All Posts Tagged With: "WORLD"
The Dollar - World Currency or World Pain ?
Used to be that the US Dollar was a respected commodity. The Dollar was everywhere, all countries
were eager to accumulate this currency. But in the last year or so, something has happened to the Dollar. In its recent extended crash and volatility, what are its chances for recovery?
Well, if you don’t want to read the rest of the reasons — in short — it ain’t gonna recover. Pure and simple. If you want the reasons — read on, but it’s not pretty and you might be offended if you are an American.
Since its determined inception in 1944 with the Bretton Woods agreement, the Dollar went stellar in its world importance as the new World Reserve Currency. The new Greenback position fueled the start of the modern American Way, easy living with abundance for all. Then came credit for all in the 70’s and ’80s and again there were the good times. So, what happened?
Certain key events happened along the way that have fueled the inevitable crash. In 1971, Nixon turned around to the IMF and refused to pay back his countries huge debt. Instead, on his own — and for the benefit of just the US and not the World — he disconnected the world trade dollar from gold and set the dollar 
free. Because, as a stipulation under the Breton Wood agreement the dollar became the World Reserve Currency, the whole world must pay for important basic commodities like food, oil, metals etc. in Dollars, there was no real problem for Nixon in his actions. So, without any gold backing, the dollar only relies now on political goodwill and mainly oil for it’s position and value.
First political goodwill. Well what do you think? How have the past Presidents fared in terms of peaceful and friendly world diplomacy? How does the current Bush administration shape up in terms of world sway and respect? I guess I really don’t have to explain this. So much for the political goodwill then…
Secondly, the dollar has always been linked to oil. When oil went up in price, the dollar’s value was forced down. This was a wonderful mechanism to keep the oil price low, steady and cheap. After all, oil is the commodity that has always both fueled the American Way, and kept those stroppy OPEC countries in their place. Right?
Well, even an idiot must except that the positions has changed. With oil prices popping their top, all OPEC has
been saying is, “Oh…well we never realized that there would be such a demand for oil by Asia and particularly China. We certainly have enough oil, it’s just….well…we haven’t got enough refineries to process the oil. Terribly sorry.” OPEC is a rich, modern, high level business organization, with everything at its fingertips — and they couldn’t accurately project the demand for oil increasing in 2008 ? Yeah, right…
So oil skyrockets and the dollar is left out in the cold. More and more countries are unlinking their currencies from the dollar now. Brazil, Russia, China, India, Argentina, Kuwait and many others have done this. Numerous countries have also started to trade commodities in Euros. How dare they do this I hear you cry, what about the Bretton Woods contract? Well what about it? One of the stipulates of Bretton Woods was that the US dollar must always be backed by gold. So, if Nixon can break the contract …. Perhaps another memorable lesson in America leading by selfish example ?
This consequent loss in dollar confidence is stinging the dollar badly and still the US government does nothing effective.
I read one angry blog — by a cerebrally deficient American — who more or less said how dare the EU allow the Euro to get so strong against the dollar. Goddamn — how dare they, after all we did to win the Second World War — we should punish them harshly and teach them a lesson !! I was amazed at the sheer, blind stupidity of his blog. Another example of current clear-thinking and subtle US diplomacy perhaps? And as if America ever pays its debts — what about Nixon when he refused to pay the huge IMF debt? What about their current National Debt? — which stands at over $9 trillion dollars now, and is increasing by $1.63 million every single day. This is a big yawn to all US governments and is not seen as a problem. Every time the debt approaches the limit set by Congress they just pass another Bill, raising the bar. Trouble is, it’s not the US that pays the debt — its every other country in the world that holds US dollar reserves and Treasury Bills etc…And all to fuel the cheap, American Way. In other words, Europe and the rest of the world have been paying back America’s national debt for years and years. It is fairly apparent from all this that the US Government really does believe that the trade dollar should be looked after and supported monetarily by the rest of the world. After all, they’re the one’s that need the dollar, isn’t that right?…..
