Friday, September 14, 2012
US official: Nuclear bomb is our red line
US President Barack Obama rejected an appeal by Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu to define a specific “red line” that Iran could not cross in its nuclear program, The New York Times reported Friday, citing an unnamed senior administration official.
According to the report, in an hour-long conversation on Tuesday Obama deflected Netanyahu’s proposal to make the size of Iran’s stockpile of close-to-bomb-grade uranium the threshold, that, if passed, would trigger a US military strike on the Islamic Republic's nuclear facilities.
While Obama reiterated the assurance that the US won't allow Iran to manufacture a atomic bomb, he was unwilling to agree on any specific action by the Islamic Republic – like reaching a defined threshold on nuclear material, or failing to adhere to a deadline on negotiations – that would lead to military action by the US.
“We need some ability for the president to have decision-making room,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “We have a red line, which is a nuclear weapon. We’re committed to that red line.”
Israeli officials have asserted that this guarantee may not be enough for the Jewish state, which Iranian leaders have repeatedly threatened with annihilation. The Israelis say that neither the diplomatic talks nor the economic sanctions have slowed down Iran’s nuclear development.
A day before the conversation, the prime minister told reporters that the Obama administration had no “moral right” to restrain Israel from taking military action on its own if it refused to put limits on Iran. The remarks were followed by reports claiming that Obama snubbed Netanyahu's request to meet during the United Nations General Assembly session in New York this month. The White House denied those reports, citing mundane scheduling problems as the reason the two can't convene.
Election-year politices?
The wrangling stems from Israel's belief that Iran, having continued to stockpile uranium enriched to 20%, is nearing the point at which Israel will no longer be able to prevent it from making a bomb.
American officials maintain that the US will still be able to detect, and prevent, Iran from passing that point. For now the administration has no evidence that Tehran has made a decision to build a bomb.
Some analysts argue that Netanyahu is trying to use political leverage on Obama in order to pressure him to toughen his stance on Iran ahead of the USpresidential elections. Israeli officials flatly deny that Netanyahu is playing election-year politics.
Ynet
Historic Silver Panic In Progress, Says GATA Sources
Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleul: It’s finally here—the long-awaited run on silver supplies. Speaking with Alternative Investors Hangout (AIH), GATA’s Bill Murphy tells investors, “Just pay attention, right now,” because the buying is so heavy in an unprecedentedlytight silver market, we “don’t know what will happen here; it’s historic.”
And investors should, indeed, pay attention to Murphy’s latest assessment of the silver market. In July, he said an unidentified European billionaire told him to expect the bull market in silver to resume in late August.
“The fellow I spoke with I’ve known for years, one of the wealthier men in all of Europe,” Murphy told SGTReport in late July. “He’s got a lot of connections . . . It will be tough for the gold and silver markets [during the month of July], but starting in August they would start to ‘go nuts’, and they would ‘stay nuts’ for a long time. . . Big, big moves are coming, starting in August.”
The Euro’s Demise Has Been Set in Motion: Are you protected?
"Nationalism will emerge. Healthier countries will not see fit to spend their hard earned money to bail out their less responsible neighbors."
After 15 months of a painfully long consolidation, the big move in the silver price began, just as Murphy’s source predicted. After briefly toughing the low $27 level, silver has soared more than $7 withing three weeks, a gain of approximately 27 percent, or an annual compound rate of 6,500 percent!
Reminiscent of Andrew Maguire’s demonstration to the CFTC of his intimate knowledge of JP Morgan’s nefarious activities in the silver space, Murphy believes his source is well-placed and able to leak accurate information to investors as it comes available. Hours after alerting media of Maguire’s meeting with the CFTC, Maguire and his girlfriend were attacked by a would-be assassin with a speeding automobile.
Moreover, the absence of King World News’ anonymous London trader has fueled speculation that Anonymous has moved on to Bill Murphy, who may also inherit DOS (denial of service) attacks following leaked information published by King world News.
“Because of my sources . . . when . . . this was in July, that gold and silver were going to base, [then] take off before the end of August and go to all-time highs, much higher, and that’s what’s happening,” Murphy tells AIH.
Another one of Murphy’s sources told him the silver market is so tight that the poor-man’s gold could touch $100 in another mini mania replay of the Aug. 2010 to April 2011 bull run that took silver from $17.50 to pennies shy of $50—a near-triple within eight months.
A similar move today, off $26.50 baseline support, equates to a target price of $75, but, according to Murphy, this next move in the silver price could eclipse that exciting jump which began in the summer of 2010—both in amplitude and time frame.
“I have other sources tell me the silver market is as tight as they’ve ever known in history,” he says. “I expect silver to go towards 80 [dollars] to 100, quickly. I know that seems like a big thing, but that’s what I think.
