Obamas bluff 2

Are there limits to democracy? 3

Why Germany appears reluctant to fight 6
Russian empire strikes back 6
Walmart and the economics of reality 10

the TRUMPET WEEKLY

A u g u st 3 0, 201 3

Syria Exposes Hypocrisy in Washington

By Stephen Flurry

n March 27, 2011, a cbs reporter asked thenSecretary of State Hilary Clinton why the United
States was preparing to intervene against Muammar
Qadhafi in Libya, but not Bashar al Assad in Syria. Mrs.
Clinton said, Theres a different leader in Syria now. Many
of the members of Congress of both parties who have gone
to Syria in recent months have said they believe he is a
reformer.
Back then, Clinton was one of many Assad apologists working for the Obama administration in
Washington. Even before Mr. Obama became president, the New York Times portrayed Syrias Assad
and his wife Asma as a pair of progressives struggling to bring Syria into the 21st century. President Bush, on the other hand, was regarded as
an imbecile for failing to engage with Assad.
During a Senate confirmation hearing
in 2005, former U.S. ambassador to the UN
John Bolton said Syria had one of the most
advanced Arab state chemical weapons capabilities, and that it could have its sites set on
developing a nuclear bomb.
At the time, Bolton was loudly ridiculed for his socalled alarmism. They made fun of him in the Senate, at the cia, in the mainstream media, and so on.
In 2007, liberal Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi
boldly maintained that the road to Damascus is a road to peace. If only President Bush would have engaged
with the dictator.
Even as late
as March 16,

2011the day after the first mass demonstration against

Assad in Syriathen-Senator John Kerry said Assad was a
man of his word and that he had been very generous with
me. He insisted that, under Assad, Syria will move; Syria
will change as it embraces a legitimate relationship with the
United States.
John Kerry is now Secretary
of State. And on August 26,
Secretary Kerry said the Assad
regime is guilty of using
chemical weapons to attack
see syria page 12

U.S. President
Barack Obama

middle east

Jordan Discusses Need for Dialogue in Syria With Pope

Rome Reports | August 29

eemingly caught in the midst of the current Middle

East crisis, Jordans King Abdullah ii and his wife,
Queen Rania, met with Pope Francis for a brief audience
at the Vatican. The audience lasted about 20 minutes. Both
leaders spoke about how to achieve peace and stability in
the Middle East, but especially in Syria.
They also addressed other matters, like the peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine, as well as the status of
Jerusalem.
Pope Francis and the Jordanian monarchs agreed that
dialogue between all the factions of Syrian society, and
with the support of the international community, is the

Obamas Bluff
George Friedman, Stratfor | August 27

he United States has so far avoided

involvement in Syrias civil war.
This is not to say Washington has any
love for the al Assad regime. Damascuss close ties to Iran and Russia
give the United States reason to be
hostile toward Syria, and Washington
participated in the campaign to force
Syrian troops out of Lebanon. Still,
the United States has learned to be
concerned not just with unfriendly regimes, but also with what could follow
such regimes.
Washington does not have a direct
interest in the outcome, since all
possible outcomes are bad from its
perspective. People would die in
anyintervention, since there are
simply no clean ways to end a civil
war.
U.S. President Barack Obama
therefore adopted an extremely cautious strategy. He said that the United
States would not get directly involved
in Syria unless the al Assad regime
used chemical weapons, stating with
a high degree of confidence that he
would not have to intervene. After all,
Syrian President Bashar al Assad has
now survived two years of civil war,
and he is far from defeated. The one
thing that could defeat him is foreign
intervention, particularly by the United States. It was therefore assumed he

only way to put an end to the violence.

The audience was very cordial, and the pope used the
time to thank King Abdullah for his commitment to fostering inter-religious dialogue. The Jordanian king called a
conference in September at his capital, Amman, about the
challenges Christians face in the Middle East.
Queen Rania attended the audience wearing a white veil,
a privilege usually reserved for Catholic royals.
This was the first meeting between the Jordanian monarchs
and Pope Francis. Before then, in 2009, King Abdullahii and
Queen Rania had welcomed Benedict xvi in Amman, during
the pope emerituss apostolic trip to the Holy Land.

wouldnt do the one thing Obama said

would trigger U.S. action.
[T]he dominant emerging story
is that Assad carried out the attack,
killing hundreds of men, women and
children and crossing the red line
Obama set with impunity. The U.S.
president is backed into a corner.
This is no longer simply about Syria.
The United States has stated a condition that commits it to an intervention.
If it does not act when there is a clear
violation of the condition, Obama
increases the chance of war with other
countries like North Korea and Iran.
Syria was not an issue that affected
the U.S. national interest until Obama
declared a red line. It escalated in
importance at that point not because
Syria is critical to the United States,
but because the credibility of its stated
limits are of vital importance.
When Obama proclaimed his red
line on Syria and chemical weapons,
he assumed the issue would not come
up. Whether Assad did launch
the attacks, whether the insurgents
did, or whether someone faked them
doesnt matter. Unless Obama can get
overwhelming, indisputable proof that
Assad did notand that isnt going
to happenObama will either have
to act on the red line principle or be
shown to be one who bluffs.
He never thought Assad would be
so reckless. Despite whether Assad
actually was, the consensus is that
The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

he was. Thats the hand the president

has to play, so its hard to see how he
avoids military action and retains
credibility.

