#US and #Israel’s Role in #Prolonging #SyrianConflict

Latest Astana Peace Process Summit Highlights U.S. and Israel’s Role in Prolonging Syrian Conflict
By Sarah Abed
The focus of this particular summit was on restoring peace and stability in Syria by forming a committee to draft a new Syrian constitution, as well as defeating terrorist factions in Idlib. Read more...

Will the US Use Greece to Block Russia in the Black Sea?
By Paul Antonopoulos
The Trump administration last week made its first major step to create a Greek-centric NATO corridor following United States Ambassador to Greece, Geoffrey R. Pyatt, announcement that his country intends to acquire the strategic port of Alexandroupoli. Read more...

Turkey’s “Refugee City” Proposal for Syria Amounts to Demographic Engineering
By Andrew Korybko
Turkish President Erdogan’s recently announced proposal to build a “refugee city” in Northern Syria amounts to demographic engineering intended to stop the creation of a “Kurdish Corridor” there and also prevent the region from fully reintegrating into Damascus’ fold after the war. Read more...

China-Thailand Military Cooperation. Shifting Global Balance of Power
By Joseph Thomas

Why Did #Hitler #Invade #Greece & #Yugoslavia?

WITH HIS HANDS FULL FIGHTING BRITAIN, AND WITH SOVIET FORCES MASSING NEAR GERMAN BORDERS, WHY DID HITLER INVADE GREECE & YUGOSLAVIA?

By Mike King

Germany controls Northern Europe, but is still vulnerable from the South and East.

Some Background Information:

In the Spring of 1940, the British had been chased out of Europe at Dunkirk (allowed to escape by Hitler) and France soon signed an armistice with Germany. For wartime defensive purposes, Germany continues to occupy Northern France, Holland and Belgium. Bases have also been established in Norway and Denmark (in response to British maneuvers aimed at establishing bases in those nations).

Germany has a peace offer on the table; an offer to end the war and withdraw its troops from all occupied territories (except the Prussian territory reclaimed from Poland). Churchill will hear none of it! Britain continues to bomb Germany while urging the Soviet Union to get involved. The cunning

#German Study Proves It – 95% of #GreekBailout #Money Went to the #Banks

washingtonsblog,com

I simply cannot stress enough how important Greece is to freedom, liberty and civilization across the globe. Greece is not a one-off, or merely a small nation in big trouble that holds little relevance for the rest of us. Greece is everything.

What is happening to Greece follows the exact same game plan of what will eventually happen to every other supposedly sovereign nation. First there is an explosion of debt. Then a crisis. Then a

#Greece – The #RefugeeCrisis and the #Horror of #Europe

By Peter Koenig

A voice from Hellas, Greece. According to UNHCR about 50 million refugees are on the move every day on our globe. This is most likely an understatement, as this figure doesn’t take into account what takes place in the almost hermetically closed-off Central Africa, Congo, Zaïre, where western corporations are exploiting for a pittance and with millions of slaves precious metals, uranium, hydrocarbons and rare earths – and where millions have died over the past ten years, by butcher regimes supported and armed by the west – and where millions are on the run.

The real figure of refugees on the run is easily 60 to 65 million; forced migrants in temporary camps, in transit to nowhere and under the most horrible human and abject hygienic conditions, no running water, hardly any medical attention, sparse food if any. At least a quarter of them originate in the Middle East.

And most, if not all of these tens of millions, are fleeing countries destroyed directly or by proxy by the US empire and its European vassals. They try to escape as their homes have been burned to the ground, their families in many cases decimated. They are under constant threat of being bombed, by the ISIS and sorts, all fully funded by Washington, the EU, Turkey, the Saudis, Qatar – and militarily supported and trained by the CIA, Pentagon and NATO. This is not new. It has been known for years. But known to whom? The truth

#Tsipras and #Varoufakis Approve of #HomeEvictions and #Expropriation of #Depositors

By Ernst Wolff

During their election campaign, the Syriza movement promised the people of Greece an end to the inhumane politics of austerity and the dictatorship of the Troika.

After being elected in January, Prime Minister Tsipras and his Finance Minister Varoufakis negotiated with the EU commission, the ECB and the IMF for almost five months. While fulfilling almost all of their financial demands, Syriza’s leaders openly criticized the “institutions” for their tough bargaining and resisted some of their harshest measures.

At the beginning of July, the Troika tightened its grip on Greece. Tsipras and Varoufakis in return called for a referendum in which the people of Greece took a very clear stance and said “no” to the continuation of austerity politics.

