1

THE TRUMPET WEEKLY THE TRUMPET WEEKLY

M A R C H 2 3 , 2 0 1 3
Obama in Israel 2
Cyprus: Russia and Germany cut deal 4
Orthodox: Returning to the Catholic fold 5
What does China want with Africa? 7
Another defense contractor in honey trap 10
BY BRAD MACDONALD
see CYPRUS page 12
G
ivm.vs svs1im.1ic subjugation of the eurozone
entered a critical new phase last Saturday with the
creation of a bailout package for Cyprus. Although
Germanys radical demand for a levy on Cypriot bank
accounts was rejected by Cypruss parliament last night, it
was too late to prevent catastrophic damage.
To Cyprus, and even the EU.
Cypruss banks have yet to open. When they do, the
chances of a major bank run are high. Meanwhile, when it
comes to Cypruss desperately needed :o billion bailout,
negotiations are back to square one. In fact, future ne-
gotiations with the EU will be tougher now that Cyprus
is showing itself to be intractable and uncompromising.
Yet, even as the geopolitical stand-o continues, Cyprus
is quickly moving toward nancial collapse. Te country
needs :o billion, and it needs it very, very soon.
Tis explains Germanys uncompromising response
to Cypruss rejection of the levy last night. Following the
announcement, Berlin basically told Cyprus that it can
kick and scream all it wants, but that will not change the
fact that its fate lies in the hands of Germany and the EU.
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schuble told Cyprus
that the EU will not compromise with the bailout condi-
tions, including the levy. He also reminded Cypriots, very
publicly (on German television), that the destiny of their
two largest banks sits in the EUs hands. Te Cypriot state
cannot fund itself on the markets. Its two largest banks are
insolvent and are being kept aoat with emergency fund-
ing from the icn, but only on the condition that there will
The Battle for Cyprus
A Cypriot man shouts slogans during a protest against an EU bailout deal
outside the parliament in the capital, Nicosia, on March 19.
MARCH 23, 2013
2
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
MIDDLE EAST
Holy Land Bishops
Write Obama
CATHOLIC WORLD NEWS | March 21
T
ui ,Us1ici and peace commission
of the Assembly of Catholic Or-
dinaries of the Holy Land has urged
President Barack Obama to remember
the plight of Palestinian Christians
during his trip to Israel.
Te letter, dated March :, was
released by the Latin Patriarchate of
Jerusalem on March :, the eve of the
presidents visit. In this year, the Pal-
estinian people are living for o years
under Israeli military occupation,
wrote Yusef Daher, the commissions
secretary. Te plight of the Palestin-
ian Christians is the same as that of
the Palestinian people as a whole, and
as a consequence everything that
aects the Palestinian people also af-
fects the Christians.
Te majority of the local Christian
population being part of the Arab
population in Israel, they are as such
subjected to an ongoing, hidden policy
of discrimination and are treated as
second-class citizens in the elds of
education, job opportunities, property
ownership, local municipal services,
he continued.
Every eort should be made to
preserve the Christian presence in
the Holy Land, and to have it our-
ish in the future so that hope is not
lost, he added. Te oppressive and
discriminatory policies by the Israeli
P
visiui1 On.m. took his rst-
ever visit to Israel this past week
against a backdrop of increasing
radicalism in the Arab world, a rise
in Islamist authoritarianism, growing
anti-Americanism among Muslims
and American retreat from the Middle
East. He went out of his way to soothe
Israelis and say a lot of nice things. However, his keynote
speechdelivered not before the Knesset but to a group of
handpicked university studentsgave the most telling mo-
ment in the trip: when he admonished the Jews to give the
Palestinians a state. And among the liberal intellectuals in
the crowd, he found glowing support.
Te Palestinian peoples right to self determination,
their right to justice, must also be recognized. Applause.
And put yourself in their shoes. Look at the world through
their eyes. It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow
up in a state of their own. Applause. Living their entire
lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the
movements not just of those young people, but their par-
ents, their grandparents, every single day. Its not just when
settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished.
Applause. Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland,
Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their home-
land. Applause.
His words characterized the Palestinians as yearning for
peace through negotiations with Israel, if only Israel would
cooperate. Tey ignore several pressing realities: that the
Palestinian children of which the president speaks are being
raised on virulent Jew hatred; that Arab leaders who sup-
port negotiations with Israel lose public support; that Arab
leaders, whatever they may say to the international press,
consistently speak to their own people in terms of war with
the Jews; that when Israel ended its occupation of Gaza,
that territory became a terrorist haven. Te crowds applause
signies stubborn adherence to beliefs long proven false.
Te president encouraged Israelis to push their lead-
ers for peace. Speaking as a politician, I can promise you
this: political leaders will not take risks if the people do not
demand that they do. You must create the change that you
want to see. But who will change the hearts of the Mus-
limsnot just those in Gaza and within Israelbut also in
Egypt and elsewhere in the surrounding countrieswho
want to eliminate the Jews:
Te presidents statements were founded on the old
beliefcontrary to all human experiencethat, deep
down, everyone wants peace. Speaking of the Muslims
who heard his speech in Cairo four years ago, he said,
theyre basically like you: Tey want the ability to make
their own decisions; to get an education and a good job;
to worship God in their own way; to get married and have
a family. Its remarkable to invoke Americas involve-
ment in Egypt as proof of the potential for peace. It was
with Egypt that Israel had enjoyed a peace pact that lasted
for three decades. But since President Obamas speech
there (to which he invited the Muslim Brotherhood)
and thanks in no small part to America pushing Hosni
Mubarak asideEgypt has shifed dramatically toward
radicalism, and that peace agreement is in tatters. Te new
Egyptian president has called the Jews blood suckers
descendants of apes and pigs.
President Obamas handpicked listeners were cheering
a fantasy. Te peace they hope for simply cannot come by
the means they wish for. Te way of peace they know not
(Isaiah ,:8).
Dont be distracted by the attractive visuals of this visit.
Te underlying realities were only reinforced. Negotiations
will not solve these problems. Te threat to Israels secu-
rity will increase. Te limits of American support will be
further exposed. And the need for another foreign advo-
cate will become ever more painfully clearan advocate to
which the Jews will look, mistakenly, for salvation.
Follow Joel Hilliker: Twitter
Obama in Israel
JOEL HILLIKER
Related: The Counterfeit Peacemaker
MARCH 23, 2013
3
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
government constitute a violation of
the protection of a religious minor-
ity which is specically underlined by
international law.
