Month: November 2011

Bomb Voyage: 600 Libyans ‘Already Fighting In Syria’ (RT)

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And Libya?

– Libya: As Lawlessness Spreads, Are The Rebel ‘Good Guys’ Turning Bad?

– Bomb voyage: 600 Libyans ‘already fighting in Syria’ (RT, Nov. 29, 2011):

The Libyan government apparently wants to share its successful experience of overthrowing the Gaddafi regime with like-minded Syrians. It has sent 600 of its troops to support local militants against the Assad regime, according to media reports.

The fighters have joined the Free Syria Army, the militant group carrying out attacks on government forces in Syria, reports the Egyptian news website Al-Ray Al-Arabi citing its sources. The report says the troops entered Syria through Turkish territory.

The alleged incursion happened with the consent of the chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) Mustafa Abdul Jalil. The NTC allegedly welcomed volunteers to join the surge.

Last Friday British media reported a secret meeting between NTC envoys and Syrian rebels had been held in Istanbul. The Libyan governing body reportedly pledged to supply arms, money and fighters to the Syrians.

Bashar Assad’s government has repeatedly accused foreign forces of smuggling armed groups and weapons into Syria and thus fueling the ongoing violence.

Read moreBomb Voyage: 600 Libyans ‘Already Fighting In Syria’ (RT)

Japanese TV Program In 1993: What Happened to Chernobyl Children 7 Years after the Accident? ‘Truly Terrible Things Emerged Several Years After The Accident’ – THE CRIMINAL IAEA EXPOSED (Video)

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Related info:

– Silent Death – Horror Scenario Awaits Japan (The Low-Level Radiation Myth Exposed)

The info on the IAEA starts at 06:40 into the video.

Sounds familiar Japan, doesn’t it?

What Happened to Chernobyl Children 7 Years after the Accident (from a Japanese TV program in 1993)

YouTube

Description:

This video is from a Japanese evening news program broadcasted on Nihon TV, seven years after the Chernobyl accident (around 1993).

I hope the families in Fukushima who still hesitate to voluntarily evacuate their children will watch this and change their minds.

The original video:


YouTube Added: 22.04.2011

The German version:


YouTube

Description:

für Untertitel den cc-button unten rechts drücken
for subtitles click the cc-button down right

Sendung aus dem Jahre 1993 eines japanischen Abendnachrichten-Programms, augestrahlt vom Sender Nihon TV.

More info:

Read moreJapanese TV Program In 1993: What Happened to Chernobyl Children 7 Years after the Accident? ‘Truly Terrible Things Emerged Several Years After The Accident’ – THE CRIMINAL IAEA EXPOSED (Video)

As Expected, The Federal Reserve Has Just Bailed Out The World Once Again!

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– Here Comes The Global, US-Funded Liquidity Bail Out (ZeroHedge, Nov. 30, 2011):

As expected, the Fed has just bailed out the world once again:

  • FED, ECB, BOJ, BOE, SNB, BANK OF CANADA LOWER SWAP RATES – BBG
  • ECB, FED other major central bank to lower the pricing of existing USD liquidity swaps by 50BPS

And as we have been writing every single day, the worldwide dollar crunch is now confirmed:

  • At present, there is no need to offer liquidity in non-domestic currencies other than the U.S. dollar

And finally, a promise to bailout Bank of America when it hits $4.00 again:

  • U.S. financial institutions currently do not face difficulty obtaining liquidity in short-term funding markets.  However, were conditions to deteriorate, the Federal Reserve has a range of tools available to provide an effective liquidity backstop for such institutions and is prepared to use these tools as needed to support financial stability and to promote the extension of credit to U.S. households and businesses.

This means that the global situation is far, far more dire than the talking heads have said. Luckily, when this step fails, which it will, Mars can always come and bail us out.

For release at 8:00 a.m. EDT

The Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are today announcing coordinated actions to enhance their capacity to provide liquidity support to the global financial system. The purpose of these actions is to ease strains in financial markets and thereby mitigate the effects of such strains on the supply of credit to households and businesses and so help foster economic activity.

