WASHINGTON (AP) — One month of slower job growth might have been a blip. Two suggest a worrisome trend: The economy may be faltering again. The United States generated just 115,000 jobs last month, well below expectations and the fewest since October. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1 percent, but for the…
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Job growth slowed again in April; rate ticks down
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans bought more electronics, started home improvement projects and updated their wardrobes last month, inspired by warmer weather and a healthier job market. Retail sales rose 0.8 percent in March, the Commerce Department said Monday. The gain capped a strong quarter for retail…
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US economic outlook brightens as retail sales rise
WASHINGTON (AP) — In an April 6 story about the economy, The Associated Press incorrectly identified the CEO and co-founder of Landry & Kling Cruise Event Services in Miami. Her name is Joyce Landry, not Joyce Kling.
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Correction: Economy story
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy probably generated more than 200,000 jobs in March, capping the best four months of hiring since before the recession. Economists expect that U.S. employers added 210,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent for the third straight month,…
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Fourth straight month of strong US hiring expected
A dollar goes a lot further in Virginia. The Old Dominion was named the nation's best place to earn a living, thanks to low tax rates and cheap costs, while Maryland's pricier cost of living placed it among the middle of the county's 50 states, according to newly released rankings. The best and…
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Virginia ranked best state to earn a living
Last week, one of the most important international banking organizations said it was preparing to ban blacklisted Iranian banks for their role in facilitating illicit financial transactions. Although existing international sanctions have placed significant pressure on Tehran, the United States and the European Union have the ability to render a knockout blow that would significantly curtail Iran’s access to the international financial sector. Atta Kenare, AFP/Getty Images The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication , also known as SWIFT, is a banking cooperative owned by its member financial institutions. It is used by banks around the world to debit and credit money. The vast majority of global interbank transfers are routed through the SWIFT network, and nearly every bank in the world uses SWIFT to move funds globally. As of January 2011 , SWIFT linked more than 9,500 financial institutions in 210 countries and territories and facilitated over 17 million transfers daily. SWIFT is headquartered in Belgium and has offices in the world’s major financial centers, including a very large presence in New York. Iran relies heavily on SWIFT to move its funds and to finance its nuclear program, proliferate terrorism, and repress its own people. According to the organization’s own documentation, all of Iran’s domestic banks are connected to SWIFT, and in 2010 , they sent 1.16 million messages and received 1.1 million, each of which represents movement of money. As of February 2010, Iranian financial institutions, including branches, departments, and head offices, possessed 675 SWIFT codes, which act as unique identifiers and allows Iran to manipulate the global financial market. As the international community implements robust sanctions against Iran, SWIFT has been in breach of the sanctions regime, along with U.S. and European laws. Beginning in 2007, the UN ordered member states to cease doing business under any circumstances with Iran’s Bank Sepah and its affiliates and also placed restrictions on two other Iranian banks, Melli and Saderat. Most recently, the UN designated the First East Export Bank, located in Malaysia, and Australia, Canada, and the EU have published a list of illicit Iranian banks. For its part, the United States has formally designated those named at the UN, as well as another sixteen Iranian banks for their role proliferating weapons of mass destruction and terrorism. The U.S. also blacklisted every Iranian bank specifically for engaging in money laundering. All of the Iranian banks designated by the U.S. and Europe have SWIFT Codes. SWIFT has even in violation of its own corporate rules, which clearly state that services “should not be used to facilitate illegal activities.” Furthermore, both the United States and Europe, by blacklisting Iranian financial institutions for their role in terrorism finance and money laundering, have provided SWIFT with sufficient reasons to prevent sanctioned Iranian banks from having access to the international financial sector. Some might argue that SWIFT must provide unfettered access to everyone, since excluding any country, no matter how nefarious, would endanger access for all. Others will claim that powerful countries like the United States could use SWIFT as a political tool. Yet it is clear that Iran, by abusing its financial sector to help sponsor terrorism, achieve nuclearization, and facilitate criminal activity, has by any reasonable standard lost its right to move money freely around the globe. SWIFT announced last Friday that it “stands ready to act and discontinue its services to sanctioned Iranian financial institutions as soon as it has clarity on EU legislation currently being drafted.” But because SWIFT has a presence in both the U.S and EU, it is subject to both jurisdictions’ laws, and therefore should cut off all blacklisted institutions. Simply put, since all Iranian banks are engaging in criminal activity, SWIFT has the responsibility and the ability to cut off Iran and hamper its ability to abuse the international financial sector. Mr. Jorisch , a former U.S. Treasury Department official, is senior fellow for counterterrorism at the American Foreign Policy Council in Washington, D.C. **Originally published at www.cnn.com on 23 February 2012
