A blog dedicated to investigating events as they occur in Judea and Samaria, in Israel and in the world, and as they relate to global powers and/or to the Israeli government, public figures, etc. It is dedicated to uncovering the truth behind the headlines; and in so doing, it strives to do its part in saving Judea and Samaria, and by extension, Israel and the Jewish People, from utter destruction at the hands of its many external and internal enemies.
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and his ruling coalition Monday agreed to hold a general election on Aug. 30, a few weeks later than Aso initially intended, to buy time to try to boost the coalition's popularity after a disastrous Tokyo local assembly election loss Sunday.
But analysts said the move by Aso's government likely won't prevent a big defeat for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party that would in all probability cause it to cede power to the Democratic Party of Japan, ending more than half a century of nearly uninterrupted LDP rule.
Some Ministry of Finance officials told Dow Jones Newswires that the ministry is already worried about delays in putting together the national budget for the year starting April 2010, because if the DPJ takes power, its more fiscally prudent policy stance means it would probably question many of the current government's spending plans.
Sunday's Tokyo elections underlined how little public support the ruling coalition has after years of policy missteps and repeated scandals: The LDP lost 10 seats in the 127-member assembly, bringing its total to a record-low 38 seats.
Its rival DPJ, meanwhile, increased its seats by 20 to 58, becoming the largest party in the assembly. The Democrats' victory marked the fifth local government elections where the opposition group beat the ruling party.
This bigger-than-expected LDP loss has forced Aso to abandon his plan to call elections early on Aug. 8 or 9 so that he could assert his leadership by moving quickly into an election campaign. Instead, faced with a growing number of LDP lawmakers calling for Aso to resign, executives in the ruling party forced the prime minister to compromise by delaying the election schedule, an LDP politician familiar with the situation said. Aso now plans to dissolve the Lower House on July 21 at the earliest.
"Had Aso stuck to his original plan, the anti-Aso moves could have gotten out of hand, exposing further LDP internal rifts to the public," he said. "In exchange for keeping the right to call snap elections himself, the prime minister had to give them a late election date."
But analysts say that the three-week election delay likely won't mean much for the LDP and its junior coalition partner New Komeito, which still look set for a major defeat. Their forecasts center on the LDP's Lower House seats decreasing to around 180 from the current 303 seats in the 480-member Lower House. The DPJ's membership could more than double to 240 from 112, making it the chamber's largest party, some analysts predict.
"The major trend (in favor of the DPJ) has already been set for this election. It's hard to imagine that this trend will change," said political analyst Minoru Morita.
Econ Policy Changes On Horizon
If the DPJ emerges victorious as expected in the Lower House polls, that would likely change Japan's economic policy stance, including fiscal spending plans and possibly the way it manages Japan's foreign exchange reserves, which totaled $1.019 trillion at the end of June.
At the Ministry of Finance, for example, with the prospect of a DPJ victory growing, a sense of caution may emerge among bureaucrats that they "should limit the number of projects (in budgetary requests) that the DPJ may dislike," a ministry official told Dow Jones Newswires.
For now, the ministry is likely to go ahead with its usual plan to ask government agencies and ministries for their budget requests by the end of August and to start discussing those requests with them, the official said.
But the start of a DPJ government could disrupt the ministry's normal budget-making schedule.
That's because there's speculation that the DPJ may call for spending cuts in the government's budget plans for next fiscal year. Earlier this month, Aso's Cabinet set the upper limit of general expenditure at a record high of Y52.67 trillion, allowing increases in social security payments, while cutting public works project spending by 3% and defense by 1%.
"If the DPJ demands bigger cuts than already determined (in some budget areas), things could get complicated," resulting in a delay in budget-making, another finance ministry official said.
Indeed, the DPJ's policy platform calls for saving Y9 trillion a year by eliminating what it calls "wasteful" government spending to fund about half of its promised measures worth Y17 trillion. Among those steps: doing away with highway tolls, giving farmers subsidies, and paying Y26,000 a month to parents with children in junior high school or younger.
Moreover, the party has pledged not to raise Japan's 5% sales tax rate for four years.
But analysts generally think the DPJ's financing plan isn't feasible and that the party would eventually have to sell more government bonds to raise money.
"We're just wondering how the DPJ can do such a thing," the first finance ministry official said, referring to the party's plan to squeeze out Y9 trillion by scrapping existing social programs.
"If there's something you can cut further, all I can think of is expenditures for public works projects. But I don't think it's possible to get several trillions of yen" out of this arena unless a government takes the unusual step of stopping ongoing projects halfway, such as road construction, he said.
Some analysts noted that the DPJ's rise to power could help the yen rise against the dollar.
"As far as Japan's foreign exchange reserves are concerned, I have the impression that the DPJ is determined to avoid the risks of (the country's reserves) suffering from dollar weakness," Yuji Kameoka, currency analyst at Daiwa Institute of Research, said. "If (DPJ legislators) act on their words, the yen could strengthen."
Some DPJ members have advocated the idea of asking the U.S. government to issue yen-denominated debt to replace dollar-denominated Treasury bonds held in Japan's reserves. If Tokyo ever formally made such a request, that could sour market sentiment toward the dollar.
FOLLOW -UP ON THE PREVIOUS POST: BENEDIKT FINALLY COMING OUT....
1.The full text of the letter is available at this link:
1.VATICAN CITY, JULY 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI's new encyclical "Caritas in Veritate" is available on ZENIT's Web page. The Vatican press office published the document today.
Take for example the Pope's call for just "redistribution." I doubt anyone can point to a country that doesn't redistribute the wealth of its citizens in some way. The Pope asks whether, regardless of country, this is justly done. Those of us who live in economically vibrant countries, with a standard of living far beyond what much of the world can imagine, must pause to reflect on this. Certainly we have a responsibility to help our neighbor. We can and we should do more.
Is it just when a "president" of a country in a poor corner of the world retires with billions of dollars in a Swiss bank account, while his people live on a dollar a day? Is it just when a population starves while an oligarchy grows wealthy? Certainly all have a right to food, and to basic services.
Pope Benedict XVI condemns 'corruption and illegality' of politicians and businesses on eve of G8
The Pope condemned the "corruption and illegality" of politicians and businesses across the world as he called for a new order based on the common good.
Pope Benedict XVI warned that globalisation risked triggering a worldwide crisis
In a detailed critique of modern social, economic and environmental problems, delivered on the eve of a summit of the G8 leaders in Italy, Pope Benedict XVI warned that globalisation risked triggering a worldwide crisis.
He criticised the UN and said a new organisation "with real teeth" is needed to prevent another financial crisis, bring about peace and reduce the gap between rich and poor.
[DS: you know what this means: to impose his New World Order by Force]
The pontiff also warned ordinary consumers that their everyday choices have moral consequences, and called for greater appreciation of the potential dangers of new developments in technology and medicine.
He concluded that progress will only benefit the world if it is based on a "Christian humanism" that takes into account more than profit or self-interest.
In the third encyclical he has written, called Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth), the leader of the world's one billion Roman Catholics wrote: "Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty.
"In rich countries, new sectors of society are succumbing to poverty and new forms of poverty are emerging. In poorer areas some groups enjoy a sort of 'superdevelopment' of a wasteful and consumerist kind which forms an unacceptable contrast with the ongoing situations of dehumanizing deprivation.
"Corruption and illegality are unfortunately evident in the conduct of the economic and political class in rich countries, both old and new, as well as in poor ones."
He went on: "In the face of the unrelenting growth of global interdependence, there is a strongly felt need, even in the midst of a global recession, for a reform of the United Nations Organization, and likewise of economic institutions and international finance, so that the concept of the family of nations can acquire real teeth."
The pope said that globalisation, which has developed at a "ferocious" pace, represents a great opportunity but could "cause unprecedented damage and create new divisions" without the guidance of the common good.
In the same way, the economy and finance are not necessarily bad but can be made harmful by "man's darkened reason".
He warned that although technology can improve living conditions, there is a "pressing need" for its ethically responsible use, particularly in areas such as medicine where human clones and "eugenic programming" of babies is now possible.
The Pope also said that both religious fanaticism and atheism pose dangers by restricting spiritual freedom.
He concluded that development is only possible if mankind is able to transcend the "limited horizon" of the world to consider itself "part of God's family".
"Man is not a lost atom in a random universe: he is God's creature, whom God chose to endow with an immortal soul and whom he has always loved."
The newly installed head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, welcomed the Pope's letter as a "powerful and thorough application of the vision of Christian faith to the complex problems of human development".
3.Benedict XVI Meets Japanese Prime Minister
VATICAN CITY, JULY 7, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI met with the prime minister of Japan and discussed issues such as their mutual commitment to help the African people.