Read moreAs Expected, The Federal Reserve Has Just Bailed Out The World Once Again!

S&P Downgrades British Banks And 6 Biggest US Banks, Rates China Banks Higher Than US Rivals

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– S&P downgrades British and US banks (Telegraph, Nov, 30, 2011):

Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays and HSBC were among a slew of global banks that had their credit ratings cut by ratings agency Standard & Poor’s late last night.

– S&P downgrades 6 biggest US banks (CBS News, Nov, 30, 2011):

(MoneyWatch) —Standard & Poor’s ratings service has cut the ratings of the six largest U.S. bank holding companies by one notch. JP Morgan Chase went from A+ to A; Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup were downgraded from A to A-; and Wells Fargo was cut from AA- to A+. Among the eight largest banks, only Boston-based State Street escaped unscathed.

The downgrades were part of more than 37 ratings of large global banks reviewed by the agency. S&P said that it had applied new standards to its methodology that focus on how institutions manage their businesses under market and economic stress. The new standards prompted a downgrade of 15 banks. Downgrades often raise the cost of borrowing for companies, as investors demand a higher interest rate to compensate them for additional risk.

Read moreS&P Downgrades British Banks And 6 Biggest US Banks, Rates China Banks Higher Than US Rivals

With (Downgraded!) Bank Of America On The Verge Of Breaching $5.00, Our Question Of The Day Is …

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See also:

– S&P Downgrades British Banks And 6 Biggest US Banks, Rates China Banks Higher Than US Rivals

– With Bank Of America On The Verge Of Breaching $5.00, Our Question Of The Day Is… (ZeroHedge, Nov. 29, 2011):

… how many of the top 50 holders presented below, will be forced to sell once we get a 4 handle? We are certain of one thing, however: Paulson’s LP are simply delighted that he added to his loser position in BAC. Delighted.

Source: CapIQ

S&P Reviews 37 Global Banks, Downgrades Bulk – Full List Attached

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– Standard And Poors Reviews 37 Global Banks, Downgrades Bulk – Full List Attached (ZeroHedge, Nov. 29, 2011):

Bank of America now precisely at $5.00 following an after hours downgrade from A to A-. We note that BofA’s CDS widened 10bps today while MER CDS widened 18bps and notably wider (we haven’t seen runs post downgrade) and we wonder how this will impact the firm’s huge derivative book which was recently moved to the Bank’s higher rated, and deposit backed unit for its better rating support. In fact, following such a drastic action, it is quite likely that derivatives units across the board will see counterparties scrambling to demand a far greater cash cushion for fears of the same downgrade waterfalls that took down AIG and MF Global.

Read moreS&P Reviews 37 Global Banks, Downgrades Bulk – Full List Attached

US Judge Orders Hundreds Of Sites ‘De-Indexed’ From Google, Facebook

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– US judge orders hundreds of sites “de-indexed” from Google, Facebook (Ars Technica, Nov. 29, 2011):

After a series of one-sided hearings, luxury goods maker Chanel has won recent court orders against hundreds of websites trafficking in counterfeit luxury goods. A federal judge in Nevada has agreed that Chanel can seize the domain names in question and transfer them all to US-based registrar GoDaddy. The judge also ordered “all Internet search engines” and “all social media websites”—explicitly naming Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Bing, Yahoo, and Google—to “de-index” the domain names and to remove them from any search results.

The case has been a remarkable one. Concerned about counterfeiting, Chanel has filed a joint suit in Nevada against nearly 700 domain names that appear to have nothing in common. When Chanel finds more names, it simply uses the same case and files new requests for more seizures. (A recent November 14 order went after an additional 228 sites; none had a chance to contest the request until after it was approved and the names had been seized.)

Read moreUS Judge Orders Hundreds Of Sites ‘De-Indexed’ From Google, Facebook

Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Director Steps Down Suddenly Due To ‘Illness’

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– Boss of Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant rushed to hospital (but authorities say it’s NOT to do with radiation) (Daily Mail, Nov. 28, 2011):

The head of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant which suffered the world’s worst atomic accident in 25 years earlier this year has been admitted to hospital, it emerged today.Masao Yoshida, 56, who was in charge when a massive earthquake and tsunami struck on March 11, will be replaced in his post as director from Thursday, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) confirmed.