So what’s left? Will there be a recovery of the dollar? I don’t think so. For the simple reason that the US government has lost control of its own currency and is only just realizing this painful circumstance. But other forces are at work here, outside forces that are not good for the Western World. It is interesting that the Free World Markets — the very fabric of democracy — are probably or at least partially to blame for the dollar’s rapid demise. There is about $1.8 trillion dollars outside America now. China and Japan both hold over $1.1 trillion of this. So, as a practice scenario, what would happen if say China were to dump all its reserve dollars and buy Euros? Yes, all those worthless dollars would come back to America, and there would be massive
uncontrolled inflation, and a long-term recession not seen since the killing inflation that Germany had to suffer after World War ll.
There are other more significant threats and questions related to all the above. Now I come to the what if scenarios. What if China and Russia are using the Middle East as pawns in a greater game, to drain and strain the US economy? What if China does dump all her dollar reserves? What if oil really is running out? What will happen to the US ?
After all, before you go to war, you always try and weaken your opponent economically first.
What If Peace Is Breaking Out all Over - A World Tour.
While the mass media continues to feature wars and terrorism, the overall trend continues away from such unpleasantness.
Such stories are anathema to the mass media, because they do not attract eyeballs, and revenue.
That’s the way people are, and the result is a distorted view of trends in global violence.
Worldwide, violence continues to decline, as it has for the last few years. Violence has also greatly diminished, or disappeared completely, in places like Iraq, Nepal, Chechnya, Congo, Indonesia and Burundi. Even Afghanistan, touted as the new war zone, is seeing less violence this year than last.
All this continues a trend that began when the Cold War ended, and the Soviet Union no longer subsidized terrorist and rebel groups everywhere. The current wars are basically uprisings against police states or feudal societies, which are seen as out-of-step with the modern world. Many are led by radicals preaching failed dogmas (Islamic conservatism, Maoism), that still resonate among people who don’t know about the dismal track records of these movements.
The War on Terror has morphed into the War Against Islamic Radicalism. This religious radicalism has always been around, for Islam was born as an aggressive movement, that used violence and terror to expand. Past periods of conquest are regarded fondly by Moslems. The current enthusiasm for violence in the name of God has been building for over half a century. Historically, periods of Islamic radicalism have flared up periodically in response to corrupt governments, as a vain attempt to impose a religious solution on some social or political problem. The current violence is international because of the availability of planet wide mass media (which needs a constant supply of headlines), and the fact that the Islamic world is awash in tyranny and economic backwardness. Islamic radicalism itself is incapable of mustering much military power, and the movement largely relies on terrorism to gain attention. Most of the victims are fellow Moslems, which is why the radicals eventually become so unpopular among their own people that they run out of new recruits and fade away. This is what is happening now. The American invasion of Iraq was a clever exploitation of this, forcing the Islamic radicals to fight in Iraq, where they killed many Moslems, especially women and children, thus causing the Islamic radicals to lose their popularity among Moslems.
Normally, the West does not get involved in these Islamic religious wars, unless attacked in a major way. Moreover, modern sensibilities have made that more difficult. For example, fighting back is considered, by Moslems, as culturally insensitive (”war on Islam”), and some of the Western media have picked up on this bizarre interpretation of reality. However, some historians like to point out, for example, that the medieval Crusades were a series of wars fought in response to Islamic violence against Christians, not the opening act of aggression against Islam that continue to the present. Thus, the current war on terror is, indeed, in the tradition of the Crusades. And there are many other “Crusades” brewing around the world, in the many places where aggressive Islamic militants are making unprovoked war on their Christian neighbors. Political Correctness among academics and journalists causes pundits to try and turn this reality inside out. But a close look at the violence in Africa, Asia and the Middle East shows a definite pattern of Islamic radicals persecuting those who do not agree with them, not the other way around.
While Islamic terrorism grabs most of the headlines, it is not the cause of many casualties, at least not compared to more traditional wars. The vast majority of the military related violence and deaths in the world comes from many little wars that get little media attention outside their region. Actually some of them are not so little. While causalities from terrorism are relatively few (usually 5,000-,000 dead a year worldwide), the dead and wounded from all the other wars actually comprise about 95 percent of all the casualties. The Islamic terrorism looms larger because the terrorists threaten attacks everywhere, putting a much larger population in harms way, and unhappy with that prospect. But in the West, and most Moslem nations, Islamic terrorism remains more of a threat than reality.
