Tag Archives: iran

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Japan government to insure ships carrying Iraninan oil!

On 1 July 2012, the European Union’s sanctions against Iran kick in.  This includes European shipping insurers (who dominate the market) ending insurance on ships carrying Iranian oil.

20 June 2012, the Japanese Diet has passed a law that allows the government to cover Japanese tanker ships transporting oil from Iran.

The law was unanimously passed by the Upper house, and will provide up to $7.6 billion USD in coverage.  Many Japanese insurance companies expressed concern for providing enough insurance due to the warmongering by the U.S. and EU against Iran.

The government insurance policy goes into effect several days before the EU sanctions on 1 July.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Terror Drone update, 04 June – 17 June. UAV War an attempt to save U.S. economy? Using drones like doing drugs! U.S. mainstream media lies; drones will be used to spy on ‘mericans! Space Drone succesful. Drone war expanding!

17 June 2012

“After consultation with the Taliban Shura, servant of Mujahideen in North Waziristan Agency Hafiz Gul Bahadur has decided that there will be a ban on polio campaign as long as drone strikes are not stopped.”-public statement by the people of 17 towns in Pakistan’s North Waziristan

People living in North Waziristan refusing to let international medical personnel in to administer vaccines until U.S. drone strikes stop. The people also claim the medical personnel are spying for the United States. Apparently the doctor who got DNA samples from Osama bin Laden did so under the pretext that he was administering vaccine.

Some people believe the vaccination program is meant to sterilize them.

According to a Stars & Stripes article, President Obama’s increased use of terror drones has saved hundreds of jobs for one National Guard unit. The Springfield Air National Guard Base (Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport), in Ohio, retained 804 local jobs by becoming a dedicated terror drone base. However, ironically, current budget proposals from the Obama administration are threatening as many as 1,000 Ohio Guard jobs, including 47 positions at the terror drone base.

According to the Swiss Basler Zeitung, the U.S. is expanding their fleet of UAVs by buying more drones, and drone engines, made by Switzerland’s Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.   The Swiss newspaper also said U.S. drone operations in Africa are being conducted from Swiss made Pilatus PC-12 manned aircraft.

Covert U.S. air bases are reportedly in countries such as Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Uganda, South Sudan, Kenya, and Seychelles.

Afghan Mujahideen claim to have shot down a U.S. drone in Afghanistan’s Paktia Province.  U.S. led ISAF/NATO claim the drone crashed due to technical problems.

16 June 2012

“These [drone] strikes will ultimately fail to influence the outcome of an Afghan settlement, but they have already succeeded in making the United States more hated in Pakistan than India.”-Michael Krepon, South Asian Program at the Stimson Center

People living in Garbaherey town, in Somalia’s Gedo region, claim the U.S. launched drone strikes, killing at least 35 people.

Despite several articles and reports by the main stream U.S. news media, downplaying concerns over the use of drones to spy on U.S. citizens (several said outright that it was not true), here’s what the Christian Science Monitor said: “By some government estimates, as many as 30,000 drones could be part of intelligence gathering and law enforcement here in the United States within the next ten years. Operated by agencies down to the local level, this would be in addition to the 110 current and planned drone activity sites run by the military services in 39 states, reported this week by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), a non-government research project.”

After a 14 month top secret mission, a space UAV returned to Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.  It was revealed on 16 June, but the landing took place on 9 June.

It’s called the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, it was originally designed to test new space shuttle technologies, but when the NASA budget cuts scrapped the project the Pentagon took it over, turning it into a super high altitude drone.  Exactly what the U.S. Department of Defense is doing with it is still classified!

15 June 2012

It was revealed by Los Angeles Times, that the Pentagon will be testing individual assassination drones in Afghanistan next month.  The UAVs can be carried in the backpacks of special forces troops. They are called Switchblade mini-UAVs.

Two U.S. Navy classified drones (aka X-47B) flew test missions from Edwards AFB in California.  They were spotted by civilians, who promptly reported them as alien space craft!

U.S. President Barack Obama admitted, in an open letter to Congress, that the United States is at war in Yemen and Somalia, the main weapon of choice being the terror drone.

