Saudi Arabia Threatened to Sell European Debts if G7 Confiscates Russian Assets
Saudi Arabia threatened to sell off some of its European debt holdings earlier this year if the G7 went forward with rumored plans to seize nearly $300 billion in Russian assets it had frozen.
One source who was aware of the discussions described it to Bloomberg as a “veiled threat,” while two sources said that the Saudis explicitly mentioned debt issued by the French treasury.
These threats came at a time when the G7 was said to be considering a number of options when it comes to handling the funds it seized belonging to the Russian central bank. While the U.S. and U.K. pushed for aggressive options such as a direct seizure, some of the European nations in the G7 opposed it on the grounds that it could undermine their currency. They ultimately all agreed to use the profits generated by the assets while leaving the assets themselves untouched.
The sources said they think the Saudis’ threat played a role in the European nations’ unwillingness to seize all of the funds.
It is believed that Saudi Arabia’s holdings of Euro and French bonds totals tens of billions of euros, and while this may not have been enough to cause significant concern, there were worries that other countries could have followed suit and sold off their own debt holdings in protest of a G7 seizure.
Although a Saudi official insisted that the government does not normally issue this type of threat, they conceded that they may have informed G7 nations of the consequences that any seizures could bring. The Kingdom changed its position on the matter after the G7 countries eventually opted for a proposal that did not involve keeping the assets.
Saudi Arabia positioning itself as a diplomatic power
Sources familiar with the discussions said that they were not sure if Saudi Arabia made the threats out of fear that a potential seizure could set a precedent that could be used against other nations in the future or if they did so as a demonstration of support for Russia.
Although Saudi Arabia and Russia continue to enjoy close relations, the Kingdom has also cultivated a relationship with Ukraine, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky even visited the country in June for a meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. However, if forced to commit to one side, there is no doubt they would fall squarely on the side of Russia.
Bloomberg notes that the act illustrates the increasing power of Saudi Arabia on the world stage and the trouble the G7 has faced in getting support from the Global South for Ukraine. If Saudi Arabia could create enough panic to sway G7 decisions, they have far more leverage than it might appear. Interestingly, the kingdom has said that it would like to mediate between Russia and Ukraine.
During the G7 summit in Italy last month, the countries agreed to a plan that will see Ukraine receiving around $50 billion in loans, which will come from the profits generated by the blocked Russian funds sitting in Europe.
This isn’t the first time Saudi Arabia has flexed this particular muscle; in 2016, it threatened then-President Barack Obama to liquidate $750 billion worth of U.S. treasuries it owned if it was determined to be responsible for the September 11 attacks; this would have likely led to a bond market crash.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone Believes The Deep State May Assassinate Joe Biden
Founder of the Original Black Panther Party Endorses President Trump in Epic Interview with Alex Jones
On the Thursday Alex Jones Show, Larry Pinkney tells Jones that he endorses Donald Trump for President.
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EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone Believes The Deep State May Assassinate Joe Biden
More Than 4 in 5 Germans are Dissatisfied With Government, Damning Poll Reveals
German voters are extremely dissatisfied with the work of the government, according to a July survey by ARD-DeutschlandTREND.
The most dissatisfied with the government are voters of the right-wing AfD, with exactly 0 percent saying they are satisfied with the government’s work, followed by voters of the left-wing BSW party with just a 3 percent satisfaction rate.
The most content are the Social Democrats and the Greens, but they are also extremely divided on the issue, with only half the supporters of both parties saying they were pleased with the current direction the government is taking the country.
No German voters said they were “completely satisfied” with their government.
Overall dissatisfaction with government policies rose to 81 percent, with 38 percent saying they were “not at all satisfied.”
The country is currently governed by the so-called traffic-light coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrats (SPD), the Free Democrats (FDP) and the Greens.
