Thousands of Iranians have in recent days amassed by the border with Iraq to buy U.S. currency in their neighboring country, Iranian news website Mashreq reported on Monday, quoting Iraqi sources. As the Iranian rial has fallen almost 40 per cent against the dollar over the past two weeks, Iranians have been rushing to buy foreign currency. On January 1 the U.S. enforced new legislation which makes it almost impossible for Iran to sell oil on the international market. The move has sent Iran’s currency into a tailspin, and the matter further deteriorated when EU followed suit earlier this week. Iran’s leaders say sanctions imposed by the West over the country’s disputed nuclear program will have no effect on the regime but will impact ordinary people who will soon start to feel the bite. On Monday Iran summoned the ambassador of Denmark, which holds the European Union’s rotating presidency, to complain over the EU oil embargo. Amid the international political tussle, the economic situation in the country grows increasingly less pleasant for Iranians. The official inflation rate remains at more than 19 percent, but analysts argue it is significantly higher than that level. Subsidy cuts on food and energy that were pushed through Parliament last year by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are very unpopular, and economists warned long before they were enacted that they could further stoke inflation. Since the cuts were implemented, food and energy prices have spiked. While Iranian economists, for now, argue that the latest sanctions may not be directly influencing the currency, the new measures add to already existing angst in the country. Banking analyst Farid Ziaolmaleki, in comments echoed by others, told the Associated Press that he believes that more Iranians are turning to the currency speculation, buying up dollars, as inflation has outpaced the 12 to 15 percent interest rates offered by banks. Compounding the pressure on the rial that such speculation could have, merchants have also taken to calculating the price of their wares in dollars, hoping for a steeper depreciation in the Iranian currency. Economic daily Donya-e-Eqtesad wrote in its Tuesday edition that “a big portion of merchants are not willing to sell their wares, and prefer to hold onto them until” the dollar strengthens more against the riyal. Another daily newspaper, Shargh, said that housing prices had increased by 25 percent in recent weeks because of the weakening in the value of the riyal. A familiar tale Tehran factory worker Mohammad Varamini lost his job of 14 years when rising energy costs and shrinking sales drove the tile maker that employed him out of business. His tale is a familiar one, repeated across Iran where hundreds of firms have been closed their doors over the past year, a consequence of the international sanctions as well as economic mismanagement. “The owner closed the factory because he could not afford the electricity, gas and water bills,” says Mohammad’s wife Sedigeh, a mother of four to Reuters. “For a month we managed to pay the rent and other expenses by selling my gold jewelry and using our small savings. But then we had no money and my husband could not find another job. I had to start working as a cleaner.” Now the family is struggling to keep a roof over its head and to educate the children. When the rent goes up in March, they will move in with Sedigeh’s parents. “Prices are increasing every day. I can only afford to buy meat once a month.” Few escape hardship these days. The educated liberals who joined the protests against Ahmadinejad’s re-election in 2009, the business elite afraid of upheaval and Ahmedinejad’s natural constituency of poorer, working Iranians are all feeling the impact of galloping inflation, a sinking currency and rising joblessness to varying degrees. Shahram Alizadeh, 53, a steel merchant at Tehran’s bazaar says he can’t remember a tougher time for his business. “Trading, as far as I am concerned, has dropped to almost zero. There are no building projects because the political situation is so unstable and unpredictable. The situation is no better in other parts of the bazaar.” Iran’s rulers ignore the mood at the bazaar at their peril despite the fact that its merchants played an important role in mobilizing street protests against the former Shah who was toppled in 1979. Young, educated Iranians are increasingly looking abroad for their futures. There are currently some 80,000 Iranian university students abroad. “I always dreamed about returning to Iran after finishing my studies in Greece. But each time I travel to Iran to visit my family, I become more disappointed. Most of my friends here are either jobless or have jobs that they don’t like with a low income. I feel like a stranger in my own country. There is no hope for the future among young people here. Everybody just wants to leave,” said physics student Ali Qiasi, 29, who left Iran after the 2009 presidential vote. “How can I live in a country where nothing is stable? Look at prices, look at the exchange rate. I am happy in Greece.” Iran’s diving currency has forced the central bank to act, pumping in $200 million dollars in early January. Authorities also tightened monitoring of capital leaving the country. Passengers travelling abroad are forbidden from carrying more than $5,000 in cash. The business elite too are feeling the squeeze. “Life has become more expensive in the past months. My husband’s business is not affected. My problem is that we are about to lose our credit cards. Because of the sanctions, our bank in Dubai has informed all its Iran-based clients about the closure of their accounts. What will I do when travelling abroad?” said Simin Marzban, 48, whose husband is involved in car manufacturing. “If this situation continues, I will move to the United States for good. It is like the revolution time.” http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/01/24/190321.html?PHPSESSID=o3leuh8lu84vjtjeqi6t02vv46