Russian Fleet
Abandons Tartus
DEBKAFILE | March 21
M
oscow issUiu a confused state-
ment Tursday, reecting for the
rst time Russian uncertainty about
the situation in Syria: Te escalating
conict in Syria and [doubts] about
the entry of Russian ships into the
port of Tartus forced us to search for
safer ports [for docking], and one of
them is Beirut. Tartus continues to
be the only ocial [facility] for Rus-
sian ships [in the Mediterranean].
Te statement went on to say: Once
events in Syria become more predict-
able, we will be able to [come to] a
position on continuing the use of
Tartus.
Syrians Trade Blame
Over Chemical Attack
AL JAZEERA | March 19
S
vvi.s covivmi1 and rebels
have traded accusations of a chemi-
cal attack on a northern village near
Aleppo. Te regime, whose allega-
tion was backed by ally Russia, said ,:
people were killed, including :: civil-
ians and :o soldiers.
Te accusations emerged only a few
hours afer the opposition to President
Bashar al Assad elected a prime minis-
ter to head an interim government
that would rule areas seized by rebel
forces from the regime.
State-run news agency s.. said
more than :oo have been wounded,
some of them in critical condition.
Syrian Information Minister Om-
ran al-Zoubi called it the rst act
of the newly announced opposition
interim government.
Rebels quickly denied the report
and accused regime forces of ring
the chemical weapon.
Ziad Haddad, a medic in Aleppo,
however, told Al Jazeera the victims
seemed to have been exposed to
organic pesticides and not chemical
weapons, like Sarin and VX nerve
agents. Several of them died of
respiratory inhibition, he said.
[T]he number of deaths is small
compared to those who would have
died had chemical weapons been
used.
Haddad said the casualties included
Syrian regime soldiers and pro-Assad
armed men.
Te regime is believed to possess
nerve agents as well as mustard gas.
It also possesses Scud missiles
capable of delivering them, and some
activists said Tuesdays attack was
with a Scud missile.
Te reported attack was in an area
just west of the city of Aleppo that had
seen erce ghting for weeks before
rebels took over a sprawling govern-
ment complex there last month. Te
facility included several military posts
W
uv is U.S. President Barack Obama coming to Israel
today: In :oo8, then President George W. Bush came
to celebrate Israels ooth Independence Day, and to reject
Israeli requests for assistance in destroying Irans nuclear
installations.
In :o, then President Bill Clinton came to Israel to
help then Prime Minister Shimon Peress electoral cam-
paign against Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu.
It is possible that Obama is coming here in order to
build up pro-Israel bonades. But why would he bother:
Obama won his reelection bid with the support of the
overwhelming majority of American Jews. Teir support
vindicated his hostility toward Israel in his rst term. He
has nothing to prove.
It is worth comparing Obamas visit to Israel at the start
of his second term of oce, with his visit to Cairo at the
outset of his rst term in oce.
Ahead of that trip, the new administration promised
that the visit, and particularly Obamas Address to the
Muslim World, would serve as a starting point for a new
U.S. policy in the Middle East. And Obama lived up to
expectations.
In speaking to the Muslim world, Obama signaled
that the U.S. now supported pan-Islamists at the expense of
U.S. allies and Arab nationalist leaders, rst and foremost
then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Moreover, in
castigating Israel for its so-called settlements, channeling
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad by intimating
that Israel exists because of the Holocaust, and failing to
travel from Cairo to Jerusalem, preferring instead to visit a
Nazi death camp in Germany, Obama signaled that he was
downgrading U.S. ties with the Jewish state.
In sharp contrast to the high expectations the Obama
White House cultivated in pre-Cairo-visit statements
and leaks, Obama and his advisers have downplayed the
importance of his visit to Israel, signaling there will be no
signicant changes in Obamas policies toward Israel or the
wider Middle East.
For instance, in his interview with Israel televisions
Channel : last week, on issue afer issue, Obama made clear
that there will be no departure from his rst terms poli-
cies. He will continue to speak rmly and do nothing to
prevent Iran from developing the means to produce nuclear
weapons.
As for the Palestinians, Obama repeated his erce op-
position to Jewish communities beyond the : armistice
lines, and his insistence that Israel must get over its justi-
ed fears regarding Palestinian intentions and withdraw
from Judea and Samaria, for its own good.
Given that all of these are positions he has held through-
out his presidency, the mystery surrounding his decision to
come to Israel only grows. He didnt need to come to Israel
to rehash policies we already know.
Obamas Mysterious Visit
Caroline Glick, JERUSALEM POST | March 20
MARCH 23, 2013
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THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
and a police academy that Assads
forces have turned into a military base
that regularly res shells at nearby
villages.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Iran tests, Gaza fires
Iran successfully tested two types of
short-range missiles in military opera-
tions on March , while its ground
forces staged the three-day drill in
the countrys southwestern province
of Khuzestan. Te two types of mis-
sile tested were the Fajr-, and the
Nazreat-:o. Te Fajr-, made headlines
around the world when a number were
launched in the missile barrage from
Gaza into Israel in November. Hamas
forces based in Gaza readily admit
they get weapons from Iran. While the
radius of the Fajr-, is approximately
, miles, the Nazeat-:o can reach
up to o: miles. What happens if the
technology for the Nazeat-:o, or the
missiles themselves, makes its way to
Gaza: Will Hamas show restraint in
using the longer range weapons: In
late :oo8, Israel undertook Operation
Cast Lead with the intent of stemming
the attacks, but Hamas came back
more powerful than ever in :o:: with
the use of rockets such as the Fajr-,.
Israels response, Operation Pillar of
Defense in late :o::, once again failed
to destroy them. What will happen in
the next round: If Hamas follows its
current trend, it will only get stron-
ger. Watch Iran and its allies as they
test weapons and ex their military
muscle. What is developed and tested
in Iran invariably nds its way to the
Gaza Strip. Watch as the Persians push
further to promote their agenda in the
Middle East and abroad.
EUROPE
S
omi1imis . non-mainstream
observer of the world scene comes
up with real food for thought. Such
was the case this week when British
blogger Alexander Boot reected on
the actions of Russia and Germany in
regard to the Cyprus situation.
Boot asks an obvious question,
Te question is why the ECB and IMF,
which is to say Germany, made this raid a precondition
for the bailout of Cyprus: Afer all, they were more lenient
when bailing out Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain. Why
single out Cyprus for rough treatment: (March :).
Attending to his own question, Boot retorts, Te an-
swer is obvious: Cyprus is a oating refuge and laundromat
for dirty Russian money.
But he then goes on to address the larger strategic ques-
tion of why Russia is so enmeshed with Cyprus: But its
more than just about exerting inuence on Cypriot poli-
ticspotentially the Russians hope to gain the elusive prize
theyve been pursuing since the late :oth century: a foot-
hold on the Mediterranean.
