Friday, March 29, 2013

North Korea declares state of war with South


 
North Koreans including soldiers attend a rally in support of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's order to put its missile units on standby in preparation for a possible war against the U.S. and South Korea, in Pyongyang March 29, 2013.(Reuters / KCNA)



Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/north-korea-vicious-cycle-russia-072/

North Korea has entered a “state of war” against its Southern neighbor, stating that from now on any issues between the two countries will be resolved in a "wartime manner."

“From this time on, the North-South relations will be entering the state of war and all issues raised between the North and the South will be handled accordingly,” a special statement by the country’s top military command reads, according to the KCNA state news agency.

“The situation in the Korean Peninsula, which is neither peace nor war, has come to an end,” the statement says.

However, technically, the two Koreas are still in state of war since a peace treaty after the 1950-53 conflict had never been signed.

With North Korea placing its ballistic arsenal on high alert targeting American bases and the US tenaciously increasing military presence in the region, the whole situation risks “spiraling out of control” soon, warned Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov.

Both North Korea and the US bear responsibility for the recent substantial escalation of tensions, Lavrov said on Friday, calling on “all sides not to flex their military muscle.”

"We are concerned that alongside the adequate, collective reaction of the UN Security Council, unilateral action is being taken around North Korea that is increasing military activity,”Lavrov added, apparently referring to US plans to boost missile defense against the North, the joint US-South Korean contingency plan in the event of an attack as well as their recent military drills.

In a noteworthy contrast to all the previous war games, this time American B-2 bombers flew over 10,000 kilometers to stage a mock bombing of Korean soil, in a move that US officials confirmed to be unprecedented.

Following this “reckless provocation” North Korean military command held an urgent overnight meeting during which the state’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un signed a decree placing the Strategic Rocket Force on standby.

“The situation could simply get out of control,” Sergey Lavrov told journalists on Friday, calling for a resumption of a six-party discussion of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal within the framework of country’s international obligations

 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovmeeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Leonid Kozhara in Moscow.(RIA Novosti / Vladimir Pesnya)

While N. Korea has firmly pledged to “settle accounts with the US imperialists” and “mercilessly strike the US mainland, their stronghold, their military bases” in case of any further provocations, US officials seemingly do not consider the threat to be as real as the democratic republic is trying to present it to be.

The threats towards the US are only hurting North Korea itself as well as its people, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Friday.

“The bellicose rhetoric emanating from North Korea only deepens that nation's isolation,” Earnest said, adding that North’s unconditional renouncement of nuclear arms is the only clear path to resolve the situation.

Despite all the tensions, the United States is capable of defending its interests in the region, Earnest added.

Propaganda or serious threat?

Military experts agree that North Korea is at least several years from building a nuclear warhead or a missile capable of reaching the mainland US, which makes the threats, at this point, groundless.

However, a detailed plan of a nuclear strike on the US mainland can be clearly seen behind the North Korean leader on photos published in national newspaper. Such a demonstration of nuclear capabilities is likely aimed at an internal audience, in support of the idea of “sweeping away the US aggressors.”

 

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un discussing the strike plan with North Korean officers during an urgent operation meeting at the Supreme Command in an undisclosed location (AFP PHOTO / KCNA via KNS)

Nevertheless, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel admitted on Thursday that “every provocative, bellicose word and action” of Kim Jong-un has to be taken seriously.

Earlier this month Washington decided to address North Korea's faster-than-anticipated progress in nuclear weapons development, announcing that the US will have 14 missile interceptors up and running by 2017, even abandoning a key part of its Eastern European missile defense plan in order to curb the threat from North Korea.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Canada Under Siege – Part 2 - The Economy


 


Source: World United News - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2K3x-Ci8O8

Watching the World descend into economic tyranny due to the IMF and Private for Profit only Banks, really angers the hell out of me, but being Canadian, it especially angers me for what is going on here in Canada…because our government is a party to the theft taking place right here…and that is regardless of what brand of politic sits in governance of our nation.

I was brought up believing that the Banking system in Canada was sound and far superior than the rest of the World simply because we had our own National Bank to issue our own money...and from 1935 to 1974 that was certainly true. But it has not been true since.

Born in Montreal Quebec, Canada in 1960, I’ve seen a lot of things happen to this great country of ours over the years, but I was extremely puzzled why, despite the abundance of our natural resources and government imposed high taxation that we had no money to function or healthy economy. One day I decided to find out why.

What I discovered was that there was a massive theft taking place right under our noses by the IMF and all the other private banks that secretly had embedded themselves into the fabric of our Canadian economy & community…What makes the massive banking crimes so maddening is that I also discovered that all the past and present, Federal & Provincial governments in Canada have had full knowledge of the theft and have been a party to it.

This theft has been going on since 1974 through Federal Conservative, & Liberal governments, and through the Provincial governments of the Conservative, Liberal, NDP, and Parti Quebecois parties. They ALL knew what was going on, and by their knowledge of these banking crimes, they have all committed treason against the people of  this nation for doing nothing about it. Maybe the Chamber of Commerce has something to do with it…since all political parties feast there.