Current wars are listed in alphabetical orders. Text underneath briefly describes current status. Click on country name for more details.
The Taliban attempt at a comeback has been reinforced by drug gang profits and al Qaeda choosing the Pakistani border area the location for their last stand. With all that, violence nationwide is still lower than last year. A sharp increase in Taliban activity in 2006 brought forth a sharp response from government and NATO forces. Independent minded tribes, warlords and drug gangs remain a greater threat to peace, prosperity and true national unity, than the Taliban (which is based across the border in Pakistan). The newly elected Pakistani government is reluctant to make on the pro-Taliban tribes and various Islamic terrorist organizations. That has increased the flow of gunmen from Pakistan into Afghanistan. But the violence inside Afghanistan is growing, largely because of the growth of the drug gangs, and their support for tribes (especially pro-Taliban ones) that oppose the national government.
A few hundred Islamic rebels persist, despite the hostility of most Algerians. The local Islamic terrorists have now officially become a part of al Qaeda, and have turned to suicide bombing. This kills a lot of civilians, and increases the hatred the population already feels towards the Islamic radicals. The level of terrorist violence is still much lower than it was a few years ago. The population is not happy, and a general uprising remains a threat because of dissatisfaction with the old revolutionaries that refuse to honor election results, share power or govern effectively.
The Greater Albania Movement is driven by part time Albanian nationalists, full time gangsters, political opportunists, Kosovo separatists and some Islamic radicals. West Europeans got their way, and Kosovo became independent. Serbia disagrees with that, and Big Brother Russia offers all manner of support, and threats. Bosnia continues to attract Islamic terrorists, despite the local government becoming increasingly hostile to these foreign troublemakers and alien Islamic conservatism.
Dictators brew rebellion by suppressing democrats and Islamic radicals. But not much violence, just a lot of potential.
Rebel movements grew and united, aided by Sudanese backed Arab militias from across the border. The Chad government gave refuge to Sudanese Darfur rebels. The government thought they had a peace deal, but it quickly fell apart. European peacekeepers are arriving, but are having problems obtaining sufficient helicopters and air transport. Much of the unrest along the border is caused by refugees from tribal battles in Sudan, who bring their feuds with them. Prospects for peace are not good.
The confrontation with Taiwan continues, as do hostilities with neighbors, separatists, dissenters and ancient enemies. A new government in Taiwan plays down independence, and China responds with soothing words. But also China speeds up modernization of its armed forces, but in ways Westerners have a difficult time understanding. China has developed a major Cyber War capability, and has been using it for over a year. The targets of this, in Western Europe and the U.S., have figured this out, and a new crises is born. China has become major secret supplier of cheap weapons to bad guys everywhere. World class weapons are planned for the future, some 10-20 years from now.
After over three decades, leftist rebels more rapidly losing support, recruits and territory. Even leftist demagogue Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has dropped support for the Colombian rebels, although he is still providing sanctuary for them and their cocaine producing allies. The drug gangs and leftist rebels have merged in many parts of the country, and war in increasingly about money, not ideology. The leftist rebels are definitly losing, but all that drug money will keep them in the game for quite a while.
Multiple tribal and political militias, plus an increasing number of bandits, continue to roam the countryside. Peacekeepers and army action have reduced the size of these violent groups, but not eliminated them. However, there are fewer places that the bad guys can roam freely. Attempts to merge rebels into the army has not worked well. The last major problem is a Tutsi militia in the east, which will not disarm until the government destroys Hutu militias built around Hutu mass murderers who fled neighboring Rwanda in the 1990s. UN peacekeepers criticized for not fighting more, but that’s not their job. Congolese army not up to it yet either, so there it simmers.
Border dispute with Eritrea festers, and invasion of Somalia bogs down in local clan feuds. Internally, rebellious Moslem groups are a constant threat, especially with more active support from Eritrea. Ogaden province, right on the Somali border, and full of ethnic Somalis, has rebelled again. Not a big deal, but one more hot spot that burns up troops and scarce cash. These two border wars have been around for centuries, and not likely to go away now.
Peacekeepers keep a lid on two century old violence between the rich and the poor, and the criminal and political gangs. Peacekeepers have busted up many of the gangs, and sharply lowered the crime rate. But the government is still corrupt and prone to breed lawbreakers and disorder.