The Qatar Problem

Foreign Policy | August 28

n the face of it, Qatar has been

one of the United States most
valuable allies in the Middle East over
the last decade. Qatar hosts a large
U.S. Air Force base in the Persian Gulf
and has often provided political and
financial support for U.S. initiatives in
the Middle East.
But Qatars role in the United
States Middle East policy is far more
problematic than is commonly recognized. The tiny yet ambitious Gulf
emirate has sought to use its immense
hydrocarbon wealth to finance and
arm civil wars in Libya and Syria, to
support Hamas in Gaza, and to mediate disputes in Sudan and Lebanon.
The launch of Al Jazeera America, the
news network its government owns,
should redirect attention to Dohas
goals and means.
[Qatar] has often actively and purposefully undermined U.S. efforts on
key problems. In Egypt, for example,
Qatars lavish and unconditional
funding of the Morsi government
enabled it to avoid taking the difficult
steps that the International Monetary

Egypt and the Limits of Democracy

Tsvi Bisk, Los Angeles Times | August 27

he events in Egypt are causing a great deal of moral

and intellectual confusion in Western circles, preoccupied as they are with the concept of democracy. Populist
sentimentality abounds.
I suggest, instead, judging events by the standards of
constitutionalisman ideology that asserts that human
beings have certain unalienable rights that cannot be taken
from them either by dictator or by the majority.
Better a liberalizing dictator than an elected thug. Morsi
was an elected thug; Gen. Abdel Fattah Sisi, the head of the
Egyptian armed services and now in charge of the nation,
might turn out to be a liberalizing dictator who at least
protects minorities and women.
The 20th century is sufficient proof that majorities can
be just as brutal and vicious as tyrants. Jim Crow was supported by the majority; Eastern European pogroms were
justified by the majority; Adolf Hitler was supported by the
majority; Josef Stalin was revered by the majority.
Democracy is only a value when it tends to widen and
deepen the constitutionalist protections of individuals and

Fund (and the United States) believed

were necessary to get the Egyptian
economy back on track and to compromise with domestic opponents.
In Gaza, Qatar helped undermine
U.S. efforts to isolate and delegitimize Hamas by its strong and public
embrace of its leadership including
through high-level visits to Gaza.
Many allies pose difficulties for the
United States in the Syria context, but
Qatar has proven the greatest obstacle
to forging allied unity on Syria policy.
So what are the Qataris trying to
do? Qatar sees the Arab Awakening as an opportunity to spread Qatari
influence through the establishment
of Islamist governments that look to
Qatar (and not to Saudi Arabia or
the United States) for support and
guidance. It is this dual interest in
promoting influence and ideology that
informs Qatari foreign policy from
Libya to Palestine.
This Qatari strategy implies that
U.S.-Qatari divides are not simply a difference in tactics, as U.S. officials often
assert. Nor is Qatar simply filling a U.S.
leadership vacuum. As the Libya example demonstrates, Qatar has the capacity to frustrate U.S. goals even when
the United States is deeply engaged.

minorities, as it has in the U.S. Blacks and women getting the vote enabled them to fight for their constitutional
rights.
If you were a Coptic Christian (40 of whose churches
have been burned by Morsi supporters), a Shiite Muslim
(four of whom were lynched by Morsi supporters in June)
or a university-trained woman (no need to detail her status
under Islamist rule), would you prefer Sisis military dictatorship or majoritarian Islamic democracy?
Answer that question honestly and you will know which
side to root for. You will also know which side has the
biggest chance to eventually morph into a constitutional
democracy as it integrates into the global economic reality. The military dictatorships of Taiwan and South Korea
gradually evolving into constitutional democracies as a
consequence of integrating into the global economic order
are good historical examples. Tourism is Egypts biggest
nonfarm employer and earner of foreign currency. What
would be its fate under the Islamists, and how would this
inhibit Egypt from integrating into the global economy?

weaken the stance of Syria in further

talks after the Syrian government has
won the upper hand in confronting
rebels, Rowhani said.
The president also predicted regional consequences for any military
strike.
Iran has regularly warned the U.S.
over possible military action against
Syria by calling it the countrys own
red line as the U.S. naval fleet takes
positions near Syria and President
Barack Obama considers a military
ABC News | August 29
response to the alleged use of chemical
ranian President Hassan Rowhani weapons by the Assad government.
said his country will press forward
with efforts to ward off military action
by the U.S. and its allies against the
Tehran-backed regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad, Iranian state tv
reported on Thursday.
BBC | August 27
Rowhani was quoted as saying
merican forces are ready to
military action will bring great costs
launch strikes on Syria if President
for the region and it is necessary to
Barack Obama chooses to order an
apply all efforts to prevent it.
While condemning chemical weap- attack, U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck
Hagel says.
ons, Rowhani was quoted as saying,
We have moved assets in place
Early judgment can be dangerous,
before clarification can be made of al- to be able to fulfill and comply with
legations that Syria used the weapons. whatever option the president wishes
to take, Mr. Hagel told the bbc.
Western countries have found
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry
some excuse to prepare the ground to
[A]t the end of day, U.S. policy on
critical Middle East issues like Syria
is being held hostage by the contrary
agenda of a tiny country that the
United States defends militarily. This
is massive failure of diplomacy.

Iran to Work With

Russia to Stop Strike
on Syria

U.S. Ready to Launch

Syria Strike

The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

has said there is undeniable proof

that Syria used chemical weapons.
Syrias allies, Russia and China,
have stepped up their warnings
against military intervention in Syria,
with Moscow saying any such action
would have catastrophic consequences for the region.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid
Muallem has said he rejects utterly
and completely claims that Syrian
forces used chemical weapons.
His government has blamed
rebel fighters for the latest suspected
chemical attack, which took place
on August21 near the Syrian capital
Damascus and reportedly killed more
than 300 people.
On Monday, United Nations
chemical weapons inspectors were
fired on while investigating one of the
five alleged chemical weapons attack
sites around Damascus.
Mr. Hagels remarks come a day
after Mr. Kerry accused the Syrian
government of destroying evidence of
its chemical weapons use near Damascus by shelling the area.
He said his administration had
additional information about the
attacks that it would make public in
the days ahead. Mr. Kerry described
the assaults as a moral obscenity.
Make no mistake, President Obama
believes there must be accountability
for those who would use the worlds
most heinous weapons against the
worlds most vulnerable people.

This suspension will apply to licenses for the Egyptian army, air force
and internal security forces or Ministry of the Interior, the Department
for Business, Innovation and Skills
said.
The UK has already taken action to
restrict exports to Egypt, last month
withdrawing five licenses including for
components for armored fighting infantry vehicles, communication equipment
for tanks and machine gun parts.

Christians and other minorities in the

region. Bible prophecy, however, reveals a dramatic turning of the tables
in the near future. The Christian
plight in Egypt and elsewhere across
the Middle East could be part of what
prompts Europe into action to stem
the tide of radical Islam. Daniel11:40
speaks of a whirlwind attack by
the king of the north that will utterly
destroy the king of the south.

n Battle for the Sinai Peninsula

Guardian | August 28
he British government has suspended 49 licenses for the export
to Egypt of a range of military and
police equipment that could be used
for repression.
The licenses cover items including
military communications, aerial target
and radar equipment, cryptographic
equipment and software, components
for military helicopters and vehicles,
and ammunition for training in small
arms firing.

