On August 31, the last United States troops will withdraw from Afghanistan, officially ending the 20-year “forever war.”

U.S. President Joe Biden has strongly defended the removal of America’s troops, saying in a speech on July 8: “We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build. It’s the right and the responsibility of the Afghan people alone to decide their future and how they want to run their country.”

Biden also said that the goal of the mission was to eliminate Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda’s ability to export terrorist attacks around the world. But Afghanistan and its people are in the same situation as when U.S. troops first landed in 2001. Afghanistan is being systematically overrun by the Taliban, which now claims to rule 85 percent of the country, including most of the strategic borderlands. The country has been in a state of conflict for nearly 60 years. Throughout America’s war in Afghanistan, the tide of influence has ebbed and flowed between the two sides. The “responsibility of the Afghan people” will most likely result in a civil war between the Taliban and other factions.

“I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no expectation to achieve a different outcome,” Biden said. So what was the outcome of the war in Afghanistan? Or even the war in Iraq?

Defeat. The War on Terror has only destabilized the region and made the world more dangerous than it was in 2001. Twenty years forward, any success gained in Afghanistan or Iraq has been lost. The true victor of the War on Terror has been Iran.

Did you know that Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry predicted back in 2003 that this would happen? Did you also know that Mr. Flurry has written about what Bible prophecy says about the next major war in the Middle East?

Bible prophecy shows that the next major war in the Middle East will be a German-led conquest. It will not have nation-building objectives; it will be a “whirlwind”!

With the forever war ending, let us examine how Bible prophecy was fulfilled and what the Bible says will happen next.

Fall of Iraq, Rise of Iran

On April 9, 2003, the image of Saddam Hussein’s statue in Firdos Square, Baghdad, being torn down was broadcast around the world. In a short three weeks, the U.S. Army and its allies had crushed Saddam’s army and the dictator was on the run. Victory was in the air. However, no one anticipated the chaos and struggles that were about to grip the country.

The image of Saddam’s statue being toppled was used as the cover of the June 2003 Trumpet. Mr. Flurry wrote in the feature article, titled “Is Iraq About to Fall to Iran?”:

Now that Iraq has been taken out of the picture, Iran is even closer to becoming the reigning king of the Middle East. It may seem shocking, given the U.S. presence in the region right now, but prophecy indicates that, in pursuit of its goal, Iran will probably take over Iraq. At least, it will have a heavy influence over the Iraqi people.

Mr. Flurry based this prediction on a Bible prophecy in Daniel 11:40: “And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.” This is a key prophecy that unlocks the future of the Middle East. Mr. Flurry explains in his booklet The King of the South that Iran is this prophesied king of the south that will wield influence over the region. (Please order a free copy of this booklet for proof.)

This prediction has unequivocally come to pass. Mr. Flurry first wrote that headline in 1994. During the war in Iraq, it soon became clear that the 18 million Shiite majority in Iraq (versus 9 million Sunnis) took their orders from Iran. The anti-American insurgency raged in the backdrop of an internal civil war between Shiite and Sunni. The Sunnis were initially led by Abu Massab al-Zarqawi (who would later found the Islamic State) and the Shiites by cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. The Shiites were funded and supplied by Iran, which operated death squads inside Baghdad to persecute the Sunnis. The U.S. Army increasingly found explosively formed penetrators (efps) from Iran within southern Iraq; these efps were a more deadly type of an improvised explosive device. They melted the armored plating of the vehicle and shot the molten metal and shrapnel inside, maiming and killing hundreds of Americans.

Gen. David Petraus, then the troop commander in Iraq, testified to the Senate in 2007 about “Iran’s malign influence.” In 2008, General Petraus was shown a phone with a text message from the now dead Quds Force commander, Qassem Suleimani: “General Petraeus, you should know that I, Qassem Suleimani, control the policy for Iran with respect to Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza and Afghanistan. And indeed, the ambassador in Baghdad is a Quds Force member. The individual who’s going to replace him is a Quds Force member.” It was obvious to everyone who was really controlling the Shiites in Iraq.

But all of this was unknown in 2003. Mr. Flurry wrote in the same article: “Iraq is a dangerous part of the equation, but not the head of the snake. … America has known for years who ‘the world’s most significant state sponsor of terrorism’ is. But we lack the will to deal with Iran. State-sponsored terrorism became deeply entrenched in the 1990s, and our leaders did almost nothing to combat it.”

