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A DIGEST OF SIGNIFICANT WORLD NEWS FROM THE PHILADELPHIA TRUMPET STAFF FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 13-19, 2011

Raw power is shifting, but
to whom exactly?
Murdering children
and infantsto these
Palestinians, this is a
natural response to
housing construction.
Libya will make a rapid
turn toward the radical
Islamic camp.
Can the world raise food
production that much?
There is hope
beneath the rubble.
O
ne day it was bright and sunny.
The next, the earth shook and
a massive wall of water washed
away whole cities. Now power plants are
fghting to prevent nuclear meltdown,
the economy is being thrust deeper into
the risk zone, and thousands of people
are dead.
Sadly, this is Japan. Earthquakes are
its history, andin a sensea prophecy
of its future.
The history of Japan is intricately connected to earth-
quake activity, especially the big ones. They often become
mileposts marking sweeping changes in national conscious-
ness, economic direction, geopolitical orientation, and so on.
Some of the biggest turning points in Japanese history
have clustered around earthquake disasters. In 1855, a
massive earthquake leveled Tokyo, killing thousands of
people. Historians blame it, as much as Western gunships,
for the fnal end to two centuries of isolation under the
Tokugawa shogunate. The even bigger Kanto earthquake
of 1923 coincided with the rise of Japanese militarism and
the Cult of the Emperor. Even as recently as 1995, the Kobe
quake marked a drastic turn in the Japanese economy and
the onset of national defation.
And this time is proving to be no different.
For example, for the frst time since World War ii, Ja-
pans military was deployed domestically to maintain order
and help with rescues. It is a big event for a nation with a
pacifst constitution. Japans self-defense forces are quickly
losing their postwar stigma.
Relationship changes are occurring with Japans neigh-
bors, too.
When Chinas Sichuan province was devastated by an
earthquake in 2008, it was a historic event. Japan im-
mediately offered and dispatched a rescue team. Japanese
corporations like Honda and Panasonic donated millions to
relief funds. Tokyo even sent a naval vessel to China (for the
frst time since World War ii) to help. And China accepted
Japans help.
Now, with Japan struggling to recover from a similarly
dire disaster, for the frst time China has returned the
gesture. And Japan has gratefully accepted. As Bloom-
berg reports, offcials in Tokyo and Beijing have put aside
disagreements over historic disputes and come together in
a common cause. Even Chinese newspapers have stopped
criticizing Japan and have shifted to exploring what China
could learn from Japans response.
If Asia is going to increase regional cooperation, the
leaders of Japan and China must have a decent working re-
lationship, writes Bloombergs William Pesek. Last weeks
earthquake offers a chance for a fresh start.
The earthquake may prove to be a signifcant moment in
regional cooperation. South Korea and Russia have stepped
up to become two of the top three contributors of earth-
quake aid to Japan. Old war memories are being forgotten.
New alliances are being forged.
Even Japans relationship with America may be affected.
The earthquake recalled some bitter history between the
two countries. March 10 happened to be the anniversary
of the great frebombing of Tokyo by American aircraft in
the closing days of the waran event in which 100,000
people burned to death in the inferno that reduced the city
to rubble. Comparisons are being made with the March 11
earthquake destruction.
Economically, Japans relationship with America may
be altered too. Japan is Americas second-most important
lender. It holds over $800 billion worth of U.S. government
debt. Now, instead of being a reliable source of money for
America, it may be forced to sell its U.S. debt to fund recon-
struction. If this happens to any signifcant degree, the U.S.
dollar will suffer its own gigantic earthquake.
Conversely, it is easy to envision a scenario in which
Japan would embrace a closer relationship with China. China
would be happy to have Japan open up its large middle-class
consumer market in return for reconstruction money. The
integration of the Japanese and Chinese markets would be
benefcial to both. China needs a developed export market to
diversify away from its reliance on overly indebted American
consumers. And Japan wants to get its thrifty citizens spend-
ing money again, even if on inexpensive Chinese imports.
The history of Japan is the history of earthquakes, but
not just of the physical kind.
There are some moments at which the earth seems to
move beneath your feet. You can almost sense the motion,
the tremor, the aftershock, the change. This may be one of
those moments. And the repercussions, like the tsunami,
will reverberate far beyond the island nation.
A new global order is emerging. Those who follow the
Trumpet regularly know that an Asian allianceone that
does not include America, and is hostile to itis emerging.
The recent earthquake in Japan may only speed it up.
ROBERT MORLEY
COLUMNIST
Japans other earthquake
Middle east
A
n islamist group that had been outlawed by Tunisias ousted regime,
Ennahda, was legalized by the nations interim authorities on March 1.
Ennahda was founded in 1981 by Tunisias Rached Ghannouchi. In
1989, after an Islamist-backed coalition won 17 percent of the vote, Tuni-
sias recently toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali banned the Islamist move-
ment. In the following years, around 30,000 activists and sympathizers
were arrested and many, including Ghannouchi, went into exile. On
January 30, two weeks after Ben Alis regime was toppled, Ghannouchi
returned to his homeland after 22 years and was welcomed by hundreds
of thousands of Tunisians. Only one month after Ghannouchis trium-
phant return, Tunisias interim government granted Ennahda legitimacy,
and the outft is now poised to join the government. Meanwhile, on March
2, a Tunisian court issued a ruling dissolving Ben Alis party, the Rally for
Constitutional Democracy. These moves give an indication of things to
come not just in Tunisia, but also in other parts of the Middle East.
In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood announced on February 21 the for-
mation of its Freedom and Justice Party, which will participate in future
elections. On February 28, Egypts Supreme Council of the Armed Forces
announced an accelerated timetable for the nations elections. A referen-
dum on constitutional amendments is slated for April, to be followed by
parliamentary elections in June, and a presidential election in October.
Nobel Peace laureateand front personality for the Muslim Brotherhood
Mohamed ElBaradei has announced that he will run for president. The
accelerated schedule will favor the Brotherhood, allowing it to harness the
fervor of the revolution and to use its superior organizational structure to
dominate the vote. Meanwhile, clashes broke out in the capital last week
between Coptic Christians and Muslims, in which 13 people were killed.