Kashmir is but one of many rebellions that beset the region. India also has tribal and Islamic rebel in the northeast, and Maoist (communist) ones in between. Pakistan has Islamic radicals in the north, and rebellious Pushtun and Baluchi tribes along the Afghan border. The Taliban had become stronger in Pakistan, where it originated, than in Afghanistan. Newly elected Pakistani government wants to make peace with the Taliban and the Taliban is willing to pretend it is cooperating. India and Pakistan both have nukes, making escalation a potential catastrophe. As a result, recent peace talks have lowered the possibility of war, but both sides continue an arms race. Pakistani Islamic radical groups continue to support terrorism in India and Afghanistan, and are still threatening the Pakistani government with attacks. Pakistan has always been a mess, and does not appear to be getting better.
Basically at peace, but separatism, pirates, Islamic terrorists and government corruption create a volatile situation that could get hot real fast. Islamic terrorists have been greatly diminished, as Islamic moderates flex their traditional popularity. Aceh still has a few diehard separatist rebels. Newly independent East Timor has been unable to govern itself.
The basic problem is that an Islamic conservative minority has veto power over the reformist majority. The supply of peaceful solutions is drying up. After that comes another revolution. Half the population consists of ethnic minorities (mainly Turks and Arabs), and these groups are getting more restive and violent. Meanwhile, the Islamic conservatives are determined to support terrorism overseas and build nuclear weapons at home, rather than improving the economy and living standards. Unrest and terrorist violence becoming more common, and government seeks foreign adventures to distract an unhappy population.
The “surge offensive” last year capitalized on years of work, crushed the Islamic terrorists. Violence plunged by over 80 percent. More areas of the country are now at peace (as some have been since 2003.) The Sunni Arab minority has worked out peace deals with the majority Kurds and Shia Arabs. Some Sunni Arab Islamic radicals are still active, but are in decline. Some Sunni Arabs, who had fled the country, are returning, but nearly half the Sunni Arabs are already gone. The Shia militias have been defeated as well, mainly by Iraqi police and troops. Corruption and inept government continues to be a major problem.
Palestinians are trying to make some kind of peace, in order to reverse the economic disaster they brought on themselves because of their seven year terror campaign against Israel. Palestinians are tired of terrorism, even though they still support it. The Palestinian economy has collapsed, as foreign charity dried up because the people elected the Hamas (Islamic terrorists) party to power. Civil war between radical Hamas and corrupt Palestinian old guard (Fatah) has split Palestinians. Iran backed Islamic radicals (Hizbollah) in Lebanon have revived fears of civil war up there. Hizbollah threatens to drag Lebanon into another civil war, or another war with Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli economy booms as Israel continues its effective counter-terrorism campaign.
An uneasy truce continues. The north and the south finally make a deal over money, religion and power. All this is watched over by peacekeepers set up between the factions.
Growing unrest, corruption and privation threaten the iron control that has long kept the north peaceful. North Korea continues to destroy its economy, in order to maintain armed forces capable of invading South Korea and keep its own population in bondage. Continued famine in the north has prompted China to send more and more troops to the border to keep hungry North Koreas out. North Korean military declines in power, as lack of money for maintenance or training cause continuing rot. Government split into reform and conservative factions, making change difficult to achieve. South Koreans are growing tired of the madness that still reigns in the north.
Turkish aircraft and troops now operating on the Iraqi side of the border, seeking to either destroy Kurdish separatists, or push their bases further into Iraq. Kurds continue 5,000 year struggle to form their own country. Iran is cracking down on its Kurds, while Turkey threatens even more action if the Iraqi Kurdish government doesn’t get serious about the Kurdish separatists who operate inside Turkey, from bases in Iraq. Iraqi Kurds believe they will get control of some Iraqi oil fields, providing cash for all manner of opportunities. But that is opposed by Iraqi Arabs and other minorities.
The U.S. border is like a war zone. The passing of one-party rule, the growth of drug gangs, and increasing corruption in the security forces, has triggered growing violence and unrest. The government has gone to war with the drug gangs, and the outcome is still in doubt.