The Sinai Peninsula, left unchecked,

TW i n b r i e f
could quickly become a radical Islamic
nMuslim Brotherhood targets
strip of territory capable of threatening
Christian groups
Egypts military and the surrounding
A deepening rift is forming in Egypt
nations. Despite government control
between the Coptic Christian minorand a recent addition to Egyptian mility and the vast Islamic population of
itary forces in the peninsula, the Sinai
the country. The Muslim Brotherhood, is influenced heavily by the Bedouin
desperately trying to reverse its losses, and local tribes. With the Bedouin
is trying to bring about as much
having an unsurpassed understanding
instability as possible for the military
of the terrain and its myriad of smugto deal with. Much of its attention has
gling tunnels, the Egyptian governbeen focused on the Christians, who
ment needs Bedouin knowledge in
are targeted with looting, vandalthe fight against terrorists more than
ism, arson, kidnapping, torture and
the Bedouin need the government.
murder. This increase in Christian
While contention continues in Cairo,
persecution will likely draw the atten- the Muslim Brotherhood is trying to
tion of other forces outside of Egypt,
capitalize on the situation in the Sinai.
primarily the Catholic Church. The
If chaos can be kindled in the desert,
hatred is being fueled by the Muslim
it will weaken the militarys grasp on
Brotherhood and supporters of former the country. The military has a vast
Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.
area to cover, and Egypt is the most
The Brotherhood wants to turn the
populous Arabic nation in the Middle
violence into a sectarian battle in an
East. If the Brotherhood can divide the
attempt to incite hatred and thereby
militarys attention between the Nile
obtain more political clout. Targeted
region and the Sinai, it stands a better
violence has caused many Christians
chance of weakening the government.
to flee Syria. The same scenario now
To drum up support, the Brotherfaces the Christians in Egypt. The per- hoods Freedom and Justice Party has
secution against Copts is a thermombeen working in the Sinai, garnering
eter for the anti-Christian mood in
supporters for Morsis reinstatement.
the Middle East. As radical Islam rises If the military cant defeat terrorism in
in the wake of the Arab Spring, more the Sinai and public support dwindles,
and more pressure is being applied to
it is possible that it may resort to more
extreme methods than those
already being employed. If
the situation in the Sinai
were to deteriorate that far,
the Egyptian military could
find itself fighting on two
fronts. The dangers posed by
the Brotherhood in the Sinai
Unknown assailants torched the Prince are real and could prove a
Tadros Coptic Church on August 14. decisive factor in the future
of Egypt.

Stringer/AFP/Getty Images

The trumpet weekly

UK Suspends Egypt
Military Export
Licenses

August 30, 2013

europe

Syria Tests Germanys Culture of Reluctance

Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Ulf Gartzke, New York Times | August 30

n the wake of the chemical weapons attack near Damascus, Western military strikes against Syria seem imminent. And Germany will once again demand a special role.
With elections less than four weeks away, the developments in Syria are putting Chancellor Angela Merkel in a
tough spot. Certainly, Berlin has felt compelled to ratchet
up its rhetoric vis--vis President Bashar al Assad, dubbing
his regimes alleged use of chemical weapons asa crime
against civilization.
On the other hand, an escalation of the conflict could
derail Merkels plans to coast to easy re-election on September 22.
Unfortunately, prominent German political leaders
across party lines continue to believe that the countrys
economic weight creates enough leverage to compensate for
Germanys failure to realize its full potential as a capable
and responsible member of the Atlantic alliance and the
international community.
At a time when Europes global reach, influence and
credibility are threatened by rapid decline, checkbook

The Most Important

People of Europe
German Foreign Policy | August 26

well-known German historian

declared Germans perhaps the
most important people of Europe,
and predicted a return to singing the
official first stanza of the German national anthem (Germany, Germany
above everything).
According to allegations made by
historian Arnulf Baring in his keynote
address at this years Homeland Day
ceremonies of the German League of
Expellees (BdV), last Saturday, the
Germans are suffering at the moment from a collective psychological
impairment, residing in a lack of
perception of a grievous loss inflicted
upon the German soul, by the relinquishment of former German eastern
regions of the German empire.
BdV President Erika Steinbach
praised Bavaria and Hesse for
recently declaring a day of commemoration for German expellees
and reiterated her demand for a

diplomacy by the biggest European Union member is not

a viable substitute for contributing military assets to the
joint defense of our common values and interests.
[T]he Merkel government may try to chart a path that
shows a certain degree of solidarity with whatever Washington and other allies decide to do in Syria, perhaps using
German naval reconnaissance assets off the coast of Syria
and Lebanon to collect intelligence. Or German Patriot
missile defense units currently deployed in Turkey could
see action in the unlikely event that Damascus tries to
retaliate against Ankara. Finally, Germany might provide
support to Israel against potential attacks from Hezbollah
units in southern Lebanon.
While the reasons for Germanys approach seem understandable, both in terms of the countrys past and the
natural desire of political leaders to win, following such an
approach in the high-stakes realm of foreign and security
policy carries a potentially steep cost in international influence. [T]aking a stronger, more principled stance on Syria
today would be an important step in the right direction.

national commemoration day. She

also dwelled on the progress made
in the struggle for compensating
resettled Germans, with the example
of Romania and Serbia, which have
included German expellees in their
restitution legislations. In view to
Poland and the Czech Republic, the
BdV president explained that only
an absolute minority of countries is
still seeking to evade their historical
responsibility for having expelled the
Germans.

Eastern Catholic
Churches Appeal for
End to Violence
Rome Reports | August 29
he Congregation for Eastern
Churches, through the Vaticans
lOsservatore Romano, issued a statement on Syria. In it, they ask for an
end to the violence, and for God to
light the conscience of world leaders.
The Eastern Churches expressed that
they have strengthened their prayer

The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

for the Middle Eastern country, at the

time when the situation continues to
deteriorate.
The statement said that the popes
continued appeals for peace in Syria
have consoled the entire country, while
adding that reconciliation must be
stronger than the clamor of weapons.
With immense sadness, but along
with hope, Eastern Catholics join the
pope in prayer, with the certainty that
the God of peace and of each consolation will never abandon the land
sanctified since the start of the Rendition, the statement read. It closed
off by reminding the international
community that justice, reconciliation,
and the social, personal and religious
rights of all the peoples of the Middle
East will prevail.

