Steven Gaal Posted April 3, 2013 Author Share Posted April 3, 2013 (edited) I'm not sure if you are a fraudster or a fool; I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and lean towards the latter. That's from May 10, 2010, i.e. before Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immulation let alone the fall of the Ben Ali regime. // COLBY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I'm not sure if you are a fraudster or a fool.......NATO/WEST will want to continue relationship Can you show evidence against my Tunisia idea ??? (Gaal) more evidence for mine below..... U.S.-Backed Bonds Planned by Tunisia Amid IMF Talks ..........http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-02/u-s-backed-bonds-planned-by-tunisia-amid-imf-talks.html .......... The sukuk sale will help “diversify our debt,” the minister said. “We used to have a conflicting relation with religion, even Islamic finance, under the dictatorship,” he said. “Now we are more open.” OPEN TO WESTERN INVESTMENT .....OOPS !!!!..GOLLY COLBY SEEMS TO BE WRONG Edited April 3, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 4, 2013 Share Posted April 4, 2013 I'm not sure if you are a fraudster or a fool; I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and lean towards the latter. That's from May 10, 2010, i.e. before Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immulation let alone the fall of the Ben Ali regime. // COLBY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ I'm not sure if you are a fraudster or a fool.......NATO/WEST will want to continue relationship As Mick Jagger (1st) sang when I was but a wee lad “You can't always get what you want...” NATO wanting and getting aren't the same thing. In any case either through incompetence or dishonesty you posted a snippet about something that happened during the Ben-Ali regime as if it happened under the current government. Can you show evidence against my Tunisia idea ??? (Gaal) more evidence for mine below..... So we can add burden of proof to the long list of basic things you fail to understand. U.S.-Backed Bonds Planned by Tunisia Amid IMF Talks..........http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-04-02/u-s-backed-bonds-planned-by-tunisia-amid-imf-talks.html OMG!!! Tunisia has sold bonds backed by 'the Great Satan', i.e. they're in cahoots with Beelzebub incarnate eer instatu. Guess what so did the Socialist Republic of Vietnam back in 1997 and uuga-booga the IMF was involved as well! And as far back as the 1970's it took out loans from “the so-called London Club of creditors, most of them Japanese banks” I guess Lê Duẩn, Ho's righthandman and succesor must have been a stooge. http://www.nytimes.com/1997/12/04/business/hanoi-will-issue-us-backed-bonds.html The sukuk sale will help “diversify our debt,” the minister said. “We used to have a conflicting relation with religion, even Islamic finance, under the dictatorship,” he said. “Now we are more open.” OPEN TO WESTERN INVESTMENT .....OOPS !!!!..GOLLY COLBY SEEMS TO BE WRONG OMG!!! they are “open to Western investment” (i.e. demonic possession) they must be in league with Lucifer, but wait China, Vietnam, Venezuela Cuba, Iran and even North Korea* have received, and thus are “open to Western investment” (i.e. demonic possession) http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/north-korea-new-land-of-opportunity-01192012.html And you once again took a quote out of context, here is a more complete version. Sales of bonds that comply with Islam’s ban on interest surged to a record $21.3 billion among Arab issuers last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Issuance dropped 26 percent in the first quarter to $6.2 billion. The sukuk sale will help “diversify our debt,” the minister said. “We used to have a conflicting relation with religion, even Islamic finance, under the dictatorship,” he said. “Now we are more open.” So he said nothing about “Western investment” in fact the neither the word 'west' nor any of it variants appear anywhere in the text, nor is there any indication as to has bought, is buying or is expected to buy the bonds. What they are more 'open' to is financing in ways “ that comply with Islam’s ban on interest”, the author should have explained sukuk, you should have looked them up. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukuk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 4, 2013 Author Share Posted April 4, 2013 (edited) BECAUSE OF BELOW THEY WANT SUKUK MONEY (HOWEVER IN A PINCH THEY WILL USE IMF MONEY) Tunisia: IMF “Economic Medicine” has resulted in Mass Poverty and Unemployment Protest by Suicide as a Symbol of Resistance http://www.globalres...mployment/22587 By Prof. Basel Saleh Global Research, December 31, 2010 31 December 2010 +++++++++++++++ (REUTERS) SUKUK ISSUE Fakhfakh said Tunisia planned to issue its first sovereign sukuk, or Islamic bond, in July to raise $700 million. The government, led by moderate Islamists, is keen to develop Islamic finance, which was neglected for ideological reasons by Ben Ali's government. A Tunisian sukuk issue could potentially attract large amounts of Islamic funds from the wealthy Gulf. Fakhfakh said the government was in the final stages of pushing through legislation that would allow a sukuk issue, and hoped parliament would approve the bill by the end of April or early May. Authorities are still studying issues such as what assets will underly the sukuk and how the issue will be divided between the domestic and international markets, he added. "We think we'll be one third part for the internal and two-thirds for the external market." The state budget deficit is expected to rise to around 5.9 percent of gross domestic product this year from an estimated 5.1-5.3 percent last year, Fakhfakh said. He noted that inflation, at 6 percent, was high last year, particularly since prices of basic consumer goods such as food rose around 8-9 percent. "Now we have a programme to control inflation because it affects a lot the citizens with low income," he said. Measures being used by authorities to fight inflation include interest rates and limits on borrowing, efforts to curb smuggling across the border with Libya, and financial support to unemployed people, he said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THUS two thirds of SUKUK will just be GULF Petrodollars. THUS TUNISIA WILL STILL BE UNDER WESTS INFLUENCE. ================================================ Features : Shariah-Compliant Corporate Finance Forges Ahead ...www.gfmag.com › Archives › June 2012Cached You +1'd this