. But most Americans were
relieved anyway.
Sure, Iraq is turning into a violent jungle in our absence.
So far this year over ,,ooo Iraqi civilians have been killed
mostly thanks to the resurgence of al
Qaeda in Iraq. But most Ameri-
cans are simply glad were
not in the middle of it.
Sure, Afghanistan
will likely revert to
Taliban rule once
GETTY IMAGES
The Age of American Intervention
Is Over
see OVER page 12
Secretary of State John Kerry
OCTOBER 25, 2013
2
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
MIDDLE EAST
Israel Clashes With
U.S.
TELEGRAPH | October 23
T
ui Ui1iu States and Israel clashed
on Wednesday over Iran as Benja-
min Netanyahu called for Tehrans en-
tire nuclear program to be dismantled
and warned the world against accept-
ing a partial deal.
Te Israeli prime minister made
clear his dismay at Washingtons sofer
approach towards Iran. He said the
ongoing negotiations should insist
that Tehran end all enrichment of ura-
nium, destroy all ssile material and
close water plants and underground
bunkers that, he said, could only be
used to build a nuclear bomb.
Te six world powers involved in
talks with Iran have not made rm
commitments on what it would allow
Tehran to keep, but are not insisting
on it eradicating its nuclear industry.
I think a partial deal that leaves
Iran with these capabilities is a bad
deal, said Mr. Netanyahu.
John Kerry, the U.S. secretary of
state, said only that the United States
would continue to insist Iran prove to
the world that its nuclear program is
peaceful, as Tehran claims.
It was the second time this week
that Mr. Kerry has been forced to
explain U.S. policy in the Middle East
to a close ally.
On Monday, he held extensive meet-
ings with the foreign minister of Saudi
Arabia, who is also troubled by Wash-
ingtons thaw with Iran and its unwill-
ingness to attack the Syrian regime.
Te Saudis and the Israelis both
regard the prospect of a nuclear Iran
as a direct threat, despite their own
dierences.
Te six world powers in the talks
no longer expect Iran to halt all its
enrichment, as the Islamic state has
sharply expanded this work and it is
seen as a source of national pride.
Israeli Warplanes
Bomb Hezbollah
Missile Shipment
HAARETZ | October 23
K
Uw.i1s A-J newspaper
reported on Wednesday that Israeli
warplanes attacked a convoy carrying
missiles along Lebanons border with
Syria two days earlier.
Quoting Israeli sources, the
newspaper said that the missiles were
intended for delivery to Hezbollah,
to bolster their cache of advanced
weapons. Te report did not specify
whether the alleged attack was carried
out on Lebanese or Syrian territory.
Te newspaper sources an Israeli
security ocial, described as an as-
sociate of Defense Minister Moshe
P
vimi Miis1iv Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Rome
on Tuesday to urge Italy and the U.S. to continue to
impose sanctions against Iran as the best path to peacefully
disarm Tehrans nuclear weapons program.
We must ensure that Iran wont have nuclear weapons
capabilities and that this can be achieved peacefully, Ne-
tanyahu told his Italian counterpart Enrico Letta during a
Tuesday-night meeting in Rome.
Many countries in Europe, North America [and] Asia
have nuclear power programs with centrifuges or plu-
tonium, he said. Te only reason Iran has insisted on
centrifuges and plutonium is to allow it to produce enough
material for a nuclear bomb. Te United Nations Security
Council has passed resolutions, including one in :o:o that
called on Iran to dismantle its centrifuges and to stop the
production of plutonium, Netanyahu said.
If Iran retains these capabilities, it can move quickly to
produce a [nuclear] bomb, Netanyahu said. We cant al-
low them to do this.
Te Islamic Republics crude exports more than halved
afer the European Union and United States, which accuse
Tehran of seeking nuclear weapons, tightened sanctions in
mid-:o::, cutting its budget revenues by at least s,, billion
annually.
Netanyahu Heads to Rome
JERUSALEM POST | October 23
Yaalon, as saying that Israel has
information regarding the transfer of
advanced and precise long-range mis-
siles from Syria to Hezbollah.
Te source is quoted as saying that
missiles were being stored in Leba-
nons Bekaa Valley and that Israel was
weighing the possibility of destroying
the remaining cache as well.
U.S. Still Considering
Drones Sales to Turkey
TIMES OF ISRAEL | October 24
U
.S. s.iis of drones to Turkey are
still under consideration.
Te United States continues to
work through our approach to export-
ing unmanned systems to our closest
allies, including Turkey, a Pentagon
ocial told ,1. on Tuesday.
Te ocial would not comment
directly on reports originating in the
Turkish press that the Obama ad-
ministration had canceled the sale of
:oPredator drones to Turkey in retali-
ation for Turkeys alleged exposure
to Iran of :o operatives working for
Israeli intelligence.
According to a report in the Turk-
ish daily Taraf, the head of Turkeys
intelligence, Hakan Fidan, exposed the
:o Iranianswho had secretly been
meeting with Mossad handlersto
the Islamic Republic more than three
OCTOBER 25, 2013
3
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES
years ago, afer the Israeli takeover of
the Gaza-bound Mavi Marmara. Nine
Turkish citizens were killed in the op-
eration, which led to Ankaras all but
freezing its relations with Israel.
Te U.S. drones were to be de-
livered to Turkey in mid-:o::, but
according to the report, Congress can-
celed the deal because of the growing
cooperation between the Turkish and
Iranian intelligence services.
A spokesman for the State Depart-
ment, which nalizes such sales, also
would not comment, citing the policy
of not making such sales public until
Congress had been notied.
Te drones each cost at least
s.,million.
Turkey, not too long ago, had the Ot-
toman Empire, which started in 1517
and continued till 1917 . They allied
themselves in World War I with Keiser
Wilhelm II. Heres the kicker in this:
Theyre going to ally themselves with
Germany again against America and
Britain!
Gerald Flurry, Turkey Is Going to
Betray America, October 27
Is Iran Thumbing Its
Nose at U.S.?
