IMF's Lagarde Slams Globalization, Warns Of A growing "Surge Of Discontent".

IMF's Lagarde Slams Globalization, Warns Of A growing "Surge Of Discontent". (ZeroHedge).

Two months after consultancy giant McKinsey dramatically flip-flopped on its long held position of praising globalization, cautioning that - as Britain's vote to exit the European Union exemplified what happens when people feel like the system is letting them down - the system is on the verge of "explosion", comparing the buildup of resentment over globalization to a dangerous natural gas leak in a row of houses, today it was the IMF's turn.

In a speech titled "Making Globalisation Work For All", IMF managing director Chrstine Lagarde became the latest in a growing chorus of senior policymakers urging governments to take heed of rising discontent and economic insecurity in the advanced world.

Lagarde said that governments in the developed world should focus their attention on boosting support for low income workers and reducing inequality, amid a “groundswell of discontent” against globalisation. 

Effectively reiterating the McKinsey report, Lagarde said that there is "a growing sense among some citizens that they “lack control,” that the system is somehow against them", a system which she now slams, even though the IMF been instrumental in helping create and grow precisely this system ever since its inception, saying that “growing inequality in wealth, income, and opportunity in many countries has added to a groundswell of discontent, especially in the industrialized world.”

She then slammed both banks, tax regimes and pervasive corruption, saying that "financial institutions are being seen as unaccountable to society. Tax systems allow multinational companies and wealthy individuals not to pay what many would consider a fair share. Corruption remains endemic."

Last but not least she warned about the "challenged"from migration flows:  And there is the challenge from uncontrolled migration flows, contributing to economic and cultural anxieties." Hmmm.....Globalists be forewarned 'We the people had enough!' Read the full story here.

UN Secretary-General Post: Soros 'buddy' Kristalina Georgieva to be nominated – reports.

European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva receiving the award of the Open Society foundation, from George Soros.

UN Secretary-General race: Soros 'buddy' Kristalina Georgieva to be nominated – reports. (SofiaGlobe).

Bulgarian European Commission vice-president Kristalina Georgieva is to be a late entry into the race to succeed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, media reports on September 10 said.

According to a tweet by Talal Al-Haj, UN bureau chief of television station Al-Arabiya, Georgieva will be nominated by Hungary, Latvia and Croatia, with the support of Germany.

He said that the nomination of Georgieva – now in her second term on the European Commission – had been agreed on the sidelines of the most recent meeting of the G20.

Separately, Bulgarian-language media said that Bulgaria’s Cabinet would withdraw its nomination of Irina Bokova to replace it with a nomination of Georgieva. Well-informed sources indicated to The Sofia Globe that this move could be expected in coming days.

The reports came the morning after the UN Security Council’s fourth and latest “straw poll” saw Bokova, scion of a Bulgarian communist family and now in her second term as head of Unesco, came in a poor fifth in the vote among the 15 Security Council members.

In the vote, Bokova got seven “encourage” votes, five “discourage” and three “no opinion”.
Bokova initially was nominated in the dying days of the 2013/24 ruling axis, a government nominally led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, that stepped down amid widely-supported public protests demanding its resignation.

Her nomination was confirmed in 2016 by the current centre-right government headed by Boiko Borissov, after minority socialist ABC party leader Georgi Purvanov – a former BSP leader – threatened to withdraw his support for Borissov’s government unless it endorsed Bokova. Though Borissov gave in to this pressure, Purvanov later led his party out of the government anyway.

Georgieva previously indicated, early in 2016, that she would not be available to be the candidate because she would be continuing in her post in the Juncker European Commission.

However, the ground has been being prepared for some time for the nomination of Georgieva, who has an impressive range of experience at international level at the World Bank and at the European Commission and is widely respected.

Apart from the dwindling support for Bokova, it is seen as highly likely that her candidacy would be vetoed by at least one of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United Kingdom.


Bokova’s controversial candidacy has been backed in part by those who say that the next head of the UN should be a woman from Eastern Europe – a criterion that Georgieva meets.

One Percenters Trudeau and Obama to meet for state dinner at the White house.

One Percenters Trudeau and Obama to meet for state dinner at the White house. (CTV).

Brett Bruen shared some thoughts in advance of Justin Trudeau’s red-carpet visit this week, based on his own career as a U.S. diplomat who until recently was the White House director of global engagement.

Bruen said Canada’s new leader has an opportunity to be heard.

Bruen said Trudeau could capitalize by doing more unconventional media. He suggested reaching Americans who don’t follow the news — in places as unusual as sitcom appearances.

“Establish him as an American celebrity . . . That’s one of the unique opportunities offered by his prime ministership,” said Bruen, who left the White House last year and now advises clients at Global Situation Room.

“Here’s someone who’s young, dynamic, who’s piqued the interest certainly of pundits and observers. Now you want to go capture the interest of the man or woman on the street who’ll say, ‘Yeah, I know Prime Minister Trudeau. When he speaks about immigration issues or climate change or trade, I’m going to pay closer attention, because he’s someone that I see regularly.””

That level of attention can be a double-edged sword.

The risk-reward potential was evident last week, in two headlines in the U.S. congressional newspaper, The Hill. One may have been intended as a compliment: “’Canadian Obama’ to visit White House.” But there were some less-than-flattering responses to, “Canada’s prime minister to Americans: Pay more attention to the world.”

What’s beyond dispute is how rare all of this is for a Canadian leader.

It’s in some ways a throwback to another era. Hmmm...... PM Harper was only a mere mortal compared to these One percenters, how could they throw a state dinner for such a decent man?

Video - 'Real Change' - The Soros connection: Anti-oil activist Marlo Raynolds now Trudeau's Environment Min. chief of staff.

Read the full story here.

New National Defense Control Center of Russia is now said to be "on permanent combat duty."

New National Defense Control Center of Russia is now said to be "on permanent combat duty." (Kremlin).

PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA VLADIMIR PUTIN:Colleagues,

We are holding this Board meeting at the new National Defence Control Centre. The Centre is now on permanent combat duty. I congratulate you all on this event.

The Centre’s tasks include analysing and forecasting developments in the geopolitical situation and coordinating the authorities’ work in the defence sector. 

The new Centre’s capabilities will raise the quality of our armed forces’ command and the Centre will play a key part in our national defence and security system and will help to resolve the big tasks facing the armed forces.

Russia will always act consistently to protect its interests and sovereignty and will strive to strengthen international stability and support equal security for all countries and peoples.

At the same time, the situation in the world around us is not becoming any simpler. You all know about the USA’s plans to build a missile defence system. NATO has stepped up its activity too, including in Europe, especially in Eastern Europe.  

In this respect, I want to say that our military doctrine nevertheless remains unchanged and is exclusively defensive in nature, as you know. But we will defend our country’s security firmly and consistently.

Speaking this year and before this audience, I have to say a few words about the events in Crimea of course. I want to thank once again the heads of our Armed Forces and all of the personnel involved for their precise, restrained, and carefully weighed action and for their courage and professionalism during the events there.

You assuredly protected Crimea’s residents from great tragedy, from bloodshed and humanitarian disaster, and made it possible for them to express their free will as citizens in the referendum that took place.

Colleagues, recent events have shown that our army is changing, acquiring new features, becoming more modern, and is ready to carry out the most difficult and responsible missions. The results of the snap inspections carried out this year clearly showed this to be the case, as did the results demonstrated by the various units during the more than 3,500 training drills and exercises, the biggest of which were the Vostok 2014 exercises.

Let me note too that the state defence procurement programme for this year is practically completed. We spoke in more detail about this at the meeting just before on the common day for formal commissioning of defence industry goods.

Together with the qualitative development of the armed forces, it is also becoming more prestigious to serve in the army. This year, there are six people competing for every one place in some of the Defence Ministry academies. The number of contract servicemen has increased by more than 75,000 people. There is now real competition for the right to serve on contract in the armed forces as privates and sergeants. Most of the people applying are well-trained and motivated. More than two thirds of contract servicemen in 2014 have higher or vocational education.

This year, we have made adjustments to the Federal Law On Defence and drafted amendments to the Military Doctrine. Together with the defence plan approved on November 26, 2014, they will serve as the base for drafting short-, medium- and long-term planning documents.