publicly. Undo A $400 million issue of sukuk backed the $1.4 billion leveraged buyout of ... of abundant liquidity flows from recycling petrodollars in regional economies. ########################################## April 4, 2013, 12:40 p.m. EDT Lockheed Martin Delivers First C-130J In Africa To Tunisia MARIETTA, Ga., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the first C-130J Super Hercules to the Republic of Tunisia today, marking the first delivery to an African country. Lockheed Martin signed a contract in 2010 with Tunisia to deliver two C-130Js between 2013 and 2014, in addition to providing training and an initial three years of logistics support. Edited April 4, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 (edited) BECAUSE OF BELOW THEY WANT SUKUK MONEY (HOWEVER IN A PINCH THEY WILL USE IMF MONEY) Tunisia: IMF “Economic Medicine” has resulted in Mass Poverty and Unemployment Protest by Suicide as a Symbol of Resistance http://www.globalres...mployment/22587 By Prof. Basel Saleh Global Research, December 31, 2010 31 December 2010 Once again refers to the Ben Ali regime not the current gov't Dr. Saleh recently left academia to work for the Dept. of Labor so presumablly approves of USG policy. +++++++++++++++(REUTERS) SUKUK ISSUE Fakhfakh said Tunisia planned to issue its first sovereign sukuk, or Islamic bond, in July to raise $700 million. The government, led by moderate Islamists, is keen to develop Islamic finance, which was neglected for ideological reasons by Ben Ali's government. A Tunisian sukuk issue could potentially attract large amounts of Islamic funds from the wealthy Gulf. Fakhfakh said the government was in the final stages of pushing through legislation that would allow a sukuk issue, and hoped parliament would approve the bill by the end of April or early May. Authorities are still studying issues such as what assets will underly the sukuk and how the issue will be divided between the domestic and international markets, he added. "We think we'll be one third part for the internal and two-thirds for the external market." The state budget deficit is expected to rise to around 5.9 percent of gross domestic product this year from an estimated 5.1-5.3 percent last year, Fakhfakh said. He noted that inflation, at 6 percent, was high last year, particularly since prices of basic consumer goods such as food rose around 8-9 percent. "Now we have a programme to control inflation because it affects a lot the citizens with low income," he said. Measures being used by authorities to fight inflation include interest rates and limits on borrowing, efforts to curb smuggling across the border with Libya, and financial support to unemployed people, he said. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ THUS two thirds of SUKUK will just be GULF Petrodollars. THUS TUNISIA WILL STILL BE UNDER WESTS INFLUENCE. LOL and you object when I say you have problems understanding what you read. The author wrote “A Tunisian sukuk issue could potentially attract large amounts of Islamic funds from the wealthy Gulf.” But nowhere indicated most let alone all the foreign bond purchasers would be from the Gulf. Also it is quite a stretch to define the Persian Gulf as part of the West. By that logic were the Vietnamese Communists Western pawns because they borrowed money from Japan in the 1970s ?================================================ Features : Shariah-Compliant Corporate Finance Forges Ahead ...www.gfmag.com › Archives › June 2012Cached You +1'd this publicly. Undo A $400 million issue of sukuk backed the $1.4 billion leveraged buyout of ... of abundant liquidity flows from recycling petrodollars in regional economies. ########################################## April 4, 2013, 12:40 p.m. EDT Lockheed Martin Delivers First C-130J In Africa To Tunisia MARIETTA, Ga., April 4, 2013 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered the first C-130J Super Hercules to the Republic of Tunisia today, marking the first delivery to an African country. Lockheed Martin signed a contract in 2010 with Tunisia to deliver two C-130Js between 2013 and 2014, in addition to providing training and an initial three years of logistics support. Uuuga booga the current gov’t took delivery of two US manufactured cargo/military transport planes ordered by the previous regime. Edited April 5, 2013 by Len Colby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 5, 2013 Author Share Posted April 5, 2013 (edited) Also it is quite a stretch to define the Persian Gulf as part of the West.// Colby TUNISIA "We think we'll be one third part for the internal and two-thirds for the external market." two-thirds of Bond money from outside Tunisia Shariah-Compliant Corporate Finance Forges Ahead ...... of abundant liquidity flows from recycling petrodollars in regional economies. No stretch , Middle East petro dollars invested in NY/London (the WEST ) for the most part. BUT NOW A PORTION GOES TO SUKUK. WE provide military backup for Middle East Dictators.(exp. Saudi Arabia) ######################################## ######################################## The Worldwide Network of US Military Bases The Global Deployment of US Military Personnel By Jules DufourGlobal Research, February 17, 20131 July 2007 http://www.globalres...tary-bases/5564 Edited April 5, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 Still a stretch you presume the US controls all/most rich people in the Gulf and that they would in turn become the puppet masters of Tunisia because they would buy a large portion of the bonds. But explain to us why Vietnam didn't become a Japanese puppet after it borrowed money from their banks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 6, 2013 Author Share Posted April 6, 2013 . But explain to us why Vietnam didn't become a Japanese puppet after it borrowed money from their banks. // END COLBY You mean the country that defeated the DOD compared to quisling countries that depend on the NYSE/DOW levels ?? Gaal +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ How the Arab League Has Become a Tool of Western Imperialism By Finian Cunningham Global Research, February 09, 2012 9 February 2012 http://www.globalresearch.ca/how-the-arab-league-has-become-a-tool-of-western-imperialism/29174 ################################ … NATO Plans “Middle East Chaos” http://www.globalresearch.ca/nato-plans-middle-east-chaos/31426 On May 16, 1916, in the middle of World War I, Paris and London approved a secret agreement to dismember the Ottoman Empire and divide the Middle East between themselves. The Sykes-Picot agreement