“All I know is: the physical market, if you want to buy silver in size, is the most difficult in history. These are from my best sources. We’ve been right on everything so far; now, we’ll see what happens.”
Though moves of that magnitude, suggested by Murphy’s source, may appear to newcomers to the silver market as hyperbole, but, because of the supply-demand dynamics of a heavily fettered silver market, the extent of an upward price adjustment may well become an inverse multiple of the extent of the price suppression.
In the case of silver, the latest U.S. Mint activity report reveals a 191:1 ratio between the number of silver and gold ounces sold at the Mint. Taking into consideration the ratio of silver and gold available in Mother Earth is estimated at 12:1 (according to the latest mining statistics), monstrous moves in the silver price expected by Murphy appear very reasonable.
And if the gold (and silver) cartel continues to buck Gresham’s Law, nature will indeed take its course—a consequence JP Morgan would like, desperately, to avoid.
“The gold cartel, JP Morgan, is trying to suppress us, but if I’m right, there’s a big scandal coming regarding JP Morgan and the silver market manipulation escapades,” Murphy says.
“It’s going to be something like the LIBOR scandal. I’ve been talking about this for months, as you well know. We’ll see what happens.”
Without identifying the extent or exact nature of the scandal, Murphy has said in previous interviews he suspects many banks have defrauded customers through the offering of allocated gold and silver accounts, which, may, in fact, not exist.
And those affected may be large Asian and other institutions, which could suddenly insist delivery of their metal—metal not available for sale at today’s prices.
For the banks to make good on deliveries, much higher prices are needed to draw sellers out. In the case of silver, the price presumably must at least catch up to gold’s double from its 1980 high of $850 as a price level that could draw sellers to market. A double in the silver price, from its high of approximately $50 in Jan. 1980, suggests at least a $100 handle for the white metal could bring in the sellers—but maybe not. The market for silver has been dysfunctional for many, many years.
“I know what should happen behind the scenes,” Murphy ends the interview. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen. If it [a stop to JP Morgan's scheme] doesn’t, it will come out in some other way, and it will blow peoples’ minds.”
ETF Daily News
Reminiscent of Andrew Maguire’s demonstration to the CFTC of his intimate knowledge of JP Morgan’s nefarious activities in the silver space, Murphy believes his source is well-placed and able to leak accurate information to investors as it comes available. Hours after alerting media of Maguire’s meeting with the CFTC, Maguire and his girlfriend were attacked by a would-be assassin with a speeding automobile.
Moreover, the absence of King World News’ anonymous London trader has fueled speculation that Anonymous has moved on to Bill Murphy, who may also inherit DOS (denial of service) attacks following leaked information published by King world News.
“Because of my sources . . . when . . . this was in July, that gold and silver were going to base, [then] take off before the end of August and go to all-time highs, much higher, and that’s what’s happening,” Murphy tells AIH.
Another one of Murphy’s sources told him the silver market is so tight that the poor-man’s gold could touch $100 in another mini mania replay of the Aug. 2010 to April 2011 bull run that took silver from $17.50 to pennies shy of $50—a near-triple within eight months.
A similar move today, off $26.50 baseline support, equates to a target price of $75, but, according to Murphy, this next move in the silver price could eclipse that exciting jump which began in the summer of 2010—both in amplitude and time frame.
“I have other sources tell me the silver market is as tight as they’ve ever known in history,” he says. “I expect silver to go towards 80 [dollars] to 100, quickly. I know that seems like a big thing, but that’s what I think.
“All I know is: the physical market, if you want to buy silver in size, is the most difficult in history. These are from my best sources. We’ve been right on everything so far; now, we’ll see what happens.”
Though moves of that magnitude, suggested by Murphy’s source, may appear to newcomers to the silver market as hyperbole, but, because of the supply-demand dynamics of a heavily fettered silver market, the extent of an upward price adjustment may well become an inverse multiple of the extent of the price suppression.
In the case of silver, the latest U.S. Mint activity report reveals a 191:1 ratio between the number of silver and gold ounces sold at the Mint. Taking into consideration the ratio of silver and gold available in Mother Earth is estimated at 12:1 (according to the latest mining statistics), monstrous moves in the silver price expected by Murphy appear very reasonable.
And if the gold (and silver) cartel continues to buck Gresham’s Law, nature will indeed take its course—a consequence JP Morgan would like, desperately, to avoid.
“The gold cartel, JP Morgan, is trying to suppress us, but if I’m right, there’s a big scandal coming regarding JP Morgan and the silver market manipulation escapades,” Murphy says.
“It’s going to be something like the LIBOR scandal. I’ve been talking about this for months, as you well know. We’ll see what happens.”
