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Mideast

Iran proposed changes to a United Nations-drafted nuclear fuel deal on Thursday, in yet another effort by Tehran to buy time to advance its nuclear program. First, Iran wants the shipments of low-enriched uranium (leu) that would be sent abroad for conversion into fuel to occur in stages, instead of all at once. The second amendment calls for Iran to receive highly enriched reactor fuel while it sends out its leu, rather than after, in order to maintain an uninterrupted supply. The intention of the UN International Energy Agency’s proposal was to reduce Iran’s stockpile of leu, so Tehran’s proposed changes undermine the very basis of the deal.

In Iraq, the deadliest attack so far this year occurred on Sunday when two government buildings were struck by vehicle bombs, killing 153 people. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the bombings, though it evidently had the support of local Sunnis. An Iraqi Army spokesman said on Thursday that 61 security force members had been arrested over the bombings. As we have said before, through attacks such as these, the Sunnis are reminding us of what could go wrong in Iraq as the United States draws down its troops in that country. The Sunnis know that once the Americans leave, they will have no guarantor to protect them from Iranian domination.

The fate of Jerusalem will be determined by conflict, not talks, Damascus-based Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal warned Sunday. Following clashes between Israeli security and Arab rioters near the Temple Mount that morning, Mashaal stated, “The fate of Jerusalem will be determined only by confrontation and not by the negotiating tables.” According to Israel’s Channel 10, Mashaal went on in his speech: “I call for angry protests in Palestine and in the Arab world. … It is important for there to be a united Palestinian position. We must send a message to the world: In light of the settlements and actions in Jerusalem, there are no negotiations and we must rethink our steps.” The Hamas leader’s statements confirm the futility of negotiations between the Jews and Palestinians. Jerusalem will remain an intractable issue. Bible prophecy indicates that, in the short-term, the fate of Jerusalem will indeed be determined by conflict.

Europe

On Thursday, European leaders appeared to cross the last hurdle on the way to full ratification of the Lisbon Treaty. On the first day of a two-day European Union summit, Sweden brokered a deal that will allow the Czech Republic to opt out of the human right’s charter that is attached to the Lisbon Treaty. The Czech Parliament has already ratified the treaty, and President Vaclav Klaus has said he would sign it if the Czech Republic were allowed to opt out of the charter. With the opt-out secured, it seems likely that Klaus will sign, and the treaty will officially be in action.

With the Lisbon Treaty ratification in sight, all eyes are turning to the two powerful positions that treaty creates: the EU president and EU foreign minister. Some nations have expressed concern at just how these important EU functionaries will operate. The job specification for the EU president is largely unwritten, meaning that the job will be shaped by the personality appointed to fill it. Realizing the inherent dangers in this arrangement, some EU member nations want to place certain restraints on the president’s role. But it is the EU Foreign Ministry that is presently the main focus. EUobserver wrote on October 23, “The EU’s new foreign minister will have sweeping powers to conduct foreign policy, propose his own budget and name his own staff independently of other EU institutions, according to the latest EU presidency blueprint.” Watch these positions. Filled by the right individuals, they increase the potential for the EU’s global clout to grow.

Angela Merkel was sworn in for a second term as Germany’s chancellor on Wednesday, but even before the coalition was officially put together, serious disagreements had emerged. The leaders of the three political parties in the coalition—the Christian Democrats (cdu), its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union (csu) and the Free Democrats (fdp)—signed the coalition agreement on Monday. “Never before has a new government torn into their own coalition agreement to such a degree before it was even signed,” wrote Germany’s Die Tageszeitung. One of the most contentious parts of the agreement is the pledge to introduce €24 billion worth of tax cuts by 2011. This figure is a compromise between the €15 billion Merkel pledged to cut during the elections and the €35 billion the fdp wanted. Many members inside Merkel’s party do not like it. Two state governors have already threatened to vote against the tax cuts in the Bundesrat, the upper house of the German parliament, where Merkel has only a slim majority. Nine members within Merkel’s coalition did not support her as she was formally elected as chancellor. “It was a political kick in the shins that Merkel did not need,” wrote Erik Kirschbaum of Reuters. Jesus Christ said that a house divided against itself cannot stand. How long can this coalition last? For more analysis on Germany’s new government, and who could be catapulted to the top by this instability, read our September 28 article “Germany—Another Shaky Coalition and Young Blood.”