14 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills at least three people in Pakistan.  Two missiles were fired at a busy shop in a market place in Miranshah: “When the first missile hit the building, I heard cries for help and ran towards it…..When they started rescue work, another missile hit.”-Witness

Russia and Israel to jointly develop new drones: “We are negotiating with Israel. Our aim is to persuade them to start technological cooperation and to develop a product that will be used in both countries, and could also be sold to third countries.”-Dmitry Rogozin, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia

13 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills as many as 27 people in Shabwa Province of Yemen.  CNN said that the U.S. launched at least 14 drone strikes over a two day period.

U.S. drone strike kills four people in North Waziristan, Pakistan.

A global survey by the Pew Research Center showed that the United States is increasingly alone regarding terror drone operations.  People in 17 of 21 countries surveyed are against the U.S. drone wars.  However, the survey showed warmongering ‘mericans (62%) love the drone wars!

Venezuela revealed a recon drone, jointly built with Iran.  It’s called Arpia-001 (Harpy-001).

12 June 2012

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) admitted that their drones are being hacked!  Officials ordered new encryption of their new Skylark I UAVs after they found out that video data being sent back from older drones were being intercepted.

The IDF also revealed that Lebanon’s Hezbollah wiped out an Israeli navy commando assault, back in 1997, after they hacked an Israeli spy drone!  It’s called the Shayetet Disaster inside the Israeli military. 11 members of Israel’s Flotilla 13 unit were killed when they were ambushed by Hezbollah.

Royal Australian military officials in Afghanistan state that using Israeli made drones is like doing drugs: “The capability? It’s like crack cocaine, a drug, for our guys involved.”-Wing Commander Jonathan McMullan, RAAF Heron drone commander, Afghanistan

Australia gets the Heron drone from Canada, who in turn leases them from Israel.

U.S. Marine General John Allen order an end to drone strikes on houses in Afghanistan!

11 June 2012

“Obama is authorizing murder on a weekly basis, with a discussion of the guilt or innocence of candidates for the ‘kill list’ being resolved in secret on ‘Terror Tuesday’ teleconferences with administration officials and intelligence officials.”-Michael Boyle, former adviser to Obama’s counter terrorism group July 2007-November 2008

USAF General, Norton Schwartz, announced that U.S. drones will be deployed in South America and the Pacific.  They will be used to bolster the U.S. combat commands in those regions, known as U.S. Southern Command, and U.S. Pacific Command.

06 June 2012

A U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan killed at least 18 people attending a wedding.  U.S. military officials apologized several days later.

Israeli officials refused to apologize for killing nine Turkish citizens, in the 2010 Gaza blockade runner incident.  This after it was revealed that the IDF knew the activists on the Turkish ship were not armed, because their own Israeli drone recon mission showed they were not armed!

04 June 2012

U.S. drone strike kills at least 15 people in North Waziristan, Pakistan.  U.S. officials claim one of those killed was al Qaeda’s second-in-command (how many times are we gonna hear that claim?).

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Venezuela & Iran build drone. Target; U.S.?

On 13 June 2012, Venezuelan TV revealed a drone (UAV) they say was built by Iranian and Venezuelan technicians.  It’s called Arpia-001 (Harpy-001).

President Hugo Chavez insisted that the drone, which will be mass produced, is not meant to target a specific country, but to increase Venezuelan defenses.  The UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) has military and civilian (police?) uses.

The Arpia-001 has a limited radius of operation of 100 kilometers (60 miles).  So far the South American country has built three of the home built drones.

Chavez said it is part of his country’s plans to increase military ties with Russia, China and Iran.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Hypocrisy: United States exempts 7 more countries from Iran sanctions list. What about up-coming EU sanctions? UN says Iran has no Nukes!

“….we did not say Iran had nuclear weapons. We never said such. We also did not say that Iran made a decision to obtain nuclear weapons. That we also did not say.”-Yukiya Amano, International Atomic Energy Agency

12 June 2012, apparently all the excitement over Iran’s nuclear program was hyperbole.  The Obama administration just exempted seven more countries from the oil sanctions.

In March 2012 France, Germany and Japan were exempted. Now India, South Korea, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Africa.  Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said it was because those countries have dramatically reduced their purchase of Iranian oil.

I’ve been following this and I can say that several of those countries have not reduced their purchases of Iran oil, even increasing their future orders!

U.S. officials (both in the Obama administration and in Congress) have been bold face lying to the U.S. news media, claiming that the sanctions have hurt the Iranian economy.  If that’s so then why is Iran swimming in more money than ever before?

Today it was revealed that Iran’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has doubled in the past fives years, despite decades of old sanctions, and despite the new sanctions: “Due to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s economic capacities we have been able to move through the sanctions and will do the same in future as well.”-Seyed Shamseddin Hosseini, Iranian Ministry of Economic Affairs & Finance

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Iran now has the 17th strongest economy in the World, thanks to their GDP rising to $482 billion USD last year.  The IMF expects Iran’s GDP, for 2012, to be more than 3%, and remember, that’s under sanctions!

Iran’s own stock exchange (Tehran Stock Exchange or TSE) has seen a 280% growth rate in the past five years!  The TSE is doing almost too well, so much so that Iranian officials issued a statement to try and calm investors: “Concerns about bubble growth are unfounded. The reason for the rise in the index is the flow of cash into the stock market.”-Ali Sahraie, TSE operations manager

Stock market analysts believe Iran’s TSE has a lot more room for growth: “Even though (the market) is rallying I still think of it as under performing.”-Ahmad Alanani, works for London based Exotix

The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) boss just came out (in an interview with the Wall Street Journal) and said Iran has no nukes, and that the IAEA could find no evidence suggesting that Iran is trying to build nukes.

However, the IAEA did allude to possible nuke weapons programs that were active prior to 2003: “We don’t have the impression that they are re-concentrating their activities. Before 2003 the work was quite systematic. And after that it is more dispersed. And this situation continues.”-Yukiya Amano

Sanctions against Iran, by the European Union, are set to go into effect on 1 July.

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 31 May – 03 June. More girls poisoned. U.S. puppet government admits 70% of drugs sent into Iran! Farmers not profiting from Opium! Canada giving its taxpayers’ money to Afghanistan! India says “please don’t go!”

3 June 2012

Another Afghan school has been hit by poisoning, at least 65 girls hospitalized. It’s the 6th school poisoning this year.  This time suspects have been arrested.

In past poisonings “Taliban” reps denied any involvement, and accused the U.S. puppet government of the poisoning.  The four suspects arrested today include a  woman from Pakistan.  So far no indication that they are connected to any Afghan Mujahideen.

In Baghlan Province, the provincial education chief survived an attack, supposedly by Mujahideen. The education chief said he does not know who shot at his house.  Local police are investigating. The attack took place at 03:30 hours.

The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan claim their forces killed, or wounded, at least 20 Mujahideen in the past 24 hours.  They also report that four of their own troops were killed, and 16 wounded.  The battles took place in the provinces of Badakhshan, Maidan Wardak, Kandahar, Farah and Ghazni.

In Nangarhar Province a local police boss was assassinated by “unknown gunmen”, while he was on his way to work.

2 June 2012

Iran has hanged three drug smugglers from Afghanistan.  Iran has been claiming that illegal drugs from Afghanistan have increased since the U.S. invasion more than ten years ago.  Iran claims hundreds of their border police have been killed fighting what they believe is U.S. backed drug smuggling.

There are hundreds of Afghans in Iranian prisons, convicted of drug smuggling.  Afghans cry foul, but just the other day (2 June 2012) the U.S. puppet Afghan Counter-Narcotics Minister, Zerar Ahmad Muqbil, admitted that 70% of the illegal Afghan opium is being deliberately smuggled into Iran: “1/3 of the heroin produced in Afghanistan is smuggled to other countries through northern regions while 2/3 of the heroin produced is smuggled through Iran to other parts of the world.”

Muqbil also stated that more than 90% of the money made from illegal opium is going to the dealers, the farmers are only getting a pittance. This challenges the claim by international observers that farmers are doing it for the money!

A couple of years ago Iranian police captured several Afghan drug smugglers, who were using credit cards which the Iranian police traced back to the United States!

Also, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) reports another drug bust.  Approximately 1,364 kilograms (3,000 pounds) of hashish was captured in Kandahar Province.

The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan reports that five of their own troops were killed, and 4 wounded, after Mujahideen launched attacks in the provinces of Ghazni, Patkia, Kandahar and Badghis.