Rather than fulfill this mandate, Tsipras responded with a 180-degree turnaround. He dismissed his finance

#Greece’s #Parliament Cannot #Override the #NO #Vote

The Agreement with the Creditors is Illegal

 

 

FIRA, GREECE. On Sunday  July 5, the Greek people voted in a historic referendum to refuse the Troika’s draft agreement. 

The Referendum was an outright  ”ritual of democracy”.  The Greek people were betrayed. On Monday morning, July 6, on the day following the referendum, Prime minister Tsipras put forth a 13 page draft proposal which included most of the demands of the creditors.  This proposal, which was drafted before the referendum in close consultation with the creditors was essentially intended to lead towards the acceptance of the creditors’ demands, namely to support the YES vote which was defeated in the July 5 Referendum.  

This about-turn had been carefully engineered. The Greek people were misled and deceived. PM Tsipras was “in bed with the creditors” while leading the No Campaign. He had made a deal with the

The #IMF Formula for Taking over a #Nation

Now the #oligarchs own everything 

Investment Watch

The formula involves printing money out of thin air, …Loan money to a country well beyond it’s ability to repay, preferably to corrupt oligarchs, … wait for the country to fall into financial trouble, then make a deal to transfer all the valuable infrastructure assets of that country to its international creditors.

Now the oligarchs own the highways, bridges, water treatment plants, ports, beaches and national monuments and can CHARGE the citizens RENT for their use and control every aspect. Legally.

Summed up in my favorite 3 minute video from “Confessions of an Economic Hit Man,” 

 

Tsipras Vs Merkel (This Weekend’s Negotiations)
Courtesy ZeroHedge:

#Tsipras #Banishing #Ministers #Opposing #Sellout

Greece: PM Tsipras Banishing Ministers Opposing Sellout to Creditors, Syriza Sharply Divided

By Stephen Lendman

Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis resigned after being pushed out – replaced by Euclid Tsakalotos. 

After leaving, he said he’s no longer under “incredible pressure to negotiate for a position I find difficult to defend…”

He cited the “complete lack of any democratic scruples (displayed by) the supposed defenders of Europe’s democracy. (V)ery powerful figures look you in the eye and say ‘(y)ou’re right in what you’re saying, but

#Tsipras #Surrenders to #Troika #Bandits

• Greek bailout a new Versailles. Golden Dawn Nazi Party the only beneficiaries.
• Greek debt crisis: Meet the Goldman Sachs banker who got rich getting Greece into the euro

Stephen Lendman

Greece is being systematically raped and pillaged. It's painful to see how easily powerful monied interests can destroy a nation without firing a shot. Financial war is as cruel and ruthless as naked aggression.

Long-suffering Greeks understand better than establishment economists - paid to con people to believe

The Problem of #Greece Is Not Only a #Tragedy. It Is a #Lie

By John Pilger

An historic betrayal has consumed Greece. Having set aside the mandate of the Greek electorate, the Syriza government has willfully ignored last week’s landslide “No” vote and secretly agreed a raft of repressive, impoverishing measures in return for a “bailout” that means sinister foreign control and a warning to the world.

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has pushed through parliament a proposal to cut at least 13 billion euros from the public purse – 4 billion euros more than the “austerity” figure rejected overwhelmingly by the majority of

#Cuba, #Venezuela, #Bolivia, #Argentina and #Ecuador on #OXI #GREECE

By Arnold August

Cuba: Message from Raúl Castro to Prime Minister of Greece

Compañero Alexis Tsipras

Prime Minister

Hellenic Republic

Havana, July 5, 2015

Esteemed Prime Minister:

I extend to you my most sincere congratulations on the ‘NO’ victory achieved in the referendum held in Greece, July 5, 2015

This result demonstrates the majority support of the Greek people for the courageous policy of the government over which you preside.

I reiterate the assurance of my highest consideration.

Raúl Castro Ruz

President of the Councils of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba.

Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro tweeted: “The ‘no’ vote in Greece is a victory against the financial terrorism carried out by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).”

Bolivia’s president, Evo Morales, said, “I congratulate the great Greek people for the victory of “no” … which is a defeat of European imperialism. It is the beginning of the liberation of the European people. My respect and admiration for the historic Greek people, the birthplace of democracy. The Greek people have defeated the harshest capitalism.”

Argentina’s Cristina Kirchner tweeted: “On behalf of our People and Government, our solidarity with the brave Greek people and their Government.”

Ecuador’s foreign minister, Ricardo Patiño, tweeted: “the overwhelming vote against the proposed austerity measures by European creditors represented solid backing for Greece’s prime minister, Alexis Tsipras.”

