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Showing posts from December, 2015

NSA spying top Israeli officials and lobbyists

The U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) has eavesdropped communications between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. lawmakers and American-Jewish groups, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. The United States captured phone conversations of top Israeli officials, including Netanyahu's private conversations, as it believed the intercepted information could be valuable to counter Netanyahu's campaign against the U.S. nuclear deal with Iran, according to the report. The United States has been pursuing a nuclear arms agreement with Iran at the time without telling its regional friend, while Netanyahu prepared for possible strikes against an Iranian nuclear facility in 2011 and 2012, the report said. By 2013, though the U.S. intelligence agencies determined Netanyahu was not going to strike Iran, it had another reason to keep watch, for the White House wanted to know if Israel had learned of the secret negotiations with Iran. A

Iran close to SCO

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) says it will consider Iran’s application for the full-fledged membership immediately after the sanctions against the country are lifted. “ The conditions under which the country under the UN Security Council sanctions cannot obtain the status of a full member have been prescribed at the first stage of the SCO formation, ” said SCO Secretary General Dmitry Mezentsev. “ The organization wishes success to Iran in the completion of work on Iran's nuclear program to implement as expeditiously as possible the necessary legal procedures for the sanctions’ lifting. I believe that after this, the organization will immediately return to Iran's application for a full member status, ” Mezentsev has been quoted by Sputnik news agency. He noted that cooperation with Tehran, especially in the last two or three years, and the interest exhibited by the Iranian side created “ the basis of a new quality and depth of thi

Syrian journalist who exposed ISIS Aleppo atrocities assassinated in Turkey

A prominent Syrian journalist and filmmaker, who produced anti-Islamic State documentaries was gunned down by unknown assailants in broad daylight in Gaziantep, Turkey. This is the third assassination of a journalist in the country over the last three months. Naji Jerf, editor-in-chief of the Hentah monthly, known for his documentaries describing violence and abuses on Islamic State-controlled territories (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) was shot and killed near a building housing Syrian independent media outlets in the Turkish city of Gaziantep. His death was originally reported by a group of citizen journalists he was working with. Jerf recently completed a documentary investigating violence and crime in the IS-held parts of Aleppo for the RBSS group ["Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently"]. The film won a Committee to Protect Journalists’(CPJ) International Press Freedom Award in November. More: https://www.rt.com/news/327226-syrian-journalist-ass

Πώς οι «αγορές» τζογάρουν και με το θάνατο

Ομόλογα με αντικείμενο στοιχηματισμού το… προσδόκιμο ζωής των ηλικιωμένων – Επενδυτές-όρνεα σε μια αγορά με προοπτικές πολλών δισεκατομμυρίων του Χρήστου Πραμαντιώτη Μέχρι τώρα γνωρίζαμε τα συμβόλαια θανάτου, πρακτική που σχετίζεται με τον υπόκοσμο και με χρηματικές συναλλαγές με σκοπό την επ’ αμοιβή δολοφονία ανθρώπων από πληρωμένους εκτελεστές. Παλιά πρακτική, μαφιόζικη, γνωστή και στην Ελλάδα βεβαίως. Ήρθε όμως, τις προηγούμενες μέρες, η Eλληνική Επιτροπή Κεφαλαιαγοράς για να εισαγάγει στις έννοιες που μέχρι τώρα ξέραμε, άλλη μία: τα… ομόλογα θανάτου που έκαναν την εμφάνισή τους στην ελληνική αγορά. Μιλάμε για κανονικά ομόλογα, που αγοράζονται, πωλούνται, αποτελούν ένα μακάβριο αντικείμενο επένδυσης και υπόσχονται… υψηλό ρίσκο αλλά και υψηλές αποδόσεις. Τζογάρουν με τη διάρκεια ζωής ενός ανθρώπου, ποντάρουν στον θάνατό του και κερδοσκοπούν από το… μοιραίο. Τι πιο ταιριαστό θα μπορούσε κανείς να φανταστεί για έναν κόσμο όπου τα πάντα μπορούν να γίνουν α

Hedge funds vs Greece: lobbyists want “cheap ticket” to speculation

This summer Greece's financial authorities fined 20 hedge funds for speculating against the Greek economy. Now, the main global lobby group for hedge funds is trying to tweak the EU's rules so they can have a free play in the future. Corporate Europe Observatory Global hedge funds attacked Greek banks in the early part of 2015. These were the months when the Greek economy was particularly fragile and in danger in the aftermath of the change of government in January of that year. In the wake of years of continuing economic crisis and harsh austerity, the new government was battling with its creditors to get a new and better deal from the EU. In response to Greek intransigence and hesitance to sign up to austerity programmes, the European Central Bank issued regular threats that liquidity to Greek banks could be cut off. At this point, 20 hedge funds – including JP Morgan Securities and Quantum Partners – moved in to do what they always do: specula

Are US financial elites interested in Daesh rise?

