...it isn't JUST J.P. Morgan Chase though. Goldman Sachs is among the carpetbaggers, too.

Michael Moore Endorses Chase Boycott
By: emptywheel
Thursday April 9, 2009 9:36 am


REPORT: UAW backs Chrysler-Fiat partnership (click here)
by Jonathon Ramsey on Mar 20th 2009 at 12:27PM

Chrysler, Fiat and Tata possible partnerships – JEEP FOR SALE? (click here)
Posted on 08.1.2008 12:35 by Myles Kornblatt
Rumors and even some confirmed reports are going around tying together Chrysler, Fiat and Tata. Starting in the U.S., Chrysler may partner with Tata to sell Jeep Wrangler’s to the Indian market. What is alarming about this plan came from an investment banker watching the deal. "You could definitely see this evolve into something," the banker said. "It would make sense for Tata to buy Jeep if this partnership went through ... and Chrysler could really do with selling a brand and getting some cash." Jeep, America’s brand for sale! Say it ain’t so Chrysler....

You see, all the damage done to the USA economy that then rocked the entire global economy started when the banks were 'high rollers' with a hubris $14,000 DOW (click title to entry - thank you) after Paulson came into the government.

July 19, 2007
...The market has been spiraling upward in recent weeks. It climbed 1,000 points in less than 60 days of trading. The surge comes at a time when growth has slowed in the United States and many people are worried about problems in the mortgage market....

Eight days later, with some concern for 'a bubble' and the runaway DOW now completely out of control and making no sense to most investors, especially the bulls, banks that DID have a clue like Morgan started to look at their liabilities and began to strategize their positions.

They didn't care and they still don't care that these 'private' companies were American assets with the employ and tax base of a huge segment of the USA economy. All they know is money and plenty of it.

It was after the bailout legislation that Goldman Sachs changed their 'charter' to a bank rather than 'investment bank' so they could 'get in on' garanteed untraceable government money.

The American people have a right to have security in their country and it is time to look at manufacturers as 'assets' to our USA Treasury and its tax base before they continue to do something stupid.

As a government we have facilitated companies in their ability to locate, employ and exist. The USA assists private enterprise all the time at the local, state and federal level. There should be some understanding when there is trouble within companies and the banks that service their debt; the people providing tax cuts, credits and any other impetus to their success be given the right to save their jobs, tax base leading to a solvent treasury and national security, no matter what it takes (Hey, Secretary Geithner, it is called Eminent Domain. The government does it all the time. Why not for solvency of our treasury? Put that in your new rules.).

It always makes me laugh when CEOs get huge paychecks and bonuses that would not at all be possible without a compassionate government providing every opportunity to flourish and profit. It truly isn't a CEO that provides the 'bottom line' to a companies profit so much as the people providing the opportunity for them to even exist.

July 27, 2007, 4:59 PM ET
Another Setback for J.P. Morgan and Chrysler (click here)
...The bank and the buyout firm had hoped to salvage some of their pride from a dismal week by finding buyers today for $8 billion of loans backing the leveraged buyout of Chrysler. It wasn’t meant to be. With tumult in the high-yield market continuing,...

The 1955 Chrysler Falcon [Ghia] (click here) concept car was as close as Chrysler got to a production two-seat sports car until the 1991 Dodge Viper.

Saturday, April 11, 2009
...Large banks (click here), along with several dozen hedge funds, hold $7 billion in senior secured loans to Chrysler and are the first in line to Chrysler's assets should the company go into bankruptcy. The group includes Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs, and hedge fund Elliott Management....

Goldman sells $500 mln of Chrysler debt at very deep discount (click here)
Last update: 3:59 p.m. EDT April 9, 2008
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NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Goldman Sachs (GS:
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GS 124.33, +9.58, +8.4%) placed $500 million of Chrysler Automotive's loans at a price of 63 cents Wednesday to an investor group that included hedge funds, a person familiar with the matter said.
Those loans are trading between 64 cents and 66 cents at the moment, another person familiar with the matter said, indicating some demand for the debt at this deeply discounted price. At such a price, the yield on the debt is more than 20%.
JP Morgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and Bear Stearns are also underwriting the Chrysler Automotive deal, but Goldman Sachs sold part of its stake independently of the syndicate. It's a practice that's becoming more common in the leveraged loan markets as banks look to trim their exposure to risky leveraged buyout debt that they have been stuck holding onto since the credit crunch erupted last summer....


Chrysler debt plan still vague (click here)
Automaker, task force have 19 days to settle it
BY JUSTIN HYDE • FREE PRESS (I kinda like the way that sounds, FREE PRESS, nice.) WASHINGTON STAFF • April 11, 2009
WASHINGTON -- With 19 days to go, talks among Chrysler LLC, the Obama administration and Chrysler's creditors have yet to produce a firm proposal for how the company's debt should be reduced, people familiar with the process said Friday.
President Barack Obama's auto task force says it believes reducing the debts of Chrysler and General Motors Corp. is the key to making them viable, warning it could use bankruptcy to force whatever cuts it seeks. Chrysler has until April 30 to bring back a new viability plan; GM has until May 31....

Is Maliki shopping with American money?

