The Tunisian government is coming apart at the seams—again, and in a fashion that’s now typical of the volatile Middle East. The birthplace of the wildly explosive Arab Spring that began in 2011 is facing another crisis that could result in the collapse of its current government.

This latest crisis follows a series of events that began to peak with the assassination of secular opposition lawmaker Mohammed Brahmi on July 25.

The moderate Islamist-led government in Tunisia has for over eight months been grappling with security incidents with Mali-linked, al Qaeda-affiliated terrorist insurgents in its Algerian border region. Defense cooperation between the two countries has been enhanced as a consequence.

On February 6, opposition politician Chokri Belaid was assassinated by unknown assailants, and on July 25, another opposition lawmaker, Mohammed Brahmi, was assassinated.

Most Tunisians, particularly the opposition parties and Tunisia’s General Labor Union, are blaming the current moderate Islamist-led coalition government for the assassinations, but the government is blaming Salafist terrorists. There is strong indication the Tunisian government is being truthful in its assessments. Think tank Stratfor’s analysis indicates that al Qaeda terrorists may have orchestrated the assassination to create a political crisis for the Tunisian government.

On July 12, prior to the latter assassination, Algeria had warned Tunisia and Libya of the increasing possibility of attacks from al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (aqim), and a few days before the assassination, Tunisia had responded to the warning by arresting a leader of one of the terrorist cells known as Abou Fida. So al Qaeda also may have been involved in that assassination as a way of retaliating to the arrest of Abou Fida.

Whatever the truth on the matter, al Qaeda is taking full advantage of the political crisis and public outrage against the government over the assassination. On July 29, al Qaeda terrorists ambushed and savagely slaughtered eight Tunisian soldiers, leading to a military offensive by the Tunisian Army. All the while, opposition groups and Tunisia’s biggest labor union are calling for “million-man” protests and for the current administration in Tunis to step down.

A spokesman for Tunisia’s prime minister, Noureddine Bhiri, remarked, “We are facing two choices. Either we confront terrorism together, or we will distract the army and security forces with political battles that are much less dangerous than terrorism.” The birthplace of the Arab Spring is facing a dire crisis that recent Middle East history shows could easily result in the collapse of the government. The crisis could easily get out of hand. “Tunisia could become like Somalia. Other countries have the economic resources to fight terrorism, but we have nothing,” said former army general Rachid Ammar. “I see in Tunisia today signs that make me afraid and keep me from sleeping.”

What’s happening in Tunisia today is a sign of the prophesied radicalization of much of the Middle East. The Bible prophesies of a bloc of radical, Iranian-swayed Islamist nations in the Middle East posing a huge security threat to the world, particularly to neighboring Europe. It also indicates that the United States and Britain will be too weak to do much to stop radical Islam. Prophecy reveals how Europe will decisively respond to that threat, and how it will lead to the final global war that will precede the establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth. For more understanding of Tunisia’s immediate future, download our free booklets The King of the South and Libya and Ethiopia in Prophecy.