Iran is the head of the terrorist snake. Even when former President George W. Bush knew Iran was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans and was actively undermining American forces in Iraq, he pursued a hands-off policy toward Iran, other than imposing a few economic sanctions. President Bush knew the American people would not support a war against Iran. Every president since has lacked the will to confront Iran.

Mr. Flurry wrote in 2003:

Saddam Hussein was the only leader that Iran feared. Now the U.S. has taken him out of the way. But does America have the will or strength to guard the spoils of war? Prophecy states that it does not.

Have we now cleared the way for Shiite Iran to rule over Shiite Iraq?

President Biden’s latest announcement only confirms what Mr. Flurry wrote in 2003. America does not have the will or strength to protect the hard-won successes in Iraq and Afghanistan. These conflicts have cost the United States 60,276 troops killed or wounded. Financially, these wars have cost the U.S. government and taxpayers $6.4 trillion. All of those sacrifices and trillions of dollars have eventually given Iran control of Iraq, and the Taliban control of Afghanistan.

Since 2003, Mr. Flurry has explained more details about how the prophecy in Daniel 11:40 will be fulfilled and how Germany will attack the head of the snake.

The Whirlwind Offensive

In 2015, Mr. Flurry published Germany’s Secret Strategy to Destroy Iran. Daniel 11:40 identifies a clash between the king of the south and the king of the north. The king of the south is Iran. But who is the king of the north? Mr. Flurry writes: “The ‘king of the north’ in prophecy is Catholic Europe, led by Germany. We offer proof of this truth in our free booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.”

The Bible prophesies of a major end-time clash between Iran and a German-led Europe, a clash of religious empires. This prophecy could not happen until Iran had become the “king” of the Middle East. America’s failure in the region actually increased Iran’s power. Europe, led by Germany, is taking on its position as king of the north. (Please read Mr. Flurry’s article “The Holy Roman Empire Goes Public—Big Time!”)

Iran’s “push” at Europe will provoke a violent response. Mr. Flurry writes in Germany’s Secret Strategy to Destroy Iran:

The Bible tells you how this will happen! Daniel 11:40 speaks of a “whirlwind.” This one word prophesies how this clash with Iran is going to unfold. It reveals in detail what is about to happen in the Middle East—and in Africa, southwest Asia and Europe. …

“Whirlwind” is a very revealing word in this verse. … It can mean “to bristle with terror.” It can also mean terror-stricken, or shivering with fear, invoking the creeping of the skin of one who is terror-stricken.

This word has an unusual emphasis on terror! Will this terrifying whirlwind be nuclear? It certainly will be terrorizing! And it’s about to explode in the Middle East. Finally the terrorists will become terrorized! …

This isn’t simply a straight-on assault. It’s a storm that whirls around and around, invading the land and flooding into it!

The king of the north couldn’t come like a whirlwind unless it surrounds Iran and its allies. That is being meticulously planned right now! Germany is busy preparing to execute a whirlwind strategy to rush upon and overflow Iran.

This strategy involves an element of terror or overwhelming force. It also involves surrounding Iran and attacking from all sides. This booklet includes maps and evidence of how Germany has been placing key infrastructure in place for this attack.

Afghanistan, which borders Iran, will play a key role in this strategy. In 2010, late Trumpet writer Ron Fraser wrote “Afghanistan—Why Germany Won’t Leave.” Germany has many key interests invested in Afghanistan. But on June 29, Germany withdrew all of its troops, following the U.S. and nato’s lead. Does that mean our analysis is wrong? Read what Mr. Fraser wrote 11 years ago:

Each American setback in Afghanistan—and they will continue to be numerous—each German fatality and each move by a turncoat political leader in that extremely unstable country, brings this great clash between a future “king of the north” and a “king of the south” one step closer.

Germany has left Afghanistan for now. But with the complete American withdrawal, Afghanistan will most likely dissolve into violent civil war, opening up a key window of opportunity for Europe to step in. America’s withdrawal will only increase the speed at which these prophecies come to pass.

