MARCH 7, 2014

1

THE TRUMPET WEEKLY THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
M A R C H 7, 2 0 1 4
Egypt turns on former ally Hamas 2
Guttenberg explains how to neutralize Putin 5
Russias rise galvanizes Europe 8
Chinese military spending soars 9
The fantasy fueling U.S. foreign policy 11
BY BRAD MACDONALD
T
uisisanactofaggression.Itsreally:th-cen-
turybehaviorinthe::stcentury.Youjustdont
invadeanothercountryU.S.SecretaryofState
JohnKerrysaid(Meet the Press,March:).
Althoughitdripswitharroganceandignorance,which
makesiteasytodiscardinfrustration,thereisenormous
valueinMr.Kerrysremark.Itsvaluablefortheprofoundin-
sightitfurnishesintotheworldviewofAmericasleadersand
thefatalmentalityattheheartofAmericasforeignpolicy.
Tearrogancestemsfromthesupplantingoffactwith
personalopinion.RussianPresidentVladimirPutin,in the
hours and days prior to John Kerrys statement,showedthat
indeedvoUc.inthe::stcenturybehavein:th-century
fashion.Butthatdidntmatter.Insteadofbeingrooted
inevidence,historicalorscientic,thetruthfulnessof
Kerrysremarkderivesfromtheeloquenceandcondence
withwhichitisdelivered,andmostimportantly,theau-
thorityofthesource.ItwasquintessentialObamaadminis-
tration:Tis is the truth because I say its the truth.
Tentherestheobviousignorance,bothofthenatureof
thiscrisisandthecharacterandstrategyofVladimirPutin.
But,mostfundamentally,ofuUm..1Uvi.TeObama
administrationapparentlybelievesthatbecausewelivein
the::stcentury,becauseourleadershavePh.D.sandwere
educatedatOxfordandYale,becausetheworldishighly
globalizedandourleadersengageineruditediplomacy,
becausehumancivilizationismoresophisticatedand
advanced,thatwehaveevolvedbeyondtheeraofinvasions
andwars.Tis is the st century,theyseemtoreason,were
too smart, too progressive, to invade nations and start wars.
Itsapleasantthought,andoneweallwishwastrue.But
itignoresabasicreality:Te::st-centuryhumanheartis
exactlythesame
asthe:th-
centuryhuman
heart,andthe
:oth-centuryhu-
manheart,and
the:st-century
humanheart.Its
truethat::st-
centurymanis
smarter(atleast
inthesensethat
wehavemore
knowledge),is
moresophisti-
cated(oratleast
itseems),andhas
bettertechnolo-
gy.Butouradded
intelligenceand
Putin, Obama and the Desperately
Wicked Human Heart
see HEART page 12
U.S. President Barack Obama
speaks about the Ukraine crisis.
MARCH 7, 2014
2
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
MIDDLE EAST
SAID KHATIB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
APutinwinmaintainingsigni-
cantRussianinuenceinUkrainethat
clearlyunderminesUkrainessover-
eigntywillleaveRussiastrongerand
moredependableasapartnerandally
intheeyesofAssadand,probably,
Iran.
APutindefeatinUkrainewont
helpmattersintheMiddleEastmuch
either,unlessthecrisissomehowde-
liversaknockoutblowtoPutin.
AchastenedPutinwouldprobably
beevenmoreorneryandrecalcitrant
aboutcooperatingwiththeinterna-
tionalcommunityonMiddleEastern
issues.
Buteitherway,theRussiansarede-
terminedtofrustrateU.S.solutionsto
MiddleEasternproblemsthatseemlike
aPaxAmericanaandexcludeMoscow.
TereactiontotheWestseortsto
meddleinwhatPutinbelievesisRus-
siassphereofinuenceandtooppose
Putins Move Costly to
the U.S., Middle East
CNN | March 2
U
xv.ii.soviviic1vwont
betheonlycasualtyofRussian
PresidentVladimirPutinseortsto
assertRussianinuenceandinterest
inCrimea.
Itsstillfartooearlytocalibrate
howthiscrisiswillplayoutandwhat
itsconsequenceswillbebutitsafair
betthatwhetheritendsinaPutinvic-
tory,defeatordraw,itsgoingtomake
adicultsituationintheMiddleEast
evenmorecomplicated.
WhetherPutinwinsorlosesin
Ukraine,theoddsthatRussiacould
beareliablepartnerfortheU.S.have
decreaseddramatically.Andthis
onlyreinforcesthepainfullyobvi-
ous:Whenitcomestothecoreissues
facingtheU.S.intheMiddleEast,the
U.S.mustfocusonoutcomes,notsolu-
tions,andbeverysoberaboutwhatit
mightdotocontributetothem.
AsgoPutinsfortunes,sogothose
ofSyrianPresidentBasharAssad.
Howeverthecrisisturnsoutthe
Syrianregimeislikelytobenet.
Tepossibilitythateventsin
UkrainewillleavePutinvictorious
willonlybuckupAssadfurtherand
demonstratethatRussianstreetcred
isrising.
Putinappearstobestandingup
totheinternationalcommunityand
readytouseforcetoprotectRussias
interestsinUkraine.Hesclearlynot
preparedtodothatforSyria.But
victoriesforRussia,particularlyinthe
faceoftheWestsemptyrhetoricand
redlines,canonlyreinforceAssads
convictionthathesbettingonthe
rightally.
A
Ecvv1i.courtruledonMarchtoforbidallactivi-
tiesinEgyptbyGaza-basedterroristgroupHamas.Te
courtrulingcutsoallocialHamas-Egyptiantiesand
closesallHamasocesandinfrastructurewithinEgypt.
HamasoperativescurrentlyinEgypthavenowlostallle-
galcover,andshouldbearrested,accordingtotheling
lawyerSamirSabry,reportedtheTimes of Israel.
TeCairocourtspotentrulingagainstHamascomes
twomonthsaferEgyptsmilitary-backedinterimgovern-
mentbrandedtheMuslimBrotherhood(HamassEgyptian
mother)aterroristorganization.IncarceratedBrotherhood
membersfacechargesthatcouldleadtothedeathpenalty.
NowthatHamasisoutlawedfromEgyptianterritory,its
membersfacethesamethreat.
SinceMuslimBrotherhoodleaderMohamedMorsiwas
forcedfrompowerbytheEgyptianmilitaryinJuly:o:,,
EgypthasworkedhardtostieHamasinuenceinthe
countrybyunderminingalltradefromEgyptintoGaza.
Notonlyisthemainlegal,abovegroundcrossing
betweenEgyptandGazanowclosed,butalsoover
1,200 undergroundsmugglingtunnelsintoGazahavebeen
destroyed.ThiseffectivelycutsGazaofffromanytrade,
exceptthelittleitcandowithIsrael.
TisrulingwilllikelypushHamasfurtherintothearms
ofTurkeyanditsmoderateArabfriendsinQatar.
Psalm8,discussesamysteriousalliancewherebythe
GazanregionformerterritoryoftheancientPhilistines
andnowoccupiedbyHamasalliesitselfnotwithIran
andEgypt,butratherwithTurkeyandtheArabslocatedin
theGulfstates.
Itisnosurprisethatatthesametimewewitnessthe
severingofHamassrelationshipwithEgypt,wenotice
warmingrelationswithQatarandTurkey.
Infact,theonlyreasontheGazaStriphasnotcollapsed
isbecauseofthenewsourceofhelpHamashasreceived
fromTurkeyandQatar.
ContinuetowatchtieswarmbetweenHamas,theTurks
andHamassArabfriendsattheexpenseofitstraditional
allies,IranandEgypt.
Egypt Bans Hamas
Brent Nagtegaal | March 4
Youth participate in a military
march organized by Hamas
in the southern Gaza Strip.
MARCH 7, 2014
3
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Moscowwillcreateamini-ColdWar
thatcould,fortheremainderofthe
Obamaadministrationandprobably
beyond,freezeproductiveU.S.-Russian
cooperationacrosstheboard.