[DS: Oh yeah? issues "such as" helping Africa? And how about ISSUES SUCH AS THE SEIZED $134 BILLION IN BONDS IN CHIASSO, AND HOW BEST TO COVER-UP THE ACTUAL OWNERSHIP OF THOSE REAL BONDS, HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT ONLY JAPAN IS IMPLICATED, AND THE VATICAN _ AND THEIR FRIEND AND ALLY THE MAFIA _ ARE LEFT OUT OF IT? WAS THAT DISCUSSION NOT PART OF "ISSUES SUCH AS"....??]
[DS A Vatican communiqué reported that the Pope's audience today with Taro Aso was cordial, and dealt with "several relevant international issues particularly the economic crisis and the commitment of Japan and of the Holy See for Africa."
The Japanese ambassador to the Holy See, Kagefumi Ueno, told ZENIT that his country shares with the Vatican the idea that the poorest countries of Africa "should not become the victims of the current economic crisis for which they are not responsible."
The audience underlined the "fine relationship" between the Holy See and Japan and affirmed the "existing harmony and cooperation between the Church and the State."
After this meeting, the Catholic prime minister met with the Pope's secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, along with Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign secretary. This visit marks the second high-level meeting between the Vatican and the Asian country this year.
Last March, Archbishop Mamberti became the first Vatican top diplomat to make an official visit to Japan in the 67-year-history of bilateral relations, which were established in 1942.
There are 1 million Catholics living in Japan, out of a total population of 127 million.
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ MY RELATED POSTS WITH SAME LABELS ON THE BLOG, ISRAEL TRUTH TIMES.
these are sick sick words... we are supposed to believe he means this for the good and half the world falls for this ruse... but we know better...
1500 years of persecution and enslavement... and inquisitions and holocausts... big and small... at the hands of these animals has taught us a bitter, bitter truth we will never, ever forget... and 60 years of their playing at being nice to us does not fool us as to their true intentions with us... not for even a solitary moment... we know who the church is and what they really stand for... nothing has changed save for the cleansed rhetoric and superficial, polished outer image... history should certainly have taught us this lesson by now...
yakov... beware esav when he comes to you in the guise of your brother... when he pretends at love and compassion for you or for humanity in general... chazal state that the blessing or embrace of reshaiim is far, far worse than their curse or their bite... and they do infinitely more harm and damage then because we let down our guard and their attack comes unsuspected and with increased fury due to the fact that they take us by complete surprise... just when we thought and had become convinced they had changed... that they had overcome their hatred and despotic tendencies... wham!!! they lower the boom on us and show us once more that it was all just an evil ploy to destroy us yet again... jews stop falling for this same old ruse... learn your lesson already and remain ever vigilant... and know that esav is never doing tshuvah... not ever... and act accordingly upon this recognition of the sad but bitter truth... both unmitigable and immutable is the law of esav's true nature... learn this well and never forget... "esav hates yakov... halacha he!!!"
it is long past time we lived by this maxim without any further failure or forgetfulness... without surcease yidden... don't let yourselves be be fooled ever again!!! nik. out...
VATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday called for a radical rethinking of the global economy, criticizing a growing divide between rich and poor and urging the establishment of a "world political authority" to oversee the economy and work for the "common good."
He criticized the current economic system, "where the pernicious effects of sin are evident," and urged financiers in particular to "rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity."
[DS: I FIND THIS PARTICULARLY GALLING, SPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE VERY SUSPICIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE $134 BILLIONS IN BONDS CAUGHT IN CHIASSO, THE JAPANESE PM , AND THE LATTER'S INDUBITABLE TIES TO THE VATICAN.
AS THEIR favorite book says, paraphrased:
THEY DON'T SEE, - AND DON'T WANT THE WORLD TO SEE- THE HUGE BOULDER IN THEIR OWN VATICAN EYE, but THEY SURE SEE - AND WANT THE WORLD TO STARE AT - THE STICKS IN OTHERS' EYES.
..... one little consolation: the Vatican is now also in the red - I guess that little $134 billion deal didn't go through as expected... IS THAT WHY THEY WANT A NEW WORLD ECONOMIC ORDER? DO THEY NEED TO REPLENISH THEIR BADLY BRUISED SUITCASES??
Recession Also Strikes Vatican Finances
Show $1.3M Loss in '08
VATICAN CITY, JULY 6, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Vatican is not immune to the global economic crisis; Holy See accounts show a loss of $1,275,121 (€911,514) in 2008.
The state of the Vatican's economic affairs was reported in a Saturday communiqué from the Council of Cardinals for the Study of Organizational and Economic Questions of the Apostolic See. The council had their 63rd meeting last Wednesday through Friday.
In 2008, the Holy See received $355,281,462 (€253,953,869) and spent $356,556,670 (€254,865,383), for a loss of $1,275,208 (€911,514).
Spendings are due above all to the ordinary and extraordinary expenses of the dicasteries and offices of the Holy See, which employ 2,732 people, of whom 761 are ecclesiastics, 334 religious and 1,637 lay.
The Governorate of Vatican City State, which runs on a separate budget, also finished in the red, with a deficit of more than €15 million.
The governorate employs nearly 2,000 people. It also had some significant spendings in 2008, including a study of an integrated communications infrastructure with telephone and internet services, the installation of photoelectric panels on the roof of Paul VI Hall, and projects of protecting, evaluating and restoring the artistic heritage of the Holy See (restoration of the Pauline Chapel and work on the papal basilicas of St. Paul's Outside the Walls and St. Mary Major).
The panels on Paul VI Hall, however, are an economic investment: The 2,400 solar panels replace the deteriorating concrete roof panels, and the photovoltaic cells will convert sunlight into electricity, and generate enough power to light, heat or cool the 6,000-seat hall.
A third account was also considered: the annual Peter's Pence collection. This fund consists of donations from local Churches for the charitable activities of the Holy Father.
In 2008 a total of $76,088,411 (€54,387,714) was donated and, although the number of donations went up, the total sum fell slightly "due to the general economic situation," the group reported.
The Pontiff visited the cardinals during the meetings, listened to the presentations of the three accounts, and offered some pastoral suggestions. He also thanked them for their work.
For the first time since 2003, the Holy See also finished in the red in 2007, marking a deficit of more that $14 million (€9 million, with the currency rate of the dollar then). However, Vatican City State closed 2007 with a net gain of about $10.5 million (€6.7 million).]
He also called for "greater social responsibility" on the part of business. "Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty," Benedict wrote in his new encyclical, which the Vatican released on Tuesday.
More than two years in the making, "Caritas in Veritate," or "Charity in Truth," is Benedict's third encyclical since he became pope in 2005. Filled with terms like "globalization," "market economy," "outsourcing," "labor unions" and "alternative energy," it is not surprising that the Italian media reported that the Vatican was having difficulty translating the 144-page document into Latin.
Reportedly delayed to take into consideration the financial crisis, it was released by the Vatican on the eve of the Group of 8President Obama industrialized nations summit meeting, which opens in Italy on Wednesday, and before Benedict is expected to receive at the Vatican on Friday.
"It's not an encyclical done for the crisis," Cardinal Renato Martino, the president of the Vatican's Council for Justice and Peace, said at a news conference on Tuesday. Still, he added, "if the encyclical had come out before the crisis, you would have said it was prophetic."
In the encyclical, Benedict wrote that "financiers must rediscover the genuinely ethical foundation of their activity, so as not to abuse the sophisticated instruments which can serve to betray the interests of savers."
In many ways, the document is a somewhat puzzling cross between an anti-globalization tract and a government white paper, another indication that the Vatican does not comfortably fit into traditional political categories of right and left.
"There are paragraphs that sound like Ayn Rand, next to paragraphs that sound like 'The Grapes of Wrath.' That's quite intentional," Vincent J. Miller, a theologian at the University of Dayton, a Catholic institution in Ohio, said in a telephone interview.
"He'll wax poetically about the virtuous capitalist, but then he'll give you this very clear analysis of the ways in which global capital and the shareholder system cause managers to focus on short term good at the expense of the community, of workers, of the environment."
Indeed, sometimes Benedict sounds like an old-school European socialist, lamenting the decline of the social welfare state and praising the "importance" of labor unions to protect workers. Without stable work, he notes, people lose hope and tend not to get married and have children.
But he also wrote that "The so-called outsourcing of production can weaken the company's sense of responsibility towards the stakeholders — namely the workers, the suppliers, the consumers, the natural environment and broader society — in favor of the shareholders."
And he argued that it is "erroneous to hold that the market economy has an inbuilt need for a quota of poverty and underdevelopment in order to function at its best."