Radical communist rebels succeed in eliminating the monarchy, via an alliance with political parties. This has decreased Maoist violence, and caused a struggle for control of the government. All this has triggered uprising by other unhappy groups (more radical Maoists, hill tribes, ethnic Indians).
Too many tribes, not enough oil money and too much corruption creates growing violence. The tribes and gangs (both criminal and political) in the oil producing region (the Niger Delta) are getting organized, and a lot more violent. The northern Moslems want more control over the federal government (and the oil money). Local rebels threaten loss of most oil revenue, which is getting the governments attention.
Various places where the local situation is warming up and might turn into a war. Zimbabwe and Yemen are hot right now.
Islamic minority in the south wants its own country, and the expulsion of non-Moslems. Communist rebels in the north fight for social justice and a dictatorship. Both of these movements are losing and the Moslems are negotiating a peace deal that inches closer to a done deal. The communists are taking a beating, and not willing to talk seriously yet.
Rebuilding and reforming the decrepit Soviet era armed forces continues. The war against gangsters and Islamic radicals in Chechnya has been won, but the Islamic radicals continue to operate in other parts of the Caucasus. Russia returns to police state ways, and traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors.
War between better organized and more aggressive Tutsis and more numerous Hutu tribes. It’s been going on for centuries, but the latest installment has finally ended, with the last Hutu group in Burundi giving up, then changing its mind.
A failed state that defies every attempt at nation building. It was never a country, but a collection of clans and tribes that fight each other constantly over economic issues (land and water). The new “transitional” government, was nearly wiped out by an “Islamic Courts” movement (which attempted to put the entire country under the rule of Islamic clergy and Islamic law). When Islamic Courts threatened to expand into Ethiopia, Ethiopia invaded and smashed the Islamic Courts. The Islamic radicals have turned to terrorism, and Eritrea continues to provide support. The country remains an economic and political mess, a black hole on the map. Not much hope in sight.
Tamil minority (19th century economic migrants from southern India) battles to partition the island. A long ceasefire ends and fighting has resumed. Tamils (the LTTE) are losing this time. LTTE will not go quietly, even though they lose a little more each month.
Moslems in the north try to suppress separatist tendencies among Christians in the south and Moslem rebels in the east and west. All this is complicated by development of oil fields in the south, and Moslem government attempts to drive Christians from the oil region. Battles over land in the west pit Arab herders against black Sudanese farmers. Both sides are Moslem, but the government is backing the Arabs. The government uses Arab nationalism and economic ties with Russia and China to defy the world and get away with driving non-Arab tribes from Darfur. The government believes time is on its side, and that the West will never trying anything bold and effective to halt the violence. So far, the government has been proven right.
Malay Moslems in the south are three percent of the population, and different. Most Thais, are ethnic Thais and Buddhist. In the south, however, Islamic radicalism has arrived, along with an armed effort to create a separate Islamic state in the three southern provinces. Islamic terrorists grew more powerful month by month for several years, and refuse to negotiate. Security forces persisted and are making progress in rounding up the terrorists. Meanwhile, civil war brews between urban and rural segments of the population, under the leadership of political parties that differ on how the nation should be run.
Religion and tribalism combine to create a persistent rebellion in the north, which was aided by Sudan. But now the northern rebels have been worn down, and the unrest is just about done with. Final peace deal with LRA rebels being negotiated. It’s taking longer than expected, and the LRA may just fade away before a final deal is made.
International terrorism has created a international backlash and a war unlike any other. The only terrorist victories are in the media. On the ground, the terrorists are losing ground everywhere. Their last refuges are chaotic, or cynical, places like Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Gaza, the Sahel, a few of the Philippine islands, and especially tribal regions of Pakistan (where al Qaeda is staging a last stand). They are being chased out of Iraq, Somalia and the Philippines. Iran continues to support terrorism in the face of much local disapproval. Syria and Lebanon are in chaos because of Iranian subsidized factions. Gaza went the same way. Islamic radicals are a traditional reaction to tyranny in their region, and the inability of local despots to rule effectively. Economic and diplomatic ties with the West are interpreted as support, leading to attacks on Western targets that created a devastating counterattack. The result of this in the Moslem world has been dramatic, finally forcing leaders and people to confront their self-inflicted problems. Al Qaeda is as self-destructive as its many predecessors. Al Qaeda suicide bomb attacks that continue to kill civilians, continues to turn Moslems against al Qaeda in a big way. But the terrorists justify such dumb attacks because their doctrine holds that Moslems who don’t agree with them, are not really Moslems. You can imagine how well that goes over with most Moslems. You can, but al Qaeda can’t, and that is what guarantees their demise.