It is my youngest daughters birthday, today. Happy Birthday, Grace. May you always have what you need. Love Light Hugs.

We came, we saw, we destroyed, we forgot The Anti-Empire Report by William Blum July 29, 2011 An updated summary of the charming record of US foreign policy. Since the end of the Second World War, the United States of America has … Attempted to overthrow more than 50 governments, most of which were democratically-elected.[1] Attempted to suppress a populist or nationalist movement in 20 countries.[2] Grossly interfered in democratic elections in at least 30 countries.[3] Dropped bombs on the people of more than 30 countries.[4] Attempted to assassinate more than 50 foreign leaders.[5] In total: Since 1945, the United States has carried out one or more of the above actions, on one or more occasions, in the following 69 countries (more than one-third of the countries of the world): Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Australia Bolivia Bosnia Brazil British Guiana (now Guyana) Bulgaria Cambodia Chad Chile China Colombia Congo (also as Zaire) Costa Rica Cuba Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Fiji France Germany (plus East Germany) Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Honduras India Indonesia Iran Iraq Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Laos Lebanon Libya Mongolia Morocco Nepal Nicaragua North Korea Pakistan Palestine Panama Peru Philippines Portugal Russia Seychelles Slovakia Somalia South Africa Soviet Union Sudan Suriname Syria Thailand Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam (plus North Vietnam) Yemen (plus South Yemen) Yugoslavia

The railroading of Bradley Manning is getting out of control. Lt. Col. Paul Almanza, the investigating officer in Manning's Article 32 hearing has recommended that Manning face a court-martial for all 23 charges of which he is accused. 1 The charges Almanza has recommended are absurdly disproportionate to the acts Manning is accused of committing — the most egregious being "aiding the enemy," a charge that carries a possible penalty of life imprisonment. This charge rests on the government's dubious claim that Manning knowingly provided intelligence to terrorist groups like al-Qaeda, because he knew Wikileaks might publish the information on the internet. Almanza's recommendation will now move up the chain of command, where Maj. Gen. Michael Linnington will ultimately decide if Manning should be court-martialed, and on what charges. Can you help us stop this snowballing, unfounded attempt to paint Manning as a traitor? Call the Department of Defense right now, leave a message for Maj. Gen. Linnington asking him to drop the "aiding the enemy" charges against Bradley Manning. Click here for a phone number and a sample script: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/manning-call Manning's supporters see Lt. Col. Almanza's recommendation as just another step in what is becoming a sham trial. Almanza himself served as a prosecutor for the Justice Department, which is also investigating Manning, but refused to recuse himself as investigating officer. Manning's lawyer, David Coombs, claims the DOJ wants to flip Manning and have him testify against Julian Assange and WikiLeaks.2 Of the 48 witnesses requested by Manning, Almanza only allowed 12 to testify - 10 of which were also requested by the government. Coombs has requested oral depositions of the denied witnesses, who he says have the potential to show how baseless the "aiding the enemy" charge really is. The fact that they were denied testimony in the first place says a lot about the reasoning behind such a severe accusation. This entire process has not only been insanely cruel, it is setting a dangerous precedent for how the government deals with whistleblowers. We must stand up to the overcharging of Bradley Manning. His life and the safety of all whistleblowers depend on it. Can you call the Department of Defense, and urge Maj. Gen. Linnington to use his power to stop the over-zealous prosecution of Bradley Manning? Call the Department of Defense right now, leave a message for Maj. Gen. Linnington asking him to drop the "aiding the enemy" charges against Bradley Manning. Click here for a phone number and a sample script: http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/manning-call No matter the Army's decision, Firedoglake will continue to report on this case and organize actions in pursuit of a fair trial and, ultimately, justice for Bradley Manning. In solidarity, Brian Sonenstein Director of Online Activism, Firedoglake.com PS: If you can't call, consider chipping in $5 to support Firedoglake's continuous coverage of the Bradley Manning case: https://secure.firedoglake.com/page/contribute/manning-general 1. All Charges Against Bradley Manning Referred to Court Martial, Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter, 1/12/2011. 2. Manning Defense Files Motion Requesting Article 32 Officer Recuse Himself, Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter, 12/16/2011.