Benedict also called for a reform of the United Nations so that there could be a unified "global political body" that allowed the less powerful of the earth to have a voice, and he called on rich nations to help less fortunate ones.
"In the search for solutions to the current economic crisis, development aid for poor countries must be considered a valid means of creating wealth for all," he wrote.
John Sniegocki, a professor of Christian ethics at Xavier University in Cincinnati, said one of the most controversial elements of the encyclical, at least for some Americans, would be Benedict's call for international institutions to play a role in regulating the economy.
"One of the things he's saying is that the global economy is escaping the power of individual states to regulate it," Mr. Miller said. He said the encyclical also contained elements "very critical" of how the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank "have required cuts in social spending in the third world."
Michael Novak, a philosopher and theologian at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, a conservative research organization, said he thought that the encyclical was stronger on principles than policy suggestions. He said he was particularly uncomfortable with the idea of a strong international institution to regulate the global economy.
"I like limited government. I would much prefer to have many limited governments than one overriding authority," Mr. Novak said in a telephone interview from Rome.
Arguably the most environmentally-conscious pope in history, Benedict wrote, "One of the greatest challenges facing the economy is to achieve the most efficient use — not abuse — of natural resources, based on a realization that the notion of 'efficiency' is not value-free."
In line with what he calls "respecting the intrinsic value of creation," he also decried stem-cell research, abortion and euthanasia.
Laurie Goodstein contributed reporting from New York.
OH, AND BY THE WAY, HOW MUCH IS THAT GOLDEN TIARA WORTH? AND IT SEEMS TO ME I SEE QUITE A FEW JEWELS ENCRUSTED IN THIS FANCY GOLDEN OUTFIT. MAYBE WE SHOULD SELL THEM BOTH, AND SEND THE PROCEEDS OF THE SALE TO THE POOR STARVING CHILDREN IN AFRICA?
THAT WOULD REDISTRIBUTE WEALTH JUST THE WAY THE POPE LIKES IT, I WOULD THINK.
ANY OTHER IDEAS? HOW ABOUT GETTING RID OF THE MASSIVE TREASURES SITTING IN THE VAULTS OF THE VATICAN, STOLEN FROM THE JEWS OVER THE COURSE OF CENTURIES? I AM SURE SOME RICH, "UNETHICAL" JEWS WOULD BE ONLY TOO HAPPY TO OBLIGE; THINK OF ALL THE MONEY THE POPE COULD DONATE TO HIS FAVORITE BLEEDING HEART CAUSE FROM THE PROCEEDS OF THAT SALE!
NOT TO MENTION THE INVALUABLE ARTWORK HANGING IN THE VATICAN, IN ALL THE CHURCHES WORLDWIDE, IN MALTA, ETC; SO MUCH WEALTH THERE; NOW THAT WOULD BE FAIR, AND JUST IN KEEPING WITH THE POPE'S ALTRUISTIC ASPIRATIONS, DON'T YOU THINK? WHY DOESN'T HE PUT HIS HAND WHERE HIS MOUTH IS??
Make sure to read the other articles related to this story, with similar labels.
Comments:
Carl said:
That's a joke. The Knights of Malta control all the finances for the Vatican. The fact that they are "in the red" is nothing short of disinformation to dupe the public. They have all power and money at their fingertips.
First, please read what author Eric Phelps has to say about the Madoff saga:
...
Madoff "the Jew" was used by the Order to create anti-Jewish fury here in the American Empire. To know this is true, check out the Fairfield Greenich Group in Conn. It is totally controlled by Jesuit-controlled agents of Rome. That group brought investors to Madoff to be set up for the slaughter. That slaughter would never have happened had not White Gentile NYC Fed president Tim Geithner refused to provide a $65 billion bond to save Lehman Brothers, "the Jew" Dick Fuld taking the fall. I regard both Madoff and Fuld to be papal court Jews having willing set up all American Jews to be blamed for the financial collapse of the Empire. The Nazi fascists coming to power will have much to say about the Jews ruining the country.
When Lehman went down (along with billions in Jewish money), I tried to get Fuld to come on my program explaining that Lehman was deliberately broken. He refused. When I discovered he was CFR and on the Board of the NYC Fed, I then concluded he was a papal court Jew serving the Order in New York.
Now think of the strange TIMING OF THE MADOFF VERDICT AND ORCHESTRATED ANTI-JEWISH FURY( June 29th), AND THE SIMULTANEOUS EXPOSURE, NOT EVEN A DAY LATER ( June 30th), OF THIS INFORMATION:
Update:
Japanese Prime Minister to Visit Vatican
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 28, 2009(Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will receive in audience the prime minister of Japan next month, which will be the second high-level meeting between the Vatican and the Asian country this year.
The Union of Catholic Asian News revealed Friday that Japan's Catholic prime minister, Taro Aso, will visit the Vatican on July 7, the day before the opening of the Group of Eight Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.
Last March, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign secretary, became the first Vatican top diplomat to make an official visit to Japan in the 67-year-history of bilateral relations, which were established in 1942.
Japan's ambassador to the Holy See, Kagefumi Ueno, told ZENIT last week that Archbishop Mamberti's 6-day visit "assisted in shortening a sense of distance existing between the two countries."
The last Japanese prime minister to visit the Vatican was former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who visited Pope John Paul II in 1999.
There are 1 million Catholics living in Japan, out of a total population of 127 million.
LATEST UPDATE:
INTERESTING, INTERESTING!
2 days after the announcement that the prime minister of Japan will visit the Vatican, Japan takes the heat for the story of the $134 billion in US bonds, which suddenly ARE REAL - until now, there was a doubt -now no more, and Japan is the guilty party.
Of course, the PM's visit to the pope has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS "SUDDEN DISCOVERY".
So to clarify the story, it seems that the US government is not too pleased by these revelations of Nazi Hal Turner about the coming AMERO, and is threatening all bloggers with imprisonment for revealing the plans of the NWO.
In addition, VATICAN NEWS are hard at work, putting up smokescreens, and making sure that JAPAN is mentioned as the guilty party. Not the INNOCENT MAFIA, God forbid; and specially , NO CONNECTION TO THE VATICAN FINANCES EITHER. The Catholic Japanese PM's visit announced two days earlier has NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING to do with the story, of course. And neither does the JESUIT GENERAL WHO HAILS FROM JAPAN, of course, of course.......
» 06/30/2009 13:13 ASIA-ITALY(AsiaNews: that is VATICAN news!) Everything suggests that the American bonds seized at Chiasso are real Official U.S. sources continue to say they are fakes, but there is no news that American experts have inspected them in person. Arrested for another matter, the director of a U.S. radio who says the bonds are real and Japan was trying to sell in Switzerland, not trusting the ability of the United States to honour its debt.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Four weeks have passed since American bonds were confiscated from two Japanese men who were travelling on a direct train to Chiasso, Switzerland, and while there has been clarification of some - very few -points, Italian authorities have remained silent on the rest of the episode.
In addition, a strange coincidence in the timing of the arrest of a director of an internet radio who had made revelations regarding the incident ,increases the already strong oddities surrounding the case. This added to the revaluation of the fact that among the evidence seized there were "Kennedy Bonds", all points toward the authenticity of the items seized by the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) in early June.
The major English-speaking newspapers ignored the story for a couple of weeks. They only started to report on it after the Bloomberg agency carried a story on 18 / 6, in which a spokesman for the Treasury, Meyerhardt, declared that the bonds, based on photos available on the Internet, were "clearly false." The same day, the Financial Times (FT) published an article whose title laid the blame for the (alleged) infringement at the feet of the Italian Mafia, despite the fact that the article failed to make even one possible connection with the episode in Chiasso. Nevertheless, the version of events as reported in FT was taken up by others as being "appropriate" (given that it is a very common cliché about Italy and it is a sequester that took place in Italy) and in the end "colourful." It's a pity that it goes against all logic: that the Mafia tried to pass unnoticed in its attempt to dump fake bonds amounting to 134.5 billion dollars and moreover were to "stung" a mere step from their gaol, is not very credible.
Most recently last week, 25 / 6, the New York Times reported on the story in particular, the allegations of CIA spokesman, Darrin Blackford: the U.S. Secret Service carried out inspections, as required by the Italian judiciary, and found that they were fictitious financial instruments, never issued by the "U.S. government". It is not clear, however, how the checks mentioned by Blackford were carried out and whether they were also are carried out via internet. In fact according to official Italian sources the Commission of American experts, expected in Italy, have yet to arrive. Furthermore, the bonds were accompanied by a recent and original bank record. It is therefore unclear how the U.S. authorities can declare fake documentation that does not originate from the Fed or the U.S. Department of Treasury.
