Category Archives: International

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Like your online Poker games? The creators are now wanted men, under a new law

“Our 1.2 million members are shocked and outraged. Many players cannot get access to their money. It is a confusing and concerning time for our members.”-John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players’ Alliance

Players can’t get their money because the online poker company’s bank accounts have been frozen.

Executives from online companies like PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker have been indicted by the U.S. Attorney General’s office for bank fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling and other crimes.

Three defendants were arraigned in federal courts in New York and Utah. Eight other defendants remain at large, and Interpol (international police) thinks they’re in Costa Rica, Ireland and the Isle of Man.

Costa Rica is the capitol of online gambling soliciting gamblers in the United States and around the world. Prosecutors are seeking U.S.$3 billion in assets from the three companies and have seized, or frozen, 76 bank accounts in 14 countries.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, made it illegal to accept or process payments in connection with “unlawful” Internet gambling, but did not define what “unlawful” gambling was. This is the second time arrests have been made under the new law.

Business/Economics, International

Booming economy in Argentina creates more homelessness

The United Nations released a study which shows that violent evictions in Argentina has increased, despite a booming economy.  The reason is inflation.  Along with a good economy comes inflation, and the cost of housing is leaving thousands of people in Argentina with nowhere to live.

Most of the evictions are from what’s called “informal” housing.  The UN reported that despite Argentina’s attempts to balance the housing issue, demand for “formal” housing still outpaces supply.  This is keeping “formal” housing costs too high for the lower income earners, who turn to “informal” (illegal) forms of housing.

 

International

Libyan Rebels say they need NATO ground troops

In a press conference held in Benghazi, Libyan rebel leaders said NATO air strikes were not enough, and that ground troops were needed, official to protect civilians.

The spokesman said that initially rebels were opposed to foreign ground troops, but under present conditions (meaning they are losing to government forces) they will now accept foreign ground troops.  Remember when President Obama said the UN attacks against Libya would be over soon?

International

Iran to hold regional War Games

“We are ready to stage such war games jointly with those states on the Southern rims of the Persian Gulf in future.”-Brigadier General Hossein Salami, Islamic Revolution Guards Corps

Iran said that for the 2011-2012 year (Iranian year 1389) observers from other countries will be allowed to watch Iranian war games.  It’s hoped that in the near future regional countries will also take part in the war games.  The purpose is to build regional support for controling the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian/Arabian Gulf.

International

Iran calls Saudi Arabia’s invasion of Bahrain a “Historical Mistake”

“If Saudi Arabia had not made the historical mistake of deploying its forces on the Bahraini soil, today the conditions in the Middle-East would not be so difficult and complicated.”-Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Iranian National Security and Foreign Policy Commission

Boroujerdi made the comment while meeting with Kuwaiti officials. Kuwait’s National Assembly Speaker Jassem Mohammad al-Kharafi, also condemned the Saudi occupation of Bahrain.  Weeks ago Kuwait was going to help with the Saudi and United Arab Emirates invasion of Bahrain, but backed out.  Now Kuwait wants Saudi Arabia and the UAE out.

Even Saudi activists are condemning the Saudi Royal Family for the invasion, and gave a dire warning: “I believe that the fire of Bahrain’s revolution will spread to Saudi Arabia. Any free opinion poll in Saudi Arabia would reveal that at least 70% of the people want the overthrow of the Al Saud dynasty.”-Mohammad al-Mos’ari

What makes the situation more complicated is that Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

International

Kidnapped Iranian contractors freed in Afghanistan

12 contractors have been freed, after being kidnapped in Afghanistan.

Iran officials will only say their diplomatic efforts worked to free the men.  “After the news about the abduction of these individuals, we pursued the case through Kabul’s embassy in Tehran as well as Iran’s embassy in Kabul. We have made several contacts with the Afghan political officials and military forces.”-Ramin Mehman-Parast, Iranian Foreign Ministry

 

International

Iran announces that it is ready to send troops anywhere in the world

“The Iranian military’s Ground Forces will deploy its peacekeeping troops in any region of armed conflict upon foreign ministry’s recommendation.”-Ahmad Reza Pourdastan, Iranian Army’s Ground Forces Brigadier-General

The Iranian general told foreign military attachés that Iran’s Army is ready for “peacekeeping” duties, anywhere in the world.  This is supposedly in accordance with Iran being a member of the Untied Nations, and being willing to help with UN peacekeeping missions.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Former U.S. official supports my earlier posts, saying Libya is about oil & China

In an earlier posting I warned that the Libyan situation could lead to World War 3.  It’s all about not letting China have Libya’s oil.

Former U.S. Treasury official, Dr. Paul Craig Roberts, admitted to Iranian media, that the so called rebellion in Libya was about oil, and not letting China have it: “In my opinion, what this is about is to eliminate China from the Mediterranean. China has extensive energy investments and construction investments in Libya.”

Roberts says the real reason the United States wants Gaddafi out, is because he refused to join the U.S. created United States African Command, which was created to counter China’s influence in the region: “The U.S. is countering this by organizing the United States African Command (USAC), which Qaddafi refused to join. So that’s the second reason for the Americans to want Qaddafi out.”

Roberts says if NATO succeeds in Libya, Syria and then Iran will be next: “If NATO, which is now the cover for the ‘world community,’ succeeds in overthrowing Qaddafi, the next target will be Syria. Iran is a major target because it is an independent state that is not a puppet of the Western colonialists.”

Roberts warned that this could lead to World War 3.  He compared what the U.S. and U.K. did to Japan before World War 2: “In my opinion, what is going on is comparable to what the U.S. and Britain did to Japan in the 1930s. When they cut Japan off from oil, from rubber, from minerals; that was the origin of World War II in the pacific. And now the Americans and the British are doing the same thing to China.”

There is much more to the interview by Press TV

International, U.S.

Source of Iraq WMD claim, now says he lied

“Maybe I was right, maybe I was not right.  I had a problem with the Saddam regime. I wanted to get rid of him and now I had this chance.”- Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi, codenamed “Curveball”

The man that was the source for Bush Jr’s claim that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, codenamed Curveball, has admitted that he made the whole thing up.

Curveball was interviewed by the U.K. newspaper, The Guardian.  Colin Powell was made a fool when he went before the United Nations, with a speech based on Curveball’s lies.  Curveball says he was shocked to see that the U.S. actually believed his lies.

Curveball (Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi) made up the story about mobile WMD labs. He claimed he actually worked in one. Now he says it was all lies.  As of today, April 21, 2011, no WMDs have been found in Iraq.

International

4,330 students leave Japan, blame nuke disaster

According to a Yomiuri Shimbun survey at least 4,330 foreign students have left Japan.  The survey covers only those students actually enrolled in a Japanese school, not those that were planning on attending but hadn’t enrolled.

Most of the students were concerned with the nuclear disaster, and more aftershocks.  The schools are worried their budgets will be adversely affected.  Japan was hoping to attract 300,000 foreign students.