Posted on 07/16/2005 1:38:48 PM PDT by wagglebee
WASHINGTON -- In the 1988 Hollywood hit "Die Hard," starring Bruce Willis, a group of "terrorists" take over a Japanese banking institution in Los Angeles, hold hostages and make demands for release of "political prisoners."
But it turns out the terrorists aren't really terrorists. They are bank robbers trying to make off with the fortune in the bank's vaults.
Could it be Osama bin Laden has seen "Die Hard"?
That is a question Scotland Yard and other law enforcement agencies are actually asking themselves following the July 7 London transit system attacks that killed 54 and injured scores more as they continue to scour the planet for evidence and additional conspirators.
Why? Because it appears some profited by short selling the British pound in the 10 days leading up to the attacks.
The pound fell about 6 percent (approximately 1.82 to 1.72) against the dollar for no apparent reason – until, of course, the terror attacks sent the British markets reeling still further.
"This was an almost unprecedented weakness and far too sharp to be a coincidence," one economist with more than 35 years of experience in the investment industry, told Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, the premium, online intelligence newsletter published by the founder of WND. "That is, after all, an annualized rate of loss of well over 100 percent."
The fall did not go unnoticed by investigators, who are wondering whether the terrorist masterminds behind the attacks decided to make some money on their action or whether other investors with inside information about possible attacks took advantage of that knowledge.
"Currencies of establish countries simply do not fall that fast based upon any kind of economic or financial analysis," said the economist. "Somebody – somewhere – knew something. Or maybe I should say 'somebodies.'"
Could it be the terrorists have learned to make their attacks self-funding operations?
Could it be the terrorists are actually motivated by factors other than Islamic fanaticism?
These are some of the questions law enforcement agencies are asking – but they're not really expecting to get answers.
The problem is that short selling of this kind can be done with near total anonymity.
"Trade currency futures through a Swiss or Austrian bank via an offshore company incorporated in Crete and you have a totally untraceable transaction," the economist noted. "No one will ever know who made the really big money off this situation, but I guarantee you this – someone did."
It's not the first time suspicion about terrorists – or someone – profiting from short-selling prior to an attack.
Following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., David Ruder, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission from 1987 to 1989, raised the question of whether terrorists may have gotten away with profiting from their attacks by short-selling shares in the U.S. markets.
Then U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill confirmed the government was investigating possible short selling, but was not optimistic those responsible would ever be found.
Short selling allows investors to bet that stocks will fall by borrowing and selling shares in the hope of buying back at a lower price.
After Sept. 11, Chicago Board Options Exchange data showed 1,575 put options purchased in United Airlines' parent company five days before the attacks. On an average day, only 390 such put options are purchased. Investors bought 2,258 put options in American Airlines parent company, compared with 220 on a typical day. Insurance and other stocks also experienced and upswing in short sales.
Investigators never revealed how much money was bet, but short sellers could have made 30 times what they invested, given the huge plunge in the stock prices of those companies.
Government investigators from around the world never learned the identity of the short sellers in 2001. And, despite vigorous efforts being made to find out who was behind the short selling of the British pound in early July, hopes are slim the culprits will be found.
The man who broke the Bank of England
Sunday, 6 December, 1998, 20:38 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/the_economy/229012.stm
"No one will ever know who made the really big money off this situation"
"Wanna bet?
No one trades billions of dollars worth of anything without a paper trail.
Eventually we'll find a way to access those documents, maybe not "legally", but we'll find a way."
I agree. We already know... just like we knew who profited from shorting the insurance companies before 9-11.
My guess is someone has already designed a program that can predict large scale terrorist attacks based on short selling.
The Olympic announcement was the trigger. I have a feeling a terrorist attack would have taken place within 48 hours
in whatever city in what ever country, the Olympics were awarded to.
Promise is the name of a software tool, the ownership of which led to an on-going court battle between the original programmer, and the U.S. govt.
The software is capable of tracking all financial transactions occurring in the western world, and should be assumed to be doing so as we communicate here, since the U.S. govt. would not have acquired it if it's use were not anticipated. It was one of the leading topics of discussion on conservative talk radio in the mid 90s
It was rumored that it was what led up to the mass resignations of powerful Dem senators and representatives during the 90s.
KEWL!
(I guess)...
There are places to which one does not allow one's mind to wander if one wishes to remain sane...
It's a little late to worry about that!
The DNC shorted it to get money for Hillary's 08 run.
Maybe they were watching "Time Cop" again.
George's Hungarian parents had fled the country when Andropov was the Soviet ambassador there. Indeed, Comrade Andropov was the Satanical force behind the Soviet assault on the Hungarian anticommunist uprising and its bloody suppression. But he still had a long way to go to reach the chair of the KGB ring-leader.
Not only the accusers won't have any proof - even the name of the first identified casualty of the bombing, one Susanne Levy, 52, wouldn't change anything for them.
You're right. I mispoke. Andropov's tenure in Hungary is actually a big part of what led me to conclude Soros' connection to him, though there are conflicts as to whether he was there at the same time as Soros. I should have said something like "back in Andropov's KGB days as he rose to head the agency and then the Soviet Union."
There is a pattern of young people mysteriously "escaping" from behind the iron curtain in areas connected to Andropov. I'm convinced that he ran a recruiting program for a long term program to plant Soviet agents of influence in the west who would work for our downfall from within.
Not spies. Not saboteurs, per se, but talented people who KGB would help to gain power within our system, but who were ideologically committed to using that power against us.
Explains a lot about Soros' career for me.
Also, did you know they finally figured out what Yuri S. Andropov's middle initial stood for?
Shrivleup
It has also been reported that several Saudis shorted stocks worldwide in the weeks leading up to 9/11 and made tens of millions as a result.
Buy high, sell short? Forex guys have a lot more nerve than I do.
> I'll just have to stick w/writing OOM EUR calls on 200-300 pip rallies, which strategy has worked very consistently since 9 March
I guess Kofi's little tax will take a bite out of that...
> Good trading to you!
Back at you!
Michael Savage rocks - this exact story was broken by Savage on his radio show two or three days ago. Definitely before the WND report. Listen to Savage every night and stay on the cutting edge.
I noticed that this attack, like 9/11 also occurred after a major tennis tournament. The moon was also in the crescent phase this time.
Even though I agree with most of what Savage says, I still can't stand listening to him. He reminds me of a conservative Michael Moore.
Maybe Soros is consulorting with America's enemies.... ;-)
Savage's breadth and depth is far beyond Michael Moron and his clever manipulation of words and phrases to fit a pre-conceived conclusion. Savage's education and experience give him a much fuller worldview and allow him to connect more of the dots. He's like an orchestra while Moore is a one-note tuba. Plus Savage has better ideas that push the spineless Pubbies in the right direction.
And Warren Buffet's Bershire Hathaway
Buffet is a big liberal, but he's also too well-respected in the business community to pull a stunt like this.
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