Second, we must develop all components of our strategic nuclear forces, which play a very important part in maintaining global balance and essentially rule out the possibility of a large-scale attack against Russia. In 2015, the strategic nuclear forces will receive more than 50 intercontinental ballistic missiles. You can imagine what a powerful force this is. We must continue modernising our strategic aviation and put the two missile-carrying submarines Vladimir Monomakh and Alexander Nevsky on combat duty.

In the medium term through to 2021, we need to complete the transition to entirely modern arms for our ground-based nuclear forces, modernise the entire fleet of Tu-160 and Tu-95ms bombers, and also develop a new generation strategic bomber. 

Third, we need to complete the establishment of the Aerospace Defence Forces in 2015. Deployment of this new type of force will make it possible to use in better coordinated fashion our aviation, air defence and missile defence systems, thereby considerably raising the level of protection of Russia’s airspace.

Fourth is a quality reinforcement of defence in strategically important parts of the country such as the Arctic and other regions. 

The unified strategic command [in the Arctic] was established on December 15, based on the Northern Fleet. Next year will see the completion of military infrastructure on Novaya Zemlya, Kotelny and Wrangel islands, and Cape Schmidt. I ask you to keep these matters under your constant control.

Fifth, to maintain a high and constant level of combat readiness, we must continue the practice of snap inspections. Next year, they should extend to all military districts and branches of the armed forces, and also to the relevant federal and regional agencies and departments.

Furthermore, next year, we will hold the large-scale Russian-Belarusian tactical exercises Shchit Soyuza 2015, and the strategic command headquarters exercises Tsentr 2015, which will enable us to work through defence and security issues in the Central Asian region that is of crucial importance to Russia.  

It is important in general to strengthen our cooperation with our allies and partners in the CSTO. Read the full speech here.

George Soros As head of the Ukrainian National Bank?

George Soros As head of the Ukrainian National Bank? (Korrespondent)[Google Translate].

As head of the National Bank considered five applicants.

Lead the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) can famous American billionaire and philanthropist George Soros . It is reported channel 112 with reference to a number of sources in the Verkhovna Rada and people from the entourage of President Poroshenko.

Among the candidates for the post of head of the NBU also consider the candidacy of former IMF head Dominique Strauss-Kahn , who was forced to leave his previous post due to loud sex scandal.

In addition, the number of applicants allegedly included some "representatives of the Federal Reserve System." In general, to head the National Bank consider the five applicants.

The candidacy of the new head of the National Bank, which the president will submit for approval by Parliament, will be announced in the near future, expect sources.

The current head of the NBU Valery Gontareva appointed to this position in June 2014. According to media reports, she repeatedly wrote a letter of resignation.

As reported of Korrespondent.net , earlier in the new Rada was registered draft resolution on the dismissal of Valerie Gontareva with the post of head of the National Bank .

Recall the Court in Kiev metropolitan prosecutor ordered an investigation to begin action on Gontareva, which is suspected of abuse of power for manipulating the exchange rate .

Later, the prosecutor's office said they had not received the court's decision with respect to the investigation of a Gontareva. The very head of the NBU said that too has not received formal accusations against him and considers the charges baseless.

Iran: EU shouldn't influenced by US and Israel.

Iran: EU shouldn't influenced by US and Israel.(Taz).

A high-ranking Iranian official terms the assumption of the European Union rotating presidency as a historic opportunity for Greece, stating that the EU must not be influenced neither by the United States nor Israel when it comes to world issues, Iran's Press TV reported on March 16.

During a meeting with visiting Greek Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Tehran on March 16, Chairman of Iran's Expediency Council Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani described Tehran-Athens relations after the victory of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution as quite good, calling on Greece and other EU member states to exercise vigilance and not repeat previous mistakes under the influence of others.

Greece took over the rotating presidency of the European Union on January 8. It is the fifth time that Greece assumes the EU rotating presidency since its accession in 1981.

Rafsanjani further noted that chilly relations between Iran and the West would not be in favor of either side.

"As the world's leading energy supplier, our region (the Middle East) must be calm, and Iran -- considering its geographical, historical and political status -- is the axis of security in the region," he pointed out.

Venizelos, for his part, pointed to cultural affinities between the Greek and Iranian nations, noting that enhancement of economic and trade ties with Eastern countries is a priority for the Greek government.
He also described Iran as an influential country in the region and the entire world, stressing that Athens wants to broaden relations with Tehran on the basis of mutual interest.

Related:

NATO’s Energy Security Strategy: Break Russia’s control over European gas markets.

Russian FM Lavrov: "Russia will respect the will of Crimean people in referendum."

Russian FM Lavrov: "Russia will respect the will of Crimean people in referendum." (TheVoiceRussia).

Lavrov began his press conference saying that Russia and Western countries still disagree over the situation in Ukraine. "As to practical measures foreign countries could take, we do not share a common view of the situation, disagreements remain but, of course, the conversation was useful."

During the press conference Lavrov assured journalists that Russia is not avoiding dialog with Kiev regarding the situation in Ukraine.

"Ukraine has proposed holding the Council of CIS Foreign Ministers, it is currently chairing the CIS, in Kiev in the coming days. We have supported that, in accordance with the procedural regulations, first a meeting of deputy foreign ministers is organized and is held in the CIS headquarters in Minsk but, unfortunately, Ukrainian colleagues have refused this," Lavrov said.

Sergei Lavrov said Russia had no existing or proposed plans to invade the southeastern regions of Ukraine, at a news conference in London following talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Russia has and can have no plans to invade southeastern regions of Ukraine. We assume that the rights of Russians, the rights of Hungarians, the rights of Bulgarians and Ukrainians should definitely be ensured and should be protected," he added.

As far as the Crimean referendum is concerned, Russia will respect the Crimean people's choice, the Russian Foreign Minister said. "We have confirmed our stance stipulated repeatedly by the Russian president that we will respect the declaration of the will of the Crimean people during the coming referendum of March 16."

Lavrov called for the international community to urge Ukraine to hold immediate constitutional reform. "The international community, if it treats the fate of Ukraine responsibly, should, first of all, explicitly urge a start to the process of constitutional reform immediately. The Verkhovna Rada could initiate this process by inviting all regions to participate and by ensuring their equal places at the negotiating table," Lavrov said.

US Secretary of State John Kerry did not make any threats against Russia at the talks but sanctions that Western partners are talking about will not help mutual interests, Sergei Lavrov stressed during the press conference. But he said Russia was part of the information community and knew what was being discussed in Washington and in Europe.

"I'll be bold enough to assure you that sanctions are a counter-productive instrument and if such a decision is taken in Western capitals, it means it will be their decision," Lavrov said.

"One thing for sure is that this will not help mutual interests, business interests, the interests of our partnership in general," he added.

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said that the draft resolution submitted by the United States to the UN Security Council, which contains the appeal not to recognize the Crimean referendum results, is unacceptable to Russia.

"Americans have submitted this resolution and our attitude towards it is most negative. We do not support such a resolution," Gatilov said. "The resolution talks about things that the UN Security Council shouldn't discuss as international peace and security are not at issue here," he said.

"The main thing that the draft resolution contains is an appeal not to recognize the results of the referendum in Crimea. Therefore such a resolution is of course unacceptable for us," he said.

Gatilov added he was convinced the draft resolution "totally ignored the objective realities that have emerged". "We think the right of people who are frightened of a repeat of the Cyprus scenario to express their will must be taken into account," he stated.

Russia "will of course respect decisions that referendum participants vote for," he said. "We do not think that the Security Council ought to interfere in the decision by the legitimate authorities of Crimea regarding the organization of a referendum as this is not prohibited by the UN Charter or other international law," Gatilov said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that Crimea "means immeasurably more" to Russia than the Comoro Islands mean to France or the Falklands do to Britain.

"Whether there are any precedents in international law or not, there surely are, everyone realizes, and I say so in all responsibility, what Crimea means to Russia, and that it means immeasurably more than the Comoros do to France or the Falklands to Britain," Lavrov told a news conference after talks with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Lavrov expressed hope that the West will realize that "this is indeed a case that cannot be viewed in isolation from history". "I'm convinced that, if Kosovo is a special case, Crimea is a case no less special," Lavrov said.

The talks between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry dedicated to the situation in Ukraine have ended.