set new boundaries for many countries Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 7, 2013 Share Posted April 7, 2013 . But explain to us why Vietnam didn't become a Japanese puppet after it borrowed money from their banks. // END COLBY You mean the country that defeated the DOD compared to quisling countries that depend on the NYSE/DOW levels ?? Gaal +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ OK so Gaal admits that banking with the devil doesn't necessarily make you one of his subjects. By the same token I could ask "you mean the people who overthrew a long entrenched US backed dictatorship without firing a shot?" And the sheiks of the Gulf are dependent on the price of/demand for crude oil not DJIA How the Arab League Has Become a Tool of Western ImperialismBy Finian Cunningham Global Research, February 09, 2012 9 February 2012 http://www.globalres...perialism/29174 ################################ … NATO Plans “Middle East Chaos” http://www.globalres...ast-chaos/31426 On May 16, 1916, in the middle of World War I, Paris and London approved a secret agreement to dismember the Ottoman Empire and divide the Middle East between themselves. The Sykes-Picot agreement set new boundaries for many countries Two obscure authors one who didn't any sources, the other only himself and the Cuban gov't. state news service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 7, 2013 Author Share Posted April 7, 2013 (edited) 'Tunisia may need a second revolution' http://www.thenation...cond-revolution (WHAT DIRECTION WILL THAT BE ?) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Is Tunisia the New Hot Spot for Energy Investors? Interview with John Nelson Author: James Stafford · April 5th, 2013 Until recently Tunisia was considered to be a minor league and relatively underexplored venue in Africa’s rapidly expanding oil & gas scene. This situation has quickly changed with new bid rounds and forced relinquishments creating an opportunity for new companies to come in. Major American E & P companies like Shell have jumped at the opportunity to acquire ground that had been dominated for decades with little to no work conducted, mostly by European State oil & gas companies in this former French protectorate. For the first time major spending has been committed to test Tunisian basins which are arguably equally prolific as those in neighbouring environments with more work performed, such as Libya. Tunisia is now in focus for investors because exploration is increasing within the producing Pelagian Basin, which leads us to ask the following questions: Should Tunisia now be on energy investors watch list? Is Shell just the start of “big oil” making inroads into the country? And which are the plays that people should be watching? To help us look at the developing situation in the region we managed to speak with oil industry veteran John Nelson. John Nelson is CEO of Canadian-listed Africa Hydrocarbons Inc. (NFK). A veteran geologist, Nelson spent much of his career in East and Central Africa—much of it for Mobil Oil–studying regional and mapping rift basins at a time when no one else was shopping around in Africa’s interior. Over his 27 years in the industry, Nelson has also had junior E & P experience, recently serving as CEO for Lion Energy Corp., which was bought out by Africa Oil Corp ‘AOI’ in 2011 as a way for AOI to gain access to their impressive Kenyan land package that John had put together. Africa Hydrocarbons Inc has a 47.5% interest in the Bouhajla Block, located onshore Tunisia and surrounded by major Shell Oil. James Stafford: Is Tunisia right now a venue for the juniors or majors, and what makes Tunisia a good venue for small companies? John Nelson: There is a good cross-section of different sized oil companies exploring and operating in Tunisia. Some of the majors are present such as ENI, Total, CNOOC and Shell; however, most of the activity is with the smaller companies. Junior companies can be very successful on projects that may not meet the economic threshold of the majors, but can propel juniors quickly to mid-tier producers. This makes Tunisia a good place for smaller companies to explore. The basins in Tunisia are well established and understood. Services for seismic and drilling are available. There is a capable work force and French rule of law. Infrastructure in the way of roads and pipelines can be found across the country. Fiscal terms are good and the government is stable and reasonable to deal with. There are a number of smaller Canadian companies already there. James Stafford: Can you tell us a bit about Tunisia’s potential. What is the biggest field and what are the best exploration prospects? John Nelson: There is a lot of geological diversity in Tunisia which creates a number of different play types to explore for. The biggest onshore oil field is the Sidi el Kilani field in north central Tunisia. This field has produced over 50 Million barrels of light sweet crude from a small number of wells. In fact it is the similarities in Africa Hydrocarbon’s targets to Sidi el Kilani that got me interested enough in the “home run” size of the first drillable target, to decide to come and run this company. James Stafford: How does the geology compare to East Africa and the East Africa Rift System? John Nelson: The geology of Tunisia is not exactly like that of the great Tertiary rift system of east Africa. There are of course some geological similarities on a smaller scale where extension has caused the formation of horst and graben structures in some areas of Tunisia. In general what we are looking for is actually arguably more straight forward. James Stafford: What’s the business atmosphere right now in Tunisia? John Nelson: Business as usual. We have not seen any significant risks or changes in business practices since we have been involved there. In terms of North Africa, Tunisia is probably at the top as a jurisdiction in which to do business, and stability of the politics, etc. The economy seems to be doing well. There is construction going on in many of the cities. The country has not suffered at the same level from debt and poor fiscal mgmt like some of the Eurozone countries on the northern Mediterranean side. The country, like many countries these days, has unemployment issues especially with the younger generation. James Stafford: So if Big Oil is not looking in Tunisia, how does that help NFK? John Nelson: It is hard to compete against majors when it comes to acquiring sizeable acreage and making commitments. It allows smaller companies to cost effectively get positioned and