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:

Panama 'Leaks' Amigos: Limited Hangout Leak

SOURCE http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Dance-to-the-Panama-Papers-Limited-Hangout-Leak-20160405-0036.html Dance to the Panama Papers 'Limited Hangout' Leak By: Pepe Escobar Associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin were revealed to have hundreds of millions of dollars stashed away in offshore accounts. Published 5 April 2016 Pepe Escobar connects the dots. Calling out around the world; time to put on your made in Ecuador Panama hat and frantically start dancing to the ultimate limited hangout leak. And if you believe in the purity of intentions of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) at the center of the leak, I’ve got a made in Shenzhen Panama hat to sell you (disclosure: I never was, and never will be, a member of the ICIJ). The Washington-based ICIJ gets its cash and its "organizational procedure" via the Exceptionalistan-based, Orwellian-named Center for Public Integrity. The funds flow mostly from the Ford Foundation, the Carnegie Endowment, the Rockefeller Family Fund, the Kellogg Foundation and the George Soros-owned Open Society. Then there is Eastern Europe-based partner organization OCCRP, an even more Orwellian outfit self-styled as playing some sort of progressive, alternative media role. OCCRP is funded by Soros and USAID. And finally there’s this fictional land named Panama – a certified U.S. vassal. Absolutely nothing of real substance happens in Panama without a green light by the United States government. Or, as an international tax lawyer told me, “you have to be an idiot to stash money in Panama. You cannot flush a toilet there without the Americans knowing about it.” This sets the scene for the Panama Papers leak – a massive hoard of 11.5 million documents allegedly leaked from someone inside offshore heavies Mossack Fonseca to the center-left, NATO-friendly Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in Munich and then shared by the ICIJ with selected mainstream media partners. Even without a smoking gun, a case can be made this alleged most massive leak ever was obtained by – what else – U.S. intel. This is the kind of stuff the NSA excels at. The NSA is able to break into virtually any database and/or archives anywhere; they steal “secrets;” and then selectively destroy/blackmail/protect assets and “enemies,” according to USG interests.     Absolutely nothing of real substance happens in Panama without a green light by the United States government. That’s the essence of a limited hangout sold to public opinion as a serious corruption investigation. And that’s where Western corporate media enters the scene, protecting whatever 0.00000001 percent honcho is caught in the net, as well as sacrificing some disposable pawns. So we have over 300 reporters pouring over hundreds of thousands of document/files for over an interminable year with, miraculously, no leaks whatsoever; just for a bunch of corporate mainstream media hacks meticulously cherry picked stories and decide what is “newsworthy." Western alternative media would have investigated the data without sparing anyone; but it would be out of the question to grant them access. What’s already certain is that the full extent of the Panama leak will never be known. Even the by now exceedingly pathetic The Guardian admitted, on the record, that "much of the leaked material will remain private". Why? Because it may – inadvertently and directly – implicate a gaggle of Western 0.00000001 percent multibillionaires and corporations. All of them play the offshore casino game (although not necessarily in Panama.) So the Panama Papers, stripped to the bone, may reveal themselves essentially as an infowar operation by the NSA – targeted mostly against “enemies” (as in the BRICS nations) and selected disposable pawns; a weaponized psyops posing as an 'activist leak', straight from the Hybrid War playbook. Step on the Monster Truck A who’s who of wealthy/powerful players has been directly targeted in the Panama Papers, from the – demented – King of Saudi Arabia to former Fiat/Ferrari stalwart Luca de Montezemolo, from Lionel Messi to (unnamed) Chinese Communist Party officials and the brother-in-law of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Extra-juicy element is provided by the presence of Alaa Mubarak – the son of the deposed Egyptian snake; Ayad Allawi, the butcher of Fallujah and former U.S. occupation prime minister; Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (a Saudi protégé, so he must get offshore advice as well); and Dov Weisglass, the butcher of Gaza and former advisor to Israeli Prime Ministers Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert (this one already convicted of corruption.) These are all disposable. We find in the list not only Middle Eastern racketeers but also the token “respectable” European – from Iceland’s Prime Minister (already forced to resign) to David Cameron’s father Ian. And some players that might be considered Exceptionalistan’s friends, such as vulture fund-friendly Argentina President Mauricio Macri and chocolate heavyweight cum Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, who has a lot of funds parked in the British Virgin Islands. Predictably, particular emphasis is on BRICS members – from those mysterious Chinese to Indian companies. As far as Brazil is concerned, there may be a healthy counterpoint; the