Christian Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq

GMT 6-8-2007 15:51:43
Assyrian International News Agency
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The Christians in Iraq live in fear. From Saddam's arbitrariness, one has been thrown into a nightmare which does not have an ending. All in front of a passive surrounding world. Father Ragheed Ganni and his three deacons were told to get out of their car; right after mass was finished in the Catholic church: The Church of the Holy Spirit, in Mosul, northern Iraq last Monday evening. The armed men who had stopped the car, first tortured the priest by shooting his arm off, according to Expressen, and then proceeded in executing him and his followers. Afterwards a bomb was placed next to the car, so that the bodies would not be removed too quickly. They would lie there placed on public display to elucidate the threat.

This is just the latest of attacks against the remains of Christians in Iraq. In statistics, they are called Iraqis, but they are Assyrians, also called Chaldeans and Syriacs, belonging to different churches, and consider themselves the natives of Mesopotamia. In statistics, the numbers are small, but the reports are bloody and show a systematic violence which serves only one purpose: Flee or die. Innumerable churches have been bombed, religious and political representatives have been kidnapped and beheaded, and nuns have been raped. Christian women in Baghdad are forced to wear a veil, in order not to be targeted for violence. In December 2006, several Christmas tree vendors were abducted and killed. At local elections in 2005, around 40,000 Assyrian votes disappeared in the area around Mosul. Without any measures taken. The brutality and the threats against the Assyrian population must be paid attention to. What goes on in Iraq is nothing but a quiet, ethnic, cultural and religious cleansing. The country, just as the rest of the Middle East, is being emptied of its Christians. It is a trauma for those affected, and it changes the demography in the area in a most tangible way. For the Assyrians, their thoughts go back to World War I, when around a million were butchered by the Turkish state and their Kurdish neighbors. All while the rest of the world watched without interfering. Still, neither the world ! nor the perpetrators have admitted the genocide of 1915. In light of this fact, today's events are all the more frightening.

During the first Iraqi war, the Christians of the country were estimated to be around two million in number. Today the number is 800,000. The numbers are uncertain, because one does not know how many have fled. But what is clear is that the Christians are highly overrepresented in the groups of refugees. Many of them are in Sweden, where father Ragheed Ganni also worked in the Church of St John in Södertälje. But most of the people fleeing, remain in countries such as Jordan and Syria. Where they live under very strenuous circumstances. Before the invasion many feared that the Christians would risk being punished for the American "crusade". But that fear was still mixed with real hopes of a better life in freedom, maybe with an autonomy of their own in the Plains of Ninewe, where the Assyrians are in majority. But no party to the conflict has shown political or economic support for such a solution. What before the war looked like a possibility for Assyrians, after 2,000 years of persecutions, to be able to govern themselves in their own area, became a nightmare. Those responsible for the invasion must take their political responsibility, especially in favor of the defenceless people, and stop the ethnic cleansing. The Assyrians must be guaranteed full safety.

May 23: 2954
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June 6, 3120 ll:59 p.m.
June 7 3130

June 8, 2007
Op-Ed Columnist
Reviving the Hamilton Agenda

By DAVID BROOKS
These days there seem to be four schools of political economic thought. First, there are the limited government conservatives, who think taxes should be low and the state should be as small as possible. Second, there are the Hamiltonians, who believe in free market capitalism but think government should help people get the tools they need to compete in it.

Third, there are the mainstream liberals, who think government should intervene in small ways throughout the economy to soften the effects of creative destruction. Fourth, there are the populists, who believe the benefits of the global economy are going to the rich and we need to fundamentally rewrite the rules.

If you are reading this column, you’re keeping company with somebody in group No. 2. We Hamiltonians disagree with the limited government conservatives because, on its own, the market is failing to supply enough human capital. Despite all the incentives, 30 percent of kids drop out of high school and the college graduation rate has been flat for a generation.

Just when it needs a more skilled work force, the U.S. is getting a less skilled one. This is already taking a bite out of productivity growth, and the problem will get worse.