TW i n b r i e f
n Germany supports war in Syria

The recent flare-up in Syria comes at an

inconvenient time for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. With elections
coming up, the last thing Chancellor
Merkel wants is an unpopular war. Yet it

The Reluctant Giant

Der Spiegel | August 29

he world admires Germany andwould like to seemore

active engagement from the country. But Germansthemselves are reluctant and Chancellor Merkel has steeredclear
of taking on more global responsibility. Berlin shouldrethink its role in the world.
When a German reads current travel guides about
Germany, written by foreigners clearly enamored of the
country, he feels noticeably better afterwards.
Today, 68 years after the end of the war and 24 years
after the fall of the Berlin Wall, we Germans are respected,
admired and sometimes even loved.
The bbc conducts an annual poll to name the most
popular country in the world. Germany came in a clear
first in the latest poll, and it wasnt the first time. Some
59percent of 26,000 respondents in 25 countries said that
the Germans exert a positive influence in the world (and
not surprisingly, the only country in which the view of
Germany is overwhelmingly negative at the moment is
Greece).
In the Nation Brands Index prepared by the American
market research company GfKGermany is currently in
second place. This index is not some idle exercise, but is
used as a decision-making tool by corporate strategists and
other investors.
The rest of the world is waiting for Germany. But instead
of feeling pleased about Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorskis historic statement that he fears Germanys
power less than its inactivity, we cringe anxiously over such

sentiments. When U.S. President Barack Obama calls Germany a leading global power, we hope that he doesnt really
mean it. And when politicians in Israel say that Germany
should wield its power more actively, we dont interpret it
as a mandate to become more committed, but are puzzled
instead.
But it is also clear that Germanys reputation has
received its biggest boost since the fall of the Berlin Wall
and German reunification. Since then, the Germans have
managed to demonstrate repeatedly that they are capable
of producing economic miracles. At the same time,
Germany was able to dispel widely held fears of the return
of a gloating major power in the middle of Europe. To
everyones relief, especially that of our European neighbors,
Germany has kept its feet on the ground, only waving its
black, red and gold flag during football matches.
Perhaps the European financial crisisand the key role
Germany is playing in the effort to overcome ithas rekindled unease among our neighbors at the moment. But even
if there is disagreement over the right way out of the crisis,
and even if the German government has often proved to be
too intransigent, no European in his right mind fears that
Germany is pursuing some sort of secret plan to dominate
the Continent once again.
Instead, Germany has Europeanized itself, both intentionally and credibly. But now its time to share Germanys
rich experiences along the winding paths of the 20th century with the rest of the world.
Related: Germany and the Holy Roman Empire

also suits German strategic interests to

be among those who would support
get rid of Syrian President Bashar Assad. consequences, if chemical weapons
So Germanys position is to cheer from
were proved to have been used. The gas
the sidelines and give moral support,
attack is a turning point in the already
while hoping that America, British and
lengthy internal conflict, said a spokesFrench troops will do the hard work.
man for Merkel. The Syrian governOn August26, Foreign Minister Guido
ment cannot hope to continue this kind
Westerwelle said that Germany would
of illegal warfare and go unpunished.

The Trumpet has long forecast that Syria

would emerge from this crisis a German ally. If Germany can make this
happen while providing nothing more
than moral support, it will. For more
information on what is coming in Syria,
watch our recent video Syria and the
Realignment of Mideast Powers.

asia
Russian Empire
Strikes Back
Lignet | August 27

ussian President Vladimir Putin

appears to be backing down from
an all-out trade war with Ukraine,
but the Kremlin is likely to do whatever it takes to maintain leverage over
its former Soviet partner. Moscows

hard-line tactics could serve as

additional impetus for Ukrainian
President Viktor Yanukovych to push
for signing a long-delayed association agreement and free-trade deal
in November to further his countrys
integration with the European Union.
Closer relations between Ukraine
and the 28-member EU could prove
an insurmountable obstacle to
Moscows ambition of expanding its
The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

influence in Eastern Europe. Putin

wants to use Ukraines economic
crisis to pressure Kiev into joining an
alternative trade bloc, but its unlikely
to work.
[T]he Russian government on August 14 classified Ukrainian imports
as risky and imposed tightened
customs rules on their joint border.
Hundreds of rail cars were stranded at
the border as trade came to an abrupt

halt, costing Ukrainian businesses an

estimated $2.5 billion in losses.
Moscow lifted most of the restrictions seven days later. However, Putin
said on August 22 that he was concerned Kievs planned free-trade deal
with the EU could squeeze out Russia, Ukraines largest trading partner.
Moscow has pressed Ukraine
to join its three-year-old Eurasian
Customs Union consisting of Belarus,
Kazakhstan and Russia. Putins top
economic adviser, Sergey Glazyev, said
the Kremlin would further tighten
customs procedures if Ukraine takes
the suicidal step of signing the EU
association agreement and pledged
to defend Russias market against any
influx of foreign goods.
The European Union blasted
Moscows behavior and warned: Any
economic threat from Russia directed
Russias attack on Georgia in August marks
the beginning of a dangerous new era in history. This was the first military strike of
a rising Asian superpowerand there will
be more! Russia is determined to be an
energy superpower in an age when the
whole modern world is hungry for energy. If Russia sees its primary source
of oil being threatened, it is going to
fight! Today, you have [the United
States] trying to also bring Georgia and
Ukraine into nato. I dont believe Russia
will ever allow that to happen. Will a
crisis occur over Ukraine? That area is
the breadbasket of Russia, and surely it
is willing to wage war over that as well.