"The five-hour Lavrov-Kerry negotiations in London have ended. The news conference of the Russian minister will be held soon," deputy head of the Russian Foreign Ministry Information and Press department, Maria Zakharova, posted on her Facebook account. Read the full story here.More here.

Crimea parliament declares independence from Ukraine ahead of referendum.

Crimea parliament declares independence from Ukraine ahead of referendum. (RT).

“We, the members of the parliament of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council, with regard to the charter of the United Nations and a whole range of other international documents and taking into consideration the confirmation of the status of Kosovo by the United Nations International Court of Justice on July, 22, 2010, which says that unilateral declaration of independence by a part of the country doesn’t violate any international norms, make this decision,” says the text of the declaration, which was published by the Crimean media.

The document was adopted during an extraordinary session of parliament.
78 of 100 members of the parliament voted in favor of the declaration.
The Crimean parliament’s vote to become an independent sovereign state paves the way for the March 16 referendum for the Crimean Autonomous Republic and the city of Sevastopol to join Russia.

Crimea parliament voted for the declaration of independence, ahead of a secession referendum pic.twitter.com/9PBzh2Io5c
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) March 11, 2014

If the referendum is in favor, the Crimean authorities will request for their country to become a constituent republic of the Russian Federation.
The declaration was signed by the speaker of the Supreme Council of Crimea, Vladimir Konstantinov, and the head of the Sevastopol City Council, Yury Doynikov.

“We adopted the declaration of independence to make the upcoming referendum legitimate and transparent,” Konstantinov said.“Now we declare ourselves the Republic of Crimea, we don’t add ‘autonomous."

After Tuesday’s declaration of independence, Crimea will never rejoin Ukraine, Konstantinov added.
He said that Crimea will adopt the Russian ruble as its currency soon after the referendum.
Meanwhile, Crimean authorities are preparing for Sunday’s poll, Konstantinov says. He reiterated that he believes the referendum will be passed.
“The ballots for the referendum are being printed and the election committees are being formed in all parts of Crimea," he says.
Seventy-seven percent of people in Crimea and Sevastopol will vote to join Russia in the March 16 referendum, according to the poll conducted by Crimea Republican Institute of Political and Sociological Research.
Eighty-five percent of people in Sevastopol, a city with a special status located on the Crimean peninsula, believe that it should join Russia.
According to the poll, 97 percent of the population of Sevastopol and Crimea negatively view the situation in Ukraine regarding the Kiev coup-imposed government, while 84 percent say that Ukraine is experiencing a crisis.

A total of 83 percent of the population of Crimea disapprove of the coup-appointed government in Kiev, the poll found.

Video - Neo-Nazi threat in new Ukraine: NEWSNIGHT.

McCain: Obama the 'most naive president'.....EVAH.

Source.

McCain: Obama the 'most naive president'.....EVAH.  (TheHill) By Rebecca Shabad.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Thursday called President Obama “the most naïve president in history” because of his foreign policy tactics.

Russian President Vladimir Putin “played us so incredibly,” McCain said on a Phoenix radio station.“This is the most naïve president in history,” he said.

“The naïveté of Barack Obama and [Secretary of State] John Kerry is stunning,” he added, citing the administration's plans for Iran and Syria.

McCain said military intervention in Ukraine is not an option.“We’re not going to intervene militarily; we’re not going to send a single troop over there; we’re not going to put a single person in harm’s way,” he said.

Later in the radio interview, a listener asked why McCain is “pro-Obama” on certain issues and “anti-Obama” on others.

“Tell me when I’m pro-Obama,” McCain said. “Friend, you are totally misinformed. ... You’re lying.”Read the full story here.

Video: Obama – Forged Birth Certificate, SSN, Passport, Draft Card Fraud.

BP Suspended From Contracts With U.S. Government After Spill.

BP Suspended From Contracts With U.S. Government After Spill.(BloomBerg).

BP Plc (BP/), which agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges after the worst oil spill in U.S. history, will be suspended from winning new contracts from the federal government, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said today.

The Interior Department also said it won’t award BP any leases in a Gulf auction today because the company has been barred from winning federal contracts. BP would be eligible for the leases when the government ends the contract suspension, the agency said.
The EPA said the ban was imposed because the company’s conduct during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster showed a lack of business integrity. The action, which doesn’t affect existing contracts, will stand until BP can demonstrate it meets business standards set by the government, the EPA said. The incident killed 11 people and caused the largest environmental disaster in U.S. history, it said.
“The suspension of BP is surprising and a win for holding all companies, big or small, accountable to the federal government and taxpayers,” said Scott Amey, general counsel for the Washington-based Project on Government Oversight.
‘Timeout’
Amey questioned whether the government could put BP “in timeout” because it is a top federal contractor supplying petroleum products to the Pentagon.Hmmmmm........."Payback"?Read the full story here.

"Fed Communism"? - Federal Reserve, begun purchasing $40 billion in mortgage backed securities and Treasuries each month, indefinitely.

"Fed Communism"? - Federal Reserve, begun purchasing $40 billion in mortgage backed securities and Treasuries each month, indefinitely.(PA).Pastor Lindsey Williams on Radio Liberty 25th October issues a dire Warning ,: “I need to issue a warning , because there is something very drastic in the works ” he told Dr Stan Monteith.

Lindsey Williams: The most dastardly act that has ever been perpetrated on the American people in the history of this country probably took place on Sept. 13, 2012. 

You saw it in the national news, and everyone heard what Mr. Bernanke said, but very few realize the significance of what he was talking about when he said that the Federal Reserve, as of that day, would begin purchasing $40 billion in mortgage backed securities and Treasuries each month, indefinitely, from that point on. 

After this announcement, Mr. Williams said he called his contact and confidante in the oil industry who has inside knowledge on what the new Fed QE policy intends to do for America. 

Lindsey Williams: (To his contact by phone) I think there must be more behind this than what meets the eye, will you please answer some questions for me? He was more than happy to answer, and here are some of the questions that I asked. 

• Lindsey Williams: Now I understand that the Federal Reserve is going to purchase $40 billion in Mortgage Backed Securities (MBS) every month. He said that’s correct. 

• Am I to understand that this $40 billion is in mortgages, whether they be toxic or non-toxic? He said that’s correct. Let me then put it in simple terms… it’s your house. It’s the mortgage on your house. If you’re house it mortgaged, then the Federal Reserve could have possibly purchased the mortgage in September, or October, and every month… 

• Lindsey Williams: Where is the Federal Reserve going to get $40 billion every month? Indefinitely? The contact said immediately, and without hesitation, they are going to get it out of thin air (print it). 

• Lindsey Williams: So they are going to print money out of thin air to purchase a home, a shopping center, any property held as security for the loan? Yes. 

• Lindsey Williams: The bottom line of this program: The banks, and those who control these banks in the Federal Reserve, will control every piece of mortgaged real estate in the U.S. before it is over.

Pastor Lindsey Williams, who has been an ordained Baptist minister for 28 years, went to Alaska in 1971 as a missionary. The Transalaska oil pipeline began its construction phase in 1974, and because of Mr. Williams’ love for his country and concern for the spiritual welfare of the "pipeliners,&quot ; he volunteered to serve as Chaplain on the pipeline, with the subsequent full support of the Alyeska Pipeline Company. Because of the executive status accorded to him as Chaplain, he was given access to information documented in his eye opening book, The Energy Non-Crisis.
After numerous public speaking engagements in the western states, certain government officials and concerned individuals urged Mr. Williams to put into print what he saw and heard, stating that they felt this information was vital to national security. Mr. Williams firmly believes that whoever controls energy controls the economy. Thus, The Energy Non-Crisis.

Video - The Vetting: Obama, Radical Islam and the Soros Connection.

HT: Shoebat.

Video - Bilderberg group 'Depressed, outraged and angry about liberty movement in the U.S.' hope to see Ron Paul die.

A Spanish Company Known As Scytl Will Be Reporting Election Results For Hundreds of U.S. Jurisdictions.Who or what is Scytl?

A Spanish Company Known As Scytl Will Be Reporting Election Results For Hundreds of U.S. Jurisdictions.Who or what is Scytl?(AP).By Michael Snyder.Do you know who is going to be counting the votes on Election Day 2012? Most Americans never even think about this. Most Americans just assume that their votes will count and that the government will ensure that the counting process is done honestly and fairly. But is this really the case?