By giving the power to create money to the IMF & its ring of Private Banks, and also by giving our natural resources to foreign business cartels, The Federal & Provincial governments have sold out the Canadian people!…est les Quebec libre aussi. We’re not so libre as we might like so we are all in this mess together.

The debt we owe today, with the National and Provincial debt combined, comes to around 1 Trillion dollars. The interest payment on 1 Trillion dollars if it was at 4% is 40 billion dollars. That works out to about 110 million dollars every day just to pay the interest on a loan that should never have been made in the first place!

The Bank of Canada:

The Bank of Canada was created in 1935 to restart the Canadian economy and regain the peoples trust through a Canadian centralized banking system. The issuance of our own currency, by our own National Bank came without interest or compound interest added, thus allowing Canada to prosper and not go into debt despite the huge work projects and social programs that were created to elevate society back from the trash heap.

Huge government programs were created to put people back to work and thus created some of the most important National Corporations between those thriving years of 1935 to 1974. These corporations were owned by Canadians under a banking system that used an interest free currency…everything belonged to us during that time, including the right to make our own budget.

Large-scale social programs such as Medicare, and social benefits for families…old age pensions all emerged out of this economic model…and it was a model that worked for everyone while it was in place.

The Personal Income Tax collected from individuals became the government’s biggest source of income to keep our own sovereign system in place. In essence, We worked and invested in our country at the same time. The nation prospered and provided us with a higher standard of living while not going into to debt.

All was well and fine until 1974 when the Government of Canada gave the IMF and private banks the power to create the Canadian dollar and to charge us compound interest on loaning us our own money. The result of this giveaway is that we no longer have control of our currency or our governing budget. It belongs to private banks and their centralized private I.M.F.

Since 1974, Federal and Provincial government budgets are borrowed from Private Banks with Compound interest attached. That means we lose large amounts of our wealth and hard earned money to pay back the compound interest that came with the loans…and since the money has to come from somewhere, Canadians became tax targets while at the same time we lose our social programs by government spending cuts directed and ordered by the IMF through banking blackmail. The international economic system is completely rigged…in other words, if you don’t do what the IMF tells you, your bond rating will be lowered and the interest on the loans will be increased…

Compound interest, by practice, steals all the money slated to maintain our infrastructure and social programs…as the interest on the loan builds, the debt increases, which then gives the governments the ok to increase our taxes, or borrow more money from the private banks. The whole charade sends the economy into perpetual inflation mode. This cycle has drastically lowered our standard of living since 1974 and All past & present governments are responsible and should be questioned on their knowledge of the theft taking place, or their incompetence of what was taking place….a thorough PUBLIC investigation into this is required at the very LEAST!

Shortly after the IMF took control of our monetary system, our National Corporations such as the Canadian National Railway, Air Canada, and Petro Canada, were sold by the Canadian government at the behest of those that control and loan us our money. Have a look into the Chamber of Commerce…there you’ll see where government business decisions come from. The Chamber of Commerce is a Private Club made up of Banks and Big Business Owners. Needless to say, National Corporations were sold to international private interests, And now they want to sell off programs by privatizing things like health care.

It is very important to note, that what disappeared with National Corporations such as Petro Canada, was the control of our natural resources and the profits they would have brought directly into the country’s coffers if we were not enslaved to the IMF and their scheme of compound debt. Instead, all profits from our natural resources go into the private pockets of the Corporate Share Holders while the rest of us pay increased taxes and allow them to steal it.

Corruption:

International Corporations pay rental fees to the Provincial & Federal Governments on the Canadian land they are raping…of course anyone in government that is pushing for corporate interests is on a committee that receives special compensation. To me this is nothing short of bribery…this type of behavior is shady, dishonest, and amounts to high treason against the people of Canada and should be publicly investigated with prison sentences for those found guilty. In light of these accusations I am making here, I find that the government is nothing more than a crime syndicate for big business, and it is time for these criminals to GO!

Now that the pillars of economic stability have been removed, Canadians find themselves at the mercy of the International banks that are TELLING us what to keep, what to sell and where to cut the budget. Our government not only sold us out, they refuse to change the economic climate for the betterment of its people…that means they do not work for the people of Canada but the private owners of the International Banks!

The next Canadian Federal election is in 2015 so we have time to organize the people of this country to take back our nation. To know which politician to vote for, make sure they are decidedly for removing the Private banks from issuing our money and to nationalize ALL our resources. It’s time to take our country back and this is the way to do it.