The Interior Ministry of Afghanistan claims that 30 Mujahideen were killed, 14 wounded and six captured in battles in the provinces of Helmand, Uruzgan, Logar and Ghazni.

In Farah Province, local officials claim to have killed a potential suicide bomber.

Canada has sent a new ambassador to Afghanistan. He stressed that Canada was there for the long run. On 21 May 2012, Canada announced it will give Afghanistan $110 million per year, over the next three years.

ISAF claims another “leader” was captured in Khost Province.  A “facilitator” was captured in Helmand Province.  ISAF also claims to have killed 22 Mujahideen in battles in Kunar and Khost (aka Khowst) provinces. No word on occupying troop casualties.

In Nangarhar Province, a U.S./NATO supply convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber.  Local officials say they don’t know how many people were killed or wounded.

In Parwan Province, an Afghan army General was assassinated, along with his wife, daughter and nephew.  Local officials say they don’t know who did it.   The General and his family were on their way to Kabul when they were killed.

1 June 2012

A U.S./NATO soldier was killed during a Mujahideen attack in southern Afghanistan. As is ISAF SOP no details were given.

At least 182 occupying personnel have been killed since the beginning of 2012.

A suicide bomber attacked U.S. FOB Salerno at Sara Bagh in Khost Province. Some reports say as many as 17 people were killed.  Other reports said several Mujahideen attacked the forward operating base, after the explosion, but were killed or driven off.  ISAF claimed 14 Mujahideen were killed, but local officials say only three Mujahideen were killed.  Many of those killed by U.S. forces were actually civilian bystanders!

In Kapisa Province, three Afghan soldiers were wounded by a roadside bomb (mine).

In Kandahar Province, local police claim they killed eight Mujahideen, and wounded four others.

ISAF claims to have captured a “leader” in Paktika province.

31 May 2012

In Helmand Province, local officials said a suicide bomber, wearing a police uniform, was shot and killed before he could blow himself up.

The Ministry of Labor reports that more than six million Afghan children are living in “critical conditions”, including being slave laborers, and sexually exploited.  The United Nations backs that up.  So what happened to all the taxpayer money coming from the occupying countries?

The United Nations has donated more vehicles to the U.S. puppet government of Afghanistan.  This time at least 50 cars and vans, making for a total of 59 vehicles given to the puppet government in the month of May.

ISAF reports that an U.S./NATO occupying troop was killed by an explosion in southern Afghanistan.

In Nangarhar Province a suicide bomber killed two cops.  The attack took place near an army commander’s office.

In Kandahar Province a suicide bomber killed five cops. The bomber targeted a police station.

In Kunduz Province a anti-terrorism boss, and three others were killed when they drove over a mine.

ISAF claims the capture of a “leader” in Khost Province.

India is begging the United States to keep major military forces in Afghanistan, past the 2014 pullout date.  It’s all about money: “India has invested significant resources for Afghanistan’s development in areas identified by Afghanistan and our Strategic Partnership Agreement with Afghanistan is a reflection of this commitment.”-Nirupama Rao, Indian Ambassador to the United States

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: Japan & Iran avoiding U.S. & British controls, by developing their own insurance system for oil tankers!

2 June 2012, despite Japan just joining a trilateral military pact with the U.S. and Australia, getting oil from Iran is still of utmost importance to Japanese industries.

So much so that Iran and Japan are developing their own shipping insurance companies, to avoid the U.S./U.K. dominated shipping insurance business, and therefore get around U.S./European sanctions.

The European oil sanctions against Iran go into effect on 1 July.  Iran is considering laws that will allow their domestic shipping insurance industry to insure foreign ships.

Japan is now working to create an insurance system that will cover Japanese oil tanker ships carrying Iranian oil.  The system might be similar to one created to help Japanese airlines after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the U.S.  Prior to that Japanese airlines were insured through U.S. companies, but the U.S. companies drastically cut their coverage after the 11 September attacks.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Global Economic War: India & Iran to push forward with new oil deal! Iran “key” to world economy!

“Iran is an important neighbor and crucial trade partner for India, and also a major source of our energy supplies.”-S M Krishna, External Affairs Minister of India

31 May 2012, after a meeting between Iranian and Indian officials, India made it clear that Iran was India’s number one source for oil!

