Greek Default Exclusive: Senior U.S. Bankers Given Explicit Timetable for Athens Default

A written document giving firm dates and detailed actions for a planned Greek default has been in the possession of two top Wall Street bank currency trading bosses since the second week in January. The Slog has separate but corroborative sources affirming the existence of the document, and a conviction among senior bank staff that – at least at the time – the plan represented “a timetable, not a contingency”. The plan gives a firm date of March 23rd for default to be announced after the close of business.
Senior bankers on Wall Street have been given detailed documentation setting out a timetable to Greek default, including firm dates and technical ‘orders’ about last use of the euro as a currency there. The revelation arrived at Slogger’s Roost last Monday, since when I have been trying to obtain corroboration. This arrived in the early hours of today (Thursday). One of the banks is Barclays Capital (Barcap) run by controversial figure Bob Diamond. The other must remain anonymous for the time being, in order to protect sources.

CrossTalk: Syria Agony

Mexico Judicial Reforms Go Easy on Corrupt Judges

A new report from Contralinea details the regularity with which judges and magistrates in Mexico are sanctioned for their misdeeds, pointing to the scores of bad apples in the judiciary. As Contralinea reports, Mexico’s Federal Judicial Council has received more than 22,000 complaints against different judicial functionaries since 1995, with more than 1,000 of the cases resulting in sanctions against the offending official. In more than 600 of the cases resulting in a sanction, the target of the complaint were the judges and magistrates who issue rulings in criminal cases.

Cartel Strategic Note: The Spreading Criminal Insurgencies in Mexico

At a military ceremony yesterday, Mexican Defense Minister Guillermo Galvan Galva described the national security situation in stark terms. “Clearly, in some sectors of the country public security has been completely overrun,” said Galvan, adding that “it should be recognized that national security is seriously threatened.” He went on to say that organized crime in the country has managed to penetrate not only society, but also the country’s state institutions.
Galvan also endorsed the military’s role in combating insecurity, asserting that although they have a responsibility to acknowledge that “there have been mistakes,” the armed forces have an “unrestricted” respect for human rights…
Via U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Bureau of Consular Affairs, “Travel Warning: Mexico.” 8 February 2012 [2].
The Department of State has issued this Travel Warning to inform U.S. citizens about the security situation in Mexico.  General information on the overall security situation is provided immediately below.  For information on security conditions in specific regions of Mexico, which can vary, travelers should reference the state-by-state assessments further below.
This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Mexico dated April 22, 2011 to consolidate and update information about the security situation and to advise the public of additional restrictions on the travel of U.S. government (USG) personnel…

Gulf Cartel Boss Exploits Turmoil in Northeast Mexico

The shifting balance of power in northeast Mexico has been bad news for the Gulf Cartel, which has seen its influence decline, but a new report from Proceso suggests that one Gulf leader, known as “El Coss,” has benefited from the changing landscape.

The 2010 split between the Gulf Cartel and their erstwhile armed wing, the Zetas, has triggered hundreds of killings in the northeastern states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, which the two groups previously ruled as, essentially, a single organization. The Zetas, whose expansion and violent tactics made them notorious even prior to the split, emerged with a larger share of the territory. They have since expanded, now operating in far-flung states like Jalisco, and have even popped up in Sinaloa.

Public Security in El Salvador: The Slide Towards Re-Militarization

The appointment of retired military officers to public security leadership positions over the past three months is being seen by many as a serious challenge to democracy in El Salvador.  President Mauricio Funes argues that these appointments are legal, that they have not been done under either internal or external pressure, and that they constitute an appropriate response to public insecurity. There is indeed a genuine and intense preoccupation regarding security in El Salvador. A November 2011 poll by the University Institute of Public Opinion (IUOP) found that 76.4% of respondents believe that crime increased in 2011, as compared to 2010. El Salvador has one of the highest homicide rates in the world (4,085 homicides, 66 per 100,000 persons in 2010). Gang violence and transnational organized crime threaten both public security, such as the ability to conduct commerce and provide transportation services, as well as citizen security, such as the ability of individuals to exercise their civil rights. Since the exercise of civil rights is a condition of democratic governance, this level of crime is in itself a threat to democracy in El Salvador.

Backdoor Rebels: Allies send message of defiance to US'

See for Yourself: The Pentagon’s $51 Billion ‘Black’ Budget

The military keeps a lot of little things secret. It could be the exact range of a jammer, sensitive missile data or the timing of a raid. But the larger context — that jammers and missiles exist, or that our forces conduct raids — is unclassified and even listed in the Pentagon’s budget for all to see. These secrets are different. Their names are obscured by code words, or simply listed as “classified programs.” But with a little digging, we can get a (limited) sense of how much money is being spent on the U.S. government’s most secret military projects. In fact, you can take a look for yourself. We’ve put together this spreadsheet with the latest information. Feel free to add, subtract and edit it — kind of like a classified cash wiki. This year, the military’s black budget appears to be a little over $51 billion, down from the $56 billion which held steady for the last two years, not including inflation. The reductions are also not really a surprise considering the cuts happening nearly everywhere else.

Cameron offers Scotland more powers if it votes no to independence

David Cameron made his boldest move yet in the campaign to stop Scotland voting for independence by offering the country more freedom from Westminster if it votes no in the coming referendum. Speaking to business leaders in the capital, Edinburgh, the prime minister said the referendum did not have to be "the end of the road" for devolution. After that "I am open to looking at how the devolved settlement can be improved further", he said. "And, yes, that means considering what further powers could be devolved."
However, in a move that immediately provoked an angry reaction from Scotland's pro-independence first minister, Alex Salmond, Cameron repeatedly ruled out discussing what powers could be further devolved to Edinburgh before the vote. "That must be a question for after the referendum, when Scotland has made its choice about the fundamental question of independence," Cameron said. The surprise offer, described by one member of the audience as having an air of desperation, appeared to form part of a two-prong strategy.

How credit ratings agencies rule the world

"Thank you for calling Moody's," says the automated voice. "Your call may be recorded for quality purposes. If you would like a rating, press one." I press one. There is a brief musical interlude. "Hello, Moody's," says another voice, eventually. "What rating would you like?" As you may have deduced, I am on the phone to Moody's Investors Service. Along with Fitch, and Standard & Poor's (S&P), Moody's are one of the Big Three credit ratings agencies. They sound like a trio of preppy clothing companies, but in fact they are some of the most powerful players in world finance. Specifically, they rate the "creditworthiness" of companies and currencies. In the process, it is hoped that they give investors an idea which investments are safest to make. "Hello, Moody's!" I say. "I would like to know the rating for UK sovereign debt." It's a topical question. The eurozone crisis has seen countries' ratings fall across the continent. Chancellor George Osborne has staked his reputation on helping the UK avoid the same fate. My adviser will ideally come back to me with three particular letters: AAA. This is the highest rating Moody's offers. Then comes AA1, and the scale goes down to C. Anything below BBB is known as "junk".

Economía venezolana creció 4,2% en 2011

El Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) venezolano registró un crecimiento de 4,2% en 2011, indica el informe del Banco Central de Venezuela (BCV). Este resultado duplicó la estimación prevista de 2% en el presupuesto nacional de 2011. 
El crecimiento del PIB para el pasado año estuvo determinado por el incremento de 4,9% en el cuarto trimestre de 2011 (que representa el mayor crecimiento en los últimos 14 trimestres desde mediados de 2008) y el aumento de 3,9% observado durante los primeros nueve meses, destaca el documento difundido por el ente emisor.

Battlefield USA 2012: Gerald Celente on year's top trends

Debt End: 'Greeks at the cliff'

Zbigniew Brzezinski "I Don't Know How Anyone Can Argue War With Iran Is In America's Interest!"

Mossad continues to use foreign passports

Agents of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency reportedly are still using foreign passports to conduct undercover operations in other countries. According to a report Sunday in The Times of London, new evidence shows that foreign nationals residing in Israel are willingly allowing the Mossad to use their passports. Several Israelis interviewed by The Times revealed details of how they were approached by Mossad officials about the possibility of volunteering their passports for the Mossad. In January 2010, it was suspected that Israeli agents used foreign passports to travel undercover into Dubai in order to assassinate Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Following the assassination, Dubai police officials revealed that British, French, German and Australian passports were used by the assassination team.

