[mattduke]

They are telling us the mafia did it. And they released the two men. The only guys that got better treatment than these two were the Bin Laden's hightailing it out of the US after 9/11.

ft

[oddone]

From Turner Radio Network:

http://turnerradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:employees-of-japan-finance-ministry-arrested-in-italy-trying-tosmuggle-134-billion-in-us-treasuries-in-suitcases&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

(Turner Radio Network) -- Two Japanese men arrested by Italian Police while trying to smuggle $134 Billion in U.S. Treasury Bonds concealed in suitcases, out of Italy into Switzerland, are employees of the Finance Ministry of Japan.

Turner Radio Network has now confirmed the two men arrested by Italy were trying to secretly dump Bonds that were previously held by the nation of Japan. The men arrested have told Italian police they were ordered to move the Bonds by the government of Japan because the Japanese government has lost faith in the ability of the U.S. government to repay its debts.

Despite assurances from Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano about Japan's "absolutely unshakable” confidence in the credibility of the U.S. dollar, it is now confirmed based upon the serial numbers of the Bonds, that the $134 Billion is part of the $686 billion of U.S. debt officially held by Japan.

According to Italian Law Enforcement, authorities originally thought the men were part of the "Yakuza", a Japanese organized crime syndicate similar to the Italian Mafia, which lead officials to believe the Bonds were forgeries But after the men who were arrested were forced to remain in jail for more than a few days, they discarded their cover story and admitted to being employees of the Finance Ministry of Japan.

Strangely, very few major media outlets have covered this story. Of the few media outlets that have covered it, one - Bloomberg Business News - reported the bonds were "fakes." But according to Italian authorities, that is a cover story developed by the U.S. government to avoid panic selling of U.S. Treasuries by other nations.

Law enforcement sources in Rome claim the Italian government is ecstatic over the seizure because under Italian law, they get to keep forty percent (40%) of the smuggled bonds. The governments of both the US and Japan are trying to negotiate with Italy for return of the Bonds but because of the astonishing amount of money involved, Italy is refusing any negotiation at all.

TRN has been told to expect to receive serial numbers from the bonds as proof they are real. In addition, our source claims he can obtain scanned images of some of those bonds as well. If we are given such information or images, we will report them publicly.

COMMENTARY:

The implications of this situation are monstrous: An ally of the United States has been caught trying to secretly unload U.S. government debt. This is unmistakable proof that the United States government is headed into economic collapse because nations around the world have now officially lost faith in its ability to repay.

The fact that $134 Billion in Bonds was intercepted by Italian Police was confirmed two days ago by Bloomberg Business news (here). Today's revelation by TRN that the men arrested were employees of the Japan Finance Ministry is a huge development which will cause sudden and dramatic reaction worldwide

[Sixstrings]

From Turner Radio Network:

http://turnerradionetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=59:employees-of-japan-finance-ministry-arrested-in-italy-trying-tosmuggle-134-billion-in-us-treasuries-in-suitcases&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

(Turner Radio Network) -- Two Japanese men arrested by Italian Police while trying to smuggle $134 Billion in U.S. Treasury Bonds concealed in suitcases, out of Italy into Switzerland, are employees of the Finance Ministry of Japan.

Turner Radio Network has now confirmed the two men arrested by Italy were trying to secretly dump Bonds that were previously held by the nation of Japan. The men arrested have told Italian police they were ordered to move the Bonds by the government of Japan because the Japanese government has lost faith in the ability of the U.S. government to repay its debts.

Despite assurances from Japanese Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano about Japan's "absolutely unshakable” confidence in the credibility of the U.S. dollar, it is now confirmed based upon the serial numbers of the Bonds, that the $134 Billion is part of the $686 billion of U.S. debt officially held by Japan.

According to Italian Law Enforcement, authorities originally thought the men were part of the "Yakuza", a Japanese organized crime syndicate similar to the Italian Mafia, which lead officials to believe the Bonds were forgeries But after the men who were arrested were forced to remain in jail for more than a few days, they discarded their cover story and admitted to being employees of the Finance Ministry of Japan.

Strangely, very few major media outlets have covered this story. Of the few media outlets that have covered it, one - Bloomberg Business News - reported the bonds were "fakes." But according to Italian authorities, that is a cover story developed by the U.S. government to avoid panic selling of U.S. Treasuries by other nations.