FOX NEWS | October 23
T
uiv1v vi.vs afer the Marine
Corps barracks bombing in Beirut,
one of the most horric and formative
terror attacks in American history,
the new Iranian government appears
to be thumbing its nose at the United
States by appointing one of the alleged
masterminds of that attack as its new
defense minister.
On the morning of Oct. :,, :8,, an
Iranian suicide bomber drove a Mer-
cedes truck lled with :,ooo pounds
of explosives into the Marine Corps
barracks near the Beirut airport in
Lebanon. Te massive explosion at-
tened the building, killing :: Ameri-
can servicemen, mostly marines, who
were sleeping at the time.
In a near simultaneous attack, an-
other suicide bomber crashed into an
international peacekeeping building
nearby, killing ,8 French soldiers.
Te U.S. and its European allies
would soon learn that the attack was
planned by the Iranian Revolutionary
Guard Corps, which was, at the time,
establishing Hezbollah as a proxy
force in Lebanon.
Retired Col. Tim Geraghty, who
commanded the international peace-
keeping mission and the :th Marine
Amphibious Unit that lost ::o ma-
rines that day, said Brig. Gen. Hossein
Dehghan, the new Iranian defense
minister, is the former Iranian Revo-
lutionary Guard commander who
helped oversee the attack.
Te past three Iranian ministers
of defense, including the current one
selected a few months ago, all have
peacekeepers blood on their hands
and are leading the Iranian lockstep
march for the acquisition of nuclear
weapons, Geraghty said.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Germany deepening alliance
with Qatar
As part of its eorts to build an anti-
Iranian alliance, Germany is bolster-
ing its inuence with Qatar. German
energy company E.ONwhich
established a presence in Qatar in
:ooannounced it will begin im-
porting natural gas from Qatar next
year. Te ve-year contract, signed on
October, is predicted to bring in :o
billion cubic meters of liquid gas to
Germany. As German-Foreign-Policy.
com wrote on October :8, German
entry into the liquid gas business,
which has been introduced for a couple
of years, already parallels the intensi-
cation of the political cooperation with
the emirate (translation ours). Ger-
many has also signed several military
deals with Qatar. Qatar is a powerful
example of Germany taking on a more
Turkey Is Going to Betray
America
THE KEY OF DAVID | October 27
Why would God declare that He is going to totally destroy one nation
on this Earth physically? Why would God have reason to do such
a thing? What could cause Him to make such a prophecy? It is one
of the most ominous prophecies in all of the Bible that you need to
understand. It is going to impact you and your personal life.
GERALD FLURRY
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Qatar
Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani
OCTOBER 25, 2013
4
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
PHILIPP GUELLAND/GETTY IMAGES
EUROPE
dominant role in the Middle East, but
it is just one example of many. Take for
instance the United Arab Emirates, to
which Germany has sold s., billion
in weapons. Look at Turkey, with its
German-based military equipment and
systems. For more information on the
alliance Germany is building here, see
our article A Mysterious Prophecy.
n Russian weapons arm Iraq
For anyone who might still be har-
boring the belief that Russia is not
working to take the lead in Middle
Eastern politics, think again. Iraq
just received its rst installment of a
s., billion weapons deal with Russia,
according to an Iraqi ocial, who an-
nounced the news on Tursday of last
week. Russia has worked to increase
its arms deals to the war-torn region,
and is now a key exporter to Iraq,
coming in second only to the United
States. When the deal was rst signed,
Russian media reported it involved
,o Mi-:8 attack helicopters and :
Pantsir-S: surface-to-air missile sys-
tems. Now, however, there is talk of
over :o fully armed and equipped Mi-
:8NE Night Hunter attack helicopters
being sent as well, according to Fars
News Agency. For nations snubbed
by the U.S., Russia is a welcomed
benefactor. Te Russians provide an
alternative to making military deals
with the U.S., and their patronage
simultaneously establishes Russia as a
dominant player in the region. While
Russias arms deal with Iraq does not
constitute an immediate threat to the
U.S., it does jeopardize U.S. inuence
in the region. If that inuence wanes,
then Russia and its alliesprimarily
Iranstand to exert more inuence
over the Iraqi people.
D
iu voU hear: Some ,,,oo
Bundeswehr soldiers using ,oo air
and ground military vehicles, with
the aid of surveillance drones and
elite special forces units, successfully
invaded Obsidia earlier this month.
Tankfully you have nothing to
fear. Te world isnt at war, at least
for now. Obsidia is merely a ctitious
name given to the city recently invaded by German forces
as part of the nations most recent military exercise.
Even still, this military drill is worth noting, both for its
scale and complexityand for what it portends.
Although Opera-
tion Obsidia didnt make
headlines in the English-
language media, our
friends at German-Foreign-
Policy.com, citing the
Bundeswehr website and
sources within Germanys
military, reported on the
recent military action (em-
phasis added throughout):
According to the German
military, a major maneuver
was carried out from Sep-
tember ,o to October :o, at the Bergen and Munster train-
ing grounds in the Lueneburg Heathin the close vicinity
of the former Nazi Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp.
Te so-called land operations informational training
exercise, with the participation of a total of ,,,oo soldiers
and ,oo ground and aerial vehicles, w.s .imiu .1 1v.i-
ic vvosvic1ivi ciiv.i .u .umiv.i s1.vv ovvicivs
vvom 1ui Givm. Avmiu Fovcis S1.vv Coiiici .u
Avmv ovviciv c.ui1s.
Te scope of Operation Obsidia was vast and complex,
and went beyond just the house by house invasion by
Bundeswehr soldiers. Prior to the invasion, human spies,
various surveillance vehicles and even drones gathered
vital strategic intelligence, which was then used to coordi-
nate the ground assault. During the invasion, troops also
practiced exercises in crowd and riot control.
Te Bundeswehr recounts that engineer corps troops
placed access explosive charges in individual buildings,
while armored infantry demonstrated the rapid capture
of smaller groups of houses and snipers kept watch for
dangerous point targets (ibid).