theTrumpet.com, Aug. 22, 2008

against Ukraine and linked to the

giants as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrcountrys possible signature of the
gyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
association agreement with the EU is
The admission of India and Pakistan
unacceptable.
would greatly extend the scos geoAs long as Vladimir Putin views
graphic reach, and boost the populaRussian relations with Ukraine as
tion it represents to over 3billion. The
part of a larger geopolitical tug-of-war, inclusion of these nations would esMoscow will likely mount an all-out
sentially broaden the sco from being
effort to maintain and expand its
a Central Asian security bloc to being
hegemony over what the Kremlin bean Asian one. China and Russia are
lieves is its rightful sphere of influence. the regional behemoths driving the
By opening its arms to Ukraine, the
biblically prophesied cooperation of
European Union could gain some ma- the Eastern powers, and the sco may
jor concessions from Kiev in exchange well be a vehicle they use to achieve
for protection against the growing
that goal.
Russian aggression.
nChinas homemade helicopter
Putins almost desperate desire to
fires first air-to-air missiles
restore Russia to the former grandeur
A Chinese-made attack helicopter
of the Soviet Union could prove to be
successfully fired air-to-air missiles
the biggest obstacle facing Ukraines
for the first time in the nations hiseconomic recovery. The Kremlins
tory, state-run media said Monday.
threat of costly border-control meaThe test took place last week and was
sures betrays a willingness to play
the largest yet for the aviation wing
dirty to disrupt Kievs effort to deof the Chinese army. The aircrafts
velop balanced ties between Moscow
missiles successfully intercepted
and the EU.
low-altitude targets during the test,
showing that Chinese helicopters
TW i n b r i e f
can now counter enemy aircraft. A
nNew sco members
shift has been underway in China
Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and
over the last decade from importMongolia are likely to be granted full
ing the bulk of its military hardware
membership in the Shanghai Coopfrom Moscow to making it at home.
eration Organization (sco) at its next
Beijing is presently working on two
summit, Pakistans former secretary
stealth fighter programs, at least two
general of the Ministry of Foreign
aircraft carriers as well as homemade
Affairs said on Wednesday. The sco
cruisers, destroyers and nuclear
is a Eurasian political, economic and
submarines. Watch for Chinas rising
military bloc dominated by Russia and military to prompt other Asian naChina. It was founded in 2001, and
tions to build up their own defense
presently includes those two Asian
forces.

Africa/Latin America
Nigerians Charged
With Aiding Iran
Reuters | August 28

igeria charged two of its

citizens on Wednesday with
assisting an Iranian militant cell in
planning possible attacks on Israeli
targets, alleging that one had traveled to Tehran and Dubai to receive

cash and had known about spying

on Israeli interests.
The secret service arrested Abdullahi Mustapha Berende and Saheed
Oluremi Adewumi, plus one other
Nigerian, in February. It accused them
of being members of a high profile
terrorist network that was planning
attacks on home soil.
The alleged cell was not named
in the charge sheet. Iran has never
The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

responded to the allegations.

Berende is accused of traveling to
Iran to help with material assistance
and terrorist trainingin the use of
fire arms, explosives and other related
weapons. The charges also say he
took $30,000 in funding to carry out
operations
Related: EU and Iran Battle in Nigeria

anglo-america
Emerging Market Rout Too Big to Ignore
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, Telegraph | August 29

his has the makings of a grave policy error: a repeat

of the dramatic events in the autumn of 1998 at best; a
full-blown debacle and a slide into a second leg of the Long
Slump at worst.
Emerging markets are now big enough to drag down
the global economy. As Indonesia, India, Ukraine, Brazil,
Turkey, Venezuela, South Africa, Russia, Thailand and
Kazakhstan try to shore up their currencies, the effect is
ricocheting back into the advanced world in higher borrowing costs. Even China felt compelled to sell $20 billion
of U.S. treasuries in July.
They are running down reserves by selling U.S. and European bonds, leading to a self-reinforcing feedback loop,
said Simon Derrick from bny Mellon.
We are told that emerging markets are more resilient
than in past crises because they have $9 trillion of reserves.
But any use of that treasure to defend the exchange rate entails monetary tightening, and therefore inflicts a contractionary shock on countries already in trouble.
We are in entirely uncharted waters. Emerging markets
were less than 15percent of global gdp in the early 1980s,

Massive Yosemite
Wildfire
Fox News | August 28

ire crews reported progress on

a 288-square-mile wildfire near
Yosemite National Park that moved
into the watershed that supplies San
Francisco on Tuesday as crews elsewhere sought to contain a fast-moving
blaze that burned at least two homes
and threatened others in a Northern
California neighborhood.
Containment held steady at 20percent, but the number of destroyed
structures rose to 111, and some 4,500
structures remained threatened. At
least 31 residences were among those
lost. Firefighters were making stands
at Tuolumne City and other mountain
communities.
The fire had ravaged 288 square miles
by Tuesday night, the biggest in the
Sierras recorded history and one of the
largest on record in California. Nearly
3,700 firefighters are currently battling
the blaze, which is also a record.

when tightening by the Volcker Fed brought Latin America

crashing down. That was an ugly episode for Western
banks, but easily contained. China was then in autarky,
shut off from the world. The Soviet Union and its satellites
formed a closed system.
Yet all we heard from Jackson Hole this time were dismissive comments that the emerging market rout is not the
Feds problem. Other countries simply have to take that
as a reality and adjust to us, said Dennis Lockhart, the
Atlanta Fed chief. Terrence Checki from the New York Fed
said there is no master stroke that will insulate countries
from financial spillovers.
The talk for Fed corridors strikes me as dangerously
insouciant.
The big risk is that Fed tapering will spark a rush for
U.S. dollars. That is when the Fed will stop being complacent, said Lars Christensen from Danske Bank. Central
banks around the world think they have been doing something they shouldnt do with all this stimulus, and they
want to unwind it as quickly as possible. But the danger is
that they will go too far and trigger a relapse like 1937.

Holder Wont Enforce

Marijuana Laws

Justice Department officials had instructed federal prosecutors across the

country not to focus federal resources
on individuals who were complying
Huffington Post | August 29
with state laws regarding the use of
he United States government took
medical marijuana.
an historic step back from its longAfter recreational marijuana initiarunning drug war on Thursday, when
tives passed in Washington and ColoAttorney General Eric Holder informed rado in November, President Barack
the governors of Washington and
Obama said the federal government had
Colorado that the Department of Jusbigger fish to fry and would not make
tice would allow the states to create a
going after marijuana users a priority.
regime that would regulate and implement the ballot initiatives that legalized
Related: No Freedom Without Law
the use of marijuana for adults.
A Justice Department official said
that Holder told the governors in
a joint phone call early Thursday afternoon that the department would take
a trust but verify approach to the
state laws. doj is reserving its right to
New York Times | August 27
file a preemption lawsuit at a later date,
ore than 100 people lined up
since the states regulation of marioutside the county clerks ofjuana is illegal under the Controlled
fice in Albuquerque to get marriage
Substances Act.
licenses Tuesday morning, the day
The Obama administration has
after a state district judge ruled that
struggled with the legalization of
same-sex marriage was legal.
medical marijuana in several states.