America's Muslims can by no means be regarded as the "enemy within," however there is an entity that supports Daesh (Islamic State/ISIL) from inside the United States, Calep Maupin notes, pointing the finger at omnipotent US oligarchs and financial elites. Wall Street tycoons pursue their own vested interests in Syria and Iraq, New York-based political analyst Caleb Maupin notes; as Daesh (Islamic State/ISIL) grows stronger, their profits increase, he underscores. “ What is the source of ISIS [Daesh] weaponry? ISIS, like all the other anti-government terrorist groups in Syria, has received a steady flow of weapons from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. These countries are absolute monarchies propped up by Exxon Mobile and other powerful US oil corporations, ” Maupin writes in his article for New Eastern Outlook. The political analyst emphasizes that a large percentage of the social media which is activity supporting

Varoufakis: Schäuble is the real boss in eurogroup

globinfo freexchange Below, there is an interesting part of the dialogue between Yanis Varoufakis and Peer Peeperkorn, taken from his website yanisvaroufakis.eu : -Who is the boss in the Eurogroup? “ Wolfgang Schäuble. He’s the puppet master who pulls all the strings. All the other ministers are marionettes. The president of the Eurogroup has no real power. Dijsselbloem has no authority; he is a soldier, a puppet.” -What do you mean no authority? “ He can’t make any decisions without calling Schäuble.” -Not the French minister Sapin? (Laughing) “Sapin? Oh, no! Schäuble is the grandmaster of the Eurogroup. He decides who becomes the president, he determines the agenda, he controls everything.” -And who leads intellectually? “ Schäuble of course.” -Not the president? “ No comment.” Of course, Dr. Schäuble is a puppet too . The p

Βαρουφάκης: Αφεντικό στο Eurogroup ο Schaeuble, μαριονέτα ο Dijsselbloem

Την απογοήτευση του για τις αποφάσεις του πρωθυπουργού στην τελική ευθεία των διαπραγματεύσεων με τους πιστωτές εκφράζει ο πρώην υπουργός Οικονομικών, Γιάνης Βαρουφάκης μιλώντας στην ολλανδική εφημερίδα de Volksrant, ενώ δηλώνει ότι ο Αλέξης Τσίπρας “ παραδόθηκε στις απαιτήσεις του Eurogroup – χωρίς να με συμβουλευτεί ”. “ Συμβολίζω την αντίσταση κατά το τρίτο πρόγραμμα των 86 δισ. ευρώ για την Ελλάδα. Ένα σχέδιο το οποίο κανείς από τους συναδέλφους μου δεν ήθελε, αλλά παρόλαυτα ενέκριναν ομόφωνα ”, αναφέρει ο κ. Βαρουφάκης σε ένα άλλο σημείο της συνέντευξης του στην ολλανδική εφημερίδα. Χαρακτηρίζει τον υπουργό Οικονομικών της Γερμανίας, αφεντικό στο Eurogroup και τον Dijsselbloem μαριονέτα. “ O Wolfgang Schaeuble είναι αυτός που κινεί όλα τα νήματα. Όλοι οι άλλοι υπουργοί είναι μαριονέτες. Ο πρόεδρος του Eurogroup δεν διαθέτει αληθινή ισχύ. Ο Dijsselbloem δεν έχει καμία εξουσία, είναι ένας στρατιώτης, μία μαριονέτα (...) δεν μπορεί να λάβει καμία απόφαση χω