German-Foreign-Policy.com also cited sources within the
Bundeswehr explaining the use of live ammunition: Tis
major maneuver was con-
cluded with combat ring,
where the infantry, cavalry
and helicopter units all red
live rounds of ammunition.
Tis demonstrated to the
future military commanders
what it means to coordi-
nate troops and re power.
Te Germany military
has consequently designated
this training of its general
sta ocers as being ciosi
1o vi.ii1v .u missio.
Which brings us to the inevitable question, what does
this portend?
Heres the answer, given by Lt. Gen. Bruno Kasdord,
Inspector General of the Bundeswehr and a participant in
Operation Obsidia: German ocers must be educated in
the full spectrum of warfare so they can ni vviv.viu
vov 1ui cu.iiicis ov 1ui vU1Uvi.
Follow Brad Macdonald: Twitter
Germany Invades Obsidia!
BRAD MACDONALD
Bundeswehr soldiers train during
military exercises on October 2.
OCTOBER 25, 2013
5
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
T
ui si1U.1io of Christians has sharply deteriorated in
many countries according to a new report released today.
Te report, Persecuted and Forgotten: launched at a
meeting in the Houses of Parliament, claims that an exo-
dus of Christians from many countries threatens Christi-
anitys status as a worldwide religion.
Covering the past : years, it nds the worst problems
are in a number of majority Islamic countries and authori-
tarian states, such as North Korea and Eritrea.
John Pontifex, one of the reports authors, said: Te
principal nding of the report is
that in two thirds of the countries
where persecution of Christians
is most severe, the problems have
become arguably even worse.
In fact the churchs very sur-
vival in some partsnotably the
Middle Eastis now at stake.
For Christians the Arab
spring has in many cases be-
come what the report calls a Christian winter.
Although the political upheavals have brought suering
on all faith communities, Christians have experienced the
most hostility and violence. Tey have become victims of
every kind of political, economic, social and religious con-
ictincluding conicts between Sunni and Shiite Mus-
limsand as a result, many Christians have been forced to
ee. Te report describes the exodus as reaching almost
biblical proportions.
Pontifex said: From all accounts, the incidents of
persecution are now apparently relentless and worsening;
churches being burnt, Christians under pressure to convert,
mob violence against Christian homes, abduction and rape
of Christian girls, anti-Christian
propaganda in the media and
from government, discrimina-
tion in schools and the work-
place the list goes on.
According to Persecuted and
Forgotten: the inuence of fun-
damentalist Islamist groups has
increased markedly in the past
: years, representing possibly
the greatest threat to religious freedom in the world today.
Te report claims that several militant Islamist groups
aim to eliminate or subjugate Christians .
Christians Global Situation Deteriorating
ZENIT | October 17
Calls for Military
Drones in EU Airspace
EU OBSERVER | October 22
A
sicUvi1v strategy paper by EU
foreign aairs chief Catherine
Ashton says EU countries should
use military-grade drones for border
surveillance.
Te EU chief is set to debate secu-
rity ideas with mivs in the plenary
chamber in Strasbourg on Wednesday
(October :,).
Her plan, which outlines priorities
in the lead-up to an EU summit on de-
fense in December, notes that there is
an urgent need to prepare a program
for the next generation of so-called
Medium Altitude Long Endurance
(Male) drones .
Germany, France, Italy and the UK
already have the machines, but only
use them in military-led operations.
But industry wants to make drones
that can be used for both military and
civilian operations, such as border
control, but also for monitoring ag-
riculture, civilian infrastructure and
natural disasters .
Syria Arms Inspectors
Trained in Bavaria
THE LOCAL | October 22
M
.v mimnivs of a new batch of
: inspectors from the Organiza-
tion for the Prohibition of Chemical
Weapons (ovcw), the body that won
this years Nobel Peace Prize, are
headed straight to one of the worlds
worst frontlines, some as early as this
week.
To prepare them for the dangers
that await, ovcw arms special-
ists, chemical weapons experts and
translators from :, countries joined
the training course last week at the
German Bundeswehrs United Nations
Training Center .
All of our inspectors have to go
through this course, said Franz Ontal,
head of inspector training at the
Hague-based ovcw, who called the
time in Germany very rewarding.
Ontal said that, despite the organi-
zations longstanding expertise with
chemical weapons, the dierence
now is that we are active in the middle
of an ongoing conict .
Radical Islam has gained momentum in its war
on Christianity. Dont expect it to let up on its
assault. What we should expect, however, is for
the Vatican to begin to respond. Fifteen hun-
dred years of European history tell us that the
Catholic Church will respond mightily, with FORCE
and VIGOR! Trumpet, March 2011
TW
I N B R I E F
n Pope continues Lutheran
outreach
Pope Francis met a delegation from
the Lutheran World Federation and
the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Inter-
national Commission on Unity on
October ::, where he praised their
work toward reconciliation and unity.
He spoke of the profound grati-
tude he felt for the numerous steps
that relations between Lutherans
and Catholics have taken in the last
decades. He said that Catholics and
Lutherans can ask for forgiveness for
the evil caused to one another and
for the oenses committed before
God . He also expressed hope for
further progress, saying, I am certain
that we will be able to go forward on
our path of dialogue and communion,
also addressing the fundamental
questions, as well as the divergences
that arise . Pope Benedict xvi put
a strong emphasis on persuading the
Catholic Churchs Protestant daugh-
ters to return. Francis shows that he
has the same commitment. For more
on the Catholic Churchs outreach, see
our article O Come, All Ye Faithful.
OCTOBER 25, 2013
6
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
n Merkel pushes for new eurozone
government
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
has begun pushing for radical changes
to the way the eurozone is governed,
Der Spiegel reported earlier this week.