An official declined to give details of Mr Yoshida’s illness, but told a news conference there was no indication it was caused by radiation exposure.

Mr Yoshida has been on the site for more than eight months since the disasters knocked out crucial cooling systems, causing reactor meltdowns.

– Fukushima nuclear power plant director steps down suddenly due to ‘illness’ (Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2011):

The director of Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant is stepping down due to illness, with officials refusing to confirm whether his condition is radiation related.

Masao Yoshida, 56, has been hospitalised for “treatment of illness” and will relinquish his director post at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in northeast Japan from Thursday.

His sudden departure without a specific medical explanation is likely to prompt speculation surrounding the possible connection between his medical condition and exposure to high radiation levels at the plant.

‘Dangerously High Levels Of Radioactive Cesium’ Detected In Rice From Date City (60 Km From Fukushima Nuke Plant)

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‘Level dangerous; some already sold: Fukushima’

– Cesium find makes Date rice off-limits (Japan Times, Nov. 28, 2011):

The government on Tuesday ordered a ban on the shipment of rice harvested in two more districts in Fukushima Prefecture, after tests detected dangerously high levels of radioactive cesium.

Chief Cabinet Secreatary Osamu Fujimura said the central government has instructed Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato to impose the ban on about 1,900 kg harvested in the Oguni district and 1,500 kg in the Tsukidate district, both in the city of Date.

On Monday, the Fukushima Prefectural Government announced that a combined 3,400 kg of unmilled rice harvested by two farms in the Oguni district and by one farm in the Tsukidate district contained between 580 and 1,050 becquerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium. The government’s limit is 500 becquerels.

…

In October, Gov. Sato officially announced that test results for rice at 1,174 spots in the prefecture, including Date, confirmed that Fukushima’s rice was not contaminated by radioactive materials and was safe to consume.

The initial inspections showed that 82 percent of the rice tested showed no traces of contamination, and the remaining samples contained radioactive cesium below the government-set limit.

– #Radioactive Rice Keeps Coming: 1050 Bq/Kg of Radioactive Cesium from Date City, Fukushima (EX-SKF, Nov. 28, 2011):

Asahi Shinbun has a convenient map that plots locations where the rice has been found with radioactive cesium far exceeding the provisional safety limit of 500 becquerels/kg. The white circle is Onami District in Fukushima City where up to 1270 Bq/kg of radioactive cesium has been found in the rice. The two red circles are the locations in Date City where the rice exceeding the limit has been found this time. So far.

And unlike in Onami District in Fukushima City, they are only testing one bag out of every 50. Some comfort.

From Asahi Shinbun (11/28/2011):

福 島市大波地区（旧小国村）のコメから国の基準値（１キロあたり５００ベクレル）を超える放射性セシウムが検出された問題で、福島県は２８日、緊急調査の結 果、大波地区に隣接する同県伊達市の旧小国村と旧月舘町の両地区の計３戸のコメでも基準を超え、一部は流通していた、と発表した。県は両地区のコメの出荷 自粛を要請した。政府は、２９日にも両地区のコメの出荷停止を指示する方針だ。

After radioactive cesium exceeding the provisional safety limit was detected in rice harvested in Onami District of Fukushima City (former Oguni-mura), Fukushima Prefecture announced on November 28 that rice from 3 farms in the adjasent areas of Onami District, former Oguni-mura and former Tsukidate-machi, both of which became part of Date City, was found with radioactive cesium exceeding the limit. Part of the rice has been sold in the market. The prefectural government has requested that the shipment of rice from these two districts to be voluntarily halted. The national government is going to order the halt of the rice shipment from the districts.