Further proof of Daesh smuggling oil to Turkey

The Russian Aerospace Forces operating in Syria continue to target the chief source of income for Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) – the illegal oil production and smuggling. During official briefing chief of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Sergei Rudskoy presented numerous photos and videos depicting Daesh tanker trucks attempting to smuggle oil into Turkey. Attepmting to evade Russian aircraft, the terrorists disguise tankers as ordinary trucks and usually move their cargo during night. “ In order to avoid losses to Russian aviation, the terrorists move [the oil convoys] mainly at night. Moreover, their tanker trucks are disguised as ordinary trucks, and move in small columns of several dozen vehicles at a time, ” Rudskoy said. Russian Armed Forces have revealed a new Daesh oil smuggling route: first the trucks take the shortest route to Iraq, and from there head to Turkey. Trying to escape Russian aviation's

Endless: Another 13 people drowned, seven children among them, in the Mediterranean sea grave

Greek authorities say a small plastic boat carrying migrants from Turkey to Europe has sunk off an eastern Greek islet and at least 13 people, mostly children, have drowned. The coastguard said another 15 people had been rescued, while a search was under way to locate one missing person. The dead were identified as seven children, four men and two women. The accident occurred before dawn on Wednesday off the small Aegean Sea island of Farmakonisi. The cause of the sinking was not immediately clear. A day earlier, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency reported that 11 migrants, including three children, attempting to reach the Greek island of Samos drowned after their boat capsized. Seven others were rescued. The agency said Turkish coastguards spotted the refugees during a routine patrol. Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/dec/23/at-least-13-people-drown-after-migrant-boat-sinks-near-farmakonissi Read also: How the Turk

IMFexit?

Poul Thomsen and other IMF technocrats reportedly suggested the withdrawal of the Fund from the Greek program which shows that the Greek experiment is about to be completed globinfo freexchange According to the Greek newspaper Ependisi, which invokes the Athens Agency, the suggestion of Poul Thomsen, the director of the European Department of the Fund, is that “the IMF should not participate in the new program, but to leave.” Recall that Paul Thomsen, was up until about a year the head of the IMF on the Greek program. In fact, he has been found at the center of criticism and internal investigation of the Fund for the failure and mistakes of the program in Greece. As stated in the article, Paul Thomsen reportedly insists on the withdrawal of the IMF, since, in his view, the conditions laid down by the statute of the Fund are not fulfilled in order to participate in support programs. The report states that the same view like Thomsen share many of t

Το ΔΝΤ στέλνει σήμα ότι το Ελληνικό πείραμα βαίνει προς ολοκλήρωση

globinfo freexchange Πρόκειται για μια ισχυρή ένδειξη ότι η μαφία του ΔΝΤ και η Ευρωπαϊκή Χρηματοπιστωτική Δικτατορία (ΕΧΔ) θεωρούν ότι το Ελληνικό πείραμα βαίνει προς ολοκλήρωση. Υπενθυμίζεται ότι πολλοί αξιωματούχοι της ΕΧΔ στο παρελθόν με δηλώσεις τους είχαν θέσει χρονοδιάγραμμα σύμφωνα με το οποίο το Ελληνικό πείραμα θα ολοκληρώνονταν μέσα στο 2016. Από το tvxs.gr Την αποχώρηση του ΔΝΤ από το ελληνικό πρόγραμμα φέρεται να εισηγείται ο Πολ Τόμσεν αλλά και άλλοι τεχνοκράτες του Ταμείου που εμπλέκονται σε αυτό. Σύμφωνα με την εφημερίδα «Επένδυση», την οποία επικαλείται το Αθηναϊκό Πρακτορείο, η εισήγηση του Πολ Τόμσεν, του διευθυντή του Ευρωπαϊκού Τμήματος του Ταμείου, είναι πως «το ΔΝΤ δεν θα πρέπει να συμμετάσχει στο νέο πρόγραμμα, αλλά να αποχωρήσει». Υπενθυμίζεται πως ο Πολ Τόμσεν, ήταν μέχρι πριν από περίπου ένα χρόνο ο υπεύθυνος του ΔΝΤ για το ελληνικό πρόγραμμα. Μάλιστα έχει βρεθεί στο επίκεντρο