Heavy fghting is raging on the borders of Ethiopia, Kenya and Soma-
lia. As the Iranian-backed al-Shabaab terrorist militia tries to overthrow
Somalias weak transitional government, Ethiopian troops have crossed
the Somali border to fght against the Islamic extremists. A leading al-
Shabaab offcial made a call at a gathering on March 3 urging Muslims
in both Kenya and Ethiopia to rise up against their governments. Anti-
Christian violence has already erupted in Ethiopia, with over 4,000 Chris-
tians having been displaced as a result of Muslim attacks that began the
day before the al-Shabaab offcial issued his directive. Fifty-nine churches
and at least 28 homes have been burned. As al-Shabaab terrorists clash
with Ethiopian troops in Somalia and as Muslims across western Ethiopia
burn churches, what is now basically a Somali civil war could soon esca-
late into an interstate war between an Islamist-controlled Somalia and its
western enemy. Irans support of the al-Shabaab terrorist militia is part of
its plan to have a strong presence at the southern entrance to the Red Sea
in order to control the fow of oil into the Mediterranean Sea.
Civil war continues in Libya, even as the United Nations on Friday ap-
proved a no-fy zone over the country and air strikes to halt Libyan leader
Muammar Qadhafs assault on the rebels. Following the success of rebels
in taking several towns, Qadhaf struck back with force last week, retak-
ing the eastern oil city of Ras Lanuf and other towns. An oil tank was set
ablaze by an air strike, the frst hit taken by the countrys oil infrastruc-
ture. Qadhaf also reclaimed ground seized by rebels in the west. On Fri-
day, howeverno doubt in response to the UN Security Council voteLib-
yas deputy foreign minister said the country is ready for a ceasefre. cnn
also reported that Qadhaf has apparently decided to change tactics and
not send forces into the rebels de facto capital of Benghazi as expected.
In Bahrain, three hard-line groups announced March 8 that they
have united to form a Coalition for a (Bahraini) Republic. The sec-
retary general of Haq, one of the parties, said the coalition was moti-
vated by the rules of our Islamic religion and international charters on
human rights to freely decide their faith. The new coalition has called
for the ruling family to step aside and is seeking a democratic republic.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 2
Brutal reality
check for israel
last sabbath evening, ter-
rorists jumped an Israeli
security fence to enter the
Israeli town of Itamar. They
broke into the home of a
Jewish family and bru-
tally murdered the father,
mother, two sons ages 11
and 3, and the 3-month-
old daughter. Three children survived, a
12-year-old daughter and two more sons,
ages 6 and 2.
Who would commit such an incompre-
hensibly barbaric act? The al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigade claimed responsibility. This is the
terrorist wing of Fatah, the political party
of Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas is chairman of
the Palestinian Authority and supposed
partner in the peace process with Israel.
He responded to the butchery by denying
that the PA incites violence against Israel.
The other major force in Palestinian
politics, Hamas, celebrated the murders
by handing out candy and sweets on the
streets of Gaza. On its website, Hamas
praised the Palestinian holy warrior for
stabbing fve Zionist usurpersZionist
usurpers like 3-year-old Elad and 3-month-
old Hadas. One Gaza resident described the
slayings as a natural response to the harm
settlers infict on the Palestinian residents
in the West Bank. Murdering children
and infantsto these Palestinians, this is a
natural response to housing construction.
These are the people that Israel is ap-
parently meant to appease by offering
concessions to their leaders: people who
glory in the massacre of Jewish babies. This
is proof of the utter folly of the Jews ever
trying to negotiate their way to a peaceful
coexistence with the Palestiniansa people
saturated in hatred and hostility toward
their very being.
Recent moves suggest Prime Minister
Netanyahu recognizes this reality, and
that the Israeli governments position is
hardening. Our editor in chief has forecast
just such a trend within Israel for over fve
years. Netanyahus intransigence in the
face of remorseless butchery of Jews should
come as no shock. The Jews realization of
the impossibility of negotiating a two-state
solution with the Arabs has been washing
over them in stages in recent years. Hosea
5:13 foretells a moment when Israel sees
its deadly woundit recognizes the folly
of the paradoxical peace processand
acts in desperation. That moment is getting
closer.

JOEL HILLIKER | COLUMNIST
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 3
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia sent over a thousand soldiers into Bahrain
on March 14 to combat the Iranian-fueled uprising against the govern-
ment. Demonstrators from Bahrains Shiite majority have been protest-
ing against the Sunni monarchy. They have been egged on, supported
and armed by Iran, through sympathetic clerics and political leaders.
The Iranians clearly have an interest in overthrowing the Bahraini re-
gime, writes Stratfor ceo George Friedman. Bahrain is the focal point
of a struggle between Saudi Arabia and Iran for control of the western
littoral of the Persian Gulf (March 8). An Iranian victory in Bahrain
would give hope to the Shia in Saudi Arabiahence Saudi Arabias
decision to send troops. In this current Middle East crisis, we can see
not only an alliance of nations led by Iran coming together, but another
alliance that will include Saudi Arabia and other more moderate Arabic
states, which is prophesied to ally with Europethe enemy of Iran.
It appears Tehran is again employing one of its trusty tools in Iraq.
Thousands of supporters of radical Iraqi Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr
protested in the city of Al Amarah, south of Baghdad, on March 4. Sadr
is the anti-U.S. cleric who only a few years ago led bloody uprisings
against American forces in Iraq and was responsible for some of the
worst violence. Whether radical outlaw or political kingmaker, Sadr
under the guidance of Iranhas always had as his goal the expulsion of
U.S. troops and infuence from Iraq. Sadr returned to Iraq this January
after spending several years in Iran. His return was a deliberate mes-
sage to Washington that Tehran was reinserting its main destabilizing
tool in Iraq as U.S. forces continued their withdrawal, Stratfor writes.
It appears the time to activate that tool may have arrived. Deploying
Sadr is one of many ways Iran can project power against the United
States amid the current regional chaos, continues Stratfor (March 4).
In an unrelated incident in Iraq last week, a bomb attack shut off the
oil fow through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline for fve days. Keep watching
for Iran to instigateand take advantage ofthe unrest sweeping the
Middle East to fulfll its own regional goals of hegemony.
WORLD TRIBUNE | March 16
Shiites, Supplied by iran,
control most of Bahrain
T
he shiite opposition has taken over most of Bahrain. Arab and
Western diplomats said the Shiites, believed backed by Iran, have
gained control of most of Bahrain over the last two weeks. They said
the Sunni kingdom has lost authority over the country with the exception
of parts of Manama as well as military bases and energy facilities.
Right now, there is chaos in Manama and the countryside is frmly
in Shiite hands, a diplomat said. The Shiites also control the coast and
are believed to be receiving supplies from Iran.
The diplomats said the Sunni kingdom was on the verge of collapse.
They said King Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa has become a fgurehead and
the regime was being run by his son, Crown Prince Salman.