Ocials at the chancellery are forging
plans for Europe that are practically
visionary for someone like Merkel,
it wrote. If she prevails, they will
fundamentally change the European
Union. Te goal is to achieve extensive,
communal control of national bud-
gets, of public borrowing in the :8 EU
capitals and of national plans to boost
competitiveness and implement social
reforms (October ::). Spiegel reports
that Chancellor Merkel held a private
back-door meeting with European
Council President Herman Van Rom-
puy on October :,, to sound him out
on Germanys plans. It also states that
the German nance ministry is already
working on documents to put in place
the changes Merkel wants. Under these
plans, the European Commission
would agree on a contract with each
euro country, setting conditions on
how that nation spends its money. If it
broke the contract, or refused to sign
one, there would be penalties. As posi-
tive incentive, the eurozone would get
its own budget, probably in the tens of
billions of euros, and eurozone nations
that complied would have access to this
money. Tese plans show Germanys
ambitions. As future crises force more
changes in the eurozone, Germany
wont be pushing for the break-up of
the single currency. Instead, it will
want tighter integration. For more
information on the planning behind
the euro, see our article Did the Holy
Roman Empire Plan the Greek Crisis:
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
German Chancellor Angela Merkel
is now focusing on xing the euro.
AFRICA/LATIN AMERICA
Archbishop to Plea to
UN for Help
ZENIT | October 18
C
i1v.i Avvic. Republic Presi-
dent Archbishop Dieudonn Nzap-
alainga of Bangui says the situation in
his country is worsening every day.
Te archbishop is traveling to the
United Nations in Geneva on Monday
to brief ocials, diplomats and non-
governmental organizations on the
human rights and humanitarian crisis
in Central African Republic.
Archbishop Dieudonn Nzapalain-
ga will be calling for an expanded role
of the African Union peacekeeping
mission to c.v (known as misc.) in a
bid to establish greater security.
A state of anarchy has prevailed in
his country since Seleka rebels seized
power in March. Human rights abuses
have been widely reported by church
sta and others, including murder,
extortion, torture and looting.
Te number of abuses cannot be
counted, said Archbishop Dieudonn
Nzapalainga. People have been killed,
homes burned and women raped by
the rebels.
Te archbishop says that the num-
ber of rebels has surged from ,,,oo
in March to :,,ooo today. He says
they have enrolled children into their
ranks. Te supply of small arms is also
increasing. And people are organizing
themselves into self-defense militias
with homemade weapons to resist the
rebels.
Its a tinderbox, said Archbishop
Dieudonn Nzapalainga .
EDITORIAL COMMENT: Weve not seen
much evidence of the Catholic Church di-
rectly confronting the spread of radical
Islam and the persecution of Christians
in North Africa yet. But here is a bishop
going to the UN, asking for it to send
soldiers. Expect this trend to continue.
ASIA
Russia Strong Arming
Neighbors
NEW YORK TIMES | October 22
I
1 w.s not enough for Dmitri O.
Rogozin, a deputy prime minister of
Russia, to warn darkly that it would be
a grave mistake for Moldova to seek
closer ties with Europe. Next, the
Russian Orthodox patriarch, Kirilli,
in a rare personal appearance here,
denounced Western Europe, where
religion is simply disappearing.
Te bullying, which the Kremlin
denies, is not directed at Moldova
alone. Ahead of a conference next
month where the European Union
plans to advance political and trade ac-
cords with several ex-Soviet republics,
Russia has been whispering threats
and gripping throats, bluntly telling
smaller neighbors that they would
be better o joining Russias customs
union with Kazakhstan and Belarus.
Te frantic push to retain inuence,
with its echoes of cold war jousting,
reects the still-palpable fury among
Russian ocials over .1os expan-
sion into the former Soviet sphere and
a desire to halt a similar, eastward
extension of European economic
power. Te heavy-handed tactics have
OCTOBER 25, 2013
7
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
U
.S. M.vii tilt-rotor aircraf swooped in during a
joint training exercise at this military training range
in southwestern Japan last week, dropping o Japanese
ground troops and peeling away. Te soldiers raced to
nearby positions, cutting o an opposing force threatening
Marines nearby.
As military maneuvers go, it was fairly basic. But had it
been a real-world mission, it might also have been illegal.
Under the current interpretation of Japans pacist con-
stitution, Japans armed forces are not permitted to ght on
behalf of friends or allies unless the Japanese themselves
come under direct attack.
It is a policy that conservative Prime Minister Shinzo
Abe wants to change. An advisory panel is expected to is-
sue a report by years end recommending that Abe issue a
new interpretation of the oo-year-old constitution. A new
policy is expected, which will permit Japanese troops to
come to the aid of not only Americans and other allies, but
international peacekeepers and civilian refugees as well.
Some people fear that if the interpretation is changed,
Japan will be able to wage war on the other side of the world,
but thats not what this is about, says Yuichi Hosoya, a law
professor at Keio University and a member of Abes Advi-
sory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security.
Te purpose is to enable Japan to help defend members
of other countries, be they peacekeepers or civilians. It is
about engaging in joint, collective self-defense, Hosoya
says.
Japan has wrestled with constitutional limits on its
troops for decades. Nonetheless, Chinas rising military
strength and assertiveness, and increasing calls for Japan
still one of the worlds richest countriesto participate in
international peace and security operations has forced a new
look at how and when its forces might be allowed to ght.
Under the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, American forces
are obligated to defend Japan against attack. But Japans
responsibilities for protecting Americans are less clearly de-
ned. Abe says he wants to tighten security relations with
Washington, and argues that failure to help defend Ameri-
can forces when necessary could jeopardize the alliance.
Americans have been quietly urging Japan to drop the
ban on collective self-defense. Australias new foreign
minister, Julie Bishop, said last week that her government
welcomes the direction that the Abe government has
taken in terms of having a more normal defense posture
and being able to take a constructive role in regional and
global security.
But not everyone thinks thats a good idea.
Japan Wants to Break Its Pacist Past
TIME | October 22
wreaked economic chaos throughout
the region in recent months.
In August, Russia suddenly stopped
all Ukrainian imports at the border
for stepped-up customs inspections. It
lifed the restrictions afer a week, but
a senior economic aide to President
Vladimir V. Putin said that they could
become permanent if Ukraine, as
expected, signs agreements with the
European Union .