Sadly, the vast majority of people never take the time to "look behind the curtain" to see how things really work. If they did, they might find themselves extremely upset about what they would find.

The integrity of our voting process is of the utmost importance. If we do not have the ballot box, then what avenues for changing our government do we have left? Unfortunately, the integrity of our elections has been called into question quite a few times in recent years, and now a Spanish company known as Scytl will be involved in reporting election results for hundreds of jurisdictions across the United States this upcoming election day. Will those election results be accurate?

It is absolutely amazing that a foreign company has been able to gain such control over the reporting of election results in the United States without it ever making a significant splash in the mainstream media.

You would think that there would be a law against this sort of thing, but apparently there is not.
So how did this all come about?

Well, the story starts with a company called SOE Software.

SOE Software was founded in 2002 and has been involved in reporting election results in 25 U.S. states....

Founded in 2002, SOE Software (SOE) has been working in 25 states to provide election management tools that include online pollworker training and election night reporting solutions to over 900 state and local election jurisdictions.

SOE Software was purchased by a company based in Barcelona, Spain known as Scytl earlier this year. This combination of the two companies has produced a giant firm. Scytl now has a dominant market position in the election software market....

With the acquisition of SOE Software, Scytl is now the industry leader in the election software market with a full range of solutions that cover the whole election process and include secure online ballot delivery, Internet voting, electronic pollbooks, election night reporting, and online pollworker training.

Scytl will be involved in reporting election results in more U.S. jurisdictions than any other company.
In fact, the new combined company will be involved in reporting the election results in 30 U.S. states....

The combined organization is the largest pure election software company in the United States and will be serving customers in over 1,100 jurisdictions in 30 states, including 15 state-wide customers.

So exactly how does all of this work?

Why should we be concerned about what Scytl does with our votes?Bev Harris of blackboxvoting.org has studied voting systems in the United States extensively. According to her, the combination of SOE Software and Scytl is going to make it much more difficult for observers to independently verify the integrity of the voting results in many jurisdictions. The following is an extended excerpt from a recent article by Bev Harris. It is a bit technical but it does a great job of breaking down how things have changed now that Scytl has acquired SOE Software....

In a major step towards global centralization of election processes, the world’s dominant Internet voting company has purchased the USA’s dominant election results reporting company.

When you view your local or state election results on the Internet, on portals which often appear to be owned by the county elections division, in over 525 US jurisdictions you are actually redirected to a private corporate site controlled by SOE software, which operates under the name ClarityElections.com.

The good news is that this firm promptly reports precinct-level detail in downloadable spreadsheet format. As reported by BlackBoxVoting.org in 2008, the bad news is that this centralizes one middleman access point for over 525 jurisdictions in AL, AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, KY, MI, KS, IL, IN, NC, NM, MN, NY, SC, TX, UT, WA. And growing.

As local election results funnel through SOE’s servers (typically before they reach the public elsewhere), those who run the computer servers for SOE essentially get “first look” at results and the ability to immediately and privately examine vote details throughout the USA.

In 2004, many Americans were justifiably concerned when, days before the presidential election, Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell redirected Ohio election night results through the Tennessee-based server for several national Republican Party operations.
This is worse: This redirects results reporting to a centralized privately held server which is not just for Ohio, but national; not just USA-based, but global.

A mitigation against fraud by SOE insiders has been the separation of voting machine systems from the SOE results reports. Because most US jurisdictions require posting evidence of results from each voting machine at the precinct, public citizens can organize to examine these results to compare with SOE results. Black Box Voting spearheaded a national citizen action to videotape / photograph these poll tapes in 2008.

With the merger of SOE and SCYTL, that won’t work (if SCYTL’s voting system is used). When there are two truly independent sources of information, the public can perform its own “audit” by matching one number against the other.

These two independent sources, however, will now be merged into one single source: an Internet voting system controlled by SCYTL, with a results reporting system also controlled by SCYTL.

With SCYTL internet voting, there will be no ballots. No physical evidence. No chain of custody. No way for the public to authenticate who actually cast the votes, chain of custody, or the count.

So should we trust that whatever election results Scytl gives us are accurate? Of course not. The truth is that there have been all sorts of questions about the integrity of Scytl voting systems.

The following example comes from a recent article posted on westernjournalism.com....

The American advocacy group Project Vote has concluded that SCYTL’s internet voting system is vulnerable to attack from the outside AND the inside, a situation which could result in '…an election that does not accurately reflect the will of the voters…' Talk about having a flair for understatement!

There have also been very serious questions about SOE Software. Bev Harris of blackboxvoting.org says that there have been major problems with SOE Software election results in the past....

In Broward County FL, the results reported by Scytl-owned SOE Software in 2008 showed an entire candidate, who was winning, disappear into vapor in the middle of the count, and in Hillsborough County FL and Dallas County TX, votes that had been reported began to disappear.

So now we have a combination of SOE Software and Scytl. Considering the questions that have surrounded both firms in the past, it is easy to see why so many voting activists are deeply concerned.

There are a lot of rumors floating around the Internet that George Soros is at least a part owner of Scytl, but so far nobody has come forward with any solid evidence of this.

According to Scytl, the primary investors in the company are Balderton Capital, Nauta Capital and Spinnaker SCR. It is not known at this time whether George Soros has an ownership stake in any of those venture capital firms.

In any event, it is deeply troubling that a Spanish company will have control over the reporting of election results from hundreds of jurisdictions in the United States on election day.

Hopefully there will be no problems and the election results will be 100% honest and accurate.

But what if they are not? Hmmmm.....“Withholding information is the essence of tyranny. Control of the flow of information is the tool of the dictatorship.” ~ Bruce Coville. Read the full story here.

The pro-Obama Jewish group received a $200,000 donation from the son of billionaire George Soros.

The pro-Obama Jewish group received a $200,000 donation from the son of billionaire George Soros.(JTA).NEW YORK  -- The pro-Obama Jewish group that was behind "The Great Schlep" four years ago received a $200,000 donation from the son of billionaire George Soros. Alexander Soros, the 26-year-old son of the hedge fund magnate and progressive philanthropist, gave the donation to the group known officially as the Jewish Council for Education and Research. With Soros' gift the group, which is now a super PAC, or political action committee, has raised nearly as much this cycle as it did in the entire 2008 campaign. The high-profile drive for Obama's first presidential run was best known for a viral video featuring Sarah Silverman imploring young Jews to talk their grandparents into voting for the then-Illinois senator. “We were able to do a lot last time,” said Mik Moore, the group's treasurer, told the Forward. “But there was a lot we didn’t do, and we’re starting a lot earlier.” Moore said the group hoped to raise $1 million by the end of the election cycle. He also said he's been in touch with Silverman. “If Barack Obama doesn’t become the next president of the United States, I’m going to blame the Jews,” Silverman had threatened jokingly in the '08 video. Obama received 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008. Republican groups have committed major resources to winning away some of the support, especially in key swing states such as Florida. Moore’s group is part of the Democrats’ effort to push back. Ari Wallach, the strategist behind the 2008 effort, announced that his frim, Synthesis Corp., will be playing a lead role this time around.Read the full story here.

Obama's World Bank Nominee Tied to Monsanto Shareholder Bill Gates, Soros.

Obama's World Bank Nominee Tied to Monsanto Shareholder Bill Gates, Soros.(NaturalSociety).Obama nominated Dartmouth University president Jim Yong Kim, M.D. to head the United Nations World Bank. Most people think that UN agencies benefit poor people, but this is far from the truth.The UN World Bank claims to fight poverty in developing nations by financing infrastructure projects. But the UN World Bank is really a tool used to acquire Third World natural resources through conditions on loans that are extremely difficult to repay. The raw resources are then privatized by insider multi-national corporations. The World Bank actually creates more poverty.