We Hamiltonians disagree with the third group, the mainstream liberals, because their programs haven’t worked out. Retraining programs for displaced workers have flopped. Tax code changes to reduce outsourcing are symbolic. Federal jobs programs aren’t effective. Moreover, the high taxes you need to pay for these programs sap the economy. There’s now a pile of evidence showing that higher taxes mean reduced working hours. In the face of Chinese and Indian competition, we don’t need Americans working less.

We Hamiltonians disagree with the populists because we don’t find their storyline persuasive. The populists argue that global trade is creating a race to the bottom that is leading to stagnant wages and vast inequality. But when you look at the details, you find that most inequality is caused by a rising education premium, by changes in household and family structure, by the fact that the rich now work longer hours than the less rich and by new salary structures that are more tied to individual performance. None of this can be addressed by changing global trade rules.

The global economy radically decreased poverty and increased living standards. It’s crazy to upend this complex system to return to some nostalgic vision of a 1950s industrial wonderland.

When it comes to what Hamiltonians are actually for, two big themes stand out. First, the overall economy has to remain dynamic. The biggest threat is the looming wall of entitlement debt. We Hamiltonians would break the current campaign silence on the issue by raising the retirement age and tackling medical inflation to make Medicare affordable.

The second big theme is a human capital agenda. No one policy can increase the quality of human capital, but a lifelong portfolio of policies can make a difference.

Children do better when raised in stable two-parent families. Bigger child tax credits and increasing the earned income tax credit can reduce the economic strain on young families (and shift the tax burden to older, affluent ones). Extending government income support to young men in exchange for work would make them more marriageable.

Nurse practitioners who make home visits can stabilize disorganized, single-parent families. Quality preschool can help young children from those disorganized homes develop the self-motivation skills they’ll need to succeed.

The most important thing in a school is quality teachers. That means there should be merit pay for the best, and a change in the certification rules (we should allow more people into the profession and weed out the mediocre ones, regardless of their certification).

Senior citizen groups could mentor students to keep them emotionally engaged during college years. National service should be a rite of passage, forcing city kids to work with rural kids, and vice versa.

Middle-aged workers need portable pensions and health insurance so they can move and take risks. The immigration system should reward skills, like the college admissions system. The government should increase funding for basic research, especially in math, engineering and physics.

The list could go on. My goal here is merely to describe the different economic policy schools that are out there, and to emphasize my favorite, the one least represented by the current presidential candidates.

Government is really bad at rigging or softening competition. It can do some good when it helps people compete.

The International Gold Rush

From OWS Magazine | April 2007 Issue

By George H. Walper Jr., Catherine S. McBreen
April 1, 2007 - "Invest in Macedonia--New Business Heaven in Europe." It's hard to miss those quarter-page ads in The Wall Street Journal.

But Macedonia, a business heaven? The last we heard of that country, it was the birthplace of Alexander the Great. And yet Macedonia--an impoverished, landlocked Balkan nation--has launched a 35-country media blitz aimed at attracting foreign investment. It's a long shot, but it just might work.

Why? Because anything associated with the words "international investment" has a certain untamed, heady allure that domestic investments haven't had since dot-com fever first hit the industry nearly a decade ago. (Yes, even a landlocked, impoverished Balkan nation has possibilities during a gold rush.)

Gauging from the foreign stock bull runs that have far outstripped domestic returns--plus the gold-rush atmosphere on the fast and furious streets of Brazil, Russia, India and China--it's no wonder that wealthy American individuals are pouring more of their dollars into the international pot, even with the recent global meltdown.

Many affluent clients, who are often quite intuitive, are taking an increasingly global route in their travels. Naturally, their investment predilections are following suit. These individuals have seen their investments in exotic equities from Peru, Namibia, Venezuela, China and Vietnam double last year. But they've witnessed a roller-coaster performance in 2007. Foreign equities had a sluggish start earlier this year, then saw a subsequent rise toward all-time highs (as evidenced by the Dow Jones Industrial World Index, excluding the U.S.). Now, many millionaires are primed to build on the international successes of last year, which means 2007 will find wealthy investors continuing to go global.

