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Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad offered no concrete concessions in a much anticipated speech to parliament and blamed foreign enemies for plotting unrest in Syria through a series of antigovernment demonstrations over the past two weeks.
“I’m addressing you during extraordinary events; we are facing a test of our unity,” Mr. Assad said at the start of his speech Wednesday. “But we will successfully overcome it.”
Mr. Assad, to the surprise of many observers, failed to offer the government’s promised reform plans or a timetable for when any such reforms might go into effect.
Is The EU To Blame For Arab Unrest After All? Guy Leven-Torres 26th March 2011
I have noticed that every dictator antithetical to the plans for the Eur-Med Dialogue seems to suffer problems. I also noted the indecent haste of David Cameron’s desire for a ‘No Fly Zone’ and France’s aggression by attacking Libyan targets befire the UN Resolution 1973. Mubarak too, as well as the regime in Tunisia were all quite luke warm to the Euro-Med plans for Eurabia. All three are now either in exile, or fighting for their survival against opponents, we are told are ‘freedom fighters’ but it is all to clear are actually religious types shouting ‘Alluha el Akbar!’ as they fire mortars across the North African landscape. The whole area now resembles a Palestinian lookalike. I do not doubt for one instant, that Iran has more than played its part but so have the US and EU agitators, to destabilise the whole region stretching from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean. Regime change is the name of the game- a change that requires puppets sympathetic to the New Global Order. Saudi Arabia does not want any part of it. Expect trouble there too. Syria is also opposed to being subsumed into the New Order- the death toll is now in the hundreds. Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of migrants are flooding north onto Europe’s southern shores and islands. Despite pleas from local communities, no state authority has made any attempt to stop the influx of the flood of illegal migrants, many of them criminals after easy pickings in the confusion caused by the unrest. A few days ago, tiny Lampedusa, lying beyween Italy and Libya, was faced by a naked attempt by the incomers to literally take over the Italian Island and establish a bridgehead there for more of their ‘comrades’, to complete the takeover and the island away from the Italians that live there. Concerned citizens barricaded the beaches and fighting broke out across the island between locals and illegal migrants, trying to wrestle the island away from them. Despite pleas for assistance, Rome has played down the crisis in this small island, where the migrants now outnumber the locals. Politicians have instructed the locals to help the migrants and accused them of racism. Crime and rape have risen 1000 fold and the locals fear for the future. Anarchy is the result. Local Italian girls are jeered at in the street as ‘whores’ and demands for the usual Moslem ‘finery’, as in the covering up of the female form. This is nothing but the attempted invasion and Islamisation of a host country by migrants arrived only days before. My information comes from an Archaeological pal in Rome. How would you feel if 5000 migrants arrived in Diver on the Ferry and took over the town and demanded local English girls wear the burka? This is the situation on Lampedusa. I may be seen as a conspiracy theorist but I humbly suggest that what we are seeing is the deliberate destabilisation of the North African Moslem world, in order that the migrants will flee to Europe in their millions, so completing the final plans to destroy and dilute the nation states in the South of Europe, eventually spreading to the North, so that Eurabia that always was the intention of the founders of the European Union, becomes reality. In short the Euro is in trouble, the populations are waking up, the natural resentment is growing and the EU Political Class knows it does not have long left, to see its plans achieve fruition. I have long stated that the financial collapse of the PIGS- Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, and Spain was part of an organised pattern and attempt to create a line of weak borders along Europe’s southern and western flank to allow migration to sweep in across those now porous borders. The same thing has happened in the US, in states that border the Hispanic countries. California and Texas are now all but bankrupt. There is no doubt the USA will soon cease to exist as a white caucasian entity, prone to every influence from Hispanisation to Islamification. In Europe, a struggle will now ensue for control of Eurabia, between Iran and the Globalists. At best Europe will be a client state of the new Kaliphate or at, worst ruled by sharia law and the continual threat of Islamist violence issuing from the de facto Moslem statelets that have been allowed to establish themselves acroos Europe, in which sharia rules the day and the Police and Army fear to tread. Like the sad islanders of Lampedusa, we will all be castigated as racists and Nazis because we object to our laws being flouted, gangs robbing and raping and the demands (and they will come) for sharia law across Europe. We will all be Lampedusans within the next few months or years. Civil conflagrations like this happen very quickly in historical terms. Guy
In recent comments during a trip to Israel, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates discussed the escalating situation in Syria saying:
I’ve just come from Egypt, where the Egyptian army stood on the sidelines and allowed people to demonstrate and in fact empowered a revolution. The Syrians might take a lesson from that.
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I would say that what the Syrian government is confronting is in fact the same challenge that faces so many governments across the region, and that is the unmet political and economic grievances of their people.
On the heels of the Libyan invasion, it’s becoming clear that events transpiring in the middle east for the last three months may not be as they seem in the mainstream. Rising food prices and a hungry populace have been suggested as one of the key triggers for what was followed by several incidents of self immolation and then wide-spread civil unrest. The state sponsored media has provided ample reason for the protests and riots breaking out in a dozen countries, focusing on the peoples’ yearning for democracy and change as the primary motivator.