TeU.S.willremainshackledwith
aPutinwhoisnofriendandstuckina
regionitcanneitherrepairnorleave.
703 Killed in Iraq in
February Attacks
ASSOCIATED PRESS | March 1
T
uiUi1iuNationssaidSaturday
thatviolenceacrossIraqinFebruary
killed,o,people,adeathtollhigher
thantheyearbeforeasthecountry
facesarisingwaveofmilitantattacks
rivalingthesectarianbloodshedthat
followedtheU.S.-ledinvasion.
TeguresissuedbytheUNsmis-
siontoIraqisclosetoJanuarysdeath
tollof,,,,showingthatasurgeofvio-
lencethatbegan:omonthsagowith
agovernmentcrackdownonaSunni
protestcampisnotreceding.
AttacksinFebruarykilled,ocivil-
iansand:,securityforcemembers
inFebruary,theUNsaid.Tevio-
lencewounded:,,8:,thevastmajority
civilians,itsaid.Tatcomparesto
February:o:,,whenattackskilled:8
civiliansandwounded,o.
Tecapital,Baghdad,wasthe
worstaectedwith:,peoplekilled,
accordingtotheUN.Twopredomi-
nantlySunniprovincescentralSala-
heddinwith:::killedandnorthern
Ninevahwithkilledfollowed.
Februarysnumberscouldbeeven
worsethattheUNreported,however,
asitagainexcludeddeathsfromongo-
ingghtinginAnbarprovince,due
toproblemsinverifyingthestatusof
thosekilled.ItdidthesameinJanu-
ary.
Widespreadchaosnearlytorethe
countryapartfollowingthe:oo,
U.S.-ledinvasionthatoustedSaddam
Hussein.Teviolenceebbedin:oo8
aferaseriesofU.S.-Iraqimilitaryof-
fensives,aShiitemilitiacease-reand
T
uivv.c1UvicrelationsbetweenAmericaandits
Arabicallieshavebeenhighlightedbyarecentarmsdeal
forEgypt.TeEgyptians,whohavelookedtoAmericafor
weaponssincetheCampDavidPeaceAccordsofthe:,os,
nowlookforarmsfromthenewdominantpowerinthe
regionRussia.
Temilitarydealworthanestimateds,billionwas
signedonFebruary:,accordingtoRussiannewspaper
Vedomosti.TedealincludesMiG-:ghtersandattack
helicopters.Tepricetagattachedtothemilitaryhardware
ismorethantheailingEgyptianeconomycanhandle,but
thankfullyforEgypt,itsSaudineighborshaveoeredto
footthebill.
SaudiArabiasinterestinfundingthedealmightseem
confusingatrst.Aferall,Egyptisbuyingtheweapons
fromRussia,along-timesupporterofIranandtheSyrian
governmentSaudisopponents.Tereisareasonbehind
themovethough.TeSaudisandEgyptiansarefedup
withAmerica.
RussiaandAmericahaveahistoryofvyingforcontrol
intheMiddleEast.TeRussianssuppliedEgyptwith
weaponsinthelead-uptotheSixDayWar,andstillsup-
plyarmstoanumberofcountriesintheregion.However,
inrecentyearstheU.S.hastakenonadevastatingnew
foreignpolicyintheregionapolicyofdistancingitself
fromitsalliesandembracingitsenemies.Tewhirlwind
romancebetweenIranandtheU.S.forthepastyear
epitomizesthistrend.AsAmericaisbusyestablishingthis
relationship,itisabandoningothers.
ConsidertheU.S.campaigntobefriendIranianPresi-
dentHassanRouhani,theGenevadeal,andAmericas
overarchingpolicyofwithdrawal.Allofthesepolicies
empowerIran,allowingterrorismthroughouttheregionto
growrelativelyunchecked.
PowerslikeEgyptandSaudiArabiarespondtothese
policiesbygivingAmericaavoteofnocondence.
Tes,billiondealbetweenRussiaandEgypt,funded
bySaudiArabia,isoneoftheclearestsignsthatAmericas
alliesdonottrustWashingtonanymore,andthattheyare
lookingelsewhereforsecurityassistance.
ButneithertheSaudis,EgyptiansoranynationonEarth
trustGodtofulllHisWord.TeSaudiscanfundEgypt
alltheywant,butGodsaysEgyptwilleventuallyallywith
theverynationthattheSaudisaretryingtocounter!
Daniel::::states:Heshallstretchforthhishand
alsouponthecountries:andthelandofEgyptshallnot
escape.AsTrumpeteditorinchiefGeraldFlurrywrotein
hisbookletTe King of the South,Daniel::::impliesthat
Egyptwillbealliedwiththekingofthesouth,orIran.Tis
prophecyindicatedtherewouldbeafar-reachingchangein
Egyptianpolitics!
Whilethespecicsofhowthisalliancewillformremain
unknown,EgyptturningtoRussiaforhelp,ratherthan
America,isaclearsignofthefracturingtiesAmericaholds
totheMideast.Itisalsoasignofmoreradicalalliances
spreadingacrosstheland.
Middle East Replaces America With Russia
Callum Wood | March 5
Egyptian Army Chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi meets with
Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 13.
MIKHAIL METZEL/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
MARCH 7, 2014
4
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
L
inv.sv.vii.mi1movedintoave-starTripolihotel
Monday,adayaferriotersarmedwithknivesandguns
stormedthelegislaturebuilding,torchingfurniture,killing
aguardandwoundingsixlawmakersinthelatestepisode
ofturmoilinthecountry.
Tensionshavebeenmountingbetweenthecountrys
biggestpoliticalblocs,eachbackedbymilitias,addingto
thepotentialexplosivenessofpoliticaldisputes.Protesters
demandedthattheparliamentbedisbandedimmediately
aferitsmandateranoutinearlyFebruary.
InSundaysviolence,dozensofprotesterssweptintothe
parliamentchamberduringasession,ringguns,throw-
ingbottlesatlawmakersandsettingretofurniture.
Oneguardwaskilledwhiletryingtoprotectworkers
trappedinside.
LawmakerHusseinal-Ansarisaidtheparliamentwill
nowholditssessionsintheAlWaddanHotelinthecapi-
talsdowntown.
NearlythreeyearsaferthesparkoftheLibyanrevolu-
tionthatendedthe:-yearruleofdictatorMuammar
Qadha,militiaswieldtherealpowerinLibya.Teyhave
linedupbehindthemainpoliticalfactionslockedina
powerstrugglewithsupportersofWestern-backedPrime
MinisterAliZeidanononesideand,ontheother,Islamist
factionsinparliamenttryingtoremovehim.
Teparliamentspresident,theIslamist-leaningNouri
AbuSahmein,denouncedSundaysattackinatelevised
statement.
HealsodemandedthatTripolimilitiasprotectvital
institutionsandforeignembassies.
Libyan Parliament Moves to a Hotel After Attack by Protesters
WASHINGTON POST | March 3
aSunnirevoltagainstalQaedainIraq.
Butlastyear,thecountrysawthe
highestdeathtollsincetheworst
ofthecountryssectarianbloodlet-
ting,accordingtotheUN,with8,8o8
peoplekilled.
Hezbollah Behind
Attack in Bahrain
TIMES OF ISRAEL | March 4
D
Un.ivoiiciclaimedLebaneseter-
rorgroupHezbollahwasbehind
aMondaybombingintheoutskirts
ofBahrainscapitalManamathat
resultedinthedeathsofthreepolice-
men,oneofthemanocerfromthe
UnitedArabEmiratesdeployedto
helpbolstersecurityinthetinyisland
kingdom.
AccordingtoDubaipolicechief
DahiKhalfanTamim,theculprit
behindtheattackhadtraveledto
Lebanonseveraltimesoverthepast
yearsandhadbeentrainedbyHezbol-
lahoperatives.
Tamimwentontoaccusethe
Bahrainioppositionofsidingwith
IranandHezbollahinanattemptto
destabilizetheArabGulfstates.