For his part, Salman has been opposed by the military leadership in
Bahrain. The sources said the military command has been pressing for
an immediate crackdown on the Shiite opposition in cooperation with
Saudi Arabia.
At this point, about 4,000 Saudi troops were reported in Bahrain, in-
cluding a battalion from a special Salafst force. The diplomats said the
Saudis have deployed the U.S.-origin S-70 Black Hawk helicopter as well
as the French-origin amx-10 main battle tank and blocked all routes to
the King Fahd Causeway, which connects Bahrain to the Saudi kingdom.
On March 15, a Saudi Army sergeant was killed by Shiite gunmen in
one way or another
even if Muammar Qadhafs regime quells
the uprisings against Libya, the coun-
try will shift rapidly toward the radical
Islamic camp. Libyan leader Muammar
Qadhaf threatened on Tuesday to ally
his forces with al Qaeda and declare a
holy war if Western powers invade his
country.
In an interview with the Italian news-
paper Il Giornale, Qadhaf said he felt
betrayed by former European allies like
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi,
and said he ruled out negotiations with
Libyas anti-government rebels, which
he called terrorists linked to Osama bin
Laden.
When asked if he feared a demise
similar to that of former Iraqi President
Saddam Hussein, who was ousted by a
U.S.-led invasion and later executed for
war crimes, Qadhaf said: No, our war is
against al Qaeda. But he continued, say-
ing, If they [the West] behave with us as
they did in Iraq, then Libya will leave the
international alliance against terrorism.
We will then ally ourselves with al Qaeda
and declare a holy war.
Qadhaf also said that Europes criti-
cism of his leadership, which culminated
last week in demands by EU leaders for
him to leave offce, threatened Euro-Liby-
an relations. I was really shocked by the
attitude of my European friends, he said.
They have damaged and endangered a
series of major accords on security that
were in their interests and the economic
cooperation that we had.
In the interview, Qadhaf went on to
accuse French President Nicolas Sarkozy
of having a mental disorder since the
French leader called for targeted air-
strikes on Libya and has offcially recog-
nized the rebel Libyan National Council.
In response to a question about his
relationship with Berlusconi, formerly
Qadhafs closest friend in Europe, he said,
I am so shocked, I feel betrayed, I dont
even know what to say to Berlusconi.
In the April edition of the Philadelphia
Trumpet, editor in chief Gerald Flurry
points to prophecies in the Book of Daniel,
urging readers to continue to watch for
Libya to make a severe and rapid turn
into the radical Islamic camp. Whether
Libyas rapid turn toward radical Islam
is the result of Qadhafs rage toward the
West, or the result of his regime being
replaced by Islamist leadership, the out-
come is the same. Libya will make a rapid
turn toward the radical Islamic camp .

THETRUMPET.COM | March 17
Manama. The sources said the Saudis have deployed forces around gov-
ernment buildings, major businesses and the royal palace in Bahrain.
The Saudis thought they could intimidate Shiites, but they are shooting
back, another diplomat said. This could get extremely bloody over the
next 48 hours.
WORLD TRIBUNE | March 16
Fifth Fleet abandons Base
in Bahrain
T
he U.s. Navy has begun to vacate its facilities in Bahrain, diplo-
matic sources said. However, a statement by the U.S. Naval Forces
Central Command denied that an evacuation was underway.
Western diplomatic sources said many or most of the Navys Fifth Fleet
has left Manama. They said many of the U.S. naval personnel were
transferred to Oman, where a naval exercise was taking place. There is
a skeleton crew left, a diplomatic source said.
The sources said only several hundred U.S. Navy personnel were left
at Fifth Fleet headquarters, Middle East Newsline reported. They said
U.S. warships were no longer patrolling the coast of Bahrain.
The statement by the Fifth Fleet Public Affairs Offce said that while
the departure of family members and non-essential civilian personnel
living in Bahrain had been authorized, operations at U.S. Fifth Fleet
and nsa Bahrain remain normal, and U.S. service members and family
members are not being evacuated.
The sources said the administration of President Barack Obama ap-
peared to be preparing for the collapse of the Sunni kingdom in Bahrain.
They said Washington does not intend to protect the regime of King
Hamad Bin Issa Al Khalifa. The Americans have written off Bahrain
and are believed to be working out some arrangement with the Iranians
that will protect the Americans from the mobs, the source said.
G2 BULLETIN | March 14
iranian leaders: we
caused unrest
L
eaders in Iran are taking credit for the general unrest throughout
the Middle East, and they say such a situation gives them hope for
the future, especially if the turmoil cuts off the Wests access to fuels.
Irans leadership is operating from an overall strategy that is designed
to limit and even cut off the Wests access to fossil fuel energy, accord-
ing to an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps general. Mohammad-Reza
Naghdi sees Irans growing infuence throughout the Middle East as a way
to cut off or at least control Western access from Middle Eastern oil and
natural gas reserves. Seventy percent of the worlds fossil fuel reserves is
under the feet of the soldiers of the supreme leadership and soon oil and
gas felds belonging to Muslims, which are now in the hands of America,
will fall into the hands of the people (and) that will be the time when all
those overlords will have sanctions put on them, Naghdi said. The en-
emy is heavily dependent on this energy and the events in the region have
them quite agitated. This of course provides us with a hopeful future.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khameni has claimed that all the unrest
sweeping across the Middle East and North Africa has its roots in the
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 4
the iron Chancellor of Germany could not
have been clearer. Whoever wants credit must
fulfll our conditions. These conditions are
capitulation by three vulnerable states on core
policies, and partial loss of sovereignty for the
rest of the eurozone.
For Greece, the terms are a fre-sale of 50
billion of national assets within four years, a
tenfold increase from the original 5 billion
that Premier George Papandreou thought he
signed up to a year ago. State holdings in
Hellenic Post, Hellenic Railways, Athens Public
Gas, the Pireaus port authority, Athens airport,
Thessaloniki water, and atebank, to name
a few, will not fetch more 15 billion. What
next?
For Portugal, the condition is a fscal
squeeze of 5.3 percent in one year. Pensions,
welfare, and health will be cut, following wage
cuts already under way. A descent into hell,
said the Bloco de Ezquerda.
For Ireland, one condition is to give up the
12.5 percent corporate tax rate .
The condition for Spain, Italy, Belgium et
al, is intrusive surveillance of pensions, wage
policies, productivity levels, as well as de-
mands for a mandatory debt-brake, regard-
less of whether or not such a reactionary policy
implies 1930s defation.