The Sham that was the Opposition Primaries

The opposition didn’t hold primaries on Sunday for their presidential candidate as well as some mayoral and state candidates because they care about democratic methods and membership participation. The Democratic Unity Table (MUD), the opposition electoral umbrella group, unites individuals and parties who signed the Punto Fijo Pact (a power sharing agreement between AD and COPEI which prevented anyone else from governing for forty years), who supported and carried out the 2002 coup attempt, who own a vast amount of Venezuela’s large businesses, and who regularly visit Washington asking for funding and support, so participation, transparency, and democracy are clearly not high on their list of priorities.

Can Guatemala's President Reconcile Iron Fist with Drug Legalization?

While pushing a hardline approach to crime, Guatemala’s new President Otto Perez has revealed himself as an unlikely advocate for drug liberalization, a position which is becoming increasingly popular among presidents in the region.
Perez, a former general who swept to power promising to crack down on crime with an iron fist, surprised onlookers by declaring that there should be debate on legalizing drugs. During his presidential campaign he said that he was opposed to the idea, and promised his drug policy would consist of tough measures like deploying the army to fight cartels.
Now he is in power, Perez argues that the US-led war on drugs has not managed to reduce drug trafficking, and that legalizing the trade would cut crimes like money laundering and arms trafficking, and corruption of government, judiciary and police.

Power Plays in Medellin as Crime Lord Killed in Venezuela

With an alleged heir to the Medellin mafia found dead, dumped outside a Venezuela hospital, it may be that Urabeños, a criminal group poised to take over the city, are eliminating their rivals.
Carlos Esneider Quintero Galvis, alias "Gomelo," was left outside an emergency room in Maracaibo on February 6, with gunshot wounds to the head and no identification. His parents came to Venezuela five days later to identify the body.
Police identified Quintero as the new leader of a faction of the Medellin mafia, known as the Oficina de Envigado. He was one of one of the 20 most wanted criminals in the Medellin area, and police offered a 250 million peso (about $140,000) reward in return for information on his whereabouts.

El Internet y la seguridad informática en América Latina

Internet se ha convertido en un canal de comunicación indispensable alrededor del mundo, incluida América Latina. Si bien su penetración no se asemeja a la de Estados Unidos, Europa, Japón o Corea del Sur, la red informática mundial sigue creciendo de manera sostenida en la región, al tiempo que empieza a cobrar importancia la seguridad digital por la proliferación de la piratería informática y otros delitos propios del mundo virtual.

Preventing A Blowout In The Arctic

In September 2011, Vladimir Putin announced a program to begin offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in the Russian Arctic. Putin is also interested in creating new sea terminals, which he said would rival the Suez and Panama Canals. In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that 13 percent of the world’s undiscovered oil and 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered gas lay beneath the Arctic Seas. The United States, Canada, Norway, Greenland, and Russia, which make up the Arctic 5, are each interested in tapping these Arctic energy reserves.
Russia, the largest oil producer of the five, gets nearly half of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from oil exports, a level comparable to Saudi Arabia. As a result, Putin perceives fossil fuels as vital to Russia’s economy and political stability. However, the extreme Arctic climate, characterized by unpredictable weather patterns, heaving sea ice, sub-zero temperatures, dense fog, and darkness half the year, requires specialized equipment. Russia holds a technological advantage over the other Arctic countries because it has already invested in 20 icebreakers, while Canada has 12 and the United States only one. Russia signed a deal with British Petroleum last month to explore the Arctic. Therefore, Russia is currently leading the extractive assault.

Serbia’s Distraction From Diplomatic Defeats

The candidacy of Serbia’s foreign minister, Vuk Jeremić, for the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly shows that its foreign policy is not based upon a long-term strategy, but is instead contingent upon daily politics and a lack of vision about how to strengthen its international position. On January 24th, Vuk Jeremić, Serbia’s foreign minister, acknowledged that his country had nominated him as a candidate for president of the sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly. To understand the motivations for such a move and its future implications, it is necessary to simultaneously consider both Serbia’s internal and foreign affairs.

The Gulf Cold War

In mid-April 2011 Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intervened militarily to quell the street riots in Bahrain, both acting in support of the besieged government. The reasons for this intervention are to be found in a range of economic variables and social and religious conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. Also included in this mix is the Iranian government’s ambitions. Any escalation of the riots into the Gulf could lead o a much more violent military crackdown, which would have far-reaching consequences. If such repression were to continue and succeed, this could complicate even further the already difficult process of democratization in the Middle East. In Saudi Arabia, on March 11, on the occasion of the “Hunayn revolution” (Hunayn is the name of a battle “miraculously” won by the Prophet Mohamed against supposedly far more powerful armies) organized by Shia and Sunni intellectuals, Prince Nayef Biu Abdul al-Saud, the Saudi Interior Minister, issued this order, which may be worthy of investigation by the International Criminal Court at The Hague: “to all the honorable heads of police in the areas of Riyadh, Mecca and Medina, al-Bahr, Qassim, the northern borders, Tabouq, Sharqiya, Qaseer, Najwan, Jezaan and the head of the emergency Special Forces, previous to our conversations regarding the so-called ‘Hunayn Revolution’–if indeed it exists–with its single goal of threatening our national security: this group of stray individuals spreads evil throughout the land. Do not show them mercy. Strike them with iron fists. It is permitted for all officers and personnel to use live rounds. This is your land and this is your religion. If they want to change that or replace us, you must respond.”

Afrique-Chine-Inde. L’économie politique tricontinentale : le cas des relations de l’Afrique avec la Chine et l’Inde

La Chine et l’Inde sont des puissances émergentes qui ne peuvent se réduire à leur rôle d’ « atelier » ou de « bureau » du monde. La croissance économique et la puissance politique impliquent pour la Chine et l’Inde une vision stratégique géopolitique et une expansion territoriale dont l’Afrique fait partie. En quoi elles ces relations entre la Chine et l’Inde et les 54 Etats d’Afrique sont constitutives d’une extension du marché africain et d’innovation ou d’un renforcement des régimes rentiers ?

India, Saudi Arabia To Discuss Joint Weapon Projects

India and Saudi Arabia will explore the joint development and production of weapons and equipment to control rising imports. This decision followed Feb. 14 discussions in Riyadh between visiting Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony and Saudi Defense Minister Prince Salman Bin, said sources in the Indian Defence Ministry.
Antony led an official two-day visit to Saudi Arabia Feb. 13-14, heading a defense team that included Defence Secretary Shashi Kant Sharma; Lt. Gen. S.K. Singh, the Army vice chief; and Vice Adm. Satish Soni, the deputy Navy chief An Indian Defence Ministry official said India and Saudi Arabia have decided to set up a panel to work out the path to defense cooperation.

U.S. Prepares for Future Nuke Disarmament Talks With Russia

For the next round of negotiations with Russia on nuclear weapon reductions, the United States would like to focus on nondeployed nuclear weapons and what are known as nonstrategic or “tactical” nuclear weapons, according to State Department officials. During the last round of talks, which led to the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) signed in April 2010, the United States and Russia focused on reducing deployed nuclear weapons, partially because they are easy to see from space and therefore easier to count and verify when they are being moved or eliminated, Rose Gottemoeller, acting undersecretary for arms control at the State Department, told reporters Feb. 15.

Swiss stick with Sweden’s Gripen to replace fighter fleet

The Swiss government is standing by its choice of the Gripen jet to replace its ageing fighter fleet, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, after reported military fears that the aircraft was not up to the job. Defence Minister Ueli Maurer reaffirmed his preference for the Swedish-made Gripen which he said at a conference in Bern was the best value for money. "The plane meets technical demands, even if it isn't the most expensive aircraft on the market," said Maurer. The Federal Council announced in November its decision to purchase 22 Gripen for an estimated 3.1 billion francs (2.6 billion euros), reportedly the cheapest of three offers. French planemaker Dassault's Rafale and the Eurofighter, produced by the EADS consortium, were the other bidders.