LINKS:

Canada Under Siege – Part 1 – The Tar Sands, Free Trade & Govt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfOsf1f26I
Crime of the Canadian Banking System
http://www.snowshoefilms.com/
Oh Canada, Our Bought & Sold Out Land
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbACCGf6q-c
Oh Canada Movie ORDER DVD
http://www.ohcanadamovie.com/

Press for Truth
http://www.pressfortruth.ca/
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce
http://www.chamber.ca/
Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Quebec – (The Quebec Chamber of Commerce)
http://www.ccquebec.ca/
Bank of Canada – Official Website
http://www.bankofcanada.ca/
The Bank of Canada Act
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/B-2/
Banknotes of the Canadian Dollar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banknotes_of_the_Canadian_dollar
Canadian Banknote Company  - Owned by American Mega Corp. RR Donnelley
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Bank_Note_Company
BA International prints Canadian Dollars and is German Owned
Bloomberg - Company Overview of BA International Inc. – German Owned
http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=11792219
Canadian Crown Corporation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Crown_Corporation
Canadian National Railway – Privatized in 1995
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Railways
Air Canada – Privatized in 1988
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Canada
CBC
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Broadcasting_Corporation
VIA Rail
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_Rail
Petro Canada – Privatized in 2009
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petro_canada

 

Monday, March 25, 2013

China to purchase fighter jets, submarines from Russia: Report


 
A Russian Su-35S fighter jet

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/25/295127/china-to-buy-jets-subs-from-russia/

China is set to purchase two dozen fighter jets and four submarines from Russia, Chinese state media say.

The deal to buy the Su-35 fighters and Lada-class submarines was signed before the recent visit by President Xi Jinping to Moscow, the Chinese newspaper People’s Daily cited state television on Monday.

According to the report, it is the first time in a decade that Beijing purchases “large military technological equipment” from Moscow.

China’s military expansion comes amid its dispute with Japan over a chain of uninhabited islands claimed by both countries in the East China Sea.

“The Su-35 fighters can effectively reduce pressure on China's air defense before Chinese-made stealth fighters come online,” the report said.

Two of the submarines will reportedly be built in Russia, with the other two to be built in China. The value for the agreement, however, was not mentioned in the report.

Moscow and Beijing are also expected to work together in the field of military technology, which includes building S-400 long-range anti-aircraft missiles, 117S large thrust engines, IL-476 large transport aircraft and IL-78 aerial tankers, according to the report.

However, China's Defense Ministry has not commented on the report yet.

The Chinese president paid a three-day visit to Moscow from Friday to Sunday. He held talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin during his first foreign trip since becoming president earlier in March.

The two sides reportedly signed about 30 deals in the energy sector and other areas during Xi’s stay.

The Chinese president also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, becoming the first foreign head of state to visit the Russian armed forces' control center.

 

US military has plans to bomb and send forces in Syria: Washington Post


 
Scores of people, mostly civilians, were rushed to hospitals in Aleppo following the terrorist chemical attack on March 19, 2013.

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/25/295139/us-has-plans-to-bomb-syria-report/

The US military has prepared plans ranging from aerial bombings to deploying troops to “seize [chemical] weapons sites” inside Syria but has reservations against such moves, fearing a political backlash to the US intervention as well as lack of coordination with its regional allies.

“If we had to go in tomorrow, I’d say we aren’t ready,” said an unnamed Obama administration official “involved in the preparations for securing Syria’s chemical weapons” quoted in a Washington Post report on Monday.

“One thing we want to avoid is having one group securing the sites and another group bombing them,” added the official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Following reports of a chemical attack near the Syrian major city of Aleppo by foreign-sponsored terrorist gangs trying to overthrow the government of President Bashar Al-Assad, US President Barack Obama said he had directed his “teams” to “find out precisely whether or not this red line was crossed,” the report adds, suggesting an American effort to blame the attack on the Syrian government.

The Obama administration “has sent thousands of protective suits and more than 150 military personnel to help train special forces teams” near Syria’s border with Jordan, where it claims “the largest” chemical arms depots are located, the report adds, citing US and Middle Eastern officials.

Pointing to efforts by the American military to work with “regional allies” to prepare responses “if events require seizing [Syrian] weapons sites, the report does not, however, mention any specific allies and whether the Israeli regime would also be involved in the potential scheme.

More aggressive US military options, according to the report, involve “a plan to destroy Assad’s air force to prevent it from using aerial munitions.”

It further cites American officials as looking into the possibility “to destroy much of Assad’s chemical arsenal,” but fearing that “dispersing chemicals” could cause widespread casualties, they would have to send in “highly trained operatives” to place and detonate explosives at the sites, rather than bombarding them.

The development comes as the US-sponsored anti-Damascus coalition group was reported on a verge of collapse following the resignation of its top leader, Moaz al-Khatib, after a Syrian-born US citizen was appointed a prime minister of a so-called interim government.

CIA aids Arab kingdoms, Turkey in huge surge of arms shift to Syria rebels


 
A member of an anti-Damascus foreign-backed gang with weapons illicitly shipped supplied through a CIA-led network (file photo)

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/25/295121/cia-aids-vast-arms-shift-to-syria-rebels/

US spy agency CIA has played a major role in locating weapon sources and coordinating a huge surge of arms shipments to foreign-backed militants in Syria by governments of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Jordan.