The nomination of Jim Yong Kim indicates that the World Bank may shift away from focusing on infrastructure and will instead turn toward providing health care in Third World countries. Jim Yong Kim’s areas of interest include vaccines for tuberculosis as well as drugs for HIV and AIDS.
Kim brokered a deal with Big Pharma and the UN World Health Organization for expanding the pharmaceutical drug market to a larger populace in exchange for lower drug prices for second-line tuberculosis drugs. Second-line drugs are used when basic treatment fails because of drug resistance. Drug resistance similar to the new ‘resistant White Plague‘ brought about by big pharma’s drugs. Many in the medical community believed it would be dangerous to distribute second-line drugs widely. Kim is also responsible for pushing HIV/AIDS retroviral drugs in developing nations.
HIV/AIDS drugs used in the Third World have profound side effects that include eye, kidney, liver and heart problems.
Jim Yong Kim says that the highest point in his career was when George Soros donated to Kim’s tuberculosis vaccine program, which was followed by a a huge grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for $44.7 million. Monsanto shareholder Bill Gates, who has repeatedly stated that Monsanto’s GMOs are the answer to starvation despite scientific proof of the contrary, gave a controversial speech at a Ted conference outlining the controversial population reduction plan through ‘healthcare’:
“The world today has 6.8 billion people… that’s headed up to about 9 billion. Now if we do a really great job on new vaccines, health care, reproductive health services, we could lower that by perhaps 10 or 15 percent.”
Additionally, Kim is the co-founder of Partners in Health along with Paul Farmer who is famous for saying that healthcare is a right. Healthcare as a “right” disables health freedom to escape the medical health paradigm and choose your own methods of healing. In addition, it also enables the government to determine whether or not an individual may receive care — the ‘right’ to live or die. Therefore, this shocking and disturbing program falls into the category of a eugenics-based plan.
Conclusion:
The objective of Jim Yong Kim heading the UN World Bank appears to be to promote ludicrous policies by expanding healthcare through dangerous drugs. Kim’s support for redistribution of wealth and socialized medicine may come with a tremendous price tag for developed countries (especially the US). If the UN World Bank was truly a benevolent organization, the focus for the Third World would be on support for independent farming, clean water and food.Hmmmm........Global ObamaCare.......?Read the full story here.

MFS - The Other News

                        Morning Posting.

• Updated !Earthquakes in the last 24 hours in the world seismic activity in St Helena 4.9! More info here.

• Updated - Enviroment Pollution in The North sea - Official situation update Nr 3:

• Japan : For the most accurate info on the nuclear disaster go to : Paul Langley's Nuclear History Blog.Here.

• George Soros:'You Need This Dirty Word, Euro Bonds'.(Spiegel).In a SPIEGEL interview, billionaire investor George Soros criticizes Germany's lack of leadership in the euro zone, arguing that Berlin must dictate to Europe the solution to the currency crisis. He also argues in favor of the creation of euro bonds as a way out of the turbulence. SPIEGEL: Mr. Soros, we currently see a global banking crisis, a currency crisis and a sovereign debt crisis. Has the financial dilemma become too big to handle? How can politicians on both sides of the Atlantic be expected to solve such a multitude of crises?

Soros: The politicians have not really tried to fix any crisis; they have so far only tried to buy time. But sometimes time is actually working against you if you refuse to face the relevant issues and explain to the public what is at stake.

SPIEGEL: Are you talking about the Germans? Many experts think Chancellor Angela Merkel has been particularly hesitant to address the euro crisis.

Soros: Yes. The future of the euro depends on Germany. This is the point I really want to bring home. Germany is in the driver's seat because it is the largest country in Europe with the best credit rating and a chronic surplus. In a crisis, it is always the creditor that calls the shots. Sure, this is not a position Germany or Chancellor Merkel ever desired and they are understandably reluctant to embrace it. But the fact is: The Germans are now in the position of dictating to Europe what the solution to the euro crisis is. 

SPIEGEL: Why should Berlin embrace that idea?

Soros: There is simply no alternative. If the euro were to break up, it would cause a banking crisis that would be totally outside the control of the financial authorities. So it would push not only Germany, not only Europe, but the whole world into conditions very reminiscent of the Great Depression in the 1930s, which was also caused by a banking crisis that was out of control.

SPIEGEL: What, then, needs to be done to fight this crisis?

Soros: I think there is only one choice. It is not a question of whether Europe needs a common currency. The euro exists, and if it broke apart all hell would break loose. Germany has to make it work. To make it work, you have got to allow the members of the euro zone to be able to refinance the bulk of their debt on reasonable terms. So you need this dirty word, the "euro bonds". But when you study what it involves to have euro bonds, you really have a problem because each European country remains in control of its own fiscal policy, and you have to rely on the country to meet its financial obligations.

SPIEGEL: Germans hate the euro bonds idea. They fear that under this scenario they will ultimately need to bail out everyone, even large nations like Italy.

Soros: That is why you need to establish fiscal rules that will ensure the solvency of every member. This should make the euro bond acceptable to German voters. Europe needs a fiscal authority that has not only financial but also political legitimacy. The difficulty is agreeing on the rules. Unfortunately, Germans have some funny ideas. They want the rest of Europe to follow their example. But what works for Germany can't work for the rest of Europe: No country can run a chronic surplus without others running deficits. Germany must propose rules that other countries can also follow. These rules must allow for a gradual reduction in indebtedness. They must also allow countries with high unemployment, like Spain, to continue running cyclical budget deficits until they recover.Hmmmm......I hate to say it but i've been saying the same thing for a while only Euro bonds might save the Euro.Read the full story here.

• Breaking Taboos - Concerns Mount in Germany Over ECB Bond Buys."A country like Italy can't be saved."By SPIEGEL ONLINE Staff.under the pressure of the euro crisis, Europe's central bankers have assumed duties listed nowhere in their statutes. For example, the ECB is drafting austerity programs for heavily indebted countries, including Greece, Ireland and Italy, bailing out major banks and propping up the value of the sovereign bonds of five euro-zone countries. Critics have come to ridicule the ECB as "Europe's biggest bad bank," and the reputation of ECB President Jean-Claude Trichet has also suffered. Indeed, even some of Trichet's close companions believe he has become all too eager to bend to political will. For example, in a guest contribution published in London's Financial Times on Aug. 8, former ECB chief economist Otmar Issing criticized the bank for considering an amendment to its "no bail-out" clause. Doing so, he wrote, would be "a move on a slippery road to a regime of fiscal indiscipline drowning hitherto solid countries in the morass of over-indebtedness."Indeed, the common currency that was supposed to unite the Continent is now threatening to split it apart. And one of the deepest fissures runs straight through the ECB itself. Trichet and his colleagues from heavily indebted countries in southern Europe favor a massive effort to purchase sovereign state bonds. But the head of the Bundesbank and his colleagues from the EU's "net payer" countries, such as Luxembourg and the Netherlands, believe that would be a major mistake because they fear it would only trigger inflation. Almost two years after Greece's government acknowledged that the country was much more indebted than previously known, the currency crisis has reached a whole new stage. Until now, euro-zone governments have been trying to protect the common currency by piling more and more money into bailout funds. But that's not enough for investors anymore. Now they're demanding that the net-payer states offer practically unlimited guarantees for almost every conceivable amount, even when it comes to seriously indebted countries, such as Spain and Italy.

Germany's Tough Choices

"Germany is in the driver's seat," says George Soros, the major investor and hedge fund manager based in New York. As he sees it, Germany's government is facing a difficult decision: Either it accepts that the ECB will provide long-term assistance as a financer of state debt, or it clears the way for the introduction of so-called "euro bonds," ones common to all euro-zone member states. In effect, the latter option would mean that Germany would automatically be jointly liable for any loans taken out by fellow euro-zone countries, such as Italy or Greece.German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble opposes this second option and believes that economic assistance should only be given out under strict conditions. "We're not going to bail out countries at any price," Schäuble told SPIEGEL in an interview published this week. Although he left open the question of potential consequences, there's no denying they would be significant: Greece would go bankrupt and possibly abandon the monetary union. The whole euro zone could break up. Indeed, with ECB President Trichet saying this "is the worst crisis since the second world war," it's hardly surprising that the government coalition in Berlin -- made up of Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) -- is getting increasingly nervous. Senior party officials are worried they might not secure majorities in the upcoming votes on the euro bailout package in the Bundestag, Germany's federal parliament. What's more, they're afraid that Trichet's controversial bond plan might spark opposition within their own ranks. "It would be a serious matter if we reached the point where Germany was outvoted on the ECB's governing council by the debtor countries," says Alexander Dobrindt, the CSU's general secretary. "The ECB needs to regain its political independence as quickly as possible and only make decisions based on stability principles."Such displeasure is understandable given the considerable political pressure the ECB has been facing in making its decisions. For example, when the risk premiums on Italian government bonds rose to all-time highs in early August, the ECB initially bought up Irish and Portuguese bonds, just as it had already done a number of times before.Hmmmm.....Which countries are among the board of the ECB?Read the full story here.

