Panama Papers, George Soros, Web of European Entities, US Projection of Influence & History of CIA Propaganda in Europe

SPUTNIK http://sputniknews.com/world/20160407/1037656138/occrp-icij-panama-mariani.html USAID, Soros Funding Explains Lack of US Banks, Citizens in Panama Leaks World 19:46 07.04.2016 French lawmaker Thierry Mariani said that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), is explicit in receiving Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) and USAID funding and it explains why in fact so-called Panama Papers leak has absolutely nothing about US banks or German, American citizens involved in schemes. MOSCOW (Sputnik), Svetlana Alexandrova – US Agency for International Development (USAID) and billionaire investor George Soros funding explains the absence of US banks and citizens implicated in the Panama Papers leak for running offshore schemes, French lawmaker Thierry Mariani told Sputnik on Thursday. Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung published materials on Sunday it claimed to come from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, exposing a number of world leaders and their circles’ alleged involvement in tax haven schemes. One of the newspaper’s project partners, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), is explicit in receiving Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) and USAID funding. "It explains why in fact so-called Panama Papers leak has absolutely nothing about US banks or German, American citizens involved in schemes," Mariani said. The WikiLeaks editorial team drew attention to OCCRP’s funding on Wednesday, saying the Eastern Europe and Central Asia-oriented organization waged a smear campaign against Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'Panama Papers’ report has revealed no new information. We should be mindful of the information on who supports and directly funds the Panama Papers’ report. On the lower portion of the OCCRP’s website it is said that Reporting Project is made possible by a Soros-funded organization and USAID," Mariani echoed WikiLeaks' reminder. Mossack Fonseca earlier responded to media reports by refusing to validate the information contained in the leaks and accused reporters of gaining unauthorized access to its proprietary documents. It warned that using unlawfully-obtained data was a crime that it would not hesitate to punish by legal means. http://sputniknews.com/world/20160407/1037656138/occrp-icij-panama-mariani.html BellingCrap https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/new-bellingcat-project-to-investigate-cross-border-corruption/s2/a562610/ New Bellingcat project to investigate cross-border corruption Collaboration between Bellingcat, Hacks/Hackers London and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) will share information on the latest open-source investigative tools and techniques Posted: 29 September 2014 By: Abigail Edge Open-source investigations site Bellingcat today launched a new project to investigate global networks of crime and corruption. The London Project Investigathon is a collaboration between Bellingcat, Hacks/Hackers London and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). It will bring together journalists, investigators and researchers to share knowledge on the latest open-source tools and techniques required to carry out investigations, by organising regular events to work on live projects. "Because these are transferable skills, we can set them up doing projects that we're giving them but they'll learn stuff that they can use in their own projects," said Eliot Higgins, founder of Bellingcat and the Brown Moses blog on munitions used in the Syrian conflict. Also involved in the Investigathon are journalists from the Financial Times, members of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Bellingcat contributors Peter Jukes, Chris Brace and Oz Katerji. Their first project will be centred around money laundering and, more specifically, money from Eastern Europe which is suspected of being laundered in the UK property market. Higgins said the project is an "extension" of Google Investigathon, held in July to showcase the OCCRP's Investigative Dashboard. Participants will learn to use tools including the OCCRP's Investigative Dashboard, which scrapes data from business registries around the world and makes it searchable to assist those working on cross-border investigations. ... Bellingcat, which launched in July, regularly shares tips, tools and how-to guides on verifying stories and videos using open-source information alongside its own investigations. Two recent projects include locating an Islamic State training camp in Mosul, Iraq and identifying the Buk missile launcher alleged to have shot down flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine. In a similar fashion, the London Project Investigathon's work, tools and techniques will be written up on Bellingcat "so other people can go and do it themselves and learn from us", said Higgins. ... https://www.journalism.co.uk/news/new-bellingcat-project-to-investigate-cross-border-corruption/s2/a562610/ -------/\/\/ Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) f. 2006 Washington based -- website is reportingproject.net -- founded by: -- Drew Sullivan:  was editor of  Centre for Investigative Reporting (CIN) -- & Paul Radu:  worked with Romanian centre -- paired with regional colleagues re energy traders in region -- project won:  Global Shining Light Award   -- awarded by:  Global Investigative Journalism Network -- OCCRP begun with grant from:  United Nations Democracy Fund -- parent org. is the Journalism Development Network, Maryland-based non-profit org.  /  - formed:  08/21/2007 * OCCRP is partially financed by György Soros * OCCRP is partially fianced by USAid OCCRP consortium of investigative centres, media & journalists operating Eastern Europe, Caucasus, Central Asia, Central America early practitioner of collaborative, cross-border investigative journalism by non-profit journalism orgs -- partners with:     -- Arab reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) - Jordan     -- Connectas - Colombia     -- InsightCrime -- Colombia     -- International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) - Washington     -- African Network of Centers for Investigative Reporting - South Africa   -- worked with hundreds of news orgs incl.     -- The Guardian     -- Financial Times     -- Le Soir     -- BBC     -- Time Magazine     -- Al Jazeera     -- plus other major media    * is a Kyiv Post partner -------/\/\/ Paul Radu Paul Cristian Radu investigative journalist based in Bucharest, Romania -- director:  Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) -- co-founder:  Romanian Centre for Investigative Journalism -- teaches (Balkans org) -- 2008 - 'Central European Initiative jury' -- 2009 - 48 Hours / sex slavery Central European Initiative (CEI) -- forum of regional cooperation -- formed Budapest 1989 -- HQ Italy since 1996 -- CEI aims at achieving cohesion in areas of mutual interest -- AND ASSISTING NON-EU MEMBER STATES consolidating economic and social development     -- previously mainly  policy dialogue     -- now 'economic growth' & 'human development' pillars of 'cooperation'     -- focus on 'capacity building' https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_European_Initiative Central European Initiative "regional forum created with the aim to foster the integration of former Soviet ‘satellites’ in the European and Western European co-operation frameworks" http://www.internationaldemocracywatch.org/index.php/central-european-initiative Central European Initiative projects of CEI funded by:  CEI Cooperation Fund to which all Member States contribute The CEI Fund was established in 1992 when Italy signed an agreement with the EBRD “to assist the Bank’s countries of operations in central and eastern Europe in their economic and social transformation process”. The fund, towards which Italy has made a total contribution of €38.5 million since its establishment, is managed by the Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD and provides grant-type technical cooperation (TC) assistance for specific components of the Bank’s projects. Since its inception, the fund has provided more than €23 million for funding TC projects. The fund has also contributed a total of €3.3 million to the Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP) and to cooperation activities assignments, both of which are specific CEI programmes. Technical cooperation projects Technical cooperation projects constitute the largest part of the activity funded by the CEI Fund at the EBRD. CEI technical cooperation is traditionally offered in the form of grant- type assistance. Operations include support for feasibility and pre-feasibility studies, project implementation, management training, capacity building and pre-loan audits. These activities target a number of priority areas including agribusiness, business and finance, energy, institutional development, municipal infrastructure and services, small and medium-sized enterprise support and transport. ... April 2014 Total investments made by the EBRD linked to CEI grants €2.9 billion Funding provided for TC projects €23 million Italian contribution €38.5 million Member states 18 http://www.ebrd.com/downloads/research/factsheets/cei.pdf EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction & Development established Jan. 1993, funded by the Italians CEI permanent working group on minorities & a contact committee. Participation in CEI & working groups seen as way of bringing east European states closer to EU. CEI aims to coordinate Western assistance to post-communist countries in central & eastern Europe.  That is the purpose of the project secretariat in the EBRD. CEI provides institutional framework for multilateral dialogue & cooperation & conssensus-bulding. CEI described as an important 'political coordination club' in Europe. CEI kicked off the 'Europe of the Regions' concept in terms of an EU which is styled as a 'Committtee of Regions' Buzzwords:     -- evolving European architecture     -- European institutions     -- European integration     -- European unification   source:  The International Politics of East Central Europe By Adrian G. V. Hyde-Price The Central European Initiative began life in November 1989, when Italy, Austria, Hungary and Yugoslavia got together to form a body called Quadragonal Co-operation. It was described then as a "platform for mutual political, economic, scientific and cultural co-operation". One of the CEI's main tasks at present is helping the ten non-members of the EU learn from the seven EU members, or in the CEI's jargon "facilitating and co-financing the transfer of know-how on 'fresh' transition and negotiation experience."    