Read more‘Dangerously High Levels Of Radioactive Cesium’ Detected In Rice From Date City (60 Km From Fukushima Nuke Plant)

Societe Generale Sees $600 Billion QE3 Starting In March 2012 Sending Gold Up Between $1900 And $8500/Oz

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– SocGen Sees $600 Billion QE3 Starting In March 2012 Sending Gold Up Between $1900 And $8500/Oz (ZeroHedge, Nov. 28, 2011):

SocGen has released its much anticipated Multi Asset Portfolio Scenario/Strategy guide titled simply enough “Patience: bad news will become good news” where, as the insightful can guess, the French bank makes the simple case that the worse things get, the stronger the response by global central banks will be. Here is the key quote for those worried that : “A major liquidity crisis should not occur this time, as we think we are on the eve of major QE in the UK, US and (a bit) later on in the EZ.” We don’t disagree and if there is anything that can send BAC higher it will be the announcement of QE3. Of course, BAC will first drop to a $2-3 handle so question is who has the balance sheet to hold on to the falling knife. The next question is “How big will QE3 be”? Well, according to SocGen, the Fed will preannounce it in the January 2012 FOMC statement, the monetization will last from March 2012 until the end of the year, and will buy a total of $600 billion. We believe the actual LSAP total (not to be confused with the “sterilized” QE3 known as Operation Twist) will be well greater, probably in the $1.5 trillion range as the Fed will finally say “enough” to piecemeal solutions. As to what to do, besides going long some financial stock and hoping it is not the one that is allowed to fail, SocGen has some simple advice: “Buy gold ahead of QE3 as money creation has a strong impact on prices” – in other words just as we suggested yesterday courtesy of the Don Coxe correlation chart. Why gold and not BAC? Because, “Gold is highly sensitive to US QE, as every dollar of QE goes into M0, triggering the debasement of the USD. Gold = $ 8500/Oz: to catch up with the increase in the monetary base since 1920 (as it did in the early 80s). Gold = $1900/Oz: to close the gap with the monetary base increase since July 2007(QE1+QE2).” So go long a bank that may well go bankrupt and return nothing before it at best doubles, or go long a real asset, which will always have value and may quadruple in short notice? The answer seems simple to us…

From SocGen:

Read moreSociete Generale Sees $600 Billion QE3 Starting In March 2012 Sending Gold Up Between $1900 And $8500/Oz

Iranian Students Storm, Ransack British Embassy in Tehran (Video)

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YouTube


YouTube

– Iranian Students Storm, Ransack British Embassy in Tehran (The Blaze/AP, Nov. 29, 2011):

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Hard-line Iranian students stormed the British diplomatic compounds in Tehran on Tuesday, bringing down the Union Jack flag and throwing documents from windows in scenes reminiscent of the anger against Western powers after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The mob surged past riot police into the British Embassy compound – which they pelted with petrol bombs and stones – two days after Iran‘s parliament approved a bill that reduces diplomatic relations with Britain following London’s support of recently upgraded Western sanctions on Tehran over its disputed nuclear program.

Less than two hours later, police appeared to regain control of the site. But the official IRNA news agency said about 300 protesters entered the British ambassador’s residence in another part of the city and replaced British flags with Iranian ones. The British Foreign Office harshly denounced the melee and said Iran has a “clear duty” under international law to protect diplomats and offices.

“We are outraged by this,” said the statement. “It is utterly unacceptable and we condemn it.”

It said a “significant number” of protesters entered the compound and caused vandalism, but gave no other details on damage or whether diplomatic staff was inside the embassy, although the storming occurred after business hours.

Read moreIranian Students Storm, Ransack British Embassy in Tehran (Video)

Gerald Celente – Trends Journal: URGENT-Special Report: Got Effed By MF Global. Who’s Going To Eff You?

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If Nostradamus were alive today, he’d have a hard time keeping up with Gerald Celente.
– New York Post

When CNN wants to know about the Top Trends, we ask Gerald Celente.
– CNN Headline News

There’s not a better trend forecaster than Gerald Celente. The man knows what he’s talking about.
– CNBC

Those who take their predictions seriously … consider the Trends Research Institute.
– The Wall Street Journal

A network of 25 experts whose range of specialties would rival many university faculties.
– The Economist

Prepare for collapse.