Airbus Military Signs Contract with Indonesia for Nine C295 Aircraft

Airbus Military has signed today a firm contract with PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PT DI) to supply nine C295 military transport aircraft for delivery to the Indonesian Ministry of Defense. The contract between PT DI and the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia was signed simultaneously, witnessed by Minister of Defense, Prof. Dr. Purnomo Yusgiantoro, and the Chief of Armed Forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, at a ceremony at the Singapore Airshow. The Indonesian designation of the aircraft will be CN295. The aircraft will be operated by the Indonesian Air Force throughout the vast territory of Indonesia, which includes around 17.000 islands. The aircraft will perform a variety of roles including military, logistical, humanitarian and medical evacuation missions. The first delivery is foreseen in 2012 and by summer 2014 all aircraft will have been delivered.

Iran’s nuclear, terror offensives meet slow US-Israeli responses

Shrugging off Western sanctions and Israeli recriminations, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad played a starring role in a widely televised spectacle by inserting his country’s first domestically-made fuel rod into the Tehran Research Reactor Wednesday, Feb. 15. The scene came after the announced cutoff of Iranian oil exports to six European countries - Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal. Two hours later, the Iranian oil ministry challenged the announcement, spoiling the show by attesting to differences in high regime ranks. By this show, Tehran thumbed its nose at Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s call on the world Wednesday to set red lines for Iran’s nuclear program and denounce its terrorist activity. “If Iran’s aggression is not halted, it will ultimately spread to other countries,” he told the Knesset.

The Pragmatics of Lebanon’s Politics

Lebanese society has had a remarkable ability to overcome deep-rooted sectarian and religious divides that could readily have imploded less problematic countries. This has been largely due to its pragmatic political system, which avoids acting upon polarizing issues on principle, opting instead for pragmatic loopholes. Given their confessional political system, Lebanese are conditioned to think pragmatically even when the issue at hand is divisive and does not lend itself to resolution. In Lebanon, pragmatism is a necessity and not an option as failure to accommodate other sects might ruin the country’s delicate fabric.
Three vivid illustrations of this dynamic can be seen in the handling of the issues preoccupying Lebanese decision-makers these days: Hezbollah’s continued militarization, the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), and the Syrian connection.

American Decline in Perspective

by NOAM CHOMSKY

In the years of conscious, self-inflicted decline at home, “losses” continued to mount elsewhere.  In the past decade, for the first time in 500 years, South America has taken successful steps to free itself from western domination, another serious loss. The region has moved towards integration, and has begun to address some of the terrible internal problems of societies ruled by mostly Europeanized elites, tiny islands of extreme wealth in a sea of misery.  They have also rid themselves of all U.S. military bases and of IMF controls.  A newly formed organization, CELAC, includes all countries of the hemisphere apart from the U.S. and Canada.  If it actually functions, that would be another step in American decline, in this case in what has always been regarded as “the backyard.”
Even more serious would be the loss of the MENA countries — Middle East/North Africa — which have been regarded by planners since the 1940s as “a stupendous source of strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes in world history.” Control of MENA energy reserves would yield “substantial control of the world,” in the words of the influential Roosevelt advisor A.A. Berle. To be sure, if the projections of a century of U.S. energy independence based on North American energy resources turn out to be realistic, the significance of controlling MENA would decline somewhat, though probably not by much: the main concern has always been control more than access.  However, the likely consequences to the planet’s equilibrium are so ominous that discussion may be largely an academic exercise.

Iran denies reports on EU oil export cuts

Iran's Oil Ministry has refuted media reports on the country stopping its crude exports to six EU nations on Wednesday. "We deny this report… If such a decision is made, it will be announced by Iran's Supreme National Security Council," a spokesman for the ministry told Reuters. The European Commission has "absolutely no information" about the news and will check it, said the spokesman for Foreign Policy, Michael Mann. The initial news from Tehran nonetheless sent Brent crude prices up nearly $2 a barrel to $119.28, hitting a six-month high. Iran’s state Press TV first reported that Tehran had cut off crude supplies to Spain, Italy, Greece, Portugal, France and the Netherlands. That would have fulfilled Iran's threat to retaliate for the EU’s oil embargo, agreed by the bloc in January.

Colombia central bank wants weaker peso: Board member

Colombia's central bank would like the country's peso currency to weaken against the U.S. dollar, board member Juan Jose Echavarria said on Wednesday. Colombia has seen record foreign investment flow into the nation in recent years as security improvements lower the risk of exploring for oil, gold and other natural resources. The flood of money, coupled with attractive yields compared with near-zero interest rates in developed nations, has helped the peso strengthen 8.1 percent so far this year.

Foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine meet in Nizhny Novgorod

Foreign ministers of Russia and Ukraine – Sergei Lavrov and Konstantin Hryshchenko – met in Nizhny Novgorod on 14 February to take part in the sixth meeting of the Subcommittee on International Cooperation operating under the Russian-Ukrainian Interstate Commission. Their discussions focused on bilateral relations and current international affairs. Both ministers also attended an official opening of a Ukrainian consular office in Nizhny Novgorod. At a joint press conference, Lavrov said that the countries had reached a deal on the delimitation of the Kerch Strait and the Azov Sea, adding that a legally-binding agreement would follow in the near future. The Russian minister also said that Russia-Ukraine relations were stable and predictable, and that both countries would soon resolve their differences over Russian gas supplies and Ukrainian cheese exports. (During his trip to Nizhny Novgorod, Hryshchenko also held a meeting with the Russian president’s representative to the Nizhny Novgorod federal district Mikhail Babich and the region’s governor Valery Shantsev. The politicians discussed the prospects for closer regional cooperation.

Globalist Troika Driving Greece Towards Violent Revolution

Assad sets Syria vote to end Baath rule

Syria’s president decreed a vote this month on a new constitution that would effectively end nearly 50 years of single party rule, state media said, as troops reportedly stormed centres of dissent. A day after flatly rejecting UN allegations of crimes against humanity, Bashar al-Assad called the ballot for February 26, in a move clearly aimed at placating growing global outrage over the bloodshed. Under the newly proposed charter, freedom is “a sacred right” and “the people will govern the people” in a multi-party democratic system, state television said. The new constitution also states that Islamic case law will be used as a source for legislation, that the president must be Muslim and over the age of 40. It also prohibits parties based on religion.

Canada unveils new cyber monitoring rules

Canada's government Tuesday introduced a bill to give law enforcement authorities sweeping powers to probe online communications, but the move sparked criticism about threats to privacy. "New technologies provide new ways of committing crimes, making them more difficult to investigate," Justice Minister Rob Nicholson told a press conference in unveiling the measure. "This legislation will enable authorities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology." Opposition parties and civil liberties groups, however, said new police powers contained in the bill could result in unreasonable searches and seizures.

What If Someone Could See Everything You’ve Ever Googled?

What if there was a little box that could be placed in your home that could…..
…. track every Google search that you ran?
…. see who you email?
…. see from whom you receive emails?
…. watch your keystrokes to learn all your passwords?
…. turn on a camera and watch you at any given time?
…. gather information about your likes, dislikes, political affiliations and religious beliefs?
…. dispense all of the above personal data to fusion centers, whose only purpose is to put together profiles of you and your family?
As it turns out, there is such a box, and if you are reading this, you’re on it right now.  You not only voluntarily brought this device into your home, you paid good money for it.  Your computer is spying on you.
The home computer is bar none the greatest information sharing device ever created.  We can study anything our little hearts desire.  We can meet other people anywhere on the globe who have similar interests to us.  We can be kept constantly up to date with news, communication with friends and family and updates to our inboxes about myriad topics.

Internet ‘Kill Switch’ Dropped From Cybersecurity Bill

The much feared Obama Internet ‘kill switch’ has been dropped from the latest incarnation of the cybersecurity bill which was introduced yesterday, but the White House still claims that it can intervene in the world wide web under the 1934 law that created the Federal Communications Commission. “Public apprehension about the possibility of handing the White House a “kill switch” for the Internet has dogged the cybersecurity debate, fueled by a proposal that would have codified emergency powers for the president in the event of a catastrophic attack,” reports the Hill.

Bring Back The Peseta! Spanish residents turn to old money instead of the Euro

A Spanish town is looking to the past to safeguard the future of its ailing economy by reintroducing  the peseta. Fed up with the failing euro, rebellious locals in Villamayor de Santiago have reverted to using the old currency, which was phased out a decade ago. Around 30 shops in the historic town,  75 miles south-east of Madrid, started accepting pesetas last month after urging customers to dig out any old notes and coins they had forgotten about.News quickly spread, and shoppers from neighbouring villages and towns have been flocking there to spend the old currency.