Just as euroskeptics always feared, mon-
etary union has led to a state of affairs where
in order to save the euro as Mrs. Merkel puts
itEuropes ancient states fnd themselves hav-
ing to accept a quantum leap towards political
union and a degree of subjugation that would
not have been tolerated otherwise.
There is no democratic machinery to hold
this central system to account . Raw power is
shifting, but to whom exactly? It is as if Merkel
has somehow been crowned Magna Mater Eu-
ropae by the Consilium, behind closed doors.
In exchange for these conditions, Germany
has agreed to boost the deployable lending
power of the rescue machinery. [Merkel] has
agreed to let the fund buy bonds of rescued
states . She has not agreed to eurobonds or a
soft-restructuring . Yet unless this is done,
the laggards will struggle to pull out of debt
defation.
Mrs. Merkel professed to be very pleased
with the outcome. Weve accomplished our
national goals, she said. Indeed. It ushers
in economic integration on Teutonic terms, but
without the prize of shared debt liability. Ger-
many gets most of what it wants, and avoids
most of what it does not want. The character
of the European Project has changed utterly.
total German
triumph as eu
minnows Subjugated
TELEGRAPH,
AMBROSE EVANS-PRITCHARD | March 13
1979 Iranian Revolution. Indeed, Shia Iran for years has been working
through the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas out of the Gaza
Strip to gain the upper hand in Egypt whose former president, Hosni
Mubarak, made a concerted and coordinated effort along with Saudi
Arabia, Jordan and the United States to limit Irans growing Shiite
infuence in the Arab world.
In addition, the Iran leadership has expressed its intention of mak-
ing the Arabian Peninsula where Saudi Arabia is part of the Iranian
republic .
europe
P
ortUgal edged closer to a bailout this week as Moodys cut the
countrys debt rating on March 15 and the nation was forced to
pay higher rates on a debt auction the next day. Meanwhile, oppo-
sition politicians are trying to block spending cuts announced last week,
leading to Prime Minister Jose Socrates warning, The consequence of
a political crisis is the worsening of the fnancing risks of our economy
and would lead Portugal to request external intervention. It seems all
but inevitable that Portugal will need a bailout from Europe, escalating
the fnancial crisis.
Ratings agency Moodys downgraded Greek debt to junk status on
March 7, meaning that it deems lending to Greece more risky than
lending to Egypt, and just as risky as lending to Angola or Mongolia.
Spiegel notes that Greeces new B1 status has little direct effect on
Athenss fnances. For now the country is being aided by EU rescue
money. But it does indicate that skepticism is growing as to whether the
countrys strict austerity measures combined with European aid money
will be enough to stave off a restructuring of the countrys debt. Many
point out that, even if Greece consolidates its budget to the degree its
targets call for, sovereign debt in 2013 is still likely to be close to 150
percent of gross domestic product. Spain too suffered as Moodys cut
its credit rating to Aa2 on March 10. These cuts are another reminder
that Europes fnancial crisis is not over.
Nearly all people in Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Poland
do not trust their governments, according to an online poll conducted
by icm published in the Guardian on March 13. Only 20 percent of the
over 5,000 surveyed said they trusted their nations government. Only
9 percent said they trusted politicians to act with honesty and integrity.
The poll also showed the pessimism prevalent in these countries47
percent said they thought their country would be worse in 10 years
time. Only 32 percent thought it would be better. France and Germany
were by the far the most pessimistic. Only 12 percent of French and 21
percent of Germans said they thought their country would be better in
10 years. The poll shows Europeans unhappy with their governments
and unhappy about their future. This is a recipe for some drastic, and
sudden, political changes.
French Muslims have asked if they can use Frances empty Catholic
churches for their Friday prayers. Islamic group Banlieuses Respect
asked to use the churches so they would not have to pray in the street.
Muslims often clog up the streets around their mosques on Fridays,
creating a backlash against them. Naturally the Catholics are not happy
about this proposal. These empty churches are consecrated places
and it would never occur to a Christian to use them for anything other
than the liturgical ceremonies, or sacred musican exception that is
always possible, said Samir Khalil Samir, a Jesuit expert on Islam. It
would be unthinkable to use them to celebrate a non-Christian cult.
Samir also said that these empty churches will not remain empty for
long: They will be occupied as soon as possible by a Christian com-
munity or a monastic community, which is happening more and more
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 5
Finding hope
in trauma
there is hope beneath the
rubble left behind after
last weeks catastrophic
earthquake in Japan. God
is present in this tragedy.
The frst two chapters of
Genesis reveal God as the
master Creator of the physi-
cal universe, including the
sun, moon and stars, as well as Earths at-
mosphere, its weather patterns, its oceans
and its land mass, and even tectonic plates
beneath the outer crust.
As the mastermind behind planet Earth,
and all the physical laws that govern its
operation, isnt it logical that God has the
power to intervene in its operation? Fact
is, the Bible teaches explicitly that God
employs nature, including tectonic activ-
ity sUch as volcanoes and earthqUakes, as
an instrUment throUgh which he commUni-
cates with mankind!
For example, the book of Jobwhich
reveals the extreme lengths God will go
to to break through to an individual He
lovesopens by recounting how God al-
lowed a natural disaster, a large tornado, to
destroy all of Jobs children. In Job 37, the
young man Elihu delivers a powerful and
poetic speech to his friend Job in which he
recalls Gods power over nature, and how
He used nature to communicate with Job.
[God] loads the thick cloud with moisture;
the clouds scatter his lightning. They turn
round and round by his guidance, to ac-
complish all that he commands them on
the face of the habitable world. Whether for
correction, or for his land, or for love, he
caUses it to happen (verses 11-13; Revised
Standard Version). Its a beautiful picture of
God using the habitable world to commu-
nicate, in this instance with Jobbut also
with mankind!
In Isaiah 29:6, the prophet warns, Thou
shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with
thunder, and with earthqUake, and great
noise, with storm and tempest, and the
fame of devouring fre. Perhaps youre
thinking, wheres the hope in that? The
Apostle Paul answers: For the Lord disci-
plines him whom he loves, and chastises
every son whom he receives. God is
treating you as sons; for what son is there
whom his father does not discipline? (He-
brews 12:6-7; rsv).
In other words, correction, even the
most painful, gut-wrenching kind, such
as we are witnessing in Japan, is a sign of
gods love!

