Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Exclusive: Sanctions block Syria's vital grain trade

Nessuno può pensare che impedire alla Siria di importare grano sia una 
mossa destinata ad affamare Assad e la sua corte: è invece una mossa 
destinata ad affamare i siriani, a cominciare dai più poveri e dai più 
deboli.
 
Il principio è lo stesso applicato a Gaza, e prima ancora in Iraq, 
quando l'embargo sui medicinali colpì duramente le fasce più esposte 
della popolazione causando un numero imprecisato di vittime: se il 
popolo si ostina a non rivoltarsi contro quelli che gli affamatori 
considerano loro nemici ne subisce le conseguenze, in questo caso la fame.
 
La tattica è sempre la stessa: la punizione collettiva sulla popolazione 
civile, che i sedicenti numi tutelari dei diritti umani applicano senza 
rimorsi.
 
Cambiano le modalità di attuazione, ma dal punto di vista concettuale e 
pratico non c'è alcuna differenza con le tattiche repressive usate dai 
nazisti.
 
Ah, se non lo sapeste: anche la UE, e l'Italia in particolare, partecipa 
al crimine.
 
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Exclusive: Sanctions block Syria's vital grain trade
ReutersBy Jonathan Saul | Reuters – 4 hrs ago
 
LONDON (Reuters) - Syria is finding it increasingly hard to buy grain on 
international markets because sanctions have blocked its access to trade 
finance, while growing numbers of its citizens are struggling to obtain 
food after more than a year of conflict.
 
The European Union, the United States and other Western countries have 
imposed sanctions on President Bashar al-Assad's government in response 
to his bloody crackdown on a revolt that has cost more than 10,000 lives.
 
The measures, which include asset freezes and financing restrictions, 
have hurt Syria's vital commercial grain trade.
 
Syria relies on food imports for almost half of its total needs, with 
wheat used for food, while maize and barley are used mainly for animal feed.
 
"Syria has deep problems at the moment finding companies willing to 
offer grain such as barley. You can't open a letter of credit and the 
risks associated with any deal seem to be rising all the time," one 
trade source said.
 
"The Commercial Bank of Syria (the country's largest state-owned bank) 
is not accepted anymore and there are currency related difficulties, so 
they are going to find it hard to meet their grain needs."
 
A Syrian state agency issued an international tender last week to buy 
150,000 metric tonnes (165,347 tons) of feed barley. Last year it 
tendered to buy 500,000 tonnes of feed barley but failed to do so.
 
"Due to the problems they are facing, they are now having to tender for 
smaller parcel sizes," the source said.
 
Last month the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation 
forecast that Syria's cereal import needs in the marketing year 2011/12 
would rise to 4 million tonnes, 1 million tonnes higher than the 
previous year.
 
Separately, the International Grains Council has forecast Syria will 
need to import 900,000 tonnes of wheat in 2011/12, up from 500,000 
tonnes in 2010/11.
 
"Syria is facing trade problems and based on anecdotal reports what 
seems to be happening now is that companies are pulling out of the 
country due to the security and operating risks, so that is a challenge 
for the government in terms of imports," Henry Wilkinson, head of 
intelligence and analysis at the Risk Advisory Group, said.
 
"In Syria bread is subsidized, so controlling bread prices will be an 
important strategy for the government."
 
HUMANITARIAN AID
 
A confidential United Nations aid document obtained by Reuters showed at 
least 1 million Syrians need humanitarian aid.
 
"Access to food has become an increasing issue in Syria," the U.N. aid 
document said.
 
"Over the past 12 months, there have been sharp increases in food prices 
in many locations, unemployment has risen, the Syrian pound has 
depreciated in value; and many of those who have relocated no longer 
have access to subsidized food."
 
In Damascus residents agree. They say prices have more than doubled — 
sugar, rice, meat, grocery and restaurants bills have all gone up. Some 
people said they were stocking up with supplies that would last them at 
least a month.
 
Syria has not published economic figures for a year, making it hard to 
assess accurately the impact of the unrest and sanctions. Louay Hussein, 
an opposition figure, estimated unemployment as high as 80 percent. 
"There is no work, no business, and nothing is working," he told Reuters 
in Damascus.
 
"Now in Syria people are only buying the basics. And some people do not 
have money any more to buy the basics and are living on support from 
others."
 
While western sanctions are not meant to target food imports, the 
complexity of trade, including extensive due diligence, is expected to 
weigh on deals. Legal specialists say for companies operating in the EU, 
dealing with Syrian state entities involved in food or receiving 
payments over a certain amount require authorization from national 
authorities.
 
"No big player would want to burn their fingers on Syria at the moment 
and when it comes to selling on your own name or account, forget it - 
there are just too many hurdles," another trade source said.
 
In contrast, Iran, Syria's main ally in the Middle East, has managed to 
purchase over 2 million tonnes of milling wheat in recent weeks, after 
the Islamic Republic managed to sidestep Western sanctions using 
alternative financing routes.
 
Trade sources said the possibility of merchant vessels being stopped by 
authorities looking for weapons bound for either Assad or the rebels was 
another disincentive.
 
Last week Lebanese authorities seized a consignment of weapons on board 
a container ship heading to the Lebanese port of Tripoli. The weapons 
could have been transported by land from Tripoli to Syrian rebels.
 
