"Any Day Now!" - Wed. PM KTFA Thoughts, News w/ Frank26 9/26/18

by **Ssmith** Thu Sep 27, 2018 7:56 am

KTFA

Article:
“Intelligence sources: unknown parties behind the crisis of small currencies and the Central Bank reveals the truth” LINK

Iobey777 » September 26th, 2018

Oh Yeah!! Another GREAT article!! I'm just remembering that Walkingstick told us that articles are about 2 WEEKS BEHIND!! IMO! So...that tells me..this 2 weeks may be almost DONE! Yes!!! 2nd part of that infamous article coming ANY DAY NOW!!! IMO!!! I'm thinking Sept is looking really good!!!

Walkingstick » September 26th, 2018

Yep.... Info is old..... nearing , 6 weeks ..Article stops, well short ... Reality .. Note : IIER ....Regards..

Frank26 » September 26th, 2018

IS 5 OK?

USMcret22 » September 26th, 2018

My dear Brother, did you say nearing 6 weeks, holy smokes Devil Dawg..thanks for that great side note...by the way, IIER means?

SJosh » September 26th, 2018

WOW! 6 weeks old, this means... this article info was put together prior to the 8/18 ALMOST relese of the second article

Boxman » September 26th, 2018

IIER The Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform (IIER) is an independent research institute based in Baghdad. Our mission is to assist Iraq in its transition to a modern market economy by promoting reform based on sound research and case studies. Among our goals, we seek to structure a system of formal property rights, and to assist in the development of an effective civil society by promoting vigorous public debate among stakeholders about the future of Iraq.

Walkingstick » September 26th, 2018

U.S. Sanctions Venezuela’s First Lady

Three top officials of Maduro regime also added to list as country’s neighbors work up petition calling for human-rights investigation

Sept. 25, 2018 6:04 p.m. ET

The U.S. and several South American countries on Tuesday sharpened their stance toward Venezuela’s government, with Washington imposing sanctions on the country’s first lady and three top officials as the country’s neighbors ready a push for an international investigation into its alleged crimes against humanity.

President Trump called the situation in Venezuela—where hyperinflation, spreading hunger and the government’s growing authoritarianism is forcing millions to flee—a “human tragedy” during his speech before the United Nations General Assembly. He urged other countries to join in ratcheting up pressure against “a repressive regime.”

Mr. Trump’s comments followed new legislation from a bipartisan group of senators that would grant more $50 million toward efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela, most of it for humanitarian assistance. The proposal would also expand sanctions on Venezuelan government officials, codify U.S. measures targeting Venezuela’s oil-backed cryptocurrency and require the U.S. State Department to encourage Latin American governments to establish their own sanctions programs.

President Nicolás Maduro, who last week said he wouldn’t attend the U.N. summit because he feared for his life, dismissed the new round of sanctions, calling them part of a Washington-led conspiracy to destabilize his leftist administration.

“I’m surrounded by sanctioned people,” Mr. Maduro said in a televised address. “Thank you, Donald Trump, for surrounding me with so much dignity.”

Mr. Maduro and his allies have accused critics of trying to provoke military intervention.

In remarks to reporters following his speech, Mr. Trump didn’t rule out a military option against the Maduro administration. While declining to answer questions on whether any military plan existed, he said: “It’s a regime that, frankly, could be toppled very quickly by the military, if the military decides to do that.”

Mr. Trump also referred to members of the Venezuelan armed forces seen on video running last month from a military parade where Mr. Maduro survived a purported assassination attempt using drones packed with bombs.

“That military was running for cover,” he said. “That’s not good. I don’t think the Marines would have run.”

Tuesday’s actions against Venezuela reflect how concerned and frustrated countries are with the government in Caracas, said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights Watch. “All of this is very revealing of the political isolation of the government of Maduro and their lack of legitimacy," he said.

The U.S. on Tuesday added Cilia Flores, Mr. Maduro’s wife, to its list of sanctioned individuals, as well as Vice President Delcy Rodríguez; Jorge Rodríguez, the communications minister; and Vladimir Padrino, the defense minister.

The U.S. also identified a Gulfstream private jet in Florida as blocked property, saying the aircraft was bought for $20 million in 2008 by a blacklisted frontman of a top Maduro ally, also under U.S. sanctions, through a hidden ownership network. The U.S. on Tuesday also put that ownership network on its sanctions list.

The sanctions freeze the targets’ American assets, and U.S. persons and companies are barred from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions also generally abide by U.S. sanctions, further squeezing the U.S. targets.

Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru are preparing a petition requesting that The Hague-based International Criminal Court—best known for prosecuting dozens of African rights violators including Libyan Col. Moammar Gadhafi and Congolese warlords--investigate the Venezuelan government, according to people familiar with the matter. It would be the first such effort by signatory nations to initiate action against another ICC signatory, Mr. Vivanco said. The ICC didn’t respond to requests for comment.

The ICC launched a preliminary examination in February into human-rights abuses in Venezuela, looking into crimes allegedly committed by the government since April 2017. A submission by Venezuela’s South American neighbors would escalate the matter.