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A SWIFT Iranian Knockout Blow
This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com . Syrian conflict spills over the border into Lebanon Jordan opening a refugee camp for fleeing Syrians Greece’s bailout may be approved on Monday German media become anxious about Greece’s growing hostility Joy in Libya one anniversary of uprising that deposed Gaddafi Syrian conflict spills over the border into Lebanon Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, where street fights are occurring (BBC) Violence in Syria continues to spill over into northern Lebanon. The city of Tripoli, Lebanon, is mostly Sunni Muslim, but a single street separates the Sunni factions from the rival Alawite factions. According to one Sunni cleric, “The Assad regime in Syria is sending its agents in every day to destabilise the situation here. Syrians might not actually get their hands dirty, but get their allies in the Alawite community to act on their behalf.” BBC Jordan opening a refugee camp for fleeing Syrians Among Syria’s neighbors, only Turkey has until now provided refugee camps for Syria’s civilians fleeing the attempts of president Bashar al-Assad to exterminate his own people. Syria’s Arab neighbors, Iraq and Lebanon, refuse to establish refugee camps. But now Jordan is putting the finishing touches on a large refugee cample near the border with Syria, to house thousands of Syrians fleeing their homes. Jordan is already caring for several thousand refugees, but the burden has fallen on local communities. The new refugee camps will left the burden from the locals. The Media Line Greece’s bailout may be approved on Monday We’ve been here before, but it appears this time that European leaders have run out of time and are so desperate that they will approve the second €130 billion bailout, allowing Greece to avoid default on March 20, when it currently owes a €14.5 billion bond payment. The approval was signaled by a change of position by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel had favored a complex scheme where bailout money would be doled out to Greece in stages, only as needed, reflecting a lack of trust in Greece politicians, a position she abandoned on Friday. In fact, just about every politician involved in the bailout has changed his position 180 degrees in some way. Additionally Greece will have to take “24 additional steps,” before the end of February, mostly things the government has promised but hasn’t done so far. However, the crisis is far from over. The extremely complex private sector involvement (PSI) deal where private investors “voluntarily” lose 70-75% of their investments has to be implemented within about two weeks. And even if it all gets done, Greece will still need a third bailout agreement by the end of 2012. Bloomberg and CNN German media become anxious about Greece’s growing hostility Greek protesters burning German flag last week (DPA) The attack on Germany by Greek President Karolos Papoulias has raised raised concerns, as German media are calling it “ominous.” On Wednesday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said: “I am no longer certain that all the political parties in Greece are conscious of their responsibility for the difficult situation in their country.” He also suggested that Greek elections may have to be postponed. Papoulias, a WW II survivor who fought the Nazis, responded: “I don’t accept insults to my country by Mr. Schäuble. I don’t accept it as a Greek. Who is Mr. Schäuble to ridicule Greece? Who are the Dutch? Who are the Finns? We always had the pride to defend not just our own freedom, not just our own country, but the freedom of all of Europe.” Interestingly enough, I’ve read several articles on this subject, and they almost always leave out the last sentence of Papoulias’ quote, apparently because it’s too incendiary. The conservative daily Die Welt wrote: “In Greece, on the other hand, people continue to play the victim and to look abroad for something to blame their own malaise on. Populist politicians (there) have been particularly focused on the Germans. Instead of reaping thanks for all the transfers of their taxpayer money, (Germans) are now forced to put up with a tongue-lashing. … The answer [to Papoulias] is simple: Those are all the (countries) that are currently trying to make sure that Greece can pay what it owes and that want to be sure that Athens will also hold up its part of the bargain this time.” The center-right Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote: [It would be] instructive to inquire into the reasons behind [Papoulias's] outburst, especially because he knows Germany well after having studied here. The fact that (Schäuble) said it like it is by describing Greece as a bottomless pit could hardly have warranted it. Indeed, everyone knows that Greek