Τα distress funds λιγουρεύονται τα κόκκινα δάνεια

“ Μας τρέχουν τα σάλια”, ομολόγησε στις 12 Οκτωβρίου υψηλόβαθμο στέλεχος ενός distress fund στους Financial Times, αναφερόμενος στις νέες ευκαιρίες εύκολου κέρδους που παρουσιάζουν υποβαθμισμένα ομόλογα και κόκκινα δάνεια. Μετά από 7 χρόνια εύκολης και απεχθούς κερδοσκοπίας που απέφερε τεράστια κέρδη, τα distress funds λιγουρεύονται την εκμετάλλευση της νέας λείας που εμφανίζεται στον ορίζοντα. Λείας που συμπεριλαμβάνει τα ελληνικά κόκκινα δάνεια. του Μιχάλη Γιαννεσκή Παγκοσμίως υπάρχουν περίπου 400 distress funds, που είναι στην ουσία μια υποκατηγορία των hedge funds, η οποία έχει ως στόχο τα «δάνεια δυστυχίας». Τα hedge funds έχουν στη διάθεση τους συνολικά 2,87 τρις. δολάρια σύμφωνα με το Hedge Fund Research, και οι «αποδόσεις» τους μέχρι σήμερα είναι εντυπωσιακές. Παράδειγμα το Dromeus Advantage Greek Fund που βραβεύτηκε το 2013 από τη γαλλική τράπεζα Societe Generale ως ένα από τα καλύτερα νεότευκτα hedge funds, γιατί «είδε» ευκαιρίες στην Ελλάδα και κατέ

Wiretapped calls reveal communication between Turkish officers and ISIS

Turkish officers on the Syrian border have communicated with Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, Turkey's Cumhuriyet daily reported, citing an investigation by the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's office which allegedly eavesdropped on their phone calls. The wiretapping reportedly took place last year as part of an investigation into six missing Turkish citizens, the Cumhuriyet reported. The relatives of those missing believed they might have joined the ranks of Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) militants. An investigation was launched into as many as 27 suspects, some of them in Syria, the report revealed. The Chief Prosecutor's office reportedly received permission to wiretap the phones of 19 people who were thought to have put the six missing persons in touch with Islamic State. The investigation reportedly revealed that those who wanted to join IS ranks received some form of “ideological training.” The file on the investigation

Χατζηστεφάνου: Η ματαίωση και προδοσία ελπίδων το 2015

“ Δεν είναι “πραξικόπημα”, αλλά επιλογή-μονόδρομος του πολιτικού και οικονομικού κατεστημένου της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης οι αλλαγές και πτώσεις κυβερνήσεων που δεν αποδέχονται το ασφυκτικό πλαίσιο του Διευθυντηρίου, ούτε η ανατροπή αποφάσεων από δημοψηφίσματα γίνεται τυχαία αλλά ως όρος επιβίωσης ενός συστήματος τα θεμέλια του οποίου τρίζουν μεν, αλλά αυτό αναζητά ήδη κυρίως μέσα από τη σοσιαλδημοκρατία την ανανέωση επιβολής του, μέσω της εξαέρωσης της κοινωνικής και λαϊκής οργής ”. Αυτό τόνισε μιλώντας στο Ράδιο 9,84 και στον Γιώργο Σαχίνη ο δημοσιογράφος-ερευνητής Άρης Χατζηστεφάνου, με αφορμή τη συγκρότηση και της νέας δουλειάς-ντοκιμαντέρ “This is not a coup”. Όπως είπε ο Άρης Χατζηστεφάνου, το 2015 ελπίδες λαών μέσω της ανάδειξης δυνάμεων που φάνηκε να αμφισβητούν το μονόδρομο της λιτότητας προδόθηκαν. “ Οι πρόσφατες εκλογές στην Ισπανία μπορεί να τερμάτισαν ένα ιστορικό δικομματισμό στη χώρα, όμως το Διευθυντήριο της Ε.Ε. εκτιμά ότι δυνάμεις που έχουν έν