From “offices at secret locations,” American intelligence agents have aided the US-backed Arab kingdoms “shop for weapons,” including a major Saudi arms purchase from Croatia, and have even determined which terror gang or commander should receive the weapons as they arrive, The New York Times reports Monday, citing American officials that spoke on condition of anonymity.

The scale of shipments was “very large,” with Turkish government exercising oversight over much of the operation, “affixing transponders to trucks ferrying the military goods through Turkey” to monitor shipments as reach Syria by land, the report adds, citing “officials familiar with the (weapons) pipeline and an arms-trafficking investigator who assembled data on the cargo planes involved.”

“A conservative estimate of the payload of these flights would be 3,500 tons of military equipment,” said an illicit arms transfers monitor, Hugh Griffiths, of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, as quoted in the report.

“The intensity and frequency of these flights are suggestive of a well-planned and coordinated clandestine military logistics operation,” Griffiths added.

The shipment of weapons from Qatar and Saudi Arabia climbed drastically in late fall as Turkish government allowed the pace of arms airlifts for anti-Damascus terror gangs to accelerate.

Simultaneously, the report notes, Jordanian cargo aircraft, acting as front for the kingdom’s military, were flying in a major Saudi weapons purchase from Croatia to foreign-backed gangs operating in southern Syria, forming “a cataract of weaponry,” as described by a former US official briefed on the US-facilitated illicit arms transfers.

Qatar, using it Al Udeid Air Base, which serves as “a hub for American military logistics in the Middle East,” has been “an active arms supplier,” the daily underlines, citing US and other Western officials as well as commanders of anti-Damascus gangs in Syria, “so much so that the United States became concerned about some of the Islamist groups that Qatar has armed.”

The report further cites air traffic control data as showing that Jordanian cargo planes “made a combined 36 round-trip flights between Amman and Croatia from December through February” in addition to five flights between Amman and Turkey this January.

While regular Qatari arms airlifts continued, the Royal Saudi Air Force “began a busy schedule too,” the daily adds, “making at least 30 C-130 flights” into Turkey’s Esenboga air base from mid-February to early March of this year.

American officials, the report insists, “have confirmed that senior White House officials were regularly briefed on the [arms] shipments,” further saying that previous CIA Director David Petraeus “had been instrumental in helping to get this aviation network [of illicit arms shipments] moving and had prodded various countries to work together on it.”

Even as the Obama administration has publicly claimed that it only offers “nonlethal” aid to the gangs trying to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, “the involvement of the CIA in the arms shipments… has shown that the United States is more willing to help its Arab allies support the lethal side of the civil war,” the report emphasizes.

The daily also suggests efforts by the US and its Arab allies for “drawing Turkey and Jordan actively into the war” they have waged on Syria, hoping to “provoke” Iran into the conflict as well.

The development comes as recent press reports have cited Israeli military leaders as claiming with the Syrian military “falling apart,” the Zionist forces are in a position to “focus” their efforts on Lebanon.

This is while US media outlets have widely reported that in his surprise visit to Iraq, American Secretary of State has pressured the nation’s leaders to limit Iranian flights into Syria, while vowing “revitalized” ties with the country they occupied for over seven years, leaving behind what has been widely regarded as a trail of death, destruction, abuse and still ongoing political interference.

The Islamic Republic has expressed full support for the government of President Assad in Syria while urging peaceful resolution of the nation’s crisis among Syrians and without any foreign intervention.

Iran has further maintained that the current Syrian unrest has been incited and financed by the chief backer of the Israeli regime, the US, and largely corrupt Arab kingdoms in the Persian Gulf that have been kept in power with American military backing.

 

Eurozone finance ministers approve bailout deal for Cyprus


 
French minister of Economy, Finances and Foreign Trade Pierre Moscovici (R) and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde (L) chat next to EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn (C) prior to an extraordinary Eurozone meeting on March 24, 2013 at the EU Headquarters in Brussels (AFP Photo / John Thys)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/cyprus-eu-imf-bailout-764/

The Eurogroup has approved a deal on a 10 billion-euro bailout for Cyprus, struck early Monday in Brussels. Cyprus avoids exiting the eurozone, but will have its second largest bank closed with heavy losses expected for big depositors.

The size of financial assistance will amount to 10 billion euro,” Eurogroup president Jeroen Dijsselbloem has announced at a press conference in Brussels after the eurozone finance ministers swiftly endorsed the plan.

“With this agreement we’ve put an end to the uncertainty that has affected Cyprus and the euro area over the last few days,”he added.

The new deal agreed between Cyprus and the Troika of international lenders - the EU, the ECB and the IMF - will set up a "good bank" and a "bad bank" and will mean that the country’s second largest bank Laiki will effectively be shut down.

Deposits below 100,000 euros will be shifted from Laiki to the Bank of Cyprus to create a “good bank.” Deposits larger than 100,000 euros will be frozen and used to resolve debts. It remains unclear how large the write-down on those funds will be.

The decision comes hours before the Monday deadline set by the European Central Bank, following heated talks between President Nicos Anastasiades and the Troika.