Mondaysattacktookplaceduring
aprotestorganizedbygroupsassoci-
atedwithBahrainslargelyShiite-
dominatedoppositionmovement.
InBahrainsthree-yearupris-
ing,theoppositionmovementis
demandingincreasedpoliticalrights
fromtheSunnimonarchy.Tecoun-
tryisasmall,Western-alliedisland
kingdomothecoastofSaudiArabia
thatishometotheU.S.Navys,th
Fleet.
Someradicalanti-government
factionshavebeenincreasinglyusing
bombstargetinggovernmentforces.
Teweaponstypicallydonothavethe
forceofexplosivesusedbyinsurgentsin
placessuchasIraqorSyria,thoughthey
haveresultedinanumberofdeaths.
Palestinians Must Join
the Right Side of the
Moral Divide: Israel
JERUSALEM POST | March 4
P
vimiMiis1ivBenjaminNetan-
yahuaddressedthe.iv.cpolicy
conferenceinWashingtononTuesday,
sayingthatpeacewiththePalestin-
ianshasthepotentialtobetterthe
livesofhundredsofmillionsofpeople
intheMiddleEast.
Netanyahustatedthatahistoric
peaceagreementwiththePalestinians
wouldopenupthepossibilityofestab-
lishingtieswithleadingcountriesin
theArabworld.
Netanyahusaidthatattainingsuch
apeacedependsonthePalestinian
leadership.HecalledonPalestin-
ianAuthorityPresidentMahmoud
Abbastostopdenyinghistoryand
recognizeIsraelasthenationstateof
theJewishpeople.
PresidentAbbas,recognizethe
Jewishstate,andindoingsoyou
wouldbetellingyourpeoplethat,
whilewemighthaveaterritorialdis-
pute,therightoftheJewishpeopleto
astateoftheirownisbeyonddispute,
[Netanyahusaid].Headded:Ihope
thePalestinianleadershipwillstand
withIsraelandtheUnitedStateson
therightsideofthemoraldivide,the
sideofpeace,reconciliationandhope.
Netanyahuattackedthemovement
toboycottIsraelasbeingonthewrong
sideofthemoraldivide.
NetanyahualsoaddressedtheIrani-
annuclearthreat,callingontheworld
notjusttopreventIranfromhaving
nuclearweapons,buttopreventthem
fromhavingthecapacitytomake
theweapons.Tatmeanswemust
dismantletheirheavywaterreactor,
undergroundenrichmentfacilities,get
ridofstockpilesofenricheduranium
andtheircentrifuges.
Ivecomeheretodrawaclearline,
Netanyahustated.Telinebetween
lifeanddeath,rightandwrong,
betweentheblessingsofabrilliant
futureandthecursesofadarkpast,
hestated.
Hetrumpetedtherelationship
betweenIsraelandtheUnitedStates,
sayingthatAmericansupportfor
Israelisatanall-timehighandstating
thatthereisnocountryonEarththat
ismorepro-AmericanthanIsrael.
MARCH 7, 2014
5
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
EUROPE
Crimean Crisis: All
Eyes on Merkel
SPIEGEL ONLINE | March 4
G
ivm.vu.uonlyrecentlyan-
nouncedtheendofitseraof
restraint.GermanPresidentJoachim
Gauck,DefenseMinisterUrsulavon
derLeyenoftheChristianDemo-
cratsandForeignMinisterFrank-
WalterSteinmeieroftheSocial
Democratshaveallarguedthatits
timeforGermanytoplayagreater
roleintheworld.
Itisatremendouschallenge.And
itisntjusttheEuropeanswhowillbe
watchingBerlinclosely.TeU.S.too
ishopingGermanywillliveuptoits
newdesiretowieldinuence.Accord-
ingtoFionaHilloftheBrookings
Institution,Washingtonscurrently
troubledrelationshipwithRussia
meansthatitcannotdomuchand
thatGermanymustthereforeplaya
moreimportantrole.
TeNew York Timesreportedon
MondaywhatMerkelreallythinksof
theRussianpresident:Tepaperwrote
thatshetoldBarackObamaviatele-
phonethatsheisnotsureifPutinis
intouchwithreality.Berlindidnot
ociallyconrmthequote,expressing
itinmorediplomatictermsthatPu-
tinandtheWesthaveaverydierent
perceptionoftheeventsinCrimea.
N
osooivdidtheSochiWinterGamesendthanRussia
badefarewelltotheOlympicspiritbyinvadingand
occupyingaforeigncountry.Crimeahasbeenturned
intoamilitaryzone,andRussianPresidentVladimir
Putinsrecklessgamblerisksdraggingtheworldintoa
widerconict.
InlightofPutinsdangerousbehavior,theWestmust
rethinkitsstancetowardhim.Hereisaparanoiacwho
seesanimplausiblecoalitionofliberalRussians,Ukrainian
fascists,theci.,andIslamistterroriststryingtothwarthis
preferences,ifnottopplehim,ateveryturn.
Indeed,whatweareseeingisnotanunfortunateover-
reactiontorecentevents,butaresultofmeticulousprepa-
ration.Armiesdonotmobilize:,o,oootroopswithindays,
orhavevehiclesandthousandsofuniformswithoutinsig-
niasready,orholdmilitaryexercisesinpeacefulregionsof
theworldwithoutwarning.
SomeEUmembers,likeGermany,mustliveuptothe
expectationstheyhaverecentlyraised.IfGermanleaders
areseriousaboutinstitutingacultureofresponsibility,
theyareobligedtoactaccordingly,evenifdoingsoentails
economiccosts.TeWestshouldalsolistencarefullyto
Ukrainesneighbor,Poland,whichprobablyhasthedeep-
estinsightintothecomplexitiesofthecrisis.
Mostimportant,itisessentialtoadheretocertainkey
principles:
Use diplomacy.Strongersignals,suchascancelation
orsuspensionofagreementsconcerningtheSouthStream
gaspipelineandatradeembargoonarmsanddual-use
items,meritseriousconsideration.
Impose targeted sanctionsagainstthoseresponsiblefor
RussiasCrimeanincursion.[T]husdeliveringacredible
threattofreezetheforeignassetsofRussiasgovernment,
state-ownedcompanies,individualocials,andrelevant
oligarchs.
Engage Russians.TeWestneedstocommunicateto
ordinaryRussiansthespuriousnessofPutinszero-sum,
us-versus-themnarrative.Closerrelationsbetween
UkraineandtheEUposenothreattoRussia;onthe
contrary,aUkrainecloselyintegratedwithitsWestern
neighborscouldboostRussiaseconomyaswell.Tatmay
beirrelevanttoaleaderwhoisguidedbyvisionsofre-
storedimperialglory,butnottothepeopleunderhisrule.
KnockingholesintheKremlinswallofpropagandawill
notbeeasy,butitshouldnotbeimpossibleinourhyper-
connectedworld.
Support UkrainewithnancialaidastheEUhasnow
doneandbysecuringitsupcomingelections.Military
assistanceshouldinclude,ataminimum,Westernintelli-
gencesharingandcooperationthroughthe.1o-Ukraine
Commission.Shouldthesituationdeterioratefurther,the
Westshouldalsoprovidemedicalaidandsurveillanceas-
sets.Ifthe:oo8Russo-Georgianwarisanyguide,.1os
CyberDefenseCentershouldhelpUkrainepreparefora
large-scaledigitaloensive.
Defend allies..1oshoulddiscussconcretesteps
toprotectitsmembers.Ukrainebordersfour.1omem-
bers(Poland,Slovakia,HungaryandRomania),while
afh(Turkey),alongwithRomania,borderstheBlack
Sea.Moreover,EstoniaandLatviaarealarmedatRus-
siasgeopoliticalambitions,especiallygiventhepretextof
protectingethnickin.Bothhavepopulationsthatareabout
:,percentRussianalegacyoftheirSovietpast.Finally,
PolandandLithuaniaborderKaliningrad,Russiasexclave
inthemiddleofEurope(andthesceneofitsmostrecent
combat-readinessexercise).