It’s been parroted for weeks that mid-east leaders in countries like Egypt, Yemen, Libya and now Syria, are dictators and a threat to their people, as well as the United States. On February 4th, 2011, President Obama, speaking on the protests in Egypt, essentially gave a public , but cloaked decree to President Mubarak, recommending he resign:
“What I recommend to him is, he needs to consult with the people around him in his administration. He needs to listen to what was voiced by the Egyptian people and make judgments about the way forward that is orderly, but it must be meaningful and serious.”
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“The key question that he must ask for himself is, ‘How do I leave a legacy in which Egypt is able through this transformative period?’ My hope is that he eventually will make the right decision.”
While not aggressively calling for Mubarak’s resignation, Mr. Obama’s words were interpreted by US and Egyptian media as exactly that. Even President Mubarak understood what was happening, and began a partial hand over of power to his newly appointed Vice President. A few days later, Mubarak declared his refusal to resign. When the riots broke out, he likely believed that the US would fully support the Egyptian government. After all, they had been our “friends” for decades. The official policy and attitude of the United States towards Egypt was clearly defined by President Bush in January of 2008, when the President visited with Mr. Mubarak in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt:
It’s an important stop for me because the United States has a longstanding friendship with Egypt. It’s important for the people of Egypt to understand our nation respects you, respects your history, respects your traditions and respects your culture. Our friendship is strong. It’s a cornerstone of — one of the main cornerstones of our policy in this region, and it’s based on our shared commitment to peace, security and prosperity.
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I appreciate very much the long and proud tradition that you’ve had for a vibrant civil society. I appreciate the fact that women play an important role in your society, Mr. President. I do so because not only I’m a proud father of two young professional women, I also know how important it is for any vibrant society to have women involved in constructive and powerful ways. And I appreciate the example that your nation is setting.
Progress toward greater political openness is being led by the Egyptians themselves, by pioneering journalists — some of whom even may be here — bloggers, or judges insisting on independence, or other strong civic and religious leaders who love their country and are determined to build a democratic future.
Here’s a nation once described by President Bush as a longstanding friend and an example of political openness, women’s rights, and vibrant civil society, only to be declared a dictatorship by Western media almost literally overnight.
Similar themes have been playing out throughout the middle east, including Tunisia, Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Libya and Syria.
With the exception of Iran, no one in the White House or mainstream media really had any derogatory assessments of these other countries. And now, without warning, their people desire democratic governments? To be sure, the people of these countries have every right to protest, but something just isn’t right when you consider how the storyline has been developed.
After the perceptive buildup of dictatorial, power hungry leadership in the middle east, it was only a matter of time before an example needed to be set. Enter Gaddafi.
Libya, undergoing protests, riots and near civil war, seemed to be headed in the direction of Egypt, with an eventual voluntary transfer of power. Unlike Mubarak, however, Gaddafi rejected the West’s call for his military to stand down and pursued would-be rebels, going so far as to say they would be given “no mercy” if they continued their revolution.
What happened next makes inquiring minds wonder if Egypt’s President Mubarak wasn’t privately “asked” by elements of Western governments that he should pull back his military and resign, or end up hiding in a hole like Saddam Hussein.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates may have just given the Syrians the same option. If the Syrians don’t take it seriously, or come to the conclusion that Mr. Gates is bluffing, they may very well host the next Libya-style no fly zone.
Reasons provided by the US and coalition forces for the incursion into Libya is that the West is protecting innocent people from slaughter – a storyline that only sheep of state sponsored television could believe considering that the government of Bahrain allowed hundreds of Saudi troops to help quell the rebellion that threatened their monarchy. Government sponsored police forces are authorized to eliminate anyone who threatens the government, including unarmed protesters, many of who were shot in drive by executions:
The US and Western coalitions pick and choose which innocent civilians are worthy of saving, and many have suggested that this is due to one specific reason. If you haven’t guessed, it’s closely related to the oil and gas reserves in the region, but according to Conn Hallinan, it’s a much broader strategy that boils down to regional energy control. The Saudis, being close allies of the US (for today, at least) have a pass to cleanse protesters who would threaten stability. Libya, of course, is lead by a dictator, thus he has to go – just like the Syrian leadership.
Among the many inconsistencies with what’s playing out in the middle east is the question of what our President and Secretary of Defense would ask our own military to do if political protests, riots and violence erupted here in the US. Both seem to suggest that the leaders of these middle eastern countries, as well as their law enforcement and military apparatuses, should stand aside. Would the President of the United States, if faced with riots, molotov cocktails, and gun fire outside of the Capitol building or White House allow the military to “empower a revolution driven by unmet political and economic grievances” of the people?
Estimates suggest that Mubarak resigned amid as many as 2 million protesters in the streets. This is about 3% of Egypt’s population.
