The Week in Review
Middle East
Iran on threshold of nuclear capability: Iran has worked, with help from foreign experts, to design nuclear weapons and is likely still conducting secret research on the project, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said in a report released Tuesday. The report, produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency, said many facets of Iran’s secret weapons program went on past the 2003 date the United States had believed was when Tehran stopped all nuclear arms development. Among the findings that were of gravest concern to UN inspectors was the amount of uranium being enriched to 20 percent in facilities in the city of Qom. Uranium enriched to 3.5 percent is what is required for civilian energy purposes. Once it is enriched to 20 percent, the uranium can be used for medical purposes. It is a long and tedious process to go from 3.5 percent to 20 percent, but it is much easier to go from 20 percent up to 90 percent, which is the grade required for nuclear weapons. The true significance of a nuclear-armed Iran, wrote Courcy’s Intelligence Brief on November 9, lies not in the threat of a direct attack, but rather that “an Iranian nuclear deterrent would prevent Israel from using its own nuclear weapons to defeat an overwhelming conventional attack from its Arab neighbors. Israel came close to doing exactly this during the Yom Kippur War of 1973, and (as chief of staff Benny Gantz has admitted) Israel’s strategic environment could soon become worse than in 1973, with the possibility of Jordan, Hezbollah, the Palestinian territories, Turkey, and Iran all being added to Egypt and Syria in the balance against Israel.”
Pakistan’s nukes are getting more dangerous: The threat of nuclear war is high and rising, says an independent British think tank, the British American Security Information Council. “Nuclear weapons are present today in some of the most unstable and violence prone regions of the world, and in Northeast Asia, the Middle East and South Asia, there are serious conflict and proliferation concerns that suggest an increased potential for nuclear weapons use,” it wrote. One of the biggest concerns is the fastest-growing nuclear arsenal in the world: Pakistan. It is on course to become the world’s fourth-largest nuclear power, above France and the UK. Since the U.S. killed Osama bin Laden in May, Pakistan has become more concerned about keeping its weapons secure from the U.S. The Atlantic reports that “the Pakistani government is willing to make its nuclear weapons more vulnerable to theft by jihadists simply to hide them from the United States, the country that funds much of its military budget” (December).
Another earthquake in Turkey: An earthquake in the city of Van in eastern Turkey on Wednesday killed at least 10 people. The magnitude-5.7 quake follows the devastating magnitude-7.2 temblor on October 23 that hit the same area, killing more than 600 people and leaving thousands homeless. Jesus Christ prophesied that earthquakes would occur in different places in the end time (Matthew 24:7)—the time we are living in now.
Europe
The euro’s dramatic week: The interest rates on Italy’s 10-year government bonds rose past 7 percent, November 9. When the 10-year bonds of Greece, Portugal and Ireland exceeded this threshold they had to ask for a bailout. But the European Union currently has no way of bailing out Italy. Its fund is too small. If the interest rate doesn’t fall soon—which it hasn’t for any other eurozone nation—then the eurozone will have to make some big changes. Already, Germany is dictating the governments of eurozone nations. Over the last week, European elites have blackmailed Athens into foregoing a democratic election, establishing a unity government and then agreeing to pass into Greek law a series of harsh, transformative rules that were created in Brussels. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi dared to suggest that Italy might get on fine without the EU. He has been forced to announce that he will resign. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on November 9 that the solution to the problem “will mean more Europe, not less Europe.” She said, “It is time for a breakthrough to a new Europe. A community that says, regardless of what happens in the rest of the world, that it can never again change its ground rules, that community simply can’t survive.” Expect Germany to remake Europe the way it wants to.
France begins austerity measures: French Prime Minister Francois Fillon announced a new austerity package on Monday that will reduce spending by €65 billion over the next five years as France fights to keep its aaa rating. “We wish to protect the French against the grave problems facing other European countries,” said Fillon. “Bankruptcy is not an abstract word.” France must make these sacrifices to “avoid the day where policies are imposed upon us by others,” he said. This comes less than three months after France’s last announced austerity measures. Under the new measures, France will increase its retirement age from 60 to 62, increase the sales tax on books, public transport, restaurant meals and other items, reduce health-care spending, and temporarily increase corporation tax. France’s struggles to maintain its aaa rating prove an important point. Some commentators talk about Europe being led by a Franco-German axis. But that is not true. France does not have the resources to bail out impoverished nations. It could need a bailout itself soon. He who pays the piper calls the tune. France is not the one paying, so it isn’t calling the shots.