Tisisatimefordiplomacy,and.1omusttrytoavoid
directconfrontation,butnotatallcosts.Itmustreckonthat
Russiasactionsmightdeliberatelyruncountertoapeaceful
settlement.Tealliancecannotaordtolaunchalengthy
andheateddebateaboutthedeploymentofitsforcesand
capabilitiesonlyatthemomentdiplomaticeortsfail.
Ukraineistheimmediatevictim,butitisbynomeans
Putinsultimatetarget.
Disrupting Putins Game Plan
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Bogdan Klich, PROJECTSYNDICATE.ORG | March 7
MARCH 7, 2014
6
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Angie the Good Cop
FOREIGNPOLICY.COM | March 5
G
ivm.vu.slongtakentheeasy
pathwithforeignpolicycon-
tenttowritechecksforinternational
engagementswhileleavingtheheavy
lifingtoitsalliesinWashington,
ParisandLondon.Today,theresno
suchluxury:Germanyisnowthepiv-
otalplayerintheUkrainecrisis.And
theworldiswatching.
Notsolongago,ofcourse,itwould
havebeentheU.S.callingtheshots,
withGermanyfollowingalonglikethe
humble,reliableallyithadbeen.But
thetablesareturned.Washingtonis
payingthepriceforhavingneglected
Europeforyears,tappingthephones
oftheContinentsleadersratherthan
engagingtheminseriousconsultation
andpolicymaking.Itshigh-handed
dealingswithRussiasincetheendof
theColdWarhaveservedtoalienate
andradicalizethecountry,whichis
justpartoftheexplanationforthe
currentdisasterinCrimea.
AsfortheEuropeanUnion,its
foreign-policymakingapparatusis
stillnotuptothetaskofdiusing
suchahigh-levelcrisisinvolvingthe
transgressionofstatesovereigntyin
Europeitself.SoitfallstoGermany,
thedefactoleaderoftheEuropean
Uniontoday.
[G]ermanymaintainscloserrela-
tionstoRussiathananyothercountry
intheEuropeanUnion.Germanyis
Russiasthird-largesttradepartner;
T
o1uosimanningthebarricades,theUkrainiancrisis
wasaboutjustice,democracyandanendtocorruption.
Buttotherestoftheworld,itisabouttheborderbetween
EuropeandRussia.Itsstilltooearlytosayforcertain
wherethatborderwillbe,butasthisunfoldsweareseeing
anotherimportantdevelopment:TeeasternlegofEurope
istakingshape.
Untilrecently,EuropehasbeenverymuchaWesterners
club.FormerCommunistnationswereallowedtojoinin
:oo,buttheirinuencewassmall.TeEuropeanParlia-
mentandCommissionareinBrussels.Tetopjobswent
mainlytothefoundingmembersoftheUnion,withsome
others,likeBritainalsogivenalook-in.
ItseemedlikelythatPolandandothernewcomerswould
actmorelikeBritainstickingtotheoutskirtsoftheEU,
securingopt-outsandnevergettingfullyinvolvedinthe
endeavor.
ButinthetussleoverUkraine,Polandinparticularhas
emergedasaseriousEuropeanpowerifnotequalto
Germany,thenonthesamelevelasFrance,Italy,Spainand
othermembersoftheoldguard.
TenegotiationsshowedthatPoland,foryearsdis-
missedasapoorrelationintheEuropeanUnion,hasa
placeatthetoptableofEuropeandecision-makers,enjoy-
ingthecondenceofEUpowerhouseGermany,especially
overpolicyintheEast, Reuterswrote.
TeeventsinKievoercluesaboutthefutureshape
oftheEuropeanUnion,andtheshifingbalanceofpower
thathasseenoldEurope,notablyEUco-founderFrance,
losegroundtothefaster-growingstatesthatjoinedthebloc
afer:oo,itcontinued.
PolandsForeignMinisterRadoslawSikorskiisaserious
contendertobecometheEUsnextforeignministerorthe
headof.1o.PolishPrimeMinisterDonaldTuskisinthe
runningtoreplaceJoseManuelBarrosoaspresidentofthe
EuropeanCommission.Hesnotnecessarilythefrontrun-
ner,butjustafewyearsagonoonefromPolandwould
haveevenbeenconsideredforanyoftheseposts.
OtherEasternnationshaveproventobeenthusiastic
Europeans.SlovakiaandSloveniaquicklyjoinedEuropes
currency,theeuro.LatviaandEstoniabothsignedup
evenafer seeingthemessoftheGreekbailouts,exposing
thecommoncurrencysfundamentalflaws.TheCzech
Republicalsoindicatedthatitwouldadopttheeurowithin
thenextfewyears.
TisenthusiasmforEuropewasnotinevitable.Foryears,
centralandEasternEuropeinsteadthrewintheirlotwith
theU.S.andBritain.WhileFranceandGermanysatout
theIraqWar,manycountriesfromthisregionsenttroops.
TeyhopedthatbybeingdependablepartnersforAmerica,
theycouldexpectthesameinreturn.
Teysoonbecamedisillusioned.CentralandEastern
EuropedecidedthatAmericawassoundependablethat
theywerebetterothrowingthemselvesintotheEuropean
projecttryingtomakethearrangementmorethanjust
aneconomicagreement.
TeTrumpetandthePlain Truthbeforeit,forecasteda
Europewithtwolegsoneintheeast,oneinthewest.For
years,onlythewesternleghasbeenprominent.Buttheeast-
ernoneisnowgrowinginpower.TePlain Truthforecasted
thatthesenationswouldformanintegralpartofEurope even
while they were still welded to Russias Communist alliance.
ItnowlooksentirelyfeasiblethatYugoslaviamaybe
includedinthisrevivedvom.imvivi,wrotethePlain
TruthseditorinchiefHerbertW.ArmstronginJune:8o.
AlsothepopesnativePolandandRomania,andpossibly
Hungary.AddAustria,Germany,Italy,Spain,Portugaland
France.Terewillbeaunionofnationsinthegeneral
areaofthemedievalRomanEmpireintheiwUi1iu
EUvovi.
Howdidheknow:Mr.Armstrongmadethesepredic-
tionsbasedonBibleprophecy.TebookofDanieltellsus
toexpectaEuropeansuperpowermadeupofnationsfrom
bothEastandWestEurope.
TeUkrainecrisishasmadeEasternEuropenervous
andintheweeksandmonthsahead,theywillworkhardto
persuadeEuropetoformacomprehensivemilitaryalliance.
FormoreontheBiblepropheciesbehindthisprediction,
readourfreebookletWho or What Is the Prophetic Beast?
Follow Richard Palmer: Twitter
Ukraine Crisis Reveals Europes Eastern Leg
Richard Palmer | March 4
MARCH 7, 2014
7
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
only:ocountriessellmoretoGermany
thandoesRussia.Germanyexports
nmws,machinery,andchemicalsto
Russia,whileRussiasellsGermanyover
athirdofitsnaturalgasandoil.Tis
translatesintoinuencethekindthe
UnitedStatessimplydoesnthave.
MerkelandPutinhaveknowneach
otherfor:yearsnow,andtheyare
saidtotalkfranklyMerkelinGer-
man,PutininRussian(eventhough
theyeachareuentintheothers
nativelanguage),bothoccasionally
interruptingtheirinterpretersto
distinguishnerpoints.Berlinhas
keptupgoodrelationswithRussia
nevertheless.Tisispayingonow.
Islamophobia
Multiplies in Germany
SPIEGEL | March 5
T
uiviu.vibeenplentyof[anti-
Islam]movementsinGermany
inrecentyears.Teygenerallybegin
inresponsetotheconstructionofa
mosque:Reluctanceturnsintoresis-
tance,thenhateandviolence.Overthe
lasttwoyears,therehavebeenarson
attacksagainstMuslimprayerhouses
inBerlin,HanauandHannover.Po-
liticallyIncorrect,themostprominent
German-speakinganti-Islamwebsite,
hasupto::o,ooovisitorsperday.