ttp://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q12012/us-troops-going-to-israel483/ US Troops going to Israel In one of the most blacked-out stories in America right now, the US military is preparing to send thousands of US troops, along with US Naval anti-missile ships and accompanying support personnel, to Israel. It took forever to find a second source for confirmation of this story and both relatively mainstream media outlets are in Israel. With one source saying the military deployment and corresponding exercises are to occur in January, the source providing most of the details suggests it will occur later this spring. Calling it not just an “exercise”, but a “deployment”, the Jerusalem Post quotes US Lt.-Gen Frank Gorenc, Commander of the US Third Air Force based in Germany. The US Commander visited Israel two weeks ago to confirm details for “the deployment of several thousand American soldiers to Israel.” In an effort to respond to recent Iranian threats and counter-threats, Israel announced the largest ever missile defense exercise in its history. Now, it’s reported that the US military, including the US Navy, will be stationed throughout Israel, also taking part. While American troops will be stationed in Israel for an unspecified amount of time, Israeli military personnel will be added to EUCOM in Germany. EUCOM stands for United States European Command. In preparation for anticipated Iranian missile attacks upon Israel, the US is reportedly bringing its THAAD, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, and ship-based Aegis ballistic missile systems to Israel. The US forces will join Israeli missile defense systems like the Patriot and Arrow. The deployment comes with “the ultimate goal of establishing joint task forces in the event of a large-scale conflict in the Middle East”. The Jerusalem Post reports that US Lt.-Gen Frank Gorenc was in Israel meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Brig.-Gen Doron Gavish, commander of the Air Defense Division. While there, the US General visited one of Israel’s three ‘Iron Dome’ anti-missile outposts. The Israeli Air Force has announced plans to deploy a fourth Iron Dome system in the coming months. Additional spending increases in the Jewish state will guarantee the manufacture and deployment of three more Iron Dome systems by the end of 2012. The Israelis are hoping to eventually have at least a dozen of the anti-missile systems deployed along its northern and southern borders. In a show of escalated tensions in the region, Iran test fired two long range missiles today. One, called the Qadar, is a powerful sea-to-shore missile. The other was an advanced surface-to-surface missile called the Nour. According to Iranian state news, the Nour is an ‘advanced radar-evading, target-seeking, guided and controlled missile’. Additionally, the Iranian military reportedly test-fired numerous other short, medium and long-range missiles. Yesterday, Iranian authorities reported that they test-fired the medium-range, surface-to-air, radar-evading Mehrab missile. Today is supposed to be the final day of Iranian naval drills in the Straits of Hormuz. Iran recently made global headlines when it threatened to blockade the Straits of Hormuz if Europe and the US went ahead with their boycott of Iranian oil and the country’s central bank. One-quarter of the world’s oil passes through that waterway every day. President Obama has announced that a closure of the Straits was unacceptable and vowed to take whatever measures are necessary to keep the vital shipping lane open. In response to the Iranian missile tests this weekend, French authorities were the first to respond, calling it a, “very bad signal to the international community."We want to underline that the development by Iran of a missile program is a source of great concern to the international community,"the French Foreign Ministry said in a written statement. Israeli officials suggested the flamboyant Iranian military drills this weekend were a sign that international sanctions on the country were taking a heavy toll and that any additional boycotts, on its banks or oil industry, would be crippling. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the large missile tests showed, “the dire straits of Iran in light of the tightening sanctions around her, including the considerations in the last few days regarding the sanctions of exporting petroleum as well as the possibility of sanctions against the Iranian Central Bank." While the chances of Iran going through with its threat of closing the Straits of Hormuz are slim, the deployment of thousands of US troops and naval ships to Israel shows the US isn’t taking any chances.