Before:

– And Now: $1.2 Billion Or More Missing From MF Global Customer Accounts

– RED ALERT: ‘The Entire System Has Been Utterly Destroyed By The MF Global Collapse’ – Barnhardt Capital Management, The First MF Global Casualty

– $600 Million Missing From MF Global Accounts (Reuters, Nov. 16, 2011) – Gerald Celente Just Got Burned By MF Global Bankruptcy: Gold Future Positions And Account Closed, Money Gone (RT, Nov. 14, 2011 – Video)

The following was sent to me by a reader.

By Gerald Celente (www.TrendsJournal.com):

KINGSTON, NY, 28 November 2011 — The MF Global bankruptcy has more far reaching implications than are currently being acknowledged. Not simply an isolated instance of corporate mismanagement resulting in disastrous and irreparable effects on options and commodity futures markets, the MF bankruptcy – the eighth-largest in US history – is a harbinger of much worse to come.

Don’t be taken in by today’s stock market bounce that’s based on the belief that Europe is coming closer to resolving its debt crisis, and that strong US Black Friday retail sales are a sign recession has been averted.

The European debt crisis is a long term-trend with no quick fixes. And the retail surge is no more than a flash mob spending spree hyped by a corporate media. The more they hype it and the more consumers spend, the more advertising space the media sells to retailers.

The MF meltdown, however, is symptomatic of a global economic system on the verge of collapse. No financial sector will escape unscathed: banks, brokerages, hedge funds, insurance companies, stocks and stock markets are all at risk.

When the evidence is pieced together, it proves how corrupt, bankrupt and dishonest the financial/political cabal that runs America is, and reveals the complicity of the media in covering up their masters’ misdeeds.

How I got Effed by MF Global, And Why it is Important to You I’ve been trading and buying gold since 1978. I am not a “speculator.” I buy coins and bullion as well as futures contracts. My involvement with MF Global went like this:

Financial Red Alert: Europe Stands On Verge Of ‘Apocalyptic’ Debt Crisis, ‘Has Only Days To Avoid Collapse’

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Problem – reaction – solution.

– Financial red alert: Europe stands on verge of ‘apocalyptic’ debt crisis with only days remaining (Natural News, Nov. 29, 2011):

After years of working diligently to raise the alarm on the precariousness of the global financial system, it has become clear to me that most people still do not grasp the reality of where our global financial system really stands. We are on the verge of a systemic financial implosion that could very nearly wipe out the currency holdings (bank accounts) of hundreds of millions of people, and with each passing day, that long-postponed day of financial reckoning inches ever closer.

“If the European summit could reach a deal on December 9, its next scheduled meeting, the eurozone will survive. If not, it risks a violent collapse,” writes Wolfgang Münchau of the Financial Times (www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/d9a299a8-17…). Two years ago, such language would have been spat upon as “doom and gloom fear mongering.” Today it is the mathematical reality across the European Union.

The Polish foreign minister said today that what Europe faces is “a crisis of apocalyptic proportions” (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/d29da7fc-…) and urged what is essentially more useless debt bailout tactics to try to delay mathematical reality a little while longer.

I now believe that when the dust settles after the coming debt implosion wreaks economic havoc across the globe, more than a few banksters and money-changers will find themselves indicted, imprisoned, or possibly just hanging from a tall tree at the end of a short rope. That’s how angry the public is going to get when the full realization of the unprecedented theft and criminality of the global banking elite hits them, I fear.

10 days to the economic implosion of the Eurozone?

Read moreFinancial Red Alert: Europe Stands On Verge Of ‘Apocalyptic’ Debt Crisis, ‘Has Only Days To Avoid Collapse’

American Airlines Files For Bankruptcy Protection; Incoming CEO Says Flights May Be Cut

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– American Airlines files for bankruptcy protection; incoming CEO says flights may be cut (Washington Post, Nov. 29 2011):

DALLAS — The parent company of American Airlines filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, seeking relief from crushing debt caused by high fuel prices and expensive labor contracts that its competitors shed years ago.