Obama Sags On World Tour
McCain Gains During Obama Absence.
Barack Obama has decided to buy $5 million in national advertising on NBC during the broadcast of the Olympic games. The ads will appear on network and cable channels. The ad purchase was first reported Wednesday on the Web site of Advertising Age, a magazine that covers the industry. The Olympics, to be held in Beijing, will open Aug. 8. Such an extensive purchase of ad time would give Obama wide exposure before the Democratic National Convention, to be held the last week in August.Obama has the resources: He has set fundraising records and reported raising $52 million in June, more than twice the $21.5 million raised by his rival, Republican John McCain.
The Republican National Committee sensing vulnerability is running ads against Obama in Germany as he visits there.
McCain has squirted ahead in all important Ohio with its 20 electors. While Obama has been on an overseas tour, 45% of voters say the Democratic hopeful is too inexperienced to be President. That’s up four percentage points from a week ago. An equal number-45%–disagree with that assessment and say Obama has the necessary experience. When leaners are included, Obama leads 253-247 in electors considering Ohio’s shift from Lens Democrats to leans Republican. If McCain pick Romney and he delivers Michigan’s 17 electors the total becomes 236 to 264. 270 electors are needed to win.
WORLD MISCHIEF ROUNDUP
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Syria plans to maintain and develop its strategic alliance with Iran. The regime of President Bashar Assad had sent messages via intermediaries to the United States that Damascus regards its ties with Teheran as vital. The Assad message also stressed that Syria would not revise its support for the Iranian-sponsored terrorists group Hizbullah. ● Al Qaida continues to undergo divisions in Iraq. The network is in such trouble that U.S. intelligence believes that Iraqi members could be persuaded to defect. Iraqi and non-Iraqi members were hardly on speaking terms. ● Over the last few weeks, American businessmen in Libya have received threats including bombing their residences. Despite the threats, the U.S. embassy has continued operations. The State Department has ambitious plans to expand the embassy in the former pariah nation. the U.S. embassy has warned Americans of an Al Qaida threat in Libya. In April, the Khaddafy regime released scores of Al Qaida detainees. ● Almost eight years after al-Qaeda nearly sank the USS Cole with an explosives-stuffed motorboat, killing 17 sailors, all the defendants convicted in the attack have escaped from prison or been freed by cooperative Yemeni officials. ● Western intelligence sources said Iran has been coordinating with Syria in the development of nuclear weapons. The sources said Iran has been meeting North Korean nuclear experts in as well as receiving material via Syria. “The Iranians use Syria to avoid being monitored,” an intelligence source said. ● An Iranian pavilion was dismantled and its delegation expelled from the exhibition, titled Defense Services Asia, which took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They said Iran exhibited missiles and other equipment in violation of a United Nations Security Council embargo. Malaysia came under pressure to expel Iran hours after the exhibition began. ● Officials here said scores of suspected Al Qaida operatives have been arrested in Turkey in 2008. They said Al Qaida has established cells in several major cities, including Ankara and Istanbul. “We believe the presence is bigger than ever,” a Turkish security source said. ● The Saudi government has disclosed an Al Qaida plot to kill Americans who work in the kingdom’s oil sector. Officials said Al Qaida agents sought to befriend Americans abroad and lure them to Saudi Arabia, where they would be abducted and killed. ● Egyptian security sources said the Hamas regime has been developing UAVs in the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the Muslim Brotherhood. The sources said Hamas has acquired expertise and equipment required for the assembly of UAVs for attacks against Israel. ●The U.S. military’s Central Command has submitted plans for an air and naval strike on Iran, Middle East Newsline reported. The sources said the plan envisioned escalating tensions that would peak with an Iranian-inspired insurgency strike against U.S. military assets in the Gulf. The U. S. moved a second carrier strike group into the Persian Gulf. ● In a move clearly aimed at the U. S. Iran has halted crude oil sales in U.S. dollars. Iran is the second largest producer in OPEC. Teheran has been pressuring Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members to end their sales solely on the U.S. dollar, and instead rely on a basket of currencies. ● Iran continues to ship explosives into Iraq, and so far the U. S. has not entered Iranian territory to interdict those shipments although there is increasing pressures to do so. ● Iran cut off talks with the U. S. about Iraq until it agrees to stop combating Shiite militia that Iran is financing and supplying and who are killing Americans.