Luis Miguel Campayo, chairman of the local merchants’ association, who came up with the idea, said:  ‘People kept hold of old pesetas thinking that they might come in handy one day if the euro fails. ‘It seems that those fears might come true. Lots of Spaniards,  especially older people, have a strong emotional attachment to the peseta and still do their sums in it when talking about big transactions. The economy is struggling so much that euros are scarce. ‘We thought that if people had a hunt around for their old pesetas, then why shouldn’t we accept them as legal currency? ‘It was after Christmas and shops really needed a helping hand and this is what we came up with.’The country introduced the peseta in 1868, joined the euro in December 2001 and phased out the old currency in February 2002.However, unlike other euro countries such as France and Italy, it never set a deadline for exchanging pesetas into euros.

Fears Iran Is Helping Al Qaeda Plot Atrocity

Iran and al Qaeda's core leadership under Ayman al Zawahiri have established an "operational relationship" amid fears the terror group is planning a spectacular attack against the West. There are concerns such an attack, possibly targeting Europe, would be in revenge for the killing of Osama bin Laden by the US last year.

Sky News' intelligence sources have said Iran has been supplying al Qaeda with training in the use of advanced explosives, "some funding and a safe haven" as part of a deal first worked out in 2009 which has now led to "operational capacity".

Although some Western intelligence agencies remain sceptical about an “alliance” between Iran and al Qaeda, the United States has become so concerned about the close relationship that late last year it issued a $10m (£6.4m) reward for information leading to the whereabouts of a Syrian al Qaeda leader in Iran, Ezedin Abdel Aziz Khalil, better known as Yasin al Suri.
The reward offered for al Suri, 30, puts him on the same level as Mullah Omar, the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan. Only al Zawahiri, who replaced bin Laden, has a higher price, $25m (£16m), on his head.
According to Sky sources, Iran has reacted to the publication of al Suri's name by taking him into "protective custody".
"If someone got hold of him, he would have the most incredible amount of intelligence and so it makes sense to make sure that he is protected," said a source.
But al Suri has been swiftly replaced - a sign, Sky intelligence sources say, that the al Qaeda relationship with Iran is of great mutual importance.
The new al Qaeda leader in Iran, effectively the most important figure outside the core leadership based in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, is Muhsin al Fadhli.
The al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan is worried it is losing its grip on the movement's "franchise".
Al Zawahiri is believed to be planning a "classic" al Qaeda attack, simultaneously on multiple locations, which would confirm the mantle he has assumed as the leader of the global jihad.
A source said: "Iran is the main route through which funding for the organisations is made, the main route for operatives to travel to Pakistan for training, and it is the only real way by which al Zawahiri can control and order a major attack."
The sources have no specific intelligence on what the al Qaeda target is, nor when it might be launched.
"We do know that an operation is under way. We assess that the most likely target is to be European. And the most obvious target in Europe for an attack that would attract a lot of attention would be the Olympic Games," a source said, stressing that this was only an "assessment" and not based on any specific intelligence.
The newly-appointed al Qaeda leader in Iran was accused of providing funding to its operations in Iraq. A Kuwaiti citizen, he fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan.
His deputy, Adel Radi Saker al Wahabi al Harbi, a Saudi, also served under al Suri and is on Saudi Arabia's "most wanted" list of alleged terrorists.
A secret intelligence memo, seen by Sky News, said: "Against the background of intensive co-operation over recent months between Iran and al Qaeda - with a view to conducting a joint attack against Western targets overseas… Iran has significantly stepped up its investment, maintenance and improvement of operational and intelligence ties with the al Qaeda leadership in Pakistan in recent months.
"Al Harbi (the al Qaeda number two in Iran) is considered an extremely dangerous field operative; he has fought in the Afghanistan and Pakistan theatres."
Iran's nuclear programme has been under covert attack for the last few years.
At least five nuclear scientists have been killed, or maimed, in hit-and-run shootings and bombings which Iran has blamed on Israel.
In addition, its efforts to develop a long-range missile and refine uranium to a weapons grade have been hit by 'accidents' and the Stuxnet computer virus, which temporarily crippled its uranium centrifuges.
This week Israel blamed Iran's client organisation, the Lebanese militant group Hizbollah, for two bomb attacks against Israeli targets - one in New Delhi wounded an Israeli diplomat.
Iran has denied any links to al Qaeda, and to the recent attacks on Israelis.
The intelligence sources said that Iran wanted to extend its global reach with al Qaeda "most likely to be used in revenge for any military strikes against Iran's nuclear capacities. Iran wants to be able to say 'We can hit you back'".
Israel, which would face an existential threat from a nuclear Iran, has been debating the merits and dangers of an attack on Iran.
It would face a bombardment of hundreds of thousands of rockets from Hizbollah in Lebanon and Gaza, and directly from Iran in retaliation for an attack on Tehran's nuclear programme, Israeli experts have warned.
"Iran wants to widen that response to a global threat against Western targets, probably as a deterrent to any strikes by the West against its nuclear facilities," a Sky source said.
"The danger is that Iran and al Qaeda may be keen to show this capacity ahead of any attacks on Iran - as a kind of warning."
Although Iran, as a Shia theocracy, would not be a natural bedfellow of the Sunni al Qaeda network, there is a precedent for Iranian support for Sunni terrorist groups.
Hamas, in Gaza, has received significant funds and weapons from Iran via Syria. And in Iraq allied troops were targeted by both Sunni and Shia militants with bombs developed with expertise from Iran and Tehran's proxy, the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon.

Une 1ère banque islamique ouvre au Nigeria

Depuis notre « Enquête sous la burqa de la finance islamique » en 2009, les banques islamiques ont ouvert leurs portes dans plusieurs pays africains dont le Maroc, la Tunisie, le Sénégal et aujourd’hui le Nigeria. Basée à Abuja, la capitale, la banque Jaiz devrait contribuer à booster l’économie nigériane tout en respectant les principes tels que l’interdiction de l’intérêt et de l’usure.

Bloodshed & Blame Game: Both sides spur Syria crisis

Nearly 2 Million Dead People on U.S. Voting Rolls

Nearly 2 million dead people are still registered to vote this coming November, while another 24 million U.S. voter registrations contain mistakes or imprecise data, the Pew Center on the States says in a new report. The study, carried out for Pew by RTI International, discusses various problems in the voter registration system and emphasizes the need to modernize it to correct problems and save taxpayers’ money. At least 51 million citizens fulfill the requirements to vote but have not registered, while one in every eight voter registrations “are no longer valid or have significant inaccuracies,” the report says. Approximately 2.75 million people are registered to vote in more than one state and some 12 million registrations have incorrect addresses, whether because the voters moved or because it is impossible to locate them by mail to correct the voter records. “Voter registration is the gateway to participating in our democracy, but these antiquated, paper-based systems are plagued with errors and inefficiencies,” David Becker, director of Election Initiatives at the Pew Center on the States, said in a statement.
 “These problems waste taxpayer dollars, undermine voter confidence, and fuel partisan disputes over the integrity of our elections,” he said. The report says that in 2008, state and local authorities in Oregon spent $4.11 per voter to process registrations. By contrast, Canada, which uses up-to-date technology common in the private sector, spends less than 35 cents per voter.

Gulf Cartel Boss Exploits Turmoil in Northeast Mexico

The shifting balance of power in northeast Mexico has been bad news for the Gulf Cartel, which has seen its influence decline, but a new report from Proceso suggests that one Gulf leader, known as “El Coss," has benefited from the changing landscape.
The 2010 split between the Gulf Cartel and their erstwhile armed wing, the Zetas, has triggered hundreds of killings in the northeastern states of Tamaulipas and Nuevo Leon, which the two groups previously ruled as, essentially, a single organization. The Zetas, whose expansion and violent tactics made them notorious even prior to the split, emerged with a larger share of the territory. They have since expanded, now operating in far-flung states like Jalisco, and have even popped up in Sinaloa.
Furthermore, as the maps below demonstrate, they have since expanded, now operating in far-flung states like Jalisco, and have even popped up in Sinaloa. Much of the territory in the northeast is disputed by the two gangs, however.

