Daily Archives: June 4, 2015

More than 10,000 jihadists have been killed in air strikes against the Islamic State group over a nine-month coalition campaign, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

“We have seen enormous losses from Daesh (IS), more than 10,000 since the beginning of the campaign and this will end up having an impact,” Blinken told French radio, without specifying whether the losses were in Iraq or Syria.

Blinken was speaking a day after an international conference in Paris in which 20 or so representatives of the anti-IS coalition pledged support for Baghdad’s plan to claw back territory from the marauding jihadists who have conquered large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Militants of Islamic State (IS) stand just before an air strike on Tilsehir hill near Turkish border on October 23, 2014, at Yumurtalik village, in Sanliurfa province ©Bulent Kilic (AFP/File)

The coalition’s strategy has been criticised for relying on air strikes without committing boots on the ground, but Blinken stressed there had been “significant progress”.

Islamic State now controls “25 percent less of Iraq after nine months, a lot of their equipment has been destroyed and many Daesh members have been eliminated,” Blinken said.

He nevertheless acknowledged the “resilience” of the group after the coalition has launched about 4,000 air strikes on them.

US officials have in the past put the militants’ total estimated force at 30,000.

But a State Department spokeswoman, Marie Harf, cautioned that Islamic State continued to replace fighters “taken off the battlefield.”

source:dailymail.co.uk

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is meeting with senior European officials in Brussels Wednesday, as Greece’s bailout program expires this month, igniting fears of a possible exit from the eurozone. Reuters/François Lenoir

Time is running out as Greece’s bailout program expires this month, igniting fears of a possible Greek exit from the eurozone. Athens is also closing in on a June 5 deadline for a debt payment of 300 million euros ($327 million). The troubled country risks default if it doesn’t pay the International Monetary Fund a total of 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) by the end of June.

Greece threatened to miss its loan repayment to the IMF on Wednesday, just hours before European Union creditors were expected to present an ultimatum offering Athens funds in return for economic reform, Reuters reported.

As Greece slowly depletes its capacity to borrow to repay its loans, it faces deadlines for negotiations with its main creditors. Here are four things to know about Greece’s predicament.

1. How did Greece get to this point? Greece and eurozone finance ministers reached a deal in February to extend the country’s bailout program for four months, but under the terms of the agreement, Greece was required to submit reform proposals to those ministers. Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras submitted a proposal to creditors Monday in an attempt to secure a deal, but no agreement emerged.

Greece’s creditors gathered in Berlin this week, and the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the IMF agreed on a separate, proposed deal for Greece, a senior EU official said in a Reuters report. However, the proposal still needs to be accepted by Greece.

Tsipras was in Brussels Wednesday to meet with senior European officials.

2. Why is Greece renegotiating? Greece wants to renegotiate the terms of its $270 billion bailout program after the far-left Syriza party won elections in January. Before the national elections, Syriza, led by Tsipras, staged a revolt against the budget cuts and other austerity measures under the bailout arranged by the commission, the ECB and the IMF, known as “the troika.”

Greece’s previous conservative government had agreed to those bailout terms, but the new government argues the austerity measures imposed by the troika hurt the country’s economy by forcing public spending cuts, public sector pay cuts and gas hikes.

“So far, all of the requirements on Greece have led to further impoverishment in the country,” said Gary Burtless, senior fellow for the Brookings Institution. “Structural reforms could boost Greece’s rate of growth, but its repayments have caused fiscal stringency, which has actually weakened its economy.”

3. Could Greece leave the eurozone? As Greece’s debt dealings escalate once again, many are pondering what might happen if Greece were to part ways with the rest of Europe. Greece’s debtors have a valuable bargaining chip because a withdrawal from the eurozone would be much harsher on Greek citizens than on the rest of Europe.

“It’s a one-sided negotiation at this stage,” said Burtless. “The threat of Greece leaving the euro might undermine confidence in the currency, but that’s the only strong card Greece still has left in its hand.”

The only negotiating power Greece has left would be to withdraw from the euro, making it more difficult for Europe to sell the debt of other heavily indebted countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Italy, in international markets.

A Greek exit might cause a further unwinding of the euro, but experts don’t think that’s much of a threat at this stage. “There’s a real risk, but other European countries may feel that those risks are manageable,” Burtless said.

Economists expect pulling out of the euro would almost certainly throw Greece –at least temporarily– back into a severe recession. However, there are some advantages for Greece if it leaves the eurozone. An exit would allow the country the freedom to devalue a new currency to make foreign trade more attractive, which would help its manufacturing, service and tourism sectors.

“After a very bad period, the Greek economy would probably revive much faster if it had its own low, devalued currency, but the best outcome is if they reach an agreement with eurozone countries because it would give Greece’s economy room to grow and recover,” Burtless said.

4. What’s likely to happen? Greece is likely to make a long-term agreement with creditors that would stipulate the country would pursue specific reforms, and in exchange its creditors would reduce the amount of debt and permit Greece a longer time span to repay.

source:ibtimes.com

Chuck Blazer has admitted in court testimony he conspired with fellow FIFA executives to accept bribes during the process to choose hosts for the 1998 and 2010 World Cups.

The bearded multimillionaire, the face of North American football for two decades, pleaded guilty to racketeering, part of a massive US corruption case targeting world football’s governing body.

Blazer’s testimony, from November 2013 hearing in US District Court and released on Wednesday, is a key plank in the US investigation against FIFA, which the federal court document describes as a “Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization.”