politicians ran up debts, failed to collect taxes and ignored corruption. But, by suggesting that new elections in Greece be postponed to make sure that the country sticks to what it has agreed to, Schäuble has touched on a nerve that is sensitive for two reasons. First, he reminds us that Athens has promised many reforms but only kept its word on a few. Second, having an election date set by foreigners would be just as undemocratic as having an austerity commissioner arrive from Brussels.” Spiegel Joy in Libya one anniversary of uprising that deposed Gaddafi It was a festive party atmosphere in Martyrs Square in Tripoli, Libya, on Friday as crowds celebrated the one year anniversary of the uprising that led to being free of Muammar Gaddafi after 42 years. There had been concerns that the uprising would split the country apart along an anciety east-west fault line, but so far that hasn’t happened. However, there are widespread concerns about reports detailing arbitrary arrest and torture of former pro-Gaddafi rivals, and concern that clashes between rival militias may yet spiral into a larger war. Reuters
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18-Feb-12 World View: Greece’s Bailout May Be Approved on Monday
While I understand that only a fraction of the population of this nation is directly affected by what you are about to read, I would never-the-less like to remind you that the remainder of the population is affected coincidentally. While the majority of the American population probably never even considered the Armed Forces as a possible career objective, there are those who never considered life without serving their country, in uniform, on a field of combat. Most of these young men and women never take the time to internalize some idealized vision of charging death for God and Country, they just have a burning desire for the call on their lives to do so and then, most importantly, they act! President Obama, however, was apparently never burdened with that urgent call to serve others or his country selflessly. And because the only thing he ever answered to was a call to “self-empowerment” and self-ingratiation, he has been a brutal failure as a moral leader and Commander in Chief. In addition, his unquenchable desire to “win over” that portion of the world population to whom he has sold his soul has led him to a new round of actions that should anger every red blooded American and will disgust every American who has ever donned the uniform of a United States Marine! This week, President Obama sought to block legislation that would hold Iran accountable for the Hezbollah bombing that killed 241 U.S. Marines in 1983 . This inexplicable move hasn’t any bearing on the current crisis except for it’s ability to tilt world opinion in favor of US interests. The Obama administration’s actions to derail this legislation in Congress, then, can only be seen as an effort to bolster support for the Iranian regime which can only be understood through the prism of this sitting President’s indefatigable efforts to “reconcile” with the Islamic nations of the world. If three plus years of his purposeful attempts to insult the country he has sworn to defend through his many prostrating speeches on Islamic soil and this latest otherwise despicable move haven’t enlightened you, then maybe this next story will help finish your education! As of February 1st 2012, President Obama has determined that Combat Pay for US forces will be determined by a new criteria . In general, Afghanistan has been deemed a combat zone and all US forces deployed in that region have been eligible for combat pay due to the certainty of encountering dirt-bags in firefights, ambushes, IED’s or suicide bombings. This new policy now requires having been shot at first. For those not understanding the problem with this, it now says that the US Government has effectively declared Afghanistan a “safe zone”! And this in spite of the nearly daily reports of Americans being either wounded or killed! This newest insult is certainly an effort to bolster what will be his campaign claim to have “pacified” Afghanistan during his tenure and having kept one of his last campaign promises to bring all troops home by the end of his first term. But here again is where perception, does not align with reality. In a land where the Taliban are given new control over the country by our unwillingness to hold them accountable in combat and where discussions of “peace talks” include promises to release known murderous thugs back onto the battlefield where our troops still operate, the Taliban have made it clear they are not only not in talks but that they are not interested. Is this the “safe” Afghanistan where Warriors are still forced to patrol daily, are wounded in daily, killed in daily, betrayed by Afghan Soldiers and Police Cadets, daily and which the Obama Administration has now effectively declared no longer a combat zone? So once again, the health and well-being of our Warriors will suffer for political expedience. In addition, all troops fired upon, wounded or killed by our “Afghan partners” will not be viewed as combat deaths but fratricide/murder, making those incidents criminal acts. This will affect the way United States Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors and Coast Guardsmen who are wounded or killed in that polluted land are treated by this government. It will also most likely change the SGLI eligibility status from non-taxable to taxable!! Are things clearing up now?? These latest actions by this sitting