http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs/pm-paroubek-to-attend-cei-meeting-in-piestany Paul Radu Paul Cristian Radu stepped down as member of RCIJ  -  2013 RCIJ established 2001 in Romania -- RCIJ:  a founding member of OCCRP in 2006 -- chairman:  Stefan Candea   -- executive committee:                  Sorin Ozon             Catalin Prisacariu             Adrian Mogos             Petru Zoltan             + 2 future appointments             Vlad Ursulean -- reported for Kamikaze weekly & Romania Liberia -- working on transnational investigation re shale gas extraction's impact on locals -- journalist to spend 3 months:  -- New England Center for Investigative Reporting (NECIR) - Boston University -- it appears that journalist is:  Vlad Ursulean, as NECIR dirctor (Joe Bergantino) excited re opportunity to work with 'talented young journalist like Vlad Ursulean" & looks forward to jointly producing an in-depth investigative report on crucial issue for both Europe & the US." 12-WEEK RESIDENCY FUNDED BY A GRANT FROM OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS -- Ursulean to receive training & editorial supervision & guidance -- goal:  produce transnational investigative report & return to Romania with skills needed to boost reporting @ RCIJ The following reporter also Boston residency: Emilia Diaz-Struck from Venezuela who is reporting for Connectas Since 2011:  "RCIJ established a collaborative Media Innovation Lab for Eastern Europe, the Sponge" source https://www.crji.org/press.php archive http://archive.is/ADPKp -------/\/\/ Paul Cristian Radu -- former head of investigative dept of Evenimentul Zilei (daily paper Bucharest) -- at 2008:  worked independently - Romanian Centre of Investigative Journalism -- founded with x2 other journalists -- Jun-Dec. 2001:  Alfred Friendly fellow, team at San Antanio Express-News -- 2002:  Milena Jesenska Press fellow:  Institute of Human Sciences, Vienna, Austria http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Paul_Cristian_Radu Alfred Friendly Foundation American nonprofit foundation that awards Alfred Friendly Press Fellowships created in 1984 by Alfred Friendly, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter / former managing editor Washington Post https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Friendly_Foundation ---------------------- ---------------------- Alfred Friendly Ben Bradlee The following year he joined the staff of the Office of U.S. Information and Educational Exchange, the embassy's special propaganda arm. As Deborah Davis has pointed out: "Bradlee's work for USIE, which is now the USIA, was in something called the Regional Publication Center, or the Regional Service Center. It produced films, magazines, research, speeches, and news items for use by the embassies, the Marshall Plan offices, and the CIA throughout Europe. It controlled Voice of America. The Paris Center was controlled from Washington by a man named Edward Ware Barrett, an assistant secretary of state for public affairs and a seventeen-year veteran of Newsweek." (19) It was claimed by Christopher Reed that "During this period, according to a US justice department memo, Bradlee promulgated CIA-directed European propaganda urging the controversial execution of the convicted American spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg." (20) While at the USIE, Bradlee worked with E. Howard Hunt and Alfred Friendly.  ... In July 1965 Katharine Graham appointed Bradlee as assistant managing editor of the Washington Post under Alfred Friendly, his former colleague at Office of U.S. Information and Educational Exchange. ... Alfred Friendly -- American journalist, editor & writer:  Washington Post -- 1930s:  cover war mobilisation efforts and anti-war strikes -- WWII Air Force, rank of Major / retiring 1945 -- involved in cryptography & intel ops in military -- second in command  at Bletchley Park, highest ranking US officer there -- remained European press aide to W. Averell Harriman, supervisor Marshall Plan -- returned to Washington Post: -- assistant managing editor 1952 -- managing editor 1955 -- associate editor & foreign correspondent London 1966 -- heads to Middle East - Six Day War 1967 (Israel vs Arabs -- retired from Washington Post 1971 -- wrote books after retirement -- on death:  Alfred Friendly foundation established -- administers:  ALFRED FRIENDLY PRESS PARTNERS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Friendly The CIA and the Media How Americas Most Powerful News Media Worked Hand in Glove with the Central Intelligence Agency and Why the Church Committee Covered It Up Carl Bernstein http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article28610.htm More on CIA - Europe LINK | Post ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Found the above really interesting. I've read that Carl Bernstein article before, but I don't remember much anything ... so I might have to read that again (later).  It's so crap having a poor memory. Anyway, I thought all these US crossovers, US patronage, the Soros webs of influence, what amounts to American indoctrination and to projection of American influence across Europe is an interesting, many-headed beast. I'm convinced that the 'Panama Papers' 'leak' slash release is an American PsyOps. USAID's position is sort of explained here in this diagram: