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Accusations
In 2001, investigative reporter Denis Robert and Ernest Backes, an executive at Cedel until May 1983, published a book, Revelation$ in which they alleged Clearstream played a major part in the underground economy, was a main platform for money laundering for hundreds of banks, and "operated hundreds of confidential accounts for banks so they could move money undetected," according to Business Week.
Backes and Le Figaro were sued by Clearstream and found guilty of libel on March 29, 2004 and again in 2006 and 2008. Cases have been appealed
CEO resigns and whistlebowers go to jail. Hmmm..
After the initiation of an investigation in Luxembourg, on suspicion of money laundering, tax evasion, and other fraud, Clearstream's CEO, André Lussi, resigned (See below). This enabled Deutsche Borse to purchase the remaining 50% of Clearstream International in July 2002. According to some, such as Business Week, Lussi had opposed such a takeover.
Clearstream often has been described as a bank for banks, as it practices what is called settlement for eurobonds mostly'. Basically, its function is to ensure that DVP transactions on which client banks have agreed are processed accordingly.
So a bank can just order a transaction between its own account and the other bank's account, in lieu of less secure methods such as carrying a case full of currency or securities around on the street; the bank merely transmits an order to Clearstream to credit/debit one of its own accounts and the other bank's account(s). This general system is in use between regular companies, governments, and banks around the world.
The purpose of Clearstream is to facilitate money movements around the world, particularly by handling the resolution of sales of European stocks and bonds, in which market Clearstream is a major player, with an estimated 40% market share until May 2004 - together with its competitor Euroclear. The two firms settle 70% of European transactions. Furthermore, in January 2006, Clearstream was the 18th largest employer in Luxembourg.
Originally posted by Nohup
Don't forget gambling. If it wasn't for people's love of gambling, there would be no stock market. Or professional sports, for that matter. We humans are a gamblin' bunch.
U.N. crime chief says drug money flowed into banks
Published: January 25, 2009
VIENNA: The United Nations' crime and drug watchdog has indications that money made in illicit drug trade has been used to keep banks afloat in the global financial crisis, its head was quoted as saying on Sunday.
Vienna-based UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa said in an interview released by Austrian weekly Profil that drug money often became the only available capital when the crisis spiralled out of control last year.
"In many instances, drug money is currently the only liquid investment capital," Costa was quoted as saying by Profil. "In the second half of 2008, liquidity was the banking system's main problem and hence liquid capital became an important factor."
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime had found evidence that "interbank loans were funded by money that originated from drug trade and other illegal activities," Costa was quoted as saying. There were "signs that some banks were rescued in that way."
Profil said Costa declined to identify countries or banks which may have received drug money and gave no indication how much cash might be involved. He only said Austria was not on top of his list, Profil said.
Originally posted by ThePiemaker
Sex. man, it's so weird.
Get rid of all of the taboo's. Doesn't matter who has sex or how they have sex as long as it's consensual. Even when it's not, I'm not that upset about it. I think rape's overrated, and I don't particularly like how society reacts to rapists. I just don't know how wise it is to not show any sympathy or try to gain any understanding from criminals.
The most powerful people in society [...] are facilitating these illegal activities with one hand, while the other hand is condemning these illegal activities and telling the public it's wrong to do such things. Why? well there are any number of reasons, but I think the main reason they'll let the prudes stay in ignorance is that sex and drugs are the two most powerful and profitable commodities/services.
But the prisons are taken over by gangs. The system lost. they can't outlaw drugs or sex.
We have to demand the legalization of sex and drugs. This is a cause everyone needs to support, even if you don't plan on visiting any brothels or doing any drugs.
If you wante safety, then you take the drugs out of violent hands, and let the legitimate corporations get the opportunity to dope us further with drugs, and actually get the chance to offer us the sex they've been subliminally(and not so subliminally) marketing to us in just about every advertisement in existence.
posted on 10-10-2005 @ 02:49 AM
Welcome a new ATS member, shot messenger
Former USMC.
Longtime spook-[games]
semi-retired because I can't quit until I find my suitcases and bring down a powerful scumbag piece if # terrorist.
Eyes Only TS/Ultra keeps me awake at night and so mad I've lost my mind.
Fascinated by this board because it validates my position that the people love a mystery and can't handle the truth. You'd rather not know what you suspect is true.
The messenger always is hated for bearing the light of truth.
I hope to bring courage to this board because the good guys have already lost and the bad guys have total control.
9/11 was an inside job to use as a pretext for invading afghanistan and killing the taliban, who was wiping out the heroin narco traffic. It was also a pretext for invading Iraq and taking control of the worlds second largest oil reserves. Now herion afghanistan is flooding the streets of America and you are paying $3.00 a gallon for gas. Herion production went up 10 foild and gas went up three fold. Herion is worth more. A pound of oil is worth .3 cents- a pound of herion is worth $30,000.