On the contrary, claims in support of the bond's authenticity were made 20 / 6 on the Turner Radio Network (TRN), an independent radio station broadcast via Internet. On that date in a massive exposure, TRN stated that the two Japanese men arrested by the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) and then released in Ponte Chiasso were employees of the Japanese Ministry for Treasury. AsiaNews had also received similar reports: one of the two Japanese arrested in Chiasso and then released is Tuneo Yamauchi, is the brother of Toshiro Muto, until recently vice governor of the Bank of Japan. On its website, the creator and presenter of the Radio, Hal Turner, had also claimed that his sources had revealed that the Italian authorities believe the evidence to be authentic and that the two Japanese officials are from the Japanese Ministry for Finance. They were supposed to bring the bonds to Switzerland because the Japanese government had apparently lost confidence in U.S. ability to repay its debt. Japanese financial authorities therefore were trying to sell a part of the securities in their possession through parallel channels ahead of an imminent financial disaster, thanks to the anonymity which, Turner said, is guaranteed by the laws of Switzerland.
AsiaNews does not know to what extent Turner's revelations can be held as credible, given that in this case too, it is difficult to believe that $ 134.5 billion would pass unnoticed anywhere in the world. It seems far more logical to assume that the bonds, if authentic, were directed to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, BIS, the central bank of central banks ahead of the issuance of securities in a new supranational currency. Turner had in any event added that as evidence to support his revelations he would have provided the serial numbers of the seized bonds. Before he could do so, however, was imprisoned. Hal Turner is the journalist who long ago first broke the news of a secret plan to replace the dollar, after a severe financial crisis, with a common North American currency, the Amero. In a dramatic phone call from inside the prison in which he is detained pending trial, relayed via internet, Hal Turner claims that his arrest is political and it is in relation to the securities seized in Chiasso, because the authorities are terrified by his revelations of the bonds' authenticity. Of course, the allegations made against him have to nothing to do with the story and thus an already intricate story becomes ever more complex. Turner maintains that he did not personally formulate the disclosure for which he has been imprisoned. Although it was clearly his responsibility to remain vigilant, it is also true that blogs from around the world and the U.S. themselves are full of threats and provocations. The coincidental timing, the unusual diligence and the details of his arrest arouse suspicions about the true motives of the American federal police. Indeed, this very arrest suggests that the evidence seized from GdF are truly authentic.
One more element in favour of the bond's authenticity is found in the securities, which in the June 4 statement, the GdF termed "Kennedy Bonds" with photos provided. These photos reveal that the securities under discussion are not bonds but Treasury Notes, because they are securities that can be immediately exchanged for their worth in goods or services and because they are devoid of interest coupons. One side carries a reproduction of the image of the American president, the reverse side that of a spaceship. From confidential, usually well-informed sources, AsiaNews has learned that this type of paper money was issued less than ten years ago (in 1998), although it is difficult to know whether those seized in Chiasso are authentic. But the fact that the release of this particular State Treasury was not completely in the public domain tends to exclude the possibility of counterfeiting. It highly unreasonable to suppose that a forger would reproduce a State Treasury not commonly in circulation and of which there is no public knowledge. For this reason, it can be concluded that the 124.5 billion dollars divided in 249 bonds of 500 million each are authentic. These titles, although referred to as "Federal Reserve Notes" are actually bonds, because they accrue interest and are redeemable at maturity. But one question remains unsolved regarding them. It is somewhat hard to understand why the securities, which were from the outset indistinguishable from the original to the GdF, all have their coupons. Any ordinary investor, even a state, would have cashed in the interest coupon every year, so as not to lose purchasing power.
See also this latest piece of news:
UPDATE Japan raps Citi for lax money laundering controls Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:34am EDT
* Japan bans Citi from retail banking promotions for month
* Cites problems with governance, internal controls
* Regulatory action follows similar violation in 2004
* Citi apologises, promises plan to improve compliance (Adds Citigroup comments in paragaph 3, 12, 13)
By Taro Fuse and David Dolan
TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - Japan ordered Citigroup (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to suspend sale promotions for a month at its retail bank for lax oversight against money laundering, in the struggling U.S. bank's second brush with Japanese regulators in five years.
The Financial Services Agency said Citigroup had not developed adequate systems to detect suspicious transactions such as money laundering, citing the same violation that led the regulators to close its private banking business in 2004.
Citigroup, which has 35 branches and generates about $2 billion in revenue a year from its retail and corporate banking division, Citibank Japan, apologised for the breach, saying it stemmed from the way it reported suspicious transactions.
"If Citibank cannot get its house in order, its operations in Japan may come under threat," said Neil Katkov, head of Asia research for financial services consultancy Celent.
"We have seen banks in the U.S. shut down for alleged loose money laundering compliance, and this is a sign that Japanese regulators are getting tougher." The suspension comes as Citigroup tries to sell assets in Japan, an integral part of its efforts to raise cash after suffering more than $85 billion in losses on toxic assets and receiving a U.S. government bailout.
The bank agreed last month to sell its Japanese brokerage and investment banking assets to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Japan's third-largest bank, for about $5.9 billion.
It is also looking to sell its Japanese asset management arm, Nikko Asset Management, and telemarketer Bellsystem24 Inc, sources have told Reuters. The deals are expected to raise more than $1 billion each. [ID:nBNG457249]
The FSA said Citigroup had not made improvements since the last regulatory crackdown in 2004, which prompted then-chief executive Charles Prince to make a public bow of apology in Japan, a custom for Japanese executives showing remorse.
The FSA said the lack of compliance showed Citigroup executives "... lack an understanding of the rules applied in Japan, such as laws and regulations, and an awareness of improvement".
Citibank Japan, which handles retail and corporate banking operations, had 299 billion yen in net assets and 1,548 employees as of the end of March, according to its website.
Citibank Japan promised to submit a plan to the Japanese regulator by the end of July to remedy the problems.
While Citibank Japan cannot promote its retail products for the next month, customers can still initiate transactions with the bank, the FSA and Citigroup said in statements. (Additional reporting by Mayumi Negishi, Nathan Layne and Noriyuki Hirata; Editing by Michael Watson)
I hope that after this, whenever you hear a message coming out of Rome against "THE GREED OF WALL STREET", you'll remember the episode of the $134 billion in bonds, Japan, and the Vatican - and see it for what it is:
A CHEAP, BUT UNFORTUNATELY VERY SUCCESSFUL, ATTEMPT TO SHIFT THE BLAME TO THE JEWS, WHILE YOU KNOW WHO IS GETTING AWAY SCOT-FREE, AND AS USUAL, LOOKING WHITE AND CLEAN AS A NEWBORN LAMB.
AND DO NOT FORGET TO READ the previous, related posts:
1. THIS MIGHT SHED SOME LIGHT .... 2. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, ANY CLUE.. 3. OK, SO THE JEW MADOFF GOT 150 YEARS....
First of all , make sure to watch these videos, that will shed even more light on the current state of relations between Japan and the Vatican: the MOST POWERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD, the JESUIT GENERAL, SPENT MOST OF HIS LIFE IN JAPAN! Something is mighty fishy down there....
The Growing Closeness of Japan and the Holy See (Part 1)
Interview With Ambassador Kagefumi Ueno
By Miriam Diez i Bosch
ROME, JUNE 23, 2009 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See and Japan established diplomatic relations in 1942. Some 67 years then passed with no Vatican dignitary making an official visit to the Asian nation. But in March, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti changed that. And the Japanese ambassador to the Holy See affirms his visit shortened the "sense of distance" between the two states.
ZENIT spoke with Kagefumi Ueno about the visit from Archbishop Mamberti, secretary for Vatican relations with states, and about another big event for the Church in Japan: the beatification of 188 martyrs last November.
Part 2 of the interview, on a Buddhist view of economics, will be published Wednesday.
ZENIT: We celebrated the beatification of 188 Japanese martyrs in Nagasaki last November. Did it seem a strange ceremony for the Japanese culture?
Ueno: I personally witnessed in Nagasaki that the ceremony of the beatification of the 188 Japanese martyrs who were executed four centuries ago took place very solemnly and honorably, [and the ceremony] was deemed successful by the majority of Japanese Catholics.
Besides that, in terms of the response by Japanese society at large, my impression is that it by and large the news and reports of the beatification were received warmly and calmly. To be more precise, I would like to point out the following four positive phenomena that are worthy to note:
First, major local religious groups such as Buddhist and Shinto denominations, which by far constitute the majority of Japanese society, sent representatives to the ceremony to pay tribute, as did Japanese non-Catholic Christians such as Protestant and Episcopal churches. To paraphrase, all the major religious groups of Japan showed their solidarity with the Japanese Catholic Church.
Secondly, last year's beatification was given considerable publicity by national and local media -- newspaper and TV. In this way, in every corner of the country, Japanese citizens came to be aware of the historical occurrences, and of course as well in Nagasaki, where 15% of Japanese Catholics reside.
On top of that, in 11 provinces where the martyrs were executed, local papers gave special reports on their stories, thereby arousing people's attention to the local history of four centuries ago.
As a consequence of the above, many Japanese were given an opportunity to consider the meanings of religiosity and human dignity, as well as the significance of dedication to others, through reflection on the tragedy of four centuries ago.
Fourth, it should not be overlooked that many Catholics came to Nagasaki from a number of neighboring Asian countries. I was impressed, in particular, by the following remarks given by a participant from India:
"The ceremony eloquently demonstrated that the (Catholic) Church does not just belong to Europe, but to the world. The way the Japanese martyrs adhered to their faith gave us power, encouragement and hope."
ZENIT: What do you think of the G-8 summit to be held soon in Italy on poverty and climate change?
Ueno: At the G-8 summit in July, two issues will emerge as particularly important, to which Japan and other G-8 nations should give a specific focus. One will be the impact of the economic crisis on Africa. The other will be climate change. I briefly touch on the present endeavors extended by Japan in this respect:
First, as African countries are experiencing severe and negative impacts as a result of the sharp decline in the world economy, it should be stressed that Japan shares with the Holy See the view that the poorest countries in Africa should never be made victim of the present crisis, for which they are not responsible.
Second, in this context, Japan hosted the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD IV) last year and announced various initiatives, including doubling Japan's official development assistance for Africa by 2012 and providing support for doubling private investment to Africa. Japan will faithfully fulfill these commitments.
Third, Japan co-hosted the first meeting of a TICAD follow-up mechanism in Botswana in March, where we discussed the impact of the economic crisis on Africa and how we could overcome it. Later on at the London summit of G-20 nations in April, Japan did its best to present the African concerns expressed at Botswana.
ZENIT: And climate change is also a concern.
Ueno: Last year, as the chair of the G-8 summit, Japan demonstrated its leadership in shaping an agreement to reduce global greenhouse gas emission at least by half by 2050.
This year is the year when we G-8 nations decide on concrete actions. The international community should share the understanding that the problem will never be solved unless all countries share the burden equitably in keeping with their respective responsibilities.
ZENIT: After nearly 70 years, a Vatican official has visited Japan.
Ueno: In mid March -- from the 15th to the 20th -- Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign secretary, made a 6-day visit to Japan as an official guest of Japanese Foreign Ministry. I participated in almost the whole official program in Japan. By the way, the archbishop is the first Vatican top diplomat to make an official visit there in the 67 year-history of bilateral relations, which were established in 1942.
First, [let me] briefly touch upon the foreign minister meeting that took place on March 17 in Tokyo between Archbishop Mamberti and Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone, which was a highlight of the archbishop's stay in Japan. During the 150-minute dialogue, the two ministers covered a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from the world economic crisis and its impact on poor countries, notably those in Africa, to regional situations such as North Korea, China and the Middle East, to bilateral relations.
On North Korea, in response to the concerns expressed by Nakasone on the possible launching of a ballistic missile together with hostage problems, Archbishop Mamberti replied that he sympathized with Japan on these issues, appreciating the efforts of relevant countries to bring relaxation to the region, and expressing the desire that hostages be returned at the earliest possible opportunity. I found that the bilateral policy dialogue was rich, condensed and profound, i.e. a success.
Second, Archbishop Mamberti's two-day visit to Nagasaki was another success in that, firstly, at the atomic bomb memorial, he conveyed messages of sympathy and peace toward citizens of the region and, secondly, with messages from the Pope, he impressed and moved many local Catholics who warmly welcomed him. At a meeting with the governor of the Nagasaki prefecture and the mayor of the City of Nagasaki, who referred to their desire that historical churches there be recognized as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, the archbishop responded by expressing his accord with their interest. After he went on to Tokyo, he had a cordial meeting with representatives of the Japanese Catholic Church.
Third, Archbishop Mamberti had moments to be introduced to Japanese culture and religiosity at the Urasenke Tea Chapter's tea house as well as at the Meiji Shrine of Shintoism. At the shrine, Chief Priest Reverend Nakajima heartily welcomed him, speaking of the dialogues he has carried out with Catholic priests for the last decades.
All in all, I am more than sure that the successful visit of Archbishop Mamberti to Japan assisted in shortening a sense of distance existing between the two countries.
The Growing Closeness of Japan and the Holy See (Part 2)
Interview With Ambassador Kagefumi Ueno
By Miriam Diez i Bosch
ROME, JUNE 24, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Catholicism and Buddhism might have a new area for cooperation: a joint resolve to fix the problems that caused the global recession.
According to the Japanese ambassador to the Holy See, Kagefumi Ueno, dialogue between proponents of so-called Buddhist economics, and those of a Catholic orientation, could give interesting results.
ZENIT talked to the ambassador about this proposal for healing some of what's gone wrong with the global economy, and how Buddhist economists have been sounding a warning for years.
Part 1 of this interview, focusing on certain elements of the Church in Japan, as well as climate change and African development, was published Tuesday.
ZENIT: Lately, the Pope and the Vatican have issued a number of messages in which they lament the lack of moral considerations on the part of many business leaders. How do these words sound to Buddhism in the Japanese context?
Ueno: In Japan, similar voices were heard for decades, inter alia, among some economists with a Buddhist orientation. In fact, over the last decades some economists had started to amalgamate Buddhist philosophy with economic analysis, thereby founding a new discipline called "Buddhist economics." I am happy to introduce the basic thoughts that shape this discipline:
Buddhist economists are, by and large, critical of the neo-liberalism that sustained the economic policies of major world economies during the last decades, thus bringing about the aggravation of economic disparity, inequality, absolutizing of profit making, and the deterioration of the global environment.
Whereas there are divergent views among Buddhist economists, I understand that they share basically eight key tenets as smallest common denominators. These are respect for lives; nonviolence; Chisoku (awareness of enough); Kyousei (a sense of living together); simplicity, frugality; altruism; sustainability and diversity.
Each of them is the antithesis of the following notions which, as some argue, characterize contemporary economy: neglect of lives; violence; greed; isolation; division; extravagance; luxury; self-centered interest; un-sustainability and uniformity.
For instance, E. F. Schumacher, a German economist and one of the founding fathers of Buddhist economics, author of the famous “Small is Beautiful: Economics As If People Mattered," gave specific focus to Chisoku and simplicity.
Likewise, Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist and the winner of the Nobel Peace Price in 2004, has a philosophy similar to Buddhist economics. She is well known as an advocate of the “Mottainai campaign," i.e. the international campaign with three Rs: Re-use, Reduce and Recycle.
Some years ago, while she stayed in Japan, she learned the Japanese word “Mottainai,” which basically means, "Never waste even petty things since even the smallest things have intrinsic value.” At that moment, she had an inspiration for the campaign, i.e. she was inspired that the "spirit of Mottainai" that embodies the spirit of the three Rs should be diffused globally. She keeps saying that to ensure the protection and preservation of the global environment, the “spirit of Mottainai" is indispensable. This spirit she advocates is obviously in accord with the basic thought of Buddhist economics.
ZENIT: How do these values become concrete?
Ueno: They (Buddhist economists) are advocating policies that are conducive to, inter alia, detachment from a growth-conscious approach, detachment from oil-driven production, and the establishment of a new international mechanism to do away with violence.
In Japan, Komazawa University, a renowned Buddhist university in Tokyo, established a Research Institute on Buddhist Economics in 1966. Some other universities such as Keio University (Tokyo) and Ashikaga University (Gunma) from time to time offer special lectures about this.
With the current instability and uncertainty about world economy, which intensified skepticism regarding free market principles, Buddhist economics is gathering more attention.
It may be an interesting idea to arrange a dialogue in this sphere between economists of Buddhist and Catholic orientations.
Last but not least, in this respect, it should not be overlooked that under the framework of the 24th General Conference of the World Fellowship of Buddhists (WFB), which took place in Tokyo last year, a symposium was held on "The Economics of Happiness."
[Part 1 of this interview was published Tuesday.]
Let us not forget , also, this very important item: THE PRIME MINISTER OF JAPAN IS A CATHOLIC!
Japan installed its first ever Roman Catholic prime minister this week, a milestone that has attracted media attention around the world — but hardly a word in his home country. It is doubtful whether most Japanese citizens are even aware that their flamboyant, manga-cartoon reading new leader, Taro Aso, has any particular religious beliefs.
