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Highlights:
The ever rising threat from Iran
Prior to January 16—the day Iran received sanctions relief over its nuclear program—the Islamic Republic illegally developed and tested ballistic missiles, threatened to accelerate its missile production, fired rockets at the uss Harry S. Truman, illegally harassed and detained 10 U.S. Navy sailors, inspired one of its proxies to kidnap American contractors in Iraq—among many criminal acts.It appears Iran will remain unstoppable. But for how long will Iran’s belligerence go unchecked? Trumpet managing editor Joel Hilliker explains in his article “The Ostrich, the Warriors and the Whirlwind.”Merkel’s last stand
“Angela Merkel has repeatedly said that it will take time to solve the refugee crisis,” wrote Spiegel Online. “But impatience is growing, particularly following the sexual assaults in Cologne. Voices of discontent are getting louder, and the chancellor’s hold on power may be weakening.”Spiegel added that Merkel “faces a lasting power struggle with her own political allies—a tussle that could ultimately cost her the chancellery.”The question Trumpet executive editor Stephen Flurry posed in November now takes on greater poignancy: “Will Angela Merkel complete her term as German chancellor?”World faces epic debt defaults
A central bank veteran William White fears the world is facing a wave of epic debt defaults.“The situation is worse than it was in 2007,” warned White. “Our macroeconomic ammunition to fight downturns is essentially all used up.”“The only question is whether we are able to look reality in the eye and face what is coming in an orderly fashion, or whether it will be disorderly.”Is your personal financial house in order?
Russia replaces Israel as the most powerful nation in the Middle East
“When Russian President Vladimir Putin deployed his forces to Syria last year, he claimed that the deployment would be brief,” noted Caroline Glick.The terms of the newly revealed deployment agreement, however, show that Moscow can maintain permanent bases in Syria.“The [Israeli] government and military have no options for dealing with Russia’s sudden emergence as a major power in our backyard,” continued Glick. “And there is nothing new in Israel’s helplessness. We’ve never had an option for reining in Moscow.”“But until Barack Obama came into office, Israel never had to worry about Russia. … Until Barack Obama entered the White House, every U.S. president from Franklin Roosevelt on believed it was a U.S. economic and strategic interest of the first order to curb Russian power in the Middle East.”Putin-approved murder
Alexander Litvinenko, the ex-Russian spy murdered in London in 2006, was “probably” killed at the orders of President Vladimir Putin, according to a long-awaited report.Litvinenko was poisoned with the radioactive polonium-210, whose use was “at the very least a strong indicator of state involvement.” His slow death was intended to “send a message.”But here’s the most urgent message about Russia’s Vladimir Putin: “He is not the schoolyard bully with a penchant for creating mischief and occasionally stepping over the line. He is much more than a macho-man caricature who sells himself as a bastion of conservative, traditional values. This man is a killer. He needs to be feared and respected. He is changing the course of history.”Other news:
Islamic State terrorists are carving a safe haven for themselves in the ungoverned state of Libya. The Wall Street Journal noted that “the European Union—300 miles across the Mediterranean—offered $108 million in security assistance to Libya,” following Islamic State bombings in a Libyan city early this month.Police in Tajikistan have shaved the beards off of almost 13,000 men in part of the country’s fight against Islamic influence. Reports on Thursday said officials in the nation have also closed more than 160 shops that sold Muslim clothing. Tajikistan’s lawmakers have also passed laws prohibiting new parents from giving their children Arabic-sounding names.Get more details on these stories and more by subscribing to the Trumpet Weekly!