Law enforcement sources in Rome claim the Italian government is ecstatic over the seizure because under Italian law, they get to keep forty percent (40%) of the smuggled bonds. The governments of both the US and Japan are trying to negotiate with Italy for return of the Bonds but because of the astonishing amount of money involved, Italy is refusing any negotiation at all.

TRN has been told to expect to receive serial numbers from the bonds as proof they are real. In addition, our source claims he can obtain scanned images of some of those bonds as well. If we are given such information or images, we will report them publicly.

COMMENTARY:

The implications of this situation are monstrous: An ally of the United States has been caught trying to secretly unload U.S. government debt. This is unmistakable proof that the United States government is headed into economic collapse because nations around the world have now officially lost faith in its ability to repay.

The fact that $134 Billion in Bonds was intercepted by Italian Police was confirmed two days ago by Bloomberg Business news (here). Today's revelation by TRN that the men arrested were employees of the Japan Finance Ministry is a huge development which will cause sudden and dramatic reaction worldwide

Good reporting -- if only it's all true. I'm guessing this is the HAL Turner radio network? What are his sources?

This reporting you've posted may be made up fiction, or a lucky guess. But the whole thing definitely stinks. NO reporting on it in the international media. Bloomberg reports it, then quickly brushes it off as "fakes." And yet.. the smugglers were RELEASED. That screams diplomatic immunity, folks.

[patience]

If the speculations here are true, we are VERY close to the edge.

And yes, it stinks to high heaven!

[deMolay]

I kinda subscribe to this authors point of view on the subject. http://www.theundergroundinvestor.com/2 ... d-mystery/

[smallpoxgirl]

Sorry kids. The bonds are fake. link

Treasury hasn't issued a paper bond since 1986 and there's no such thing as a "Kennedy bond". Of course no CT worth his salt would be dissuaded by such facts.

[deMolay]

Which is fine, but leaves the question of which State is trying to crash the Financial World again by a meltdown in confidence in the US Dollar.

[smallpoxgirl]

Which is fine, but leaves the question of which State is trying to crash the Financial World again by a meltdown in confidence in the US Dollar.

I'm gonna guess it's probably the same state that keeps sending me all those emails posing as a Nigerian bank president.

[mattduke]

Sorry kids. The bonds are fake. link

Treasury hasn't issued a paper bond since 1986 and there's no such thing as a "Kennedy bond". Of course no CT worth his salt would be dissuaded by such facts.

The conspiracy was to counterfeit US bonds. The remaining question is, where are the criminals now and why were they freed? What were their names? Also, what about the bank certificates of authenticity? Are they fake, was there also a bank that was duped, or was it a participant? Another CT is that the situation was manufactured so that dollar devaluation can be blamed on counterfeiters, and "justifying" the creation of a new currency.

[oddone]

Telegraph article on the bonds: "Is this the death of the dollar?"

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/economics/5586543/Is-this-the-death-of-the-dollar.html

[pablonite]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/econ ... ollar.html

However, detecting what is really happening in the world of foreign exchange reserves is notoriously closer to an art than a science. For instance, figures from April seemed to suggest a fall in China's holdings of US Treasuries – something 'dollapocalypticists' pounced on at the time. But according to Brad Setser of the Council on Foreign Relations, the country was merely rejigging its Treasury portfolio rather than liquidating parts of it.

Wow, some dude from the shadowy CFR says don't worry, China is just "rejigging"?
Is that even a recognized financial term?

Does the deafening silence mean nobody at the CFR or FED could come up with a good excuse to spoonfeed their talking heads in the media?

You just got to ask yourself, why would anyone forge documents such as these when they would be quite impossible to unload anywhere?
Nobody on this planet is going to touch those things with a 10 foot pole without knowing for sure they are legit with numbers bigger than most people can even compehend?
And they were off to Switzerland of all places with them?
So, when the "Treasury" which is being run by the same gang of banksters from the FED tell us "Don't worry, they were forgeries", should we believe them? Of course we will because their media will tell us to believe them!

Lookout for the red herrings to start flying soon. Remember on Sept 10th, 2001 that warm cuddly Rumsfeld fellow announced the pentagon was missing a couple of trillion?