Mainstream Japanese media have not touched on the fact that Aso is a member of a tiny religious minority — about 0.4% of the population — in a country where both Buddhism and Shinto rituals are a part of every day life for many. Aso himself rarely mentions his Catholicism, except when speaking to foreign audiences.
One of the foreign audiences that noticed was the Vatican daily newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, which enthused: "The nomination of a Catholic as prime minister is a turning point in Japanese politics, where religion has never had a real influence on public life, but the respect for traditions is shared by all sides. Recently, breaking with the proverbial reserve that Japanese politicians have on religious issues, the new prime minister said that his family has been Catholic for four generations."
Christian-founded schools and universities are commonplace in Japan, and many brides dream of a white wedding in a church. But converts are few.
Aso was born on the southern island of Kyushu, where Catholic missionaries gained a foothold in the 16th century, before being suppressed by a government that feared the conflicting loyalties religious faith might bring. He is the grandson of Shigeru Yoshida, prime minister during the U.S. occupation after World War Two, who is said to have converted on his deathbed, under the influence of his Catholic wife.
Though the first Catholic, Aso is the third Christian to serve as prime minister, following Tetsu Katayama and Masayoshi Ohira. Like Ohira, Aso has attended ceremonies at Yasukuni , a Shinto shrine in Tokyo that honours Japan's war dead but is seen as by Asian critics as a symbol of the country's past militarism.
See also this latest piece of news:
UPDATE Japan raps Citi for lax money laundering controls Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:34am EDT
* Japan bans Citi from retail banking promotions for month
* Cites problems with governance, internal controls
* Regulatory action follows similar violation in 2004
* Citi apologises, promises plan to improve compliance (Adds Citigroup comments in paragaph 3, 12, 13)
By Taro Fuse and David Dolan
TOKYO, June 26 (Reuters) - Japan ordered Citigroup (C.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) to suspend sale promotions for a month at its retail bank for lax oversight against money laundering, in the struggling U.S. bank's second brush with Japanese regulators in five years.
The Financial Services Agency said Citigroup had not developed adequate systems to detect suspicious transactions such as money laundering, citing the same violation that led the regulators to close its private banking business in 2004.
Citigroup, which has 35 branches and generates about $2 billion in revenue a year from its retail and corporate banking division, Citibank Japan, apologised for the breach, saying it stemmed from the way it reported suspicious transactions.
"If Citibank cannot get its house in order, its operations in Japan may come under threat," said Neil Katkov, head of Asia research for financial services consultancy Celent.
"We have seen banks in the U.S. shut down for alleged loose money laundering compliance, and this is a sign that Japanese regulators are getting tougher." The suspension comes as Citigroup tries to sell assets in Japan, an integral part of its efforts to raise cash after suffering more than $85 billion in losses on toxic assets and receiving a U.S. government bailout.
The bank agreed last month to sell its Japanese brokerage and investment banking assets to Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (8316.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Japan's third-largest bank, for about $5.9 billion.
It is also looking to sell its Japanese asset management arm, Nikko Asset Management, and telemarketer Bellsystem24 Inc, sources have told Reuters. The deals are expected to raise more than $1 billion each. [ID:nBNG457249]
The FSA said Citigroup had not made improvements since the last regulatory crackdown in 2004, which prompted then-chief executive Charles Prince to make a public bow of apology in Japan, a custom for Japanese executives showing remorse.
The FSA said the lack of compliance showed Citigroup executives "... lack an understanding of the rules applied in Japan, such as laws and regulations, and an awareness of improvement".
Citibank Japan, which handles retail and corporate banking operations, had 299 billion yen in net assets and 1,548 employees as of the end of March, according to its website.
Citibank Japan promised to submit a plan to the Japanese regulator by the end of July to remedy the problems.
While Citibank Japan cannot promote its retail products for the next month, customers can still initiate transactions with the bank, the FSA and Citigroup said in statements. (Additional reporting by Mayumi Negishi, Nathan Layne and Noriyuki Hirata; Editing by Michael Watson)
Update:
Japanese Prime Minister to Visit Vatican
VATICAN CITY, JUNE 28, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI will receive in audience the prime minister of Japan next month, which will be the second high-level meeting between the Vatican and the Asian country this year.
The Union of Catholic Asian News revealed Friday that Japan's Catholic prime minister, Taro Aso, will visit the Vatican on July 7, the day before the opening of the Group of Eight Summit in L'Aquila, Italy.
Last March, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Vatican's foreign secretary, became the first Vatican top diplomat to make an official visit to Japan in the 67-year-history of bilateral relations, which were established in 1942.
Japan's ambassador to the Holy See, Kagefumi Ueno, told ZENIT last week that Archbishop Mamberti's 6-day visit "assisted in shortening a sense of distance existing between the two countries."
The last Japanese prime minister to visit the Vatican was former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who visited Pope John Paul II in 1999.
There are 1 million Catholics living in Japan, out of a total population of 127 million.
LATEST UPDATE:
INTERESTING, INTERESTING!
2 days after the announcement that the prime minister of Japan will visit the Vatican, Japan takes the heat for the story of the $134 billion in US bonds, which suddenly ARE REAL - until now, there was a doubt -now no more, and Japan is the guilty party.
Of course, the PM's visit to the pope has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS "SUDDEN DISCOVERY".
So to clarify the story, it seems that the US government is not too pleased by these revelations of Nazi Hal Turner about the coming AMERO, and is threatening all bloggers with imprisonment for revealing the plans of the NWO.
In addition, VATICAN NEWS are hard at work, putting up smokescreens, and making sure that JAPAN is mentioned as the guilty party. Not the INNOCENT MAFIA, God forbid; and specially , NO CONNECTION TO THE VATICAN FINANCES EITHER. The Catholic Japanese PM's visit announced two days earlier has NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING to do with the story, of course. And neither does the JESUIT GENERAL WHO HAILS FROM JAPAN, of course, of course.......
DS
» 06/30/2009 13:13 ASIA-ITALY Everything suggests that the American bonds seized at Chiasso are real Official U.S. sources continue to say they are fakes, but there is no news that American experts have inspected them in person. Arrested for another matter, the director of a U.S. radio who says the bonds are real and Japan was trying to sell in Switzerland, not trusting the ability of the United States to honour its debt.
Milan (AsiaNews) – Four weeks have passed since American bonds were confiscated from two Japanese men who were travelling on a direct train to Chiasso, Switzerland, and while there has been clarification of some - very few -points, Italian authorities have remained silent on the rest of the episode.
In addition, a strange coincidence in the timing of the arrest of a director of an internet radio who had made revelations regarding the incident ,increases the already strong oddities surrounding the case. This added to the revaluation of the fact that among the evidence seized there were "Kennedy Bonds", all points toward the authenticity of the items seized by the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) in early June.
The major English-speaking newspapers ignored the story for a couple of weeks. They only started to report on it after the Bloomberg agency carried a story on 18 / 6, in which a spokesman for the Treasury, Meyerhardt, declared that the bonds, based on photos available on the Internet, were "clearly false." The same day, the Financial Times (FT) published an article whose title laid the blame for the (alleged) infringement at the feet of the Italian Mafia, despite the fact that the article failed to make even one possible connection with the episode in Chiasso. Nevertheless, the version of events as reported in FT was taken up by others as being "appropriate" (given that it is a very common cliché about Italy and it is a sequester that took place in Italy) and in the end "colourful." It’s a pity that it goes against all logic: that the Mafia tried to pass unnoticed in its attempt to dump fake bonds amounting to 134.5 billion dollars and moreover were to "stung" a mere step from their gaol, is not very credible.
Most recently last week, 25 / 6, the New York Times reported on the story in particular, the allegations of CIA spokesman, Darrin Blackford: the U.S. Secret Service carried out inspections, as required by the Italian judiciary, and found that they were fictitious financial instruments, never issued by the “U.S. government”. It is not clear, however, how the checks mentioned by Blackford were carried out and whether they were also are carried out via internet. In fact according to official Italian sources the Commission of American experts, expected in Italy, have yet to arrive. Furthermore, the bonds were accompanied by a recent and original bank record. It is therefore unclear how the U.S. authorities can declare fake documentation that does not originate from the Fed or the U.S. Department of Treasury.
On the contrary, claims in support of the bond’s authenticity were made 20 / 6 on the Turner Radio Network (TRN), an independent radio station broadcast via Internet. On that date in a massive exposure, TRN stated that the two Japanese men arrested by the Guardia di Finanza (GdF) and then released in Ponte Chiasso were employees of the Japanese Ministry for Treasury. AsiaNews had also received similar reports: one of the two Japanese arrested in Chiasso and then released is Tuneo Yamauchi, is the brother of Toshiro Muto, until recently vice governor of the Bank of Japan. On its website, the creator and presenter of the Radio, Hal Turner, had also claimed that his sources had revealed that the Italian authorities believe the evidence to be authentic and that the two Japanese officials are from the Japanese Ministry for Finance. They were supposed to bring the bonds to Switzerland because the Japanese government had apparently lost confidence in U.S. ability to repay its debt. Japanese financial authorities therefore were trying to sell a part of the securities in their possession through parallel channels ahead of an imminent financial disaster, thanks to the anonymity which, Turner said, is guaranteed by the laws of Switzerland.
