A meeting of top Egyptian officials has proved that a strike on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is a possibility. The meeting, held on Monday, shed light on the mindset of some of the more radical parties in Egypt in regard to Ethiopia’s threat to the Nile. Apparently unbeknown to the speakers, the meeting was being aired on national television.

The meeting was called by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, and was opened to a plethora of political leaders in the country, some of whom spoke openly of military action. One of the most outspoken critics of the dam was Younis Makhyoun, the leader of an ultraconservative Islamist Party. His party won 25 percent of the parliamentary seats in the 2011-2012 elections. Mr. Makhyoun suggested direct military action as a last resort to stop the construction of the dam. His more immediate idea was to back rebels within Ethiopia, saying, “we can communicate with them and use them as a bargaining chip against the Ethiopian government.” By directly sponsoring rebel activity, such action by Egypt would certainly work to further divide the two nations.

Ethiopia has clashed with rebels in the past, both at home and in neighboring Somalia, where groups like al Shabaab—a terrorist group linked to al Qaeda—has control of much of southern Somalia. The idea of supporting rebels against the Ethiopian government is not a far-fetched idea when you consider the fact that animosity already exists between terrorists in and around Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government, and that Egypt has a history of sponsoring anti-Ethiopian elements. During the 1960s, Egypt was ground zero for the formation of the Eritrean Liberation Front from which later sprang the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front, the primary force behind Eritrea’s long war for independence from Ethiopia. During the ’70s and ’80s, Egypt actively supported several other terrorist groups that also worked to overthrow the government in Ethiopia. When Eritrea finally gained independence in 1994, it had Egypt to thank.

Mr. Makhyoun suggested that if aiding rebels didn’t work, more direct involvement would be called for. “If [aiding rebels] fails, then there is no choice left for Egypt but to play the final card, which is using the intelligence service to destroy the dam.” Such an act of sabotage would be a direct act of war that could provoke a response from Ethiopia. With a military that is directly sponsored by the United States to the tune of $1.3 billion annually, Egypt has the capability to go to war with Ethiopia. According to a Stratfor analysis published last year, the think tank believes the military option will only be used if all else fails, warning, “Cairo will use any tool at its disposal to stop the project, including military force if necessary” (Oct. 11, 2012). This jives with the Stratfor files that were stolen by WikiLeaks and published on August 31. According to these WikiLeak documents, Egypt has procured the use of Sudanese military bases to launch military attacks on Ethiopia’s dam project.

In a statement released shortly after the meeting on Monday, Morsi’s office said, “Egypt will never surrender its right to Nile water, and all options [to safeguard it] are being considered.”

It is such statements that give rise to suspicions that Egypt may resort to military force. Some politicians at the meeting with Morsi suggested more diplomatic means of finding a solution, such as organizing a film festival in Ethiopia and sending researchers to the country. However, in a nation controlled largely by the radical Muslim Brotherhood, and where the water is so critical to daily survival, movies and scientists may not be enough to quiet the more vocal ultraconservatives.

While the contention seems likely to intensify as construction commences on the dam, there is a way to see what the ultimate outcome in Ethiopia will be. Despite animosity raging now, Bible prophecy says that Ethiopia will eventually be in an alliance with Egypt and Iran (Daniel 11:43). That suggests a radical reorientation in Ethiopian governance—and Egypt will play a critical role in that reorientation, as Gerald Flurry stated last year.

Be sure to read Libya and Ethiopia in Prophecy, and see for yourself how events will unfold in northern Africa, and how they will ultimately lead to the establishment of peace throughout the world—when giving and sharing will be commonplace between nations, and they won’t learn war anymore.