Research from Spectrem Group finds that more than one-third of high-net-worth investors (clients with net worths of $5 million or more, not including personal residences) are planning to increase their international investments in the next 12 months. This is great news for financial advisors, because the operating word is "increase"--an indication that affluent clients often already hold international assets that they plan to augment.

Now it gets really interesting. Spectrem research also finds that investors who are totally dependent on advisors are the least likely (21%) to increase their international investments, while those who are advisor-assisted (43%) are the most likely to do so. And the percentages basically don't change when broken out by age or wealth level. So what does this mean for an advisor's practice?

Advisors With Dependent Clients

Congratulations to advisors in this group, many of whom have already included international investments in their clients' portfolios. Advisor-dependent clients aren't likely to seek international diversification without their advisors' recommendations.

But for advisors in this group who haven't already upped the international ante, now may still be a good time to explore the idea with clients who have appropriate risk profiles. The secret may be to start with lower-risk vehicles. It's well known that international diversification doesn't necessarily mean greater risk. Many foreign blue chips are just as predictable as their domestic counterparts. And according to Spectrem's research, 44% of affluent investors already own international mutual funds, which are designed to be less risky than individual equities.

Advisors With Assisted Clients

Members of this group, who assist their affluent clients with their investment decisions in a collaborative manner, find their clients to be highly receptive when it comes to making appropriate international recommendations--especially if they're incremental. After all, their customers are the most likely (43%) of all four client groups to increase their international exposure in the next 12 months.

Special Events Clients

Despite the recent market turbulence that began in China, advisors will still find many opportunities to increase their impact on clients in this category. These so-called "special events clients" may initially be out to make a one-time play (the eponymous "special event") in the international arena. But that foot in the door can also lead to more profitable long-term relationships. For advisors, the ability to talk knowledgeably about global investments and effectively market that expertise is essential to serving investors in this category--39% of whom expect to increase usage of international investments in the next 12 months.

Self-Directed Clients

According to Spectrem, 41% of the investors in this group--who march to the beat of their own drum--plan to increase their use of international investments in the next 12 months. This is another opportunity for savvy advisors. Again, a demonstrated knowledge of--and expertise in--international vehicles is essential. Self-directed clients are often more attuned to market conditions and trends than other investors. Still, as with special events clients, starting out small with these individuals can ultimately lead to broader relationships with them.

Spectrem research shows that affluent investors require advisors to earn their loyalty by providing quick responses to queries, as well as by offering personalized service and collateral. Merely sending out a brochure on international opportunities won't be enough to capture new, affluent clients. The moral of the story is that advisors must have personal referrals, and they must demonstrate their international expertise. By doing so, these professionals can boost their value in the eyes of wealthy clients, as well as deepen their relationship with existing ones.

George H. Walper Jr. is president and Catherine S. McBreen is managing director of Spectrem Group (www.spectrem.com), a Chicago-based strategic consulting firm specializing in the affluent and retirement markets.

TURKISH MILITARY SAYS 'LIMITED' OPERATION CARRIED OUT IN IRAQ... A
Turkish military source told Reuters that Turkish troops carried out
a limited operation in northern Iraq against Turkish-Kurdish fighters
of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) on June 6, the news agency
reported the same day. "This cannot be called a cross-border
operation, it is a limited operation," the source said. In Ankara,
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters that "there is
no incursion into any other country at the moment." PKK military
commander Bahouz Ardal told Reuters that the reports of an incursion
were fabricated to test public reaction. "These reports are a test
balloon from the Turkish Army...to calm internal Turkish opinion,
which is expecting a move against the PKK, and to test the reaction
of the United States, Iraq, Kurdish parties, and the PKK," Ardal
said. Turkey has threatened unilateral military action against the
PKK since 2004, but has yet to launch a major attack across the
border into Iraq. Meanwhile, the Turkish General Staff has announced
a ban on all traffic across Turkey's borders into and out of Iraq,
Istanbul-based "Hurriyet" reported on June 7. The daily said the ban
was announced on June 6, and applies to land and air travel. The army
will reportedly enforce the ban through September 9. KR