Gay and Lesbian

Mass Wedding

The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

Shamed Into War?

tents in Afghanistan. That showed em.

It did. It showed terminal unseriousness. Al Qaeda got
Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post | August 29
the message. Two years later, the uss Cole. A year after that,
aving leaked to the world, and thus to Syrian Presi9/11.
dent Bashar al Assad, a detailed briefing of the coming
If Obama is planning a message-sending three-day attack,
U.S. air attack on Syria(1) the source (offshore warships
preceded by leaks telling the Syrians to move their imporand perhaps a bomber or two), (2) the weapon (cruise mistant military assets to safety, better that he do nothing. Why
siles), (3) the duration (two or three days), (4) the purpose
run the considerable risk if nothing important is changed?
(punishment, not regime change)perhaps we should
The only defensible action would be an attack with a
be publishing the exact time the bombs will fall, lest we
strategic purpose, a sustained campaign aimed at changdisrupt dinner in Damascus.
ing the balance of forces by removing the Syrian regimes
So much for the element of surprise. Into his third year
decisive military advantageair power.
of dithering, two years after declaring Assad had to go, one
Would the American people support it? They are justifiyear after drawingthen erasinghis own red line on
ably war-weary and want no part of this conflict. And why
chemical weapons, Barack Obama has been stirred to action. should they? In three years, Obama has done nothing to
Or more accurately, shamed into action. Which is the
prepare the country for such a serious engagement. Not
worst possible reason. A president doesnt commit soldiers
one speech. No explanation of whats at stake.
to a war for which he has zero enthusiasm. Nor does one go
On the contrary. Last year, Obama told us repeatedly
to war for demonstration purposes.
that the tide of war is receding. This year, he grandly deWant to send a message? Call Western Union. A Tomaclared that the entire war on terror must end. If he wants
hawk missile is for killing. A serious instrument of war
Tomahawks to fly, hed better have a good reason, tell it to
demands a serious purpose.
the American people and get the support of their represenThe purpose can be either punitive or strategic: either a
tatives in Congress, the way George W. Bush did for both
spasm of conscience that will inflame our opponents yet
the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.
leave not a trace, or a considered application of abundant
Its rather shameful that while the British prime minAmerican power to alter the strategic equation that is now
ister recalled Parliament to debate possible airstrikes
heavily favoring our worst enemies in the heart of the
late Thursday, Parliament actually voted down British
Middle East.
participationObama has made not a gesture in that
There are risks to any attack. Blowback terror from Syria direction.
and its terrorist allies. Threatened retaliation by Iran or
If you are going to do this, Mr. President, do it constituHezbollah on Israelthat could lead to a guns-of-August
tionally. And seriously. This is not about you and your conregional conflagration.
science. Its about applying American power to do precisely
Moreover, a mere punitive pinprick after which Assad
what you now deny this is abouthelping Assad go, as you
emerges from the smoke intact and emboldened would
told the world he must.
demonstrate nothing but U.S. weakness and ineffectiveness.
Otherwise, just send Assad a text message. You might inIn 1998, after al Qaeda blew up two U.S. embassies in
cur a roaming charge, but its still cheaper than a three-day,
Africa, Bill Clinton lobbed a few cruise missiles into empty
highly telegraphed, perfectly useless demonstration strike.

The crowd cheered as the first

couplereceived their license. By
noona mass wedding was held in
Albuquerques Civic Plaza.
As The Santa Fe New Mexican reported, the clerk in Doa Ana County
decided last Wednesday to begin
issuing marriage licenses to gay and
lesbian couples. Two days later, a judge
in Santa Fe ordered that countys clerk
to issue them as well. Then, on
Monday, Judge Alan Malott of State
District Court ordered the clerk in
Bernalillo County, which includes Albuquerque, to begin issuing marriage
licenses to same-sex couples, ruling
that the states constitution prohibited
discrimination on the basis of sexual
orientation.

Churches Change
Bylaws on Gays
Catholic World News | August 29

oncerned about potential

discrimination lawsuits, some
Christian churchesespecially those
that rent facilities to the publicare
amending their bylaws following the
Supreme Courts recent decisions on
same-sex marriage, according to an
Associated Press report.
Eric Rassbach of the Becket Fund for
Religious Liberty said it was important
for churches to get their beliefs in writing before a dispute arises, otherwise
it can look to a court as if something
was done after the fact as an attempt to
The trumpet weekly

August 30, 2013

cover up hostility to gays, according to

an AP summary of his remarks.
A number of groups dont have a
written doctrine, said Rassbach. Say a
group like the Primitive Baptiststhey
dont want a written-down credo, but
the courts like written-down things.

Raising a Nation of
Savages
Todd Starnes, Fox News | August 21

hristopher Lane was gunned

down in cold bloodshot in the
back as he jogged alongside a road in
Duncan, Oklahoma. His alleged attackers were teenagers who told police

Walmart and the Economics of Reality

Sam Livingston | August 27

f Walmart were a country, it would have the 25th largest

economy in the world!
In America, Walmart employs a little over 1 percent of
the entire workforce. It is the countrys largest retailer and
grocery store, with grocery sales accounting for over half of
the companys revenue.
More than $1 out of every $45 spent in the country is
spent at Walmartthat is more than 2 percent of Americas
total gross domestic product.
Walmart plays such a huge role in the economy that
some analysts say it is a pretty good proxy for the nation.
This week, the government is expected to release Julys
personal spending growth. Analysts are expecting a 0.3percent increase in consumption since this time last year.
Walmart, on the other hand, just reported a 0.3 percent
drop in sales in stores that have been open for more than a
year.
The Sober Look blog reports that the Walmart negative
earnings surprisecould be signaling a slower earnings
trajectory for other firms.
So which is it? Is the economy improving, as the governments consumption figures seem to suggest? Or are

DADDYS h O m e
In 2011, more families in the uK chose to leave Dad home
while Mom earned the big bucks.

