German military leaders are preparing to take on a more active role in the fight against the Islamic State in the Middle East. This news emerges following the February 17–19 Munich Security Conference. Spiegel Online reported on February 20 that German diplomats and military officers left the conference feeling that some major challenges ahead of them go far beyond merely increasing the nation’s military budget. The feeling was that Germany must get ready to fire shots.

German generals expect future missions to include air strikes against the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and possibly an increased deployment of the Bundeswehr in Afghanistan. Spiegel Online quoted a German military general who attended the conference as saying, “[United States President Donald] Trump doesn’t only want more money from us but he also wants us to finally fire shots” (Trumpet translation throughout). Although former President Barack Obama had previously insisted on a more active nato involvement, the quoted general believes that the tone is sharper now and that Germany must prepare to pull the trigger.

These worries were likely sparked by conversations the German military officers had at the conference, as well as by speeches given by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Pence reinforced Trump’s demand for a stronger European commitment, saying, “Europe’s defense requires your commitment as much as ours.” Furthermore, he said that “the president of the United States expects our allies to keep their word to fulfill this commitment, and for most, that means the time has come to do more” (emphasis added).

German leaders know that these statements are aimed directly at them, since they have the greatest economic power in Europe but contribute less than the required minimum for collective defense.

In the future, that might mean if the United States expends military resources bombing the Islamic State in Syria, the militaries of Germany and Europe will have to join in. Secretary Mattis reinforced this point even further, saying that nato is experiencing multiple threats at multiple fronts and needs to adjust accordingly. He emphasized nato’s focus to the south, saying that the bloc needs to address “terrorist threats along nato’s southern flank, from the Mediterranean to Turkey’s border.” He pointed out that because threats to nato have changed dramatically, the member states’ commitments need to change dramatically as well.

The German Army is already strategically positioned to meet these challenges. In December 2015, Germany stationed six Tornado jets at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Since their deployment, the jets have taken high-resolution photos, providing intelligence to support the fight against the Islamic State. As the German government’s plans to establish military bases in Turkey were revealed, we said that this revealed Germany’s long-term plans in the region.

Spiegel Online pointed out that deploying armed Tornado jets at Incirlik would be a simple military feat, but politically it would be challenging to get such a deployment approved in the German Bundestag: Every German military mission since the end of World War ii is eyed critically. But with the pressure from President Trump, Germany is left with almost no choice but to leave its World War ii history behind and to start fighting again.

Although the Trump administration recognizes the great potential that lies within Germany’s capacity to lead military missions, it is blind to the danger of empowering Germany. Some believe that Germany will use its stronger military opportunity to support the American-led coalition; history shows that it does not work that way. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry posed the following questions in 2014 about Germany’s military rise:

What does Germany do when it gets a strong military? Do you dare read its history and see? Once that military is in place, it will be put to use! This world doesn’t comprehend that because it doesn’t understand history and Bible prophecy. We just have to look at the truth to understand what we’re dealing with. Everything is moving at lightning speed.

The Bible prophesies in Daniel 11 that Germany will take the lead in the Middle East conflict. Soon the world will see how Germany will use its military and the military of other European Union nations to achieve its own goals. Current trends are preparing Germany to play a much more active role in fighting the Islamic State. But Germany’s ultimate goals are far greater than merely destroying this relatively small enemy. To learn more about its secret strategy, read Mr. Flurry’s article “The Whirlwind Prophecy.”