10.7.2008 by CrniLabudovi.

Hersh: AUDIO: US led Covert Operations Inside Iran

globalresearch.ca — “In an interview with NPR on his latest New Yorker Article titled ‘Preparing the battlefield’, renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals further details of his findings. He explains that the aim of the US covert operations inside Iran is to create a pretext for attack with the goal of regime change

“In an interview with NPR on his latest New Yorker Article titled ‘Preparing the battlefield’, renowned investigative journalist Seymour Hersh reveals further details of his findings. He explains that the aim of the US covert operations inside Iran is to create a pretext for attack with the goal of regime change –“The strategic thinking behind this covert operation is to provoke enough trouble and chaos so that the Iranian government makes the mistake of taking aggressive action which will give the impression of a country in acute turmoil” Hersh said. “Then you have what the White House calls the ‘casus belli’, a reason to attack the country. That is the thinking and it is very crazy.”

He also warns that the US military is ready to attack within 10 to 12 hours of the go ahead order by President Bush.

According to Hersh, senior military and intelligence members of the US Administration do admit that Iran has been more of a force for stability in Iraq than negative.

He also reiterates that the US has been giving funds and arms to the terrorist MEK for years, reveals that the US has trained MEK teams in the state of Nevada and that MEK leaders have cashed the funds received from the US in their personal accounts in London.” (CASMII)

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10.7.2008 by admin.

 Albania President: Officials Hide Their Wealth

10 July 2008 Tirana _ Albania’s President Bamir Topi has accused unspecified public officials of criminal activity by hiding their wealth in foreign bank accounts.

The president’s statement came during a ceremony marking the fifth year of the creation of the High Inspectorate for the Inspection and Declaration of Assets.

“We are concerned because we are learning the wealth of public officials in coffee discussions and scandals,” said Topi, adding that international organisations monitoring Albania’s democratic progress were concerned about such practices.

“We have information that a part of the wealth is hidden outside the country,” Topi added.

Last week Albanian prosecutors launched a fresh probe into the declared wealth of former Defence Minister Fatmir Mediu, following a Balkan Insight investigation.

Citing details from the investigation conducted by the BIRN team in Tirana, Albanian media reported on Sunday that the general prosecutor’s office was probing Mediu’s finances and that charges that he failed to fully declare his assets could follow.

Balkan Insight showed that the former Defence Minister’s expenditures are significantly greater than can be explained by his declared assets and income. Read more: http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/main/investigations/11172/

Reacting to Balkan Insight’s story Topi encouraged the High Inspectorate to investigate any allegations published in the media.

“Every single case of abuse published in the media should be followed and cleared,” said Topi.

Mediu, the leader of the Republican Party, the second largest party in a coalition of five that control Albania’s government, resigned in March from his cabinet post following an explosion at an army depot that killed 26 people, injured more than 300 and left more than 3,000 homeless.

He is under investigation by Albania’s prosecutor general for alleged abuse of power while in office. He is suspected of being part of the unlawful mismanagement leading to the deadly army depot explosion ten kilometres outside Tirana. Mediu has not yet been charged.

Central to the assets probe are loans secured by Mediu while he was employed as Defence Minister, a post he took up in 2005.

Though as a minister Mediu received a monthly pre-tax income of around €1,900 – more than six times the average income in Albania – his typical monthly expenditures exceeded twice that amount, according to records obtained by Balkan Insight.

Loans dramatically exceeding the borrowers’ evident ability to pay, are a primary method of concealing illegal revenue in the country, says the head of Albania’s Anti-money-laundering agency.

Mediu denies any irregularities in his finances. He told Balkan Insight he planned to cover the difference between the size of the loans and his personal income by spending savings derived from the sale of an apartment.

Mediu has to pay approximately €325,000 in loans while his savings from the sale of a former apartment were only €60,000.

http://balkaninsight.com/en/main/news/11705/

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