Boot then makes an intriguing observation: Te Ger-
man raid on Russian money in Cyprus (to call a spade a
spade) is ostensibly perceived in Russia as a direct attack.
Putin immediately described it as unfair, unprofessional
and dangerous, but one can almost see his eyes light up.
For, unlike the previous German attack [World War II],
this one can conceivably turn Russia into a Mediterranean
power. Gazprom, the worlds biggest producer of natural
gas, has already oered to restructure Cypruss debt in
exchange for exclusive exploration rights on the island. Te
Russians are also prepared to underwrite the whole bailout
for the right to use a naval base on the island.
So where are these latest Russo-German shenanigans
over the Mediterranean leading:
Boot maintains that Its highly unlikely though that the
Germans didnt consider the Russian angle before launch-
ing their conscatory raid. Yet they pressed ahead, which
raises all sorts of possibilities.
Could it be that yet another deal between Germany and
Russia has been struck? Afer all, historically the two coun-
tries have demonstrated their ability to conclude secret
treaties whose ramications become known only decades
later. [T]he propensity for underhand, backstage dealing
in both the EU and Russia leaves much room for educated
guesses (emphasis added).
Five years ago, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in-
dicated that behind closed doors, Russia and Germany may
well have already made a pact.
Whether that pact included a deal that would give Rus-
sia access to Mediterranean ports is unknown. Perhaps the
ink is not yet dry on that score. Either way, as our editor in
chief has declared, Germany, now holding the whip hand
over the strategic island nation of Cyprus, will not yield its
ground. But that does not discount a friendly, though tem-
porary, deal between Russia and Germany over bailing out
Cyprus banks in exchange for free, though again tempo-
rary, access to its port facilities. Such a deal would have to
at least be seen to work in the short-term strategic interests
of both nations. A tradeo on access to energy resources
could be the catalyst.
Keep watching Cyprus for the outcome of the grand
game of control of Europes sof underbelly, as Winston
Churchill called it, the highly strategic Mediterranean Sea.
Follow Ron Fraser: Twitter
Cyprusthe Russian Angle
RON FRASER
MARCH 23, 2013
5
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Pope Francis Quiet on
Sex Abuse
WASHINGTON POST | March 18
F
.1uiv JUiio Cesar Grassi was
a celebrity in the Archdiocese of
Buenos Aires. Te young, dynamic,
media-savvy priest networked with
wealthy Argentines to fund an array of
schools, orphanages and job-training
programs for poor and abandoned
youths, winning praise from Argen-
tine politicians and his superior, Arch-
bishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
Grassi called his foundation Felices
los Nios, Happy Children.
Today, Grassi is a convicted sex of-
fender who remains free on a condi-
tional release afer being sentenced to
:, years in prison in :oo for molest-
ing a prepubescent boy in his care.
Yet in the years afer Grassis
conviction, Bergoglionow Pope
Francishas declined to meet with
the victim of the priests crimes or the
victims of other predations by clergy
under his leadership. He did not oer
personal apologies or nancial restitu-
tion, even in cases in which the crimes
were denounced by other members of
the church and the oending priests
were sent to jail.
Since he was elected to the papacy
Wednesday, media attention has
focused primarily on Bergoglios ac-
tions during the Dirty War years of
Argentinas military dictatorship. But
at a time when the Vatican is facing a
costly legal and moral crisis on several
continents over sex crimes committed
by its priests, Bergoglios handling of
pedophilic clergy under his authority
oers insight into how he might ap-
proach the scandals.
[D]uring most of the : years that
Bergoglio served as archbishop of
Buenos Aires, rights advocates say,
he did not take decisive action to
protect children or act swifly when
molestation charges surfaced; nor did
he extend apologies to the victims of
abusive priests afer their misconduct
came to light.
He has been totally silent, said
Ernesto Moreau, a member of Ar-
gentinas UN-aliated Permanent
Assembly for Human Rights and a
lawyer who has represented victims
in a clergy sexual-abuse case. Victims
asked to meet with Bergoglio but
were turned down, Moreau said. In
that regard, Bergoglio was no dier-
ent from most of the other bishops in
Argentina, or the Vatican itself.
Te case of Grassi has been par-
ticularly troublesome to childrens
advocates here because Bergoglio was
widely viewed as close to the young
priest, who told reporters before his
conviction that he spoke with Ber-
goglio ofen and that the archbishop
never let go of my hand.
Grassi was not expelled from the
priesthood afer the guilty verdict. In-
stead, church ocials led by Bergoglio
commissioned a lengthy private report
arguing that Grassi was innocent.
Te report was submitted as part
of the priests legal appeal, which is
pending, and prosecutors say the
document has helped Grassi avoid jail
time so far. A court has granted him
a provisional release that allows him
to continue residing across the street
from the classroom and dormitories of
Happy Children.
Tere were three accusers in the
trialgiven the names Ezequiel,
Gabriel and Luis to protect their
T
ui is1.ii.1io of Pope Francis i on March : will
serve as one more step toward healing the breach be-
tween Catholics and Orthodox Christians. Te ecumenical
patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew i, the spiritual
leader of the worlds Orthodox Christians, will attend the
service. It will be the rst time the spiritual leader of the
Eastern Orthodox Church has attended the inauguration
mass for a pope in almost :,ooo years.
Te last time such a meeting occurred was before :o,
the year that the Great Schism took place. Te Great Schism
saw the dividing of the Catholic Church into east and west.
Te western branch was situated in Rome and held the
name of the Roman Catholic Church. Te eastern church
had its headquarters in Constantinople. Constantinople is
now known as Istanbul, the former capital of Turkey.
Te attendance of Bartholomew i reects the progres-
sive steps toward unication that have been achieved
under Pope Franciss predecessor, Pope Benedict xvi.
However, it was Pope John Paul ii who was the rst pope
to travel to an Eastern Orthodox country since the days of
the Great Schism. He began traveling to other Orthodox
nations such as Ukraine, and opened more dialogue with
the Orthodox community. His actions laid the foundation
for Pope Benedict.
During the reign of Pope John Paul ii, the Trumpet stat-
ed that, Although Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholi-
cism still seek to negotiate a middle ground for agreement,
this pope is pulling out all stops to lay the groundwork for
roping the wayward eastern wing of the church back into
its fold (July :).
It would appear that Pope Francis is uniquely suited to
follow in the footsteps of John Paul ii and Benedict.