President would be curious and difficult to understand if his actions in the first months of his administration had not been so telling. When one of the first actions in a President’s term is to give a speech on foreign soil, to people who are spiritually opposed to our right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and who we know have supported terrorist acts across the world, these newest actions can only be described as part of some subversive plan. Let’s not forget that he “apologized” for the United States in that and following speeches to yet other foreign, Islamic audiences and in at least one meeting, prostrated himself to his Muslim host which had the affect of subjugating the United States and it’s citizenry to that “host”. It remains a mystery why no one in Congress has seen fit to decry either of these last two outrages which should give you an indication of the current condition of the heart of leadership in this country. This election cycle certainly won’t give DC the enema it needs or deserves, but it could have the affect of sending a message to all those who dare suggest they are fit for leadership on the national stage. People seeking to “serve” on the national stage need to know that their personal proclivities toward self-aggrandizement will no longer be tolerated. They need to know that the American voter will be educated and engaged in the political process and that our first concern is for the future security of this nation and that vision includes those who are actively serving in regions of the world into which they have been thrust. The people of this nation need to realign their priorities and put Honor first; not only in their own lives but in their requirement for those they would have represent them. Our Warriors have done that by the simple act of stepping forward and raising their right hands. They should at least be afforded the dignity of having the dangerous space they operate in continue to be declared a combat zone! www.letthemfight.blogspot.com Semper Fidelis; John Bernard
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Obama: Soldiers in Afghanistan Must Be Fired Upon to Receive Combat Pay
This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com . Angela Merkel campaigns for Nicolas Sarkozy Greece’s parties agree to substantial spending cuts U.S. closes embassy in Damascus, Syria Russia, stung by criticism, meets with Assad in Syria Civil war in Syria? Palestinian Authority / Fatah sign unity agreement with Hamas Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Palestinian unity plan On some days there’s no news, and on other days there’s too much news. This is one of the latter days. Angela Merkel campaigns for Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel (AFP) Nicolas Sarkozy has not yet even officially announced his intention to run for another term as president of France, but it’s already clear that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is going to campaign for him. According to Der Spiegel , “The sober chancellor and the peripatetic president have established a pact, the likes of which has never before been seen in the Franco-German relationship. Merkel has decided to openly campaign for her partner in Paris. For Sarkozy, she is discarding the reserve that chancellors have for decades felt proper when it comes to democratic elections outside German borders. When Sarkozy begins stumping, she will be standing next to him on stage — at least that is the plan.” In fact, this is a plan of desperation, since polls indicate that Sarkozy is far behind his Socialist party challenger, Francois Hollande. Hollande is opposed to many of Merkel’s austerity programs, which have been supported by Sarkozy. If Sarkozy is not re-elected, then Merkel’s entire European strategy could fail as well. Der Spiegel Greece’s parties agree to substantial spending cuts Several European leaders, including Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, and Jean-Claude Juncker, all sent a strong message to Greece on Monday that after weeks of delay upon delay, they now had only hours to come to an agreement, or face disorderly bankruptcy in March. The message seemed to have an effect, as Greece’s three coalition parties claim to have agreed on several billion euros’ worth of savings, with final details to be worked out on Tuesday. The announced terms include the following: The civil service will cut 15,000 jobs by the end of this year — the first step toward the elimination of 150,000 public sector jobs the government has pledged to EU officials. There will be €1.1 billion savings from cuts in spending on health and medicines. A bitterly disputed issue is a 20-22% cut in the minimum wage, to €751.00 per month (gross) that about 300,000 Greeks receive. However, cuts to the minimum wage will have a knock-on effect because they will lead to a €1.3-billion drop in tax revenues and a €2.4-billion reduction in social security contributions. This means the government will have to make up for these losses. Collective bargaining rights will be reduced, allowing employers to negotiate individual deals with their employees. EU officials are demanding cuts of €3.3 billion, but these measures only save around €2.5 billion. The remaining €850 million will have to be agreed on Tuesday. Kathimerini U.S. closes embassy in Damascus, Syria Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday From the State Department on Monday: “The United States has suspended operations of our Embassy in Damascus as of February 6. Ambassador Ford and all