It can be noted that Ecuador, like Greece, held a debt audit that found the country’s debt illegal and illegitimate and that later led to the South American nation substantially reducing its repayments to creditors. Ahead of the vote in Greece, Ecuador’s president, Rafael Correa, said Greece should ignore the advice of the IMF and international financial bureaucracies.

And So It Begins – #Grexit - #Greek

And So It Begins – Greek Banks Get Shut Down For A Week And A ‘Grexit’ Is Now Probable

Is this the beginning of the end for the eurozone?

Image Credits: underclassrising.net.

Is this the beginning of the end for the eurozone?

For years, European officials have been trying to “fix Greece”, but nothing has worked.  Now a worst case scenario is rapidly unfolding, and a “Grexit” has become more likely than not.  On Sunday, the European Central Bank announced that it was not going to provide any more emergency support for Greek banks.  But that was the only thing keeping them alive.  In order to prevent total chaos, Greek banks have been shut down for at least a week.  ATMs are still open, but it is being reported that daily withdrawals will be limited to 60 euros.  Of course nobody knows for sure if or when the banks will reopen after this “bank holiday” is over, so needless to say average Greek citizens are pretty freaked out right about now.  In addition, the stock market in Greece is not going to open on Monday either.  This is what a national financial meltdown looks like, and the nightmare that has been unleashed in Greece will soon start spreading to much of the rest of Europe.

This reminds me so much of what happened in Cyprus.  Up until the very last minute, politicians were promising everyone that their money was perfectly safe, and then the hammer was brought down.

The exact same pattern is playing out in Greece.  For example, just check out what one very prominent Greek politician said on television on Saturday…

“Citizens should not be scared, there is no blackmail,” Panos Kammenos, head of the

#Nonsense at the #G7Summit: #Russia, #Greece and Convenient #Threats

By Binoy Kampmark

Oh, the misdirected fury of it all. The self-appointed elect, those states at the G7, have decided to have a chat about matters deemed critical for them.  A few interlopers are also present – Nigeria, Tunisia and Liberia, for instance.  Like any club whose rules vary between snooty and arbitrary, there were exclusions.  On this occasion, basic arithmetic dictated that it would be a G7 summit, as opposed to a G8 one – Russia was excluded, largely because, it would seem, the member states needed something to talk about.

The agenda shaped up very quickly. The G7 chat fest did take some time out to consider the environmental side of matters, suggesting that fossil fuels were being given the heave ho.  “We commit to doing our part to achieve a low-carbon global economy in the long-term, including developing and deploying innovative technologies striving for a transformation of the energy sectors by 2050.”[1]

But the members had two states in their sights.  One was the superstar absentee, target of European and US morality and historical ennui: Russia.  As the G7 communique outlined, “We stand ready to take further restrictive measures in order to increase [the] cost on Russia should its actions so require.”  The other was Greece, target of economic opprobrium and whipping boy of Europe’s disastrous financial policies.

It was Moscow who got the biggest serve.  “Does [Vladimir Putin],” US President Barack Obama observed, “continue to wreck his country’s economy and continue Russia’s isolation in pursuit of a wrong-

Nigel Farage Booms “Europe Is Now Run By Big Banks, Big Business, And Big Bureaucrats”

Zero Hedge

With Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras settling into his role as EU President, UKIP’s Nigel Farage stunned the “Goldman Sachs puppet” with a 150-second tirade of truthiness he has likely never experienced. Farage sacrastically remarks how Greeks “will be dancing in the streets” at Samaras’ ‘successful’ negotiation on MiFiD reminding him that “60% of youth are unemployed and the neo-nazi party are on the march.” Europe is now run by “big business, big banks, and big bureaucrats,” Farage goes on, suggesting the smarmy-looking Samaras should “rename his party from New Democracy to No Democracy.” People do not want a United State of Europe, the outspoken UKIP leader explains, they want a “Europe of sovereign states,” and concludes ominously, “the European elections will be a watershed.”

…And you come here Mr Samaras and you tell us that you represent the sovereign will of the Greek people? Well, I’m sorry, but you’re not in charge of Greece, and I suggest you rename and rebrand your party – it’s called ‘New Democracy’, I suggest you call it ‘No Democracy’.

Because Greece is now under foreign control. You can’t make any decisions, you’ve been bailed out, and you’ve surrendered democracy, the thing your country invented in the first place.

And you can’t admit that joining the euro was a mistake - of course Mr Papandreou did that didn’t he, he even said there should be a referendum in Greece and within 48 hours, the unholy trinity (troika) that now run this European Union had him removed andreplaced by a ex-Goldman Sachs employee puppet.

We are run now by big business, big banks and in the shape of Mr Barroso, big bureaucrats…

Ouch!!