undertake exploration initiatives. However, if a significant discovery is made then Big Oil may appear back on the scene to partner with or acquire small companies like NFK. Shell Oil surrounds our Block now but we were there first and were able to position ourselves with over 130,000 acres. James Stafford: Africa Hydrocarbons has a nice piece of contiguous acreage in Tunisia. Can you tell us a bit about the two blocks in question and where you are right now in the exploration process? John Nelson: We have a 47.5% interest in two adjoining concessions, the Bouhajla and Ktititir blocks, located in north central Tunisia and only 25 kms west of the Sidi el Kilani oil field. The blocks were acquired approximately 3 years ago when the govt made them available for bidding after being off the market for over 25 years. Our local partners were there first, and that is the opportunity. James Stafford: What are you chasing here? Conventional or unconventional plays? What do you think you’ll hit with drilling? John Nelson: We have several conventional type prospects and leads on our blocks and that is what we will be targeting initially. Our first well will be testing a fractured carbonate chalk reservoir, which is very similar to what is found producing at Sidi el Kilani. Last year, Shell acquired a large land position around us and have committed to spending over $150MM on their blocks. We have heard that Shell and others have an interest in testing shale (also called “unconventional”) plays within the region. The possibility for an unconventional play type also exists on our acreage but we have chosen what we believe is the “low hanging fruit” to target first. James Stafford: You’ve mentioned before the ability to “de-risk” exploration and development in Tunisia. Can you take us through the math here and demonstrate the economic feasibility of operating in Tunisia? John Nelson: Our situation is somewhat unique compared to many others in Tunisia or exploring in other remote parts of Africa. Only 25 kms from our block is the facility and pipeline for the Sidi el Kilani oil field. The facility was built to handle up to 25,000 bbls/d but now is only handling 1000 bbls/d. So there is much excess capacity in this nearby facility. There is also a pipeline in place from the field all the way to the port facility on the coast that is also under-utilized. That means it won’t take much time or money to get any future production on stream. As a result, we can still be profitable in the event of a smaller discovery size due to the infrastructure already being in place. It also allows the option to truck oil to the facility to obtain some cash flow while onsite facilities and a short pipeline are built to Sidi el Kilani if we make a discovery. In other words if we are successful on our first well next month, we should be able to start cash flowing very very quickly. James Stafford: Do you need a major operator in there like Tullow with Africa Oil in Kenya? What happens if you make a discovery? Can you develop it cost-effectively? John Nelson: In our situation we do not need the expertise or deep pockets of a large partner. In the event of a discovery we would be able to adequately finance a development project. We anticipate that fewer than five wells would be needed to optimize drainage of our first target area, which is substantially larger than the area of production of 50 million barrels at Sidi el Kilani James Stafford: How does the cost of drilling wells compare in Tunisia, Kenya, Somalia …? John Nelson: Our costs to drill a 2500m well is in the area of $7 million. The cost seems excessive compared to drilling costs in North America, but on an international scale it is reasonable. This actually isn’t very deep, and given the size of the target, not very expensive. We also have easy terrain and a network of roads in our area of Tunisia. Access is pretty easy and services are relatively close if needed. In more remote projects such as in Puntland, Kenya, Ethiopia or other areas far from infrastructure, the drilling cost of a similar well may be well over $50MM. James Stafford: Outside of Tunisia, where should smaller companies be looking? Can you rank the prospects for us here in terms of junior capabilities and potential? John Nelson: Juniors provide a valuable service to the industry by often being the first entrants into a new area or applying new technology to older areas. There are niches in most parts of the world. Myanmar is opening up. New opportunities may now come up in Venezuela. The rift basins of Niger, Chad and Sudan are attracting new investment. The new discoveries off of Israel are opening up a lot of new exploration initiatives there that look quite attractive. There is not so much a shortage of ideas and opportunities as there is a shortage of capital to pursue them. James Stafford: We understand that you have experience in Somalia—specifically in Puntland. Can you debunk any myths about working in Somalia and take us through the challenges? John Nelson: There were a lot of concerns about security issues both onshore Puntland as well as piracy in the offshore. It took a lot of careful planning to mitigate much of the risk. Local communities were engaged, informed and employed. Our security people worked with the govt and contractors to remove any possible threats along transportation routes. The airstrip and drilling camp were well protected. In the end, all the people and equipment were mobilized and the drilling took place without incident. James Stafford: What about Ethiopia and Eritrea? Eritrea seems open for business now after preferring to focus on its mineral resources for so long–and thanks to the new technology on the scene–and it’s got Red Sea territory that is virtually unexplored. John Nelson: Eritrea has been slow to open up to oil and gas exploration despite a fairly high level of interest. New laws and policy changes move slowly in many parts of Africa. Eritrea has been explored in the past and there are known oil seeps there. No major discoveries have been made yet. James Stafford: How do you view prospects in Ethiopia, as a possible extension of finds in Kenya? John Nelson: Ethiopia has a variety of play types throughout the country that are soon to be drilled. Africa Oil is currently drilling in SW Ethiopia along the Tertiary rift trend that extends north of Kenya. They may make the first significant oil discovery for Ethiopia in that area. James Stafford: How close are we to commercial viability in Kenya, and what do you think the next year to year and a half will show? John Nelson: Tullow