"The trade fears more monitoring of merchant vessels in the 
Mediterranean by authorities looking for weapons bound for Syria, which 
is going to create extra problems and raise ... costs," another trade 
source said.
 
RISING FOOD PRICES
 
With the violence continuing despite a ceasefire negotiated last month, 
The World Food Programme said the number of people to whom it was 
supplying aid in Syria was expected to rise to half a million in coming 
weeks from the 250,000 assisted during April.
 
"Informal observations and field monitoring have shown that 
vulnerability to food insecurity has increased dramatically in areas 
affected by the unrest," WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said.
 
"Overall poverty levels are also increasing, access to basic supplies 
and services is deteriorating; since May 2011, prices of most items, 
notably food and fuel, have risen by approximately 50 percent and the 
Syrian pound has devalued by approximately 50 percent against 
international currencies."
 
Trade sources said Syria may need to source its imports via neighboring 
countries such as Jordan and Lebanon and smuggle it in using trucks and 
railcars.
 
"The only way it looks like they will meet some of their needs in the 
short term is by smuggling across the borders," a trade source said. 
"They may also start to use middle men in places like China and Russia."
 
Trade sources added Iran, despite facing sanctions itself from the West, 
was expected to be asked to assist with Syria's grain imports. Such 
consignments could be transported via Iraq or bought on behalf of Syria 
using networks set up by Iran.
 
Iran signed a free trade agreement with Syria last week, Iran's 
state-run Press TV said on its website.
 
"Iran has managed to get round the trade finance restrictions and is 
importing grain, and we should see Syria using the Iranians for grain 
but that will take time," another trade source said. "In the meantime, 
Assad is in the firing line with the West and needs to find solutions fast."
 
(Additional reporting by Michael Hogan in Hamburg, Svetlana Kovalyova in 
Milan, Nigel Hunt and Sarah McFarlane in London, Stephanie Nebehay in 
Geneva and Mariam Karouny in Damascus; Writing by Jonathan Saul; Editing 
by Veronica Brown and Giles Elgood)
 
http://news.yahoo.com/exclusive-sanctions-block-syrias-vital-grain-trade-133348728.html
 
-- 
Sostieni Rete ECO
 
http://rete-eco.it/it/sostienici.html
 
 

 deboli.
 
come i 500.000 bambini irakeni sterminati dalle sanzioni del
"democratico" Clinton, quando all'ONU c'era un tale Kofi Annan. Che mi
pare di aver letto non è contrario a questo sterminio programmato,
anzi...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znQe9nUKzvQ
 

 "democratico" Clinton, quando all'ONU c'era un tale Kofi Annan.
 
Già, ma su questo sentiamo anche Madeleine Albright:
<<Alla domanda di cosa pensasse del fatto che mezzo milione di bambini 
iracheni erano morti come risultato delle sanzioni economiche promosse 
dagli USA: "È stata una scelta molto difficile [...] pensiamo che sia 
valso il prezzo." (12 maggio 1996).
 
Ma io mi chiedo: per la Albright, al secolo Marie Jana Korbelová, cosa 
può valere la vita di 500.000 bambini?  E a cosa è servito quel sacrificio?
 
Il mondo è in mano a mostri come questo, che fingono dolore e afflizione 
per le malefatte di Assad.


per le malefatte di Assad.
 
disse l'amico e sostenitore di tutti i peggiori macellai del mondo... 
 


Di cosa stai parlando, pezzo di merda calunniatore, difensore d'ufficio 
di chi considera la morte di 500.000 bambini un prezzo ragionevole?


 di chi considera la morte di 500.000 bambini un prezzo ragionevole?
 
Numeri in liberta`.


numeri che la Albright non ha mai negato.


mi vuoi dire che le cazzate di persio & co. non sono al primo punto dell'agenda quotidiana del ministro degli esteri USA?
 
SCANDALOSO!

 Di cosa stai parlando, pezzo di merda calunniatore
 
Il pirla fascista è un po' survoltato.
 
 
-- 
“Until the wolf shall lay with lamb, we’d better be the wolves.”
–Ehud Barak

 mi vuoi dire che
 
di fronte a precisa domanda, con quei precisi numeri, della CBS, in
un'intervista faccia a faccia (quindi non si può dire che non avesse
sentito bene), la Albright, che non è pirla come te, non ha risposto
"numeri in libertà", ma "il prezzo è giusto".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4PgpbQfxgo
 
e i "numeri in libertà" sono dell'ONU
Puoi andare, fesso

chi considera la morte di 500.000 bambini un prezzo ragionevole?
 
stai versando tutta la minestra sulla tovaglia... 
 

 di fronte a precisa domanda, con quei precisi numeri
 
la popolazione iraqena e` aumentata di milioni di unita` dai tempi della prima guerra.
 
fattene una ragione.
 

 la popolazione iraqena e` aumentata
 
e quella siriana rispetto a un anno fa pure. Facciamo un monumento ad
Assad e Clinton o alla tua cretinaggine?

 e non so piu` che cazzate inventarmi
 
quoto.
 


sguish, sguish, fa lo stronzo


Come dire che aver sfoltito il gregge ha stimolato nuove nascite, dunque 
è stato positivo...
 
Fai proprio schifo, ma proprio tanto.



Ma quale cretinaggine, questo sa quello che dice.
E' un nazista fatto e finito.
