08 May 2013 (12:04 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Jumada t-Tania 1434/18 Ordibehest 1391/29 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
According to Azerbaijani news media reports, the three explosions reported by a BBC Persian journalist were not airstrikes, but controlled demolitions.
“Those were the planned explosions of destroying old ammunition. This is natural, and all of the explosions were carried out in Shahriar of Shahriar County of Tehran Province, safely.”-Ali Abdullahi, Iran’s deputy interior minister
08 May 2013 (09:49 UTC-07 Tango)/27 Jumada t-Tania 1434/18 Ordibehest 1391/29 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
The massive, and expensive (to local tax payers), Hoku Materials polysilicon factory sits idle and unfinished in Pocatello, Idaho.
Red Neck right wingers like to point the finger at President Obama, saying ‘I told you so’ concerning ‘clean energy’ projects, but the reason for the demise of many solar power companies is actually the capitalist commodity market system and government interference.
Polysilicon prices have crashed and burned since construction started on the 50 American football fields long factory. It just isn’t worth it to produce the stuff used in solar power panels. In 2008 polysilicon was worth $400 per kilogram, it’s now crashed to a paltry $20.50!
Hoku Materials ghost town factory, Pocatello, Idaho. 50 football fields long at a cost of at least $400 million.
The ‘experts’ got everything wrong. They thought the high petroleum prices would drive societies into the arms of clean energy companies, but the problem is that so many clean energy companies started production that soon there was a glut of polysilicon on the market, even before the construction of Pocatello Hoku plant was close to being finished.
Then add to that the trade wars between China, the U.S. and European Union. Eventually, the Obama administration jacked up tariffs so high on Chinese polysilicon companies that it wasn’t worth it to do business in the U.S. By then Hoku Corporation (the parent of Hoku Materials) had become Chinese owned, due to financial problems (including Hoku Materials not being able to pay its construction contractor, JH Kelly, or pay its Idaho utility bills, so many times that both threatened to seize the property).
By the middle of 2012 the unfinished $400 million USD Pocatello polysilicon factory was moth balled, staffing reduced to just 30 people, with rumors of liquidation in bankruptcy court. By the end of 2012, the Chinese company that bought into Hoku (Tianwei) was getting blasted in the Chinese media for buying a pig in a poke. According to former Hoku Corporation CEO, Scott Paul, Tianwei invested “….more than $129 million of its own capital in Hoku, and they have provided for another $244 million in debt financing from banks in China.”
Now back to the ‘experts’. In February 2013, ‘experts’ predicted that polysilicon prices had bottomed out. They were wrong! Prices had hit $21 per kilogram, and polysilicon producers said there was no reason to produce anymore until the price went up over $25.
In March 2013, British media reported that prices had crashed 50% compared to the same time last year.
In April 2013, another report said that polysilicon prices could continue to crash because of the anti-free market tariffs imposed by the major players; China, South Korea, European Union and United States. And, the ‘experts’ again said prices had bottomed out. The average price at the end of April 2013 was $20.50.
So where does that leave Hoku Corporation’s Hoku Materials factory in Pocatello? Optimistic officials with the Bannock Development Corporation (a County level organization that worked hard to bring Hoku to Pocatello, including huge local tax breaks) think that anytime now Hoku will start production: “It’s a wait and see thing, depending on the market……Basically, [Hoku Corp.] needs to fire up the plant when it’s ready to go.”-John Regetz, Bannock Development
Sounds like the local development folks aren’t communicating with Hoku. The latest statement from the company indicates that bankruptcy and liquidation is the only option being considered: “….exploration of potential restructuring at Hoku Materials and Hoku Corporation is ongoing, with no formal update at this time.”-Hoku Corporation statement
“Restructuring” is code for bankruptcy/liquidation. So no Mister Regetz, it sounds like Hoku is not planning to “fire up the plant”.
Green/clean energy just doesn’t make big enough profits for the crony capitalist system. Another case in point is the recent announcement by BP (British Petroleum) that it will abandon it’s wind power operations near Idaho Falls, Idaho, as well as its wind and solar projects across the United States.
Also, don’t forget the artificial reduction in demand created by all those government tariffs.
The answer is that clean energy projects need to be run like a non-profit co-op, but the problem is that crony capitalists don’t like that and will do everything they can to prevent that from happening (’cause contrary to their propaganda, they do not like competition, especially if it’s from a non-profit).
More on the demise of Hoku Materials:
U.S. tariffs nail in the coffin for Hoku
Hoku better get its rear in gear
Investigation puts the brakes on Hoku
08 May 2013 (21:56 UTC-07 Tango 07 May 2013)/27 Jumada t-Tania 1434/18 Ordibehest 1391/29 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
Israeli Defense Force announced a travel ban in the occupied Golan Heights. The ban affects civilian travel on the northern border road and the Heights eastern road.
It appears the ban is indefinite, until further notice.
The UN Interim Force In Lebanon has declared the IDF intrusion into Lebanese airspace (on their way to bomb Syria) a violation of international law: “UNIFIL says that in the course of the past week it has observed a higher number of Israeli air violations over Lebanese air space…..compel Israel to halt its violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty by air, sea and land, and carry out all its obligations in accordance with Resolution 1701.”-Martin Nesirky, United Nations
It appears all internet service has been cut off in Syria, according to Google’s Transparency Report. I tried to access some Syrian sites and got a “server not found”, or “forbidden” message, but other sites still came up.