Those damn Italians, sometimes they just stop playing the game like when one of their ex-prime ministers just comes right out and says 9/11 was an inside job

My guess is the elite are cashing out big time before there is nothing left to cash out, which means by doing this they are going to crash the economy hard. Of course this was one of the options leaked out at the most recent Bilderberg conference - it will be no suprise to some

[ColossalContrarian]

You just got to ask yourself, why would anyone forge documents such as these when they would be quite impossible to unload anywhere?
Nobody on this planet is going to touch those things with a 10 foot pole without knowing for sure they are legit with numbers bigger than most people can even compehend?
And they were off to Switzerland of all places with them?
So, when the "Treasury" which is being run by the same gang of banksters from the FED tell us "Don't worry, they were forgeries", should we believe them? Of course we will because their media will tell us to believe them!

It's almost easier to believe it's a prank gone awry...

What would the Swiss banker be thinking when these two show up with $134 billion?

"Hey fella's, you want to open an account today?"
"OK, how much would you like to deposit?"
"Oh, no problem... just have a seat over there..."

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Treasury hasn't issued a paper bond since 1986

The Bonds were owned by the country of Japan since the early 1980's when printed bonds were still issued by the U.S. Treasury. Today, all such Bonds are done electronically.

link

[pablonite]

It's almost easier to believe it's a prank gone awry...

Hmm, sounds like an interesting theory but it would still be a great story if you ran a newspaper or news show or talk show...?

The "Treasury" says it might have been a mafia counterfeit operation, 500 million denominations and Japanese mules. Wow, they're getting good those mafia boys!

Anywhoo, looks like a complete blackout on whatever happened over there. I am sure we will eventually will get the details on who these 2 pranksters were - whereever they are now

[seldom_seen]

Wow, some dude from the shadowy CFR says don't worry, China is just "rejigging"?
Is that even a recognized financial term?

That is an interesting choice of words. One of the definitions of jig, is a trick or a game.

So if China is gaming the treasury market...or this CFR guy is tricking us with his cryptic language then I guess it makes sense.

You just got to ask yourself, why would anyone forge documents such as these when they would be quite impossible to unload anywhere? Nobody on this planet is going to touch those things with a 10 foot pole without knowing for sure they are legit with numbers bigger than most people can even compehend?

Tall tales and Legends from the mainstream mesmerizers. The counterfeit story doesn't fly. So let's say they were counterfeit? Ok...no big deal...show us their faces...let us know their names, what is their background? Not a peep. Plus, as such a large holder of treasuries why would Japan want to dilute the market with fake ones? Assuming they could actually find a sucker to buy fake ones.

Who is buying treasuries these days besides the Fed?

The 2nd most interesting part of this story is that it's mostly not being covered.

Japan is the 2nd largest foreign holder of US treasuries (only recently exceeded by China). Their economy is going down the pooper just like ours. They are a US ally. This was probably an "off the radar" unloading of a big chunk of treasuries from Japan to the Fed or one of its intermediaries in exchange for dollars which they can quickly spend on commodities or something more valuable than this paper backed by a bottomless pit of debt and empty promises. I bet other big holders of treasuries like China and Russia have a keen interest in this story.

Anyone recall the scene from Lawrence of Arabia where they raid Aqaba, and the Sheikh is mad as hell because he was hoping to find a big stash of gold...except all he found was chests full of currency notes "It's just paper! Bloody hell. All there is is paper!"

I suspect Japan is having a similar "Lawrence of Arabia" moment.

Japan's Finance Minister Voices Confidence In Dollar

TOKYO (Dow Jones)--Japan's finance minister said Tuesday that his confidence in the dollar "isn't shaken at all," signaling that Tokyo has no plans to shift its $1-trillion foreign currency reserves away from U.S. government bonds.

"My thinking about the U.S. economy or the dollar as the world's standard currency - that is, my confidence in it - isn't shaken at all," Kaoru Yosano said at a press conference after a regular Cabinet meeting. "The U.S. government's policy is to maintain a strong dollar. Looking at this issue from the various perspectives, I'm almost convinced that the dollar will remain as the base currency."

Brazil and Russia are already taking steps. For instance they're planning to unload U.S. Treasury bonds as they acquire $10 billion each of new International Monetary Fund securities designed to bolster the institution's aid programs, officials there said last week.

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-200 ... 18363.html

[Revi]

Nothing is true until it's officially denied.

[mattduke]

Down the memory hole it goes. The released counterfeiters never to be heard from again, never to face trial.

[RonMN]

Hmmmm...Interesting read...

