(April 14, 2023)
Peo0le with clearance and access to „Top Secret“ U.S.federal government information, by employee type
Government 605.579
Contractor 472.576
Other 173.803
Total 1.251.958
As of Oct.1, 2019
Source: Office of the Director of National Intelligence via Federation of American Scientists
(July 20, 2010)
The Post investigation uncovered what amounts to an alternative geography of the United States, a Top Secret America created since 9/11 that is hidden from public view, lacking in thorough oversight and so unwieldy that its effectiveness is impossible to determine.
It is also a system in which contractors are playing an ever more important role. The Post estimates that out of 854,000 people with top-secret clearances, 265,000 are contractors. There is no better example of the government‘s dependency on them than at the CIA, the one place in government that exists to do things overseas that no other U.S. agency is allowed to do.
(…)
Contractors kill enemy fighters. They spy on foreign governments and eavesdrop on terrorist networks. They help craft war plans. They gather information on local factions in war zones. They are the historians, the architects, the recruiters in the nation‘s most secretive agencies. They staff watch centers across the Washington area. They are among the most trusted advisers to the four-star generals leading the nation‘s wars.
First, history has shown that governments and bureaucracies tend to become addicted to a war footing, with failure sucking them in further — think of America’s war on terror, or Vietnam. War encourages a perverse cycle of escalation in which huge financial and political gains accrue for governments and the military-industrial complex while the costs tend to be borne by weaker parties — before they start to come home in some shape or form.
We’ve called this bipartisan pattern “wreckonomics” and have found it especially present in wars or conflicts with costs that Western politicians can largely outsource — from fighting terrorism, drugs and smugglers to quasi-colonial interventions during the Cold War.
(November 2, 2024)
The daily continued to criticise the stances of these two countries, comparing them to some European nations that have tense relations with Iran.
As western sanctions against Iran have increased in recent years, Tehran has strengthened economic ties with Moscow and Beijing, with one key outcome being the sale of cheap oil to China.
He now has the political capital for negotiations that could set the country‘s next budget and allow him to continue to call the shots for at least another year in the multi-front regional war Israel is fighting.
„He feels he is winning,“ one of Netanyahu‘s aides told Axios.
The six-time prime minister will outlast President Biden, who has largely failed in his attempts to contain the conflict in the Middle East and rein in Netanyahu.
Even more surprising is the Israeli public’s near-total embrace over the last three weeks of Netanyahu’s declared desire to prosecute a war for “total victory”. Prior to this, hundreds of thousands of people were out on the streets, demanding a “deal now” and accusing the prime minister of prolonging the war for his own ends.
Now, it seems the majority of Israel’s Jewish public, from Ben Gvir supporters to fans of the centre-left Zionist Yair Golan, wants a never-ending war. Even the first casualties from the ground invasion of Lebanon are not shifting this support – at least so far.
U.S. crude oil prices rose more than 4% on Thursday, on pace for a third consecutive session of gains on fears that Israel could strike Iran‘s oil industry in retaliation for Tehran‘s ballistic missile attack this week.
The president was asked about a potential strike on the oil infrastructure of Iran, which accounts for about 2 percent of the world’s supply.
Prior to merging it with the newly declared union, Organi led the Union of Sinai Tribes (UST), a pro-government paramilitary group set up in 2015 to support the Egyptian army in its battles against a local offshoot of the Islamic State (IS). The UST’s mission in Sinai has been unclear since the IS-affiliate group known as the Sinai Province was officially defeated in 2022.
The bloody, 10-year campaign in the Sinai has almost completely razed Rafah and uprooted thousands of members of the indigenous Bedouin population, leaving most towns and villages pulverised.
(04.04.2024)
Wednesday’s demonstration was held in front of the Journalists‘ Syndicate in Cairo, where dozens of journalists and activists gathered to protest against the ongoing Israeli onslaught on Gaza.
Activists shared videos of one of the protesters chanting against business tycoon and government ally Ibrahim al-Organi, whose companies have been charging Palestinians thousands of dollars to exit Gaza.