• Five Questions About Rick Perry.(NationalReview).He’ll face these obstacles on his way to the nomination.When the implosion of the Gingrich campaign freed up key former aides to Rick Perry, chatter in the pundit class immediately focused on the possibility of the Texas governor’s running. It initially seemed like inside-baseball talk run amok, but soon enough came word that Perry was seriously thinking about it, reports of his meeting with outside policy experts, and then this weekend — the announcement.There are two schools of thought on Perry. One says his strength on the cusp of his announcement mostly had to do with his being a relative unknown and not yet in the race. Others see a truly formidable candidacy in the making — one that can steal establishment support from Mitt Romney and compete with Michele Bachmann for tea-party and evangelical voters, all while touting a record of accomplishment more impressive than any of the other candidates’.It surely is some of both. Perry hasn’t yet had a campaign flub, nor had to endure the constant scrutiny of the campaign trail. It’s easy for people to project whatever they want onto him. But he starts off from a position of strength. He gets an automatic entrée into the top tier and an excellent chance to become Romney’s chief competitor, if not himself the frontrunner. Besides Bachmann, he’s the only current officeholder among the top candidates. There’s no arguing with his experience as governor the last ten years of one of the country’s most populous and economically dynamic states. He has a natural narrative as the outsider who has succeeded in addressing the nation’s foremost problem — jobs — by rejecting the nostrums popular in Washington today. He’s a down-the-line conservative with a no-holds-barred combativeness when both substantive purity and a hard-line affect are highly prized by the party’s grassroots.He must be taken seriously. Whether he gets the nomination will depend in part on these five questions:

1. Can he win Iowa?
2. Is he “too Texas” to win a general election?
3. Will being a career politician hurt Perry?
4. Do the Bushies matter?
5. How much will immigration hurt?Hmmmm.......6.What's his relation with the Aga khan? 7. What's his relation with the Bilderberg group?Read the full story here.

• Turkey issues 'final word' to Syria.(Ynet).Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday told Bashar Assad military operations against civilians must end immediately and unconditionally, warning the Syrian president that these were Ankara's "final words". "This is our final word to the Syrian authorities, our first expectation is that these operations stop immediately and unconditionally," Davutoglu told a news conference. "If these operations do not stop there will be nothing left to say about the steps that would be taken," he said, without elaborating. Turkish leaders, who once backed Assad, have repeatedly urged him to end violence and make reforms after street protests against his 11 years in power erupted five months ago.Meanwhile, the Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the Syrian president had rejected a proposal from Madrid for political asylum for himself and his family, as well as a plan to end violence in Syria. According to the report, Madrid sent one of President José Luis Zapatero's aides to Damascus last month to convince Assad to accept the plan.The Spanish proposal included three stages: Immediate cessation of the violent crackdown, a conference of all parties to the conflict in Madrid, and the establishment of a new government with representation to the opposition. The Spanish aide told the paper he got the impression Assad would not compromise and that Syrian officials were all "out of touch with reality."Hmmmm.......Would Erdogan oppose Ahmadinejad?......I don't think so!Perhaps the Saudi king.... Yes."Barking dogs don't bite".Read the full story here.

• Nuclear Expert: Radioactive Rain-Outs Will Continue For a Year - Even In Western U.S. and Canada - Because Japanese Are Burning Radioactive Materials.(Washington'sblog).Nuclear expert Arnie Gundersen says in a new interview that the Japanese are burning radioactive materials. The radioactivity originated from Fukushima, but various prefectures are burning radioactive materials in their terroritories.Gundersen says that this radioactivity ends up not only in neighboring prefectures, but in Hawaii, British Columbia, Oregon, Washington and California.He notes that radioactive rain-outs were documented recently in British Columbia and Oklahoma with geiger counters.Gundersen is working with scientists who will publish a paper in the near future definitively debunking Canadian and American health officials' claims that only harmless levels of radiation are being released. Gundersen has a high-level contact in the State Department who says that the U.S. government has decided - within various agencies, including the State Department, FDA, and other agencies - to downplay the dangers from Fukushima. Because of this policy decision, the government is not really testing for radiation.Gundersen says that well see another year of radioactive rain-outs, as the Japanese continue to burn radioactive materials.Read the full story here.

• Turner Blasts Obama State Department For ‘Blatant Jerusalem Insult’.(Matzav).“President Obama has found a new way to try to humiliate our Israeli allies and placate that nation’s enemies, and he needs to reverse himself immediately,” businessman and congressional candidate Bob Turner (R) demanded on Erev Shabbos.Mr. Turner, who has been endorsed by former Mayor Edward I. Koch (D) for his resolute support of Israel and of protecting Social Security and Medicare for New York seniors, is taking issue with the Obama State Department for furtively altering its website recently to remove references of Jerusalem being in Israel. The State Department is also denying Americans born in Jerusalem the right to stamp “Israel” as their nation of origin in their passports, a continuation of a policy begun under the Bush Administration. It is a blatant insult to the State of Israel and to Israeli-Americans and it is historically inaccurate, Mr. Turner says.The State Department’s official position now reads:

“Current U.S. Government policy is that U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem may not have ‘Israel’ listed in their passports as their place of birth. See the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Affairs Manual 7 FAM 1300 Appendix D for further details.”

“The Obama Administration has spared no pains in finding ways large and small to ostracize the State of Israel on the world stage,” Mr. Turner continued. “Jerusalem is Israel’s beating heart, yet, through these actions, Mr. Obama’s State Department is denying that Jerusalem is even part of the Israeli nation. Symbolic slights like this, however small, are widely noticed by Israel’s enemies. They do not need any further invitations to aggression.”Mr. Turner released a :30 television spot, called “Send a Message,” contrasting Mr. Weprin’s and President Barack Obama’s (D) support of a Mosque in the shadow of the fallen World Trade Center with Mr. Turner’s firm opposition to the construction, which Turner calls “a purposeful and confrontational act of provocation.”Read the full story here.

• Abbas Wants US-led NATO Force for PA State.(ArutzSheva).Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas told visiting US Congressmen on Thursday he wants the security of a future PA state to be handed to NATO under US command, the Maan news agency reported Friday.The PA state must also be "empty of settlements," Abbas said, according to official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA.Members of the US Congress and Senate delegation, headed by Democrat Senator Steny Hoyer, met with Abbas in Ramallah on Thursday, and quizzed Abbas on Israel's designation as a Jewish state, the status of refugees, and reconciliation between Abbas' Fatah party and rival Hamas, Presidential adviser Nimir Hamad said. Abbas reiterated the Palestinian Authority's well-known positions on these matters, Hammad added, and specified that security responsibility for the Palestinian Authority would be handled by a third party, suggesting the US-Europe military alliance NATO. In September 2010, Abbas outlined his government's acceptance of international forces from NATO or similar to the UNIFIL force operating in southern Lebanon playing a role in PA security, as long as forces did not include one single Israeli, whether from the civilian population or the military. Hmmmm......This combined with the news that the OIC wants a Muslim peacekeeper army doesn't sound good at all.Gen Petraeus was in favor of such a plan is Obama's plan coming together?Read the full story here.

