The Week in Review

Middle East

Demonstrations against the government continued in Egypt this week, with a violent confrontation in Cairo on Wednesday leaving 10 people dead and 800 wounded. President Hosni Mubarak sacked his government on January 28 and on February 2 promised not to run in September elections. In a further concession to the Muslim Brotherhood, Vice President Omar Suleiman said on Thursday that the banned opposition group had been invited to meet with the new government as part of talks with all parties. These moves, however, have not placated protesters, who are demanding Mubarak’s immediate resignation.

A main leader of the opposition movement is former head of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (iaea), so-called moderate Mohamed ElBaradei. Caroline Glick points out that, “As iaea head, ElBaradei shielded Iran’s nuclear weapons program from the Security Council. He repeatedly ignored evidence indicating that Iran’s nuclear program was a military program rather than a civilian energy program. When the evidence became too glaring to ignore, ElBaradei continued to lobby against significant UN Security Council sanctions or other actions against Iran and obscenely equated Israel’s purported nuclear program to Iran’s.” ElBaradei, who has the support of the Muslim Brotherhood, would no doubt be controlled by that group should he come to power, and be hostile toward the West.

Washington is encouraging a change of regime in Egypt, with President Barack Obama on Tuesday demanding of Mubarak that democratic change “must begin now.” On Wednesday, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told Egypt that the “time for transition has come, and that time is now,” and that “now is not September.” In a demonstration of America’s belief that U.S.-style democracy is the ultimate solution to political strife, the White House stated that it is even open to the Muslim Brotherhood playing a role in Egypt’s future government as long as the group renounced violence and embraced the democratic process. In democratic elections, the Brotherhood is guaranteed to earn a prominent place within the government. A Pew survey of Egyptians conducted last June indicated that 59 percent of Egyptians would back an Islamist in government. Only 27 percent said they would back a modernizer, while more than half said they support Hamas and 95 percent said they would embrace Islamic influence over Egyptian politics. For America, sanctioning the democratic uprising in Egypt dramatically undermines its influence in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, almost immediately after Egyptians took to the streets last week, oil jumped to over $100 a barrel. It was the first time oil hit triple digits since the record spike to $147 two years ago. Investors were spooked at even the thought of a disruption in energy production and shipping. On Monday, we got a glimpse at one important reason why. A leading Muslim Brotherhood member said the Suez Canal should be immediately shut down. Control over the Suez is a lever of power that will be in Islamists hands if the Muslim Brotherhood ends up in power. It is one reason Europe is watching events in Egypt so intently. Every day, 2 to 3 million barrels of oil and fuel products pass through the canal and the Suez-Mediterranean Pipeline, which also traverses Egypt. That amounts to up to 2.5 percent of global oil production. According to Barclays, about two thirds of that energy is traveling north toward Europe. It accounts for 5 to 7 percent of Europe’s oil consumption. If these shipments are disrupted, Europe’s supply—and global prices—would be affected tremendously. Don’t expect Europe to stand by and do nothing.

Israel is also deeply concerned about the prospect of regime change in Egypt, the Jewish state’s most important ally in the Middle East. “The fading power of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak’s government leaves Israel in a state of strategic distress,” Israeli paper Haaretz wrote on January 29. “Without Mubarak, Israel is left with almost no friends in the Middle East; last year, Israel saw its alliance with Turkey collapse.” Once Egypt goes radical, as the Trumpet has been predicting for nearly two decades, Israel will be all alone—and desperate. This, as we have also noted many times, will result in Israel turning to the German-led European Union for help.

Demonstrations against the Mubarak regime benefit Iran more than any other nation. “To those who do not see the realities, I clarify that an Islamic Middle East is being created based on Islam, religion and democracy with prevailing religious principals,” said Iranian cleric Ayatollah Seyyed Ahmad Khatami, according to the government-controlled Islamic Republic News Agency. “I herewith proclaim to those (Western leaders) who still do not want to see the realities that the political axis of the new Middle East will soon be Islamic rulership and a democracy based on religion.” He has good reason to be jubilant. With Egypt on the edge of chaos, conditions are ripe for the Muslim Brotherhood, the country’s most popular party, to rise to power. Despite often being portrayed as a moderate political party, the Brotherhood is a notorious terrorist group bent on establishing sharia law in Egypt, and destroying the Jewish state and the United States. Iran has maintained informal ties with the group for years. Bible prophecy reveals that there will be an alliance between Iran and Egypt in the end time.