Without identifying the extent or exact nature of the scandal, Murphy has said in previous interviews he suspects many banks have defrauded customers through the offering of allocated gold and silver accounts, which, may, in fact, not exist.
And those affected may be large Asian and other institutions, which could suddenly insist delivery of their metal—metal not available for sale at today’s prices.
For the banks to make good on deliveries, much higher prices are needed to draw sellers out. In the case of silver, the price presumably must at least catch up to gold’s double from its 1980 high of $850 as a price level that could draw sellers to market. A double in the silver price, from its high of approximately $50 in Jan. 1980, suggests at least a $100 handle for the white metal could bring in the sellers—but maybe not. The market for silver has been dysfunctional for many, many years.
“I know what should happen behind the scenes,” Murphy ends the interview. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen. If it [a stop to JP Morgan's scheme] doesn’t, it will come out in some other way, and it will blow peoples’ minds.”
ETF Daily News
Hyperinflation is Virtually Assured
The Federal Reserve is talking about “unlimited QE,” or money printing, to boost employment. Economist John Williams says,“That’s absolutely nonsense.
The Fed is just propping up the banks.” Williams says, “You’re likely going to see a dollar sell-off . . . That should evolve into hyperinflation.” Williams,“Doesn’t see the current system holding together without hyperinflation beyond 2014.” He contends the real annual deficit is “$5 trillion per year” and says, “That’s beyond containment.”
Williams predicts, “Hyperinflation is virtually assured because the Fed doesn’t have any options left.” Williams says people should get prepared because we are facing a “man-made disaster.” Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with John Williams of Shadowstats.com.
Williams predicts, “Hyperinflation is virtually assured because the Fed doesn’t have any options left.” Williams says people should get prepared because we are facing a “man-made disaster.” Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with John Williams of Shadowstats.com.
Iran wants U.S. apology for hate film
TEHRAN, Sept. 13 (UPI) -- The Iranian government expressed frustration that Washington hadn't come out with a public criticism of a film seen as insulting to Islam.
Anti-American sentiment turned deadly this week in Libya after the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi was attacked, leaving several diplomats, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, dead. Protests were reported at U.S. diplomatic outposts in Yemen, Egypt and elsewhere.
It was unclear exactly which protests were related to a low-budget film produced in the United States that was deemed offensive to the Islamic Prophet Mohammed. The attack in Benghazi, for instance, appeared to have been a planned assault rather than a protest that turned violent.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast expressed frustration that the U.S. government hadn't criticized the film.
"The Islamic Republic ... stresses that the systematic and continuous silence of the U.S. administration in case of such disgusting moves that are made in line with anti-Islam campaign is the main factor for the continuation of such moves," he was quoted by the semiofficial Fars News Agency as saying.
U.S. President Barack Obama, in a Wednesday statement on the attacks in Libya, said religious diversity was a guiding principle for the United States.
"We reject all efforts to denigrate the religious beliefs of others," he said. "But there is absolutely no justification to this type of senseless violence."
In a statement to CNN, actors and crew members involved in the film said they were "grossly misled" about its content.
Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2012/09/13/Iran-wants-US-apology-for-hate-film/UPI-63191347542854/#ixzz26O5vjmJ8
IAEA passes resolution rebuking Iran over nuclear program
The 35-nation board of the UN nuclear watchdog passed a resolution on Thursday rebuking Iran for defying demands to curb uranium enrichment and failing to clarify mounting concerns about its suspected research into atomic bombs.
Two days after Israel ramped up threats to attack its arch-enemy Iran, the board overwhelmingly adopted the measure voicing "serious concern" about Tehran's nuclear advances but also making clear its desire for a peaceful resolution of the row.
Only Cuba voted against the resolution. Three countries, including Egypt, abstained, according to diplomats who took part in the closed-door meeting at International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna.
The resolution faults Iran for disregarding UN resolutions calling on it to suspend uranium enrichment - a conduit to producing fuel for nuclear power stations or bombs - and open up to investigations of signs that it wants nuclear arms know-how.
Six world powers had tabled a resolution text on Wednesday, aiming to raise pressure on Iran to relent, a day after Israel signaled it was almost out of patience with the use of diplomacy and sanctions to try to rein in the Islamic Republic.
World powers are keen for a diplomatic breakthrough that would avert another, potentially devastating Middle East war.
South Africa earlier on Thursday threw the meeting into confusion by putting forward an amendment which some Western diplomats said might have weakened the language towards Iran.
But a compromise was hammered out during a three-hour adjournment of the meeting, the diplomats said, satisfying the United States, Russia, France, China, Britain and Germany.
South Africa's proposal was a nod to some in the Non-Aligned Movement of mainly developing nations (NAM) who do not regard Iran's nuclear program necessarily as a bomb risk.