InadditiontoDieFreiheit[Te
Freedom],radicalanti-Islamists
havefoundedthepoliticalpartyPro
Deutschland(ProGermany)and
thecitizensmovementPaxEuropa.
Teyarecurrentlyattemptingtogain
inuenceovertheeuroskepticAl-
ternativeforGermanyParty(AfD)
theformerfederalchairmanofDie
Freiheithascalledforhisfollowers
tosupporttheAfDinthisMays
Europeanelections.
AccordingtoastudybytheFried-
richEbertFoundation,,opercent
ofGermansconsiderIslamtobean
archaicreligion,incapableoftting
intomodernlifeandmanybelieve
religiousfreedomforMuslimsshould
besubstantiallyrestricted.
Tereareseveralpotentialexplana-
tionsfortherisingskepticismofIslam
inGermany.Forone,manythird-
generationMuslimimmigrantsare
livingmorestrictlythantheirparents
did,makingthemmoreconspicu-
ous.Also,insomeneighborhoods
inlargeGermancities,Muslimgirls
areafraidofgoingoutsidewithout
wearingaheadscarf.Terehavealso
beenseveralreportsintheGerman
mediarecentlyofethnic-Germanmen
convertingtoIslam,radicalizingand
goingtoPakistanforterrortraining.
Justthispastweek,theministerof
theinteriorwarnedthatatotalof,oo
GermanjihadistshavelefGermany
toghtinSyria.
Anti-Islamistsgenerallydontdif-
ferentiatebetweenSunnis,Shiitesand
Alevi,orbetweenmilitantIslamists
andpeacefulbelievers.Intheirimagi-
nation,Islamisntareligionbuta
politicalideologythatmustbefought.
Muslimsareaccusedoftryingtotake
overtheworld,underminingthesov-
ereigntyofdemocraticstates,inltrat-
ingtheirlegalsystems.
ASIA
Russia Tests ICBM
Amid Ukraine Tensions
CBS/WIRE SERVICES | March 4
R
Ussi.s.iuithadsuccessfullytest-
redanIntercontinentalBallistic
Missile(icnm)onTuesday,withten-
sionshighoveritsseizureofcontrolin
theCrimeaanditsthreattosendmore
forcestoitsneighborUkraine.
APentagonocialtoldcnsNews
thattheU.S.detectedthelaunchof
theRussianicnmneartheborderof
RussiaandKazakhstan.Notications
weremadeaheadoftimeinaccor-
dancewithnormalprocedures.Te
ocialsaidthelaunchisviewedas
non-threateningandisnotconnected
towhatisgoingoninCrimea.
Teoo-footlongRS-::Misde-
signedtocarryanuclearwarhead.Its
rangeiso,ooomiles.
Telaunchcomesonthesame
daythatU.S.SecretaryofStateJohn
Kerrywalkedthestreetswheremore
than8oanti-governmentprotesters
werekilledlastmonth,andpromised
beseechingcrowdsthatAmericanaid
isontheway.
PutindeclaredthatWesternactions
weredrivingUkraineintoanarchy
andwarnedthatanysanctionsthe
WestmightplaceonRussiaforitsac-
tionstherewillbackre.
TensionsremainedhighinCrimea,
withtroopsloyaltoMoscowring
warningshotstowardoprotesting
Ukrainiansoldiers.Heavilyarmed
Russianforceshavetakenoverthe
strategicpeninsula,surroundingits
ferry,militarybasesandborderposts.
TwoUkrainianwarshipsremained
anchoredintheCrimeanportof
Sevastopol,blockedfromleavingby
Russianships.
TenewUkrainianleadershipin
Kiev,whichPutindoesnotrecognize,
hasaccusedMoscowofamilitary
invasioninCrimea,whichPutin
denies.
China Issues Report
on U.S. Human Rights
VOA NEWS | February 28
C
ui.u.sissuedareportdocu-
mentingallegedhumanrights
History is consistent on this point: Ger-
many and Russia are not close friends,
and any appearance that they are is a
harbinger of conict. The trend is obvi-
ous: Russia and Germany are forging a
relationship almost in deance of the
United States! History tells us where
this will end. The formation of a peace
pact between Russia and Germany is a
sure sign that one or both are prepar-
ing to engage in an imperialistic, violent
mission.
theTrumpet.com, June 18, 2009
MARCH 7, 2014
8
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Related: World Prepares to Dump the
Dollar
abusesintheUnitedStatesaferan
annualStateDepartmentglobalrights
surveystronglycriticizedBeijing.Te
U.S.reportTursdaydenounceda
broadrangeofChinaspolicies,in-
cludingitscrackdownongovernment
critics,treatmentofethnicminorities
andcensorshipoftheInternet.
Tereportdidnoteimprovements
inChinaslong-reviledone-child
policy,whichwasrelaxedlastyear,
andBeijingsdecision,intheory,to
eliminateitsinfamousreeducation
throughlaborcamps.
Butthebulkofthe:,-pagereport
onChinawasnegative,highlight-
inghumanrightsissuesthathave
foryearsbeenanirritanttorela-
tionsbetweentheworldstwolargest
economies.
InitsownreportFriday,Chinahit
backattheU.S.,whichitsaidcare-
fullyconcealedandavoideditsown
humanrightsproblems.Specically,
itmentionedciviliandeathsinforeign
dronestrikes,rampantdomestic
gunviolenceandagraveemployment
situation.
ChineseForeignMinistryspokes-
manQinGangsaidatapressbrieng
thattheChinesepeopleareinthe
bestpositiontojudgeChinashuman
rightssituation.
Russia and the Son of Man
Russia is rising up as a great superpower, and is causing the
German-led EU to rise as well. We are living in the most dangerous
time in mans history! GERALD FLURRY
businessesandcitizens,wecannolon-
gerviewAmericaasareliablepartner,
hesaid.Wewillencourageeverybody
todumpU.S.Treasurybonds,getrid
ofdollarsasanunreliablecurrency
andleavetheU.S.market.
Tobesure,ahigh-rankingKrem-
linsourcewasquicktodistancehis
ocefromGlazyevsremarks,how-
ever,insistingtovi.Novostithatthey
representedonlyhispersonalposition.
Glazyevwasjustexpressinghisviews
asanacademic,andnotasapresiden-
tialadviser,theKremlininsidersaid.
Tatsaid,puttingRussiasthreat
incontext,theFederationhelds:,8.o
billioninU.S.treasuriesasofDecem-
beraccordingtothelatestticdata,
makingitthe::thlargestcreditorof
theU.S.,whichappearstoconict
withwhattheRussiansaid,making
onewonderwherethereisadiscon-
nectindata.Tiswouldmeanthe
Fedwouldneedjusttwomonthsof
[PermanentOpenMarketOperations]
togobbleupwhateverbondsRussia
hastosell.
Tebiggerquestionisifindeed,as
somehavesuggested,Chinawereto
allywithRussia,andproceedtofollow
Russiainitsreciprocalisolationofthe
U.S.,byexpandingtradewithRus-
siaonnon-Usubasedterms,andalso
continuesellingbondsasitdidinDe-
cember,whenitdumpedthesecond
largestamountofU.S.paperinhistory.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Putin gets the nod for Nobel
Peace Prize
No,thatisnotaheadlinefromthe
satiricalOnionnewssource.Among
thisyearsrecordNobelPeacePrize
nomineesisRussianPresidentVladi-
mirPutin,reportsonMarch,said.
TeNobelPeacePrizehasbecomein
recentyearsabitofarunninggag.To
beconsideredforthehonor,aperson
isnolongerexpectedtopursue
whatstheword:ohright,vi.ci.
Despitethenomination,itisunlikely
thatMr.Putincouldbribeenough
judgestobegiventheaward.
