“Differences in approaches remain that concern practical steps in achieving a settlement.”-Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman
Russian media reporting that U.S. President Barack Obama, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, remain divided over Syria, after their emergency phone meeting!
“Despite major policy actions, financial markets in parts of the region remain under acute stress, raising questions about the viability of the monetary union itself.”-IMF statement
18 July 2012, the International Monetary Fund has declared the European Union (EU) economy as “critical”.
The IMF is also pushing for the creation of a single banking union for the EU. Germany is so far opposed to such an idea.
IMF officials say one of the reasons for the critical economic situation in the EU, is that people are pulling their money out of banks. Example: Some wealthy Greeks pulled their money out of Greek banks and put it into banks of other European countries that were more financially sound. By creating a single EU banking system it would prevent that.
Despite being “critical” the economy of the EU is still bigger than that of the United States, and directly affects U.S. business, which is why so many U.S. investors are glued to news from Europe.
“This is an Iranian terror campaign that is spreading throughout the world! Israel will react powerfully against Iranian terror!”-Binyamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel
18 July 2012, Bulgarian bus explosion update: At least seven Israelis killed, 25 wounded. One bus exploded, two other buses on fire, Bulgarian fire fighters still working to put out fires!
18 July 2012, a group of U.S. Marines (Some reports say sailors. Some reports say soldiers, but USN & USMC personnel are not referred to as ‘soldiers’) on shore leave in Turkey were attacked.
A group claiming to be the Turkish Youth Association (TGB) attacked U.S. forces in the port city of Antalya. TGB members verbally insulted the Marines and tried to put bags on their heads GITMO/Abu Ghraib style. Turkish police broke up the assaults and detained seven people.
People of Turkey are protesting the presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln. The aircraft carrier left the Persian Gulf on 16 July, the same day the Pentagon announced sending yet another aircraft carrier to the volatile region.
“We expect the organizers of the act of terror in Damascus to be identified and for them to face their deserved punishment.”-Russian Foreign Ministry statement
“Israel is closely monitoring all the developments in Syria.”-Ehud Barak, Israeli Defense Minister
“An explosion occurred in a passenger’s bus with Israeli citizens at the Burgas Airport.”-Dimitar Nikoliv, Mayor of Burgas, Bulgaria
18 July 2012, there are reports that Ehud Barak, the Minister of Defense for Israel, just finished an hours long emergency meeting with IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) top brass.
This after two explosions, one that assassinated the top Syrian defense official, and the other which killed at least three Israelis, and wounded 20, on a bus in Bulgaria!
Prior to the attack on the Bulgarian airport shuttle bus carrying Israeli passengers, IDF officials praised the assassination of Syrian officials, rating it “…a 7 on the Richter scale!”
Witnesses to the Bulgarian bus explosion say the entire bus went up in flames.
Russia and China have stated they will veto any new UN Security Council resolutions against Syria.
“…we are not in the habit of repeating a warning and we warn only once.”-Ataollah Salehi, Major General Iranian Army, 03 January 2012
There will soon be four U.S. aircraft carrier groups in the Persian Gulf. The USS Enterprise, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and the USS Abraham Lincoln will soon be joined by the USS John C Stennis.
The announcement was made on 16 July 2012, by the U.S. Department of Defense. The Pentagon also said the deployment of the USS Stennis, in August, will be four months ahead of schedule, and it will be for longer than originally planned.
The United States has also increased the number of other combat ships in the area. But here’s the thing, back in January 2012, Iranian officials singled out the USS Stennis, threatening military action against that specific aircraft carrier if it ever returned to the Persian Gulf.
Back in April 2012, USN Commander Amy Derrick-Frost, of the 5th Fleet, said it was unusual to have two U.S. aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf at the same time, now there’s going to be four!
Is the U.S. move a deliberate provocation in order to start a full blown World War 3?
“The vast majority of the Iranian transactions, ranging from 75-90% over the years, were sent through HBUS [HSBC’s U.S. operation] and other U.S. dollar accounts without disclosing any connection to Iran.”-Department of Homeland Security report to U.S. Senate
17 July 2012, testimony in front of a U.S. Senate panel, by Homeland Security officials, revealed that HBUS (the U.S. division of United Kingdom’s HSBC) “concealed Iranian transactions” between 2001 and 2007 (gee that’s during the Bush Jr administration!).
$19.4 billion USD are involved in the “u-turn” transactions (a type of money laundering by Too Big to Fail banks): “From at least 2001 to 2007, two HSBC affiliates, HSBC Europe (HBEU) and later HSBC Middle East (HBME), repeatedly conducted U-turn transactions involving Iran through HBUS, many of which were not disclosed to the bank, even though they knew HBUS required full transparency to process U-turns.”-report to U.S. Senate
U.S. Senator, Carl Levin, said “HSBC’s chief compliance officer and other senior executive in London knew what was going on, but allowed the deceptive conduct to continue.”
Levin also pointed out that the U.S. Department of the Treasury, under George W. Bush, did nothing to stop HSBC.
This is the latest accusation against HSBC. The Too Big to Fail bank has also been accused of helping Mexican drug lords and Saudi Arabian terrorists, among other crimes. Read about it in the 335 page report at www.hsgac.senate.gov/reports
“The problem of the Iranian LCs [Letters of Credit] created by the U.S. and western states’ sanctions against the banking system (of Iran) can be solved by using the banks operating in the Russian regions.”-Alexander Vitalivic, Russian Head of the Iran-Russia Regional Cooperation Workgroup
17 July 2012, Russian officials announced, at the Iran-Russia Regional Cooperation Workgroup meeting, that Russia is willing and able to help Iran avoid any bad economic effects from U.S. and European Union sanctions!
“The presence of small and medium size banks and financial institutions of the (Russian) regions (on the scene of transactions with Iran) will be useful for motivating an increase in exchanges and preventing decrease in exports.”-Alexander Vitalivic
Also, Russian Head of Iran-Russia Joint Trade Council, Yuri Papoyev, announced that Central Bank of Russia (CBR) is ready to make due payments to Iranian parties: “After meetings with the Russian Central Bank officials, they agreed to make due payments and open LCs [Letters of Credit] for Iran in the least time possible.”