1.4

2.0
million

million

million

Dads at home

26%

of dads gave up
work or reduced
their work hours
after the birth of
their children

Moms at home

44%

46%

of dads look
of families said
after the children
their decision
while their
allowed the main
partner works
earner (Mom) to
keep working

15
in

stay-at-home dads

admit it makes them feel like less of a man

The trumpet weekly

consumers struggling, as the Walmart data indicates?

Since Walmart is such a huge part of the U.S. economy,
it is hard to see how things could be improving much as
long as Walmart and its middle and lower-class customersthe majority of the populationare struggling.
With the stock market hitting new highs, and the
memory of failing banks fading, there is a lot of hype about
Americas apparent recovery. But dont be fooled. Nothing
major has changed. If anything, the big-picture economic
indicators have worsened.
The official national debt now approaches $17 trillion.
Boston University economics professor Laurence Kotlikoff
says the real debt, including promises made to future retirees, is actually closer to $200 trillion. If he is half wrong,
the debt is still an unpayable, $100 trillion. The official
unemployment rate is 7.4 percent. The U6 unemployment
rate, which is closer to the real unemployment rate, stands
at 14 percent. There are 47.5 million people on food stamps.
As of January this year, 128 million Americans received
some form of government assistance.
And all of this is happening in what was once the richest
and most blessed nation in history.

they were bored and

killed the college
athlete for the fun
of it.
Police Chief Dan
Ford said they found
a chilling message
on one of the alleged
killers Facebook
pages: Bang. Two
drops in two hours.
I think they were
on a killing spree,
Ford told Australian
Associated Press.
We would have had
more bodies that
night if we didnt get
them.
In other words
the teenage boys
were hunting humans.
In Brunswick,
Georgia, two teenagers are accused of
shooting a young
mother and murdering her 13-month-old
child. Sherry West
was taking her baby

10

August 30, 2013

out for a stroll when the boys demanded she give them cash.
A boy approached me and told me
he wanted my money, and I told him
I didnt have any money, the woman
told reporters. And he said, Give me
your money or Im going to kill you
and Im going to shoot your baby and
kill your baby.
She pleaded with them to spare her
childbut one of the boys took a gun
and shot the 13-month-old between
the eyes.
The United States is now reaping
what it has sownfor raising a nation
of savages.
We live in a nation that celebrates
and glorifies violence. The proof is in
our movies, our music, and our athletic pastimes.
Jeffress, pastor of the First Baptist
Church in Dallas, Texas, said parents
bear responsibility for raising a generation of thugs roaming the streets in
search of their prey.
Parents have absolutely failed in
their most basic, fundamental responsibility as parents, he said. And that
is to instill Gods moral law in the
hearts of their children. As long
as you continue to tell teenagers they

One Mans Admirable Attempt to Save UK and the World

t wasnt until today that I realized I

was in possession of something quite
awesome and inspiring. This morning I happened to pick up my copy of
Ferrar Fentons translation of the Bible
that a friend had given me.
It begins: A note to my enquiring
friends. It is Mr. Fentons explanaJoel Hilliker
tion of why hea British businessman
in the 19th centuryundertook the mammoth project of
translating the entirety of the Holy Scriptures.
Fenton paraphrases a Professor Karl Behr of Munich,
who taught thus: That the best-established doctrine of
Historical Philosophy was, that all the power, prosperity
and mental energy of a race or nation sprang from and
lived by its religion; that when its religion ceased to be its
faiththat is, its energizing principlethe intellect, power,
vigor and prosperity of that race or nation died away in
proportion, and ultimately perished, both mentally and
physically.
That is a breathtaking statement, piercing in its truth,
painful for its prophetic relevance in this aggressively
secularist age.
Fenton then expresses this remarkable conviction:
[T]he position the British race has won in the world is
founded upon thereligion, which takes as its origin the
Bible, and therefore I am convinced that with the decay of
faith in the Scriptures our national vigor and prosperity, as
a race, will waste away; not only in the British Isles, but, as
with all races, in every state or colony sprung from them,
no matter upon what part of the Earths surface they are
situated (emphasis added throughout).
In translating the Bible into modern English, he explains, My object is to try and save the British race from
decay and dissolution by restoring to it the vital element of
faith in revelation, for unless its faith is revived our doom is
certain.
are nothing but a biological accident,
we shouldnt expect them to act in
accordance with a Creator God who
has basic laws concerning life and
death.
Its true that American culture has
turned its back on God. As a result,
weve lost our moral compass. Right
is now wrong and wrong is now right.
Our culture continues to deny or
marginalize the existence of God,
Jeffress tells me. We shouldnt be
surprised that teenagers would ignore
the most basic laws of Godlike thou
shall not kill.
And as the stench of our rotting
culture sweeps across the nation, Ive

I find several things about this astounding. That this

man recognized with such assurance the centrality of
Bible-based faith to national health and prosperity, even
survival. That he particularly believed this to be true of
Britain and the outlying elements of its empire, and of
America. That he knew the decline of these nations would
constitute a catastrophe and calamity to the world.
Again, these are prophetic truths that resonate with
relevance today. As Fenton worked, a critic wrote nobody
cares a halfpenny for the Bible. A century later, we live in
a country that is increasingly making adherence to biblical
truth a punishable crime.
This all made Fentons words stir me as I read them this
morning. But there is something more. I am also deeply
impressed that this man possessed such determined focus
to try to single-handedly prevent, or at least delay, this
catastrophe, using the means he believed God inspired him
to. Fenton perceived a need for a modern translation of the
Bible, and recognized that it was a task nobody else would
undertake. So what did he do?
He got started.
And then he didnt stop until he finished.
I saw the need also, not only as a student, but from
intercourse with all classes of my countrymen, he wrote,
and God inspired me with courage to undertake it, and
with inborn perseverance during a period of 50 years to
carry it through, by devoting every leisure moment of a
busy commercial life to the preparation for, and execution
of, that one object.
It was in 1853 that Fenton started this mammoth undertaking. He finished in 1903 at the age of 71.
Astonishing what singular devotion to an important
task can yield. How critical it is that we prune out those
life-frittering detailsand make the very most of the brief
time we possess. For today, too, there is a great work to be
done, in the shadow of looming catastrophe and calamity.
Twitter

Follow Joel Hilliker:

come to the conclusion that we have

reached a moment in history when
the make-believe world of violence no
longer satisfies our bloodlust.
The United States is now reaping
what it has sown.