Τούρκοι κατάσκοποι στο ISIS

globinfo freexchange Όπως αναφέρει η ιστοσελίδα moonofalabama.org , σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα της Τουρκικής εφημερίδας Zaman, ορισμένοι ένοπλοι του ISIS που πιάστηκαν αιχμάλωτοι, ισχυρίστηκαν ότι είναι μέλη της Τουρκικής υπηρεσίας πληροφοριών ΜΙΤ. Η Zaman αντιπολιτεύεται τον Ερντογάν και πολλές από τις πολιτικές του, καθώς αποτελεί μέρος του οργανισμού Gülen. Στο δημοσίευμα της 20ης Δεκεμβρίου αναφέρεται συγκεκριμένα ότι κατά την διάρκεια συναντήσεων μεταξύ του Masoud Barzani (ηγέτη των Κούρδων στο Ιρακινό Κουρδιστάν) και Τούρκων αξιωματούχων στην Άγκυρα, ο Barzani είπε ότι οι δυνάμεις των Κούρδων Peshmerga έπιασαν αιχμάλωτους 150 ένοπλους Τουρκικής καταγωγής που ανήκουν στο ISIS. Σύμφωνα με ορισμένες πηγές, ορισμένοι από αυτούς ισχυρίστηκαν ότι είναι μέλη της ΜΙΤ και ζήτησαν να επιβεβαιωθεί η ταυτότητά τους από τον επικεφαλής της υπηρεσίας, Hakan Fidan. Ο Barzani ζήτησε επίσης τη συνεργασία της Άγκυρας προκειμένου να απομακρυνθούν 500 Τούρκοι υπήκοοι από τη

How the Turkish mafia organizes the trafficking of refugees

His name is Osman. Or, that's how he introduced himself. He is one of the top members of the Turkish mafia doing business upon migrants and refugees in Turkey. He is not hiding ... “If the Turkish government didn't want us to do the job we do, we couldn't pass to Greece not even a fly” says disarmingly. Stratis Balaskas for the Athens News Agency globinfo freexchange He has a store in İzmir selling food stuff. It is a big store in Basmane, the district of Greeks and Jews before 1922, which was saved from the fire. The Turks in the district call him "Damascus". As they say "there are more Syrians here than in Syria". However, the picture of the area is not as it was last summer. There are no Syrians in the streets. The municipality authorities re-planted the grass in parks, there is not even a single Syrian. Yet ... there are! Osman explains to us that now “they stay in houses which have been rented especially for this purpo

Pro-Independence Catalans draft deal on regional government

The deal stipulates the appointment of acting head of the regional government Artur Mas as Catalan president. Pro-independence parties under the Junts pel Si (Together for Yes) coalition have reached a preliminary deal to form a regional government, they announced Tuesday. The deal stipulates the appointment of acting head of the regional government and Junts pel Si leader Artur Mas as Catalan president. Even the anti-capitalist Popular Unity Candidacy (CUP) have said they could now back Mas after snubbing his leadership in the past. The CUP will make a decision on Dec. 27. The Parliament of Catalunya has twice voted against the candidacy of Mas for the post of president. If a final decision is not made by Jan. 9, the parliament will have to select an alternative candidate. Failure to do so could trigger fresh regional elections. Currently, nationalist parties have an absolute majority in the 135-seat regional assembly. The deal takes place two days

Did the US Congress just lift the ban on medical marijuana?

Last Friday, the U.S. congress approved a measure that prevents the Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration from spending money to interfere with state laws on medical marijuana. The move has been heralded as tantamount to essentially lifting the federal ban on medical marijuana and a major blow to the war on drugs. The measure lets states implement their own medical marijuana policy without the fear of federal interference. And this is big news, considering that the majority of U.S. citizens now live in states where medical marijuana is legal. “ I think it is a step in the right direction and it shows the willingness to respect the will of the people, ” Amanda Reiman, manager of Marijuana Law and Policy at the Drug Policy Alliance, told teleSUR English. The provision was approved as part of the massive 1,603-page US$1.1 trillion spending bill for 2016—the amendment had been passed temporarily in 2015, but its approval in the 2016

Greek parliament unanimously asks recognition of State of Palestine

The Greek parliament unanimously asked from the Greek government the recognition of the State of Palestine at a special session held on Tuesday in the presence of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas was welcomed as head of state by parliament president Nikos Voutsis and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras: “ we welcome you in the presence of the prime minister, members of the parliament's presidium and president of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee of parliament and the Committee of the Greek-Palestinian friendship of parliament ”. On his part, Abbas stated “ the grand step of recommending to the Greek government to recognise a State of Palestine will go down in the history and in the future paces of the Palestinian people ” adding also “ We are very proud that we are here at the bastion of the Greek democracy ” who expressed the Palestinian people's gratitude and pleasure for the 'grandiose', as he called it, “ Greek parliament's i