American personnel have now departed the country. The recent surge in violence, including bombings in Damascus on December 23 and January 6, has raised serious concerns that our Embassy is not sufficiently protected from armed attack. We, along with several other diplomatic missions, conveyed our security concerns to the Syrian Government but the regime failed to respond adequately. Ambassador Ford has left Damascus but he remains the United States Ambassador to Syria and its people. … As the Secretary told the Security Council on January 31, we continue to be gravely concerned by the escalation of violence in Syria caused by the regime’s blatant defiance of its commitments to the action plan it agreed to with the Arab League. The deteriorating security situation that led to the suspension of our diplomatic operations makes clear once more the dangerous path Assad has chosen and the regime’s inability to fully control Syria. It also underscores the urgent need for the international community to act without delay to support the Arab League’s transition plan before the regime’s escalating violence puts a political solution out of reach and further jeopardizes regional peace and security.” At a press conference on Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “Faced with a neutered Security Council, we have to redouble our efforts outside of the United Nations with those allies and partners who support the Syrian people’s right to have a better future.” Dept. of State and CS Monitor Russia, stung by criticism, meets with Assad in Syria With criticism from the West and the Arab League countries growing, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is rushing to Damascus, Syria, to try to convince Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad to end the violence. Russia and China have been drawing increased international criticism of their Saturday veto in the U.N. Security Council of the Arab League’s proposed resolution on Syria. This is especially the case because their veto seems to have given al-Assad the green light to substantially escalate the violence. According to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby: “There was no need for the veto, We were about to reach a conclusion on the resolution that would have been supported by everyone. The (Syrian) government, definitely, may have interpreted this as the international community unable to do anything and (so) we can do whatever we want.” However, Russian analysts say that Russians were “played for fools” during the Libyan crisis, and are calling the veto a “diplomatic victory,” because Russia is reinforcing its diplomatic clout, defending its interests in the region and threatening to put the West in an embarrassing position if it decides to invade without sanction of the Security Council. Reuters and Ria Novosti Civil war in Syria? A lot of the political and punditry talk these days is that Syria is either in a civil war, or close to being in one. The implication is a repeat of the 1976-82 Syrian civil war that climaxed in the massive genocidal slaughter in 1982 in Hama. But from the point of view of Generational Dynamics, a new civil war is impossible at this time, since Syria is in a generational awakening era, with many remaining survivors of the last civil war still alive. If a new civil war breaks out, then it will fizzle relatively quickly, probably within a few months. The real danger for Syria is not that there’ll be a Syrian civil war, but that the violence in Syria will trigger a wider regional war. Neighboring countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Egypt are all in a generational crisis era. Sooner or later, something is going to trigger a regional war among these countries, and the Syrian violence might turn out to be that trigger. Palestinian Authority / Fatah sign unity agreement with Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas (EPA) With the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, acting as mediator, Palestinian Authority (Fatah) president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal signed an agreement on Monday to form a unity government. Hamas and Fatah have been split since the 2007 war that gave Hamas control of Gaza. Egypt has attempted several times to mediate a reconciliation between the two Palestinian groups, but those attempts have always failed. Thus, it will be a major diplomatic coup for Qatar if its mediation efforts succeed. A major dispute that caused previous attempts to fail is that Abbas wanted current Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to remain as Prime Minister in the unity government, since he’s a U.S.-educated internationally respected former World Bank economist who can reassure the West about a unity government containing Hamas. However, Hamas is bitterly opposed to Fayyad in the government, so in the new agreement, Abbas will be both president and prime minister of the unity government, something that violates the Palestinian Authority’s own charter. Speaking during the signing ceremony in Doha, Hamas leader Meshaal said: “We inform our people that we are serious about healing the wounds … to reunite our people on the foundation of a political partnership, in order to devote our effort to resisting the [Israeli] occupation.” The National (UAE) Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Palestinian unity plan Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the Palestinian unity government deal as a decisive step away from the U.S.