http://newsallianceuk.wordpress.com/

“Senior British Intelligence officers on the payroll of News International”

Posted: 04/12/2011 in Big Brother, Hackgate Scandal, Leveson Inquiry
Tags: MI5, MI6, Police, News International, Special Branch, GCHQ, Rupert Murdoch, Nick Clegg, David Cameron, Eton Mafia, Oxbridge Criminals, London, Peerage, Royalty, Sunday Telegraph

A friend of mine died at the weekend.

Toddy - one of a kind.
Fly high, matey.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-14061332
Cut and pasted from the BBC at the above link.
So who is doing the probing and where are the answers ?
Sheridan was jailed for lying during his successful defamation case in 2006

Witness statements at the Tommy Sheridan perjury trial are to be probed following new allegations in the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

The Crown Office has asked Strathclyde Police for a "preliminary assessment" and to hand any findings to prosecutors for possible further action.

Three News of the World journalists gave evidence at the trial, including former editor Andy Coulson.

Sheridan was jailed for lying during his successful defamation case in 2006.

He was found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow in December of committing perjury during his case against the News of the World.

Hacking enquiry

The newspaper had claimed that the socialist politician was an adulterer who had visited a swingers' club.

During the perjury trial, allegations were raised by Sheridan that his mobile phone was hacked into by private investigator Glenn Mulcaire.

He was jailed in 2007, along with the newspaper's royal editor, Clive Goodman, for intercepting voicemail messages left for members of the royal household.

Copies of Mulcaire's notebook, showing Sheridan's details, were produced during the perjury trial.

Mr Coulson, who was then Prime Minister David Cameron's director of communications, gave evidence that he had no knowledge of illegal activities, including payments to police officers.

Scottish editor Bob Bird also denied being part of an "illegal culture of phone-tapping".

Both men were questioned by Sheridan, who represented himself during the trial.

The former MSP also suggested that the News of the World's news editor, Douglas Wight, who also gave evidence, had used the services of another private investigator, Stephen Whittamore, 70 times.

On Tuesday, the newspaper's publisher, News International, passed e-mails to the Metropolitan Police which, it is said, show that payments to police officers had been authorised by Mr Coulson when he was News of the World editor.

Conviction 'unsound'

That development prompted Labour MP Tom Watson to question Sheridan's conviction.

During an emergency Westminster debate on the News of the World phone hacking scandal on Wednesday, he said: "I think the Sheridan trial was unsound and may need to be revisited."

At a news conference, Mr Watson and Sheridan's lawyer, Aamer Anwar, called for police to investigate News of the World witnesses at the perjury trial.

Mr Anwar urged Strathclyde Police to contact people in Scotland who he said may have been subjected to illegal activities by the News of the World, and to cross reference these details with the phone hacking inquiry being conducted in London.

He said: "If for years there has been a culture whereby corrupt police officers and News of the World journalists have had an utter disregard for the law and have destroyed people's lives then they must now be held to account if they are not above the law."

Mr Watson said: "Two days ago News International briefed the press that they had handed over documents to the Metropolitan Police that showed Andy Coulson had authorised payments to police officers for information.

"Last December in Tommy Sheridan's trial he denied any knowledge of those payments.

"Either Andy Coulson or News International did not tell the truth."

Both men submitted a dossier to police outlining "serious allegations" about News of the World witnesses.