and Africa Oil are close to determining commerciality. The recent testing suggests the rates and accumulations may be sufficient. Some additional drilling success in some of the other sub-basins on their acreage in blocks 10BA and 10BB as well as in Ethiopia will help initiate further development decisions. There is a lot of drilling and testing to be done over the next couple years. I am pretty sure the results will lead to major infrastructure plans for the area. It will take time–years–due to the remoteness and current lack of infrastructure in the area as well as political involvement of neighbouring countries. James Stafford: So what can we expect by the end of the year from Africa Hydrocarbons? What do potential investors need to know? John Nelson: We anticipate drilling our first well in April and should know the results in May. In over 27 years, I haven’t seen many wells with this kind of risk-reward—a $7 million well that is geologically so similar to a proven field only 25 km away where one well produced more than 20 million barrels. We have worked up the target with 2-D and 3-D seismic that are remarkably clear, and that give us what we call in the business a “play chance” that is much much higher than your typical International exploration well. Usually with a target this size you are looking at a 10%-15% chance of success – we have heard our chances rated by third parties between 28% and into the low 30% chance of success. This is actually a geometric difference in probabilities – really an order of magnitude. With success on our first well, we would look to start production from Bouhajla North, and follow in that area by preparing to penetrate the reservoir again with new wells. We would also establish a reserve and resource calculation to highlight the size of the produceable reservoir in that area. Concurrently we would develop an inventory of prospects all over our acreage which we would develop with additional seismic programs. Real success just on our first well would turn us from an explorer into an intermediate producer immediately. James Stafford: What happens if you hit—what kind of NPV do we get compared to current market cap. John Nelson: Well James, if we don’t hit we are backstopped by cash in the treasury as well as our land position and additional targets which we would then set our sights on. But with a discovery similar to a Sidi el Kilani well, our NPV10 based on our 47.5% working interest would be close to $100MM, which is about 10 times the current market capitalization of the company of $9 million – we will know within 8 weeks. . James Stafford: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us John. This piece is cross-posted from Oil Price.com with permission ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GEE IM GOING WITH USA OIL COMPANIES ON MIDDLE EASTERN FOREIGN POLICY ....and not COLBY. THE WEST WILL MOVE IN......WITH TUNISIA PROTECTING THE PIPELINES WITH WESTERN WEAPONS. COLBY TOTALLY WRONG ON THIS WHOLE THREAD. Edited April 7, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 8, 2013 Share Posted April 8, 2013 'Tunisia may need a second revolution' http://www.thenation...cond-revolution (WHAT DIRECTION WILL THAT BE ?) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Another link Gaal did NOT read before posting GEE IM GOING WITH USA OIL COMPANIES ON MIDDLE EASTERN FOREIGN POLICY ....and not COLBY. THE WEST WILL MOVE IN......WITH TUNISIA PROTECTING THE PIPELINES WITH WESTERN WEAPONS. COLBY TOTALLY WRONG ON THIS WHOLE THREAD. Unbabble that please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 Tunisia doing the work of the WEST. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tunisia Now Exporting ‘Jihadis’ to Syria by Giuliana Sgrena, April 09, 2013 Tunisian families have begun to dread knocks on their doors, or late-night phone calls, fearing that the messenger will bear the news that their son has been smuggled out of the country to join the “jihad” in Syria. Families here told IPS that they have no way of contacting their sons once they leave — whether by choice or coercion they will never know — for the warring nation nearly 3,000 miles away. At most, family members receive an inaudible telephone call from Libya, where the soon-to-be militants are trained, the muffled voice on the other end of the line saying a quiet and final goodbye. After that point, no news is good news. If they are contacted again, it will only be an anonymous caller announcing the death of a son, brother or husband, adding that the family should be proud of their martyred loved one. The next day, the family might find a CD, slipped under the door, containing filmed footage of the burial. There are no reliable data on exactly when young Tunisian men began rushing to join the Free Syrian Army, currently engaged in a battle to depose Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, but experts and civil society activists are agreed on one thing: the number is increasing. On Mar. 29, local sources reported that between 6,000 and 10,000 men have left the country, while the Algerian press say the number could be closer to 12,000. Families tell IPS the self-proclaimed jihadists leave in secret, often under cover of darkness, and change their names en route so that Facebook and internet searches yield no results. They believe mosques and charity organisations serve as fronts for this “recruitment” process. Widely considered the cradle of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has gained a reputation as a progressive country, bolstered by the strong democratic current that toppled former dictator Zine Abadine Ben Ali in January 2011. The election of the moderate Islamist party Ennahda in October 2011 further raised hopes that the country would stay on track towards a more inclusive future. But beneath the moderate veneer, a strong ultra-conservative undercurrent remained, steered by Salafist-controlled mosques – like Fath, Ennassr, Ettadhamen, and the great mosque of Ben Arous located on the outskirts of Tunis – that are now serving as headquarters for the smuggling of fighters. A true revolution is made by the people, not by jihadis coming from other countries. The imams of these mosques often hail from the Gulf and are skilled at convincing young men – who run the gamut from poor, uneducated Tunisians, to wealthy professionals — that they must “help their Syrian brothers” in the “jihad” against Assad. Charity organisations like Karama wa Horrya, Arrahma, Horrya wa Insaf, which provide basic humanitarian assistance to the poor, also play a role in this