-led peace process. A special statement issued by his office said: “If President Abbas moves to implement what was signed today in Doha, he will abandon the path of peace and join forces with the enemies of peace. Hamas is an enemy of peace. It’s an Iranian backed terror organization committed to Israel’s destruction. It has not accepted the minimal conditions set by the international community: * It refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. * It refuses to honor the signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. * It refuses to abandon terrorism. Indeed, it continues to arm itself for even deadlier terrorism. President Abbas, you can’t have it both ways. It’s either a pact with Hamas or peace with Israel. It’s one or the other. You can’t have them both.” Israel, the U.S. and Europe have named Hamas as a terrorist group. The removal of Salam Fayyad from the unity government is a serious red flag to the West. Israel PM’s office and Telegraph
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7-Feb-12 World View: Palestinian Authority/Fatah Sign Unity Agreement with Hamas
This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com . Angela Merkel campaigns for Nicolas Sarkozy Greece’s parties agree to substantial spending cuts U.S. closes embassy in Damascus, Syria Russia, stung by criticism, meets with Assad in Syria Civil war in Syria? Palestinian Authority / Fatah sign unity agreement with Hamas Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Palestinian unity plan On some days there’s no news, and on other days there’s too much news. This is one of the latter days. Angela Merkel campaigns for Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel (AFP) Nicolas Sarkozy has not yet even officially announced his intention to run for another term as president of France, but it’s already clear that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is going to campaign for him. According to Der Spiegel , “The sober chancellor and the peripatetic president have established a pact, the likes of which has never before been seen in the Franco-German relationship. Merkel has decided to openly campaign for her partner in Paris. For Sarkozy, she is discarding the reserve that chancellors have for decades felt proper when it comes to democratic elections outside German borders. When Sarkozy begins stumping, she will be standing next to him on stage — at least that is the plan.” In fact, this is a plan of desperation, since polls indicate that Sarkozy is far behind his Socialist party challenger, Francois Hollande. Hollande is opposed to many of Merkel’s austerity programs, which have been supported by Sarkozy. If Sarkozy is not re-elected, then Merkel’s entire European strategy could fail as well. Der Spiegel Greece’s parties agree to substantial spending cuts Several European leaders, including Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, and Jean-Claude Juncker, all sent a strong message to Greece on Monday that after weeks of delay upon delay, they now had only hours to come to an agreement, or face disorderly bankruptcy in March. The message seemed to have an effect, as Greece’s three coalition parties claim to have agreed on several billion euros’ worth of savings, with final details to be worked out on Tuesday. The announced terms include the following: The civil service will cut 15,000 jobs by the end of this year — the first step toward the elimination of 150,000 public sector jobs the government has pledged to EU officials. There will be €1.1 billion savings from cuts in spending on health and medicines. A bitterly disputed issue is a 20-22% cut in the minimum wage, to €751.00 per month (gross) that about 300,000 Greeks receive. However, cuts to the minimum wage will have a knock-on effect because they will lead to a €1.3-billion drop in tax revenues and a €2.4-billion reduction in social security contributions. This means the government will have to make up for these losses. Collective bargaining rights will be reduced, allowing employers to negotiate individual deals with their employees. EU officials are demanding cuts of €3.3 billion, but these measures only save around €2.5 billion. The remaining €850 million will have to be agreed on Tuesday. Kathimerini U.S. closes embassy in Damascus, Syria Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Sunday From the State Department on Monday: “The United States has suspended operations of our Embassy in Damascus as of February 6. Ambassador Ford and all American personnel have now departed the country. The recent surge in violence, including bombings in Damascus on December 23 and January 6, has raised serious concerns that our Embassy is not sufficiently protected from armed attack. We, along with several other diplomatic missions, conveyed our security concerns to the Syrian Government but the regime failed to respond adequately. Ambassador Ford has left Damascus but he remains the United States Ambassador to Syria and its people. … As the Secretary told the Security Council on January 31, we continue to be gravely concerned by the escalation of violence in Syria caused by the regime’s blatant defiance of its commitments to the action plan it agreed to with the Arab League. The deteriorating security situation that led to the suspension of our diplomatic operations makes clear once more the dangerous path Assad has chosen and the regime’s inability to fully control Syria. It also underscores the urgent need for the international community to act without delay to support the Arab League’s transition plan before the regime’s escalating