Francis is familiar with Orthodox traditions from :
years of heading the Argentine churchs commission on
Eastern Rite Christians, which is within the Catholic fold
but follows Orthodox religious customs, including some
married clergy in lower ranks.
Te Trumpet has long proclaimed the prophesied reuni-
cation of the Catholic Church with the Orthodox (Isa-
iah,:8). Watch as the newly elected Pope Francis follows
in the path of his predecessors, alive and dead, as he works
toward a unied church. Read Returning to the Fold to
understand how the Catholic Church is working to unite
Christians under the pope.
Orthodox Leader Comes to Rome
CALLUM WOOD | March 19
MARCH 23, 2013
6
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
identitieswho ranged from ages to
:, at the time of the abuse, according
to prosecutor Juan Pablo Gallego.
One of Argentinas best-known ad-
vocates for child-abuse victims, Sister
Martha Pelloni, said she was called in
several times to consult with psy-
chologists who treated Grassis alleged
victims. She said the meetings lef
her with no doubt that the priest was
guilty, despite the church-commis-
sioned report attempting to exonerate
him. He was eventually convicted on
the charges made by one of the boys.
A lot of Catholics have wanted to pro-
tect and defend him, she said. But
the abuses were real.
Religious-aairs scholar Fortunato
Mallimaci, a sociologist at the Uni-
versity of Buenos Aires, said that as
Pope Francis, Bergoglio will face an
entirely dierent set of expectations
for how to handle abuse claims. In
the United States and Europe, there is
a clear separation of church and state,
he said. Not in Latin America. Tere,
he said, civil society is ofen too weak
to take on the power of the clergy, and
suspicion falls rst on the accuser,
not the accused.
Delicate Diplomacy:
Pope Meets Argentine
President
YAHOO NEWS | March 18
P
ovi Fv.ciss diplomatic skills
were put to the test Monday during
his inaugural audience with a visit-
ing head of state as he met with his
political nemesis, Argentine President
Cristina Fernandez [de Kirchner], and
was asked to intervene in the dispute
with Britain over the Falkland Islands.
It was a baptism by re, given that
the former Archbishop of Buenos
Aires has been on record as saying
Britain usurped the remote islands
from Argentina and last year paid
homage to the Argentines who were
killed trying to reclaim what is theirs
for the fatherland.
Tere was no indication that Fran-
cis, now pope, would take up the re-
quest from Fernandez, with whom he
has clashed for years over her populist
policies on gay marriage and other
hot-button issues like birth control
that will soon confront Francis on a
global scale as leader of the worlds :.:
billion Catholics.
Te British Foreign Oce, however,
made clear it didnt expect any Vati-
can intervention in the dispute.
T
ui cvisis in Cyprus has taken a nasty turn, but it will
not wreck the euro. Chancellor Angela Merkel will
simply not allow it to happen. For Germany the euro is the
goose that lays golden eggs. It has allowed Germany to ac-
cumulate more than : trillion in trade surplus with other
EU countries in a little more than a decade. Germany will
not let the golden goose die.
Te European sovereign debt crisis has fundamentally
changed Europes geopolitical map. Instead of Europe be-
ing divided into West and East as it was during the Cold
War, the Continent has become divided into a relatively
prosperous North and a chaotic South. Instead of Europe
being led by France and Germany with Britain playing a
balancing act, leadership has fallen squarely on Germanys
shoulders. It is no longer about a more European Germany.
It is about [a] more German Europe.
Germany is calling the shots when it comes to the future
governance of the eurozone. It is also calling the shots with
regard to the Cypriot problem. If [Merkel] thinks that a
Cypriot exit will damage the euros reputation, she will not
let it happen. Te euro is simply too valuable for Germany
to be risked.
Two economists, Jorge Braga de Macedo and Urho Lem-
pinen, have shown that between : and :o:: Germany
accrued a cumulative trade surplus with the rest of the
European Union of more than : trillion. Since the euro-
zone makes up about ,, percent of the European Union,
the German trade surplus with the rest of the eurozone was
about ,,o billion during this time period. Tis was by far
the biggest trade surplus within the eurozone.
Tere are two conclusions to be drawn. First, Germany
is more dependent on the European market than it is on
the rest of the world. Second, Germany can compete with
other members of the eurozone better than it can compete
with the rest of the world.
Geopolitics is not a concept that is ofen associated with
the European Union. But it is a concept that is irrevocably
linked with Germanys history and its future. In the rst
part of the :oth century the countrys big geopolitical idea
was Lebensraum, or living space. Te idea fueled German
expansionism in the :,os and led in part to the outbreak
of World War ii. Te next grand geopolitical idea was
German reunication within the framework of the Europe-
an Union. Chancellor Helmut Kohl realized that Germany
could become united only as long as it pledged allegiance
to an ever more integrated European Union.
Today it is a dierent Europe: Germany may be rst
among equals, but it is still committed to the European
Union.
Cyprus is playing a geopolitical game of its own. Cy-
prus, by turning to Moscow, is forcing the European Union
to think hard about increased Russian inuence within the
Unions borders.
Merkel has staked her political future on the idea that
Germanys interests are best served by the present constel-
lation of the eurozone. If she is right, she will be considered
one of the great postwar German leaders, together with
Adenauer and Helmut Kohl. If she is wrong, all of Europe
will suer. She will not let a small island nation ruin her
geopolitical vision for Germany and Europe.
Germany Calls the Shots
NEW YORK TIMES | March 21
Related: Worlds Greatest Danger: Germany Domineers Over
Europe Again!
MARCH 23, 2013
7
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
Te Holy See is clear that it consid-
ers the question of the Falkland Islands
as a bilateral one between sovereign
nations, and that it does not have a role
to play. We do not expect that position
to change, it said in a statement.
In asking Francis to intervene,
Fernandez said she recalled how Pope
John Paul ii averted war in :,8 be-
tween Argentina and Chile over three
tiny islands in the Beagle Channel at
the southern tip of South America.
On Monday, Fernandez gave
Francis a picture of a marble monu-
ment honoring the ,oth anniversary
of John Paul iis negotiations, and
then used the opportunity to bring
up the issue of sovereignty over the
Falklands.
TW
I N B R I E F
n European Central Bank to
destroy Cypriot banks Tuesday
Te European Central Bank (icn)
has warned it will no longer lend
money to Cypruss larger banks afer
March :,, unless the nation agrees
to a bailout deal with the European
Union. Its statement piles the pres-
sure on Cyprus, giving it just days
to meet the EUs conditions, or nd
money elsewhere. If the icn stops
lending to Cyprus, the countrys
main banks will collapse, and the na-
tion will be lef with a bill of several
billion dollars. Events in Cyprus are
part of a process that will revolution-
ize Europe. For more information on
whats going on in Cyprus, see our
article How Germany Ambushed
Cyprus.