network that gathers able-bodied Tunisians, transports them to Libya and then, after a brief stop in Turkey, sends them onwards to the frontlines of the Syrian war such as the north-western border with Lebanon, and the city of Aleppo. Young fighters’ first point of contact in Syria is with the Jabhat al Nusra (meaning the ‘Support Front for the People of Syria’), considered the most aggressively militant arm of the FSA. Beyond these vague details, very little is known about the actual recruitment process. The only credible information comes from wounded jihadis who are sent back to Tunisia if their injuries have resulted in handicaps that render them unfit for battle. Most die in the fighting and those that return are often too afraid to speak of their experiences. Tunisian youth, who played a crucial role in the 2011 revolution here, have conflicting views about the Syrian uprising, and their countrymen’s participation in it. For some, like Semi Ghesmi, elected representative of the technological department of the National Student Union, Syrians are engaged in an outright jihad in the strictly religious sense of the term, meaning a battle between “good” Muslims and “kafirs”, or infidels. In this war, the FSA has the moral highground and must be supported. Others like Nassira, a student at the Manouba University in Tunis, say the Syrian conflict “is not a revolution like the Tunisian one”. In her opinion, a true revolution is “made by the people, not by jihadists coming from other Muslim countries”. She favours the Tunisian model, which was dictated not by a small circle of extremists but by the majority of the people. During the recent World Social Forum, held in Tunis from Mar. 26-30, the division between supporters and opponents of the Syrian rebels came to light when local participants burned FSA flags in the streets. Jihadis – or racketeers? Most families who spoke to IPS were too afraid to give their names, fearing reprisals. They suspect powerful and wealthy interests have a hand in the smuggling of fighters, since some families have received as much as 4,000 dollars in “payment” for each jihadi recruit. Those who spoke to IPS under condition of anonymity believe the recruiters themselves also receive a fee. Many denounced the government for allowing this “business” in human lives to thrive. A local journalist who has been investigating the process, but did not want to be identified by name, told IPS the government almost certainly makes money off this racket as well. Experts believe Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi’s statement, issued through the Ministry of Religion, that “we don’t suggest young people leave… but we have no right to prevent them” is tantamount to an admission that the government has no plans to put a stop to the practice, or apprehend those involved. Observers find further proof of the government’s complicity in an agreement, signed in the Libyan capital Tripoli on Dec. 11, 2011 by Ennahda’s Ghannouchi; Burhan Ghalioun, former chief of the Syrian National Council (SNC); and Mustafa Abdel Jalil, former chairman of the Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC), outlining plans to send weapons, along with Tunisian and Libyan jihadis, to Syria. The contents of the agreement were leaked to the public last year. Not content with recruiting only men, clerics have begun to urge women and girls – some as young as 14 years – to take up “jihad through marriage” by travelling to Syria to satisfy the sexual needs of anti-Assad forces. The phenomenon picked up speed after a Saudi religious scholar named Mohamed al-Arifi issued a fatwa in December 2012 allowing the “temporary marriage”, sometimes lasting just a few hours, of young girls to Syrian insurgents. Though he has subsequently revoked the edict, following a public outcry, the practice continues. Here again, numbers are impossible to pin down – but IPS has heard of several cases in the last three months of Tunisian teenage girls who have gone missing, which has sparked fears of a new form of religiously sanctioned sexual trafficking. This article was originally published at IPS News. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 IPS is a rather obscure source and not even the author alleged the government was directly involved the supposed sending of Jihadists to Syria. The closest she got was claiming unidentified "observers" alleged "complicity". Young Sunni men going to distant lands to 'defend Islam' is a tradition that dates back decades. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Young Sunni men going to distant lands to 'defend Islam' is a tradition that dates back decades. // COLBY AND IN THE LAST 8 years its THE USA STATE DEPARTMENT/NGOs/CIA leading said young men to selected destinations. ^^^^^^^^^^^########o0o########^^^^^^^^^ WIKI Iran 2005-present President George W. Bush authorized the CIA to undertake black operations against Iran in an effort to destabilize the Iranian government.[143] A 2005 article in the New York Times stated that the Bush administration was expanding efforts to influence Iran's internal politics with aid to opposition and pro-democracy groups abroad and longer broadcasts criticizing the Iranian government. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs R. Nicholas Burns said the administration was "taking a page from the playbook" on Ukraine and Georgia. Unnamed administration officials were reported as saying the State Department was also studying dozens of proposals for spending $3 million in the coming year "for the benefit of Iranians living inside Iran" including broadcast activities, Internet programs and "working with people inside Iran" on advancing political activities there.[144] In 2006, the United States congress passed the Iran Freedom and Support Act, which directed $10 million towards groups opposed to the Iranian government. In 2007, ABC news reported that President Bush had authorized a $400 million covert operation to create unrest in Iran.[145] According to the The Daily Telegraph, the CIA has also provided support to a militant Sunni organization called Jundullah, which has launched raids into Iran from its base in Pakistan.[143] Alexis Debat separately claimed that the US encouraged Pakistan to support Jundullah, but his reporting was challenged after he was discovered to have allegedly fabricated numerous interviews.[146] Seymour Hersh, writing in The New Yorker, alleged that the US has provided funding and training to the People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran and Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, militant groups opposed to the current Iranian government.