TW i n b r i e f
nUK: Deaths from illegal highs
nearly double

The number of people in England

and Wales that died after taking legal highsmind-altering drugs that
have not been outlawedjumped
from 29 in 2011 to 52 in 2012, according to figures released by Britains
The trumpet weekly

11

August 30, 2013

Office for National Statistics, August28. The overall number of deaths

related to drug abuse was 1,596, down
from 1,605 last year. Legal highs are
drugs that are usually very similar to
illegal drugs, but have been designed
by chemists to get around the letter
of the law. The UK often bans the
worst of these drugs, but chemists
and drug deals quickly produce new
drugs to replace the ones outlawed.
Because theyre technically legal,
theyre easy to get and can easily
be ordered online. For more on the
problems these drugs cause, and the
solutions, see our article Britains
New Drug Scene.

syria from page 1

its own people. This man who dined

with Assad on more than one occasion
is now out there beating the drum for
U.S. military action against Assad.
Secretary Kerry said, What we
saw in Syria last week should shock
Stephen Flurry
the conscience of the world. It defies
any code of morality. The indiscriminate slaughter of
civilians, the killing of women and children and innocent bystanders, by chemical weapons is a moral obscenity. By any standard it is inexcusable, and despite the
excuses and equivocations that some have manufactured,
it is undeniable.
He went on to say that nothing today is more serious
than whats happening in Syriaand thats saying a lot,
when you consider the present state of our world.
Some have said that the administration is entitled to
change its mindparticularly if the facts on the ground
change. And thats true. Sometimes a leader has to abruptly
change course in order to do the right thing. But this is
much more than a simple change in policy.
The carnage we see in Syria today is not only abhorrent,
it exposes the utter incompetence and blatant hypocrisy
that exists in Washington. And, it exposes the news medias shameless duplicity when it comes to its coverage of
Americas foreign policy.
If you take Kerrys remarks on Syria and replace Iraq
with Syria and Assad with Saddam Hussein, you could have
made the exact same speech in the days leading up to the
Iraq War in 2003.
Back in 1991 and 1992, cbss popular news show 60 Minutes exposed the truth about Saddam Husseins chemical
weapons programas well as Saddams desire to build a
nuclear weapon.
In an act of revenge against Kurdish support for Iran in
the Iran-Iraq war, Saddam destroyed more than 4,000 villages. Some of the destruction was proudly recorded by the
Iraqi Army, cbs reporter Ed Bradley noted (Feb. 23, 1992).
Drive down any road in this part of Iraq, and you see
what used to be village after village now reduced to rubble.
These villages used to be home to at least a half-million
people. Tens of thousands of themthe Kurds say almost
200,000are still missing and presumed dead, Bradley
reported. The bodies of dead children littered the streets
like discarded dolls.
When President Clinton, therefore, had his run-ins with
Saddam Hussein during the mid-1990s, the news media
rushed to his defense. And you can see why! Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator who massacred his own people!
But President Bush, on the other hand, received no such
support. During his administration, we were told that he
lied to the American people. We were told that there were
no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. America should
never have invaded Iraq in 2003, they say.
In 2002, then-senator Barack Obama made it clear he
was dead set against U.S. intervention in Iraq, despite the
damning evidence of his many atrocities against his own
cover: Alex Wong/Getty Images

The trumpet weekly

12

people. Forgetting the history of their own reporting in

the 90s, the media went along. By then Hussein had killed
thousands of his own citizens with sarin and mustard gas.
But none of that mattered. Obama was against warremember? He was the anti-war candidate in 2008.
Even after he became president, President Obama
waltzed up to the stage at the United Nations in September
2009 and said, Weve re-engaged the United Nations.
We have soughta new era of engagement with the
world. He also promised he would work with the UN
unlike other U.S. leaders.
And just last week, the president told cnn: If the U.S.
goes in and attacks another country without a UN mandate
and without clear evidence that can be presented, then
there are questions in terms of whether international law
supports it.
Now, however, the president and his team are desperately looking for a way around the UNand even the U.S.
Congressin order to act against Assad in Syria! Thus far
the self-styled human rights president has not been moved
to intervene forcefully despite a death toll of 100,000 and
countinguntil now.
Why should another 355 who happened to die from
chemical weapons, rather than torture, beheadings, sexual
violence, or various other hideous endings, change the
equation? Because it is believed that Assad crossed the red
line, and now Obama must act or risk losing all credibility.
Regardless of how Americas proposed action in Syria
plays out in the coming weeks, the real significance here is
that, in confronting Assad, America is actually siding with
the terrorist groups that have infiltrated the rebel forces
the ones backed by Saudi Arabia.
A prophecy in Psalm 83 reveals that when Europe comes
against the king of the south, the Middle East will be divided into two power blocsthose nations that back Iran and
those that oppose Iranian dominance. Syria is triggering a
dramatic realignment of strategic alliances in the region.
According to Psalm 83, Syria is actually prophesied to
move into the power bloc that opposes Iran. Historically, of
course, Syria has had close ties with Iran.
From this alliance (which you can read more about
here), we know to watch for Syria to break that alliance
with Iran. We might not know every detail about how the
break will happen, but we know it will. By understanding
Psalm 83 and Daniel 11, we can look beyond the current
chaos in Syria and know how this bloody conflict will end.
As bad as it is, its only the beginning. This situation is
about to explode. The same prophecies that tell us about
the two Middle Eastern power blocs, that forecast Syrias
break with Iran, also tell us that the emerging German-led
European empire is about to wreak unprecedented destruction on this world. It all begins in this region with the king
of the north coming against Iran and its allies. But it will
spread from there.
Thank God the suffering will only go on for a few years
after the clash. Prophecy tells us that when the clash of
Daniel 11 happens, the Messiah will return 3 years later!
Twitter

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August 30, 2013