W
ui Pvisiui1 Xi Jinping goes to South Africa he
will naturally assure Africans of Chinas continued
friendship . But he could also inaugurate a strikingly
new and more favorable economic relationship with Africa
that reects Africas paramount needs.
China will long continue to desire the oil and gas that
sub-Saharan African countries have to sell, and Africas
copper, cobalt, iron ore, ferrochrome, coltan, timber, and
much more.
Africans in many of the sub-Saharan African coun-
tries know that their recent bubble of prosperity builds on
Chinas own regular rapid economic resurgence.
But most Africans interact with Chinese more fre-
quently on construction projects. One third of all of the
construction in Africa is in Chinese hands. Indeed, ,,
percent of all Chinese investment in Africa goes into infra-
structure. Tat amounts to at least s,o billion being spent
on the revamping of roads in Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia,
Nigeria, and on and on; on refurbishing major railways in
Tanzania, Nigeria, Gabon, and many other places; on new
bridges in many countries; on harbors in places such as
Angola and Ghana; and on massive hydroelectric supply-
ing dams across major rivers in Ethiopia, the Sudan, the
Democratic Republic of Congo, and Zambia; on coal-red
power plant installations in Botswana, on the new African
Union agship headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; on
the Sudans pipeline; on new space-age communications
facilities for the Congo and Nigeria; on a military training
college in Zimbabwe; and on stadiums for football (soccer)
and political rallies almost everywhere. Te list is endless
and impressive.
Tis is all to Africas good and to Chinas benet. But
the striking disparity in the relationship is that Chinese
enterprises and construction operations in Africa employ
many fewer Africans in unskilled laboring positions than
they obviously could. Earlier investors and colonial over-
lords never dirtied their own hands, giving jobs and trans-
ferring at least some skills to Africans. China is notorious
for doing far less than it might, and for transferring very
few technological or other skills to Africa. China regularly
imports labor from China to perform work that Africans
might, and that its peoples and its trade unions are ready to
supply. Meanwhile, millions of Chinese are in Africa con-
structing, trading, investing, farming, and so on. Chinese
soldiers guard pipelines and train pilots to y Chinese jets.
Formal unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa now aver-
ages o percent or more. In some countries, such as Zim-
babwe, unemployment rates range upwards to 8o percent.
Even in relatively wealthy South Africa, there are massive
numbers of Africans without work. And in Zambia, where
there are substantial Chinese-run mining enterprises, for-
mal wage unemployment levels are about o percent.
When President Xi Jinping sits down with African lead-
ers he could gain much favor by promising to end the em-
ploy Chinese preference. Helping resolve Africas real
job-shortage crisis in this way would greatly boost Chinas
global and African standing.
Africa: China Takes the Resources
REAL CLEAR WORLD | March 21
Related: The Battleground
AFRICA/LATIN AMERICA
Cypriots try to get as much out of their bank
accounts as they can before eurozone levies
take effect.
BARBARA LABORDE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
MARCH 23, 2013
8
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
ANGLO-AMERICA
48 Percent of First
Children Born to
Unwed Mothers
CNS NEWS | March 21
C
.iiic i1 Te Great Crossover,
a report by academics and social
activists shows that for the rst time
in history the median age of American
women having babies is lower than the
median age of marriage:,., and :o.,,
respectively.
Tese dramatic changes in child-
bearing, the report states, results in
dramatic statistics about American
children. Among them, 8 percent
of rst births are by unwed moth-
ers, and by age ,o two thirds of
American women have had a child,
typically out of wedlock.
Kay Hymowitz, an author of the
report and a William E. Simon fellow
at the Manhattan Institute, said at an
event to release the report on Wednes-
day at the Brookings Institution, that
it reects how the view of what mar-
riage is about has changed. Tis in-
cludes young adults who say marriage
and children are two separate things,
Hymowitz said.
Culturally, young adults have
increasingly come to see marriage
as a capstone rather than a corner-
stonethat is, something they do
afer they have all their ducks in a row,
rather than a foundation for launching
into adulthood and parenthood, the
report states.
Te report cites two reasons
middle-class American men having
diculty nding stable employment
that allows them to support a family,
and a less-understood reason about
the disconnect between marriage and
childbearing.
Te troubling new trend, the
report states, is Te Great Crossover
where delayed marriage does not nec-
essarily mean delayed motherhood.
Te report also examines why
the private decision to become a par-
ent ahead of a marriage commitment
when done by such a large portion of
the populationhas consequences for
society at large.
Researchers now view family
instability as one of the greatest risks
to childrens wellbeing, the report
states. Yet unmarried adults, includ-
ing single :o-somethings who make
up about half of unmarried parents,
ASIA
EAST
To learn more about Chinas future and
how it is related to the future of other
Asian nations, request our free booklet
Russia and China in Prophecy. This
free booklet will open your eyes to the
biblical identity of the Eastern nations
and reveal what is ahead for them in the
future. To order, visit theTrumpet.com.
KINGS
OF THE
TW
I N B R I E F
n Chinas new leader visits
Moscow first
On Friday, Chinese president Xi
Jinping conrmed the importance of
Beijings warming ties with Russia by
visiting Moscow for his rst foreign
trip as president, and calling Vladimir
Putin a good friend. Te visit sig-
naled to the United States that Russia,
the worlds largest energy producer,
and China, the worlds thirstiest energy
consumer, want to boost their col-
lective power as a geopolitical and
nancial counterweight to Washington.
Mr. Putin has long worked to dimin-
ish Americas international power, and
China is contending with the U.S.s
expanded military and economic
presence in its backyard. Moscow and
Beijing have joined forces three times
to thwart Western-backed measures in
the Syrian war, and Russia has loyally
backed Chinas support of North Korea.
I am certain your visit will give
Russian-Chinese ties a new and power-
ful impulse, Putin said during the trip.
Xi replied, saying, [Y]ou and I always
treat each other with an open soul.
We always speak in a good manner.