In September, Armenia, which is
heavily dependent on Russia for secu-
rity reasons, simply capitulated. Afer
a meeting with Mr. Putin in Moscow,
President Serzh Sargsyan abruptly
declared that Armenia would join
the Kremlins customs union, scrap-
ping years of work toward agreements
under the European Unions Eastern
Partnership program.
Tis month, Russia took aim at
Lithuania . Nowhere, however, is
the pressure more intense than here in
Moldova .
Rather than intimidating lead-
ers of the countrys fragile coalition
government, however, Russias tactics
have only cemented their resolve to
complete the political and free trade
agreements with the European Union.
Te signing of these agreements is
the only chance that Moldova has in
order to develop itself as a European
country and in the European spirit,
President Nicolae Timofi said in an
interview.
U.S. Asian Pivot
Fizzles
LIGNET | October 18
T
wo vi.vs ago, the Obama adminis-
tration announced that U.S. foreign
and defense policy would turn away
from the Middle East and toward Asia,
yet Washingtons actions have not
matched those words.
Te presidents cancellation of a trip
to four Asian nations and two regional
summits due to the government shut-
down and problems with Congress
has prompted the press, regional ex-
perts and foreign ocials to conclude
that the Asian pivot was little more
than empty rhetoric.
At the time of the announcement,
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and
Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta
noted that Chinas growing political
clout and broad U.S. economic in-
terests necessitated a strengthening
of U.S. diplomatic ties and a greater
military presence in Asia. Far from
strengthening already robust alliances
in a coalition against China, recent
trips by high-ranking U.S. ocials to
South Korea and Japan were primarily
intended to shore up diminishing U.S.
credibility in the face of a growing
threat from a nuclear North Korea.
China is expanding to ll the
vacuum. Analysts note that China
A more dictatorial Russian govern-
ment is coming fast . That power will
be able to challenge Europe when no-
body else can, including the U.S. The
Europeans still remember how violent
Russia was in World War II, and Russia
is a close neighbor with massive piles
of nuclear weapons. The Russian
election is triggering a fear that will
hasten the uniting of the European
Union. Trumpet, January 2004
OCTOBER 25, 2013
8
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
A New Dawn for
Nuclear Power?
DAILY TELEGRAPH | October 20
W
ui 1ui ,o-year-old Queen
Elizabeth opened the worlds rst
nuclear power station, Calder Hall,
on Oct. :,, :,o, she could scarcely
have imagined that in her lifetime
she would see her nations unassail-
able lead in this white-heat technology
thrown into the dustbin.
During her reign, our atomic exper-
tise, which promised a future of clean,
green and aordable electricity, has
been handed to foreign competitors on
a plate, and Britains grid is now under
such strain that ,, years later, we nd
ourselves relying on China and France
to keep the lights on.
Romanian Police to
Patrol in Britain to
Help Scotland Yard
DAILY MAIL | October 23
P
oiicimi vvom Romania and
Poland are being drafed in to
help British forces combat an Eastern
European crime wave .
Te move comes ahead of the lif-
ing of border controls on immigrants
from Romania in two months time .
Te unprecedented move comes
afer it emerged last year that :8per-
cent of the ,oo,ooo suspects the
Metropolitan Police arrests each year
were foreign nationals, with Poles and
Romanians at the top of the list.
More than :,,ooo Romanian
citizens have been held for serious of-
fenses in London in the past ve years,
including :o for murder, :: for rape
and ooo for other sex oences .
Te number of Romanians
A
m I the only person who is not at all surprised by the al-
legations that Americas National Security Agencythe
worlds largest eavesdropping outthas been listening
in to German Chancellor Angela Merkels private phone
conversations:
Te allegation has certainly prompted a great deal of faux-
outrage in Berlin, where Mrs. Merkel has personally phoned
President Barack Obama at the White House to demand a full
explanation, and Mr. Obama has been forced to make the de-
cidedly unconvincing declaration that U.S. intelligence is not
monitoring and will not monitor Mrs.Merkels phone calls.
But that does not mean to say it has been listening in on
past conversations and, if I had anything to do with Ameri-
can intelligence-gathering, Id argue that the s. was well
within its rights to do so.
Mrs. Merkel and her outraged ministers might pro-
test that this is no way for Washington to treat a trusted
ally, but then there will be many in Washington, as well
as Britain, who might question just how reliable an ally
Germany is these days.
For example, when you look at the way the Germans
have approached the recent crisis in the eurozone, Berlin
has been more interested in pursuing a purely Germano-
centric agenda (just ask the Greeks) than acting in the
broader interests of the European comity of nations, and
working out just how Mrs. Merkel intended to handle the
potential collapse of the euro was vital to safeguarding
American economic interestsas well as our own.
Similarly, when it comes to the great security issues of
the day, such as Libya, Iran and Syria, the Germans have
shown an alarming tendency to go their own way rather
than acting in unison with their other Western allies,
prompting some policymakers to question whether Ger-
many is more interested in siding with the Russians than
her European neighbors.
If the Germans want to go their own way, it seems
reasonable to me that America and its allies should keep a
close eye on what they are [up] to.
America Has Every Right to Bug Angela Merkels Phone
Con Coughlin, TELEGRAPH | October 24
ANGLO-AMERICA
now has demonstrated the capability
to project formidable naval, air and
missile forces far beyond its coastal
waters. Meanwhile, Beijing is busily
building nuclear and conventional
submarines and surface warships at
a rate faster than any other nation in
the world.
Economically, according to Reuters,
China has only become stronger in
terms of trade, even drawing smaller
regional economies such as Laos and
Cambodia into its orbit as client
states that support Beijing in regional
disputes.
Unlike Obama, Chinese President
Xi Jinping personally attended the
Asian summits, where he made busi-
ness deals worth an estimated s,obil-
lion and proposed a comprehensive
strategic partnership that would
include strengthened military ties.
Te exposure of the vaunted
Asian pivot as an essentially hollow
gesture is yet another damaging blow
to Americas image abroad. When
the free-fall in U.S. credibility nally
ends, one exacerbated by a weak
recent track record in the Middle
East, the United States may nd that
it is no longer regardedby either
friend or foeas the superpower it
pretends to be.