The company also replaced its CEO, and the incoming leader said American would probably cut its flight schedule “modestly” while it reorganizes. He did not give specifics. American said its frequent-flier program would be unaffected.

AMR Corp., which owns American, was one of the last major U.S. airline companies that had avoided bankruptcy. Competitors used bankruptcy to shed costly labor contracts, unburden themselves of debt, and start making money again. Delta was the last major airline to file for bankruptcy protection, in 2005.

American — the nation’s third-largest airline and proud of an 80-year history that reaches back to the dawn of passenger travel — was stuck with higher costs and had to match its competitors’ lower fares or lose passengers.

Other airlines also grew by pursuing acquisitions and expanding overseas. American was the biggest airline in the world in 2008, but has been surpassed by United, which combined with Continental, and Delta, which bought Northwest.

Read moreAmerican Airlines Files For Bankruptcy Protection; Incoming CEO Says Flights May Be Cut

Germany Told To Act To Save Europe (Financial Times)

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See also:

– Dr. Paul Craig Roberts: Bankers Have Seized Europe – Goldman Sachs Has Taken Over – Failed German Bond Auction Orchestrated

– Deutsche Bank Exercises In MADness: ‘Crisis Likely To Get Worse Before It Can Get Better … If Indeed It Ever Does’

– Credit Suisse: We Are Witnessing The Last Days Of The Euro

– German 10-Year Bond Auction A ‘Complete And Utter Disaster’, Would Have FAILED Without Bundesbank Intervention

– Germany told to act to save Europe (Financial Times, Nov. 28, 2011):

Germany is the only country in Europe that can act to save the eurozone and the wider European Union from “a crisis of apocalyptic proportions”, the Polish foreign minister warned on Monday in a passionate call for more drastic action to prevent the collapse of the European monetary union.The extraordinary appeal by Radoslaw Sikorski, delivered in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate in the German capital, came as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development called on European leaders to provide “credible and large enough firepower” to halt the sell-off in the eurozone sovereign debt market, or risk a severe recession.

Read moreGermany Told To Act To Save Europe (Financial Times)

Israel Threatens To Cut Water And Power To Gaza

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Israel has warned it might cut all support to the Gaza Strip, including vital water and power supplies, if the Palestinian Authority pursues its path towards reunification with militant group Hamas.

– Israel threatens to cut water and power to Gaza (Telegraph, Nov. 27, 2011):

The threats were issued by Danny Ayalon, Israel’s deputy foreign minister, on Israeli Radio on Saturday in response to a recent meeting between Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Cairo.

Mr Ayalon claimed a deal with the extremist faction would turn the Palestinian Authority into “an authority of terrorism and this would block any hope of reaching any peace agreement with Israel”.

Israel currently provides around 60 per cent of Gaza’s electricity. The rest is either brought form Egypt or generated by Gaza’s own partially destroyed power station, run by the EU. Mekorot, Israel’s national water company, provides 5% of its water – a small but important contribution, according to Sari Bashi, who runs legal organisation GISHA supporting freedom of movement for Palestinians. Mr Bashi dismissed Mr Ayalon’s comments as “silly and irresponsible”.

“I can’t imagine Israel cutting off drinking water to civilians as a means of effecting the behaviour of militants. It would also be illegal,” she said.

“These policies of collective punishment – responding with anger as opposed to applying policy – have failed over and over again. I would expect the deputy foreign minister to think before he speaks.”

Read moreIsrael Threatens To Cut Water And Power To Gaza

China Supports Pakistan In Row Over NATO Border Attack

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China says it is ‘deeply shocked’ by Pakistani soldiers’ deaths, as Afghan and Nato officials again say they came under fire first


Pakistan’s ally China says it is ‘deeply shocked’ by a cross-border attack by Nato forces in Afghanistan that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers Link to this video

– China Supports Pakistan In Row Over NATO Border Attack (Guardian, Nov. 28, 2011):

China has stepped into the toxic diplomatic dispute between Pakistan and the United States, expressing its “deep shock and strong concern” over the deaths of Pakistani soldiers bombarded by Nato helicopters at a border post.