You and I are good friends. Watch for
Russia and Chinas lockstep movement
across the global stage to continue, and
for it to give European nations more
impetus to rally behind Germany.
n North Korea threatens to strike
U.S. bases in Okinawa, Guam
North Korea threatened on Turs-
day to attack American airbases in
Okinawa and Guam as it issued an air
raid alert and commanded its mili-
tary to stand prepared.The United
States is advised not to forget that
our precision target tools have within
their range the Anderson Air Force
base on Guam where the B-32 takes
off, as well as the Japanese mainland
where nuclear powered submarines
are deployed and the navy bases
on Okinawa, the North Korean
command spokesman was quoted as
saying the countrys state-run news
agency. Earlier this month, Pyongyang
threatened nuclear war with the U.S.
and South Korea afer the two nations
began joint military drills on the Ko-
rean Peninsula. North Korea also nul-
lied the :,, armistice that ended the
Korean War. If North Korea does start
a war or commit other isolated acts of
aggression, and if America does noth-
ing, it may signal to Iran, Russia and
other enemies of the West that they
too can get away with aggression.
MARCH 23, 2013
9
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
are by denition unsettled. Further,
the report states: Most researchers
agree that on average, whether because
of instability or absent fathers or both,
children of unmarried mothers have
poorer outcomes than children grow-
ing up with their married parents.
Three-Parent Babies
TELEGRAPH | March 20
B
vi1.i is on course to become
the rst country in the world to
legalize the creation of ivv babies with
three biological parents afer the
fertility watchdog announced that the
public is in favor of the controversial
technology.
A major consultation found that
a majority of people would back the
therapy, under which a small part of a
mothers genetic material is swapped
with that of a healthy donor to elimi-
nate the risk of passing on a host of
hereditary diseases to her child.
Te Human Fertilization and
Embryology Authority (uvi.) has
advised the government that there
is general support for the treatment
and there is no scientic evidence to
suggest it is unsafe.
Although many people registered
ethical concerns about the process,
most of those who responded to the
consultation said it was justied if fur-
ther tests prove the technique is safe
and can eliminate the risk of genetic
conditions like muscular dystrophy.
Te Department of Health, which
ordered the consultation last year,
must now decide whether to make
Britain the rst country in the world
to permit the treatment, paving the
way for its use in clinics.
Dr. David King, director of Hu-
man Genetics Alert, said: Historians
of the future will point to this as the
moment when technocrats crossed
the crucial line, the decision that led
inexorably to the disaster of geneti-
cally engineered babies and consumer
eugenics.

Obamacare
YAHOO NEWS | March 22
J
Us1 iixi a typical three-year-old, the
Aordable Care Act (a.k.a. Obam-
acare) is undergoing a period of rapid
growth and development. For those who
still cling to the nostalgic notion that
D
.vs .v1iv the installation of the latest Bishop of Rome,
Canterbury yesterday enthroned its own new Archbish-
op in a service whose vaulting ceremonial accommodated
bongo drums, a Punjabi melodyand suppressed giggles
from the Duchess of Cornwall.
It was a quintessentially Anglican do with wedding hats,
thunder rolls of organ and splodges of political correctness.
Enter processions with crucifers and taperers, lay clerks,
sheris, the ceremonarius, a whole arsenal of canons. Tere
were various virgers, vesturers aplenty, and a dean as damp
and kindly as Sergeant Wilson from Dads Army.
David Cameron and (atheist) Edward Miliband sat
beside one other. Speaker Bercow had brought along his
pretty young trainbearer. Cabinet minister Chris Grayling
was there in his guise and garb as Lord Chancellor, looking
a bit like third herald in the Christmas panto at Canter-
burys Marlowe Teatre.
We also had African dancers. It was they who set o Ca-
milla, sitting beside the Prince of Wales. Te African chaps
came jiving past in the middle of the service, twirling, yoo-
be-dooing, their knees bouncing as high as blokes walking
on a hot beach. Yeowww, bro, that sand is hot!
Who can blame Camilla: Her lips did a crumple, the
shoulders started to shake and if she had been drinking
soup she might have done the nose trick.
Te :o,th Archbishop, Justin Welby, wanted this to be
known as his inaugural service but enthronement was
indisputably the word when he sat in the ancient cathedra
Augustinithe physical, marble Chair of Augustine, which
may date to the oth century.
A secularist media, gay marriage, female bishops, Chris-
tian persecution: this is a [huge] burden he is undertaking.
Te Archdeacon of Canterbury, Sheila Watson, inducted
him by divine providence into the possession of the Arch-
bishopric of Canterbury. Lovely deep voice. Sir Donald
Sinden could not have done it better.
Te new Archbishop of Canterbury used his enthrone-
ment to confront the Church of Englands two greatest con-
troversieswomen bishops and gay rights.
Te Most Rev. Justin Welby chose a senior women cleric
to preside over one of the symbolic moments of the ser-
vice, his installation on the diocesan throne. Te Vener-
able Sheila Watson, Archdeacon of Canterbury, is the rst
woman granted the honor, and her involvement underlines
the new archbishops determination to persuade his war-
ring ock to accept women bishops.
Dr. Welby also gave an interview in which he stressed
his view that sex should take place only in a marriage
between a man and a womanbut oered an olive branch
by praising some gay relationships and stating that the
church is challenged to respond to them. Te
Church of England holds very rmly, and continues to
hold to the view, that marriage is a lifelong union of one
man to one woman, he said. But he added: You see gay
relationships that are just stunning in the quality of the
relationship.
Britains New Modern Archbishop
DAILY MAIL | March 21
Related: Roman Catholic Churchgoers Overtake Anglicans in
Britain
Related: Killing Off America
MARCH 23, 2013
10
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
once legislation is passed and signed
the lawmaking stops, think again. Te
single largest piece of regulation ever
passed has grown to more than :o,ooo
pages and stands , feet tall, in the three
years since the president signed it into
law on March :,, :o:o.
Some of the mandates, such as
covering preexisting conditions in
kids under : years old, took eect
immediately, while many others
continue to be phased in, with the
most pronounced changes set to come
at the start of :o:. As that day fast
approaches, the ow of anecdotes and
concerns seems to be mounting.
Just today, the Wall Street Journal
is reporting that insurers are fore-
casting premium increases of up to
,o percent for some families, while
Investors Business Daily compiled
a list of :oDisturbing Facts About
Obamacare, most of which have to
do with unforeseen costs, while all of
them point to the simple fact that this
monstrous law is still one great big
pile of unknowns.
Were nowhere near the imple-
mentation of the Aordable Care Act,
says Paul Keckley, Executive Direc-
tor of the Deloitte Center for Health
Solutions . Putting aside price and
the many other practical questions
that surround the law for a moment,
Keckley says the creation of state-run
insurance exchanges and the expan-
sion of medicaid are the two major
logistical obstacles that still need to
be cleared. States have to make a
calculated bet as to whether, in the
long-term, expansion of medicaid is a
good thing or a bad thing.