(02.04.2024)
With the onslaught of new wars, Congress added $70 billion over the last two years to an already bloated Pentagon budget, much of which is funneled directly into the coffers of defense contractors like Palatir, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman. The stock values in these companies have since experienced double-digit growth – a lucrative business opportunity not overlooked by lawmakers calling the shots.
At least 25 members of Congress sitting on national security committees have simultaneously purchased stock in these very same companies. The majority of these members sit on the Senate and House Armed Services committees, the entities responsible for overseeing the Defense Department budget and contracts.
(02.11.2023)
Since the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed, shares of Boeing Co, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Technologies (RTX) have all increased in value, collectively adding roughly $23 billion in market capitalization.
In the weeks preceding the attack, Markwayne Mullin, Kevin Hern, Bill Keating, and Josh Gottheimer purchased shares of those defense companies.
(18.10.2023)
When war breaks out, defense companies tend to make money. That means aerospace and defense stocks tend to rise during geopolitical unrest.
This month, a small tent cost Abu Salah 700 shekels, or about $185, he said. That‘s cheap, he added: People occupying nearby shelters paid double, or more.
„Opportunists are making use of this war. They hope this war continues so they can keep making money,“ Abu Salah said.
Some people have posted on social media offering tents for rent or sale. Some may be trying to make money, Palestinians told NPR, while others say they were forced to sell shelter materials in order to pay for food and water.
The visits came ahead of Kyiv‘s first Defence Industries Forum, where Ukrainian officials were set to meet representatives from over 160 defence firms and 26 countries.
Ukraine has repeatedly asked for more Western weapons, including longer-range missiles, to help break through Russian positions and launch strikes deep within Russian-controlled territory.
(February 23, 2023)
BAE, whose biggest customers are the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia and Australia, forecast earnings per share (EPS) would rise 5% to 7% this year, after it posted a 9.5% rise in underlying EPS for 2022 on Thursday, beating forecasts on strong performances from its maritime and cyber units.
Am Ende sei es die Leistungsfähigkeit von „Arrow 3“ gewesen, die auch die Bundeswehr und die deutsche Bundesregierung überzeugt habe. So der Inspekteur der Luftwaffe, General Ingo Gerhartz in einem Interview im israelischen Fernsehen: „Das System hat große Fähigkeiten. Und es gibt nun mal die Bedrohung durch Langstreckenraketen.“
Deutschland steht vor einem großen Rüstungsdeal, da die USA Israel die Erlaubnis für den Verkauf des Raketenabwehrsystems Arrow 3 gegeben haben. Bis Ende 2025 soll es einsatzbereit sein.
Arrow 3 kann auch ballistische Raketen, abgefeuert aus einer Entfernung von bis zu 2.400 Kilometern abfangen – ein Vorteil, auch für Deutschlands Nachbarländer bei möglichen Angriffen.
Although Israel has long had close economic and military links with western European countries, the deal with Germany could draw the attention of Russia. Israel has maintained working relations with Russia throughout the war in Ukraine and has repeatedly rebuffed requests to sell arms to Kyiv for fear of antagonizing Moscow.
Laut dem Onlineportal der Tageszeitung „Yediot Ahronot“ sollen die Panzer an zwei namentlich nicht genannte Länder geliefert werden – eines davon in Europa.
Ob diese Panzer letztlich für die Ukraine bestimmt sein könnten, bleibt in dem Artikel unklar.
I suspect the Bank to deny this, but they have already admitted their models of inflation based on their own understandings of the issue do not work, so little weight should be given to that.
Instead it‘s time to cut rates and remove the only excuse businesses have to increase prices because interest rates are the only cost expected to remain high, and excessively so, from now into the future.
(11 May 2023)
The Bank of England has raised interest rates by a quarter of a point to 4.5% as it forecast inflation would stay higher for longer than previously expected and the economy would perform more strongly.
The scheme would aim to get retailers charging the lowest possible amount for some basic products like milk and bread, the Sunday Telegraph reported.
A Number 10 source said the plans are at „drawing board stage“ and would not involve government-imposed price controls.