The intervention by the Chinese foreign ministry comes at a time when relations between the US and Pakistan are at their most strained for many years. It is being seen as a move by Beijing to strengthen its already close ties with Islamabad in the wake of Saturday’s air attack in which 24 Pakistani soldiers died.

The prime minister of Pakistan, Yousaf Raza Gilani, has threatened to “revisit” engagement with Nato following the deaths at the Mohmand border post, the deadliest such incident since the start of the Afghan war in 2001. “Business as usual will not be there,” Gilani told CNN .

Read moreChina Supports Pakistan In Row Over NATO Border Attack

Pakistan Permanently Closes Borders To NATO After Air Strike

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– Pakistan permanently closes borders to Nato after air strike (Telegraph, Nov. 28, 2011):

Pakistan has permanently closed its borders to Nato convoys supplying international troops in Afghanistan, according to the country’s interior minister, following an air strike that killed 24 soldiers at the weekend.

The announcement came as the Pakistan army claimed the attack lasted almost two hours and continued even after commanders at the bases pleaded with coalition forces to stop.

Closing the crossings will choke off almost half of all supplies destined for the Nato-led force — including British troops.

Read morePakistan Permanently Closes Borders To NATO After Air Strike

NATO Ignored Plea To Stop Air Strikes By Pakistani Commanders

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– Nato ‘ignored plea to stop attacks’ (Press Association, Nov. 28, 2011):

The Nato air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers went on for almost two hours and continued even after Pakistani commanders had pleaded with coalition forces to stop, the army has claimed.

Nato has apologised for the deaths in Saturday’s incident and promised a full investigation.

Read moreNATO Ignored Plea To Stop Air Strikes By Pakistani Commanders

US Carrier Strike Force Enters Syrian Waters

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A no-fly zone over Syria is an act of war:

– Congressman Ron Paul (Highlights From Nov. 22, 2011 Debate): ‘If You Have A No-Fly Zone Over Syria That Is An Act Of War!’ – ‘What If We Had China Put A No-Fly Zone Over The US?’ (Video)

Mossad’s DebkaFile:

– US carrier strike force enters Syrian waters. Russian carrier en route (DebkaFile, Nov. 26, 2011):

The Syrian crisis aassumed a big power dimension this week with the build-up of rival United States and Russia naval air carrier armadas in Syrian waters, debkafile’s military sources report.

The USS George H.W. Bush arrived Wednesday, Nov. 23, in the wake of the three Russian warships anchored earlier opposite Tartus which established a command post in the Syrian port. They will be augmented by Russia’s only air carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is due in mid-week.

By deploying 70 ship-borne fighter-bombers plus three heavy guided missile cruisers and five guided missile destroyers opposite Syria, Washington has laid down military support for any intervention the Arab League in conjunction with Turkey may decide on.

Bashar Assad can see for himself that Washington has hoisted a nuclear aerial umbrella to protect its allies, Israel, Turkey, and Jordan, against the retaliation his armed forces high command pledged Friday for the deaths of six Syrian air force elite pilots in an ambush Thursday.

Read moreUS Carrier Strike Force Enters Syrian Waters

Senate Bill Would Allow US Military To Indefinitely Detain Americans Without Charge Or Trial Anywhere In The World

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– Senate Moves To Allow Military To Intern Americans Without Trial (InfoWars, Nov. 28, 2011):

NDAA detention provision would turn America into a “battlefield”

The Senate is set to vote on a bill today that would define the whole of the United States as a “battlefield” and allow the U.S. Military to arrest American citizens in their own back yard without charge or trial.

“The Senate is going to vote on whether Congress will give this president—and every future president — the power to order the military to pick up and imprison without charge or trial civilians anywhere in the world. The power is so broad that even U.S. citizens could be swept up by the military and the military could be used far from any battlefield, even within the United States itself,” writes Chris Anders of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office.

Under the ‘worldwide indefinite detention without charge or trial’ provision of S.1867, the National Defense Authorization Act bill, which is set to be up for a vote on the Senate floor this week, the legislation will “basically say in law for the first time that the homeland is part of the battlefield,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who supports the bill.