With just nine months until full
implementation, a lot is still un-
known. Even nationally renowned ex-
perts such as Keckley concede theres
a high degree of mystery that shrouds
this ever-growing body of law. We
consider the law to be a work in prog-
ress, Keckley says. We know that it
will increase access (by :-,: million
people), but we dont know if it will
reduce costs simultaneously. Tats
the big bet.
Defense Contractor
Leaks Nuclear Secrets
ABC NEWS | March 19
A
uivisi contractor and former
U.S. Army ocer has been charged
with communicating national defense
secrets to a :,-year-old Chinese na-
tional with whom he had a romantic
relationship.
According to a criminal complaint
unsealed in federal court Monday in
Hawaii, Benjamin Pierce Bishop, ,,
who held a top-secret clearance, trans-
mitted national defense information
regarding existing war plans, informa-
tion regarding nuclear weapons, and
relations with international partners,
to an e-mail address known to be used
by the woman referred to as Person :.
Bishop met the woman during a
conference on international military
defense issues and according to the
complaint, she may have been at the
conference in order to target indi-
viduals such as Bishop, who work
T
uis wiix nancial analysts, economists, politicians and
bank depositors from around the world were outraged
that European leaders, more specically the Germans, cur-
rently calling many of the shots in Brussels and Frankfurt,
could be so politically reckless, economically ignorant,
and emotionally callous as to violate the sanctity of bank
deposits in order to fund a bailout of Cyprus.
Te decision to inict pain on both large and small
depositors was almost universally described as a historic
blunder. But the mistake was to do so in a manner that
was not camouaged by nancial smoke and mirrors. In
truth, rank and le depositors have been paying, and will
continue to pay, for all manner of bailouts and stimulus.
Whether its through lower interest payments on deposits,
ination, higher taxes, higher borrowing costs, or the ac-
cumulation of unsustainable sovereign debt, Cypriots will
bear the burden of past proigacy.
But the new plan for Cyprus was far too transparent,
simple, and direct to survive in a world dependent on de-
ceit and obfuscation. It was dead on arrival.
All over the world, most notably in the United States,
Britain and Japan, central bankers are actively pursuing
ination targets of two to three percent. But isnt ination,
which allows governments to pay o debt through the cre-
ation of new money that transfers purchasing power from
savers to borrowers, just a deposit tax in disguise: British
citizens of all means have been living with such a , percent
stealth tax for the past three years, and it is expected to
stay that high for at least two more years. Yet a one-time
tax of o.,, percent in Cyprus is seen as the ultimate act of
betrayal:
Many are lamenting that Cypruss membership in the
EU prevents it from devaluing its own currency to get out
of the jam. How would such a course be morally superior:
Taking actual losses on deposits is no dierent than taking
losses through devaluation and ination. Both result in the
loss of purchasing power. Asking for a depositor haircut at
least deals with the problem honestly and immediately.
Te same dynamic holds true with bailout funds. All
that means is that Cypriots will have to pay more in future
debt and interest repayments. In so doing they would
saddle future generations with a burden that they had no
hand in creating. How is that fair:
Te predominating fear internationally was not that
mom and pop Cypriots would have trouble making ends
meet but that a run on banks in Cyprus would lead to
similar panics in Greece, Spain, and then the world at large.
As a result, the troubles of an insignicant economy are
seen to threaten the entire global nancial edice. Tis is
just the latest sign that our current system rests upon noth-
ing but condence which in the end can be ephemeral.
But if a small issue like Cyprus can shake that condence
how strong can it be:
Cyprus Lifts the Curtain
Peter Schiff, EUROPACIFIC CAPITAL | March 22
MARCH 23, 2013
11
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
with and have access to classied
information.
According to the complaint, in-
vestigators learned through court-
authorized wiretaps that Bishop was
discussing national defense informa-
tion, regarding planned deployments
of U.S. strategic nuclear systems, as
well as the ability of the U.S. to detect
low- and medium-range ballistic
missiles of foreign governments to
Person :.
Te information, the complaint
alleges, could cause serious dam-
age to U.S. national security. Bishop
also allegedly discussed informa-
tion regarding the deployment of
U.S. early-warning radar systems
in the Pacic Rim and the ability of
the U.S. to detect short-range and
medium-range ballistic missiles of
foreign governments, as well as the
proposed deployment of a U.S. radar
system in the Pacic.
A search of Bishops Hawaiian
home uncovered additional secret
documents including one titled, Fis-
cal Year :o:-:o:8 Defense Planning
Guidance. Te document is described
as the denitive planning document
for force development. Bishop was
not authorized to possess these docu-
ments in his home.
TW
I N B R I E F
n Reckless budget sows seeds of
economic collapse
Britains government gave up all
pretence of paying o its debt with
the announcement of a new budget
on March :o. By :o:, Britain will
have the worst budget decit in the
Western world. Te solution: Te
government will allow the Bank of
England to keep interests rates at rock
bottom for longer. It may also be al-
lowed to use unconventional mon-
etary instrumentswhich usually
means some sort of money printing.
All this sows the seeds of a bigger
crash in the future. Te government
also wants to make it easier for those
with a limited amount of savings to
buy a house. Rather than x the cause
of Britains housing crisisthere
are too few housesit seeks to allow
people who cant aord a house to
buy one. Tis kind of government
policy was at the root of the :oo8
nancial crisis in America. Britain
is now heading even faster down the
road to economic collapse. For more
on this collapse, see our article Want
to Know What a Former Superpower
Looks Like:
Related: Investigation Proves Chinas
Army Is Hacking the U.S.
Y
is, ixivcisi is good for you. Tis we know. Heaps of
evidence point to the countless benets of regular physi-
cal activity. Federal health ocials recommend at least ,o
minutes of moderate exercise, like brisk walking, every day.
Studies show that when you adhere to an exercise regi-
men, you can improve your cardiovascular health, lower
blood pressure and improve metabolism and levels of cho-
lesterol and triglycerides. You can reduce diabetes risk and
the risk of certain cancers. And, nally, exercise can help
you maintain a healthy weight, which can boost all of these
benets even more.
But now, researchers are beginning to suspect that
even if you engage in regular exercise daily, it may not be
enough to counteract the eects of too much sitting during
the rest of the day.
Epidemiologist Steven Blair, a professor of public
health at the University of South Carolina, has spent o
years investigating physical activity and health. Lets say
you do ,o minutes of walking ve days a week (as recom-
mended by federal health ocials), and lets say you sleep
for eight hours, Blair says. Well, that still leaves :,.,
hours in the day.
Many of us, he points out, have sedentary jobs and
engage in sedentary activities afer work, like watching
television or sitting around a dinner table talking.