The planned petition follows a report in May by the Organization of American States that found “reasonable grounds” to believe crimes against humanity were committed in Venezuela. The report cited nearly 8,300 extrajudicial executions since 2015 and more than 12,000 arbitrary detentions during waves of deadly street protests that have rocked Venezuela since Mr. Maduro won elections in 2013.

His reelection in May to a six-year term drew international scorn as a farce.

Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under Mr. Maduro, leading to an exodus of destitute and hungry people. While Venezuelans struggle with inflation estimated to reach 1,000,000% this year, Mr. Maduro has barred humanitarian aid and his government has come up with few economic solutions, recently issuing a new currency, named the “sovereign bolivar,” that shaved off five zeroes.

Millions are fleeing to other countries, leading to a backlash across South America. Colombian police commanders say they are overrun by Venezuelan migrants, who number more than 1 million in that country alone.

U.S. officials say they have considered leveling tougher sanctions on Venezuela’s lifeblood oil industry. But fears of a complete economic meltdown have limited policy makers to focusing on targeted sanctions on more than 60 Venezuelan government officials, who have been accused of a host of human-rights abuses and corruption.

All four of the latest additions to the U.S. blacklist were already sanctioned earlier this year by Canada, which has joined others including the European Union, Switzerland and Panama in targeting allegedly corrupt Venezuelan officials.

Their long absence from the U.S. list, however, had raised speculation among Venezuela watchers that Washington was trying to provoke divisions among officials in Caracas and seek negotiations, said David Smilde, a senior fellow at the Washington Office on Latin America, a think tank.

“It would seem that they have given up on the hope that [those Venezuelan officials] will facilitate a transition,” Mr. Smilde said, warning that more sanctions could also backfire. “Adding more people to the list simply provides officials with a sense of common cause and unifies them more,” he added.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-sanctions-venezuelas-first-lady-1537913053

Don961 » September 26th, 2018

An economic expert calls on the central bank to take a quick step to reassure the street after the Fed's decision

12:01 - 27/09/2018

Baghdad Mawazine News

Economic expert Dr. Salam Samisem called for a quick stance that gives reassuring signals to the public that the Federal Reserve's decision to raise the interest rate by a quarter percentage point will leave its impact on the world's economies.

Smsem, a member of a successful economic development initiative, said Iraq should "take a quick stance, especially as it invests in US Treasury bills."

"The Iraqi Central Bank demands a quick position that gives reassuring signals to the street."

"In light of the repercussions of the recent steps of the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates between two and 2.25 percent, and the global economic repercussions that result from it. It is known that Iraq is the fourth largest country of the world invested in US Treasury bills, the Central Bank of Iraq must issue a statement Urgent clarifies the steps that will follow the monetary policy in Iraq on interest rates and related to this decision. "

The Federal Reserve later raised the benchmark overnight lending rate by a quarter percentage point to a range of two to 2.25 percent.

Gold prices fell immediately on Wednesday as the dollar rose ahead of the Federal Reserve's monetary policy meeting, which was later announced after the futures contract was settled.

Gold is sensitive to higher interest rates because it strengthens the dollar, which makes gold more expensive for its buyers than other currency holders. It also raises the yield on US bonds, which reduces the attractiveness of unearned gold to yield.

The central bank said it would discuss Thursday the impact of the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates. The central bank said it would raise interest rates by 25 basis points.

The Central Bank of Saudi Arabia and the Central Bank of UAE also decided to raise interest rates by 25 basis points after the decision of the Federal Reserve is over link

The US Federal Reserve raises interest rates and shakes the world economy

10:31 - 26/09/2018

Follow up of Mawazine News

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates Wednesday as expected and predicted economic growth for at least another three years.

In a statement on monetary policy, the council said it had raised the benchmark overnight lending rate by one quarter of a percentage point to a range of two to 2.25 percent.

The Board continues to expect interest rates to rise again in December and three more next year, as well as one increase in 2020.

The benchmark overnight lending rate stands at 3.4 percent, nearly half a percentage point above the board's "neutral" interest rate expectations, where interest rates do not stimulate or restrict the economy.

The dollar fell against the euro after the release of the Federal Reserve's statement while the yield curve on US bonds stabilized and shares rose.

The board expects the economy to grow faster than expected at 3.1 percent this year and to continue its growth at an average pace of at least three years with steady unemployment and inflation stabilizing near the 2 percent target.

This interest rate increase is the third in the current year and the seventh in the last eight quarters.

The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) said in a statement on Wednesday it had decided to raise the rate of reverse repurchase agreements by 25 basis points to 225 basis points (2.25 percent) from 200 basis points.

The statement added that the institution decided to raise the rate of repurchase agreements to 275 basis points (2.75%) from 250 basis points on the effect that the decision has immediate effect.

The UAE central bank also announced on Wednesday that it would raise the "repo rate" which applies to short-term borrowing from the central bank by guaranteeing 25 basis points of deposits.

He added that he raised the "interest rates applied to certificates of deposit issued by him, in line with the rise in interest rates on the US dollar."

This came after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis points. link