[147][148] Prior to 2012, the U.S. State Department had listed the PMOI as a terrorist organizaion, despite the absence of any confirmed terrorist acts committed by the group in more than a decade.[149] Court square in Benghazi, April 2011; at the central place for gatherings and demonstrations the walls are draped with pictures of casualties, mourners passing by Libya 2011 Main article: Libyan civil war After the Arab Spring movement overthrew the rulers of Tunisia and Egypt, their neighbour to the east and west respectively, Libya had a major revolt beginning in February 2011.[150][151] In response, the Obama administration sent in CIA Special Activities Division paramilitary operatives to assess the situation and gather information on the opposition forces.[152][153][154] During the early phases of the Libyan air strike offensive, paramilitary operatives assisted in the recovery of a U.S. Air Force pilot who had crashed due to mechanical problems.[155] There was also speculation in The Washington Post that President Obama issued a covert action finding in March 2011 that authorized the CIA to carry out a clandestine effort to provide arms and support to the Libyan opposition.[156] Muammar Gaddafi was ultimately overthrown in the Libyan civil war. Syria 2012 Main article: Syrian civil war In 2012, President Barack Obama authorized U.S. government agencies to support forced regime change in Syria. [157] In July, the Office of Foreign Assets Control authorised channeling financial support for the Free Syrian Army through the Syrian Support Group non-governmental organization.[158] ####################### (NGO BELOW) Tunisia: IRI Eager to Provide Support to Civil Society Lorne W. Craner 9 April 2013 La Kasbah — The International Republican Institute (IRI) is ready to help Tunisia achieve "actual participative democracy" said its President Lorne W. Craner, presently visiting Tunisia. "The IRI is eager to provide support to Tunisia's people to achieve actual participative democracy through support to the civil society and the democratic political parties", he said on Monday at the end of his meeting with Interim Prime Minister Ali Larayedh. "The main aim of my visit is to express admiration and solidarity with the Tunisian people who sparked off a peaceful revolution for democracy", he affirmed, adding that his organisation will spare no effort to make its experience available to the democratic transition process in Tunisia. He also said that the meeting had turned on the development of the economic situation in the country and on means to promote co-operation with the civil society. IRI is a political organisation aimed to support political and economic liberties, good governance and human rights in the world through enhancing the principles of democracy among citizens, political parties and governments. The Institute, based in Washington, had opened an office in Edited April 9, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Colby Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Young Sunni men going to distant lands to 'defend Islam' is a tradition that dates back decades. // COLBY AND IN THE LAST 8 years its THE USA STATE DEPARTMENT/NGOs/CIA leading said young men to selected destinations. [...] OK get back to us with documentation for this claim, there wasn't any in the text you cut n' pasted below it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 (edited) Young Sunni men going to distant lands to 'defend Islam' is a tradition that dates back decades. // COLBY AND IN THE LAST 8 years its THE USA STATE DEPARTMENT/NGOs/CIA leading said young men to selected destinations. [...] OK get back to us with documentation for this claim, there wasn't any in the text you cut n' pasted below it COLBY++++++++++++++++ HUH ? I WENT OVER THIS TOPIC WITH BILL KELLY A BILLION TIMES ??????????? ============================================================ MIDDLE EAST: The CIA Operating behind a Web of “Pro-Democracy” NGOs By Patrick Henningsen Global Research, March 20, 2012 Url of this article: http://www.globalresearch.ca/middle-east-the-cia-operating-behind-a-web-of-pro-democracy-ngos/29864 For the past five decades, the CIA has enjoyed near total anonymity whilst operating behind a web of international shell companies and NGOs like USAID. In the 21st century, the agency has come to rely on a much more complex array of ‘human rights’ and ‘pro-democracy’ foundation-funded and US State Department-funded organizations around the globe like the National Endowment for Democracy, CANVAS and the Open Society Institute. But keeping its influence peddling and regime change activities hidden from the public view has become increasingly difficult in the age of digital awareness. Perhaps the foreign intelligence services have spread themselves too thin across the globe, or overestimated the public’s ability see through an increasingly transparent agenda. Or maybe this new revolution business has become too well-funded, with too many high-flying international consultants, and has tried too hard to look trendy in staging pop political campaigns like KONY 2012 - making it harder and harder to conceal their not-so-clandestine activities. Obama’s latest move sent a clear message to Washington’s New World Order partners: provided American operatives overseas are not harmed, Washington does not care all that much about human rights, and even less about its local NGO Arab operatives – like all those Arab NGO workers hung out to dry in Cairo this month. Present and future non-US NGO workers might take note here - as working for US-funded democracy and human rights programs in places like Egypt will not guarantee you any protection should you organization come under fire for spying. Egypt remains as the Middle East’s most populated country, and most strategically placed – controlling the Suez Canal, and bordering neighbors Israel, Sudan and Libya. \Unfortunately for Washington, Egypt’s military junta have quickly figured out how the US is always able to play both sides of the geopolitical game. Realizing that they had served their purpose in helping to secure Libya for NATO, Egypt knew it may soon fall fast out of favor with their paymasters in Washington, perhaps with yet another western-backed ‘Arab Spring’ at some point in the near future. Meanwhile, thousands of real pro-reform Egyptian protestors were literally beaten to death by Cairo’s brutal military junta. On December 27, 2011, Washington’s favored Egyptian military ruling government did the unthinkable - raiding 17 NGO’s in Cairo, many of which were arguably under the CIA’s cloak and dagger regime change workshop umbrella. The raids included the State Department-funded National Democratic Institute (NDI) founded by Madeleine Albright, and the International Republican Institute (IRI), headed by regime change enthusiast John McCain. Cairo’s surprise spook-house raid sent shockwaves through US State Department, as administrators led by Hillary Clinton decried the move “completely unacceptable”, not because it had anything specifically to hide (interestingly, we do not recall Clinton actually denying that spying was going on in Cairo), but because Egypt is the US’s second largest recipient of US military aid in the world - with annual military gift vouchers totally approximately $1.5 billion per annum – mostly for military hardware. In reality there is no real relationship between US foreign aid and the pro-democracy traits of its winning contestants. The Obama administration quickly reconsidered its previously stern position with Egypt over the NGO raids, going ahead with full military aid to Egypt. It’s hard to imagine another scenario that could do more damage to U.S. and British intelligence operations in the Middle East. Clinton was even forced to issue a “national security waiver” exempting the White House from explaining to Congress why Egypt is not “implementing policies to protect freedom of expression, association, and religion, and due process of law”, yet still collecting its billions in US aid. Although Egyptian courts lifted their travel ban on all American espionage suspects on March 1, 2012, criminal trials are still due to resume this April 10th against Egyptian NGO workers. NGO’s under the gun are the NDI, the IRI and of course, George Soros’s Freedom House, along with some 400 other NGOs also under official investigation. Egypt played its role in bringing down Libya During the fabled Arab Spring in 2011, Washington and London were under a very tight time table because of what was going on next door in Libya and needed a partner they could rely on. In order for NATO’s al-Qaida rebel forces, the Egyptian military junta obediently smuggled arms and al-Qaeda fighters over their western border into eastern Libya to help overthrow the regime of the late Col. Muammar Gaddafi. The Wall Street Journal report confirmed this on March 17, 2011: “Egypt’s military has begun shipping arms over the border to Libyan rebels with Washington’s knowledge, U.S. and Libyan rebel officials said… … The shipments-mostly small arms such as assault rifles and ammunition-appear to be the first confirmed case of an outside government arming the rebel fighters. Those fighters have been losing ground for days in the face of a steady westward advance by forces loyal to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.” Good for US: Christian persecuted in Egypt and the wider region Myth: Because of evangelical pro-Israel right-wing voters, Washington will care deeply about the mistreatment of Christians in the Middle East and East Africa. And here’s the point: once you get past the myth of the fabled Arab Spring, you quickly realize that it’s common practice now for Washington’s illustrious State Department and London’s Foreign Office to back Islamist governments throughout the region, along with the usual protocol of partnerships for dictatorships and monarchies throughout the Middle East. Christians are being targeted in what looks like obvious provocateur events against the Copts in Egypt, and Orthodox Christians in Sudan, Syria, Iraq and Turkey – and Washington appears not to care at all. Why? Obama’s ignorance of Christian persecution is no mere political omission – it is the policy of Washington. Don’t think for one second that if a Mitt Romney were to take office in January 2013, this policy would change at all. For Washington and London, Islamist governments, with their bent towards theocracies – unlike Christian secularists, are much easier to manipulated and play against neighboring nations. Washington and the CIA’s real priorites in the region are aligned with a policy of destabilization, namely Israel and backing Islamist regimes. Where the US wants stabilty, it will back Monarchies and Dictators – as is the case with the Gulf States and Egypt’s military junta. This also feeds into Washington and London’s strategy of surrounding the settler state Israel with Islamist regimes, thus furthering the old mantra that ‘Israel needs to defend itself’, and that is ’a clash of civilizations’ between east and west, and ensuring conflict for the next 50 years. For this very reason, it is a top priority of engineers in Washington and London to bring down the secular/multi-religious society led by President Assad in Syria. The goal is destabilization and this simply cannot happen with a solid secular regime in place there. The same observation should be applied to Libya too, and the results speak for themselves now as the al-Qaida’s own Jolly Roger is flying over Benghazi. Although GOP mouthpieces like Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney speak about the horrors of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, the reality is that this islamist group was created and is mostly steered by the British intelligences agencies who work in concert with the CIA. A classic case of controlled oppostion dating back to the the 1920′s – but still, US politicians name-drop ‘Muslim Brotherhood’ in order to scare Americans about the horrors of Islamic extremism and what a threat they pose to Israel. Egypt is, and always has been the central choke-point in the Middle East, and no matter if it’s a brutal military junta or a pedestrian dictator- democracy matters little to Washington. The military aid will continue to flow and real reformers will continue to be killed and imprisioned there. And when placed under pressure, the US will throw all its Egyptian intelligence assets under the bus – and still send Cairo its $1.5 billion cheque. Alas, strange bedfellows these two countries do make. +++++++++++++++++++ ALSO SEE The US Engineered “Arab Spring”: The NGO Raids in Egypt http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-us-engineered-arab-spring-the-ngo-raids-in-egypt/28433 ============== and ALSO Syria Regime Change PR in High Gear: More ‘Newborn Baby Slaughter’ Propaganda http://www.globalresearch.ca/syria-regime-change-pr-in-high-gear-more-newborn-baby-slaughter-propaganda/29186 Edited April 11, 2013 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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