Russia Threatens to
Dump U.S. Treasuries
ZEROHEDGE | March 4
W
uiii1uicommentsbyRussian
presidentialadviserSergeiGla-
zyevcamebeforePutinsdetentepress
conferenceearlythismorning,theydid
asharedlightofwarningastowhat
Russianresponsemaybeshouldthe
Westindeedproceedwithcrippling
sanctionsasKerryisdemanding. As
vi.reports,hisadviceisthatau-
thoritiesshoulddumpU.S.government
bondsintheeventofRussiancom-
paniesandindividualsbeingtargeted
bysanctionsovereventsinUkraine.
GlazyevsaidtheUnitedStateswould
bethersttosuerintheeventofany
sanctionsregime.TeAmericansare
threateningRussiawithsanctionsand
pullingtheEUintoatradeandeco-
nomicwarwithRussia,Glazyevsaid.
MostofthesanctionsagainstRussia
willbringharmtotheUnitedStates
itself,becauseasfarastraderelations
withtheUnitedStatesgo,wedont
dependontheminanyway.
Fromvi.:Weholdadecent
amountoftreasurybondsmorethan
s:oobillionandiftheUnitedStates
darestofreezeaccountsofRussian
MARCH 7, 2014
9
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
n China does support Russias
Ukraine game after all
TeChineseandRussianforeignmin-
istersspokeonMarch,,aferwhich
Russiaannouncedthatthetwonations
areinharmoniousagreementabout
Moscowsdecisiontowageanincur-
sionintoUkraine.Initially,however,
questionsaroseoverwhetherChina
didinfactsupportRussia,givenBei-
jingslongheldtenetofforeignpolicy:
nointerferenceintheinternalaairs
ofothers.Chinasleadersseemed
tornbecausetheycelebrateVladimir
PutinswillingnesstodefytheWest
andtheywantMoscowssupportfor
Beijingsownexpansionistmaritime
ambitions,yetChinadoesntwantto
appearhypocriticalaboutitsnon-
interferencepolicynordoesitwant
tojeopardizeeconomicrelationswith
itsbiggesttradepartnertheEU.But
reportshaveemergedshowingthat,
despitethesepoints,ChinabacksRus-
sia.OnMarch ,,Chinasgovernment-
inuencedGlobal Times wrote,Back-
ingRussiaisinChinasinterests,and
BeijingmustnotdisappointRussia
whenitndsitselfinatimeofneed.
Itadded:SomethinkChinaspolicy
ofnon-interferencewillbetestedin
thismatter,andthatifChinasupports
Russia,itwillbecomeensnaredina
diplomatictrap.Tisisthementality
oftheweak.TenonMarch8,Chi-
nasstate-runXinhuasaid,[W]hen
itcomestocleaningamesstheWest
createdinthecountrysbackyard,Rus-
sianleadersonceagainprovedtheir
credibilityandshrewdnessinplanning
andexecutingeectivecountermoves.
Chinaiswalkingathinline,andits
supportofRussiawilllikelyremain
somewhatmuted.Nevertheless,Beijing
isinspiredbyVladimirPutinsmuscle
andstandsbesideRussia.
n Russia deploys troops near
Polish and Lithuanian borders
Morethan,,,ooRussiansoldiers
engagedintacticalmaneuverson
theBalticcoastoftheKaliningrad
regionnearthebordersofPolandand
Lithuania,PolishRadioreportedon
March,.Teunexpected,large-scale
militarydrillsbeganaferRussian
PresidentVladimirPutinordereda
snapinspectionoftheforcesstationed
there.RepresentativesofLithuania
andPolandsaythedrillsposeadirect
threattothesecurityoftheirna-
tions.TeLithuanianArmywillbe
settoahighermilitaryreadinesslevel
becauseofthedrills,saidLithuanian
PresidentDaliaGrybauskaite.Sofar,
theonlythingstheEuropeanshave
deployedagainstPutinsintensifying
aggressionhavebeenwords.Because
oftheEUslackofpoliticalandmili-
taryunity,wordsareallitcanpresent-
lydispatch.Putinknowsthat.Healso
knowsthattheU.S.isnowinfullre-
treatfromtheinternationalstage,and
thatChinahasRussiasback.Putins
understandingofthesevitalfactshas
beenasignicantfactorfuelinghis
intensifyingaggression.Yet,basedon
Bibleprophecy,theTrumpet persists
inforecastingthatVladimirPutins
rampedupaggressionwillcontribute
toadramaticseachangeinEurope.
Tounderstandthedetailsofhow
PutinsbelligerencetowardPoland,
Lithuania,Ukraineandbeyondis
galvanizingEuropeandhasteningits
unication,readIsVladimirPutin
theProphesiedPrinceofRosh:
I
i.s1weeksissueweprovidedadetailedanalysisof
Chinasincreasingmilitarycapabilities.Chinahassince
announceditsdefensebudgetfor:o:,whichshows
expenditureincreasingby::.:percenttos:,: billion.In
reportingtheMarch,announcement,theocialXinhua
newsagencynotedthatthegurewillmostcertainlydraw
irefromtheWest,beforelaunchingintoadefenseofthe
increase.
TereweretwointerestingaspectsofXinhuasjustica-
tionforthecontinuedrapidincreaseindefensespending.
TerstwasthestatementthatChinasdefensespending
isstillnothinglikeashighasitneedstobe.Teagency
said:Militaryexpertshavesaidthatthecountrysmilitary
spendingisstillfarfromthelevelitneedstobe,asthecoun-
tryfacesincreasinglyseveresecuritychallenges.Tesec-
ondinterestingpointwasthewayitusedrisingmaritime
securitytensionsandterritorialdisputesasajustication
whenmostobjectiveobserverswouldarguethatitisChina
itselfthathasbeenresponsiblefortheseincreasedtensions.
Xinhuawasonstrongergroundwhenitpointedoutthat
theU.S.spendssomethinglikevetimestheamountthat
Chinaspendsondefense,withabudgetofoversooobillion.
Lessconvincingwasitsargumentthatinpercapitaterms
Chinasdefensespendingisverymodest,equaltolessthan,
percentofthatofthe[UnitedStates].GivenChinaspopula-
tion,itisalwaysgoingtowinthatargument.And,besides,
Indiahasacomparablepopulation,andarguablyaneven
morecomplexstrategicandsecurityenvironmenttodeal
with,butspendsonlys,o.,billionondefense.
XinhuasdefenseofChinasmilitaryspendingalso
includedtheobligatoryattackonJapan.Itsaid:Ifoneisto
seriouslylookforacauseforalarminAsia,oneshouldx
agazeonTokyo,whereanationalisticprimeministerhas
turnedhisadministrationintoaregionaltroublemaker.It
added:AlthoughChinaboastsaterritorysome:otimesas
largeasJapansandapopulationninetimeslargerthanthe
lattercountry,itspercapitaspendinginnationaldefense
representsonlyabout:opercentofJapans.
Tatisasmaybe,butJapansmilitaryspendingisstill
lessthanhalfChinasats,:billion.
China Defends Its Military Spending
COURCYS INTELLIGENCE SERVICE | March 5
Asian nations military buildups are fueled by a desire to protect
themselves from other Asian states . The burgeoning military
spending throughout Asia is the result of bickering and disputes
among Asian states, but all of that military might will soon be
pooled together and channeled against a colossal European
enemy. theTrumpet.com, Nov. 26, 2010
MARCH 7, 2014
10
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
J
o.qUEiChapoGuzman,theMexicandrugbaron
whoheadedtheSinaloaFederation,wasarrestedFebru-
ary::.Tearrestwascauseforcelebrationwithinlaw
enforcementcirclesoneithersideoftheborder,andit
certainlyearnedMexicanPresidentEnriquePeaNietos
beleagueredgovernmentsomecredibilityscores.
GuzmanwasontheDrugEnforcementAdministra-
tionsmostwantedlisttheworldsmostwanteddrug
baronwithas,millionbountyonhishead.Heranked
o,thonForbes:o:,listofthemostpowerfulpeopleinthe
world,and,o:stonits:oolistofbillionaires.