Jordanian King Abdullah ii fired his government and asked replacement Prime Minister Marouf Bakhit to form a new one on February 1 after three weeks of protests. Just as in Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is a powerful political force. The political wing of Jordan’s Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamic Action Front, had demanded the resignation of the government, the reform of Jordan’s election law and the formation of a new unity government with a prime minister not chosen by the king, which is customary, but by the people. The leader of the Islamic Action Front, Hamza Mansour, responded by saying, “We reject the new prime minister and we will continue our protests until our demands are met.” This does not mean, however, that mass protests are about to overthrow the Jordanian regime. The protests in Jordan are different to the ones in Egypt. Even Mansour says, “Unlike Egypt, we don’t want a regime change in Jordan and we recognize the Hashemites’ rule in Jordan.” Jordan’s government is more open and less authoritarian than Egypt’s. The Muslim Brotherhood is not outlawed in Jordan as it is in Egypt, and it has significant ties to the government. An even more important reason that Jordan will not fall to radical Islam is Bible prophecy. The same prophecy that says Egypt will be aligned with Iran also states that Jordan will not.

Europe

On January 27, China urged the European Union to lift the ban on selling weapons to China’s army in order to boost EU-China relations. The EU banned weapons technology sales to China in 1989 after Beijing’s violent crackdown on dissidents in Tiananmen Square. But with China’s investments helping to prop up several European states, a growing number of continental EU countries want to reconsider the embargo. Alexander Neill of the Royal United Services Institute said, “EU member states certainly feel pressured by China given the economic contagion which seems to be spreading through the EU at the moment. Many national leaders, I am sure, will think twice about how they engage the Chinese on investment, which is essentially bailing them out of elements of their economic doldrums.” Last month, an unnamed EU official told reporters that the nations opposed to the embargo had gathered enough momentum to kill the ban by the end of the year. But Britain, in spite of having accepted some Chinese investments, remains alongside the U.S. in commitment to the restriction and to a degree is isolating itself from Europe over the issue. Despite Britain’s concerns, in the short term EU-China relations will improve as the two sides work toward counterbalancing American dominance and replacing the U.S.-dominated global economic framework with a multipolar model. To understand more, read Trumpet columnist Robert Morley’s article “The Silk Superhighway” from our December 2010 issue.

The German state of Hesse banned civil servants from wearing the burka on February 2 and other states have signaled that they may follow suit as a backlash against Islam builds in Germany. “Civil servants may not be veiled, especially those who have contact with citizens,” said Hessian Interior Minister Boris Rhein. Hesse introduced the measure after an employee said that she would wear the burka after she returns from maternity leave. Rheign said that a headscarf is fine but the burka could be seen as “hostile to Western values.” Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Uwe Schünemann said that his state is considering a similar ban. “The burka has no place in the public service,” he said. “Lower Saxony is looking at the moment at some legal regulations both for employees and officials.” Bavaria’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann also welcomed Hesse’s ban. Expect more of this type of ban, as Germany—and other European states—responds to the incursion of radical Islam.

EU foreign ministers failed to draft a declaration condemning religious persecution this week as nations disagreed about whether or not to reference Christianity specifically in the text. The proposed declaration was rejected on January 31 as Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that the text showed an “excess of secularism.” He said, “The final text didn’t include any mention of Christians, as if we were talking of something else, so I asked the text to be withdrawn.” France, too, wanted specific minorities like Christians and Shiites to be mentioned, but Britain and several Nordic countries did not want references to specific religions lest they spark a “clash of civilizations.” The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (comece), a group that represents Catholic bishops in Europe, criticized the foreign ministers’ failure. “The agreement failed due to internal wrangling among the ministers over a specific reference to Christians being included as victims of religious persecution,” it wrote. “comece wonders about this wavering since public opinion in Europe has already become aware of the particular situation of Christians in the Middle East after the recent attacks on churches in Iraq and Egypt.” Expect Europe’s wavering to end soon, as its leaders wake up to the clash of civilizations that is already building.