BRAD MACDONALD | COLUMNIST
throughout Europe. He states: Asking the church to provide currently
unused churches at the disposition of Muslims is a major embarrass-
ment at the very moment when the effort of believers is focused on re-
evangelizing those who have strayed from Christian practice. Finally,
imagine for a moment the opposite. If in a Muslim country (Egypt or
Algeria, for example) the indigenous Christians (in Egypt) or immigrant
Christians (in Algeria) asked Muslims to give them a mosque, since
they have many, or to lend them one for Sunday, or only for impor-
tant celebrations: Christmas, Epiphany, the beginning of Lent, Easter,
Pentecost and the Assumption, what would the reaction of Muslims be?
Christianity has been on the retreat in recent decades, but expect it to
stand to confront the growing tide of Islam.
Marine Le Pen, leader of Frances far-right National Front, is the
most popular candidate in Frances 2012 presidential election race, an
Internet poll found on March 6. Twenty-three percent would support Le
Pen, according to the poll conducted by the Harris Institute and pub-
lished by Le Parisien. French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist
Party leader Martine Aubry each would receive 21 percent of the vote.
Anti-Islamism is a major reason for the National Fronts success, and
Sarkozy wants to make it a core issue for his party too. Even before the
poll was published, Sarkozy announced that he planned to hold a public
debate on the role of Islam in French society. The more moderate ele-
ments of Sarkozys party, fear the proposal could lead to the stigmatiza-
tion of Muslims. Sarkozy is also holding photo ops with Catholic nuns
and praising Frances Christian foundations. Sarkozy has shown he is
willing to confront Islam. Next month a law comes into force banning
veils that cover the whole face. But Le Pens popularity shows that many
in France want bolder measures against Islam. In December, she said
that Muslims worshiping openly in the street represent an occupation
of territory. Another recent poll suggests Le Pens approach should
resonate with voters. Forty-two percent of those surveyed said they
saw Islam as an internal threat. A January poll conducted by ifop found
that two thirds of French and Germans believe that the integration of
Muslims into their societies has been a failure. Watch for the nations of
Europe to increasingly wake up to the threat posed by radical Islam.
That Islam is part of Germany is a fact that cannot be proven by
history, the new German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich told
journalists on March 4. The next day he expanded on his comments,
saying, Successful integration requires two things: knowledge of the
social reality in Germanywhere about 4 million Muslims liveand
a clear awareness of the Western Christian origin of our culture. His
remarks have reignited a storm of controversy about immigration in
Germanya storm that has been raging since last summer when Ger-
man banker Thilo Sarrazin published a best-selling book claiming that
Muslims and their failure to assimilate was the cause of many of the
nations problems. Expect Germany to grow more intolerant of Islam.
The European Union should change the way it enacts European
treaties in order to ensure a British no vote doesnt stop the whole EU,
senior British Liberal Democrat Member of the European Parliament
Andrew Duff wrote to Jerzy Buzek, head of the European Parliament,
on March 3. As you will be well aware, the British Parliament is about
to enact a law which will install and entrench referendums as part of
the UKs national ratifcation process for all amendments of the Euro-
pean Union treaties, he wrote. The effect of this law will be to severely
delay and complicate all future treaty revisiona process which is al-
ready lengthy and complicated enough. In order to stop the will of his
own nations parliament being carried out, Duff suggests that the EU
change its laws so that a treaty is enforced once its been ratifed by 80
percent of EU nations. Presumably, this would mean that EU treaties
would come into force in Britain even if Parliament voted no. The fact
that Duff is suggesting this is a refection on the growing anti-EU feel-
ing in Britain. This kind of skullduggery will only increase that feeling.
Expect to see Britain out of the EU soon.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 6

WASHINGTON POST | March 14
heres a question about the Mideast turmoil for
future historians: How much did food infation
contribute? We know some basic facts. Middle
East countries import 50 percent or more of
their wheat, a staple food for many. Beginning in
mid-2010, world grain prices exploded. At $8.56
a bushel in February, wheat prices had doubled
in eight months. Despite massive subsidies,
some higher prices fltered through to consum-
ers. Did that create a tinderbox for protest?
In both Tunisia and Egypt, women in tv
interviews screamed about food prices, says
Laurie Garrett of the Council on Foreign Rela-
tions. Food infation was a contributor. How
much we dont know. Whatever the verdict,
its not an idle curiosity. As much as oil, scarce
food could shape global politics for decades.
Call it the Great Food Crunch. Global food
demand is colliding with strained supply. High
prices or shortages could destabilize poor coun-
tries and trigger global scrambles for scarce
foodstuffs. The present price surge is the sec-
ond in three years. In 2008, run-ups in rice and
wheat triggered protests and riots in about two
dozen countries, including Egypt, Haiti and
the Philippines. Then and now, some suppliers
(India and Vietnam in 2008 for rice and Russia
now for wheat) restricted exports, increasing
world prices and shifting risk to countries with
food defcits.
Weve had strong international demand,
[despite] a major recession, says Joseph
Glauber, the Agriculture Departments chief
economist. Its not unique to China. In seven
out of the past ten years, he notes, world wheat
consumption has outpaced production. Global
grain stocks, a buffer against shortages, have
declined. Food markets remain vulnerable to
any setbacksfoods, droughtsthat reduce
harvests. The diversion of U.S. corn to ethanol
intensifes pressures on grain supplies.
All things considered, global food produc-
tion may have to double by 2050, says agri-
culture economist Robert Thompson of the
Chicago Council on Global Affairs. From 2010
to 2050, the worlds population is projected to
increase 38 percent, from 6.9 billion to 9.5 bil-
lion, with gains concentrated in poorer coun-
tries. By some estimates, about 1 billion people
are already so undernourished they cant do
modest manual labor.
Can the world raise food production that
much? Declining water tables, climate
change and eroding topsoil limit the possibili-
ties. [P]ervasive food scarcities will lead to
more failed statesnations unable to guarantee
food security for their peoplethat become
breeding grounds for global terrorism and
epidemics.
the Global Food
crunch
FINANCIAL TIMES, GIDEON RACHMAN | March 14
merkels nightmare: the
Voters revenge
T
he deal reached over the weekend in Brussels to strengthen the
blocs 440 billion rescue fund for debt-afficted nations is the latest
rescue package. It will be overshadowed by the horrors in Libya and
Japan. That may delay the skeptical reaction in the markets and buy Eu-
rope some time. But, have no doubt, the European debt crisis will return.
That is because the fundamental European problem is now not
economicit is political. Euroskepticism is rising across the European
Union, both in countries that have received bail-outs and in the coun-
tries that have funded them. That is sowing ill-feeling between nations
and making it all but impossible for leaders to make necessary compro-
mises.
For Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, she too fears electoral di-
saster. The German press and public are screaming about the prospect
of further emergency loans to Europe. The courts have threatened to
rule the bail-outs illegal. Once reliably pro-European parties, such as
the Free Democrats, are increasingly euroskeptic.
In the new economic and political climate inside the EU, none of the
key national governments feels it has any room for maneuver. On both
sides of the euro divide, centrist governments are worried about the
rise of nationalist and extremist parties. That makes it much harder to
reach EU agreements, which worsens the economic crisis, which then
worsens the political crisis.
asia
L
ast friday, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck off Japans east-
ern coast triggering a massive tsunami which swept over giant
swathes of land and killed thousands of people. The disaster also
resulted in the closing of fve to eight oil refneries, and partially melted
down three of Japans nuclear reactors. As the specter of energy short-
ages stalks Japan, the Kremlin is riding to the rescue. As the scope of
the tragedy became clearer over the course of last weekend, Russian
President Dmitry Medvedev pledged to help make up Japans energy
defcit by boosting supplies from nearby Siberia. Our moral duty is to
help in this situation, Medvedev said on Monday as he ordered Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin to look into ways of redirecting up
to 6,000 megawatts of electrical power to Japan. Medvedev also ar-
ranged for the delivery of an additional 200,000 tons of liquefed natu-
ral gas and an unspecifed amount of Siberian coal over the next two
months. The Japanese earthquake, the nations largest ever, and the
resulting tsunami is forcing Japan to build both political and economic
bridges to energy-laden Russia. A strong tri-corner alliance between
Tokyo, Moscow and Beijing is in the process of forming.
China has completed a new long-range missile with a greater range
than anything in the Chinese arsenal, an unnamed Taiwanese spy said
Wednesday. The agent said the new Dongfeng 16 weapon could target
and reach Taiwan. Tension has thrived between Beijing and Taipei ever
since 1949, when Chinese Communists fought Kuomintang soldiers
off the mainland and onto Taiwan, effectively dividing the nation into
two. Mainland China has never recognized the islands sovereignty and
claims Taiwan as its own territory. But when Taiwans current president,
Ma Ying-jeou came into offce in 2008, he made conciliatory overtures
toward Beijing, and cross-Strait friction began to diminish. Taipeis
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 7
was it a curse
From God?
at a press conference on
Monday, Tokyos governor
said God sent the devastat-
ing tsunami last week in
order to wash away the
greedy mentality of the
Japanese people. After his
remarks set off an uproar of
angry response, he apolo-
gized profusely.
The cycle seems to repeat itself every
few months. First, the world is pounded
by an epic-scale disaster. Then a few lone
voices suggest it was divine retribution,
triggering a frestorm of rebuke.
But there are numerous scriptural ref-
erences in the Bible that show God often
uses natural phenomena to communi-
cate with mankind (Genesis 6:17; 19:24-25;
Leviticus 26:3-5, 19; Job 1:16-19; 37:11-13;
Isaiah 29:6; Amos 4:7-9; Matthew 24:7,
29; Revelation 6:12; 11:13).
It wasnt that long ago that even the
most intellectual among us fully accepted
that it was God who controlled the weath-
er. But ask any scholar today about the
increase in natural disasters and he will
undoubtedly insist that it has absolutely
nothing to do with human behavior.
How did we arrive at where we are
today?
At the very beginning of human civili-
zation, by eating from the forbidden tree,
Adam cut off mankind from God and His
Spirit, choosing to go it alonewithout
God.
Mr. Armstrong called this 6,000-year
civilization of man a lesson in aversion
therapy. Since then God has allowed man
to go his own way so that he might see the
rotten fruits of living contrary to the law
of love.
This explains why Satans present world
is becoming more evil and violent every
day (2 Timothy 3:1-5), and why there has
been such an upsurge in natural disas-
ters in recent years.
Finally, when mankind is sickened to
death of going his own waythe way of
Satanwill God then intervene to save
mankind. As Mr. Armstrong explained in
Mystery of the Ages, paraphrasing Gods
response to Adam after he ate from the
forbidden tree: By supernatural divine
power I shall then take over the govern-
ment of the whole world. With reeducation,
I will produce a happy world of peace. And
on repentance, I shall then offer eternal
salvation to all.

STEPHEN FLURRY | COLUMNIST
most recent goodwill gesture was an announcement on March 9 that
Taiwan would reduce its number of soldiers by 9,200 this year as part of
a larger plan to trim the nations military by 60,000 troops within the
next fve years. Earlier last week, China told the U.S. that Washingtons
relationship with Beijing will be in jeopardy if the U.S. sells more arms
to Taiwan. On Dec. 4, 2010, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry fore-
cast that Taiwan could return to Chinas control before President Barack
Obamas frst presidential term is over. As Chinas military might ex-
pands, and it becomes more assertive on the world stage, expect Taiwan
to abandon the sinking U.S. ship and to come under Chinese control.
latin aMerica
A
report pUblished last week by the Latin Business Chronicle re-
vealed that EU trade with Latin America set a new record in 2010.
Trade between the two regions jumped a full 31 percent last year
to reach 177.3 billion (Us$236.9 billion). Meanwhile, one of the latest
WikiLeaks revelations is that the United States now considers the Latin
American Mercosur trade bloc as an anti-American organization.
Mercosur gradually has transformed from an imperfect customs union
to a more restrictive and anti-American organization, states one cable
which summarizes the conclusions of a meeting of U.S. ambassadors
which took place in Rio do Janeiro in 2007. Watch for the relationship
between the U.S. and its Latin American neighbors to grow cold as
regional leaders from the Rio Grande to Terra del Fuego embrace new
trade partners in Europe. As the Plain Truth magazine predicted in
July 1965: Flowing across the Atlantic to feed the hungry furnaces of
the Ruhr and the other industrial complexes of Europe will come the
rich mineral wealth of Latin America.
anglo-aMerica
O
ne might think that the current fnancial crisis would at least keep
the average Americans cost of living a little lower due to defation-
ary pressures. A special index designed by the Labor Department,
however, reveals that the actual cost of living for Americans hit a record
high in February. Americas attempts to print its way out of recession have
only succeeded in driving up both infation and unemployment. As equity
strategist Peter Bookvar stated: The Federal Reserve continues to focus
on the rate of change in infation. Sure, its moving at a slower pace, but
the absolute cost of living is now back at a record high in a country that
has 7 million less jobs. America is facing a tough situation. But instead
of dealing with the causes, it has chosen to try and cheat the market by
printing its way out of its economic problems. Creating money out of thin
air may temporarily stimulate an economy, but as history clearly shows,
the medicine is eventually worse than the disease. The end is always the
samea worthless currency, a destroyed economy and a bankrupt nation.