Germany: War is legitimate foreign policy: The German Council on Foreign Relations is opening up a debate in Germany via its leading periodical Internationale Politik on how Germany views its military. Its senior editor observes that postwar German society has difficulty “openly discussing power—which in the end includes military force” (No. 6/2011). In its current edition, the periodical quotes Germany’s defense minister, Thomas de Maizière, as declaring that “Military means are the ultimate and not merely the last means.” Commenting on the continuing reform measures of the Bundeswehr (initiated by his predecessor Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg), Maizière stated that “The question of the deployment of our armed forces will most likely be posed more often in the future,” with the Bundeswehr becoming “consistently oriented toward deployability and … a large range of capabilities” also involving “high-intensity combat missions.” In the same journal, Lt. Col. Christian Freuding (Ret.), a member of the German Defense Ministry’s planning staff, points to the Balkan wars as having “contribution to regional stabilization” by yielding a “strategic advantage” to Europe. This is a blatant admission that Germany had but one motive in destabilizing the Balkans when, with papal support, it initiated conflict in the region by the unilateral recognition of Slovenia and Croatia as separate nation-states. German-Foreign-Policy.com comments that the debate on Germany’s need for a new approach to militarism is really geared to achieving the will of Berlin elites as summed up by the current edition of Internationale Politik: “The culture of military restraint must give way to a culture of responsibility.” Being mindful of Germany’s history, German-Foreign-Policy.com observes that “culture of responsibility” means “nothing more than the readiness to willingly support a growing number of the Bundeswehr’s combat missions” (November 2).
Germany sees the need to downsize Europe: Germany is ready to push nations out of the eurozone, say analysts, after Germany and France threatened to kick Greece out last week. “Only a short while ago, any idea of a Greek exit from economic and monetary union (emu) was rejected by Eurocrats as entertained only in the ravings of madmen,” wrote David Marsh for the Wall Street Journal’s Market Watch. “Yet it suddenly became bitter reality after Athens Premier George Papandreou’s since-rescinded referendum call.” Now some experts think Germany will push Europe down this path. Jim O’Neill, chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, told the Sunday Telegraph: “The Germans want more fiscal unity and much tougher central observation—with the idea of a finance ministry.” The future of other nations in the eurozone is “actually questionable,” he said. “The Greeks have a choice: reforms within the eurozone or no reforms and leave,” German Economics Minister Philipp Rösler said. “There is no third way.” “The Greek government must at least understand that at some point our patience will end,” he said.
Asia
Russia opposes military action or sanctions against Iran: On Thursday, after the publication of a UN report confirmed longstanding suspicions by Western countries that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, Moscow spoke out against military strikes on Iran, saying such action would be a serious mistake with unpredictable consequences. The previous day, veto-wielding Russia said it would not support another set of sanctions against Iran and expressed anger over the UN’s publication of the report. Since the report provides strong evidence that Russia aided Iran in its nuclear program, Moscow’s defense of Tehran comes as no surprise. As Russia works to regain its former Soviet-era influence, it will become increasingly confrontational toward the West.
Asian security bloc calls for closer cooperation: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin hosted his counterparts from China and four other Asian nations on Monday for a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (sco), which is widely seen as a tool Beijing and Moscow use to challenge U.S. influence in the strategic Central Asia region. The 10-year-old sco connects China and Russia with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in a security bloc that Moscow and Beijing hope will develop into an entity unified enough to rival nato. At the summit Putin lashed out at “arrogant world powers,” accusing Western nations of hypocrisy for their support of revolutions in North African nations. Putin and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao called for major infrastructure investments to stimulate economic growth throughout the region. Members also discussed expanding the sco to include Pakistan and Iran, and Russia officially supported Pakistan’s bid to become a full member of the alliance. Wen said a top sco priority should be developing Central Asia’s transport and energy infrastructure, adding that nations should conduct bilateral transactions in their own currencies rather than the dollar. The time ahead will prove significant for the Asian bloc as it expands to include new member nations and becomes more unified. China and Russia are the regional behemoths driving the unification of the East; the sco may well be a vehicle they use to attain that goal.