OCTOBER 25, 2013
9
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
DATA FROM GALLUP
arrested is second only to that of
Poles, ,,o, of whom have been
detained since :oo8, including 8 for
murder. Police hope that the new unit
will disrupt major organized criminal
networks.
First: Americans Favor
Legalizing Marijuana
GALLUP | October 22
F
ov m.vi,U.. advocates, the last
:: months have been a period of
unprecedented success as Washington
and Colorado became the rst states
to legalize recreational use of marijua-
na. And now for the rst time, a clear
majority of Americans (,8 percent) say
the drug should be legalized. Tis is in
sharp contrast to the time Gallup rst
asked the question in :o, when only
:: percent favored legalization.
Public support for legalization
more than doubled in the :,os, grow-
ing to :8 percent. It then plateaued
during the :8os
and :os before
inching steadily
higher since :ooo,
reaching ,o per-
cent in :o::.
A sizable per-
centage of Ameri-
cans (,8 percent)
this year admitted
to having tried the
drug, which may
be a contributing
factor to greater acceptance.
Support for legalization has
jumped :o percentage points since
last November and the legal momen-
tum shows no sign of abating. Last
week, Californias second-highest
elected ocial, Lt. Gov. Gavin
T
ui 1v.ui1io.i American posture as the guarantor
of freedom and protector of allies, and the scourge of
Nazis, Communists and al Qaeda, is headed toward a less
manageable, every-man-for-himself series of ad hoc ar-
rangements that portend greater international instability in
which terrorism and warfare thrive.
Here is what happens when the United States is weak-
ened in the eyes of the world:
China derides U.S. economic leadership, posits itself
a source of nancial stability, and suggests the yuan
as a replacement for the dollar. China also announces
plans to sell Pakistan two more nuclear reactors.
Russia doubles down by oering Iran an anti-aircraf
system and another reactor.
Iran announces a willingness to reach a deal for the
elimination of Western sanctions, but maintains
that Tehran will never give up its capability to enrich
uranium formerly a key demand of the U.S. and its
allies.
Te Syrian opposition announces it will not come
to talks in Geneva because its patronthe United
Stateshas no plan and because it is opposed to talks
while Assad continues to rule. Assad, in the mean-
time sees no impediment to his running for reelec-
tion in :o: .
Saudi Arabia declines a previously sought-afer seat
on the UN Security Council because, Allowing the
ruling regime in Syria to kill its people and burn
them with chemical weapons in front of the entire
world and without any deterrent or punishment is
clear proof and evidence of the UN Security Coun-
cils inability to perform its duties and shoulder its
responsibilities.
.1o ally Turkey appears to have exposed Iranians
who met with Israeli intelligence in Turkey, ensuring
that the Iranians are burned at home and an informa-
tion ow to the West about Iranian activities is cut
o.
Insider attacks by the Taliban against U.S. and .1o
troops increase, as do attacks against Afghan ocials,
interpreters and others who have cooperated with the
coalition.
A :o-year-old girl tells the president how to run
U.S. national security policy. Malala Yousefzai told
reporters afer her meeting in the Oval Oce, I
expressed my concerns that drone attacks are fueling
terrorism. Innocent victims are killed in these acts,
and they lead to resentment among the Pakistani
people. If we refocus eorts on education it will make
a big impact.
Even our neighbor and good friend Canada has felt the
presidents cold shoulder:
Unwilling to wait much longer for an American
decision on the Keystone Pipeline that could carry
more than 8oo,ooo barrels of oil a day to the U.S. and,
according to the U.S. State Department, create as
many as :,ooo permanent American jobs, Canada is
considering shipping the oil to China.
In response, Mr. Obama told the New York Times that
the Keystone Pipeline would create only ,o-:oo jobs
in the United States, and snied that Canada should
do more to clean up carbon emissions.
When the United States is weak, as it is when it vacillates
between threats to its allies and bribes to its adversaries,
neither allies nor adversaries have any incentive to follow
the American lead.
A Lesser Superpower Than We Used to Be
GATESTONE INSTITUTE | October 24
1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013
% Yes, legal
% No, not legal
84
66
73
73
62
64
54
39
12
28
23
25
34
34
44
58
AMERICAS VIEW ON LEGALIZING MARIJUANA
OCTOBER 25, 2013
10
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Newsom, said that pot should be legal
in the Golden State, and advocates of
legalization are poised to introduce
a statewide referendum in :o: to
legalize the drug.
Te Obama administration has
also been exible on the matter.
Despite maintaining the govern-
ments rm opposition to legalizing
marijuana under federal law, in late
August Deputy Attorney General
James Cole announced the Justice
Department would not challenge the
legality of Colorados and Washing-
tons successful referendums, provid-
ed that those states maintain strict
rules regarding the drugs sale and
distribution.
Te movement to legalize mari-
juana mirrors the relatively recent
success of the movement to legalize
gay marriage, which voters have also
approved now in : states. Public sup-
port for gay marriage, which Ameri-
cans also overwhelmingly opposed in
the past, has increased dramatically,
reaching majority support in the last
two years.
Army Questions
Ability to Respond
U.S. NEWS | October 21
T
ui U.S. Army may not be able to
address the nightmare situation
of another major land war amid the
ongoing budget stranglehold on the
military, its top ocer said on Monday.
Across-the-board cuts known as
sequestration, the October shutdown
of the government and Congresss
inability to pass a budget since scal
year :o:: have all slashed the number
of Army soldiers ready to deploy to
combat, Army Chief of Sta Gen. Ray
Odierno said on Monday.
We have two brigades that are
trained. Tats it. Two, said Odierno,
while speaking with reporters at the
annual Association of the United
States Army meeting in Washing-
ton,D.C. Te worst case scenario is
you ask me to deploy thousands of
soldiers somewhere and we have not
properly trained them to go.
Sequestration, which began April:,
has slowly chipped away at military
spending for acquiring new weapons
and equipment, as well as training
troops who are not immediately de-
ploying to active war zones.