Tatsuchapowerfuldrugkingpinisnowoutofbusi-
nessshouldbealegitimatecauseforcelebration.Butnot
everyoneisbreakingoutthetequilainvictorycelebrations.
Tereisafeelingofuncertainty,aworryofwhatcould
comenext,wrotejournalistJavierValdezfollowing
Guzmansarrest.
OneofthemainconstantsinMexicosdrugwaristhat
eliminatingcartelbossesofenleadstomoreviolence.Tat
violencemaystemfromintra-cartelwarsinwhichsubor-
dinatecrimebossesbattleforsuccession.Itmayalsostem
fromrivalcartelsseizingsuchopportunitiestogainmore
territoryininter-cartelturfwars.
ItsunlikelythatGuzmansarrestwilldomuchtoim-
proveMexicosdrugviolence,anditcouldevenexacerbate
aspectsofthesituation.Manyanalystsrealizethis.Time
quippedthefollowingonFebruary:,:Cheers,tearsand
fearsfollowthearrestofdrugkingpinJoaquinGuzman.
StratforsanalysisonthesubjectshowshowElChapos
arrestposesnewrisksofviolence.AsGuzmanslikely
replacement,IsmaelElMayoZambada,oncesaidinan
interviewin:o:o,Whenitcomestothecapos,jailed,dead
orextraditedtheirreplacementsareready.
TisiswhyMexicoisafailedstateborderingoncollapse.
DrugviolenceisbeheadingMexico.
ElChapowasabigpartoftheproblem,buthewasnotthe
mainproblem.TemainproblemisAmericasinsatiablede-
mandforillegaldrugs,asHillaryClintonarmedin:oo.
Itsallabouthumannatureandbasiceconomics.Mexicos
drugwarswhichofenspilloverintotheU.S.willcon-
tinueaslongasthemarketfornarcoticsremainsstrong.Un-
fortunately,thatmarketwillkeepgrowingstronger,follow-
ingrecentmarijuanalegalizationlawsintheUnitedStates.
WhatwecanlearnfromJoaqunElChapoGuzmans
arrestistheimportanceofdealingwiththerealproblems
inthedrugwar:thedrugmarketandhumannature.For
thesolutiontothesewoes,considerourarticles,Mexico:
BorderingonCollapse,BeheadingMexicoandDont
ReadTisArticle!
Mexico Takes Down Most Wanted Drug Lord
Anthony Chibarirwe | March 6
Latin America Being
Eyed for Russian
Military Expansion
FOX NEWS | March 4
A
11uisametimethatRussiawas
denyinghavingblockadedUkrai-
niannavalfacilitiesinCrimea,little-
noticedreportscameoutofMoscow
sayingthatVladimirPutinsgovern-
menthadongoingconversations
witheightforeigncountrieswiththe
objectiveofbuildingoverseasmilitary
facilities,includinginCuba,Venezu-
elaandNicaragua.
Weneedbasesforrefuelingnear
theequatorandinotherplaces,Rus-
sianDefenseMinisterSergeiShoigu
wasquotedassayingbynewsagency
i1.v-Tass.Accordingtoanotherstate-
runnewsagency,vi.Novosti,Shoigu
said:Tetalksareunderway,andwe
areclosetosigningtherelevantdocu-
ments.
Iftheministerofdefensesaidit,
Iwouldabsolutelytakeitseriously,
JohnReppert,aretiredbrigadier
generalintheU.S.Armywhoserved
asmilitaryattachinMoscowfor
manyyears,said.Itwouldindicate
thattheyareplanningtoexpandtheir
navaloperationsonthissideofthe
Atlantic,whichwouldbeverymuchof
interest.
AdamIsacson,defenseandsecurity
specialistatthehumanrightsorga-
nizationWashingtonOceonLatin
America[said],Itcouldbeagoadto
theU.S.,oranattempttoshowthe
worldRussiaisnolongeradeclining
militarypower.Beyondthesymbolic
level,itmaybeanattempttopromote
armssalesRussiahasbeenthetop
vendorofarmamentsinLatinAmer-
icaforthelastcoupleofyearsthanks
tohugesalestoVenezuela.
Russiahasbeenpayingmore
militaryattentiontoLatinAmerica
inrecentyears.Russianshipsheld
jointmaneuverswiththeVenezu-
elanNavyin:oo8andhavevisited
Cubanwatersafewtimessince
:oo,includinglastweek,whenthe
intelligence-gatheringshipViktor
LeonovdockedinHavanasharbor
withoutwarning.
LATIN AMERICA/AFRICA
ALFREDO ESTRELLA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Mexican drug trafcker Joaquin
Guzmn is escorted by marines
after being arrested February 22.
MARCH 7, 2014
11
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Wages of Weakness
Charles Krauthammer, THE
WASHINGTON POST | March 6
V
i.uimivPU1iisaluckyman.
Andhesgotthreemoreyearsof
lucktocome.HetakesCrimea,and
PresidentBarackObamasaysitsnot
inRussiasinterest,notevenstrategi-
callyclever.Indeed,itsasignofweak-
ness.Really:
CrimeabelongedtoMoscowfor
:ooyears.Russiaconqueredit:o
yearsbeforetheU.S.acquiredLouisi-
ana,thenlostitinthehumiliationof
the:os.Putingotitbackinabout
threedayswithoutringashot.
NowRussialoomsovertherestof
easternandsouthernUkraine.Putin
cantakethatanytimehewantsif
hewants.Hehasalreadydestabilized
thenationalistgovernmentinKiev.
Ukraineistruncatedandonthelife
supportofU.S.andEuropeanmoney
(muchofwhichcashforgaswill
endupinPutinstreasuryanyway).
ObamasaysPutinisonthewrong
sideofhistoryandSecretaryofState
JohnKerrysaysPutinsisreally
:th-centurybehaviorinthe::st
century.Tismustmeanseeking
nationalpower,territory,domin-
ionthedrivingimpulseofnations
sinceTucydidesisobsolete.Asifa
calendarchangecausedarevolution
inhumannaturethattransformedthe
internationalarenafromastrugglefor
powerintoagentlemansclubwhere
violationsofterritorialintegrityjust
donthappen.
HowtogureoutObamasforeign
policy:InhisrstUNspeech,hesays:
Noonenationcanorshouldtryto
dominateanothernation.Onwhat
planet:Followedbytheassertionthat
alignmentsofnationsrootedinthe
cleavagesofalong-goneColdWar
like.1o:makenosenseinan
interconnectedworld.
Uponcomingintooce,heiniti-
atedthefamousresettoundothe
drifinrelationsthathadoccurred
duringtheGeorgeW.Bushyears.But
thedrifwasduetothefreezingof
relationsBushimposedaferRussias
invasionofGeorgia.
Obamacanceledmissile-defense
agreementswithPolandandthe
CzechRepublicwithoutevenconsult-
ingthem.AhugeconcessiontoPutins
threatswhileagainaskingnothing
inreturn.
RegardingtheSyriadebacle,
Obamapaintedhimselfintoacorner
onchemicalweaponsthreateningto
bombandthenbackingdownand
allowedPutintorescuehimwitha
promisetogetridofSyriasstock-
piles.Obamahailedthisasawin-win,
whenbothknewordidObamanot
know:hehadjustconferredlegiti-
macyonBasharAssadandmadeRus-
siathemajorregionalarbiter.
Obamakeepscuttingdefense
spending.Hislatestbudgetwill
reduceitto,percentofcuvby:o:o
andcutthearmytopre-PearlHarbor
sizejustasRussiaisrebuilding,as
IranisgoingnuclearandasChinaan-
nouncesyetanotherincreaseinmili-
taryspending.TereisnoU.S.nan-
cialemergencyorbudgetarycollapse.
Obamadeclaresanendtoausterityfor
everygovernmentdepartmentexcept
themilitary.