Earlier on Sunday the central bank in Cyprus has imposed an ATM withdrawal limit of 100 euros per day for the island's two biggest banks, in order to prevent a run on lenders.

Warren Pollock - market analyst and financial adviser says the financial turmoil in Cyprus is part of a broader crisis.

In reality this is a global problem which has not been addressed since 2007-2008 and previous to that with the issuance of huge amounts of debt and leverage into the system both in Europe and in the United States,” he told RT.


“And when that debt goes bad, the only recourse which exists is to tap remaining collateral in the system which is the savings.”



Pollock believes that sooner or later this “sort of stealing” of savings may result in popular unrest. “We can definitely see smaller countries being the test to see whether savings could be stolen on a wider scale.”

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Cyprus imposes ATM withdrawal limit of €100 per day for island's two largest banks


 
People queue to withdraw their savings at a Cypus Popular Bank (Laiki Bank) ATM in Athens on March 22, 2013. (AFP Photo)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/business/cyprus-bailout-withdrawal-banks-756/

The central bank in Cyprus has imposed an ATM withdrawal limit of 100 euros per day for the island's two biggest banks, in order to prevent a run on lenders.

A spokesman for the country's second largest lender, Cyprus Popular Bank, told Reuters that the new measure began at 1pm local time (11am GMT) and would remain in place until the bank reopens, or until confirmation of continued emergency funding from the European Central Bank. Cyprus Popular Bank had previously limited withdrawals to 260 euros per day.

A government official said the restriction also applied to the Bank of Cyprus.

It was initially reported that the measure was implemented on all banks in Cyprus, although it has now been confirmed that only the island's two biggest banks have been affected.

The news comes after Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades took part in last-minute crisis talks with international lenders on Sunday, in an attempt to save the country from financial meltdown. The negotiations in Nicosia to seal a bailout from the EU and International Monetary Fund failed to reach a solution.

Anastasiades then headed to Brussels to hold talks with EU, European Central Bank and IMF leaders ahead of a crunch meeting of eurozone finance ministers.

Government spokesman Christos Stylianides said in a statement on Sunday that Anastasiades and his team have a "very difficult task to accomplish to save the Cypriot economy and avert a disorderly default if there is no final agreement on a loan accord."

The news comes just one day after Cyprus and the Troika agreed to a 20 per cent tax on deposits over 100,000 euros at the Bank of Cyprus and 4 per cent on deposits held at other banks.

"Unfortunately, the events of recent days have led to a situation where there are no longer any optimal solutions available. Today, there are only hard choices left," European Union Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Olli Rehn said in a Saturday statement.

Cyprus is scrambling to come up with €5.8 billion by Monday, or face being kicked out of the Eurozone. The cash is a prerequisite for a further €10 billion in bailout funds.

Lawmakers' rejection of a previous proposal to tax all bank deposits prompted the European Central Bank to threaten to cut off emergency funding to Cypriot banks unless a deal was reached by March 25. Banks have been shut all week, and are due to reopen on March 26.

On Saturday, at least 1,000 bank workers in Cyprus hit the streets of the country’s capital of Nicosia. The demonstrators marched against the latest bailout measures taken by the country’s central bank.

Protesters carried banners that read, “Hands off provident funds” and “No to the bankruptcy of Cyprus.”

Turkey sends ‘stern warning’ to Cyprus over gas reserves


Meanwhile, Turkey has warned Greek Cyprus against using hydrocarbon reserves off the island to overcome its debt crisis without the consent of Turkish Cypriots. Ankara says such a move could result in an end to efforts to reunite Cyprus’ Turkish and Greek zones.

Turkey has contacted the US and plans to take the issue to the European Union, Today’s Zaman reported.

Ankara “had to issue a stern warning” regarding attempts to offer natural resources in exchange for foreign loans, a Turkish official said on Sunday.

Turkey has repeatedly warned the Greek Cypriot government against unilateral moves to extract natural gas and oil reserves off Cyprus, saying that Turkish Cypriots also have a say on the reserves.

The dispute recently escalated when reports surfaced that hydrocarbon exploration rights were part of Russia-Greek Cyprus talks last week over a possible deal which includes Russian financial help. However, the talks did not produce an agreement.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev expressed doubt on the inclusion of hydrocarbon reserves as a loan deal, saying there are concerns surrounding commercial viability and questions stemming from Turkish objections.

 

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Cypriot parliament votes against deposit levy



Cypriot woman shouts slogans as she holds a placard during a protest against an EU bailout deal outside the parliament in Nicosia (AFP Photo / Patrick Baz)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/business/cyprus-against-deposit-levy-501/

The Cypriot parliament has voted against a revised bank deposit levy. The tax was meant to shave 9.9% off any deposits over €100,000 and has since caused uproar in the country.

Thirty six deputies voted against the proposal to tax bank deposits in the 56-member chamber, while 19 abstained. One deputy was not present for the vote.

"The bill has been rejected," said house speaker Yiannakis Omirou, as thousands of protesters outside the parliament building in Nicosia erupted in cheers.