Learning From America’s Mistakes

Mr. Flurry writes that the German people are “excellent war strategists and warriors.” The Bundeswehr is excellent at learning from history. America’s 1991 invasion of Iraq during Operation Desert Storm, the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, and Iraq again in 2003 have all informed the German military how not to wage a war in the Middle East.

In 1991, Operation Desert Storm pitted the American superpower against Saddam Hussein’s army, which had seized Kuwait. The air war and the brief ground campaign showcased America’s mighty strength. Nearly 700,000 U.S. troops took part, with only 299 killed. In only 37 days, the U.S. and its allies launched 116,000 combat air sorties and dropped 88,500 tons of bombs on Iraq. The military launched 297 tomahawk cruise missiles (each costing $1.3 million) at military targets. It took the U.S. and allied ground forces only 100 hours to completely route Saddam’s army.

It was a classic military invasion: the use of air power to gain aerial mastery, the slow build-up of armor and infantry to launch an invasion on a single front, and the restraint of focusing on military targets by air assets. Despite this mighty display of power, America could not remove Hussein! It lacked the political will to follow up on military success.

After Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. sent troops to Afghanistan to hunt down Osama bin Laden and overthrow al Qaeda. Instead of sending overwhelming force, the focus was on the use of special forces and air power to work with local fighters to cause governmental change. This began the habit of America relying on special forces. Despite the troops’ successes in their individual objectives, the mission floundered for 20 years without a clear definition of what victory in Afghanistan would look like.

For Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the U.S. military again tried the strategy of sending a smaller, more technologically advanced force to quickly overwhelm the enemy through speed and surprise. Commanding general Tommy Franks ran the war from a mobile command center, a shipping container with several screens, supported by hundreds of support staff. General Franks would be shown live drone feeds, a military lawyer beside him advising if it were legal or not to kill the target, and deciding whether or not to pull the trigger. It was a new kind of warfare.

The invasion used only 177,000 troops and toppled Hussein’s government in three weeks. But America’s troops were drawn into a guerilla war, forced to abandon their technological edge and fight house to house, hand to hand. The Chechens, who fought with the Sunnis against the Americans, had learned from fighting the Russians that the way to defeat a superior force was to draw them into urban, guerilla war. It was a war of self-imposed, confusing legal restraint that turned into a war of attrition.

The king of the north’s “whirlwind” will be nothing like these wars. It will not be a classic military invasion that requires months of building up forces. Germany already has Iran surrounded! This whirlwind attack is not restrained, trying to protect civilians. It will be a war that will strike terror. It will not be a full frontal assault, but a multifront, multimodal assault with an emphasis on speed and destruction.

In Germany’s Secret Strategy to Destroy Iran, Mr. Flurry asks, “Will this terrifying whirlwind be nuclear?” We do not know the answer to that yet, but John M. Collins wrote an interesting analysis in the textbook Military Geography:

Countries cursed with population patterns that afford fewer safeguards are more vulnerable to invasion unless blessed with benign neighbors (as Canada is) or topographical barriers (such as those that shelter Switzerland). … Syria, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq and Iran are even more vulnerable, because most residents occupy capital cities—Damascus, Tel Aviv, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh, Kuwait City, Baghdad, and Teheran—plus a sprinkling of other centers such as Hama, Jerusalem, Alexandria, Jiddah, Basra, Meshed and Isphahan. Even one well-placed tactical nuclear weapon delivered by an aircraft, missile, motor vehicle or other means might instantaneously put any of those countries politically, economically and militarily out of commission.

Just one nuclear bomb destroying the major population center of a nation like Iran, and the nation would be “out of commission.” That is a kind of war we have not yet seen in this world: a nuclear strike in conjunction with a ground invasion. Whether or not nuclear capabilities are utilized, this whirlwind attack by a German-led Europe will shock the world! While there will always be minor skirmishes in the region, this may well be the next major conflict in the Middle East.

Watch Europe!

With America’s influence waning in the Middle East, you need to watch Germany. Mr. Flurry was right about the War on Terror, using Bible prophecy to foretell what would happen 20 years later! Will the Bible be right about this clash between the king of the north and the king of the south? You need to prove this for yourself so you know where these events are leading.

Please read Mr. Flurry’s booklets The King of the South and Germany’s Secret Strategy to Destroy Iran.