Quote:
In a dramatic phone call from inside the prison in which he is detained pending trial, relayed via internet, Hal Turner claims that his arrest is political and it is in relation to securities seized in Chiasso, because the authorities are terrorized by his revelations regarding the bonds’ authenticity.
Of course, the allegations made against him have to nothing to do with the story and thus an already intricate story becomes increasingly complex. Turner maintains that he did not personally formulate the disclosure for which he has been imprisoned. Although it was clearly his responsibility to remain vigilant, it is also true that blogs from around the world and the U.S. themselves are full of threats and provocations. The coincidental timing, the unusual diligence and the details of his arrest arouse suspicions about the true motives of the American federal police. Indeed, this very arrest suggests that the evidence seized from GdF are truly authentic.

One more element in favour of the bond’s authenticity is found in the securities, which in the June 4 statement, the GdF termed "Kennedy Bonds” with photos provided. These photos reveal that the securities under discussion are not bonds but Treasury Notes, because they are securities that can be immediately exchanged for their worth in goods or services and because they are devoid of interest coupons. One side carries a reproduction of the image of the American president, the reverse side that of a spaceship.

From confidential, usually well-informed sources, AsiaNews has learned that this type of paper money was issued less than ten years ago (in 1998), although it is difficult to know whether those seized in Chiasso are authentic. But the fact that the release of this particular State Treasury was not completely in the public domain tends to exclude the possibility of counterfeiting. It highly unreasonable to suppose that a forger would reproduce a State Treasury not commonly in circulation and of which there is no public knowledge. For this reason, it can be concluded that the 124.5 billion dollars divided in 249 bonds of 500 million each are authentic. These titles, although referred to as "Federal Reserve Notes" are actually bonds, because they accrue interest and are redeemable at maturity. But one question remains unsolved regarding them. It is somewhat hard to understand why the securities, which were from the outset indistinguishable from the original to the GdF, all have their coupons. Any ordinary investor, even a state, would have cashed in the interest coupon every year, so as not to lose purchasing power.

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=33956

[Sixstrings]

From the Telegraph article:

In the event, late last week American officials confirmed that the notes were forgeries.

Did I miss something? I never heard of any definitive debunking coming from the US gov. All I read was a little quote about "obviously they're forgeries" after an official saw pics from over the internet.

Were serial numbers check, etc.?

[Sixstrings]

Hmmmm...Interesting read...

Quote:
In a dramatic phone call from inside the prison in which he is detained pending trial, relayed via internet, Hal Turner claims that his arrest is political and it is in relation to securities seized in Chiasso, because the authorities are terrorized by his revelations regarding the bonds’ authenticity.
Of course, the allegations made against him have to nothing to do with the story and thus an already intricate story becomes increasingly complex. Turner maintains that he did not personally formulate the disclosure for which he has been imprisoned. Although it was clearly his responsibility to remain vigilant, it is also true that blogs from around the world and the U.S. themselves are full of threats and provocations. The coincidental timing, the unusual diligence and the details of his arrest arouse suspicions about the true motives of the American federal police. Indeed, this very arrest suggests that the evidence seized from GdF are truly authentic.

One more element in favour of the bond’s authenticity is found in the securities, which in the June 4 statement, the GdF termed "Kennedy Bonds” with photos provided. These photos reveal that the securities under discussion are not bonds but Treasury Notes, because they are securities that can be immediately exchanged for their worth in goods or services and because they are devoid of interest coupons. One side carries a reproduction of the image of the American president, the reverse side that of a spaceship.

From confidential, usually well-informed sources, AsiaNews has learned that this type of paper money was issued less than ten years ago (in 1998), although it is difficult to know whether those seized in Chiasso are authentic. But the fact that the release of this particular State Treasury was not completely in the public domain tends to exclude the possibility of counterfeiting. It highly unreasonable to suppose that a forger would reproduce a State Treasury not commonly in circulation and of which there is no public knowledge. For this reason, it can be concluded that the 124.5 billion dollars divided in 249 bonds of 500 million each are authentic. These titles, although referred to as "Federal Reserve Notes" are actually bonds, because they accrue interest and are redeemable at maturity. But one question remains unsolved regarding them. It is somewhat hard to understand why the securities, which were from the outset indistinguishable from the original to the GdF, all have their coupons. Any ordinary investor, even a state, would have cashed in the interest coupon every year, so as not to lose purchasing power.

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=33956

It didn't occur to me before, but ya it is sort of odd that Hal Turner just happened to get nabbed after running the bond story.

Also, what's up with the big Catholic connection? The site you linked is "catholic.org," and that Asia News site has a lot of Catholic stuff on it too.

This is getting like the DaVinci Code, lol.. why are Catholic groups pushing this story I wonder?