presence of notoriously corrupt leader of the lower house Eduardo Cunha; his Swiss accounts had surfaced after the HSBC leaks, now some more showed up on the Panama Leaks. Still to be explained is a juicy Brazilian-related angle; whether the Panama Leaks are directly related to the fact that Ramon Fonseca, 50 percent of Mossack Fonseca, was dismissed as president of the Panameñista Party last month because of Operation Car Wash – which targets mostly the ruling Workers’ Party in Brazil. The Panama Papers are in fact a Monster Truck, global version of Car Wash. Lula, predictably, is not on the Panama list – to the despair of the Exceptionalistan-supported regime changers in Brazil, many of them (media barons, bankers, businessmen) featured on the previous HSBC leaks. Regime-Changers-in-Chief, the Globo media empire, are also not on the Panama leaks, although they profit from a certified offshore racket. Syria was always bound to be a key target. Much of Western corporate media “newsworthy” stories now focus on “Assad’s fixer” Rami Makhlouf, described in U.S. diplomatic cables as Syria’s “poster boy for corruption” and under U.S. sanctions since February 2008. Such a convenient target. Yet “poster boy” happened to be quite sheltered by HSBC as well. Putin Did It And so we finally get to the key target of Monster Truck (in Brazil’s Car Wash they are Lula and President Rousseff). It’s got the requisite BRICS angle and it’s a dream spin; cue to virtually every major Western corporate media headline blaring that Vladimir Putin has stashed US$2 billion offshore. The problem is he didn’t. Putin is guilty by association because of his “close associates” Arkady and Boris Rotenberg’s alleged ties to money laundering. Yet three “incriminating” emails in the files happen not to “incriminate” them, or Putin. And then there’s cellist Sergey Roldugin, a childhood friend of Putin’s. Here’s the – politically filtered – spin by the ICIJ: “The records show Roldugin is a behind-the-scenes player in a clandestine network operated by Putin associates that has shuffled at least US$2 billion through banks and offshore companies. In the documents, Roldugin is listed as the owner of offshore companies that have obtained payments from other companies worth tens of millions of dollars. … It’s possible Roldugin, who has publicly claimed not to be a businessman, is not the true beneficiary of these riches. Instead, the evidence in the files suggests Roldugin is acting as a front man for a network of Putin loyalists – and perhaps for Putin himself.” What about rephrasing it as, “the evidence in the files suggests Lionel Messi is acting as a frontman for a network of football loyalists trying to evade the rape of Argentina by U.S. hedge fund vultures friendly to new President and offshore account holder Mauricio Macri”? The juiciest bit is that Moscow knew all along another Hybrid War offensive chapter was imminent, days if not weeks before Panama went viral. Make America Great Again Offshore bank accounts are not intrinsically illegal. Quite a few though involve dodgy money, or at least provide the euphemistic “low-tax environment” fundamental to the very wealthy.     OPINION:     The New Silk Roads and the Rise of the 'Chinese Dream'    It’s not an accident that the Panama Papers unveil connections to several dozen firms and individuals who are prominently featured in U.S. sanctions blacklists. That configures the Panama Papers as even more of a limited hangout; the real Papers would be the Cayman Papers or the Virgin Island Papers. That’s where most of the in-the-know park their money (not to mention Luxembourg). Adding to the hilarity factor, David Cameron suddenly woke up to the need to stop British overseas territories – and Crown dependencies – being used by the wealthy to park their untaxed fortune. It’s never going to happen. The so-called international banking/financial system is a demented casino. It’s not only 8 percent; Hong Kong players tell me as much as 50 percent of global wealth may currently be parked, undisturbed, in untaxable offshore havens. If a fraction of these astonishing funds would be taxed, governments right and left would be paying their debts, investing in infrastructure, launching round after round of sustainable growth, and a productive spiral would be in motion. And that leads us to the cherry in the corruption cake; how come there are no Americans in this limited hangout leak? Of course there are none. Panama is for suckers. Too obvious. Too rakish. Too crude. Ergo, forget about The Cayman Papers. As for foreigners in-the-know, we just need to go back a mere three months ago to this Bloomberg piece, where Andrew Penney, Managing Director of Rothschild & Co., spells it all out; the U.S. “is effectively the biggest tax haven in the world.” The circle is finally squared; Panama is revealed as the patsy – mere collateral damage in this limited hangout Monster Truck operation. Domestic tax haven providers, such as Rothschild, are the real deal. Make America great again? It already is – as the top tax shelter for hardcore dodgy money had to be...a monster Panama: Exceptionalistan itself. Now dance, suckers. Pepe Escobar is a columnist for RT. SOURCE http://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Dance-to-the-Panama-Papers-Limited-Hangout-Leak-20160405-0036.html -------/\/\/ ---------------------- ---------------------- COMMENT Cool article.    Wow, an NSA dunnit?  LOL C'mon, China ... give us real leaks.  ;)