BULLY BOY PRESS & CEDRIC'S BIG MIX -- THE KOOL-AID TABLE
AS MILEY CYRUS FAR OUTPACES BARRY O IN VOTES FOR PERSON OF THE YEAR, BARRY O IS REFLECTING ON POSSIBLE CAREER CHANGES.
WHITE HOUSE INSIDERS SAY HE'S LEANING TOWARDS CABARET.
"IF YOU HAVE ANY MATERIAL FOR HIM," WHITE HOUSE PLUS-SIZE SPOKESMODEL JAY CARNEY INSTRUCTED THESE REPORTERS, "YOU CAN LEAVE IT WITH ME. HE'S PRIMARILY LOOKING FOR BALLADS, SLOW NUMBERS. KATHLEEN SEBELIUS IS WORKING OUT THE CHOREOGRAPHY. SHE SWEARS THIS WILL BE BIGGER THAN THE TARP BAIL OUT, BIGGER THAN EVEN OBAMACARE!"
THOUGH WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY SONGS WE HAD WRITTEN, WE DID SUGGEST AN OLDIE THAT WE FELT BARRY O COULD RELATE TO:
DELTA DAWN
WHAT'S THAT FLOWER YOU HAVE ON
COULD IT BE A FADED ROSE
FROM DAYS GONE BY?
FROM THE TCI WIRE:
The Press Association reports, "The opening of the first branch of a British bank in Iraq has been
hailed by its prime minister as a sign of new international trust in the
country, and a testament to the ongoing friendship between the new
nations. Speaking at the opening of the branch of Standard
Chartered in Baghdad, prime minister Nouri Al-Maliki paid tribute to
Britain for its support as the two countries continue to work to help
Iraq rebuild itself after years of conflict."
Oh, that's so cute.
For Iraq and Standard. In 2012, Jonathan Stempel and Carrick Mollenkamp (Reuters) reported:
In a rare move, New York's top bank
regulator threatened to strip the state banking license of Standard
Chartered Plc, saying it was a "rogue institution" that hid $250 billion
in transactions tied to Iran, in violation of U.S. law.
The
New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) on Monday said
the British bank "schemed" with the Iranian government and hid from
law-enforcement officials some 60,000 secret transactions to generate
hundreds of millions of dollars in fees over nearly 10 years.
In other words, what really happened today is that a rogue bank opened a branch in a rogue state.
And it's not really a British bank, is it? As Standard Charted notes,
"We operate in some of the world's most dynamic markets and have been
for over 150 years. More than 90 per cent of our income and profits are
derived from Asia, Africa and the Middle East."
They already operate in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
So the customers aren't primarily British. But the bank, the bank itself is British!
No, you can't be a "multi-national" -- which Standard Charted is -- and
belong to one country. Or did we forget the meaning of "multi" in
"multi-national"? It was founded in South Africa. It only 'divested'
itself of South Africa (where it was part of the blood diamond trade) in
1987 -- at the point when everyone else with integrity had long ago
left. Scan Wikipedia
and you'll see quickly that "no integrity" really sums up Standard
Charted which is forever in trouble in India and which attempted bribery
in the Philippins and Malaysia. They got into trouble for inflating
claims -- trouble with the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission.
In other words, they should be perfectly at home in Nouri's corrupt Iraq.
Poor Nouri, this was his big moment and so much of nothing.
This month Hyatt announced a new Hyatt Regency . . . in Iraq. But Nouri can't get excited, the hotel will be in semi-autonomous northern region governed by the KRG. And Kelly Clarke (Khaleej Times) reported two weeks ago:
During a conference unveiling a new
multi-billion dollar development to go up in the Kurdistan region’s
capital, Erbil, last month, Emaar chairman Mohamed Alabbar said it hopes
to ‘close similar deals with the country’s government in the future’,
building on its already growing economy.
[. . .]
“To have such an international brand like Emaar coming in is a big
step up for the development of the area and it will surely create
confidence,” he (real estate agent and CEO for Elite Homes Ali Asad] told Khaleej Times.
Asked why he thinks one of the world’s biggest property developers
has chosen to develop in Erbil, rather than Baghdad, where property
prices are higher, he said it was simple.
“If they want a footstep into Iraq, Erbil is the perfect place,
because it’s secure,” however Asad did mention the Downtown Erbil
development will undoubtedly create inflation in the area, as listed
prices are already considerably higher than similar developments in the
area.
Not everything's in the KRG.
For example, today the KRG Prime Minister wasn't. He was in Ankara.
National Iraqi News Agency reports
that Nijervan Barzani met with Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan and the two discussed "the issue of oil exporting from Kurdistan
region to Turkey." All Iraq News quotes
"Turkish sources" stating, "Erdogan signed many conventions with
Barzani in oil and gas sectors and after the three hour meeting he
announced his intention to visit Baghdad and Erbil to assure the desire
of Turkey in promoting relations with all Iraqi components."
