Ramsey,
<<Thread, regarding Soros>>
<<Secondly, he is not a neutral party. Is it possible that he wants IMF to fund every economy so that there is some money for him to attack? He is regarded as public enemy #1 in a few Asian countries. In due time, history may show us whether he is indeed responsible for the collapse of Thailand and others. Is this potentially a direct conflict of interest to listen to his opinions?>>
You bring up a very timely issue on what may be an underlying
reason for IMF funding, and who really benefits...! Here is what
I just read yesterday, concerning where IMF money to Russia,
may actually be going...Regards, Shawn
By Barbara Starr
ABCNEWS.com
WASHINGTON, Sept 14 -- In addition to all Russia's political and economic troubles, the beleaguered country also suffers from a crime problem the FBI says went out of control long ago.
According to the bureau, the number of Russian organized crime groups has reached 12,000 -- nearly triple what it was in 1992 -- with no sign of slowing.
The FBI is reporting an "an emerging trend which suggests a growing level of sophistication in the area of large scale financial institution fraud and transnational money laundering."
The impact of the Russian Mafia gangs on Russia's economy is getting particular attention from the United States.
Worldwide Crime Networks
"What we have is an immense country practically controlled by organized crime, says Emilio Viano, professor of Criminology at American University and an expert on Russian organized crime.
"These groups are getting stronger and stronger and using Russia as a base for their global ventures -- taking over everything from drugs and prostitution to currency exchange and stealing World Bank and IMF loans."
According to the FBI report, different groups "dominate the economic life of Russia, ... exerting control over key economic sectors such as: petroleum distribution, pharmaceuticals and consumer products distribution."
And it's not just in Russia, Viano says. "Russian Mafia groups are directly building alliances with Italian, Latin American, Chinese, and Japanese organized crime families.
Russian law enforcement sources, the FBI report also reveals, estimate that 550 Russian banks -- about half of the nation's credit and financial organizations -- are now controlled by organized crime groups.
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