Politicians’ individual results also paint an interesting picture. Germans are most satisfied with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (53 percent) while only 21 percent are satisfied with Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Interestingly, Sarah Wagenknecht, who founded the leftist BSW party just over a year ago, is already more popular than the chancellor with 23 percent of Germans satisfied with the star of the German left. The other anti-establishment party, the right-wing AfD leader Alice Weidel, has 20 percent of Germans satisfied with her, just behind Scholz.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone Believes The Deep State May Assassinate Joe Biden
Mexican Cartels Sending Young Men in Military Uniforms Across US Border via Remote Parts of Arizona
Residents of remote areas in Arizona are reporting floods of “fighting-age males” equipped with military uniforms making their way from Mexico into the U.S. in areas that aren’t manned by Border Patrol agents.
Judicial Watch recently published a report on the problem, which is being largely ignored by the mainstream media, with photos, diagrams and firsthand accounts of how the residents of rural Arizona towns are being terrorized by the influx and the many dangers it presents.
They explain how Pima and Santa Cruz counties have been hit with incredible amounts of crime and violence as Mexican cartels cross there and carry out their human and drug smuggling activities. Several cattle farmers there running farms that have been in their families for generations have captured thousands of illegal immigrants making their way through their property on private security cameras.
One law enforcement official told the organization: “Violent activity has drastically increased over the past three years since the border is now perceived to be wide open.”
Arivaca has been particularly hard hit. Situated 11 miles away from Nogales, Mexico, this cattle ranching town is seeing many longtime residents leaving out of fear. Although there is a Border Patrol checkpoint east of the town, the Department of Homeland Security does not plan to send any agents there, despite reports by residents and other law enforcement agents of masses of young men entering the country there in what is clearly an organized operation on the part of Mexican cartels.
One law enforcement source reported: “They are unemployed, the majority are fighting age males and there is a strong possibility some have undergone some level of insurgency training.”
The men wear matching camouflage military uniforms and carry camouflaged backpacks. They are also using carpet booties to avoid creating footprint tracks, and ranchers are finding large numbers of discarded carpet booties on their land. This is posing a serious danger to cattle who consume them.
One rancher in the area said he has recorded more than 3,500 illegal immigrants on his property since Biden took office – a tenfold rise over what he saw while Trump was president. He also said that he hasn’t seen Border Patrol agents for quite some time as they struggle to stay on top of the influx of migrants.
Ranchers told to avoid certain areas of their own property in wake of cartel danger
The problem is so bad that one rancher, who was afraid to share his name, said that they’ve been told by law enforcement not to go to certain areas of their own ranches and to especially avoid going out there when it’s dark outside. One rancher said that the U.S. Forest Service told him they aren’t monitoring enclosure areas that were set up there for endangered species because of the risks.
The problem is driving longtime residents away; the population of 1,200 who lived there just a few years ago has already dropped down to around 600.
Jim Chilton, a longtime resident of Arivaca whose ranch sits against 5.5 miles off the border, complained that the fencing is broken and he said he sees migrants nearly every time he drives near the border area of his property. The 84-year-old also said his ranch home has been broken into multiple times and many of those crossing are bringing drugs, which he sometimes finds on his property.
This is not just having an effect on residents; the trash and human waste being left behind by migrants and smugglers is impacting the environment and livestock who live there. Many cattle have become ill from consuming plastic waste, while others are dying after ingesting small amounts of drugs stuck on the wrappers discarded by smugglers. The border is so easy to crossthat dozens of Mexican cattle have also been caught on their land, potentially exposing American cattle to new strains and diseases that could contaminate the American beef supply.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone Believes The Deep State May Assassinate Joe Biden
Illegal Alien Wanted for Child Sex Assault Caught in Smuggling Bust
An illegal alien wanted for sex crimes against a child in Nevada was caught on his way to smuggle fellow illegals in Texas this week, authorities say.
On Wednesday, Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) troopers pulled over a suspicious sedan on US-57 in Zavala County.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Jose Manuel Ortez Guillan, told troopers he was “in the area to smuggle illegal immigrants but had not received the pickup location from the smuggling organization,” according to TxDPS.
TX DPS TROOPER ARREST ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WANTED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A CHILD
— Chris Olivarez (@LtChrisOlivarez) July 11, 2024
7/10: A @TxDPS Trooper stopped a Chevrolet Malibu on US-57 in Zavala County.
The driver, Jose Manuel Ortez Guillan, an illegal immigrant from Honduras who lives in Houston, traveled to Zavala County to… pic.twitter.com/0Myaojzbzi
Troopers discovered Ortez Guillan is a citizen of Honduras who has been illegally residing in Houston.