Security is Weak Point for Venezuela's Opposition

Citizen security is sure to be a key issue in the upcoming October presidential elections in Venezuela, but while the opposition will likely challenge President Hugo Chavez’s crime policies, their candidate’s record isn’t much better. Venezuela’s Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD) held their first-ever presidential primary yesterday, with Henrique Capriles Radonski beating his four opponents in a landslide, taking 62 percent of the vote. Capriles, governor of Miranda state, is now gearing up for an eight month assault on Chavez in the lead up to the October 7 elections. One of the hot-button issues over which the two are likely to square off is crime prevention. Venezuela saw a record number of homicides in 2011, and the level of kidnappings and robberies has surged in recent years.

Desmantelan célula del cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación

Se estableció que formaban parte de una célula criminal, de la que se logró la captura de otros dos presuntos integrantes, según lo dio a conocer el titular de la Procuraduría General de Justicia del Estado de Jalisco (PGJEJ).

Además, las indagatorias permitieron establecer la relación de este grupo con otros 10 casos más de ejecuciones en agravio de 14 personas, (algunos de forma directa y otros como testigos) todos ocurridos en el municipio de Zapopan.

Por lo que los cinco detenidos ya se encuentran a disposición del Juzgado Décimo Quinto de lo Penal, acusados de homicidio calificado, además les aseguraron una pistola tipo escuadra calibre 9 milímetros y un automóvil.

Falklands Fever Not Likely to Turn into War

In a speech on February 7 highlighting steadily escalating Anglo-Argentine tensions, the explosive issue of the Falkland Islands was the focus.  Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced that her government was prepared to denounce London’s “latest re-militarization of the South Atlantic” before the UN’s General Assembly, the Security Council, and the Committee on Decolonization.

Reaching a Boiling Point

The increased “militarization” that President Kirchner was condemning refers to Britain’s recent deployment of its most modern and formidable destroyer, the $ 1.5 billion HMS Dauntless, as well as to the rumored deployment of a nuclear submarine, which has neither been confirmed nor denied by British authorities. The Argentine government saw an act of aggression when the Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, was dispatched on a six-week training tour as search and rescue helicopter pilot in the archipelago..

Eagle vs Dragon: US, China rivalry leads to new arms race

South China Sea: Rising Tensions But No Permanent Solutions On Horizon

Increased tensions in the South China Sea, especially between China and Vietnam, focus attention on vitally strategic area of interest, not only for the countries involved, but for the entire Asian continent. Global dynamics and balance of power are greatly affected by them. Between late May and early June last year, a new round of negotiations over a topic that, according to many analysts, will become one of the most important geopolitical issues in the coming years, began. The geopolitical development of what is happening in the South China Sea will have immediate and long term consequences for global security. This is due in large part to the economic significance of the area, its strategic location, the sheer number of states directly and indirectly involved with it (China, South Korea, Japan, etc), and their economic significance on the global level. Rising tensions and regional developments are being carefully followed by many stakeholders.
The South China Sea is the part of the Pacific Ocean stretching from the Straits of Malacca in the south-west to the Straits of Taiwan in the north-east. One of the distinctive features of the region is its high level of biodiversity and abundant marine resources, as it teems with fish, a product of strategic importance for all of the neighboring countries. Another feature is tied to the large number of islands and islets, sandbanks, and atolls in the region. The diversity and richness of natural resources and the divergent interests of the key actors in the region are what originally attracted so much international attention.

A fatal attack on Israelis abroad could spark war with Iran and Hizballah

This time, no one was killed although an Talya Yehoshua- KIoren, wife of the Defense Ministry representative in India, and three others were injured by a sticky bomb planted on her Innova SUV in New Delhi Monday, Feb. 13, at almost exactly the same time as a similar device was safely defused in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. In recent weeks, terrorist attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets were foiled in Thailand, Azerbaijan and Argentina. However much they deny this, Iran and Hizballah are clearly determined to keep on trying until they achieve their objective of killing targeted Israelis. Debkafile’s military sources say that the odds are on their eventual success, after failing in four out of five tries. On this assumption, Israel’s chief of staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz summoned three senior staff officers to a conference as soon as the first reports came in from New Delhi and Tbilisi at around noon Monday. It was attended by Military Intelligence Director Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavy, Air Force commander Ido Nehushtan and Operations Division chief Maj. Gen. Yaakov Ayash. The meeting’s level indicated that it was not limited to discussing the immediate import of the two bombing attacks but focused rather on the broader ramifications of a potential attack with Israeli fatalities and its impact on the prospects of war. This assumption does not look far-fetched when it is recalled that deadly terrorist attacks in the past plunged Israel into two major wars.

Russian Army Chief: Decision On Iran Attack To Be Made By Summer

Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Nikolai Makarov says that a decision by the U.S. and Israel on whether or not to launch a military attack on Iran will be taken before the summer.

“Iran, of cause, is a sore spot. Some kind of decision should be taken, probably nearer to summer,” Makarov told RIA Novosti. He added that Russia has created a new crisis center that receives information regarding Iran in real time.

Arabs open way for arming Syrians, civil war feared

After a bruising meeting in a five-star Cairo hotel, Arab foreign ministers led by Gulf states hinted to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that unless he halts his violent crackdown, some Arab League members might arm his opponents.
The message was folded into Article 9 of a League resolution passed on Sunday that urges Arabs to "provide all kinds of political and material support" to the opposition, a phrase that includes the possibility of giving weapons to Assad's foes. Diplomats at the meeting confirmed this interpretation. Arabs are striving to unite the world around their drive to push Assad to end the killing, but have gained little traction. They had to scrap a floundering Arab monitoring mission to Syria. When they sought U.N. Security Council support for a transition plan under which Assad would step aside, Russia and China vetoed the Western-backed U.N. draft resolution. Moscow is an old ally of Syria and its top arms supplier.

Monsanto accuse US farmers of ‘evading EPA rules’ for its freak-tech corn

Monsanto Co. and other seedmakers reported a threefold increase last year in U.S. farmers caught violating rules intended to stop insects from developing resistance to genetically modified corn. The rules affect farmers planting seeds modified to produce a toxin derived from Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, a natural insecticide. The Environmental Protection Agency requires those growers to also plant an adjacent area — a so-called refuge — of non-Bt corn so that bugs feed on both types of corn and don’t become immune to the toxin.
About 41 percent of 3,053 farmers inspected in 2011 failed to fully comply with the refuge requirement, according to data that Monsanto provided last week in an e-mail.

From Arab Spring to Cold War Winter

The American Game plan

The American purpose is not to annex the Middle-East to the west but rather to pit it against the SCO, having turned it into a jihadist powerhouse on a global scale unseen before.

The US currently faces 3 possible alternatives:
1. To take on Iran with a full scale frontal assault. Recent mobilization of US military assets into and around the Persian Gulf seems to support this hypothesis, yet nothing is determined so far.

2. To contain Iran, till it can destabilize Russia and China,
in accordance with Brzezinski’s doctrine, Which it does and has been perpetrating for some 40 years by now, since the Iranian Shiite movement started acting in Lebanon, nearly a decade before Brzezinski toppled the secularist Shah in Tehran. The usurpation of the office of US presidency by Barack Hussein Obama, without legal eligibility or due appointment, and the wavering of the US constitution during his time in office by means of an Enabling- act alleged for the sake of the Nation i.e. the NDAA - are not intended to appease the Muslims as the official doublespeak has it, but rather attest to the extremist Mullah regime in Iran being an 'Alter-Ego' of the US Banksters, en-route to global fascism shrouded in deep delusional Messianism. It seems the USA is hell-bent on dividing the world in to war-zones, intensive like world-war fronts, driven by religious zeal and enabled by means of nuclear weapons. This marks the peak of globalist insanity and thus must be fended off by means of an international solidarity front.