The pipeline could assist with the oil exports that are already taking place between the KRG and Turkey. Seyfettin Gursel (Al-Monitor) reports:
Oil production in the region controlled by the KRG is 300,000 barrels
per day. About two-thirds of this amount is exported to Turkey
in tanker trucks. This is a tedious and expensive method. Nevertheless,
the KRG revenues — which were at $150 million seven years ago — have
risen to $12 billion, and per capita income has climbed to $5,000 from
$300. It is possible to boost the daily production to 1 million barrels
with the operating wells. With proven and estimated oil reserves, this
production will increase multifold in coming years. According to Celebi,
yet-untapped natural gas reserves are estimated at 40 billion cubic
meters. The KRG has already signed deals with international oil
companies for production and to build the pipelines that would cross
Turkey.
Even limited oil-production revenues have raised Turkey’s exports to
Iraq to above $10 billion, which comes after Germany in Turkey’s primary
export markets. It is, however, likely to occupy the top slot soon.
According to Celebi, 90% of exports to Iraq go to Northern Iraq, with
the rest going to the south of the country. Imagine how these numbers
are going to multiply when the pipelines are completed and oil and
natural gas starts to flow.
Of today's meet-up, Asharq al-Awsat notes,
"Speaking to CNNTurk television on Wednesday, Barzani confirmed that
Iraq's Kurds are hoping to start pumping oil to Turkey before the end of
the year via the Baghdad-controlled pipeline." AFP reports
that Barzani declared before the meeting that the oil could be flowing,
via the pipeline, to Turkey "before Christmas" (December 25th).
Guess which cranky boy forgot Santa Claus was making a list of who was naughty and who was nice?
Nouri al-Maliki. AFP quotes
Nouri's mouth piece Ali al-Mussawi conveying Nouri's fury, "The Iraqi
government informed the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad of its strong
opposition to signing the pipeline deal with KRG." And if that's got
Nouri stomping his feet, whatever will he do in December? That's when, Rudaw reports, a major commerce event takes place in the KRG:
More than 100 international energy companies and 800 political and
diplomatic figures are expected to attend the Kurdistan-Iraq Oil &
Gas Conference 2013 in Erbil next month, notably coinciding with
historic oil exports by the Kurds.
The four-day conference opens Sunday, just as the autonomous
Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq begins to export
oil directly to Turkey through its newly-extended pipeline.
Maybe he'll have time to adjust? But today, Nouri thought it was his
day. He'd dominate the news cycle by announcing a one-time tool of the
British empire was invading Iraq. Instead, all anyone cares about right
now is what Barzani and Erdogan agreed to.
How important is today's news?
Nouri's not the only one throwing a hissy fit. At the US State Dept press briefing today, spokesperson Jen Psaki took sides and acted like an idiot. What a proud moment for the State Dept.
QUESTION: About the energy deal between Turkey and KRG: The
KRG Prime Minister Barzani, Nechirvan Barzani, was in Turkey yesterday
and he told to the Turkish reporters there that the pipeline between
Irbil and Turkey will start to carry all the oil next month, before the
Christmas. So I know that you raised this – your concern on this issue
with the Turks when Mr. Davutoglu was here, but what is the latest
situation and what is your view on the latest arrangement of this --
MS. PSAKI: Our view has not changed. We don’t support oil
exports from any part of Iraq without approval of the Iraqi federal
government. We continue to urge the federal government of Iraq and
Kurdistan Regional Government to reach a constitutional solution, and
that has consistently been our position. And it also has not changed.
QUESTION: There is a plan on the table that Turks are arguing
that they’re going to accumulate the revenue, oil revenue, in a Turkish
bank in Turkey, and then they gonna split the spoils arising from this
energy resources between KRG and Baghdad. So 70 percent will be going to
the Kurds, and the rest will be Baghdad. Are you okay with that plan?
MS. PSAKI: I don’t have anything on that for you. Our position remains the same on this specific issue.
QUESTION: Did you raise this issue with Mr. Davutoglu when was in town?
MS. PSAKI: I will check and see if there’s more to report on our meeting with Foreign Minister Davutoglu.
QUESTION: So, just so I understand correctly, you do stick to
the principle that the central governments was responsible for the
export of oil from Iraq?
MS. PSAKI: That’s right, without approval of the Iraqi federal government.
'We stay out of it! We stay out of it! We support the Iraqi Constitution and the laws! It's not for us to decide!'
Did I forget any of the lies that have been told from the State Dept podium?
The State Dept doesn't give a damn about the Constitution of Iraq. They don't give a damn about the Iraqi people.
If you give a damn, you have something to say.
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