CanPutinbefaultedforbelieving
ifhetakesCrimeaandthreatensKiev,
Obamasresponsewillbeminimal
andhisabilitytoleadtheEuropeans
evenlessso:
NextweekendsCrimeanreferen-
dumwillaskifitshouldbereturned
toMotherRussia.CanPutinrefuse:
Hecanalreadyseethehistorytext-
books:CatherinetheGreatconquered
Crimea,Vlad(theGreat:)wonitback.
Notbadfora:th-centuryman.
Britain Unable to
Defend Itself?
DAILY MAIL | March 6
T
ui.vmvfacesthedangerofnot
havingenoughtroopstoprotect
Britainbecauseofacontroversialmili-
taryshake-up,M.P.swillwarntoday.
Inadamningreport,theCom-
monsDefenseSelectCommitteesays
contentiousplanstoreplacefull-time
troopswithreservistsriskleavinga
shortfallofpersonnel.
Americas Foreign Policy
Is Based on Fantasy
THE TRUMPET DAILY | March 4
STEPHEN FLURRY
RussiaandChinaarenotbehavingthewaytheyare
supposedtoinAmericasworldofmake-believe.
ANGLO-AMERICA
MARCH 7, 2014
12
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
sophisticationcomeswithahandicap.
Ithasblindedustothefactthat
oUvuUm..1Uvivim.is1ui
s.mi!
Behindtheashsuits,iPadsand
iPhones,behindthecultureand
sophistication,behindtheprivatejets
andeloquentdiplomacy,existsaheart
thatisiuivi1ivsiivisu,aheartthatisiuivi1iv
v.i,aheartthatvUvsUisvowivandvviimiici,a
heartthatisv.1.iivuiciv1iviandwicxiu.Embedded
deepinsideVladimirPutin,as it is in all men,isanin-
natedesireforself-preservation,forself-advancementand
aninnateproclivitytoputself-interestandtheinterests
ofonesown(family,state,country)abovetheinterestof
othernations.TisisthefundamentalawofMr.Kerrys
remark,andofAmericasforeignpolicy:I1u.s.viv-
viv1iuviiwovuUm..1Uvi!
Whenitcomestohumannature,mankindtodayisthe
sameasitwasinthe:thcentury,ortheMiddleAgesorthe
gardenofEden!Someofouractionsaredierent,theymight
seemlesssimpleorbarbaric.Scienticandtechnologicalad-
vancementshaveresultedinsupercialprogress.Yet,onboth
anindividualandcollectivelevel,ourmotivesandattitudes
the nature underpinning our behaviorisexactlythesame.
TisissummedupinJeremiah :,,especiallyverse,which
shouldbecarvedingraniteandhungovertheentrancetothe
U.S.StateDepartment:Tuiui.v1isuicii1vUi.novi.ii
1uics,.uuisviv.1iivwicxiu:wuoc.xowi1:
Tisisworththinkingabout.Yourheart,andmine,and
BarackObamas,andVladimirPutins,andXiJinpings,
eventhepopes,isdeceitfulanddesperatelywicked.
TeHebrewwordtranslateddeceitfulmeanssly,insidi-
ousorslippery.Wickedmeanssick,frail,woefulorincur-
able.Notice,ourheartsarenotjustsickorwoeful,they
areuisviv.1iivsickandwoeful,tothepointofbeing
icUv.nii.Tatsnoteasytoread,anditsevenharderto
sincerelyaccept,butconsidertheimpactthistruthwould
haveifitinformedandshapedAmericasforeignpolicy.
IfJeremiah:,:werevalued,foreign-policystrategies
anddecisionswouldtakeintoaccountthetendencyin
othergovernmentsforlying,deceitandtrickery.Americas
leaderswouldbecautiousaboutinvestingtheirtrustand
hopesinthepromisesandplatitudesofothers.Awareof
theinherentlyselshhumannaturewithintheircounter-
partsinotherstatesandknowingthatotherstatesare
advancingtheirowncreedandpursuingtheirownambi-
tionsWashingtonwoulddevelopaforeignpolicyreplete
withcautiousrealism.Tismaysoundcynicalandpessi-
mistic,butsuchanoutlookwouldinformamoreresilient,
stableandeectiveforeignpolicyonelesslikelytobe
caughtoguardbyliesandexploitedbydeception.
InformedbyJeremiah:,:,thewisestatesmanwouldbe
waryofobfuscationandlying,andhewouldinvesthisfaith
andhopeinaction,notpiouspromisesorrhetoric.Policies
ofappeasementandcompromisewouldbepracticedslowly,
withcaution.Andwhiletheforeignpolicythattakes
Jeremiah:,:intoaccountwouldnotactivelyorwillingly
inciteconict,i1woUiuUuivs1.u1u.1coviic1is
iivi1.nii.uwoUiu.iw.vsnivi.uvvovi1.
Today,asMr.Kerrysstatementshows,theguiding
moralstandpointofmanyintheWest,particularlyliber-
alsandespeciallyAmericaspresidentisdiametrically
oppositetothattaughtbyJeremiah.Today,Mr.Obamaand
hisstaintheStateDepartmenthavedevelopedaforeign
policyfoundedonthebeliefthatthehumanheartisfunda-
mentallygood.Althoughhumansexperienceconictand
conagration,Mr.Obamarmlybelievesthattheinter-
estsweshareashumanbeingsarefarmorepowerfulthan
theforcesthatdriveusapart.
Itallsoundssowonderful,andweallwishitcouldbe
true.Butitsnot.Drivenbyafatalmisunderstandingofthe
humanheart,Americaspresidentispracticingaforeign
policyinwhichAmericashunsitstraditionalmoral,politi-
calandmilitaryroleintheworld,putsitselfonparwithits
enemies,andhopestowalkhandinhandwiththemtothe
sunnyuplandsofcomityandunderstanding.
TeconsequenceswillbefatalforAmericaandtherest
oftheworld.Aswevejustwitnessed,VladimirPutin(as
wellasBasharAssad,Iransmullahs,HarmidKarzaiand
Islamistterrorists)ismotivatedbyanentirelydierent
worldviewonemarkedinmanyinstancesbythedesire
forpowerandthedesiretodestroyAmerica!Failureto
recognizethisresultsinasuicidalforeignpolicy.
Teonlyremedyformankindisachangeofhearts.
Believeitornot,thatmomentisnearlyhere.Fewpeople
haveunderstoodthedepthsofJeremiah:,:likethelate
HerbertW.Armstrong.Mr.Armstrongwasanexpertin
thehumanheart,andknewexactlywhyitissodeceitful
andwicked.EmployingtheauthorityofScripture,Mr.
ArmstrongexplainedthatGoddidnotcreatetheevil,
selshstateofthehumanheartandmind.Heexplained
thatthereasonthehumanheartisdesperatelywickedis
thatvirtuallyfrombirthithasfallenundertheinuenceof
Satanthedevil,alsocalledthewickedone(:John:::,-:)
andthefatheroflies(John8:).[T]heselshness,hostil-
ity,deceitfulness,wickedness,rebellion,etc.thatwecall
uUm..1UviisactuallyS.1.s.1Uvi,hewrote.It
isSatans.11i1Uui.Andbroadcastingit,surchargingthe
airwithit,SatanactuallyowwovxsINtheunsuspecting
allovertheworldtoday!TatisHOWSatandeceivesthe
wholeworldtoday(Te Incredible Human Potential).
Althoughthehumanheartisterriblysickincurablein
humanhandsthereisacure.TecureliesintheSpirit
ofGodthedivinepowerbywhichmankindwascreated,
andbywhichconvertedChristiansproducethefruitsof
peace,joy,gentleness,longsuering,etc.TatSpiritwill
onedayinGodstimebemadeavailabletoallofman-
kind.Atthattime,whentheSpiritofGodenterstheminds
ofmen,thehumanheartwillbehealedofitsinrmity.
Untilthen,itwouldbewiseforBarackObamaandthe
stewardsofAmericasforeignpolicytostudyJeremiah:,:.
Follow Brad Macdonald: Twitter
HEART from page 1
COVER: GETTY IMAGES
BRAD MACDONALD