violence puts a political solution out of reach and further jeopardizes regional peace and security.” At a press conference on Sunday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said, “Faced with a neutered Security Council, we have to redouble our efforts outside of the United Nations with those allies and partners who support the Syrian people’s right to have a better future.” Dept. of State and CS Monitor Russia, stung by criticism, meets with Assad in Syria With criticism from the West and the Arab League countries growing, Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is rushing to Damascus, Syria, to try to convince Syria’s president Bashar al-Assad to end the violence. Russia and China have been drawing increased international criticism of their Saturday veto in the U.N. Security Council of the Arab League’s proposed resolution on Syria. This is especially the case because their veto seems to have given al-Assad the green light to substantially escalate the violence. According to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby: “There was no need for the veto, We were about to reach a conclusion on the resolution that would have been supported by everyone. The (Syrian) government, definitely, may have interpreted this as the international community unable to do anything and (so) we can do whatever we want.” However, Russian analysts say that Russians were “played for fools” during the Libyan crisis, and are calling the veto a “diplomatic victory,” because Russia is reinforcing its diplomatic clout, defending its interests in the region and threatening to put the West in an embarrassing position if it decides to invade without sanction of the Security Council. Reuters and Ria Novosti Civil war in Syria? A lot of the political and punditry talk these days is that Syria is either in a civil war, or close to being in one. The implication is a repeat of the 1976-82 Syrian civil war that climaxed in the massive genocidal slaughter in 1982 in Hama. But from the point of view of Generational Dynamics, a new civil war is impossible at this time, since Syria is in a generational awakening era, with many remaining survivors of the last civil war still alive. If a new civil war breaks out, then it will fizzle relatively quickly, probably within a few months. The real danger for Syria is not that there’ll be a Syrian civil war, but that the violence in Syria will trigger a wider regional war. Neighboring countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and Egypt are all in a generational crisis era. Sooner or later, something is going to trigger a regional war among these countries, and the Syrian violence might turn out to be that trigger. Palestinian Authority / Fatah sign unity agreement with Hamas Benjamin Netanyahu and Mahmoud Abbas (EPA) With the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al-Thani, acting as mediator, Palestinian Authority (Fatah) president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal signed an agreement on Monday to form a unity government. Hamas and Fatah have been split since the 2007 war that gave Hamas control of Gaza. Egypt has attempted several times to mediate a reconciliation between the two Palestinian groups, but those attempts have always failed. Thus, it will be a major diplomatic coup for Qatar if its mediation efforts succeed. A major dispute that caused previous attempts to fail is that Abbas wanted current Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad to remain as Prime Minister in the unity government, since he’s a U.S.-educated internationally respected former World Bank economist who can reassure the West about a unity government containing Hamas. However, Hamas is bitterly opposed to Fayyad in the government, so in the new agreement, Abbas will be both president and prime minister of the unity government, something that violates the Palestinian Authority’s own charter. Speaking during the signing ceremony in Doha, Hamas leader Meshaal said: “We inform our people that we are serious about healing the wounds … to reunite our people on the foundation of a political partnership, in order to devote our effort to resisting the [Israeli] occupation.” The National (UAE) Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu condemns Palestinian unity plan Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the Palestinian unity government deal as a decisive step away from the U.S.-led peace process. A special statement issued by his office said: “If President Abbas moves to implement what was signed today in Doha, he will abandon the path of peace and join forces with the enemies of peace. Hamas is an enemy of peace. It’s an Iranian backed terror organization committed to Israel’s destruction. It has not accepted the minimal conditions set by the international community: * It refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist. * It refuses to honor the signed agreements between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. * It refuses to abandon terrorism. Indeed, it continues to arm itself for even deadlier terrorism. President Abbas, you can’t have it both ways. It’s either a pact with Hamas or peace with Israel. It’s one or the other. You can’t have them both.” Israel, the U.S. and Europe have named Hamas as a terrorist group. The removal of Salam Fayyad from the unity government is a serious red flag to the West. Israel PM’s office and Telegraph
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7-Feb-12 World View: Palestinian Authority/Fatah Sign Unity Agreement with Hamas