Looking back at Washington, Baghdad wants to revive cooperation with Moscow (click title to entry - thank you)


...On April 10, he will meet President Dmitry Medvedev and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for talks on a broad range of issues. The Iraqi Government's official spokesman Ali ad-Dabbag reported that during this visit the prime minister will be accompanied by foreign, defense, and electric power industry ministers, as well as a delegation of the national oil ministry.
After the talks, on April 11, al-Maliki will hold a RIA Novosti-organized news conference in the President Hotel....

Does this mean we can go home now?

Gazprom Neft wants to develop 8 oil, gas deposits in Iraq (click here)
17:58
11/ 04/ 2009

MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russian energy giant Gazprom's oil arm Gazprom Neft is interested in developing six oil and two gas deposits in Iraq, the head of the company's Middle East projects said Saturday.
"We are participating in a tender with partners, there are six oil and two gas fields there," Alexander Kolomatsky told journalists.
Kolomatsky declined to name the partners citing commercial confidentiality. The tender's results are to be made public in the third quarter of 2009.
The announcement came after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with Russian business heads to try and attract Russian investment in the oil-rich country....

Putting up with this is insane.

Somali pirates and mother ship.

I hope the Navy makes it clear that if approached by any of these ships they will sink it. The pirates will load these boats with explosives and try to sink the USA vessels.

Somalia was defeated by al Qaeda. It is where bin Laden first found out that chaotic violence was effective againt even USA helicopters and crews. Osama found out what the Romans knew for a long time, and that is if the mob decided to turn against their emperor there was dearly little a Roman legion could do to stop them.

That type of 'suicide mob strength' has been the back bone of revolutionaries for a long time. If 'an ideal' could fill a populous with fervor a government could be overthrown.

These pirates are a direct result of a government destabilized by al Qaeda. I can't believe the people of Somalia actually longed for this and if they did the international community is not appreciative. I would like to see all ships from all ports have a policy of 'protectionism' rather than 'vicitimization.' In other words, allow armed soldiers from recognized militaries board the ship as an escort to their destination and deprive these people of their country's income in this manner.

The Somalias might have to actually work at an economy rather than steal it from others.

The real danger that prevents the USA Navy from acting, is the other ships already hijacked and in port in Somalia. They have hostages no different than the Captain Phillips. If the USA becomes aggressive the concern is the hostages in port on hijacked ships will become victims rather than just hostages.

I don't believe that will happen, because the pirates want the money and if the international shipping community 'gets smart' and puts armed escort on their ships as they travel through the waters, the currently held ships and their crew will be the pirates only remaining income.

US ships block help for pirates holding US captain (click title to entry - thank you)
By MICHELLE FAUL and TOM MALITI – 3 hours ago
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — U.S. warships are trying to stop Somali pirates from sending reinforcements to a lifeboat where an American captain is being held hostage as the high-seas standoff off Africa's eastern coast entered a fourth day Saturday.
Underscoring the high stakes involved, France's navy on Friday freed a sailboat seized off Somalia last week by other pirates, but one of the hostages was killed, along with two bandits. Three pirates were captured.
A Nairobi-based diplomat, who spoke on condition on anonymity because he is not authorized to talk to reporters, said the pirates have summoned assistance but at least two American ships and an Orion surveillance aircraft are deterring pirate ships and skiffs from contact with the lifeboat.
The pirates have threatened to kill their American hostage, Capt. Richard Phillips, if the U.S. attacks them, according to a Somali who has been in contact with the pirates.
The vice president of the Philippines, the nation with the largest number of sailors held captive by Somali pirates, appealed Saturday for the safety of hostages to be ensured in the standoff.
"We hope that before launching any tactical action against the pirates, the welfare of every hostage is guaranteed and ensured," said Vice President Noli de Castro. "Moreover, any military action is best done in consultation with the United Nations to gain the support and cooperation of other countries."
U.S. rules of engagement prevent the Americans using their vastly superior fighting power to engage the pirates if there is any danger to civilians....

If escorts are the best strategy against boarding by pirates, they will have to be armed with more than assault rifles, they will have to carry shoulder mounted missiles to stop the boats, even the mother ships before they begin to board. It cannot be an attempt at intimidation by a simple presence of armed guards.

The escorts will have to be prepared to stop the attack.

That means the Somali Pirates could die in the process.

The assault crew would have to be prepared to stem the attack early enough to prevent any damage to ship, crew or cargo; otherwise; the shipping lines would go back to paying ransom. A well organized 'Escort Crew' would require a boarding crew as well as armed boat escort to keep the mother ships and speed boats away from the cargo ship. I don't see any other method that is viable. Negotiating with the Somali government is meaningless.

Hiring 'Escort Crews' would cost far, far less than paying ransom and insure the well being of the container crews returning home to their familes.

International laws would have to accommodate the need for these crews in International AND International Port Waters as a means of Peaceful Transport. Any Maritime Laws could allow such mechanisms to be employed at any time there are rebels that would harm safe transport of goods and crew.

These cargo ships are benevolent ships, they aren't militarized ships, this is an assault against humanity and its benevolent purpose. It should be highly illegal in an aggressive methodology that provides prevention as well as defense.