07 May 2013 (14:43 UTC-07 Tango)/26 Jumada t-Tania 1434/17 Ordibehest 1391/28 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
The Jerusalem Post reporting explosions west of Tehran, Iran. They say a BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) Persian channel reporter posted a tweat saying three explosions took place at a missile testing center in Iran.
I wasn’t able to confirm on the BBC Persian site.
IsraelDefense is saying the explosions hit the Shahriar district of the City of Karaj, which is northwest of Tehran.
07 May 2013 (21:22 UTC-07 Tango 06 May 2013)/26 Jumada t-Tania 1434/17 Ordibehest 1391/28 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
No sooner had the Key Resolve and Foal Eagle joint military exercises against the DPRK been ended than the U.S. imperialists and the south Korean puppet forces restarted shelling drills targeted against the areas of the north side from the waters off Paekryong and Yonphyong islands in the West Sea of Korea from May 5.
The prevailing situation goes to prove that they are persisting in their premeditated military provocations in a bid to push the present state of war to an actual war.
What matters is that such military provocations are timed to coincide with the U.S.-south Korea joint anti-submarine exercises started in the West Sea of Korea from May 6 and the dangerous U.S.-south Korea joint naval war drill to be staged in the East Sea of Korea from about May 10 even with the super-large nuclear-powered carrier Nimitz involved.
The Command issued the following order to those units under it in view of the prevailing situation:
KPA units in the southwestern sector of the front will take immediate counteractions in case even a single shell drops over the territorial waters of our side due to the enemies’ provocative shelling in the southwestern waters.
In case the enemies recklessly counter our counterstrikes, all striking forces will turn the five islands in the West Sea of Korea into a sea in flames with prompt actions of units of the rocket forces deployed in the southwestern sector of the front.
All the units and sub-units under the KPA Command in the southwestern sector of the front will simultaneously start military actions, in line with the operation plan finally ratified by the KPA Supreme Command, by the future order.
Korean People’s Army (KPA) statement
06 May 2013 (21:32 UTC-07 Tango 05 May 2013)/25 Jumada t-Tania 1434/16 Ordibehest 1391/27 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
“The Syrian missiles are ready to hit specific targets in case of any new breaches.”-Syrian media
Leaders of Syria announced they have selected Israeli targets for vengeance attacks. All Syrian military personnel have been green lighted to repel any future Israeli attack, without waiting for orders from higher up. Palestinians are being encouraged to mobilize to join the holy fight against the unholy U.S. backed Israel!
06 May 2013 (20:56 UTC-07 Tango 05 May 2013)/25 Jumada t-Tania 1434/16 Ordibehest 1391/27 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
“Our investigators have been in neighboring countries interviewing victims, doctors and field hospitals and, according to their report of last week which I have seen, there are strong, concrete suspicions but not yet incontrovertible proof of the use of sarin gas, from the way the victims were treated. This was use on the part of the opposition, the rebels, not by the government authorities.“-Carla Del Ponte, UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Syria
05 May 2013 (15:22 UTC-07 Tango)/24 Jumada t-Tania 1434/15 Ordibehest 1391/26 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
“There are foreign agendas controlling these sites. It is like Anbar, or Mosul or Samarra are part of the Ottoman Empire.”-Saadun al-Dulaimi, Iraq’s Acting Defense Minister
In recent weeks, civil protests and even all out battles have greatly increased in Iraq. Iraqi officials claim they’ve made direct connection of the unrest to U.S. led NATO member Turkey.
A recent report out of United Kingdom says Iraq is once again considered an enemy of the United States, and has been listed as a member of the U.S. labeled Fundamentalist Crescent. It’s all part of a plan to destabilize the region prior to an invasion of Iran.
05 May 2013 (15:09 UTC-07 Tango)/24 Jumada t-Tania 1434/15 Ordibehest 1391/26 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
“The Syrian Coalition condemns the Israeli attacks.”-Syrian National Coalition statement
A U.S. backed insurgent group condemns Israel for its attacks on Syria.
Not only does the Syrian National Coalition condemn the IDF attacks, but the U.S. backed Free Syrian Army says Israel’s attacks are hurting their efforts as well: “Of course the Free Syrian Army and any Syrian is bothered that their country is being bombed….”-Louay Muqdad, FSA
05 May 2013 (14:56 UTC-07 Tango)/24 Jumada t-Tania 1434/15 Ordibehest 1391/26 Ding-Si (3rd month) 4711
“If God permits, we will see this butcher, this murderer receive his judgement in this world…….You will pay a very, very heavy price for showing your courage….”-Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey
According to Lebanese media, the leadership of Turkey has made its first open challenge to Syria, stopping short of declaring war.
Turkish officials even taunted Syria to retaliate to Israelis airstrikes: “Why doesn’t it throw even a pebble?”-Ahmet Davutoglu, Turkey’s Foreign Minister
Turkey has recently been accused of illegal organ harvesting on captive Syrian refugees. According to another Lebanese news source, wounded Syrian refugees are having their organs harvested, and then they are killed. The report cites French and Syrian doctors working in Turkey. The report also says European sources named the Antalya Hospital as the place where the medical cannibalization of humans is taking place. A Turkish doctor says in the past two years 15622 wounded Syrians were “excised”, then their dead bodies sent back to Syria.
In another report, Turkish doctors say they have not been able to find evidence of chemical weapons attack in blood samples taken from 13 supposed victims of the WMDs. This questions Israeli and U.S. (false flag?) claims of chemical weapon attacks by the Syrian government.