Chinese manufacturers dupe U.S. military into using counterfeit parts: At a hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Carl Levin said China was the primary source of counterfeit parts which some of the largest defense contractors on the globe have been tricked into installing into U.S. military systems. The committee identified Boeing, L-3, Raytheon, and their suppliers as firms that had unknowingly used faulty components on equipment such as aircraft video displays, and helicopter night vision systems. “The failure of a single electronic part can leave a soldier, sailor, airman or marine vulnerable at the worst possible time. A flood of counterfeit electronic parts has made it a lot harder to have confidence that won’t happen,” Levin said at the hearing. “We are going to act. We cannot rely on the Chinese …. The Chinese say that they have an effort going on to act against counterfeits and it’s baloney.” When this news is added to reports of China’s cyberespionage, satellite developments, and warnings about the dollar, it is clear that China will undermine the U.S. from any direction it can.
China to make Nigeria major manufacturing zone: In an agreement forged Tuesday, Beijing pledged to transform Nigeria into a major manufacturing zone for some of China’s key industrial enterprises. Nigeria’s trade and investment minister stated during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart that making Nigeria a major manufacturing zone for most of China’s products would help to correct the current trade imbalance between the two countries. Expect both China and Europe to push for inroads into Africa as their need for raw materials increases.
Anglo-America
One in four babies at risk from their parents: One quarter of newborn babies in the UK are at risk of death or abuse due to parents with a history of domestic violence, mental health problems or substance addictions, according to a report published by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children on November 10. One hundred and forty-four thousand live with parents with mental health issues. Ninety-three thousand live with a problem drinker, and for 50,000, one of their parents took an illegal drug in the past year.
Young men suffer most as economy staggers: Few groups are being hit harder by the current recession in America than young men. The unemployment rate for males between 25 and 34 years old with high-school diplomas is 14.4 percent—over double the 6.1 percent figure that existed before the downturn started four years ago. The picture is even bleaker for men in their early 20s, with the unemployment rate being 22.4 percent for high-school graduates 20 to 24 years old. Such devastating statistics are eroding the economic independence of many young men and forcing them to move back in with their parents. According to the Census Bureau, the share of men ages 25 to 34 living with their parents jumped to 18.6 percent from 14.2 percent four years ago—the highest level since at least 1960. By breaking the laws God outlines in the Bible, the people of America have wrecked their economy and emasculated a generation of would-be-leaders.
Occupy Oakland protest turns violent: What began as peaceful demonstrations in Oakland last Wednesday ended with police in riot gear arresting dozens of protesters who had marched through downtown and broken into a vacant building, shattering windows, spraying graffiti and setting fires along the way. The same day, another group of about 3,000 protesters converged on the Port of Oakland, the nation’s fifth-busiest harbor, and forced port officials to cease maritime operations, citing concerns for workers’ safety. Smaller-scale demonstrations popped up in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and elsewhere in a show of support for the Oakland movement, which became a rallying point when an Iraq War veteran was seriously injured in a clash with police. The incident provides a glimpse of the kind of chaos that could quickly unfold as mass dissatisfaction and anger increase.
Biggest municipal bankruptcy yet: Alabama’s Jefferson County filed for bankruptcy court protection on Wednesday in the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. Officials for the county, which is home to economic powerhouse Birmingham, said the county was swamped with $3.14 billion in debt it simply cannot service. The bankruptcy will add to concerns by investors that the $3.7 trillion municipal debt market is more risky than appreciated. Last month, Harrisburg, the capital of Pennsylvania, filed for bankruptcy protection. As more cities and counties collapse under the weight of debt, pension obligations and a stagnant economy, pressure on the municipal debt market will rise—possibly forcing other municipalities into the red and creating conditions for a systematic domino-type collapse.