Indian officials are looking to Iran for other economic deals, as India considers Iran the economic gateway to Central Asia.  S M Krishna said Iran was also the economic key to the whole world!

The two countries also discussed “threats” being made against them.

Iran has invited India to attend the upcoming Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in August.  NAM consists of countries that do not kowtow to the United States/British Empire.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. Courts allow Japanese banks to do buisiness with Iran

On 17 May 2012, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ filed a suit against the U.S. government’s sanctions on Iran.

25 May 2012, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ said they’ve officially restarted transactions with Iran, after a U.S. court decided in their favor.

The whole thing was because of a U.S. federal judge deciding that Iran was responsible for the 1983 bombing of the USMC barracks in Beirut, after the U.S. invaded Lebanon.  Their is little evidence to back up such a claim. And by the way, shouldn’t the invader (the United States) by held responsible?

Attorney’s for Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ argued that the U.S. court ruling is not valid under Japanese law.

It’s estimated that the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ handles 70-80% of Japan’s transactions with Iran.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Japan sues U.S. over Iran sanctions! U.S./U.K. media lie about Japanese bank freezing Iranian accounts!

May 17,2012, according to Japan’s NHK the Japanese bank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, is suing the United States over a court order to freeze Iranian accounts.

Western media has been reporting that the Japanese bank has frozen the accounts, but that’s not what Japanese media says.  Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ filled the suit on May 16, but refuses to make any public comments.

The U.S. court order is not about current sanctions against Iran, but is an old civil suit claiming that Iran was responsible for the 1983 bombing of the USMC barracks in Beirut, after the U.S. invaded Lebanon.

The families of the killed Marines have been led to believe Iran should pay, yet there is no concrete evidence that Iran was behind it.  Lebanese who claim to be connected to the bombing say they were simply defending their country against the U.S. invaders.

Yasuhiro Sato, chairman of the Japanese Bankers Association, says any sanctions imposed on Japanese banks doing business with Iran, will cripple Japan’s struggling economy. So who are the sanctions really against?

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: U.S. media flat lies about Iran’s oil sales!

The Washington Post reporting that Iran can not find buyers for its oil, and is storing oil on tanker ships as a result.

This is a blatant lie because Iran’s oil sales have only increased since the U.S. led sanctions were imposed!

The latest example is of Zimbabwe, which has asked for an increase in Iranian oil and refined diesel fuel.

Also, three ship bookers, including Galbraith’s Ltd in London, confirmed that India is buying more Iranian oil. A Liberian (former U.S. African colony) tanker has been chartered to ship 130,000 metric tons of Iranian crude (per shipment?) to India!

If Iran is storing oil on tankers, why did India have to charter a tanker?

In fact, on May 11, 2012, one Indian official told the U.S. to ‘F’ themselves over the Iran oil sanctions:  “Government of India is perfectly free to take a decision (on this issue). We do not take note of sanctions by other countries….So far as our sovereignty is concerned, we can assure that we will never allow any pressure…There will be less oil or more oil imported from Iran depending on demand. The oil [Indian] companies will decide that.”-Jaipal S. Reddy, India’s Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Japanese media has just reported that Japanese oil companies are increasing the number of oil tanker ships.  JX Nippon Oil & Energy has just bought three 5,000 ton class tankers, and is planning on buying a fourth.  Cosmo Oil is buying an additional tanker.

Japan won an exemption from the U.S. oil sanctions against Iran, so guess where those new tankers are probably going to go for their crude cargo?

Another claim in the Washington Post article is that ships carrying Iranian oil can’t get insurance, because most maritime insurance companies are based in Europe.  However, China and Japan are in the process of buying insurance from Iranian companies!  The Iranian government is conducting a review to allow Iranian insurance companies to cover foreign ships.

Pakistan and Iran are in the process of creating a banking system that will allow Pakistan to buy Iranian oil and gas without going through the usual U.S./U.K. dominated international banking system.

The Iranian government is on the verge of privatizing 15 government controlled petroleum businesses. As part of the privatization process, the Iranian government has already sold 555 million shares of stocks in the companies, and more stocks will be issued!

On May 12, 2012, the Iranian Oil Ministry revealed they had “ratified” 16 new oil projects last year.  That was out of 28 projects submitted.

If Iranian oil is just sitting at the docks, why is the Iranian government approving so many new petroleum projects?