According to the proposal, a 6.75% rate was to be set for amounts between €20,000 and €100,000. Deposits of up to €20,000 euros were to remain untouched.

Passage of the bill was considered a prerequisite for a €10 billion European Union bailout for the Mediterranean island. EU finance ministers have warned that Cyprus' two biggest banks could go bust if a bailout deal in some form is not forthcoming. The government and opposition parties have scheduled emergency talks on the bailout for Wednesday.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has threatened to end emergency lending assistance for Cypriot banks if a bailout deal was not ensured. However, following the vote, the ECB said it would continue to provide liquidity to Cyprus as needed “within the existing rules,” Bloomberg reports.

Cyprus has discussed the tax with its European creditors. Ministers from the 17 eurozone countries urged protection for savers with €100,000 or less and for them to be spared from the levy, after the prospect brought panic to the markets and had Cyprus dealing with the prospect of Russia withdrawing its rescue loan.

The Cypriot government’s original proposal was to tax all depositors, setting the rate of 6.75% on all deposits under€100,000 and maintaining a 9.9% tax on all deposits above that level.

In the meantime all Cypriot banks have frozen the accounts liable for the tax and stopped all transactions, including electronic and closed for a long weekend until Thursday to prevent panic.

Cyprus needed to raise €5.8 billion euros for its bailout program and was hoping to get the money in the planned bank deposits levy.

Despite the precarious position Cyprus has found itself in, a default might be preferable than a bailout under the present conditions, United Kingdom Independence Party MEP Nigel Farage told RT.

“The EU has been unhappy about so-called tax havens for a very long time. Ironically, whilst continuing to turn a blind-eye to many activities that go on in Luxemburg. I mean Cyprus finds itself right now in a very difficult, desperate position. But I would say that it is better to officially go bankrupt, to default on international bond obligations. And to do that best to keep a banking industry and to keep some confidence in that country,”he said


 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Cyprus Americana: Humanity VS the Banksters




Source: SGT Report
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyIYwKivBzs

Published on 17 Mar 2013
 
The Banksters in the EU have announced that they intend to STEAL cash from the savings accounts of the people in Cyprus, and give that cash to the criminal BANKS! This is an overt act of evil. It cannot stand. It is the epitome of everything we've been warning about for years. This is the proof that the real world war is the one of the Banksters VS Humanity. And the question now is, who's next?

Downton Abbey publicity pictures used with consent for promotional purposes. Music used with creative commons license.

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

US seeks to expand assassination drone attacks to Syria: Report

Update: March 16th, 1:58 PM EST


A US assassination drone (file Photo)

Source: Press TV

The CIA is considering a secret contingency plan to expand the US assassination drone strikes to Syria, former and current American officials say.

The officials said the Counter terrorism Center, which runs CIA’s drone operations in Pakistan and Yemen, has recently tasked some of its agents to collect further intelligence on the situation in Syria, the Los Angeles Times reported on Friday.

The targeting officers, who are based at CIA headquarters in Langley, have formed a unit with US intelligence agents in Iraq, to examine purported threats against "the US’ interests in Syria," the report said.

The unit is closely working with Saudi, Jordanian and other regional spy services, according to the report.

The CIA and the White House have declined to comment on the issue.

According to the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism, between 2,627 and 3,457 people have been killed by US drones in Pakistan alone since 2004.

Some former CIA officials expressed skepticism about the nature of Washington’s new contingency plan, saying no evidence substantiates existential threats against the US’ interests in Syria.

The news comes on the same day as the summit of EU leaders in Brussels failed to reach an agreement on lifting the body's arms embargo on Syria to facilitate the flow of weapons to militants.

Although the US publicly claims that its role in Syria is merely limited to providing food and medical supplies to the anti-government militants, Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List revealed on March 7 that the US has coordinated weapons shipments from Croatia to the militants in Syria.

According to the report, 3,000 tons of weapons in 75 planeloads have been transferred from Zagreb to the militants in Syria via Jordan and Turkey. The weapons were reportedly paid for by Saudi Arabia at the request of the US.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Global Economics: The Truth and a Warning



Source Video: World United News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHTpRDM96YQ

By: Stewart Brennan
http://worldunitednews.blogspot.com/
 
Every country will face a “Tipping Point” and breakdown of society in the near future due to the crushing economic austerity measures inflicted on the people by the brutal International Banking System that was conceived and designed to acquire wealth and power for an elite few.

When impoverished nations reach their economic tipping point, the governing power structure of those nations will have no options left. They will have to tell those in control of their economic system to bow down to major changes, or they themselves will face the consequences of their inaction.

At the moment, the choice to fix the broken system belongs to those in control of it. I.e.: The International Banking Cartel through the IMF, World Bank, and International Bank of Settlements…however, if the warning is ignored and the choices made by those who govern the system only ensure that the extremely wealthy survive these harsh economic times, then the responsibility to correct the economic disparity will shift to the impoverished masses by virtue of their will to survive.