Latin America/Africa

Continuing its incursion into Latin America, Russia has signed a $22 million agreement with Ecuador, covering energy, trade and military equipment, including two Mi-17 helicopters. Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, also met with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who said, “We are familiar with the development plans of your country for the years to come, and you, perhaps, are in the know, that a number of Russian companies are ready to participate in this joint work.” This follows Ecuador’s $1 billion cash-for-oil deal with China. Russia’s march into Latin America continues, even as the U.S. loses its foothold.

Venezuela is making progress in its request to join the Latin American trade group Mercosur. Brazil’s foreign relations committee approved the move by a vote of 12 to 5. Assuming Brazil’s full senate approves Venezuela as a member, all President Hugo Chávez needs is approval from Paraguay. The socialist Chávez has as much business in a free-trade group as Iran has on the UN Security Council, but some fear that denying him membership would drive his country further toward Iran, Russia and China. The reality, though, is that membership in Mercosur will only provide him another economic weapon against the U.S., not encourage him to step off the battlefield.

Zimbabwe has blocked a visit from the UN torture investigator. The investigator, Manfred Nowak, had a meeting scheduled with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday, but the foreign minister blocked his entry in Harare. “There are certainly some parts of the government who do not want me to assess the current conditions of torture,” he said after his expulsion to South Africa. He also said there were “strong indications” that President Robert Mugabe either had knowledge of the decision or gave the instruction himself. He has “never been treated as rudely by any government as the government of Zimbabwe,” he said. Prime Minister Tsvangirai temporarily withdrew from the cabinet earlier this month when one of his aides was arrested. The unity government remains as unstable as ever, with Mugabe wielding the only real power in the country.

Asia

The world will soon have another EU-style trade bloc, this time in the East. During a summit of 16 Asian nations held in Thailand October 24 to 25, a solid base was created for a future trade bloc among Asian nations that will lead to the creation of an economic and military alliance. Biblical prophecy calls it the “kings of the east.” The foundation of a future alliance was established with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (asean), an economic community of 10 smaller Asian nations, formed in 1967. Since the late 1990s, its powerful neighbors, China and Japan, along with South Korea, have joined the bloc to create the asean Plus Three initiative. Huge steps toward Asian integration were taken at the latest summit in Thailand, with asean declaring it agrees in principle to creating a free economic zone in Asia. The free-trade area would be called the East Asia Free Trade Area (eafta) and include asean and its neighbors. The goal set by asean is economic integration by 2015. Asia sees Europe uniting and is responding in like manner to counter Europe’s rise. This will eventually lead to a catastrophic showdown, prophesied in the Bible. For more information, read our booklet Russia and China in Prophecy. It shows where all these trade agreements are leading and the significance for the entire world.

Anglo-America

U.S. Federal agents shot and killed a radical Ummah Islamist leader Wednesday as he resisted arrest. Luqman Abdullah and followers were being placed under arrest at a Dearborn, Michigan, warehouse for illegal possession and sale of firearms and stolen goods.

This week, Republican politicians indicated that the current administration is rewarding its campaign donors with meetings with senior advisers and access to the White House. The Washington Times reported that it had obtained Democratic National Committee documents offering quarterly briefings with senior advisers in exchange for the maximum legal donation of $30,400 or raising $300,000 for the 2010 midterm elections. However, the practice is nothing new. Both the previous administration and the one before were criticized for using rides aboard Air Force One, overnight stays at the White House, state dinners and overseas travel to reward donors. “Every time, they say it’s going to be different,” a top aide in one of the former administrations said. “It’s never different.”

U.S. Department of Commerce figures published by the bbc Thursday show that the U.S. economy technically came out of recession between July and September, growing at an annualized rate of 3.5 percent. The growth was the first in more than a year—but unfortunately it is both overstated and unsustainable. More than a trillion dollars was borrowed and spent by the already-indebted government to prop up the economy. It is this growth in debt and government spending that is artificially inflating the gross domestic product. Yet, despite the record spending, America’s automakers, the unemployment rate, the housing market and big banks still have not been cured. The next looming question is: What will happen when the bills come due?

Millions of Americans and others around the world will soon be entertaining themselves with a game called Modern Warfare 2. Besides being extremely realistic and showing scenes of an explosion-riddled White House with dead American soldiers littering the front lawn, the game shows the player, from a first-person point of view, using automatic weapons and explosives in a murderous terrorist assault on civilians at an airport. •