The Bankers’ Next Meal: Portugal

It looks like Greece will get its debt restructuring, which presumably delays its collapse by a few months. So now the spotlight shifts to the other functionally bankrupt eurozone countries which have no choice but to demand the same deal.
Portugal, by general consensus, is next in line. It hasn’t blatantly lied about its problems the way Greece has. And it hasn’t accumulated quite as much debt as Greece, though at 105% of GDP its government is still deep in the danger zone. But it doesn’t export much and runs truly massive trade deficits. In order to pay down its debt it will need to generate trade surpluses going forward, but without the ability to devalue its currency to make exports cheaper, there’s no way to accomplish this. So as with Greece, austerity leads to depression:

Foreign Powers Behind Syria Unrest

Arab Swing: Saudis & Qatar in rush to please US

Seeds of Conflict: Sectarian split creeps into Syria

Who runs Greece? EU, IMF or bankers who pit poor vs poor

Journalist finds himself on food stamps

Investors Take Note: A Seismic Shift Has Begun in China…

Most of the rally in China’s markets over the last few months stemmed from the belief that China was going to begin monetary easing again in order to soften its economic slowdown.

Risk Of Hard Landing Rises As China Begins

Monetary Easing (From Forbes 11/18/11)

Chinese policymakers have begun to selectively ease macroeconomic policy to support growth, according to Barclays’ analysts.  While full on easing won’t come until 2012, China will face a significant economic slowdown as the export sector feels the impact of a fragile global economy, and residential investment, which makes up 12% of GDP, falls drastically as the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) seeks to control a real estate bubble.

In their attempt to execute a “soft landing,” China’s leaders have engineered a slowdown by tightening policy over the last several quarters.  This was a response to unwanted consequences of prior stimulative policy.

Burning Banks: More footage of Greek chaos and riots

Workers of Russia, become an aristocracy!

In his latest article, entitled "Building Justice: A Social Policy for Russia,” Prime Minister Vladimir Putin outlines his presidential priorities for social justice in the run-up to next month's elections. In the opening line of his article, published in Komsomolskaya Pravda on Monday, Putin writes: “Russia is a welfare state.” Period. This brief statement does more than frame the prime minister’s campaign program. It represents the heavy foundation stone upon which Putin plans to build Russia’s social agenda long into the future. For Putin, social policy should “support the weak,” while providing an “equal starting position” for all members of society. This represents the continuation of a progressive theme that began during Putin’s first presidential term in 2000 when he took the bite out of big business and the so-called oligarchs.

Syria rejects new Arab League resolutions

Damascus has rejected the Arab League’s call to bring international peacekeepers into Syria, labeling it a hostile act aimed at undermining security and stability in the country. ­An emergency session of foreign ministers of the 22-member Arab League in Cairo has issued a resolution appealing to the UN to bring peacekeeping force into Syria. The international contingent, they insist, should be consisted of UN blue helmets and troops from Arab countries, “to oversee the implementation of a ceasefire.” Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly has opened debate on Syrian crisis.
The Arab League Secretary General Nabil El-Arabi proposed to form a new monitoring group for Syria, consisted of international observers of both the UN and the Arab League specialists. He also proposed former foreign minister of Jordan Abdelilah Al-Khatib to be a UN special envoy for Syria, a diplomat that previously worked as a UN special envoy for Libya.

Nigeria: PDP Wins Bayelsa, Rumblings of Renewed Militancy Continue

Few were surprised to see that Nigeria’s ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party or PDP, won Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Bayelsa State. The PDP controls not only the presidency but also a super-majority of the nation’s governors’ seats, and it has dominated Bayelsa politics since Nigeria’s Fourth Republic began in 1999. The victor in Bayelsa, Henry Seriake Dickson, had the strong support of President Goodluck Jonathan.
As I wrote last week, Bayelsa, which lies in the Niger Delta, has faced not only political tension but also renewed violence, some of which is electoral, some of which targets the oil industry, and all of which is in some sense or another political. The election is now over,  but that does not settle questions about where the politics of the region are headed.

Mali : touaregs, Aqmi ou les deux à la fois ?

La tournure violente que prennent les événements au nord du Mali entre rebelles touaregs et forces gouvernementales, préfigure-t-elle une nouvelle donne au Sahel ? La question se pose avec d’autant plus d’acuité que le gouvernement de Bamako fait état d’une connexion avérée entre les rebelles touaregs du Mouvement national de libération de l'Azawad (Mnla) et l’Aqmi. Surtout que des dizaines de soldats, peut-être une centaine, ont été égorgés ou froidement abattus fin janvier dans la ville malienne d’Aguelhok, selon Bamako. Le modus operandi ressemble à s’y méprendre à celui utilisé par les groupes terroristes d’Al Qaïda au Maghreb islamique, l’ex-GSPC algérien. 

Russia-NATO summit conditional on missile defence agreement

The Russia-NATO summit that’s due in Chicago in May this year will largely depend on whether the parties will reach agreement on missile defence plans for Europe.The decision will be made by the future Russian President, the high-ranking Russian Foreign Ministry official, Yuri Gorlach, told a news conference in the Moscow region earlier today.Missile defence cooperation could radically improve Russia-NATO relations, but efforts to reach agreement to that end have so far proved futile, the diplomat said. He pointed out that Moscow is concerned about the US and NATO plans to deploy a missile defence system in Europe, a system that may target Russian strategic nuclear forces.

Arab League proposes monthly aids for Palestinian authority

The Arab League (AL) ministerial council on Sunday called on the Arab countries to provide 100 million U.S. dollars per month for the Palestinian authority to ease its financial pressures. A resolution by the pan-Arab body asserted the necessity to halt all forms of Israeli siege imposed over the Gaza strip. Regarding the new developments in Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the ministerial council said that fair and comprehensive peace is the only strategic choice, but it couldn't be achieved without full withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Arab and Palestinian territories.

Iranians Ponder War as Nuclear Standoff Continues

The streets of Tehran were as bustling as ever on Monday, betraying little sign of mounting international tensions over Iran’s disputed nuclear program. But Iranians were split on whether the Islamic Republic was on the brink of war.

“It doesn’t feel as if a war is coming,” said Abul Fazal, a worker at the city’s Grand Bazaar. “But if one does start, I am sure our young people will defend our homeland.” His colleagues nodded in agreement.

But members of the city’s professional class were not so optimistic that conflict could be avoided.

“If war comes, it will be like a massive earthquake for our country,” said twenty-something artist Golshan in a trendy downtown Tehran café. “I am very afraid, of course.”

Ukrainian Scientist Suspected of Spying for U.S.

A spy scandal may be brewing in Ukraine after the media reported on Monday that the security service suspects the director of a research institute there of passing secret information to the United States.

On December 19 last year, investigators from the Ukrainian Security Service visited the Institute of Sorption and Problems of Endoecology, which researches sorbents capable of absorbing radiation, and confiscated a computer used by the institute's director, Professor Volodymyr Strelko.

They said Strelko, who was on a vacation in the United States at that time, was sending information related to the Chernobyl disaster to his counterparts in the U.S., for which he received large grants.

The Ukrainian Security Service has confirmed that it conducted checks to see whether it was legal for the institute’s workers to send information and documents abroad, but added that it did not conduct any investigative work at the institute on December 19.

Will Kosovo organ trafficking case be put on wrong track?

The situation in Kosovo was expected to become the key issue on the agenda of the UN Security Council’s meeting on February 8 in New York. Before the meeting the members of the Security Council received a report by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Edmond Mulet. In his report Mulet notes that the resumption of the talks between the authorities of Belgrade and Kosovo has «eased the tensions» but the stakeholders are facing new «significant political challenges». Among such challenges the official names the situation in the regions populated by Kosovo Serbs, which remains unsolved. 

Truly Disgusting - the West in Kosovo

In the tantrums thrown by the Western powers in the wake of the Russo-Chinese veto of their UN Security Council resolution on Syria, the US’s UN Ambassador, Susan Rice, expressed «disgust» at these two states’ behavior. In addition to these kinds of «hysterics» – as Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov so aptly described them – being calculated to rally the global media further against the two Eurasian giants, they also serve the purpose of directing attention away from the West’s own disastrous intervention track record. On February 8, just four days after the failed Syria resolution, the UNSC had a chance to discuss another Western interventionist «success story» – Kosovo.