The bill was drafted in secret by Senators Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.), before being passed in a closed-door committee meeting without any kind of hearing. The language appears in sections 1031 and 1032 of the NDAA bill.

Read moreSenate Bill Would Allow US Military To Indefinitely Detain Americans Without Charge Or Trial Anywhere In The World

Japan: Abukumagawa River Cesium Levels Hit 50 BILLIONS Becquerels Per Day

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– Cesium levels hit tens of billions of becquerels at river mouth (Asahi Shimbun, Nov. 25, 2011):

Researchers have sounded the alarm over river water containing cesium levels at tens of billions of becquerels a day flowing into the sea near Fukushima Prefecture, site of the crippled nuclear power plant.

A joint study by Kyoto University and the University of Tsukuba, among other entities, estimated that water at the mouth of the Abukumagawa river running through the prefecture was contaminated with cesium levels of about 50 billion becquerels a day.

They called for immediate and continued monitoring of the situation.

The daily radiation levels are equivalent to the total of amount of cesium in low-level contaminated water released into the sea in April by Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The Abukumagawa river runs to the north in the prefecture, near Koriyama and Fukushima, the prefectural capital, and flows into the Pacific Ocean at Iwanuma in Miyagi Prefecture.

Read moreJapan: Abukumagawa River Cesium Levels Hit 50 BILLIONS Becquerels Per Day

$707,568,901,000,000: How (And Why) Banks Increased Total Outstanding Derivatives By A Record $107 Trillion In 6 Months

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– $707,568,901,000,000: How (And Why) Banks Increased Total Outstanding Derivatives By A Record $107 Trillion In 6 Months (ZeroHedge, Nov. 26, 2011):

While everyone was focused on the impending European collapse, the latest soon to be refuted rumors of a quick fix from the Welt am Sonntag notwithstanding, the Bank of International Settlements reported a number that quietly slipped through the cracks of the broader media. Which is paradoxical because it is the biggest ever reported in the financial world: the number in question is $707,568,901,000,000 and represents the latest total amount of all notional Over The Counter (read unregulated) outstanding derivatives reported by the world’s financial institutions to the BIS for its semi-annual OTC derivatives report titled “OTC derivatives market activity in the first half of 2011.” Indicatively, global GDP is about $63 trillion if one can trust any numbers released by modern governments. Said otherwise, for the six month period ended June 30, 2011, the total number of outstanding derivatives surged past the previous all time high of $673 trillion from June 2008, and is now firmly in 7-handle territory: the synthetic credit bubble has now been blown to a new all time high. Another way of looking at the data is that one of the key contributors to global growth and prosperity in the past 10 years was an increase in total derivatives from just under $100 trillion to $708 trillion in exactly one decade. And soon we have to pay the mean reversion price.

Read more$707,568,901,000,000: How (And Why) Banks Increased Total Outstanding Derivatives By A Record $107 Trillion In 6 Months

Secret Federal Reserve Loans Helped Banks Net $13 Billion (Bloomberg, Nov. 28, 2011)

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– Secret Fed Loans Helped Banks Net $13 Billion (Bloomberg, Nov. 28, 2011):

The Federal Reserve and the big banks fought for more than two years to keep details of the largest bailout in U.S. history a secret. Now, the rest of the world can see what it was missing.

The Fed didn’t tell anyone which banks were in trouble so deep they required a combined $1.2 trillion on Dec. 5, 2008, their single neediest day. Bankers didn’t mention that they took tens of billions of dollars in emergency loans at the same time they were assuring investors their firms were healthy. And no one calculated until now that banks reaped an estimated $13 billion of income by taking advantage of the Fed’s below-market rates, Bloomberg Markets magazine reports in its January issue.

Saved by the bailout, bankers lobbied against government regulations, a job made easier by the Fed, which never disclosed the details of the rescue to lawmakers even as Congress doled out more money and debated new rules aimed at preventing the next collapse.

Read moreSecret Federal Reserve Loans Helped Banks Net $13 Billion (Bloomberg, Nov. 28, 2011)