World Mischief Roundup
FBI Director Robert Mueller told Congress last week that the threat of intelligence-gathering by computer and other electronic means is expanding. “The threat of cyber-related foreign intelligence operations to the U.S. is rapidly expanding,” Mueller told a House Appropriations subcommittee. “The number of actors with the ability to utilize computers for illegal, harmful, and possibly devastating purposes continues to rise.”
Mueller said cyber intrusions beyond those carried out by non-government hackers have “compromised computers on U.S. government, private sector, and allied networks,” Mueller said. Mueller was testifying on FBI efforts to counter cyber threats during a budget hearing the Bureau’s request for $7.1 billion for fiscal 2009. FBI counter cyber efforts include disrupting computer attacks domestically. “The FBI’s intelligence and law enforcement role supports response to cyber events at U.S. government agencies, U.S. military installations, and the broader private sector,” he said. During a hearing in the Senate March 5, Mueller said the FBI has identified more than one million potential victims of “botnet cybercrime” as part of “Operation Bot Roast.”
The effort has targeted “botnets” or groups of compromised computers under the remote command and control of a computer hacker. Mueller did not mention specific countries, but other officials have said China’s intelligence services are known to use computer intrusions to download vast amounts of U.S. government information of intelligence and economic value.
To prepare for longer range missiles from Iran and Syria, Israel plans a major test of its Arrow-2 missile defense system. The Israel Air Force in cooperation with the United States would conduct the first test of Arrow-2 against a missile meant to simulate the extended-range Shihab-3 ballistic missile.
Israel’s intelligence community has detected Hizbullah military preparations throughout southern and central Lebanon in recent weeks. There is growing concern that such preparations are a precursor to war. In addition Syria and Iran have linked their missile development programs. Syria has been extending the range of its Scud-class missile arsenal to the point where U.S. interests could be threatened, Israeli is threatened as well as at least one other ally.
Former U. S. President Carter is in the region and has been sternly warned about interfering and encouraging Hamas, Hizbullah or their backers in Syria and elsewhere. Carter choses to ignore warnings of the harm he can do, and the warnings of U. S., Israeli and others.
“No one seems to know what Carter thinks he is doing. But, he is damned foolish and what he is doing I dangerous,” undisclosed U. S. sources said.
Colonel Kaddafi’s Libya has been caught red handed for secretly trying to buy 500,000 Chinese made Ak-47 assault rifles and 10 million rounds of ammunition from Italian gangsters for the purpose of distributing them to terrorists elsewhere. Wiretaps learned China sold the weapons for $80 each but the final price was $125 by the time government officials were paid off and other gangsters skimmed off money. Kaddafi is notorius for clandestine support of terrorists. Libya said the weapons for its use but that amounts to 5 weapons per active duty and reserve soldier.
Chinese civilians migrating to places like Europe, Africa and the U. S. are expected to keep their eyes open, and report to Chinese intelligence when asked about what they see and maybe working on. It’s understood that such cooperation is necessary to protect kin back in China. In dangerous places cooperation (spying) ensures access to Chinese government protection in the event of unrest in their new homeland.
The Chinese government can lean pretty hard on countries that allow local Chinese to be molested. For example, when Islamic militants raided Chinese brothels in Pakistan last year, the Pakistani government was persuaded to crack down on the militants, killing hundreds of them. The Chinese brothels have been left alone since then and continue to funnel profits back to the communist government.
China’s foreign exchange reserves (foreign currency and deposits held by Chinese banks) are now over $1.6 trillion. That’s an increase of over 40 percent in the last year. Apparently, China has become the place to park your money. This includes dirty money owned by criminal organizations, dictators and all manner of shady operators.