Häufig liest man an vielerlei Stellen, die Pandemie sei geplant gewesen. Belege dafür liefert kaum jemand. Es scheint an der Zeit, einmal zu fragen, wer denn überhaupt ein Motiv dafür gehabt haben könnte.
West Texas Intermediate futures traded above $82 a barrel after posting the longest run of weekly gains since June. A surprise production cut by OPEC+ will tighten the market more than previously expected and lead to further price increases, inflicting more pain on consumers, the IEA said on Friday.
(12.03.2023)
Aramco boosted its dividend — a crucial source of funding for the Saudi Arabian government — to $19.5 billion for the final quarter, up 4% from the previous three-month period.
US and European peers such as Chevron Corp. and Shell Plc also reported blowout earnings and are returning billions of dollars to shareholders through larger dividends and buybacks. Aramco, until now, has instead focused on using its extra cash to increase output.
The announcement came off the back of energy prices rising after Russia launched its war on Ukraine in February 2022, with sanctions limiting the sale of Moscow‘s oil and natural gas in Western markets. Aramco‘s results mirror the huge profits seen at U.S. and British oil giants.
Der saudi-arabische Ölkonzern war erst 2019 an die Börse gegangen. Er ist das zweitwertvollste Unternehmen der Welt nach Apple. 2022 meldeten auch fünf weitere Ölgiganten Rekordgewinne: Shell, Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP und TotalEnergies.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2022 was $225.152B, a 14.01% increase from 2021.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2021 was $197.478B, a 29.28% increase from 2020.
Amazon annual gross profit for 2020 was $152.757B, a 32.85% increase from 2019.
(today)
The official noted Taiwan will use its own funds for the purchase. (…)
A news release from the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Wednesday said the defense contractors for the munitions and equipment will be Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.
(22.02.2023)
Mr. Gallagher was one of five House lawmakers who traveled to Taiwan during the congressional recess, meeting with top political, national security and business leaders to discuss how to enhance security and economic cooperation between Taipei and Washington.
(22.02.2023)
Gallagher, a former Marine Corps intelligence officer and chairman of the House select committee on China, also said it is urgent for the U.S. to send weapons to Taiwan in an effort to prevent China from invading the country and the possibility of a third World War from happening.
(20.02.2023)
Russian exports of discounted crude and fuel oil to China have jumped to record levels as the re-opening of the world’s biggest energy importer gathers pace after the dismantling of Covid Zero.
(February 21, 2023)
As the war drags on, demand for weapons will likely continue to rise in Europe as Ukraine’s supporters rebuild their stockpiles and modernize their militaries. But, as Jeff Abramson of the Arms Control Association argues, the weapons build-up will not end alongside the conflict. Instead, arms sales will likely continue to rise as weapons makers compete for clients in regions far removed from eastern Europe.
“Once you revitalize and grow that industry, you will see increased flows of weapons outside of the conflict in Ukraine,” Abramson told RS. “That is the history of a burgeoning arms market — it doesn’t stop [with] Ukraine.”
(11 Mar 2022)
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has been widely condemned for its unjustified aggression. There are legitimate fears of a revived Russian empire and even a new world war. Less discussed is the almost half trillion dollar (€453 billion) defence industry supplying the weapons to both sides, and the substantial profits it will make as a result.
(Feb. 1, 2023)
The variables that will determine oil companies’ profitability this year are largely out of their control — in both supply and demand. The war in Ukraine could expand or not; a recession in the United States and Europe could be deep or averted entirely. Prices for fuels, and inflation generally, will largely depend on how events play out.
(Feb 2, 2023)
Shell reported an annual profit of nearly $40 billion in 2022, the highest in the firm’s 115-year history.
The figure is more than double the $19.3 billion the firm reported in 2021 and far greater than its previous record of $31 billion in 2008.
(Feb 2, 2023)
Shell reported an annual profit of nearly $40 billion in 2022, the highest in the firm’s 115-year history.
The figure is more than double the $19.3 billion the firm reported in 2021 and far greater than its previous record of $31 billion in 2008.