In fact, it emerged last week that the U.S. government racked up its
largest February defcit in history: $223 billion. Meanwhile, Republicans
and Democrats are arguing over what amounts to cigarette burns while
the whole house is on fre. The world is soon to learn that America will
never balance its budget. When it does, the dollar will crash, infation
will soar, and Americans standard of living will plummet. Republicans
are pushing to cut $50 billion from the yearly budget, while Democrats
say they can accept no more than $6 billion. Just the monthly defcit for
February is more than four times as much as even the most extreme
yearly cuts. Each year, Americas debt problems continue to grow worse.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 8
the video footage has
been riveting. From the
time that the frst pictures
emerged showing the extent
of the devastation follow-
ing Fridays earthquake
and tsunami in Japan, the
world has watched the hu-
man drama unfold. This,
most especially, as tensions have since arisen
over the prospect of meltdowns at two of its
nuclear power plants.
Since the proliferation of nuclear power
following the unleashing of its terrible poten-
tial at Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the close of
World War ii, man has lived with the prospect
of a nuclear disaster.
In 1955 we reached the point where suf-
fcient nuclear weaponry had been manufac-
tured to blow all life off this planet. At that
juncture, a mind-numbing prophecy of Jesus
Christ suddenly leaped into perspective.
And except those days be shortened, no
fesh would be saved (Matthew 24:22).
At the time, just one lone voice declared
that man had reached the point where this
prophecy had the potential of becoming
current-day reality: the voice of Herbert W.
Armstrong.
Yes, we are literally living within the times
spoken of by Jesus Christ as the beginning
of sorrows. Times of wars and rumors of
wars. Times when nation shall rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
Times of warnings of famine and pestilence
and of the dire shortage of food and water
predicted by various international bodies.
Times of earthquakes in diverse places
(Matthew 24).
These are literally those times prophesied
by Jesus Christ as the very beginning warn-
ing signs of the imminent intervention of the
Creator, just prior to His return, to mercifully
put a stop to this mad race toward the pros-
pect of the nuclear annihilation of human-
kind!
But events in Japan following this devas-
tating earthquake, terrible as the effects have
been, still fall into that classifcation of being
the very beginnings of far worse to come!
The countdown to Jesus Christs return is
far advanced!
It is vital for your future safety and protec-
tion that you become familiar with that great
prophecyin fact all of the prophecies of
Jesus Christ that are literally leading into His
imminent return as they are fulflled, week by
week, month by month, through current-day
world events.
the coming
nuclear meltdown

RON FRASER | COLUMNIST
Concerned about environmental damage, the Canadian province of
Quebec has halted further development of its shale-gas reserves. The
Quebec government issued its frst environmental assessment of shale-
gas development on Tuesday of last week. While this assessment did not
cite any specifc fndings, it did conclude that more environmental stud-
ies were needed. Until these studies can be completed, all further natu-
ral gas exploration in the province has been halted, except for drilling
that might help the assessment. Canadas conventional-oil and natural-
gas industries contribute about 6 percent of national gdp, according to
the government. The shale-gas industry has also been a boon to the
United States by providing consumers with a cheap energy alternative
to expensive Middle Eastern oil. The dependence of the Anglo-Saxon
peoples on foreign energy sources has put nations like Canada and the
U.S. at great risk of an economic siege.
Over 20,000 people in Britain have signed a new initiative call-
ing for a referendum on whether their country should remain in the
European Union. Each person who signs the Peoples Pledge promises
to only vote for a candidate who publicly promises to support a binding
referendum on our EU membership and to vote for it in the House of
Commons. On the frst day of the campaign, Tuesday, so many people
rushed to sign up that the website crashed. A recent survey conducted
by Angus Reid Public Opinion suggests that such a referendum would
pull Britain out of Europe. Forty-eight percent of Britons would vote
to leave the EU, versus only 27 percent to stay in, the poll found. With
British antipathy toward the EU growing like this, it is only a matter of
time before Britain leaves Club Europe.
Around 600 Anglicans began the process of converting to Catholi-
cism on Ash Wednesday (March 9). Between Ash Wednesday and
Easter they will stop receiving holy communion in the Anglican Church
and they are not able to receive holy communion in the Catholic Church,
a spokesman for the Catholic bishops conference explained. When they
become Catholic at Easter, then they can receive holy communion in the
Catholic Church. There is a gap of few weeks where they prepare. These
new converts, which include around 20 priests, will join the Ordinari-
ate set up for them by the pope. This group seems set to swell beyond
600, with many planning on joining in a second wave of converts later.
The Ordinariates leader, Keith Newton, wants to actively expand the
branchseeking to convert new members. The Catholic Herald reports
that Newton hopes the Ordinariate will pave the way for a new form
of evangelization. This is the small beginning of a movement that will
eventually see the Church of England engulfed entirely by Rome.
Britains schools are giving 5-year-old children perverse sexual mate-
rial as part of their sexual education, the Christian Institute exposed on
March 9. Books recommended by county councils for children as young
as 5 contain explicit descriptions and cartoon pictures of sexual acts. One
book recommended by a council for those over 7 states that homosexual-
ity is natural and normal. This is yet more evidence of Britains educa-
tional establishment rejecting the Judeo-Christian values it was founded
on and perverting the minds of an entire generation of young people.
Traditional families with a working father and a stay-at-home moth-
er are penalized more by the British tax system than by the tax systems
of most other developed nations, according to a report published by
carea UK-based Christian charity. The UK tax system is unusual,
the report states. Income tax takes virtually no account of either mar-
riage or a taxpayers family responsibilities. In 2009, a family with one
earner earning the average wage had to pay one third more tax than in
the average oecd (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment) country. In the average oecd country, a married person who is the
single wage earner for his family pays roughly half the tax that a single
person would pay. But in the UK, he must pay nearly three quarters as
much taxthe highest amount of any nation in the oecd. The UK is
almost alone in having no tax provision for families except for some
transitional arrangements for a small number of older married couples,
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 9
Japan has experienced one of the worst
earthquakes in recent history, the Mid-
dle East is in fames and turmoil, the
threat of a war in that region becomes
more of a reality by the day, China is
fexing its muscle and plans to dominate
Asia and the world, the U.S. national
debt is approaching 100 percent of the
Gross Domestic Product, the annual
federal budget defcit will exceed an
unimaginable $1.6 trillion .
