Mideast power brokers call for "Marshall Plan" after unrest

 – Sat, Oct 22, 2011

• • 

    DEAD SEA, Jordan (Reuters) - Arab politicians and financiers at the World Economic Forum in Jordan called on Saturday for a huge injection of cash to narrow the inequalities that led to the Arab Spring revolts against authoritarian regimes across the region.

Senior figures said a home-grown version of the Marshall Plan was needed in the wake of the revolts, which have raised people's hopes for swift economic improvements after decades of corruption and mismanagement.

Under the Marshall Plan, large sums flowed into Western Europe to rebuild the continent, restore productivity and prevent U.S. allies from falling under the Soviet sphere of influence.

"I am afraid that Arab Spring could turn into an autumn if the issue of social justice is not achieved. A Marshall Plan is needed," said Hassan al-Boraei, Egypt's labor minister.

"The old model of relying on state employment and big projects is no longer viable," Boraei said, adding that Egypt needed to find jobs for 950,000 people entering the workforce annually, with unemployment running at 12-17 percent.

So far, the revolts have toppled the leaders of Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, with mass protests continuing in Syria and Yemen, threatening their autocratic presidents.

ANTIQUATED POLICES

"If the Arab Spring hopes to achieve anything it is to attain good governance. This does not necessitate only democracy and freedom but social justice, meaning economic policies that meet popular aspirations," said Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby.

Prominent banker Ibrahim Dabdoub said the proposed "Arab Marshall Plan" could be funded by Gulf petrodollars and regional development banks, as there is little hope for major funding from Western nations dealing with their own economic trouble.

"This region needs 85 million jobs ... and a Marshall Plan with the help of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund has become a pre-requisite of development," said Dabdoub, a Palestinian who heads the National Bank of Kuwait, the country's biggest lender.

Libya's Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril was more skeptical about whether money alone would improve the region's lot, saying "the problem of the Arab world is not a question of money but the management of money."

Making a keynote speech at the conference, Qatar's Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad al-Thani said economic models had only benefited ruling classes and their cohorts, sparking the Arab Spring.

Qatar, an absolute monarchy with one of the world's highest per capita incomes, has played an international role beyond its tiny size by virtue of its natural gas wealth and ownership of the satellite al-Jazeera channel.

Al-Thani did not address the issue of funding but said Arab economic policies that rely on attracting investment in tourism and real estate while ignoring corruption and the need to raise productivity and education standards have largely failed.

 

From my Oct.12th post-

Here's the Platform that the AntiMessiah confirms with the many-  Daniel 9:27, And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. -

'the EU gets it's 'chance to shine'

08/22/11

This is a chance for Europe to shine," said one EU diplomat. "We have a really good story to tell in terms of… contingency planning." the EU has significant funds at its disposal.

In May, the EU bolstered a pot of funds available for its neighbors who are moving toward democracy. That facility currently totals around seven billion euros, all of which could be spent between now and 2013.

Tunisia and Egypt are already receiving funds from the European Neighborhood Policy.

 

Are they headed towards Democracy or Radical Islam?

Libya’s transitional leader signals central role for Islam  Oct 24,2011

BEIRUT – Libya’s new leaders declared their nation “liberated” on Sunday, paving the way for elections and a constitution that the revolutionary government says will put the country on a path to its first representative democracy.

The long-awaited pronouncement came with a heavy dose of Islamist sentiment, as Mustafa Abdul-Jalil, leader of the transitional government, embraced the Muslim code known as Shariah as a foundation for future legislation.

 

From my post 'Huge Butterfly in the Red Sea'

The only two men I have ever placed so profoundly in Bible Prophecy:

King Abdullah II of Jordan- False Prophet

HRH Prince Charles of British Monarchy- Antimessiah or Antichrist

And where are they now?

 

Jordan's king urges restart of Mideast peace talks 10/22/11 
Associated Press

SOUTHERN SHUNEH, Jordan — Jordan’s King Abdullah on Saturday urged Israel and the Palestinians to look to the Arab Spring uprisings for inspiration and to restart their stalled peace talks.

• "The future for the Middle East and beyond is with the normalcy of peace," Abdullah told the opening of a two-day special meeting of the Davos-based World Economic Forum, held on the shores of the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth. 

Also at the gathering in Jordan, Libya's acting Prime Minister Mahmoud Jibril said his country has used 62 percent of its oil resources under deposed Moammar Gadhafi.

"We only have 32 percent left," he told the AP.

"We have to look for other sources of income in the next 20 years," he said. "The time is limited and it's very critical. Therefore, we have to utilize it well to look for other alternatives."

 

Charles to tour Gulf Oct. 13,2011

Prince Charles is to embark on a tour of the Gulf to recognise the changes brought about by the Arab Spring uprising. The 10-day trip starts with the Gulf visit at the end of the month.

 

And Harold Camping isn't the only one warning of an Apocalyptic demise:

Britain can’t save Europe, but we might still save ourselves

19Oct 2011

The eurozone debt crisis is beyond the Continent’s leaders. Chancellor George Osborne needs to prepare for the worst.

Riot police officers clash with protesters during demonstrations outside the parliament in Athens yesterday. Unions had launched a two-day general strike Photo: 19 Oct 2011

It has been another week of apocalyptic warnings and high drama. “Time is running out,” said Sir Mervyn King, the Governor of the Bank of England, even as Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, warned that talks aimed at dousing the eurozone flames had broken down.

 

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- European leaders reached the halfway mark of their marathon to end the debt crisis, outlining plans to aid banks and ruling out tapping the European Central Bank’s balance sheet to boost the region’s rescue fund.

The complete blueprint won’t come together until a summit in two days (Wednesday Oct.26), giving German Chancellor Angela Merkel time to go back to Berlin to brief her lawmakers and seek their approval for the next steps. Like yesterday, it will start with all 27 EU leaders before the 17 heads of euro economies gather on their own.

“Work is going well on the banks, and on the fund and the possibilities of using the fund, the options are converging,” French President Nicolas Sarkozy told reporters at the Brussels summit yesterday. “On the question of Greece, things are moving along. We’re not there yet.”

Expressing concern over the potential impact on their nations, world leaders including President Barack Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao have stepped up calls for Europe to defuse the risk to the global economy.

China is ready to cooperate with the EU on investment, finance and trade, Jiang Yu, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, told reporters in Beijing today.

“We believe the difficulties of the European countries are temporary and we have faith in the fact that they will be able to join their hands in tackling the financing crisis,” Jiang said.

 

European Stocks Rise on China Growth

- Oct 24, 2011 

• European stocks climbed for a second day as signs of stronger growth in China and Japan outweighed a selloff in Greek lenders after a meeting of euro-area leaders discussed the region’s debt crisis.

Does it all hinge on China and those BRIC Nations?

Let's hope there are no Major Quakes and Tsunamis near the Malacca Straits.

Maritime chokepoints critical to petroleum markets

Global Oil Chokepoints

Source: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Note: Circles represent millions of barrels per day transported through each chokepoint

The Strait of Malacca, located between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Pacific Ocean. Malacca is the shortest sea route between Persian Gulf suppliers and the Asian markets. It is the key chokepoint in Asia with an estimated 13.6 million bbl/d flow in 2009.

 

Mid-Point - March 21st 2013

God Bless,

gail