If the United States saw similar turnouts at Federal and State government buildings, would our leadership resign without a fight as well? Are we to believe that the same logic being used to compel dictators in the middle east to step down would be applied domestically if the people, in a public show of protest, deemed our government to be tyrannical and it’s leaders dictators? Moreover, does this mean that any such civil disobedience, riots, and gunfire would be ignored by military and law enforcement, who would be ordered to, as Mr. Gates suggested to Syria, stand on the sidelines?
We’d like to believe it is that easy, except we live in a little place we like to call reality.
Libya is getting bombed by American, British, and French fighter jets. The situation in Libya could spill over to other Arab countries in sympathy.
Japan just suffered a horrific tsunami and related leak in one of its nuclear generation plants. The damage could impact the country’s economic renewal.
In all of this, after declining to just north of $1,300 an ounce, gold has been rallying. It is trading at a key level of $1,430 on the chart.
Investing in gold is a safe haven play when the market risk rises.
Gold has rallied in each of the last 10 years and shows a beautiful bullish price chart. My gold advice would be to accumulate gold on weakness. The situation in Libya could worsen and there are also tensions in Iran and other Middle East countries. This means added global risk. Oil is trading at over $105.00 per barrel on the threat of more disruption in oil from Libya.
In my view, the key determinant of how gold will fare will depend on the direction of stocks along with the geopolitical tensions.
A strong and bullish stock market tends to drive some selling in gold, as capital flows into equities from gold. This could materialize, but my feeling is that gold will receive support from the global uncertainties in the Middle East and Japan, along with higher expected demand flowing out of China and India as the countries’ per-capita incomes continue to edge higher.
If the Middle East situation worsens, it would drive up oil prices, which would impact economic growth at a time when the economies continue to be at risk. I would not be surprised to see gold move towards $1,500 an ounce over the next year.
Also don’t forget about the mounting debt and deficit in the United States. The country has over $14.0 trillion in debt and is paying billions in interest daily. Many states are struggling to make ends meet and are looking at severe cuts in the state budgets.
On the chart, the Relative Strength for the April gold has strengthened, so there could be additional upside moves in the near term. There remains a bullish golden cross on the chart, with the 50-day moving average of $1,384 above the 200-day moving average of $1,321. Look for resistance at the 13-week high of $1,434.1 and $1,440. The recent move above $1,440 failed to hold.
Silver has also followed gold higher, with the May silver futures contract above $36.00 an ounce. Silver is a play on the economic recovery, as it’s found in electronics.
I also like copper as a play on the recovering global economies, especially in industrial applications and housing.
My advice to play the commodities is to buy gold stocks, silver stocks and oil stocks on weakness, especially if the situation in Libya and the Middle East worsens and Japan weakens.
George is a Senior Editor at Lombardi Financial, and has been involved in analyzing the stock markets for two decades where he employs both fundamental and technical analysis. His overall market timing and trading knowledge is extensive in the areas of small-cap research and option trading. George is the editor of several of Lombardi’s popular financial newsletters, including The China Letter, Special Situations, and Obscene Profits, among others. His trading advice on stocks and options is also found on his daily trading site, Daily Profits. He has written technical and fundamental columns for numerous stock market news web sites, and he is the author of Quick Wealth Options Strategy and Mastering 7 Proven Options Strategies. Prior to starting with Lombardi Financial, George was employed as a financial analyst with Globe Information Services.
For years the mainstream economists and media pundits ignored the trend. Now that it cannot be hidden from view any longer, it’s all of a sudden become a huge news story.
While we, and those in alternative news circles like us, are regularly referred to as fear mongers and doomsdayers, now that the mainstream is on board, it’s become credible news. Whatever the case, we hope that those who denied the analysis and assessments put forth by non-mainstream sources over the last several years will finally come around and realize that maybe, just to be on the safe side, stocking up on some reserve foods and other preparedness items may not be as bad of a tin foil hat wearing idea as originally thought.
The latest warnings for the Western world, thus far immune to uprisings resulting from high food costs and supply problems, come from senior global economist Karen Ward of HSBC:
Even in the developed world I think we have very, very low wage growth, so people aren’t getting more in their pay packet to compensate them for food and energy, and I think we could see social unrest certainly in parts of the developed world and the UK as well.
Ms. Ward refers to the situation resulting from high food costs and inability to put food on the family table as leading to “social unrest.” This is just a feel-good mainstream word for what we often refer to as Riots. Unless we see a change in the years’ long trend of rising food costs, “social unrest” is coming to a neighborhood near you – sooner rather than later.
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George is a Senior Editor at Lombardi Financial, and has been involved in analyzing the stock markets for two decades where he employs both fundamental and technical analysis. His overall market timing and trading knowledge is extensive in the areas of small-cap research and option trading. George is the editor of several of Lombardi’s popular financial newsletters, including The China Letter, Special Situations, and Obscene Profits, among others. His trading advice on stocks and options is also found on his daily trading site, Daily Profits. He has written technical and fundamental columns for numerous stock market news web sites, and he is the author of Quick Wealth Options Strategy and Mastering 7 Proven Options Strategies. Prior to starting with Lombardi Financial, George was employed as a financial analyst with Globe Information Services.