U.K. Muslim Brotherhood Plans For Global March On Jerusalem

Palestinian media is reporting on plans by the U.K. Muslim Brotherhood and it supportive organizations for the so-called “Global March to Jerusalem.” According to a Palestine News Network report:

Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Muhammad Badi': Our Ultimate Goal, Establishing a Global Islamic Caliphate

In a recent sermon, the General Guide of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, Muhammad Badi', set out his vision for his movement and for Egypt in the post-revolutionary era. Citing Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan Al-Bana, he stated that the movement has two goals. The immediate goal is to prepare the hearts and minds of its members, which involves "purifying the soul, amending behavior, and preparing the spirit, the mind and the body for a long struggle." The second, long-term, goal is to affect "a total reform of all domains of life," which will eventually result in establishment of an Islamic state governed according to Koranic law – first in Egypt and eventually in the entire world. 

Greece 'a breath away from ground zero', PM warns

He told the nation in a televised address on Saturday that a rejection of the deal today would lead to “uncontrollable economic chaos and social explosion”. “This agreement will decide the country’s future,” he said. “We are just a breath away from ground zero.” Amid scenes of continued mounting social unrest, politicians must today decide whether to sign off fresh austerity measures demanded by the country’s international lenders in order to release a second €130bn aid package to Athens. The rescue must be secured by March 20 in order to stave off bankruptcy. It is on that date that the Greek government has to pay back €14.5bn of its debt to holders of its bonds. Mr Papademos said parliament had a historic responsibility to back the bill, or face catastrophic consequences if Greece misses the deadline to service its debt.  "A disorderly default would set the country on a disastrous adventure," he said. "It would create conditions of uncontrolled economic chaos and social explosion."

Bolivian president says NGOs spy on his country for US

Some of the NGOs that work with local philanthropic groups "are the fifth column of espionage in Bolivia. I'm convinced of that, they are systems of espionage," Moales said in Oruro, 370 kilometers (230 miles) south of the capital La Paz. "Some countries, especially the United States through USAID (US Agency for International Development), give money to some NGOs. Why? So these NGOs will be accountable" to the foreign governments, he added. Morales, who became the first indigenous leader of Bolivia in nearly 500 years after his inauguration in January 2006, has many times accused NGOs of clandestinely working for Bolivia's enemies and conspiring against the country. He has especially blamed three NGOs -- the Center for Legal Studies and Social Research (CEJIS), the Bolivian Forum on Environment and Development (FOBOBMADE) and the League of Defense of the Environment (LIDEMA) -- for plotting to undermine the Bolivian state. The indigenous people of Bolivia and the rest of South America have suffered through five centuries of oppression, which began with the European invasion and conquest of the Americas.

Car bombs 'target Israel envoys' in India and Georgia

Witnesses said a motorcyclist placed a device on an embassy car in Delhi, causing a blast that hurt four people - one seriously. A bomb underneath a diplomat's car in Tbilisi was defused. Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran was behind both incidents. But Iranian officials denied the claims as "sheer lies". One of the victims of the Delhi bombing, the wife of a defence ministry official, was in a "critical but stable" condition, according to AFP news agency. It quoted a doctor as saying she had undergone spinal surgery.

'Terror exporter'
Mr Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud party MPs that there had been "two attempts of terrorism against innocent civilians". "Iran is behind these attacks and it is the largest terror exporter in the world," he said.
He also blamed Iran for recent plots to attack Israeli targets in Thailand and Azerbaijan that were prevented.
And he suggested that the militant Islamist Hezbollah movement was also involved. Israel's foreign ministry said the country had the ability to track down those who carried out the attacks. But Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast rejected Mr Netanyahu's accusation, calling it "psychological warfare against Iran". "We condemn any terrorist action and the world knows that Iran is the biggest victim of terrorism," he was quoted as saying by the official Irna news agency.

International condemnation
Earlier, the state's ambassador to India Mehdi Nabizadeh had told Irna: "These accusations are untrue and sheer lies, like previous times." In a statement, India's Foreign Minister SM Krishna pledged a full investigation, adding: "The culprits will be brought to justice at the earliest."

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned the attacks, saying the US "stands ready to assist with any investigations of these cowardly actions". UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said he was "shocked and appalled" by the bombings.

The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes, in Jerusalem, says security at Israeli embassies has been tightened in recent months following warnings of potential attacks, after Iran accused Israel of a series of attacks on its nuclear scientists.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera said one of them, Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan, died last month when motorcyclists placed a "sticky bomb" on his car - a technique similar to that used in previous attacks attributed to the work of Israel's Mossad.
Similarities seen in the Delhi blast could be an indication of the aggressors sending a message that attacks in Tehran will be repaid in kind, he added.
After the explosion in Delhi, Indian TV showed pictures of a burning car near the embassy.
The area around the vehicle was later cordoned off and forensic experts and the bomb squad were examining the burnt out remains.
The embassy is guarded by several layers of security and is in a well-defended area of central Delhi, close to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence.

'Noticed device' David Goldfarb, the spokesman for Israel's Delhi embassy, said the diplomat's car was close to the building on Aurangzeb Road when the explosion went off.
He said they had no details as to who was behind the attack.
Officials in Georgia said an explosive device was attached to the bottom of a diplomat's car in the capital, Tbilisi, but was found and defused before it detonated.
Israeli embassy driver Roman Khachaturyan said he had just driven his child to school when he spotted the bomb.
"When I was driving I heard a noise. I got out of the car and saw something stuck to it."

Monsanto guilty of chemical poisoning in France

A French court on Monday declared U.S. biotech giant Monsanto(MON.N) guilty of chemical poisoning of a French farmer, a judgment that could lend weight to other health claims against pesticides. In the first such case heard in court in France, grain grower Paul Francois says he suffered neurological problems including memory loss, headaches and stammering after inhaling Monsanto's (MON.N) Lasso weedkiller in 2004.
He blames the agri-business giant for not providing adequate warnings on the product label. The ruling was given by a court in Lyon, southeast France, which ordered an expert opinion of Francois's losses to establish the sum of damages. Lawyers for Monsanto could not immediately be reached for comment. Previous health claims from farmers have foundered because of the difficulty of establishing clear links between illnesses and exposure to pesticides.
"I am alive today, but part of the farming population is going to be sacrificed and is going to die because of this," Francois, 47, told Reuters. He and other farmers suffering from illness set up an association last year to make a case that their health problems should be linked to their use of crop protection products. The agricultural branch of the French social security system says that since 1996, it has gathered farmers' reports of sickness potentially related to pesticides, with about 200 alerts a year. But only about 47 cases have been recognised as due to pesticides in the past 10 years. Francois, who suffers from neurological problems, obtained work invalidity status only after a court appeal.

An Observer in Athens: "The Greek people have gone to war against the system"

While the Greek parliament voted to approve the country’s sixth round of austerity measures last night, outraged protesters rampaged in the streets. Our Observer tells us that the use of violence is now no longer limited to anarchists and hooligans, ordinary protestors are also turning to violence as their exasperation reaches new heights.

 

Protesters and riot police clashed late into Sunday night. Police sprayed protesters with tear gas, and a number of protesters fought back by throwing stones and Molotov cocktails. Banks and hotels were set on fire, and luxury store windows were smashed. The Health Ministry report that about 50 people were injured.

 

Amateur videos uploaded online show scenes of urban guerrilla warfare in the very heart of Athens. These clashes are the worst Greece has experienced since the death of a teenager, killed by a police officer, set off riots in 2008.

Shining Path Political Party Opens Old Wounds in Peru

A movement linked to the Shining Path guerrillas has been blocked from registering as a political party in Peru, stirring up old resentments decades after the end of the civil conflict.
Some 20 years after the capture of Abimael Guzman, whose Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) guerrillas were responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the 1980s and 1990s, a political movement linked to the group is trying to enter mainstream politics. On January 20, Peru’s electoral council blocked the Movement for Amnesty and Fundamental Rights (Movadef) from becoming a registered political party. The council cited various shortcomings in the application, including doubts about the validity of signatures collected, and said that the group was not committed to democracy.