• NGO Monitor slams Belgium funds for ‘anti-Israel’ group.(JPost).Yesh Din denies it files suits against Israeli officials; Belgian official says country funds activities, not organizations.BERLIN – The Jerusalem-based watchdog organization NGO Monitor has issued a report alleging that Belgium taxpayer funds are being used to finance ‘anti- Israel’ NGOs, including lawsuits against Israeli officials.According to the newly released NGO Monitor report on Belgium, the Federal Public Service, an intermediary governmental agency in Belgium, provided payments in 2010 to “political advocacy NGOs that claim a human rights mandate, such as Yesh Din, Public Committee against Torture in Israel (PCATI), and Combatants for Peace (CFP).”“The transfer of over 800,000 euros in the past three years from Belgian taxpayers to opposition groups, under the façade of promoting peace and human rights, adds to the resentment of many Israelis, including Knesset members.Many criticize this as manipulative and anti-democratic,” Prof. Gerald Steinberg, the president of NGO Monitor, told the Jerusalem Post.NGO Monitor charged that Yesh Din – Volunteers for Human Rights used funds to initiate litigation against Israeli officials because of alleged human rights abuses.The use of foreign money to influence Israel’s political and judicial systems has been the source of a heated debate in the Knesset, including bills designed to promote transparency among foreign funding of NGOs in Israel.Asked about Belgium’s role in financing Israeli NGOs, Michel Malherbe, a spokesman for the Belgium Foreign Ministry, told the Post, “Belgium does not fund NGOs. We fund specific activities and examine the track record of the execution organization on a number of criteria. Respect for human rights is a major one.“The project executed by Yesh Din does not include legal action against Israeli officials. It does include filing petitions based on the Israeli Freedom of Information Act.”According to Yesh Din’s website, the NGO “is an Israeli human rights organization working to achieve long-term structural improvement in the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.We are an independent nongovernmental organization, supported by donations from individuals and institutional donors.”In an e-mail to the Post on Saturday, Hila Aloni, a representative from Yesh Din, denied that the organization files law suits against Israeli officials.“As a human rights organization, Yesh Din promotes accountability by the Israeli government, and demands it to do its job of proper law enforcement in the occupied territories, according to both Israeli and international law.We do not file suits against Israeli officials, but assist Palestinians to petition the Israeli justice system to challenge allegedly illegal or unjust actions taken by Israeli authorities. All of our financial information is completely public and transparent, unlike pro-occupation organizations that do not reveal their funding sources,” Aloni wrote.For Yesh Din, “A sum of 80,000 EUR has been approved by the Belgians this year, although the money hasn’t been received yet,” she added.According to the Belgium Foreign Ministry spokesman, the Federal Public Service in 2009-2010 provided about 850,000 euros to Israeli and Palestinian NGOs, “of which 600,000 was in occupied Palestinian territory (450,000 medical work).”He added that the following year, the FPS gave about 450,000 euros in public monies for activities in the Palestinian Territories and Israel.Steinberg told the Post that “Foreign Minister [Steven] Vanackere’s support for the Israeli NGO transparency law is important, as is the publication of information on Belgium government funding for political advocacy NGOs in Israel.This information is necessary for an informed debate on the morality and impact of this funding. In contrast, Belgian transparency is incomplete, with an absence of information on grants to Palestinian and European political groups.”The Belgium Foreign Ministry spokesman responded: “We believe our transparency is complete and goes beyond the Belgian legal requirements. Israel legal requirements provide for transparency for funding from public sources. Transparency should apply to all types of funding, also private funding. We do not know what NGO Monitor means when it speaks about ‘Palestinian and European political groups.’ “Belgium also finances organizations including Peace Now, Palestinian Medical Relief Society and the Parents Circle.”Read the full story here.

• Islamists targeted High speed Russian train, report says.(HurriyetDaily).Russian security serves have foiled a plot by a group of Islamists to blow up a high-speed train running between Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the Kommersant business daily said Monday.A blast on the same route that authorities blamed on Muslim rebels killed 26 people in November 2009.The respected daily said the group of North Caucasus-based militants had already prepared a fertilizer bomb and were in the closing stages of their operation when they were arrested by Federal Security Service (FSB) agents.FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov on July 18 reported to President Dmitry Medvedev that his service had averted a "major terror act" in the Moscow region in the preceding days.Bortnikov added at the time that militants had plans to target public places and "transport infrastructure" in the Moscow region.Russia is battling a Muslim insurgency in the North Caucasus, and suicide and other attacks have returned to the Russian capital in recent years.A suicide bomber from the North Caucasus killed 37 people at Russia's busiest airport in January. Two female suicide bombers from that region killed 40 and wounded dozens on the underground during morning rush hour last year.Russia's leading Islamist rebel Doku Umarov in February vowed to make 2011 "a year of blood and tears" and has claimed most recent attacks.Read the full story here.

• ‘Mystery’ still surrounds reported capture of PKK leader Karayılan.(TodaysZaman).Conflicting reports about the capture of the number two man of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorist organization by Iranian forces were not resolved yesterday at the time Today's Zaman went to print, presenting a bit of a mystery to Turkish officials who were asked by the media to comment on breaking news coming from Tehran.A senior Iranian member of parliament said on Sunday that Iranian forces had captured a high-level member of the PKK while both Iranian and Turkish government officials denied their knowledge of the arrest.The capture of senior PKK leader Murat Karayılan by Iranian security forces, as reported by Iran's semi-official Mehr news agency, was not confirmed by Turkish government officials yet."Our country's intelligence forces have carried out an important task and have arrested the second [highest] person in the PKK," Alaedin Boroujerdi, head of parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, told the news agency. However, according to Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency report on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi told his Turkish counterpart, Ahmet Davutoğlu, over the phone that he did not have any information regarding the capture of Karayılan. The Turkish ambassador in Tehran also told Anatolia that Boroujerdi had denied he had said Iranian security forces had captured Karayılan. The report was also denied by the pro-PKK Fırat news agency on its website.Commenting on weekend news reports of Karayılan's capture by the Fars news agency, Boroujerdi confirmed the reports, saying, “Our intelligence forces accomplished a significant achievement by capturing Karayılan.” Recalling that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has been carrying out operations against the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), a PKK offshoot, since July 16, he said this was what they expected from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.Sources from the Office of the Prime Ministry and the Foreign Ministry have not confirmed what Boroujerdi had said. EU Affairs Minister Egemen Bağış said he had no knowledge of such an arrest, but warned that the fate of terrorists would either be capture by security forces or eventual death. “In today's world, no one can achieve anything using terror tactics. Such attempts are futile,” he said. Other Turkish officials also noted that they were not aware of any official notification from Iran of the capture of the PKK's number two man.The PKK leadership came onto the Iranian radar recently after the terrorist group claimed responsibility for an explosion at a gas pipeline that runs from Iran to Turkey. The explosions on Aug. 3 and Aug. 11 were carried out by the PKK, disrupting gas supply to Turkey.Experts point out that Karayılan's extradition to Turkey is very unlikely, saying Iran would want to try the terrorist leader itself for the crimes committed against the Islamic Republic. Recai Birgün, a former deputy who worked as the chief bodyguard of former Prime Minister Bülent Ecevit, says he does not expect Iran to hand Karayılan over to Turkey. “Even if Iran decides to hand him over, this is of no benefit to Turkey. We have nothing to learn from this man as we know pretty much everything about the PKK,” he told Today's Zaman.Professor Aytekin Geleri from the Ankara-based Institute of Strategic Thinking (SDE) also said the extradition is quite unlikely. “Iran has been after this number two man for a long time for attacks perpetrated against Iran. They will want to try him in a court of law and sentence him there,” he said.Both Birgün and Geleri also warned that this might be the result of an internal fight within the PKK. Stressing that Karayılan is considered to be very close to PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and represents the dovish wing of the PKK, Geleri said the more hawkish groups of the PKK might hand him over to Iran to have a freer hand in operations against Turkey.Birgün said he believes Karayılan's capture was only possible after a deal made between the PKK and Iran. “This could be another Şemdin Sakık incident. Sakık was captured by Turkey in an operation near Arbil on April 13, 1998. It could also be possible that Karayılan sought refuge in Iran and turned himself in to Iranian authorities,” he noted.Hmmmm......Was US info transmitted to Iran on Karayılan's whereabouts?Read the full story here.More here.