They also learned that authorities in Las Vegas, Nevada, had issued a warrant for Ortez Guillan’s arrest for sexual assault of a child under the age of 14.
When asked if he had previously lived in Las Vegas, Ortez Guillan initially said he had not, but later admitted that when he “arrived,” he had resided there.
“Yeah, but it’s been a long time. Three months already,” he told a TxDPS trooper.
Ortez Guillan was arrested at the scene.
No further details have been released.
InfoWars has been documenting the surge of crime fueled by the ongoing Biden border invasion.
Oil & Gas Industry Critic in Canadian Senate Flew 100K Km in Past Year to Climate Conferences: Report
OTTAWA, Ontario (LifeSiteNews) — Environmental hypocrisy from left-leaning Canadian politicians has again been exposed after records show a senator known for her opposition to the nation’s oil and gas industry in the past year alone jetted over 100,000 kilometers to attend so-called “climate change” conferences.
Senator Rosa Galvez, who was appointed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in 2016, according to newly filed records as per Blacklock’s Reporter, show that over the past year she flew some 100,084 kilometers (62,189 miles) to attend climate change junkets.
Galvez’s multiple trip charges were said to have been paid by the Parliamentarians’ Network for a Fossil Fuel Free Future along with the American Society of Civil Engineers and other sponsors.
According to the records, Galvez continued to speak harshly against oil and gas, which is a large part of the Canadian economy, right up until taking a jet to fly to a May 25 Casablanca conference on “energy justice.”
The senator also attended a May 2 meeting in Sao Paulo, Brazil about “fossil fuel phaseout in the Amazon” as well as multiple other conferences whose themes were focused on phasing out the use of oil and gas.
Galvez is a self-described environmentalist, and according to her official biography, she is one of Canada’s “leading experts in pollution control and its effects on human health.” She has claimed that the “climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our time and will require an unprecedented transformation.”
Thus far, she has not commented on her recently disclosed travel.
In 2019, as chair of the environment committee, she was tasked with overseeing hearings on a bill that was ruled unconstitutional, which impacts Canada’s oil and gas sector, that is Bill C-69, also known as the “no-more pipelines” bill.
Since taking office in 2015, the Trudeau government has continued to push a radical environmental agenda like the agendas being pushed by the World Economic Forum’s “Great Reset” and the United Nations’ “Sustainable Development Goals.”
When it comes to so-called man-caused “climate change,” which leftists have been preaching about for years, a June 2017 peer-reviewed study by two scientists and a veteran statistician found that most of the recent global warming data have been “fabricated by climate scientists to make it look more frightening.”
LifeSiteNews recently reported on another display of hypocrisy on how Canada’s “Climate Change Ambassador,” appointed by self-proclaimed socialist Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, has billed taxpayers $254,000 for travel expenses in just two years on the job.
There have been two recent court rulings that have dealt a blow to Trudeau’s environmental laws, however, after provinces including Alberta and Saskatchewan took on the federal government over laws impacting the oil and gas industry.
The most recent was the Federal Court of Canada on November 16 overturned the Trudeau government’s ban on single-use plastic, calling it “unreasonable and unconstitutional.”
The second ruling comes after Canada’s Supreme Court recently sided in favor of provincial autonomy when it comes to natural resources. The Supreme Court recently ruled that Trudeau’s law, C-69, dubbed the “no-more pipelines” bill, is “mostly unconstitutional.” This was a huge win for Alberta and Saskatchewan, which challenged the law in court. The decision returned authority over the pipelines to provincial governments, meaning oil and gas projects headed up by the provinces should be allowed to proceed without federal intrusion.
The Trudeau government, however, seems insistent on defying the recent rulings by pushing forward with its various regulations.
It has also used the vlimate “change” agenda to justify applying a punitive carbon tax to Canadians. As reported by LifeSiteNews, Trudeau’s carbon tax is costing Canadians hundreds of dollars annually, as government rebates are not enough to compensate for high fuel costs.
EXCLUSIVE: Roger Stone Believes The Deep State May Assassinate Joe Biden