90,609,000 Americans
Not in Labor Force
CNS NEWS | October 22
T
ui Umniv of Americans who are
:o years or older and who have de-
cided not to participate in the nations
labor force has climbed to a record
o,oo,ooo in September, according to
data released today by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics.
Te nis counts a person as partici-
pating in the labor force if they are
:oyears or older and either have a job
or have actively sought a job in the last
four weeks. A person is not participat-
ing in the labor force if they are :o or
older and have not sought a job in the
last four weeks.
From July to August, according
T
ui cion.i frustration with America and its dollar, afer
yet another U.S. government crisis, is clear. Xinhua,
Chinas ocial news agency, for example, published an
article on October :, titled U.S. scal failure warrants a
de-Americanized world.
As U.S. politicians of both political parties are still shuf-
ing back and forth between the White House and Capitol
Hill without striking a viable deal to bring normality to the
body politic they brag about, it is perhaps a good time for the
befuddled world to start considering building a de-Ameri-
canized world, the article said. Another article warned that
U.S. Treasury bonds may no longer be a safe investment.
Even America admitted that the shutdown is causing
nations to lose trust in America. It does have an eect on
our relationships around the world, said Defense Secretary
Chuck Hagel, and it cuts straight to the obvious question:
Can you rely on the United States .
Te Daily Telegraphs assistant editor Jeremy Warner
warned that rarely before has international dissatisfaction
with the dollars role as reserve currency to the world been
as great as it is now.
Fortunately for America, right now the world has no
good alternative to the dollar.
Tis is the only thing that has stopped nations around
the world selling the dollar en masse, crashing Americas
economy and sending its borrowing costs soaring.
Tat puts America in a dangerous place. Everyone around
the world wants a new, non-American currency. As soon as
there is a credible alternative, the rest of the world will jump
at it, and the dollar will be toast. Te search for long-term al-
ternatives to the dollar is on as never before, writes Warner.
Europe is the only place such an alternative could come
from. Chinas nancial markets are not yet well-developed
and its government lacks the trust that is built over time.
But Europe is currently a mess. Many are surprised that
the euro hasnt already fallen apart. Right now it seems less
trustworthy than the dollar.
But the euro has stayed together because there is a huge
political will behind it. Politicians simply wont let the
single currency die.
Despite the faults of the euro, Europes elite are deter-
mined to make some kind of single currency work. Tey
may yet x the euro. Tey may create a new single cur-
rency. However they x it, they will have to address all the
inherent problems in the euro and forge a genuinely stable
currency. To reassure the international community that it
is solid, they may even back the new currency with gold.
Europe will sort its currency out sooner or later. When it
does, the world will nally have the dollar alternative it has
been yearning for. Follow Richard Palmer: Twitter
The Only Thing Keeping the Dollar Alive
Richard Palmer | October 23
OCTOBER 25, 2013
11
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Related: Why MarriageSoon Obsolete?
A
i1iv.1io.i team of astronomers has detected the
most distant galaxy yet.
Te galaxy is about ,o billion light years away and is
helping scientists shed light on the period that immediately
followed the Big Bang.
It was found using the Hubble Space Telescope and its
distance was then conrmed with the ground-based Keck
Observatory in Hawaii.
Because it takes light so long to travel from the outer
edge of the universe to us, the galaxy appears as it was
:,.:billion years ago (its distance from Earth of ,o billion
light-years is because the universe is expanding).
Lead researcher Steven Finkelstein, from the University
of Texas at Austin, U.S., said: Tis is the most distant
galaxy weve conrmed. We are seeing this galaxy as it was
,oo million years afer the Big Bang.
Te far-o galaxy goes by the catchy name of z8_cu_,:o.
Astronomers were able to measure how far it was
from Earth by analyzing its color. Because the universe is
expanding and everything is moving away from us, light
waves are stretched. Tis makes objects look redder than
they actually are.
Astronomers rate this apparent color-change on a scale
that is called redshif. Tey found that this galaxy has a
redshif of ,.,:, beating the previous record-holder, which
had a redshif of ,.::.
Tis makes it the most distant galaxy ever found.
Te system is small: about : to : percent the mass of the
Milky Way and is rich in heavier elements.
But it has a surprising feature: It is turning gas and dust
into new stars at a remarkable rate, churning them out
hundreds of times faster than our own galaxy can.
It is the second far-ung galaxy known that has been
found to have a high star-production rate.
Professor Finkelstein said: What was great about this
galaxy is not only is it so distant, it is also pretty exception-
al. He added that in the coming years, astronomers are
likely to discover even more distant galaxies when .s.s
James Webb Space Telescope is launched and other ground-
based telescopes come online.
Commenting on the research, Dr. Marek Kukula, Public
Astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told nnc
News: Tis high star-formation rate maybe is a clue as
to why these galaxies can form so quickly.
Universes Loneliest Planet Discovered
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES | October :o
OTHER NEWS
to nis, Americans not participat-
ing in the labor force climbed from
8,,,,ooo to o,,,,ooo, pushing past
o million for the rst time, with a
one month increase of ,:o,ooo.
In September, it climbed again to
o,oo,ooo, an increase of :,o,ooo
during the month.
In January :oo, when Presi-
dentBarack Obama took oce, there
were 8o,,o,,ooo Americans not in
the labor force. Tus, the number
of Americans not in the labor force
has increased by :o,:o:,ooo during
Obamas presidency.
Te labor force participation rate,
which is the percentage of the non-in-
stitutionalized population :o years or
older who either have a job or actively
sought one in the last four weeks, was
o,.: percent in September. Tat was
unchanged from August.
President Obama took oce in
January :oo, the labor force partici-
pation rate was o,., percent.
TW
I N B R I E F
n UK family breakdown at highest
ever level
A child born in Britain in :o:: has
the lowest chance ever of still living
with his parents by the time he turns
:,, according to research published
by the Marriage Foundation think
tank. Only ,: percent of children will
still be living with both parents by
the time they reach :,. Harry Benson,
founder of the think tank, said the
decline in marriage was responsible
for the breakdown. Married couples
are simply much more likely to stay
together than unmarried ones. Tis
report shows just one of the advan-
tages of marriage.