It has been predicted that Califor-
nia has a 99 percent chance of a major
devastating earthquake in the next 30
years. The central part of the United
States extending to the East Coast,
in an area that has recorded four of
the largest earthquakes ever in North
America, could experience a cataclys-
mic earthquake sometime in the next
50 years. The cost of these events may
well be in the multi-trillions of dollars.
The economy, so wedded to the
world fnancial structure and socialist
economic policies, has a very high prob-
ability in the short and long-term of
repeating the wreckage the country has
recently undergone.
Yet the current regime in Washing-
ton, d.c., does not seem to understand
or care that the policies they are pursu-
ing will leave no margin for error in
the event of an apocalyptic natural or
man-made calamity.
The wealth of the United States has
always been its fallback position in
order to come through wars and reces-
sions or cope with natural disasters.
The countrys enormous gross domestic
product (gdp) has allowed the govern-
ment to spend (by reducing taxes if
necessary and borrowing) whatever
monies were necessary to offset the
losses incurred from these events and/
or to re-start the engine of the econo-
my.
[But the current] approach to gov-
erning will put the United States in a
position where it will not have at its dis-
posal the funding and economic activity
necessary to recover from whatever
overwhelming debacle the country may
encounter in the future.
In the event of a disaster, the United
States, unlike Greece or Ireland, will
not have the European Union or the imf
to turn to, where then will the monies
come from if the worst occurs?
can america Survive
a catastrophe?
AMERICAN THINKER,
STEVE MCCANN | March 12
the report says. The British government may talk about supporting
marriage and family, but the tax system shows it wont take any action
to back up the words.
Food prices could get so high that even developed nations like
Britain could see food riots, a senior economist at hsbc has warned, ac-
cording to an article published by Sky News on March 9. Even in the
developed world I think we have very, very low wage growth, so people
arent getting more in their pay packet to compensate them for food
and energy, and I think we could see social unrest certainly in parts of
the developed world and the UK as well, Karen Ward said.
Girls in Britain and Nordic countries binge drink just as often as
boys, according to a thesis by Anna-Karin Danielsson of the Depart-
ment of Public Health Sciences at the Karolinska Institutet. The thesis
examines 1,200 pupils ages 13 to 19 over a period of fve years, starting
in 2001, according to a press release published on March 7. Sixteen-
year-old girls in the Nordic countries and the UK binge drink to the
same extent as boys, in other words at least fve consecutive drinks
in one go, said Danielsson. Were also seeing a strong correlation
between this and problems such as fghts, accidents and unwanted
sexual relationships. Her data also showed an important way to
stop teens getting in trouble with alcohol. Initiatives that focus on
strengthening the parent-child relationship and limiting parental
provision of alcohol can prove effective in limiting risky consumption
among adolescents, she said. Both girls and boys respond differently
to parental involvement, she found, but both need it. The risk of high
alcohol consumption among boys who smoke and who have friends
who drink is considerably reduced when parents keep an eye on what
teenagers get up to, and with whom, she said. Whereas girls in the
risk zone beneft most from an emotionally stable and close parent-
child relationship in terms of protective effect. Her research supports
what the Trumpet has been saying for years. In order to fx Britains
social problems like binge drinking, Britains families must be fxed.
Instances of cheating at British universities have risen by around
50 percent over the past four years according to a study published by
the Telegraph on March 5. Universities reported 17,000 incidents of
cheating in the academic year of 2009-2010, though, as the Telegraph
states, the true fgure will be far higher because many were only able
to provide details of the most serious cases and let lecturers deal with
less serious offences. Most of this cheating was in the form of plagia-
rism. This cheating is just another symptom of Britains moral collapse.
CENTER FOR A NEW AMERICAN SECURITY | March 10
the rebels love us,
right?
I
was looking through the Sinjar documents today because I remem-
bered (incorrectly, as it turns out) that Benghazi had sent more
foreign fghters to Iraq than any other city in the Arabic-speaking
world. On a per capita basis, though, twice as many foreign fghters
came to Iraq from Libyaand specifcally eastern Libyathan from
any other country in the Arabic-speaking world. Libyans were appar-
ently more fred up to travel to Iraq to kill Americans than anyone else
in the Middle East. And 84.1 percent of the 88 Libyan fghters in the
Sinjar documents who listed their hometowns came from either Beng-
hazi or Darnah in Libyas east. This might explain why those rebels
from Libyas eastern provinces are not too excited about U.S. military
intervention. It might also give some pause to those in the United
States so eager to arm Libyas rebels.
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY March 19, 2011 10
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto
me, then I will punish you seven times more
for your sins. And I will break the pride of
your power .
Leviticus 26:18-19
not the 28 members of nato, not the 15-mem-
ber U.N. Security Council, not the 22 nations
of the Arab League could save Libyas rebels
from being obliterated by the mad and mur-
derous Moammar Qadhaf. The world has just
watched the collapse of internationalism.
The worlds self-professed keepers of
international order, from Brussels to Turtle
Bay, huffed and puffed, talked and threat-
ened. And they failed. Utterly. But what
weve watched is not merely the failure of the
gauzy notion of internationalism. Its more
specifc than that. What has collapsed here is
the modern Democratic Partys new foreign-
policy establishment.
Barack Obama is the frst Democratic pres-
ident to assemble a foreign-policy team made
up entirely of intellectuals who for years have
developed a counter-thesis to the policies of
presidents extending back to John F. Ken-
nedy. We are in a post-American world, they
have argued, in which the U.S. is obliged to
pursue its interests in concert with the rest of
the worlds powers, never alone.
The uprisings against autocracies in 10
separate Middle Eastern countries, a crisis in-
herited from no one, was their real-world test.
In Egypt, they fumbled. In Libya, they have
failed. The poster boy for this internationalist
view is White House deputy Ben Rhodes, who
told a reporter last week: This is the Obama
conception of the U.S. role in the worldto
work through multilateral organizations and
bilateral relationships to make sure that the
steps we are taking are amplifed.
The new Democratic theory of the proper
U.S. role in the world was articulated in a
July 2008 document, Strategic Leader-
ship: Framework for a 21st Century National
Security Strategy. It described itself as an
intellectual and policy blueprint for the next
administration. While it admits U.S.
preeminence, it is largely a meditation on the
limits of American power and authority. This
is the documents fnal, summarizing sen-
tence: And such [U.S.] leadership recognizes
that in a world in which power has diffused,
our interests are best protected and advanced
when others step up and at times lead along-
side or even ahead of us.
the collapse of
internationalism
WALL STREET JOURNAL,
DANIEL HENNINGER | MARCH 17