Asia

China is poised to invest $10 billion in Zimbabwe in a bid to pump new life into the African nation’s ailing economy, a Zimbabwean government minister said on Monday. The news contributes to concerns about the nature of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s relationship with Beijing, whose human rights record has earned the ire of the West. But, despite Western concerns, Zimbabwe’s coalition government is united on the matter, insisting that China could jumpstart its economy. The amount of Beijing’s investment would tower above Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product, which is forecast to be around $6 billion this year. As China’s drive for resources has prodded it deeper into Africa, its investment in Zimbabwe has been steadily growing. China appears anxious to support dictatorial Mugabe and has refused to abide by the U.S.-led sanctions against his regime. China’s frenetic drive for resources is intensifying the global scramble for the planet’s wealth. As China devours a rapidly increasing proportion of resources, Europe is being provoked to tighten its grip on its own supply channels.

Taiwan was shocked by a new book written by an exiled Chinese academic that discusses a secret 2008 document detailing mainland China’s plan to invade Taiwan in 2012. The book, released in January, also uncovers Beijing’s role in bringing down Taiwan’s former President Chen Shui-bian. “After the Kuomintang candidate loses the 2012 election and before the new president takes office, we will launch the attack,” the document says. The heretofore secret document sets a deadline of 2012 for reunification of China and Taiwan, stipulating that it should be by force if necessary. “We must create the conditions and solve the problem early,” the document says. “The longer we leave it, the more difficult it will become. The Taiwan problem must be solved within the two terms of Comrade Hu Jintao and cannot go beyond 2012.” 2012 Taiwan Disaster was written by Yuan Hongbing, who now lives in exile in Australia. On December 4, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry forecast that Taiwan could return to China’s control before President Barack Obama’s first presidential term is over. China’s gentle approach toward Taiwan will likely continue until Taiwan is offered something similar to the status Hong Kong currently holds. If Taipei refuses China’s advances, Beijing will probably respond with threats of force, such as those reveled in Yuan’s new book.

Africa

The final results of South Sudan’s referendum on independence were announced on January 30. Almost 99 percent voted for separation, paving the way for the creation of a new country called “South Sudan.” But it will take a lot of work to make this impoverished country prosperous. To read about the only way this can happen, see our article “In Africa, a New Nation Struggles to Be Born.”

Nigeria saw more persecution of Christians this week. On January 28, in the city of Jos, a group of Muslims stabbed a couple of Christian students. The soldiers standing by did nothing. After students angrily demanded why the soldiers did not intervene, a soldier opened fire, injuring seven students. The next day, protests broke out. In the chaos, soldiers opened fire on a group of youths from a predominantly Christian community who were trying to protect the shops from looters. The soldiers claim they thought the youths were arsonists. This only fueled the conflict between Christians and Muslims, and led to Christian protestors targeting Muslim homes and work places. Then, the next day, a bomb was discovered, before it exploded, at a Methodist church. On the evening of February 1, a predominantly Christian village was attacked. In total, 19 people died. Watch for a confrontation to continue to build between Christianity and Islam.

Anglo-America

On Wednesday evening, a cyclone the size of Italy slammed into the state of Queensland, Australia, which was already flooded to the rooftops in some areas. Cyclone Yasi, an Australian Category 5 storm, brought sustained winds of up to 155 mph, with gusts peaking at 170 mph. Reuters estimated the storm would cause aus$3.5 billion in damage, which would make it the second-most damaging cyclone on record. Added to the damage caused by catastrophic spring floods, the total economic loss for Australia could amount to more than aus$20 billion, Impact Forecasting said.

States from New Mexico to Maine received heavy doses of ice or snow this week in a blizzard that affected tens of millions of people, knocking out power, covering roads with ice, and grounding thousands of airline flights. The storm dropped up to two feet of snow in some areas and stopped some from commuting to work. Chicago experienced its third-snowiest blizzard on record with 20 inches of snow and several more of debilitating ice.

Forbes magazine recently released a list of the most miserable cities in the United States. Four of the ignominious top five cities were located in sunny California. The magazine cited falling house prices, high unemployment, a giant budget deficit, high state taxes and high levels of crime as the reasons why it was no fun to live in the Golden State.

The week after a horrific “house of horrors” abortion clinic in Philadelphia made headlines—then was quickly silenced—a pair of videos are exposing the actions of employees at Planned Parenthood abortion clinics. They depict one clinic manager in New Jersey and another in Virginia dispensing advice about prostitution. The group that filmed the sting videos says the problem is institutional, and some are calling for the abortion services provided to be stripped of taxpayer funding.