Related: The Perfect Seat for Viewing the Universe
Hubble was by far the greatest telescope revelation ever! It
ought to ll all of us with stupendous hope. Here is why. Be-
cause that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for
God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him
from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being under-
stood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:19-20).
The Hubble telescope has shown us things that are madeby
God. They did not evolve, nor did God create them through evo-
lution. The Bible makes that very clear. The invisible God can be
seen through His mind-staggering creation. Scientists are left
without excuse. The whole creation groans today, waiting for
the glorious liberty of the sons of God (Romans 8:21-23). This
world and those clusters of galaxies groan as they await the
rule of those who heed Gods majestic message today.
Gerald Flurry, Trumpet, August 2009
OCTOBER 25, 2013
12
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
weve withdrawn. But we have ex-
hausted enough lives and treasure
there. Long-term success is unattain-
able; they dont want us there anyway;
why not just leave them to themselves
to sort things out:
Its not dicult to understand the
thinking. America has invested so much into these theaters
over the past :: years, and what do we have to show for it:
And the wreckage of Americas foreign policy lies scat-
tered even further aeld across the Middle East.
In Egypt, Washingtons push to dethrone Hosni
Mubarak opened the door for the Iranian-aligned Muslim
Brotherhood to take over. Now the military has reasserted
its power and is trying to keep a lid on the post-Mubarak
turmoil. Meanwhile, Egypts alliances with the U.S. and
Israel lie in tatters.
In Libya, Americas intervention to oust Muammar Qa-
dha ended with extremists in power and a lethal terror-
ist attack on Americas outpost in Benghazi. Libya is now
ruined and lawless, aligned with Iran and violently hostile
to America.
It all started with noble rhetoric about squashing ex-
tremism and nurturing the blossoms of democracy and
peace. But Americans cant name one place where that
promise has inarguably materialized.
It seems the U.S. is Midas in reverse: Everything we
touch turns to ash.
Now, Americans are tired of failure. Te nation is s:,
trillion in debt (ociallyunfunded liabilities put the
gure far higher). Why borrow money to ght foreign wars
that end badly, or that never end: We have enough prob-
lems at home. What are we even doing over there, when its
clear our presence is unwanted:
Tis is approximately the view of a great majority of
Americans. Nearly two in three now say that the U.S.
should be extremely reluctant to use military power world-
wide, a September c/ovc International survey found.
Only , percent say America should be ready and willing
to wage military campaigns.
Te mood of the American public is clear. What Ameri-
can politician would go against that in order to commit the
nation to any but the lightest intervention:
Benjamin Netanyahu is pleading for help in depriv-
ing Iran of nuclear weapons. He shouldnt expect it from
America. Te snubs from the Obama administration aside,
Americans simply dont want to get involved. Last year,
seven in :o Americans opposed U.S. military interven-
tion in Iranand that was before they swooned over Irans
moderate new president.
Tis war weariness has accelerated and reinforced Ameri-
cas growing tendency to just ignore the rest of the world and
x its attention on itself. Do you see this trend reversing:
Americans just want the world and its problems to go away.
Look south toward Latin America, and you see problems
that should be hard to ignore. As Victor Davis Hanson
wrote, Brazil and Argentina ofen sound as anti-American
as our worst enemiesand in the Age of Obama, no less. If
Mexico were in the Middle East, its level of violence would
earn calls for U.S. humanitarian intervention in the man-
ner of Libya and Syria.
But who would ever want to do anything about it: Most
Americans just look the other way. Te U.S. is no more
going to insert itself into that theater than it is going to
establish a colony at the bottom of the Pacic Ocean.
Te Obama administration has said it is pivoting to
Asia. At the same time, its signals reveal its desire to
gracefully exit. Russia has suddenly become its new go-to
peace broker. And does anyone really expect it to directly
confront China, to whom it is s:., trillion in debt: Te best
strategy it has devised is to encourage Japan to militarize
so it can deal with Beijing.
Washington is taking a similar approach to instability
in Europe: stepping back and hoping that an economi-
cally and militarily dominant Germany will be able to hold
down the fort.
Here is a truth of which you can be absolutely certain:
Te number of crises in the world is going to increase.
Te Middle East is becoming less stable. Irans power is
growing. Weapons of mass destruction are proliferating
and will end up in the hands of more and more tyrants and
terrorists. Islamism will spread in northern Africa. Volatil-
ity in Europe will rise alongside Germanys power. Conten-
tion over resources will fuel increasing tension among Eu-
ropean and Asian nations. Arms races in multiple regions
are mushrooming.
Te calls for action, for intervention, are bound to escalate.
But America will not be one to step up.
In Americans view, we have done our part. We are
weary of intervention. Were broke. Were weary of ght-
ing. Were sick of not seeing the benets from all the eort
and expenditure. [T]he more humanitarian crises develop,
the less we are convinced that we could make things better
by intervening, Hanson wrote, or, even if we could, that
those whom we thought we were helping would actually
believe that we did.
Above all, Americans are tired of losing.
People can criticize the Obama administration for its
weak foreign policy. Tey can point out how Americas stand-
ing in the world has plummeted during his presidency; how
he surrendered Iraq and is surrendering Afghanistan; how he
did nothing about Benghazi, and crumpled over Syria.
Te truth is, though, that he is acting in approximate
accordance with the increasingly isolationist view of more
and more Americans. He is giving the American people
essentially what most of them are asking for.
In : Tessalonians : it speaks of a great falling away
in the Church of Godand it says the falling away came
rst, and then the man of sin was revealed. He couldnt
have thrived if the people hadnt fallen away rst. Tis, in
principle, has happened to the United States.
Te era of America bestriding the world has ended.
Many Americans are relieved.
But beware the era that comes next.
Follow Joel Hilliker: Twitter
OVER from page 1
COVER: CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
JOEL HILLIKER