The amendment concerned a section of the text demanding that Iran immediately implement a yet-to-be agreed framework accord with the IAEA on how the agency should conduct its investigation into suspected nuclear explosives research in the Islamic state
The compromise changed the original text but not as far as the South African proposal, easing Western fears that it could lower the heat on Tehran to cooperate with IAEA sleuths.
Haaretz
Israeli forces on alert for anti US and Israel riots
In the wake of the anti-US Islamist turbulence sweeping Arab capitals, Israel has posted additional military, police and security forces in the West Bank, opposite the Gaza Strip and among Israeli Arab communities following information received that all three are preparing to stage big anti-American protests Friday, Sept. 14, which could easily spill over into Israel.
DEBKAfile: The Palestinian Authority hopes to re-direct West Bank and East Jerusalem anger against PA leaders Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayad into an anti-US channel, while Hamas is under orders from the Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo to fill the streets of Gaza with protesters against the alleged anti-Muslim film produced in the US in sync with a big Brotherhood demonstration in Cairo Friday.
Several scores of Israeli Arabs, members of the extremist Northern Section of the Islamic Movement, demonstrated outside the US embassy in Tel Aviv Thursday, chanting anti-American slogans and praise for the Prophet Muhammad.
Israeli authorities are bracing for this small demonstration to swell in numbers after Friday prayers at the mosques and send large numbers of Palestinians and Israeli Muslims out on the streets to replicate the riots against the US spreading Thursday through Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Tunisia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Morocco and Bangladesh since the deaths of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three of his staff in a premeditated Al Qaeda attack in Benghazi Tuesday, Sept. 11.
DEBKAfile’s Washington sources report that the anti-US ferment sweeping Arab capitals in the last three days finds Obama administration policy-makers in two minds about how it fits into the bigger picture of the Arab Spring and its aftermath. According to one interpretation, the tumult has a domestic motive, and was stirred up or exploited to weaken the new rulers thrown up by the Arab Spring while at the same time dimming US influence in the region.
This view holds that radical Islamists, ranging from Salafites to groups associated with Al Qaeda, are fanning the flames to start a process that will lead to the overthrow of the overly “moderate” Muslim Brotherhood, which is the bedrock of the relationship President Obama is striving to build between the United States and the post-revolution Arab world.
The advocates of this approach say America must maintain the flow of economic and political assistance to Brotherhood-led regimes, notably President Mohamed Morsi of Egypt, to help them stay on their feet against the violent buffeting of radical Islamists.
The other Washington camp takes the opposite line, arguing that “moderate” Islamic rulers like Morsi are in no danger at all and are in fact riding the anger of the masses over the film deriding Islam to solidify their grip on power at the expense of America’s unpopularity among Muslims.
To prove this point, they offer three examples:
1. Since becoming president, Morsi has never retracted statements he made denying al Qaeda’s responsibility for the 9/11 attacks in America. Brotherhood Secretary General Mahmoud Hussein pinned the attacks on "one of the intelligence services in America, or the Jews." The Brotherhood still stands by the conspiracy theory that the US staged the atrocity to villify Islam.
2. Morsi, who has been invited to the White House at the end of this month, refrained from condemning the murder of four US diplomats in Libya or offering the Egyptian people’s condolences to the US for its loss. He also waited 24 hours before issuing a tepid statement against the militants who stormed the US embassy in Cairo. he made no mention of the black al Qaeda flags hoisted above the US embassy in Cairo after the Stars and Stripes was torn down. Instead, the Egyptian president instructed his embassy in Washington to prepare a suit against the film’s director. That was before he turned out embarrassingly to be an Egyptian Copt.
3. Thursday, Brotherhood websites aired divergent messages on their English and Arabic sites: In English, protesters were exhorted to exercise restraint. There were also words of self-congratulation that the US embassy gates were not broken down and no Americans harmed. In Arabic, the Egyptian masses were called out to demonstrate en masse Friday against the made-in-the-USA film.
That demonstration will be carefully watched to see whether it is quiet or veers into violence and anti-American outbursts. That will be the test of Morsi’s bone fides in American eyes. However, its main importance as he sees it is as a demonstration that the Brotherhood has regained control of the streets of Cairo.
It was to show the Egyptian president that he is still on trial in Washington, that President Obama said Thursday that the US would no longer consider the Egyptian government an ally, “but we don’t consider them an enemy. …I think we are going to have to see how they respond to this incident, to see how they respond to maintaining the peace treaty with Israel.” he said.
The way ahead is unclear for Washington as well as Jerusalem. The anti-US ferment in Arab capitals may just be starting. Its next directions and duration are still imponderable. Israel prepares to celebrate the New Year next week surrounded by extreme volatility among its neighbors.
Debka File
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