• Ahmadinejad: Iran will respond 'decisively' to U.S., Israel attacks.(Haaretz).Iranian President Ahmadinejad warned that he would respond harshly to any attempts by Israel or the United States to launch a war against the Islamic republic in an interview with Russia Today news network on Saturday, saying Iran would give a “decisive response” to any strike. “We have a saying in our language: If someone throws a smaller stone (at you), you should respond with a bigger stone,” the Iranian president said, adding, “we will defend ourselves within our capabilities.”Ahmadinejad told the Russian news network that the U.S. and Israel “wish to do it (launch an attack against Iran), they want to do it, but they know about our power. They know that we are going to give them a decisive response.” Despite this warning, the Iranian leader expressed hope in the interview that such a reality would never materialize, claiming there is no reason to launch a strike against Iran. Ahmadinejad then went on to accuse Israel of being a regime that depends on terror, occupation and aggression. The international community has called on Iran to halt its nuclear program, leveling sanctions against the Islamic country, however, Iran claims the program is for peaceful purposes and continues to enrich uranium. Earlier this year, former Mossad head Meir Dagan said that an air force strike against Iran's nuclear installations would be "a stupid thing." Dagan claimed that Iran has a secret infrastructure for its nuclear program which is working in parallel with the legitimate, civilian program, but only the latter is under international inspection. "Any strike against that [the civilian program] is an illegal act according to international law," Dagan said. Dagan says that contrary to the situation in Iraq in which the nuclear plant of Saddam Hussein was bombed in 1981, Iran has dispersed its nuclear sites across the country, making an effective attack difficult. He added that Iran has a proven ability to move its nuclear infrastructures from place to place, in order to hide them from international inspectors and intelligence services. "If someone in Iran decides to build a laboratory for centrifuges [for uranium enrichment] in the basement of some school he has no problem doing this," Dagan said. Dagan warned that an air force strike against Iran has "potential for significant complications and it is best to avoid war(s) with non-beneficial results and also those with no lasting effect. It is important to remember that war is only one option among many alternatives."Read the full story here.

• Indonesia Ahmadiyah attack: Outrage over victim jailing.(BBC).Deden Sudjana, who was injured by a machete in the attack, said the verdict was embarrassing. Rights groups have expressed outrage after an Indonesian court jailed a Muslim sect member for defending himself from a brutal mob attack.The court jailed Ahmadiyah member Deden Sudjana for six months, a heavier term than many of the attackers received.Three Ahmadiyah members were bludgeoned to death in an attack by a 1,000-strong mob of hardliners in February. No-one was charged with murder.US-based Human Rights Watch said Sudjana's sentence was appalling. "It seems like the Ahmadiyah face blatant discrimination not just from Islamic militant mobs, but also from an Indonesian court." [Elaine Pearson, Human Rights Watch].Sudjana was hit with a machete and almost had his hand severed during the attack, which pitted about 20 Ahmadiyah followers against more than 1,000 fanatics in the village of Cikeusik, west Java.But the court ruled that he had disobeyed a police order to leave the scene, and had been filmed punching another man.Sudjana told the AFP news agency that the verdict was embarrassing."I'm purely a victim who has been criminalised in my own country," he said."There was no police order to evacuate and I hit the man because he entered our house of worship, calling us infidels, and ordered people to kill us. Isn't it normal that I hit the man as an act of self-defence?"Video footage of the attack shows crowds of hardliners beating a small group of Ahmadis as police watch.So far 12 of the attackers have been found guilty of minor offences and sentenced to between three and six months.Hmmmm.......Freedom of religion (Ahmadiya) is being punished?There can be only one?Read the full story here.

• Syrian Oppositionist Website: Security Forces Torturing Detainees to Death.(Memri).A Syrian oppositionist website has reported that Syrian intelligence services have adopted a policy of killing detainees as a deterrent.The report added that since the beginning of this month, 10 people have died in interrogation rooms, several days after their arrest.The website also claims that since the onset of the unrest in Syria, some 70 people have died as a result of torture.Hmmmm......Assad the 'reformer'.Read the full story here.

• Denmark-Based Salafi-Jihadi Cleric: Bin Laden's Death Heralds "Conquest and Destruction in the Lands of the Infidels".(Memri).On June 2, 2011, the jihadi forum Al-Tahadi published an essay by Salafi-jihadi cleric Abu 'Uzair Al-Jazairi [the Algerian], who resides in Aarhus, Denmark, titled "The Killing of Great Leaders – A Harbinger of Conquest and Destruction in the Lands of the Infidels." The essay, written in rhymed prose, aims to console the Muslims over bin Laden's killing by assuring them that it heralds the imminent destruction of the infidel West and its conquest by the Muslim ummah.Al-Jaza'iri, who identifies himself as Abu 'Uzair 'Abd Al-Ilah Youssef Al-Youbi Al-Husni Al-Jazairi, has in recent months gained some prominence in Salafi-jihadi circles. On April 11, 2011, the Salafi-jihadi website Minbar Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad announced that he has joined its shari'a committee, and the jihadi forum Al-Tahadi has established a discussion board on Abu 'Uzair's writings.Read the full story here.

• "Ordinary" everyday Chinese protests, "worse than London '(AsiaNews).Beijing - Thousands of inhabitants of the city of Guizhou (Qianxi County, Guizhou Province) demonstrated yesterday in the streets, smashing police vehicles, protesting a police injustice over a vehicle illegally parked. China's economic miracle is increasingly resembling a powder keg, where citizens, exasperated by the frequent abuses against their rights, are ready to protest every new injustice. According to the website of China National Radio said the protest broke out in a dispute between the city police and the owner of a vehicle parked in an irregular manner: bystanders came to the citizen’s defence and in a short time thousands confronted the police, smashing and overthrowing the government vehicles and blocking roads with heavy vehicles. In the disorder, several policemen were wounded. Radio Free Asia says that the clashes were born after some officials tried to confiscate the electric bicycle of a woman, beating her in an attempt to gain the upper hand. Experts say frequent mass protests explode across the country for trivial reasons, motivated by resentment of the authorities’ attitude towards the citizens and their complete failure to respect basic economic and political rights. According to a 2011 study, in China in 2009 there were at least 90 thousand mass protests. Many believe that the real statistics are far worse. The government no longer releases official data, after the 80 thousand mass protests of 2007 estimated by the Chinese Academy for Social Sciences. The authorities try to prevent even the news of such protests from spreading, which are typically reported by individuals on the Internet. On the Internet, many comment that the situation in China is similar to that of the recent protests in London. Indeed, it is worse, because, as a comment on the popular site Weibo reads, “in fact, China has riots more serious than England 's every week". Read the full story here.

• Global warming strikes New Zealand!New Zealand becomes a winter wonderland after being hit by heaviest snowfall in 30 years.(DailyMail).Flights have been grounded, roads closed and power cuts have plunged vast areas of New Zealand into darkness following the country's heaviest snowfall in decades. Snow and gale force winds have brought the country to a standstill during what forecasters are describing as a once-in-a-lifetime event. Blizzards lashed the South Island before moving onto the more densely populated North Island, with the cold snap predicted to continue until Wednesday The country's official weather station MetService recorded temperatures as low as minus four degrees Celsius (25 degrees Fahrenheit) in the resort of Queenstown. Residents in the hillside suburbs of the capital city of Wellington were told they faced being snowed in after they were hit with the heaviest blanketing in at least 30 years. Civil defence chief Rian Van Schalkwyk warned: 'People should prepare for the worst, which means making sure they're reading in the event that they cannot leave home and may be without electricity and other amenities.'Mail delivery in many towns was disrupted, and many schools, libraries and swimming pools were closed. Hundreds of passengers in Christchurch, Queenstown and Dunedin were stranded after flights were grounded and major highways became impassable on both islands. One flight which did begin its journey from Palmerston North to Wellington was struck by lightning. None of the 16 people on board were injured and the Air New Zealand plane landed without incident.Four-wheel drive emergency vehicles and a snow plough were scrambled after more than 100 people were trapped in their cars on a road over the Rimutaka Hills, north of Wellington. In Auckland, four people were taken to hospital after heavy winds caused a tree to crash into their home. WeatherWatch service forecaster Philip Duncan told the New Zealand Herald: 'I've been watching the weather closely for about 15 years and I've never seen a prediction like this.'He said the freezing conditions were due to a large high-pressure system reaching from Antarctica to the sub-tropics, which had merged with three neighbouring low-pressure systems. Although Auckland had its heaviest snowfall since the 1970s, much of it was washed away by heavy rain. Mr Duncan added: 'Aucklanders won't have white-out conditions like Wellington, Christchurch or Dunedin but certainly a few isolated pockets of snow are likely mixed with the rain. MetService forecaster Peter Kreft told NZPA the freezing conditions were 'a once in many decades event' and suggested the country had not experienced anything like it for half a century. He said: 'We are probably looking at something like - in terms of extent and severity - maybe 50 years.'Read the full story here.