Blair recently headed a study at the University of South
Carolina that looked at adult men and their risk of dying
from heart disease.
Tose who were sitting more were substantially more
likely to die, Blair says.
Dr. Toni Yancey, a professor in the health services de-
partment and co-director of the Kaiser Permanente Center
for Health Equity at the University of California, Los
Angeles, has worked for years on developing programs to
motivate people to get up and move.
We just arent really structured to be sitting for such
long periods of time, and when we do that, our body just
kind of goes into shutdown, Yancey says. She recommends
routine breaks during a full day of sitting.
It may not sound like much, but an Australian study
found that these types of mini-breaks, just one minute long
throughout the day, can actually make a dierence. You
can simply stand up, dance about, wiggle around, take a
few steps back and forth, march in place.
If theres a fountain of youth, it is probably physical
activity, says Yancey.
Sitting All Day: Worse for You Than You Might Think
NPR | April 25, 2011
OTHER NEWS AND NOTES
MARCH 23, 2013
12
THE TRUMPET WEEKLY
be a long-term rescue program. If this
condition is no longer met, Cyprus
will no longer be solvent, and this is
something Cypriot decision-makers
must know, he threatened.
In other words, CvvvUs mUs1
sUnmi1 1o Givm. uim.us ov co
n.xvUv1.
Cyprus is now scrambling to nd a solution.
Enter Russia.
Russia has an enormous amount at stake in Cyprus.
Strategically and geopolitically, the island is critical to
its projection of power in the Middle East, most notably
Syria. Most signicantly, Cyprus is a banking and nance
hub for Russian businessmen. Russian businessmen have
:o-,obillion deposited in Cypruss banks, and do billions
more in commerce each year.
Germanys levy on Cypriot bank accounts did not go
unnoticed by Putin and the oligarchs. When news of the
levy broke over the weekend, President Vladimir Putin
called it unfair, unprofessional and dangerous.
Earlier this week, I received an e-mail from a friend who
lives in Cyprus. He reminded me of the clandestine inter-
ests (even geopolitical), and possibly property, investments
and monies that Russia has in Cyprus. He felt this was an
attack on Russia by Germany. He also reported an uptick in
the arrival of private Russian jets into Cyprus since Satur-
days announcement.
Although the levy stands to hurt many Cypriots, the
lions share of the money (:-, billion) would come from
Russian businessmen. Meanwhile, Russia is already
contributing to the bailout by agreeing to extend a :o::
:.,billion loan to Cyprus.
So, by telling the Cypriot government to take money
from the oligarchs, Germany is eectively forcing an extra
billion or two out of the Russians.
On Monday, as it became clear that the levy would
be rejected and the EU bailout would fall into jeopardy,
Cypriot Finance Minister Michailis Sarris was dispatched
to Russia tasked with the job of securing nancing. Last
night, following parliaments rejection of the levy one of
the rst calls made by President Nicos Anastasiades was to
Vladimir Putin. Many view Russia as Cypruss last option.
Right now we have no details about what a Russian bailout
might entail. (One rumor swirling says that Gazprombank,
the nance company associated with Russian energy giant
Gazprom, is preparing to step in to save Cypriot banks in
return for rights to Cypruss oil and gas elds.)
It is important to note that formulating a Russian bail-
out of Cyprusan event that would signicantly increase
Moscows power over Cyprusis not a minor or easy task.
Tis reality is being widely overlooked by too many pun-
dits. Russia and Germany are powerful countries, and lest
we forget, historical competitors. Both possess enormous
leverage. And both place a high value on Cyprus as a stra-
tegic asset. Tere is more at stake here than mere nances.
Germany is not going to simply give in and let Russia take
control of Cyprus.
Its hard to know exactly how this will unfold. However,
Bible prophecy and the history of the German-Russian
relationship provide the parameters for analyzing the battle
for Cyprus.
First, no one respects Russia and understands it
strengths (and weaknesses) more than Germany. Otto
Von Bismarck, Kaiser Wilhelm, Adolf Hitler and Konrad
Adenauer each recognized Germanys strategic vulnerabil-
ity vis-a-vis Russia. Tese days Berlin must consider more
than just its strategic vulnerability. Germany is heavily
dependent on Russia for oil and natural gas. (Tere were
rumors this week that Russia would shut down pipelines
into Europe following the Cyprus levy.) Germany does not
want to upset the Russians, at least not beyond a calculated
point, and will likely be compelled to negotiate some sort
of deal with the Kremlin.
Second, Russia respects and fears Germany equally as
much, if not more. We are all aware of the historythough
we too easily marginalize itof Nazi Germany taking
Eastern Europe and invading Russia. But Moscow also un-
derstands that Berlin leads the EU, a gigantic market of ,oo
million people, most of whom buy their energy from Russia.
Germany has technology and capital that Russia needs to
develop its oil and gas infrastructure. Germany also holds
the keys to more than a few pieces of territory, mostly in the
Balkans and Eastern Europe, dear to Russias heart. Russia
knows it cannot make Germany and Europe an enemy.
Te most important negotiations in regard to Cyprus
will now take place between Germany and Russia, not
Cyprus and Russia.
Right now, neither Germany nor Russia is in a position
to seriously oend the other. Terefore, it is in the interest
of each to strike some sort of deal over Cyprus.
But, as the negotiations continue, heres one thing that
will not happen: Givm.v wiii o1 viiiqUisu CvvvUs.
As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has explained,
Cyprus is a cvi1ic.i s1v.1icic .ssi1 to Germany. Cy-
prus gives Germany a foothold in the Mediterranean, an
outpost from which it can monitor Iran and radical Islam,
and project power into the Middle East and North Africa.
Last Saturdays attempt to impose a levy on Cypriot banks
was an attempt to secure greater control of the nation. Ger-
many may eventually be forced to compromise on the levy,
but it will not compromise on Cyprus being in the EU camp.
Perhaps Russia will persuade Berlin to compromise on the
levy and cut Cyprus some slack. Perhaps Germany will come
to some sort of arrangement that sees Russia nancing even
more of Cypruss debt. Germany may be forced to yield to
Russias interests somewhere in Eastern Europe. Its unlikely
that Cyprus will be put in a position that will see it leaving
the EU. If Cyprus does collapse and leave the euro and the
EU, Berlin will undoubtedly put measures in place that will
ensure it does not leave the orbit of Germany and Europe.
Whatever deal is struck in the battle for Cyprus, you can
be sure Germany is not about to relinquish its small but
imperative strategic asset.
Follow Brad Macdonald: Twitter
CYPRUS from page 1
COVER: YIANNIS KOURTOGLOU/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
BRAD MACDONALD