Be assured that “Civil Unrest” will grow proportionally to the rise in poverty. All one needs for proof is catch a glimpse of what is unfolding in Egypt, Greece, or Spain to see the truth of these words…and there are many other nations at different stages of bankruptcy, poverty and austerity that is being forced upon them by the I.M.F (International Monetary Fund). The victims of the economic system will rise up in their millions because their very survival depends on a just system for all. 

However, the problem is not just that the IMF has taken control of every nations economic sovereignty but that the corporate power structure that comes with the Private banks has also taken control of the natural resources of most countries. 

Making matters worse for the people of the World is that the entire political system in every country, with few exceptions, has been seized at every level by the same corrupt banking system.

Even the opinions on mainstream news are bought and paid for by corporate interests. Don’t believe me? Well Just try to get a differing opinion aired to the public on these mediums and you’ll soon see that it becomes painfully obvious where these news corps feed, because you Will be denied your opinion, just as investigative journalism has been denied when it contradicts the banking or corporate plans of the extremely wealthy that control the mainstream press.

Personally, I no longer watch TV, read newspapers or listen to the radio airwaves anymore because they are arrogantly biased and illogically opposed to common sense.

Call it what you will, but be assured that everyone will wake up to these facts sooner or later and when they do, there will be hell to pay…the degree will depend on how far the banking cartel try to take their illusion.

The Solution:

Nationalize all the private banks in each country to end the existence of “The IMF, World Bank, and the Bank of International Settlements”. Then each country must Nationalize all their natural resources so that the profits go into the nations coffers that supports the communities and the social programs. Reorganize the political structure so that real qualified people govern the nation. Money must not be allowed to affect the political structure ever again.

The World is yours to build, we do not need Private Banks to control it.

Stewart Brennan
World United News
http://worldunitednews.blogspot.com/


Please visit these other websites:

Russia Today Official English Website
http://rt.com/
Press TV Official English Website
http://www.presstv.com/

Special thanks to the following YouTube Channels:

Russia Today - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/RussiaToday
Press TV YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/PressTVGlobalNews
Sinn Fein Ireland YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/sinnfeinireland
Etudiant Militant YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBejoIT2TX50_WQFp6LU56Q
Anonymous UK YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/DCHTID247
Bahrain Revolution Media YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/BahrainMedia
Yemen Revolution Media Youtube
http://www.youtube.com/user/jjxxxxxxjj

Music: John Palmer

John Palmer – ReverbNation
http://www.reverbnation.com/JPalmer
John Palmer – Official Website - Music
http://externalcontrol.wix.com/worldinsideaworld-1

 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Manning US Army like child torturing ants with a magnifying glass’ (FULL LEAKED TESTIMONY)



Source: Russia Today

A speech freedom advocacy group has released audio of Bradley Manning’s testimony about his motives for leaking secret US government documents to WikiLeaks. It marks the first time the public has heard Manning's voice since his 2010 arrest.

Defying the military's ban on making recordings at Manning’s pre-trial tribunal at the military court at Fort Meade, the Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) has released Manning’s February account to the judge explaining why he exposed military secrets.

"We hope this recording will shed light on one of the most secret court trials in recent history, in which the government is putting on trial a concerned government employee whose only stated goal was to bring attention to what he viewed as serious governmental misconduct and criminal activity," the FPF said in a statement.

While unofficial transcripts of the statement are available, this is the first time anyone outside the court has heard Manning’s own explanation of how and why he gave the Apache helicopter video, Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Logs and State Department Diplomatic Cables to WikiLeaks



Manning justifies his actions with a firm belief that what he identifies as US government wrongdoings need to be exposed in order to “spark a domestic debate on the role of the military and our foreign policy in general as it related to Iraq and Afghanistan.”

In the recording he goes on to accuse the army of “not valu[ing] human life," comparing servicemen "to a child torturing ants with a magnifying glass."

In regards to the “Collateral Murder” video, which shows US Apache helicopters opening fire on and killing civilians, including journalists, Manning said “the most alarming aspect of the video to me, however, was the seemingly delightful bloodlust they appeared to have.”


The attacks footage received worldwide coverage following the release of 39 minutes of classified cockpit gunsight material in 2010, starting the controversy surrounding WikiLeaks and its whistleblowing founder Julian Assange.

Because recording is prohibited at Manning’s hearings, the Pentagon is pursuing measures that would strengthen security and prevent information leaks from the trial.

Military judge Denise Lind, who is trying Manning’s case, has been informed by the Department of Defense that there was "a violation of the rules for the court," a spokesman said in a statement sent to AFP, and that the “US Army is currently reviewing the procedures set in place to safeguard the security and integrity of the legal proceedings and ensure PFC Manning receives a fair and impartial trial.”

Twenty-five-year-old Private First Class Manning has been held in US military custody following his arrest in May 2010. He has pleaded guilty to 10 of the 22 charges set against him. If convicted, he could face 20 years in jail. He is pending trial as the prosecution still intends to pursue the 12 remaining charges.

