Cake or Death: Is Jordan the latest front in the GWOT

Al Gore says global warming is YOUR fault!
"He betrayed this country! He played on our fears!"
You don't say...

September 18th, 2007

Fed Cuts Benchmark Rate Half Point, Seeking to Forestall Recession in U.S. - "The Federal Reserve lowered its benchmark interest rate by a half point to 4.75 percent, the first cut in four years, to protect the U.S. from sinking into a recession sparked by fallout from the housing-market collapse. 'Today's action is intended to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the broader economy that might otherwise arise from the disruptions in financial markets,' the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement after meeting today in Washington. The central bank will 'act as needed to foster price stability and sustainable economic growth.' Stocks surged, two-year Treasury notes rose and the dollar fell to a record low against the euro. The larger-than-forecast reduction suggests Chairman Ben S. Bernanke is prepared to leave himself open to criticism that he's rescuing investors from bad decisions for the sake of saving the six-year expansion."
U.S. Producer Prices Drop More Than Forecast; Foreclosures on Homes Double - "The 1.4 percent decrease, the biggest since October, followed a 0.6 percent increase in July, the Labor Department said today in Washington. So-called core prices, which exclude fuel and food costs, rose 0.2 percent after a 0.1 percent gain the month before. Slower inflation gave policy makers room to cut their benchmark rate today in an effort to sustain the expansion in the face of a housing recession. A drop in fuel expenses pushed prices down in August and cooling economic growth will continue to restrain raw-material costs, economists said."

September 14th, 2007

U.S. Retail Sales, Output Rise Less Than Forecast, Adding to Rate-Cut Case - "The 0.3 percent increase in sales during August followed a revised 0.5 percent gain in July, the Commerce Department said today in Washington. Purchases excluding automobiles unexpectedly fell 0.4 percent. Production gained 0.2 percent, with factory output declining for the first time since February. While a report from the University of Michigan and Reuters Group Plc showed consumer confidence increased, their sentiment index remained near the lowest level in a year. Treasury notes rallied after the retail sales and production reports, before losing the gains."

September 13th, 2007

Greenspan Says He Didn't Foresee Credit Rout, Endorses Bernanke, CBS Says - "Current Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke 'is doing an excellent job,' Greenspan said in an interview on the 60 Minutes program, according to excerpts e-mailed by CBS today. The show is scheduled to air on Sept. 16, a day before the publication of Greenspan's book, 'The Age of Turbulence.' The remarks come amid criticism among some investors that Bernanke has failed to be as forceful as his predecessor in responding to financial turmoil. Greenspan in 1998 cut interest rates three times after a Russian debt default rippled through global markets. Bernanke's Fed has refrained from lowering its benchmark so far, relying on other tools to provide liquidity."
Commercial-Paper Market Decline in U.S. Slows as Concerns Over Credit Ease - "U.S. stocks rose and Treasuries fell after the Federal Reserve reported short-term debt dropped by $8.2 billion, compared with a decline of $31.3 billion a week earlier. That coincided with Countrywide Financial Corp. obtaining new financing and banks finding buyers for loans to fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.'s buyout of Alliance Boots. Issuers with the biggest chance of default had stopped trying to sell commercial paper, rekindling appetite for short- term debt, said Tony Crescenzi, chief bond market strategist at Miller Tabak & Co. in New York. 'Investors have already pushed out the weakest issuers,' Crescenzi said in an e-mail. 'The commercial paper that remains is a relatively more respected crop.'"

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Monday, January 09, 2006

Is Jordan the latest front in the GWOT

Three foreign embassies are now closed in Amman.

Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- Australia and Canada closed their embassies in the Jordanian capital Amman today until further notice, a day after the U.K. shut its embassy there on concern about future terrorist attacks in the country.

The Australian embassy in Amman left a recorded message on its telephone saying it would be closed due to "the security situation." The Canadian embassy left a voice message saying it was closed until further notice, without citing a reason.

"Terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks against Westerners and places frequented by Westerners," the U.K.'s Foreign Office said yesterday when announcing the closure of the British Embassy in the Jordanian capital.

I'm curious to see where the intel for this closures came from. Wiretaps? Interrogated captured terrorists? Informants? They wouldn't close an embassy because they were scared, so they must have gotten something more than this...

(The Australian) The Jordanian embassies were closed after Britain's spy agency, MI6, received intelligence that Iraq's most feared al-Qa'ida operative, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was behind the new threat.

Jordanian security authorities have been trying to hunt down the perpetrators of three suicide bomb attacks on November 9 that hit the Radisson, Days Inn and Hyatt hotels, resulting in more than 60 deaths.

Zarqawi issued a statement on November 18 warning that al-Qa'ida would begin a bombing campaign in Jordan because of its support for nations leading the war on terror, namely Britain and the US and, by implication, Australia.

But the Jordanian Government, which has been a strong supporter of the US-led coalition, was critical last night of the closures.

"The Government believes the closure of the British embassy, which was followed by the closure of the Canadian and Australian embassies, was completely unjustified and there is not real motive that warrants such a closure," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

That speaks of old news but nothing new. Interesting.

Link to me! Posted by jwookie : 9:32 AM

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