AsiaNews does not know to what extent Turner’s revelations can be held as credible, given that in this case too, it is difficult to believe that $ 134.5 billion would pass unnoticed anywhere in the world. It seems far more logical to assume that the bonds, if authentic, were directed to the Bank for International Settlements in Basel, BIS, the central bank of central banks ahead of the issuance of securities in a new supranational currency. Turner had in any event added that as evidence to support his revelations he would have provided the serial numbers of the seized bonds. Before he could do so, however, was imprisoned. Hal Turner is the journalist who long ago first broke the news of a secret plan to replace the dollar, after a severe financial crisis, with a common North American currency, the Amero. In a dramatic phone call from inside the prison in which he is detained pending trial, relayed via internet, Hal Turner claims that his arrest is political and it is in relation to the securities seized in Chiasso, because the authorities are terrified by his revelations of the bonds’ authenticity. Of course, the allegations made against him have to nothing to do with the story and thus an already intricate story becomes ever more complex. Turner maintains that he did not personally formulate the disclosure for which he has been imprisoned. Although it was clearly his responsibility to remain vigilant, it is also true that blogs from around the world and the U.S. themselves are full of threats and provocations. The coincidental timing, the unusual diligence and the details of his arrest arouse suspicions about the true motives of the American federal police. Indeed, this very arrest suggests that the evidence seized from GdF are truly authentic.
One more element in favour of the bond’s authenticity is found in the securities, which in the June 4 statement, the GdF termed "Kennedy Bonds” with photos provided. These photos reveal that the securities under discussion are not bonds but Treasury Notes, because they are securities that can be immediately exchanged for their worth in goods or services and because they are devoid of interest coupons. One side carries a reproduction of the image of the American president, the reverse side that of a spaceship. From confidential, usually well-informed sources, AsiaNews has learned that this type of paper money was issued less than ten years ago (in 1998), although it is difficult to know whether those seized in Chiasso are authentic. But the fact that the release of this particular State Treasury was not completely in the public domain tends to exclude the possibility of counterfeiting. It highly unreasonable to suppose that a forger would reproduce a State Treasury not commonly in circulation and of which there is no public knowledge. For this reason, it can be concluded that the 124.5 billion dollars divided in 249 bonds of 500 million each are authentic. These titles, although referred to as "Federal Reserve Notes" are actually bonds, because they accrue interest and are redeemable at maturity. But one question remains unsolved regarding them. It is somewhat hard to understand why the securities, which were from the outset indistinguishable from the original to the GdF, all have their coupons. Any ordinary investor, even a state, would have cashed in the interest coupon every year, so as not to lose purchasing power.
ASIA – ITALY06/18/2009
Mystery surrounding 134.5 "fake" billion US dollars seized in Ponte Chiasso remains
After two weeks a US Treasury official says securities were fakes. Italy's financial police is silent. The case is still baffling and full of discrepancies.
Milan (AsiaNews) – US government bonds seized by Italy's financial police (Guardia di Finanza) at Ponte Chiasso, an the Italian town on the border with Switzerland, are "clearly fakes," Stephen Meyerhardt, spokesman for the US Bureau of the Public Debt, is quoted as saying in a news report by the Bloomberg agency. AsiaNews contacted the divisional headquarters of Italy's financial police in Como, which is responsible for Ponte Chiasso, asking for an explanation but none has come forth yet.
For some days the affair has been in the limelight [1]. Importantly, at the time of the bonds were seized it was not possible to determine whether the US government bonds and US Federal Reserve certificates were real of fakes.
Right after the seizure Colonel Mecarelli, Guardia di Finanza commander in Como, said that for at least some of the securities, especially the 'Kennedy Bonds', there were doubts about their authenticity. As for the others, some were so well made that it was hard to tell them apart from real ones.
The seizure was carried out two weeks ago. The bonds were in the possession of two Oriental-looking individuals in their fifties with Japanese passports. The two men, were travelling from Milan to Chiasso, in Switzerland, on a local train used primarily by Italian workers commuting to-and-fro Switzerland for work.
At the customs office both men said they had nothing to declare but a check by financial police agents revealed a false bottom in their respective suitcases, each containing a fortune in US securities.
Also inside the agents found extensive and detailed original bank documents about the bonds.
If the latter were real the two Asian men had in their possession (although not necessarily in their ownership) a big chunk of the US debt which would have made them the fourth largest creditors of the United Sates.
Despite what US Treasury spokesman Meyerhardt said, and until more information is forthcoming from Italy's financial police in Como for AsiaNews the mystery is still there.
Under Italian law when law enforcement agencies seize fake bonds or counterfeit money they are under the obligation to arrest the bearers. And in order to avoid misappropriation, the agency seizing the material, in this case the financial police, must quickly proceed to its destruction (i.e. incineration).
However, in case of real securities, after the securities holders are identified, the financial police must release them immediately after issuing a statement of confiscation and imposing a fine valued in this case at € 38 billion (US$ 53.4 billion). In this case, why were the two men released right away without any fine imposed?
That is not the only discrepancy. It is not clear how statements by US Treasury spokesman Meyerhardt and Italian financial police can be reconciled. For the former the bonds "are clearly fakes"; for the latter, speaking at the start of this whole affair, some bonds were indistinguishable from the real ones when it comes to quality and detail.
Italy's Guardia di Finanza has a reputation for being a highly specialised and expert financial police agency. How could it be so easily duped! And if the bonds are "clearly fakes" why did it take US authorities two weeks to find out.
Another discrepancy is the fact that, along with the securities, original and recent bank documents were seized as proof of their authenticity.
If what Meyerhardt says is true, some major financial institutions have been deceived by the securities carried by the two Asian men. This would be a bombshell and raise serious questions as to how many bank assets are actually made up of securities that for Meyerhardt are "clearly fakes."
If counterfeit securities of such high quality are in circulation the world's monetary system, let alone that of the United States, is in danger. International trade and exchanges could come to a halt.
Whether it is counterfeit money or money laundering, what happened is potentially more dangerous for the stability of the international system than the results of Iran's elections.
If the bonds are real it means someone with a lot of cash no longer trusts the US dollar as a reserve currency. If this is the case then it would spell the end of the Bretton Woods system and most likely negatively impact world trade.
Unfortunately the international press and main TV networks, with some exceptions, have ignored the whole affair. These days this is actually the real news. [1] See "US government securities seized from Japanese nationals, not clear whether real or fake," AsiaNews, 8 June 2009, and "Seizure of US government bonds from two Japanese men in Italy raises questions," AsiaNews, 8 June 2009.
And then there is also this site, which presents it from a totally different angle:
The Japanese arrested in Italy with $134 billion were part of a CIA black-ops
The Japanese citizens arrested in Italy last week carrying bonds worth $134 billion were part of a CIA black-ops linked to the Nazi faction, according to high level intelligence sources. The CIA front behind this operation is known as Mayflower and is linked to a malevolent Chinese faction that wishes to restore dynastic rule in China. One of the Japanese arrested was probably a Mr. Fukushima, who works for the puppet emperor of Japan and the CIA and the Rothschilds. The operation is also linked to former Japanese Prime Minister and Bush slave Junichiro Koizumi as well as the current CIA-bribed traitor Prime Minister Taro Aso. They were hoping to use the money in part to operate a massive psy-ops in Japan designed to keep the current slave government in charge after elections that must be held by September 11th of this year. For the sake of humanity and the planet, they must not be allowed to redeem those bonds. We can also add that as a direct result of these arrests that faction has contacted us and proposed talks in Switzerland. We will accept.
Barry answers:
Answers are all over the net. The mafia laundering notes foreign countries are dumping.
To which DS replies;
AHA! That DOES make a lot of sense: according to what I just read ( MARTIN WEISS, SAFE MONEY REPORT), US long-term bonds are going to lose a huge amount of their value, particularly for foreign owners - higher interest rates, and devaluation of the dollar. So it WOULD make sense that foreign countries would try to get rid of their bonds at any cost. And for the mafia it is a great deal too: see Taipan Daily:
by Justice Litle, Editorial Director, Taipan Publishing Group
“The Mafia isn’t part of the past, it’s part of the future.”