Collateral Murder - Bradley Manning Leaked Video Clip




Thursday, March 7, 2013

Venezuela Mourns the Death of Hugo Chavez (Video Reports)


A Sea of Tears in Caracas


Source: The Real News

------------------------------------------------------------- 
Venezuela says farewell to “El Comandante” Hugo Chavez


Source: Russia Today

On Tuesday supporters of Hugo Chavez wept and chanted slogans at Caracas main square, where they came to mourn the loss of the socialist firebrand leader who redistributed his countries oil wealth to the poor.
The Venezuelan president died on Tuesday after losing a two-year battle against an undisclosed type of cancer. He was 58.
------------------------------------------------------------

The Life and Legacy of Hugo Chavez


Source: The Real News

Greg Wilpert looks at the achievements, failures and life of the leader of Venezuela's Bolivarian Revolution

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Hugo Chavez Dead – (Video Reports)


Chavez Dead – Vice President Accuses “Historical Enemies”



Source: The Real News

Venezuela's Vice President Maduro announces the death of President Hugo Chavez, says they believe Venezuela's enemies are responsible.

---------------------------------------------------

Hugo Chavez: a Look at the Man, the Myth and the Legacy


Source: RT America

After 14 years serving as the leader of Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez lost his battle against cancer Tuesday evening. The 58-year-old had been seeking treatment in Cuba when he encountered a respiratory infection that ultimately cost him his life. RT America's sister station, RT Spanish, sat down with President Chavez in October 2010. RT Correspondent Meghan Lopez takes a look back at the man, the myth and the legacy he left in Latin America.

----------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Hugo Chavez Democratized Venezuela Making it the Most Equal Country in Latin America


Source: The Real News

------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Chavez Revered & Reviled: President, TV star, thorn in US side


Source: Russia Today
----------------------------------------------------------
Rest in Peace Hugo Chavez


Source: Russia Today

Sunday, March 3, 2013

Italy may abandon euro if debt not renegotiated - Beppe Grillo


 
Beppe Grillo (Reuters / Giorgio Perottino)

Source: Russia Today
http://rt.com/news/grillo-italy-euro-abandon-731/

The economic crisis may see Italy abandoning euro and returning to lira, says comedian-turned-politician, Beppe Grillo, who’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement became a major power in the country’s politics after the last week’s general election.

In his interview with German Focus magazine, Grillo urged for the renegotiation of Italy’s €2-trillion debt, which is the second highest in the euro zone after Greece, at 127 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP).

“Right now we are being crushed, not by the euro, but by our debt. When the interest payments reach €100 billion a year, we’re dead. There’s no alternative,” the 64-year-old said.

According to the Five Star Movement leader’s forecast, the Italian political system has "only six months" left before it collapses and the state will no longer be able "to pay pensions and public sector salaries".

If there’ll be no changes to the debt obligations, Grillo believes, the option for his country would be to leave the euro and return to it's former national currency, the lira.

"If I've bought shares in a company that goes bankrupt, then that's my bad luck. I took a risk, and lost,"
he explained, drawing a comparison with the private market. “If the conditions remain the same, Italy would leave the euro and return to the lira.”

The Five Star Movement has attracted the sympathy of nearly a quarter of the many austerity-weary voters to win 109 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 54 seats in the Senate in the general election on February 24-25. This has created a political deadlock.

Neither Pier Luigi Bersani‘s center-Left Democratic Party nor the center-Right coalition led by Silvio Berlusconi currently have sufficient majority in in both chambers to form a government. The conditions of the parliament’s newcomers is unacceptable to the established parties preventing the formation of a coalition government.

"If Bersani's PD and Berlusconi's PDL suggest an immediate change in the electoral law, cancellation of election expenses reimbursement, and a maximum of two terms for any deputy – we would of course support such a government immediately," Grillo said."But they won't do that. They are just bluffing to win time."

"If we get into parliament we would bring the old system down, not because we would enjoy doing so but because the system is rotten," he added.

The Five Star Movement has everything it takes to become a huge headache for the European leaders, who have urged Italy to stay on the economic course laid out by Mario Monti ‘s outgoing government.

"Italy, as a major European economy, has a great responsibility,”
Philipp Roesler, Germany's Economy Minister, was quoted in the same edition of Focus. “There is no alternative to the policy of structural reforms... I'm confident that those responsible in Italy recognize the importance of stability.”

Beppe Grillo was a popular comedian on Italian television in 80s, but he disappeared from the screen in the 90s, with many suggesting that his harsh satire was too much to handle for Italian politicians.

After that he mainly performed in theatres and staged a series of mass rallies, including the 2007 V-Day celebrations, which gathered around 2 million people, protesting against the criminal activities of the Italian political elite.

The Five Star Movement was started by Grillo in 2010 and has made a splash at local elections, receiving the third highest number of votes overall and winning the mayoral election for Parma before the latest success in the general election.

For the Italian government to be able to pass legislation, it must have a majority both in the Chamber, and the Senate, and to achieve this majority coalitions are often formed
.

 

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