Why 9/11 Changed Nothing

“What did we learn from September 11? Just that we need tougher airport security? That there are bad people out there? The late surge in patriotism and religion comes from a need to draw deeper lessons. We need answers to why thousands died in that disaster. ‘Life as usual’ isn’t good enough.”

[BRIEF]

That was the introduction to our Trumpet special issue, published in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.

• Twenty-five years on, what has changed? Afghanistan is in chaos. Terrorism is still around. Iran remains the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism.
• Did we solve anything in the aftermath of 9/11? The world has gotten worse in many ways since that day. But why have we solved nothing?

America took some positive steps immediately after the disaster. “In the weeks that followed September 11, God was everywhere: on signs, in song, at school and sporting events, in government,” began one of our articles. Now America is more godless than ever.

That issue identified exactly what was missing in America’s response, and explained in advance why that response would fail:

For as popular as it is to talk about God now, it remains decidedly unpopular to discuss the subject of sin. …

There is nothing wrong with paying tribute to those slain in the attacks or applauding the heroic acts of rescue workers and passengers who gave their lives to save others.

But this does not make New York or the rest of America righteous before God.

America needed fundamental change after 9/11. Not a change in our relationship with the Middle East, an overhaul of intelligence agencies or more security measures before boarding a plane, but a change in our way of life:

In the weeks following the September 11 attack, leaders in society encouraged American citizens to go about their normal routines—to not change a thing. Any alteration in the way we lived, they said, would be the surest sign of a terrorist victory.

But hold on—forget about the terrorists for a minute. God is the one who allowed September 11 to happen. And if He allowed it to happen because of our sins, shouldn’t we all want to change our ways? …

What’s so bad about turning from our own sins after an act like what happened on September 11—even if it was carried out by evil men? But that has not happened. Where have you heard anyone talking about real, sincere, life-changing repentance?

We need to remember and memorialize the history of 9/11. I would suggest one of the best ways to do so is to go back to that special edition of the Trumpet. The forecasts and analysis from 25 years ago stand up remarkably well—because they’re not our forecasts, but God’s! And most importantly, that issue shows why 9/11 happened and the sure way to stop any future attack.

America as a whole learned nothing of real significance from 9/11. But you can: You can make lasting change. Read that Trumpet issue here.

U.A.E. to Double Investment in ‘Like-Minded’ Germany

The United Arab Emirates committed to investing $47 billion in Germany over an unspecified period yesterday, after a meeting between the nation’s leaders in Berlin as part of U.A.E. President Shiekh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s two-day visit.

• $47 billion is equivalent to roughly 8 percent of the U.A.E.’s gross domestic product last year.
• This comes in addition to the $39.5 billion the U.A.E. has already invested in Germany.

Psalm 83 prophesies Germany will form an anti-Israel alliance with moderate Arab states, like the U.A.E. This deal is a step toward that.

How will the money be used?

Yesterday’s joint declaration stated that the investment is designed to make German industry more competitive, transform it into a technological leader, and promote “long-term economic growth.”

Specifically, the investment will fund one-gigawatt capacity data centers in Germany.

• The agreement also creates an “investment council” to help establish additional business ties and deepen public-private sector cooperation.

During the visit, both leaders stated plans to boost defense, energy, emerging technology and cultural cooperation.

• They also noted that as the world becomes more volatile, the importance of “reliable, like-minded partners” is growing. The statement added that they are determined to “stand together in defense of the international order.”
• Although this is primarily an economic partnership, watch for it to grow into a military partnership. Germany already eased arms export restrictions on the U.A.E. in March.

What makes Germany and the U.A.E. “like-minded partners,” based on Bible prophecy, is actually a shared enmity for the modern nations of Israel. Psalm 83 prophesies Germany and the U.A.E. will attack these nations.

Houthis Conquer Territory on Bab el-Mandeb

Yemen’s Houthi terrorist group conquered more territory from the Yemeni government yesterday, including the cities of Mokha and Dhubab, on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, as well as the island of Perim in the strait.

• Iran-allied Houthi rebels conquered most of western Yemen in 2014 and 2015, including the capital Sanaa, and operate their own rival Islamist government and military.
• The internationally recognized government controls most of eastern Yemen but has retained control of key territory on the Red Sea with help from its sponsor, Saudi Arabia. The Houthi offensive suggests the government is losing its grip on what territory it still holds in this area.

The Houthis, a proxy of Iran, already controlled most of the Red Sea coastline. Following the October 7 Hamas massacre against Israel and during the current U.S.-Iran war, the Houthis have used this control to target merchant shipping in the Red Sea to disrupt Western economies. The recent victories show the Houthis are consolidating their control.

As the Houthis were gaining ground in 2015, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote:

The Houthi takeover in Yemen proves that Iran is implementing a bold strategy to control the vital sea lane from the Indian ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. …

Now that Iran controls Yemen, it can virtually close or open this spigot on Middle East oil bound for Europe. And Europe is taking notice!

The recent conquests show Iran’s influence in the region is increasing. The Trumpet expects Iran to use this influence to trigger world war. Learn why by reading Mr. Flurry’s article, “Iran Gets a Stranglehold on the Middle East.”

IN OTHER NEWS

Local German governments react to Russian drones: The German state of Hesse is investing an additional $11.5 million to boost its drone defenses, according to a survey by Germany’s Focus yesterday. It also stated Lower Saxony plans to spend $8.5 million on drone defense, while Baden-Württemberg leaders have expressed plans to spend an additional $2.9 million. This survey comes after an explosives carrying drone, linked to Russia by the German government, was found at Leipzig-Halle Airport on August 4.

Op-ed: Russia is removing Ukraine’s battlefield advantages: Russia has learned to fight far more effectively in recent months, combining its advantages in manpower and industrial capacity with rapid technological adaptation, which is erasing Ukraine’s battlefield edge, former Google ceo Eric Schmidt wrote in a September 9 Washington Post op-ed. For years, the Ukrainians held their own against Russia’s much larger force mainly due to rapid adaptation and innovation. But now Russia is combining its mass with its own innovations, such as jet-powered Iranian-derived Shahed drones and a new satellite constellation. Ukraine’s former advantage is “rapidly diminishing,” Schmidt writes, and it will likely suffer serious defeats this winter unless Western support increases. This assessment is yet another sign that Vladimir Putin’s determination remains undiminished—and that, after more than four years of war, Russia may be close to completing its conquest.