Weighing Calderon's Guilt in Mexico Drug War

Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Sinaloa Cartel leader "Chapo" Guzman have been accused of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC), raising questions about the application of international humanitarian law to the "war on drugs." The official complaint was filed in the ICC on November 25 by an enterprising team of legal scholars, activists, and journalists, and was supported by a petition bearing more than 20,000 signatures. According to human rights lawyer Netzai Sandoval, who is spearheading the case, the appeal to international law rather than Mexico’s courts was necessary because the Mexican judicial system lacks the “will and ability… to judge crimes against humanity.”
When the complaint was filed at the International Criminal Court, it garnered significant media attention in the US, and was been followed by analysts and pundits discussing the merits of the case. Last month Excelsior op-ed contributor Ricardo Aleman endorsed the charges against Calderon, predicting that “upon leaving office, he will become the most persecuted of Mexican presidents."

Capture of 'Artemio' Spells End for Shining Path Faction

The capture of “Comrade Artemio,” one of the last of the Shining Path rebels’ old guard to remain at large, is a security success for Peru’s government, but is unlikely to affect the country’s burgeoning drug trade.
On Thursday, the news emerged that Artemio, whose real name is Florindo Eleuterio Flores Hala, had been seriously wounded in the early hours of the morning. Some reports said was he shot by his own bodyguards, who were working for the authorities, though others said he was hit in a confrontation with the police. He was found on Sunday morning by a military patrol, lying gravely wounded in a hut near the river Misholla, in Tochache province, San Martin region. Later that day he was flown by military helicopter to Lima. As the veteran guerrilla fighter was being carried on a stretcher into a police hospital, his hands heavily bandaged, he shouted some unintelligible words and raised a fist to the watching press.

Greece doomed, economy total farce & fiction!

Athens on fire as mass protest turns violent

Venezuela defense minister denies FARC ties

Venezuela's defense minister on Friday publicly denied media reports that alleged he was a "good friend" of FARC leader "Timochenko" after meeting with his Colombian counterpart. Referring to Colombian media reports that claimed Defense Minister Henry Rangels's ties to the Colombian rebels, the Venezuelan official said, "you can not provide evidence to lies."
"When ferocious slander and information campaigns are unleashed, my personal response has been the job, reinforcing the values and strengthening the love for the job," Rangel added. The Defense Minister was supported by Venezuela's Interior Minister, Tarek El Aissami, who interrupted, saying "there is not a single piece of evidence that links the general to any illegal armed group."

Former peace commissioner charged with fraud, arms trafficking

Colombia's former Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo was charged with conspiracy, procedural fraud and the illegal trafficking of arms Friday despite having left the country. The prosecution, who had already successfully petitioned an arrest warrant against Restrepo, demanded the close ally of former President Alvaro Uribe to be sent to jail while awaiting trial because of obstruction of justice after his apparent fleeing the country and failing to appear before hearings five times. According to prosecutor Francisco Villarreal, the former peace commissioner had actively taken part in what he knew was a fraudulent demobilization of 62 fake FARC fighters in 2006.

Mexican Governor got Millions in Drug Cash

U.S. drug agents have evidence that cartel leaders paid millions to a Mexican border state governor and other figures in Mexico's former ruling party in exchange for political influence, according to a court filing in Texas. Confidential informants told Drug Enforcement Administration investigators that leaders of the Zetas and Gulf cartels made payments to Institutional Revolutionary Party members including Tomas Yarrington, who served as governor of Tamaulipas state in 1999-2004, according to the complaint filed in U.S. District Court in San Antonio, Texas. The affidavit says the DEA also has obtained ledgers documenting millions of dollars in payments to Yarrington's representatives. Yarrington declined to comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Friday.

The Pentagon has drawn up plans for military intervention in Syria.

A military strike would be coordinated with Turkey, the Gulf States and the NATO powers, according to reports that acknowledge such plans officially for the first time. The plan is described as an “internal review” by Pentagon Central Command, to allow President Barack Obama to maintain the pretense that the White House is still seeking a diplomatic solution.

This is considered vital, as military intervention would most likely be conducted through various Middle East proxies, which the US and NATO could then back with airpower. Turkey and the Arab League states, led by Saudi Arabia and Qatar, do not want to be seen for what they are: stooges of the US. Deniability for them therefore requires the US to conceal the full extent of its involvement.

In the February 6 Financial Times, Anne-Marie Slaughter, a former director of policy planning for the US State Department, argued for “A little time… for continued diplomatic efforts aimed at shifting the allegiances of the Sunni merchant class in Damascus and Aleppo.”

This Is What An Economic Depression Looks Like In The 21st Century

Do you want to see what a 21st century economic depression looks like?  Just look at Greece.  Once upon a time, the Greek economy was thriving, the Greek government was borrowing money like there was no tomorrow and Greek citizens were thoroughly enjoying the bubble of false prosperity that all that debt created.  Those that warned that Greece was headed for a financial collapse were laughed at and were called “doom and gloomers”.  Well, nobody is laughing now.  You see, the truth is that debt is a very cruel master.  Greeks were able to live way beyond their means for many, many years but eventually a day of reckoning arrived.  At this point, the Greek economy has been in a recession for five years in a row, and the economic crisis in that country is rapidly getting even worse.  It was just recently announced that the overall rate of unemployment in Greece has soared above 20 percent and the youth unemployment rate has risen to an astounding 48 percent.  One out of every five retail stores has been shut down and parents are literally abandoning children in the streets.  The frightening thing is that this is just the beginning.  Things are going to get a lot worse in Greece.  And in case you haven’t been paying attention, these kinds of conditions are coming to the United States as well.  We are heading down the exact same road as Greece went down, and the economic pain that this country is eventually going to suffer is going to be beyond anything that most Americans would dare to imagine.

The Formalizing of an Affiliation: Somalia’s Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahideen & Al-Qa’ida Central

In a new media release, half audio message and half video message, released on Thursday, February 9 by Al-Qa’ida Central’s (AQC) media outlet, the Al-Sahab (The Clouds) Media Foundation, the group’s amir, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Ahmed Godane, the amir of the Somali insurgent movement Harakat al-Shabab al-Mujahideen (Movement of the Warrior-Youth; Al-Shabaab) formally announced the official affiliation of Al-Shabab with AQC.  The announcement, which was teased a day prior to its release on jihadi-takfiri Internet forums, formalizes the relationship between the two groups following a lengthy history of ideological affinity and cooperation between them.  Its release has renewed discussions about how Al-Shabab should be classified, as mostly a local or regional insurgency, a transnational militant movement akin to AQC, or a mix of the two.  This post, like much of my current research and writing on Al-Shabab, attempts to make a modest contribution to this discussion.  I have and continue to argue that Al-Shabab is most accurately seen as a type of “glocal” militant movement, a mainly localized militant movement that uses transnational rhetoric and maintains an operational capability to carry out attacks outside of its home base inside Somalia, primarily but not necessarily limited to regional countries in East Africa.

Israel Will Commit Suicide By Attacking Iran

In the last six months, tensions have risen between Israel and Iran. Israel has assassinated numerous Iranian nuclear scientists and Iranian military officials, including the founder of Iran’s missile program, Major General Hassan Moghaddam. So far, Iran has not retaliated against Israel’s repeated acts of aggression and terrorism. But the spirit of revenge is alive in Tehran. While it is hard to tell what kind of manifestation Iran’s spiritual anger will take, everyone realizes that a retaliation is in order and completely justified.
Throughout Israel’s campaign of terror and provocations against Iran, the Obama administration has remained in the background, quietly minding its own business. Washington’s compliance towards Israel has puzzled and aggravated many people, including world leaders who believe the time has come to get tough with Israel. Anyone who is paying the least bit of attention to statements on Israel and Iran by U.S. government officials know they are contradictory and anti-reality.

Saadi Gaddafi warns of uprising in Libya

Speaking to Al-Arabiya television by phone - the first time he has spoken publicly in months - Saadi said he wanted to return to Libya "at any minute" after escaping across the border to Niger when National Transitional Council forces captured the capital Tripoli in August. He said he was in contact from Niger with the army, the militias, the NTC and other members of the Gaddafi family. It was impossible to verify where he was calling from as the station showed only an old still picture of Saadi as a backdrop to his words.
"First of all, it is not going to be an uprising limited to some areas. It will cover all the regions of the Jamahiriya and this uprising does exist and I am following and witnessing this as it grows bigger by the day," he said, referring to Libya. "There will be a great uprising in the south, in the east, in the centre and in the west. All the regions of Libya will witness this new popular uprising."