– Roberto Scarpinato, Sicilian prosecutor
Just how heavy is a million dollars cash?
If you’re trying to smuggle that kind of dough in old-school $100 bills, you’ll be lugging a little over 22 pounds. But if you’re rolling with banded, manicured bundles of the highest denomination euro notes (a cool €500), then the same amount only weighs you down by 3.5 pounds – and takes up a lot less space.
This is the kind of thing it’s good to know when you’re in the most profitable business in the world.
Ask a Wall Streeter to name a line of business that produces endless gushers of cash, and big oil probably comes to mind. The oil majors have certainly been known for record-busting profits these past few years. But the mafia’s profits are far bigger.
The mighty Exxon Mobil, for example, booked a profit of a little over $45 billion last year. That’s a whopping $10 billion per quarter or more. And yet, in comparison, the top three organized crime outfits in Italy – just the top three, mind you – more than doubled Exxon’s profit for the same calendar year.
And of course, where Exxon has to pay taxes, the mafia mostly avoids such hassles. So when you take the tax-free aspect into account, the mafia leaves big oil in the dust. And of course, the “big three” in Italy are just the tip of the iceberg. The powerful tentacles of organized crime extend all over the world...
So this is what is being reported.
Now the VATICAN's part is the big question: they are obviously keenly interested in the story. And after you read the numerous reports, which I do not have available here, but which are easy to find, about the TIGHT CONNECTIONS between the MAFIA AND THE VATICAN, things do become a little bit clearer.
I would guess that the pope has quite a few dollars - or is it Euros- to lose in this saga, and is sitting on pins and needles, waiting to see the outcome of the story.
I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that curse thee... ואברכה מברכיך ומקללך אאר ונברכו בך כל משפחת האדמה
Am Yisrael wants the Temple rebuilt!
A survey conducted by the Panels Insitute revealed that 64 % of the Israeli public , and half of secular Israelis, want the Temple rebuilt. 97% of respondents know that the Temple was destroyed on Tisha B'Av ( Ninth of Av).
The survey's second question queried the public’s desire to rebuild the Temple. Sixty-four percent responded favorably and 36 percent said no. Analysis of the answers revealed that not only hareidi-religious and other religious Jews want to rebuild the Temple, (100 percent and 97 percent respectively), but also the traditional public (91 percent) and many secular Jews (47 percent) do as well.
Just a reminder to our many enemies, specially 'you know who' (below ), from Isaiah the Prophet:
Isaiah 49:24-26
"Can prey be taken back from a strong one; can the righteous captive escape?
But thus said Hashem: Even the captive of the strong can be taken back, and the prey of the mighty can escape; I, Myself, will take up your cause, and I, MYSELF, WILL SAVE YOUR CHILDREN.
And I will feed your oppressors their own flesh, and as with sweet wine shall they become drunk; then all flesh shall know that I am Hashem, your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel."
My favorite blogs and websites ( in alphabetical order)
It is forbidden to remain silent in matters of life and death!
Always remember: first thoughts, then words....so actions can follow.
"Sof Maaseh, B'Machshavah Techilah"
סוף מעשה, במחשבה תחילה
("The final outcome has been conceived of at the outset")
Words of wisdom: what to do to save lives and preserve freedom of the Jewish People in Israel:
"When the people fear the government, it is tyranny...when government fears the people, it is liberty."
Variously attributed to Thomas Jefferson, Tom Paine and Benjamin Franklin.
... Coming from a traditionally very passive and peaceful sector, United Torah Judaism:
"There was no reason for [the mother] to be in jail... Now we all understand that these things can be stopped by burning garbage and ripping out traffic lights”
MK Meir Porush, UTJ - about the riots in Jerusalem
A word of wisdom...coming from what was once the Land of the Free...
"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds."
Samuel Adams, American Revolutionary
Very appropriate quote , although more than a century old.
"There are laws to protect the freedom of the press's speech,
but none that are worth anything to protect the people from the press."
--Mark Twain
... And more truths about truth:
"A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.
To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, newspaper editors and schoolteachers.... The greatest triumphs of propaganda have been accomplished, not by doing something, but by refraining from doing.
Great is truth, but still greater, from a practical point of view, is silence about truth."
-- Aldous Huxley - (1894-1963) Author - Source: forward to Brave New World, 1946 edition.
"When a well-packaged web of lies has been sold gradually to the masses over generations, the truth will seem utterly preposterous and its speaker a raving lunatic."Dresden James.
We live in times of unprecedented dangers, therefore,
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle." Edmund Burke
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing, because he could only do a little."
Edmund Burke
PICTORIAL REVIEW OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN GUSH KATIF
Here below, you will be able to see for yourselves what REALLY happened during the Gush Katif expulsion; how the GOOD JEWS of ISRAEL were BETRAYED by their so-called leaders.
Link provided by Barry Chamish.
Now you understand whom we are dealing with in this country: TRAITORS. They pretend to have the nation's best interests at heart, but this is all a mirage, a lie; either they are self-serving, or THEY WORK FOR THE ENEMY, and they cannot be trusted.
Only TRUE and FAITHFUL LEADERSHIP will get us out of this morass; AND G-D'S INFINITE MERCY, B"H.
We are waiting for Mashiach to come and rescue us; meanwhile, we do what we can to HELP THE GEULAH.
Gush Katif Betrayal, "MERAGLIM 1"
Gush Katif Betrayal, "MERAGLIM 2"
Gush Katif Betrayal, "MERAGLIM 3"
Gush Katif Betrayal, "MERAGLIM 4"
QUOTES BY THE ENEMY, AND ABOUT THE ENEMY'S TACTICS
Here below are quotes related to the enemy's nature, tactics and philosophy.
Always remember: LEARN FROM YOUR ENEMY, EMULATE HIM, but for the FORCES OF GOOD!
Whenever he does A, do A, in reverse.
He does B, do B, in reverse.
We might not have his financial resources or capabilities, but we have a much greater ally: HASHEM.
Remember David and Goliath. We are David, and with God's help, we can defeat Goliath. All we have to do is UNMASK THE EVIL GIANT, UNMASK HIS TACTICS, UNDERSTAND HIS DECEPTIONS, AND EXPOSE THEM TO THE BRIGHT LIGHT OF DAY.
AND PRAY TO GOD FOR HELP.
AND ALWAYS, ONLY STRIVE TO DO GOOD,
SO THAT WE CAN BE A FORCE OF GOOD AGAINST THESE MESSENGERS OF DARKNESS.
"PROPAGANDA CANNOT TAKE TIME OFF"
"Propaganda cannot take time off"
... one of the key rules ofmodern disinformation, which is that the required message must be repeated very frequently if it is to pass...
Serge Tchakhotine, author of "Le Viol des Foules par la Propagande Politique", 1939
THE STATE IS THE ENEMY!
"You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game. The reason was quite simple. They were supposed to force these people, the ... public, to turn to the state to ask for greater security.
This is the political logic which remains behind all the massacres and the bombings which remain unpunished, because the state cannot convict itself or declare itself responsible for what happened."
Daniele Ganser, " NATO'S Secret Army, Operation Gladio and Terrorism in Western Europe "
OBAMA THE MUSLIM
THE DARK SIDE OF THE U.S.A.: AS IN SERBIA, SO IN YESHA...
... in 1998, the US State Department and intelligence agencies decided to use the Kosovo Liberation Army to get rid of Slobodan Miloševic. "The US agenda was clear. When the time was right they were going to use the KLA to provide the solution to the political problem" – the "problem" being, as Marshall explains earlier, Miloševic’s continued political survival. This meant supporting the KLA’s terrorist secessionism, and later fighting a war against Yugoslavia on its side. Marshall quotes Mark Kirk, a US naval intelligence officer, saying that, "Eventually we opened up a huge operation against Miloševic, both secret and open." The secret part of the operation involved not only things like stuffing the various observer missions which were sent into Kosovo with officers from the British and American intelligence services, but also – crucially – giving military, technical, financial, logistical and political support to the KLA, which, as Marshall himself admits, "smuggled drugs, ran prostitution rackets and murdered civilians." "Bags of money had been brought in for years.... Organisations controlled by George Soros also played a crucial role, as they were later to do, in 2003–4, in Georgia.... The so-called "democrats" were, in reality, nothing but foreign agents."
Tim Marshall, Sky TV
MAKE SURE TO WATCH THE PPS"Will there soon be an anti-Jewish genocide in Israel?"
I am a Jew living in the Land of Judea (Eretz Yehuda), which was given to us, the Jewish people, by G-D Himself. I love this place very much; I will do my best to develop it, cherish it, protect it, turn it into the paradise it was always meant to be - and defend it against any and all enemies of Am Yisrael.
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