The 70-year-old admitted to a raft of charges related to his leadership of the North and Central American football body CONCACAF and membership of FIFA’s executive committee.

He is awaiting sentencing and may be called to testify in the trials of other sports executives.

But in the papers released on Wednesday, the other FIFA executives identified as co-conspirators are not named.

“Among other things, I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with the selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup,” Blazer said in his plea.

The 1998 World Cup was eventually awarded to France, ahead of a bid by Morocco. Another court document, detailing the charges, says that Blazer was present when a co-conspirator accepted a bribe in Morocco.

Blazer goes on to accept that he and “others on the FIFA executive committee” agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa to host the World Cup in 2010.

South African officials have strongly denied allegations by US investigators that they paid $US10 million ($A12.85 million) in bribes to secure the rights to host the competition.

Meanwhile, Federal bureaucrats have been contacted by the Australian Federal Police, and members of a proposed senate inquiry committee are seeking answers from Australian football chiefs as scrutiny ramps up into Australia’s doomed 2022 World Cup bid.

Fairfax Media revealed that senior members of the senate committee are set to investigate the nation’s anti-foreign bribery regime and are pushing for Football Federation Australia officials to answer questions about the $500,000 “stadium redevelopment” payment, which was allegedly stolen by disgraced former FIFA executive Jack Warner in 2010.

Blatter’s resignation won’t affect Russia 2018 plan

Russia says the resignation of FIFA President Sepp Blatter hasn’t affected the country’s plans to host the 2018 World Cup.

Russia, which was a staunch supporter of Blatter, says it will continue to work with him until he steps down and a new election for FIFA president is held.

Switzerland has launched an investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, says “we are assuming that Mr. Blatter will fulfil his obligations until the next congress is held, so the work is continuing and our cooperation with FIFA is continuing,” in comments reported by Russia’s Tass agency.

Peskov added: “The main thing is that Russia is continuing its preparations for the 2018 World Cup. All the plans are being implemented and the work is being carried out.”

Russia’s preparations to host the tournament are already well underway, with all of the 12 stadiums either complete or under construction.

On Tuesday, the acting president of the Russian Football Union said he was backing UEFA President Michel Platini to succeed Blatter.

Qatar President welcomes investigation

Qatar’s World Cup football organisers say the recent dramatic events at FIFA would “not impact” on the country’s preparations for its hosting of the controversial 2022 tournament.

In its first direct statement about football’s governing body since Tuesday’s resignation of long-time president Sepp Blatter, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said: “The recent events at FIFA will not impact on our preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.”

The committee on Wednesday said it was “ahead of schedule” as work had already begun on five of the stadiums which will be used during the tournament.

It also added that it was used to attacks on its hosting of the World Cup.

“Qatar has faced criticism from the moment we won the right to bring this tournament to the Middle East for the first time,” it said.

“We remain committed to using the World Cup as a platform to break down prejudice and misconceptions, while leaving a lasting legacy for our country and the rest of the region.”

Blatter’s sensational resignation, together with the US graft probe and the Swiss authorities’ investigation into corruption claims surrounding the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup, has led some to question whether Qatar will be stripped of the tournament.

English football boss Greg Dyke said Qatar should be nervous following Blatter’s decision to stand down after 17 years in charge of FIFA.

Speaking on British television, Football Association chairman Dyke said: “If I was in Qatar, I wouldn’t be very confident.”

Dyke’s call was echoed by the International Trade Union Conference (ITUC). A longtime critic of Qatar’s labour practices, the ITUC said Blatter’s resignation exposed Qatar to losing the tournament in seven years’ time.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said: “Qatar needs to wake up to the reality that the world will not accept a World Cup built on modern slavery.”

However, Qatar has refuted these claims. In response to Dyke, the head of Qatar’s Football Association, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani, told Dyke that Qatar had nothing to hide over its controversial bid.

“Mr Dyke’s instinct to immediately focus on stripping Qatar of the World Cup speaks volumes on his views concerning what will be the first FIFA World Cup to take place in the Middle East,” read the statement. Dyke called Al-Thani’s statement “pathetic” and added: “I think now that the Swiss authorities are investigating the process, we must wait until we’ve seen what happens,” he said.

BLAZER REVELATIONS

“I and others agree that I or a co-conspirator would commit at least two acts of racketeering activity.

“Among other things I agreed with other persons in or around 1992 to facilitate the acceptance of a bribe in conjunction with selection of the host nation for the 1998 World Cup.” (FRANCE)

“In and around 1993 and continuing through the early 2000s I and others agreed to accept bribes and kickbacks in conjunction with the broadcast and other rights to the ’96, ’98, 2000, 2002 and 2003 Gold Cups.

“Beginning in, or around, 2004 and continuing to 2011 I and others on the FIFA executive committee agreed to accept bribes in conjunction with the selection of South Africa as the host nation for the 2010 World Cup.”

It added that Blazer “agreed to participate in a scheme to defraud FIFA and CONCACAF on the right to honest services by taking undisclosed bribes.

“I and others agreed to use email, telephone and a wire transfer into and out of the United States in furtherance of the schemes.

“Funds procurred through these payments passed through JFK Airport in the form of a cheque.”

Perhaps one of the most important lines coming out of Blazer’s admissions is that he was part of a group who accepted bribes for the 1998 World Cup which took place in France.

source:nzherald.co.nz