The treasury has been raided by the bad guys who steal it to defend against a phantom enemy, to the tune of 500+ billion a year.
9/11 was a silent coup. The "terrorists" were trained on American military bases, the anthrax came from american military bases and was used to intimidate congress and the media.
the bad guys plan to invade iran,syria or north korea next on the tretext of nuclear terrorism. The bad guys have 40+ nuke suitcases and will use them as a pretext to invade more nations, ala 9/11.
The gig is up and the game is over. Time is not on our side. They don't want to implant chips in your skin or numbers on your forehead. It's just a game to them. Only a game. Thats all it is. And you are just a game piece.
www.washingtonpost.com...
Backed by Wilson's appropriations acumen, Mr. Avrakotos purchased so many weapons that he had to buy a special ship to move containers of them to Karachi. He badgered the Saudi Arabian government to keep a secret commitment to match U.S. funds to the mujaheddin and intimidated Sen. Gordon J. Humphrey (R-N.H.) into quieting his criticism of the CIA. He batted away a proposal by Oliver North and Richard Perle to set up loudspeakers in the mountains to entice Soviets to defect.
He shopped in Egypt for wheelbarrows and bicycles rigged as bombs. It was illegal to provide sniper rifles to foreigners, so he redefined the weapons as "individual defensive devices . . . long-range, night-vision devices with scopes."
But it was after he filed a memo warning against North's arms-for-hostages scheme that came to be known as Iran-contra that his career ascent ended, and he was reassigned to Africa.
Could Afghanistan's opium crop be legalised?
08 February 2008
This year's opium harvest in Afghanistan will be 'shockingly high', according to figures released this week by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). They estimate that the country now supplies over 90 per cent of the world's heroin.
The news has fuelled criticism of the current US-led strategy, which aims to eradicate the crop. Instead, there is growing support for a scheme promoted by a European think tank, the Senlis Council, which hopes to establish a trial licensing scheme that would allow farmers to sell their opium for legitimate, medicinal use.
The Senlis Council started research into its Poppy for Medicine scheme in 2005, and in October 2007 published plans outlining exactly how a pilot scheme would run. The project has since received the backing of the European Parliament.
[...]
The current approach - forcibly eradicating opium crops - is interfering with the counter-insurgency operations, claims Norine MacDonald, president of the Senlis Council. 'When the crop is knee-high, tractors come in and plough the field to destroy it. The tractors are driven by Afghans but they are under the supervision of a private US military firm,' MacDonald told Chemistry World. 'So the locals see foreigners supervising people who are destroying their livelihoods. And there is a great deal of violence and anger in response.'
[...]
The Senlis Council argues that the Afghan opium crop could be used to relieve a global shortage of opiates - and become a source of affordable analgesics, particularly within the developing world.
'It's true that developing countries are not using enough opiates,' said Thomas Pietschmann, a senior researcher at the UNODC. 'But the problem is in dispensing the drugs, not in the supply of opium itself. The infrastructure simply does not exist in many of these countries to get the drugs to those who need them.' Pietschmann added that farmers were unlikely to accept the reduced prices of licensed opium, which would be a fraction of what they can earn from sales of the illegal crop.
According to the International Narcotics Control Board, the amount of illicit opium produced in Afghanistan in 2005 was 820 tonnes - more than double the total global demand for medical opium of 382 tonnes that year.
Opiates are widely used for pain relief in the developed world, and are mostly derived from the opium poppy. Morphine, used clinically for severe pain, is extracted directly from the poppy, and can also be methylated to produce codeine. The poppies contain other opiate alkaloids, such as thebaine, which is used to synthesise the analgesic and drug abuse treatment buprenorphine, and the veterinary immobilisation agent etorphine.
The opiates act directly on opioid receptors in the central nervous system, and completely block the transmission of pain signals. Studying their chemistry has enabled drug companies to produce synthetic opioid analgesics more powerful than morphine, such as Johnson&Johnson's fentanyl, making manufacturers less reliant on the supply of opium to make their drugs.
Four leading pharmaceutical companies contacted by Chemistry World declined to comment on the Senlis Council's proposal. One pharmaceutical industry insider said that no company was likely to comment on the potential for a legal market in Afghan opium, since the idea was far too politically controversial.
Originally posted by mystiq
however, its the sex slave market and what it means to wake up, and get hip to this kind of thing. What does that mean?
But accepting slaves, no!!! Legalizing drugs is one thing. Legalizing slaves, no!!!!